La Grange Today

Steve Wolf will not seek re-election to library board of trustees; Rose Taylor may follow suit

The La Grange Library board of trustees is certain to have at least one new face after next April's general election.

Steve Wolf, a trustee since 2005, at last week's library board meeting announced that he will not seek re-election.

Library Trustee Steve Wolf

A second trustee, Rose Taylor, also is considering retirement from the board when her term expires next year, Board President Becky Spratford said.

Spratford said Taylor, who did not attend last week's board meeting, has been caring for her husband during a lengthy illness. She said Taylor told her she would make a decision sometime early in October.

Caroline Coryell, who currently holds the third board seat that will be open on the ballot, said she will seek another term.

Spratford said the library staff has prepared a document for any residents who are interested in running for election that describes in detail the board's responsibilities and what is required of individual trustees.

A copy of the document can be obtained by contacting the library's director, Jeannie Dilger-Hill.

Spratford also said that she has been designated as the contact to whom prospective candidates can direct questions about what a library trustee does. She is one of four trustees who are not facing re-election next year.

"We are trying to identify people who are interested in the library who have helped us in the past who might want to take the next step," Spratford said. "Hopefully there also are people who will come out on their own and run."

While the library board is prohibited from endorsing candidates, Spratford encouraged prospective candidates to seek endorsement from the La Grange Citizens Council, a non-partisan group of residents that vets and endorses candidates for local public office.

The deadline for consideration by the Citizens Council is Oct. 13. More information is available on the group's website.

Wolf cited personal and family commitments as his reasons for not seeking re-election.

"I just don't have the time," Wolf, a glazer by trade, said. "I might reconsider it in a few years, but right now I want to spend more time with my son, Boy Scouts and other things."

Wolf added that his wife, Barb, has a job that requires her to be on the road 32 weeks a year, increasing his parental responsibilities.

Barb Wolf is vice president of marketing at PLS Financial Services in Chicago. A former village trustee, she did not seek re-election when her term expired in 2009, citing the demands of her job.

Steve Wolf described his experience on the library board as "satisfying." Among the board's accomplishments during his tenure was opening the library's new facility in Nov. 2007.

Noting that four of the current trustees, other than himself, are either employed by other local libraries or have library backgrounds in their professional careers, Wolf said he hoped his vacancy would attract candidates from outside the library system, but who possess complementary skills sets that would help the organization.

"Somebody from business, accounting or some type of marketing would bring great insight," Wolf said.

Being a library trustee is "not flashy" in a political sense, Wolf said.

That has turned off some people he has approached about running for a library board seat. "One told me he would rather run for the park district," he said.

"We're not controversial," Bill Coffee, another current library trustee, chuckled.

"I love that the library board is not flashy," Spratford said. "I've been asked in the past about running for the village board—but I'm not crazy. Sorry, I'd like to keep my life."

Resident challenges village to rethink leaf collection

With the arrival of autumn, La Grange village officials once again are making plans for the curbside collection of fallen leaves.

But one resident, Rose Naseef, a member of Go Green La Grange, is encouraging homeowners to hang on to their leaves and recycle them as compost, and as mulch for plant beds.

In the video below, addresses the village board at its Sept. 13 meeting to ask that they too consider promoting an eco-friendly approach to leaf management.

 

Permits were overlooked in 1999 when Gordon Park drainage system was installed, resident claims

UPDATED - Sept. 21, 6 pm: Village Manager Robert Pilipiszyn, when asked to comment on Hirt's findings, today issued the following statement:

"The Park District has made application to us to renovate Gordon Park. We intend to address some housekeeping matters as it relates to easements and the like, through that review process. We appreciate that Mr. Hirt has brought some of these matters to our attention. We also look forward to a redeveloped Gordon Park!"

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The Park District of La Grange failed to obtain necessary permits from the village and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) when it installed a new drainage field in Gordon Park in 1999, according to a La Grange resident.

Harlan Hirt, a retired civil engineer and member of the village's environmental quality control commission, said neither the village nor MWRD could produce copies of the required permits in response to request he filed under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

Hirt also claims that water drained from Gordon Park is going directly and illegally into the MWRD's Deep Tunnel reservoir via a connection near the water tower at the park's south end.

Hirt said his findings are based on research involving a map of the village sewer system, plans prepared for the park district in 1999 prior to installation of the drainage field and firsthand inspections in the park.

Now retired, Hirt, 70, was employed for 37 years as an engineer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Among the EPA projects he was worked on was an environmental impact statement for the Deep Tunnel.  

Hirt brought the matter to the attention of the park board at its regular meeting Sept. 16, at which time he provided them with a written summary of his findings.

At Monday night's special board meeting, park commissioners thanked Hirt for bringing the matter to their attention and said they would investigate.

Its unclear what impact Hirt's findings might have on the park district's plans for a major renovation of Gordon Park.

The park district is in the process of soliciting construction bids for the renovation. However, a first round of bids was rejected by the park board Monday night after it was determined that inadequate legal notice had been provided.

The two southernmost baseball fields at Gordon Park have been plagued by flooding in recent years and are a major reason cited by the park board for undertaking the renovation.

