Residents urge Westmont to endorse 708 mental-health referendum, plead support for small businesses

During open forum Susan Steinmiller urged the Village Board to place the "708 mental health board referendum" on the board's agenda and publicly endorse it, calling the measure "about compassion for all regardless of... race, or political affiliation." She tied the appeal to broader community concern and asked trustees to "vote yes to endorse it."

Steinmiller also urged the board to support a TIF relocation grant she said would help displaced local businesses with lease overlap, build-out, administrative and marketing costs. In the TIF public-comment period business owner Tammy Deck described 33 years of local operation and asked for help navigating permitting and timing during relocation, saying she had "every intention of staying in the lehi minute" and expressing concern about the uncertainty of the timeline.

Trustees did not take a separate vote on the 708 referendum at the Aug. 6 meeting; the public comment was recorded and the board proceeded to adopt the TIF relocation grant program later in the meeting.