by Melanie Jongsma
Lansing, Illinois, Village Board meetings begin at 7:00pm on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at the Municipal Court Complex, 2710 170th Street. Primarily, Village Board meetings are for voting; Committee of the Whole meetings are for discussion. At each Village Board meeting, the Trustees are voting on items that have been discussed at the most recent Committee of the Whole meeting, usually two weeks previous. All meetings are open to the public. Agendas are posted 48 hours ahead of time.
Highlights from the 12/18/18 meetings
Young givers
“We are so blessed,” said Karen Adams of the Lansing Food Pantry as she accepted a donation of $100 from members of the Patti Leach Youth Center. “I just love seeing the younger generation have a heart for those in need. Thank you so much.”
Treasurer Frye recommends saving $946,741
The Board voted to approve recommendations from Village Treasurer Arlette Frye that will save nearly $1 million dollars in bond payments. The full story was posted here:
Taxes will be levied
Ordinance 18-042 was adopted, so taxes will in fact be levied for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2018, and ending April 30, 2019.
Water meters
The process of replacing aging water meters throughout Lansing is nearing completion, with only a few holdouts remaining. Replacement is not optional, and residents who do not comply will have their water shut off. Trustee Zeldenrust reminded the public that appointment scheduling can take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by phone or website. A typical water meter replacement takes approximately 20 minutes. To schedule installation of your new water meter, contact the scheduling system (M.E. Simpson Company) directly: 888-252-1521. For more information about the purpose and the process, refer to the story posted this summer:
- Water meter replacements continue (July 2018 article)
- Residential water meter replacements 40% complete (August 2018 article)
Sticker violations
The Lansing Police Department issued 355 municipal citations in November, 130 of which were for failure to display a vehicle sticker.
Citizens Police Academy
This year’s Citizens Police Academy begins January 16. For more detailed information, read the full story:
Toters
Any garbage-related issues—including problems with toters—will be handled by Homewood Disposal, not Public Works. Homewood Disposal can be reached at 708-798-1004. The Public Works department will no longer be handling maintenance or inventory of village toters.
Movie night
Trustee Zeldenrust expressed appreciation for the public meeting organized by Village Treasurer Arlette Frye for the purpose of viewing and discussing the documentary All the Queen’s Horses. “I found it very informative,” said Zeldenrust. “It makes me all that much more appreciative of our Village and the way that our Finance Department is set up.” More details about the movie and the public meeting were provided in two earlier articles:
Property tax appeals
Mayor Patty Eidam thanked Library Director Debbie Albrecht for hosting the December 17 seminar on how to file a property tax assessment appeal. “We got a lot of good feedback,” said Eidam about the 60–75 people who attended the session. The December 17 event was for Thornton Township residents, and the event will be repeated on January 3 for Bloom Township residents. More information is available in the following articles:
- Property tax assessment appeal seminar well attended
- Bloom Township to host property tax assessment appeal seminar
Economic development
In response to questions from Lansing residents who are eager to see Tacos and Burritos Rancho Grande on Torrence Avenue, and One Trick Pony on Ridge Road, Village Administrator Dan Podgorski reported that both projects are “moving along just fine.” Jorge Trujillo, owner of Tacos and Burritos, is working on getting ready to present floor plans to the Building Department, and “We should see some activity there fairly soon,” said Podgorski. Mark Kocol of One Trick Pony has been working with architects to assess the property in order to remodel it for the needed kitchen space and specialized equipment. Both these projects were announced earlier than normal because they applied for Class 8 incentives in August before changes to Class 8 requirements were scheduled to go into effect. More details are available in these articles:
- Rancho Grande to relocate to former Golden Crown building (September 2018 article)
- One Trick Pony to open location on Ridge Road (September 2018 article)
Birthday greetings
Trustee Mike Manno brought up the Mayor’s birthday as an item of New Business and invited the Trustees to join him in singing Happy Birthday to her.
“Thank you very much, everyone,” said Mayor Eidam after the song. “It’s been a great day. It’s really been a good day. I appreciate the good wishes.”
The next Village Board and Committee of the Whole meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, January 15, at 7:00pm. Meetings are held in the Lansing Court Complex at the Police Station, 2710 170th Street in Lansing, Illinois. Agendas for these meetings are posted at least 48 hours prior, and they are typically found on the Village website.