Hirt said that his study determined that flooding on the ballfields is the result of improper crowning and poor maintenance, noting that the outfields do not have that problem.

Hirt is a member of La Grange Friends of the Parks, a group of residents that is fighting the park district in court over plans to sell a portion of Gordon Park to a developer. But Hirt said his study and findings are unrelated to that effort.

Gordon Park renovation bids scrapped because park district did not provide adequate legal notice

The Park District of La Grange board of commissioners at a special meeting Monday night voted to reject all construction bids it received last week related to the planned renovation of Gordon Park after determining that it failed to provide proper legal notice when soliciting the bids.

Commissioners then directed Executive Director Dean Bissias begin the bid solicitation process anew.

Bissias said the problem with the initial round of bids arose when a legal notice he placed in the Suburban Life newspaper was published Sept. 8, only seven days before the bids were opened last Wednesday.

The Illinois Park District Code requires "at least one public notice at least 10 days before the bid date in a newspaper published in the district or, if no newspaper is published in the district, in a newspaper of general circulation in the area of the district."

Bissias said that the notice was provided to the newspaper with instructions that it be published on both Sept. 1 and 8. He said he did know why the first publication date was missed.

An identical notice provided to the Daily Herald was published in a timely manner, Bissias said. But that newspaper is not "published in the district" and therefore did not satisfy the law.

Bissias said the error was brought to his attention by Kevin Shields, a former park commissioner.

Park Board President Mary Ellen Penicook Monday night publicly thanked Shields for doing so.

The board also thanked resident Harlan Hirt for alerting them to the likelihood that the park district in 1999 failed to obtain necessary permits from the Village of La Grange and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District when it installed a new drainage system at Gordon Park.

Shields and Hirt both are members of La Grange Friends of the Parks, a group of residents that is fighting the park district in court over plans to sell a portion of Gordon Park to a developer.

Both men said their recent actions are unrelated to their opposition the proposed sale.

First of three town neighborhood meetings to be held Sept. 27 in the Seventh Ave school gymnasium

The La Grange village board of trustees Sept. 27 will conduct the first of three neighborhood town meetings in the gymnasium of the Seventh Ave elementary school.

"We hold town meetings every other year in order to promote to communication with village residents in a little bit smaller group setting in locations that may be more convenient for some of our residents," Village President Elizabeth Asperger said Monday night at the board's most recent regular meeting, held in the Village Hall auditorium.

Subsequent town meetings will be held Oct. 25 in the Ogden Ave elementary school gymnasium and Nov. 22 at Community Center, at the corner of Lincoln and Washington Aves.

The public at large also is invited to attend.

Retirement is official for LG Fire Chief David Fleege; Lt. Bill Bryzgalski to be recommended as new chief

La Grange Fire Chief David Fleege retired, effective today, after six years on the job.

Village President Elizabeth Asperger Monday night said she would recommend Lt. Bill Bryzgalski, a 26-year veteran of the fire department, to succeed Fleege as chief.

The village board will consider Bryzgalski's appointment at its Oct. 11 meeting, she said.

In the video below, Asperger reviews Fleege's contributions to the fire department and reads a resolution in his honor.

Read related story:

• La Grange Fire Chief David Fleege to retire Sept. 15

Walgreen's wants to sell beer & wine in La Grange, but village board must first remove restriction

UPDATE - Sept 15, 3:45 pm: At Monday night's village board meeting, Trustee Mark Kuchler asked that the proposed ordinance repealing a 2000 restriction that prohibited Walgreen's from selling alcoholic beverages at their La Grange store be removed from the omnibus agenda in order to allow discussion of ordinance before a vote.

Kuchler then asked why Walgreen's had been singled out in 2000 for a restriction while two other 24-hour retailers—7-Eleven and White Hen convenience stores—already had been granted licenses to sell beer and wine. At the time Walgreen's was considering a 24-hour operation in La Grange but later opted to close no later than 11 pm.

Community Development Director Patrick Benjamin explained that a typical Walgreen's in those days maintained a large, full service alcoholic beverage department, which included hard liquor. The prohibition resulted from concerns expressed at the time by trustees that such an operation would cause problems.

Walgreen's did not object to the prohibition because it was then in the process of phasing out the sale of alcoholic beverages at its stores nationwide, Benjamin said. Last year, the company reversed that policy and now plans to offer a limited selection of beer and wine in most of its stores.

Village Attorney Mark Burkland noted that the village's liquor ordinances in 2000 were not as tightly constructed as they are today. He said he believed that no retailer, even those open 24 hours, can sell alcohol past 11 pm.

The board subsequently approved the new ordinance repealing the prohibition by a unanimous vote.

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Walgreen's wants to sell beer and wine at its La Grange store. But before the nation's largest drugstore chain can apply to the village for a liquor license, the village board of trustees must lift a restriction it imposed on Walgreen's in 2000.

The village board at its regular meeting tonight is expected to amend the ten-year-year-old development plan it approved for the west phase of La Grange Crossings, which includes the Walgreen's store at 2 N La Grange Ave, in order to allow the sale of packaged liquor.

