Board/Voting Meeting: Outdoor Liquor Hours Debate, Police Chief Receives Certification

Monday evening saw a rare triple-meeting of the Western Springs Board of Trustees, with last Monday’s cancelled BOLI and workshop meetings combined with what would have been next week’s voting meeting.

The topic that spurred the most debate has been on the table for a few weeks now, and concerns a request from Jack Hogan, owner of Mécénat Bistro & Gathering Place, to extend liquor-service hours for outdoor dining by one hour: to 11 p.m. from Monday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday, which would cover his entire hours of operation.

The purpose of the request, Hogan told the Village, is to avoid having to force outdoor diners to move inside at a certain time. By a 2-1 vote, the Village Liquor Commission approved the extension for a temporary trial period. However, Village President Bill Rodeghier vocalized some concern about the drinking-hours extension.

“If someone goes to an outdoor café at 11:30 p.m., they’re not going to want dinner—they want to drink,” said Rodeghier. “And I’m not sure that’s what this Village is about.” (The Village has long opposed having any type of “bar scene.”)

However, after several other trustees spoke up in support of the trial hour-extension, saying that they have heard no complaints and that if any arose it would be simple to readjust the ordinance, Rodeghier agreed to put the trial-session extension up for a special vote at the August 8th Board meeting.

Another notable event from the evening was an appearance by former president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP) Patrick O’Connor, who presented Western Springs Chief of Police Pamela Church (and current West Suburban Chiefs of Police Association [WSOCPA] president) with a plaque designating her a “certified police chief.”

The designation was awarded by ILACP “for demonstrating a high level of competence and fitness… and fulfilling prescribed standards of performance and conduct required for certification in the areas of leadership, management, public relations and ethics.”

“It requires the highest standards to be attained by our candidates,” said O’Connor, noting that of 3700 available command officers and chiefs in Illinois available to take the test for certification, only 212 have even applied. “[We] don’t hand out this certification out very lightly.”

Other business that transpired at the meeting included:

• The Board of Local Improvements (BOLI) approved an approximately $132,000 draw from the Timber Trails fund to pay for “legal, forestry and engineering” expenditures; this was the 34th draw from the fund.
• Road reconstruction is continuing on Garden Avenue and Woodland Avenue (with flood-prevention improvements being installed on the 4800 block of Woodland.) Sidewalks have been replaced around Sprindale Park and Forest Hills Elementary, and others in Commonwealth have been adjusted to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• The bridge between Commonwealth and Forest Hills on 53rd Street is closed off for maintenance and reconstruction, and will be open again next week.
• A liquor license for St. John of the Cross’ August 27th 50th-anniversary finale event was approved.
• An ordinance agreeing to share the cost with the Theatre of Western Springs for the resurfacing of an access drive behind the Theatre was approved. (The drive travels from Walker Street south to Hillgrove Avenue.)
• A Plan Commission meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on July 26 to finalize voting on the Downtown Redevelopment Plan. The Plan is now being treated as an addition to the 2003 Land Use Plan.
• Trustee James Horvath noted that Lyons Township property reassessments have occurred and Villagers whose properties have been reassessed have been notified by mail. Residents have until August 11, 2011 to file an appeal on their assessment.
• Landscaping around the new Ridgewood fire station is almost complete, with sod having been laid at the end of last week. It will be manually watered this week to keep it from dying in the dry heat.

A tentative date for September 17th was set for the grand opening of the Ridgewood fire station, including the interior being opened up to guests. While there was a question of whether or not all interior office furniture would be ready, eventually Village Manager Pat Higgins waved it away.

“We’re going with the 17th whether we have office furniture or not,” he declared.