Voting Meeting: Three New Trustees Sworn In, Lawn Avenue Vacancy Passes

New Western Springs Trustees Sheila Hansen, Edward Tymick and Patrick Word officially joined the Village Board of Trustees at Monday’s voting meeting, replacing outgoing Board members Janet Dahl, James Maragos and Marcia Buell.

Sworn in by Village Clerk Jeanine Jasica, the new Trustees received their committee assignments—Hansen will chair Properties and Recreation and serve on General Government, Tymick will chair Planning and Zoning and serve on Finance, Word will chair Public Health and Safety—and cast their first official vote, approving the financial report of now-fellow Trustee James Horvath.

Village President William Rodeghier briefly addressed and thanked the departing Board members.

“This community seeks out people to run as trustees, they serve without compensation, they devote their valuable time and their abilities are very substantial,” Rodeghier said. “On the behalf of the village and all its people, thank you.”

A brief special public hearing was held in advance of the ordinary meeting, for the discussion of the sale of a Village-owned right-of-way on the 4900 block of Lawn Avenue. James Hayes, a resident of the block, is purchasing approximately 25 feet worth of a Village right-of-way parallel to 50th Street (which does not run through Western Springs) at the cost of $102,523.

Nobody from the public save for Hayes himself spoke on the proposal. The Board unanimously agreed to vacate (sell) the property.

Pulled from the omnibus vote for special discussion was a resolution, suggested at this month’s earlier board meeting, that the Village condemn and discourage efforts in Springfield to ease the state’s financial burden by reducing tax allotments to local municipalities—an idea with little traction, but which would cost Western Springs $300,000 annually.

“That would be a significant dent in our ability to function as a government,” said Rodeghier. “We’d have to cut services. It’s that simple… To me, it’s a shameful attempt to foist off onto municipalities problem that the state has.”

The resolution then passed unanimously.

Also passed separate from the omnibus was the approval of a loan agreement from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for the construction of the reverse-osmosis water-treatment plant, which Trustee Maragos called “the culmination of six years of work” on the agreement.

The ordinance will authorize the $8 million project—the largest in Village history—to begin.

The typical litany of unanimous omnibus resolutions included the passing of liquor licenses for the Theatre of Western Springs’ Laugh for Literacy 2011 and Taste of the Arts events, a raffle license for the Theatre and the official resolutions to remove the Kaleidoscope Children’s Center from the Recreation Center and to reshuffle rooms between the Montessori and Kensington Schools.

A bid for $59,977 was awarded to Mercury System of Naperville for the purchase of radio equipment for the Ridgewood fire station; a second for $419,705 was awarded to Central Blacktop Company, Inc. of La Grange for 2011 roadway improvements.

The outgoing board members spoke fondly of their four-year terms.

“I have enjoyed my tenure with the village,” said Maragos, who offered thanks to many of his colleagues, including Rodeghier and the late Bill Nelson. “I don’t think I’ve worked with anyone where I’ve had so much fun… When I saw the love between staffers and their respect for each other, it really impressed me.”

“It’s been great. It’s been a quick for years, and best of luck to the new trustless,” said Buell. “It has been a privilege for me to serve this village.”

“I don’t think that people have the best attitude towards government these days, but in this town there’s no reason to be anything but proud and secure because every director treats their job as if they don’t want to let down their family,” added Dahl.

“We can all leave knowing that we took a job and shepherded it to conclusion and we left something for the next trustees to build upon.”