Wheeling dissolves health board, senior citizens group

Wheeling’s health board and a senior citizens commission were dissolved by the village board Monday because of inadequate community participation and other factors.

Existing community services shouldn’t be affected, Village Manager Jon Sfondilis said.

Both volunteer groups were created in 1980.

Keeping their memberships full had been a challenge, Sfondilis said. Each group was supposed to have five members. But at the time of their dissolution, the health board had four members and the senior citizen commission had two, he said.

The health board last met in September 2024, Sfondilis said. The senior citizen commission last met in April 2023. Neither group was assigned funds in the village’s current budget.

Officials have been unable to clearly define the groups’ roles in recent years, Sfondilis said.

While the senior citizens commission once provided services for older residents, the Wheeling Park District oversees such activities now, he said.

The health board, when it was active, organized blood drives and oversaw medication-disposal programs and other efforts. But the park district and the Greater Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry now oversee blood drives in town, Sfondilis said, and the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County handles medical waste collection.

If health- or senior-related issues arise that warrant community input, temporary committees can be created as needed, Sfondilis said.

The village board agreed to dissolve the groups without debate Monday as part of its consent agenda, which is reserved for routine items. A recording of the meeting should be available this week on Wheeling’s YouTube channel.