The action is scheduled to be taken under the board's omnibus agenda, which generally is approved without discussion.

A restriction contained in the 2000 development plan states that "no sales of packaged liquor will be allowed at the 24 hour Walgreen's."

While Walgreen's initially anticipated operating the La Grange store on a 24-hour basis, it has never done so.

Walgreen's raised no objection to the restriction at the time, as the company was then in the process of phasing out the sale of alcoholic beverages at most of its stores nationwide.

However, the pharmacy giant last year decided to reverse that policy and has since "reintroduced a limited beer and wine selection in about 3,100 of its roughly 7,500 stores," the Wall Street Journal reported in June.

Walgreen's plans to sell beer and wine in about 5,000 of its stores by the end of this year, but will not offer fortified wines, hard liquor or 40-ounce beers, according to the Journal.

Under the La Grange zoning code, amendments to an approved planned development typically require a hearing before the village plan commission, Village Manager Robert Pilipiszyn said in a written report submitted to trustees.

However, after consulting with Village Attorney Mark Burkland, a decision was made to bypass the plan commission in this instance because "it was determined that matters regarding alcohol sales are public health and safety issues with legislative considerations rather than planning issues," Pilipiszyn said.

Therefore, a hearing before the plan commission is "not necessary," he said.

Pilipiszyn recommends that the village board approve the amendment. He noted that two other retailers within a block of Walgreen's—Trader Joe's grocery store and a 7-Eleven convenience store—currently are licensed to sell beer and wine.

If the restriction is lifted, Walgreen's intends to apply to the village liquor commission for a package license, he said.

Final approval from village trustees is required before any liquor license is granted.

Attorney for residents opposing Gordon Park sale will present their case, answer questions at Weds forum

If you have been wondering why various residents have spent nearly three years in a legal battle with the Park District of La Grange over efforts to sell a portion of Gordon Park to a developer, you may find some answers Wednesday night at a forum hosted by the La Grange Citizens Council.

Tom Beyer, a La Grange resident and one of three attorneys representing the Friends of La Grange Parks, a group of some 20 residents who oppose the park district's latest petition to have a Cook County Circuit Court judge approve the sale, will make a presentation and answer questions.

Mary Ellen Penicook, the newly appointed president of the park district's board of commissioners, declined an invitation to participate and share the park district's perspective, Katie Justak, chairperson of the citizens council, said.

An attempt to reach Penicook for comment was unsuccessful.

The forum will be held in the Village Hall auditorium as part of the council's regular monthly meeting, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

The meeting will also be an opportunity for residents to join the citizens council in order to participate in its endorsement later this year of candidates seeking election to the village board of trustees, park district board of commissioners and library board.

Citizens Council membership likely to spike this week as group readies to endorse public office seekers

The La Grange Citizens Council is expecting a surge of residents to apply for membership at its regular meeting Wednesday night as the group prepares to vet and endorse candidates seeking public election next April to seats on the boards of the village, park district and library.

Membership in the non-partisan, volunteer council, whose origin dates back to the the 1930s, could easily double if past election cycles are any indication, Katie Justak, the council's chairperson, said.

The council currently has nearly 30 members, she said. Nearly 60 residents participated in the 2008 endorsement caucus.

Visit the Citizens Council website for more information regarding membership requirements.

In order to cast votes in the caucus, members must have attended at least two prior meetings, according to the council's bylaws.

Thus, new members would have to attend both Wednesday's meeting and the group's regular meeting in October to be eligible to cast votes in the first round of endorsements, scheduled for November, Justak said.

A second round of endorsements will be made at the December meeting, she said.

No decisions have yet been made as to which candidates for public office will be vetted and voted on in November versus December, as candidates have until Oct. 13 to submit applications, Justak said.

A new council member conceivably could attend either the September or October regular meeting, and then attend the November caucus without voting rights, in order to take part in the December caucus, Justak said.

Current council members who have attended at least two meetings in the past year already are eligible to vote in the caucuses as long as they are not absent for more than two consecutive meetings, she said.

Even if the council's membership rises to the level reached in 2008, many vacancies would remain among its 88 seats.

Membership is proportioned among 11 districts across the village, with each district having eight seats.

Vacancies exist in all 11 districts, Justak said. Two districts—#2 and #10, in the far northeast and southeast corners of the village, respectively—currently have no representatives.

View a map of the Citizens Council districts.

Concerned by the fact that resident participation in the council typically falls off significantly between election cycles, Justak has been making an effort to expand its activities since becoming chairperson in 2009.

This past year, the council hosted presentations by officials from the village, park district and library in order to give members and other residents insights to those public entities.

Beginning with Wednesday night's meeting, the council will host the first in a series of forums on significant issues affecting village residents.

Tom Beyer, a La Grange native and attorney representing a group of residents opposing the park district's efforts to sell a portion of Gordon Park, will make a presentation and take questions.

Among other issues the council hopes to address at future meetings are the viability of village pension funds and a proposal to merge some public safety operations with La Grange Park and Western Springs.

Wednesday's council meeting will be held in the Village Hall auditorium, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend.