'Restructuring,' Advocate, Pensions, Term Limits Fill Monster Agenda

Better bring a family-sized bag of Cheetos to tonight’s (Tuesday) village board meeting because it’s going to be a long evening.

See tonight’s Godzilla-like village board agenda.

Oak Lawn Trustees will be voting on 27 items on Tuesday’s consent agenda. Hopefully the scripts will be short and we’ll get out before midnight.

Here’s what we’ll be watching:

Stony Creek Promenade – The 111th Street and Cicero Avenue redevelopment project is one step closer to becoming a reality. (See the Patch story, “Mariano’s Site Plans Clear Oak Lawn Planning Commission.”)  It even has a name – Stony Creek Promenade. Trustees are expected to approve certain ordinances allowing for the redevelopment of the former Kmart site.

Pre-Budget Village Finance Presentation – Mayor Sandra Bury and Village Treasurer Pat O’Donnell will be giving a presentation on pension liabilities and plugging an $8 million hole in the 2014 budget.

Senior Center – Trustees will vote on recommendations to prepare a “transitions plan” to outsource senior services to the Oak Lawn Park District in 2014/2015.

Re-org – The village manager is requesting authorization for the “reorganization and restructuring” of the regional emergency dispatch services, and the elimination of the “Business Services Department.” Last month, Trustee Carol Quinlan (Dist. 5) alluded that the department's director, Chad Weiler, was asked by the village manager to sign a "retirement and release" form, presumably because he had a Heilmann campaign sign on his front lawn during the spring election.  

Term Limits – A request by Trustees Tim Desmond (Dist. 1) and Mike Carberry (Dist. 6) to place term limits for elected officials on a Spring 2014 referendum. Let’s hope it goes better than the last time someone tried to put a referendum on the ballot.

Updates – 9/11 Memorial/Patriot Station, Senior Center, and Advocate Christ. Reportedly, an agreement has been worked out for Advocate Christ to pay the village $3.2 million, to include construction permit and an impact fee in lieu of property taxes, through 2016, just in case we don’t get the press release.

What’s not on the agenda?

Band lineup for Fall On the Green; Academy Award for Best Screenplay.

The Oak Lawn Village Board is on an abbreviated schedule has been meeting once a month this summer at Village Hall, 9466 S. Raymond. Members will resume their bi-monthly schedule on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 7:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 10. The meetings are free and open to the public.