Last week’s board meeting again was mostly routine. The first thing we did at the Committee of the Whole was to introduce Leo, a black Labrador Retriever who is the newest K-9 officer in the Police Department. Leo is a therapy dog to help victims, mental health patients and officers during times of stress. Leo the K9 – Orland Park’s Newest Officer – YouTube
We had an update on our Master Parks Plan for Centennial Park, Centennial Park West, Schussler Park, and Phase III of the John Humphrey Complex. Afterword I highlighted my priorities which are as follows:
1) An all-abilities field AND playground to be constructed at either JHC, Schussler, or Centennial Park.
2) A football-focused practice facility at either Schussler or Centennial that could be used for soccer, lacrosse or other field sports when not in use. The fact that this was not done when Centennial was first built was an oversight that we will correct.
3) Permanent amenities at Centennial Park West. The village previously spent millions of dollars on this site but put no electricity, permanent staging or other infrastructure in place. Adding permanency to the site will allow us to host more events at the site at a lower cost.
4) An 8-field complex that had been studied and contemplated a few years ago. By constructing turf fields that are large enough for high school baseball, they can also be used for field sports such as soccer and lacrosse. This will provide a large number of fields for weekday use and a complex that will be highly sought after for tournaments, and bring the hotel stays, restaurant visits and shopping that come with travel tournaments.
The efforts we have taken over the last four years have put is in a good position to make these much-needed investments in over 30-year-old infrastructure.
You can watch the update here. Parks Master Plan Update (09.20.21) – YouTube
Chief Mitchell also gave us an update on our crime statistics so far this year. Orland Park PD – Activity Update (09.20.21) – YouTube
The Orland Park Police Department has proactively taken dozens of ILLEGAL guns off the streets in 2021 before people could use them to commit crimes. Over 80% of the offenders were previously convicted criminals, many of whom were out on bond or even worse – their own recognizance.
State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s ineptitude is staggering. Though it may not be ineptitude, it may really be on purpose. In 2020, and so far in 2021, there have been over 100 children 20 years and under shot and KILLED in the City of Chicago alone. To put this in perspective, in the same time period, there have been 25 children 20 and under die with COVID and other co-morbidities in the ENTIRE STATE.
It is high time that Kim Foxx and others keep our kids safe from this violence. You can hear all my comments here. States Attorney Kim Foxx’s Failure – YouTube
At the regular board meeting, we honored Van Bruggen Signs as the Orland Park business of the month. They are a fourth-generation family business that was first opened by Sam Van Bruggen in 1925 and relocated to Orland Park in 1976. It was our pleasure to honor them. Family-owned businesses are the life-blood of any community, and Orland Park is no exception.
We also waived the bid process for network cabling at the police department. The reason for this is that other buildings in the village are having this cabling installed and it was added to the contract at the same rate, which was also the lowest bid rate.
We also approved the engineering for Fernway Phases 7, 8 and 9. It was originally supposed to be a 9-year project, but with the new board and staff, I was able to get everyone to agree to doing the rest of the project in one year as it has been going on long enough.
Lastly, we approved General Obligation Refunding Bonds that restructures our existing bonds at a lower rate. The plan for this was previously approved and this was a formality to finalize that approval.
This Monday, I hosted the 2nd annual Mayor Pekau Golf Fundraiser. It was tremendously successful, and I want to thank all the sponsors, the over 100 golf participants and the 200 people who came to dinner.
Other good news includes the opening of Raising Cane’s and Chipotle. Additionally, BJ’s Brewhouse has submitted plans for that center. Hampton Inn is finalizing their plans and should break ground soon. Finally, Chuck Lager, new restaurant concept from Celebrity Chef Fabio Viviani, has submitted plans to our Development Service Department to redevelop the Granite City site. Chuck Lager’s America Tavern | Classic American Tavern with an International Flair in Wilmington, DE
