Administration:
1.
Q – Is there any way to keep people
from placing cameras in resident’s faces at village board meetings? A – It is the Mayors responsibility to keep
order and decorum at village board meetings. The board and I do not agree with
bullying or harassing residents. This issue will be reviewed and if it persists
the board may need to consider changing its policy on cameras in the board room
however, that would be a board decision.
2.
Q - What is up with the car washes? A – While looking for cost savings
initiatives Trustee Morden looked at what the Police Department spends on car
washes each year and suggested re-negotiating the current cost to a lower cost.
3.
Q - Is anything happening with Crime
Free Housing? A – Crime free housing in
non-home rule communities was challenged. Currently, Sauk Village’s crime free
ordinance is in place however, landlords can volunteer to be involved. On a
good note, there is a bill in Springfield which would allow non-home rule
communities to adopt/enforce crime free housing ordinances (SB 1496).
4.
Q - What is happening with Economic
Development? A – Sauk Village is a
growing community with an aggressive plan for enrichment and economic development.
The Village has worked diligently to prepare properties near its border for
mutually beneficial development. Community planning for growth has led the
Village to create three Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts. All of the
Village’s industrial areas are also located in a State Certified Enterprise
Zone. Sales and property tax incentives are available and subject to
negotiation.
The
Village actively encourages economic development to maintain and expand its
property and sales tax bases. The Village's economic development efforts are
directed at business attraction and retention.
The
Village has implemented the following business attraction/retention activities:
·
Enterprise Zone
·
TIF Districts
·
Cook County
Classification Incentive
·
Potential Sales/Sharing
Tax Incentives
·
Workforce Tax
Incentives
5.
Q - What is the new debt
recovery committee and what will they accomplish? A – Thanks to Trustee Myers the Sauk Village
debt recovery committee was formed. While looking for cost savings initiatives
Trustee Myers questions the outstanding fines and fees owed to the village and
started researching what action the village could take. The purpose of this new
committee under the direction of Trustee Myers is to work with our collections
agency and to expedite recovery of debt owed to the village. The committee
along with Trustee Myers will consist of individuals from administration,
finance, IT, legal and the collection agency.
6.
Q - When does the village draw the
line between resident help and outside help? A – Sauk Village has always depended and looks to its volunteers and
this administration continues to support and appreciates our volunteers.
7.
Q - What is the status on well #3? A - On March 3rd Village Engineer
Jim Czarnik presented on the current status of our water and the presentation
can be found on the village’s website at: http://www.saukvillage.org/PDF/2015/COW_Presentation_030315.pdf
8.
Q - What is Sauk Village doing about
kids walking in the streets, and is it being enforced? A – This remains a challenge and the Sauk Village Police Department
continues to enforce this issue however, it’s especially challenging in the
winter when sidewalks are full of snow and the only clear area to walk is our
streets.
9.
Q - Are tickets issued to the kids or
the parents? A - Currently, tickets are
issued to the individual breaking the law. Trustee Myers and his committee
(Ordinance Review Committee) is reviewing Sauk Village’s parental
responsibility ordinance.
10. Q
- What about the poor street lighting throughout the village? A - Sauk Village
is pleased to announce our comprehensive program to replace all of our
community's 520 road way streetlights. Sauk Village has 100-400 watt fixtures
(465 fixture watts) being replaced with 200 watt Induction fixtures. We also
have 420-250 watt fixtures (300 fixture watts) being replaced with 100 watt
induction fixtures. Couple with high efficiency photo cells, the total project
will save an estimated $60,000 per year in energy cost.
Besides the energy savings, Sauk Village citizens will be safer
with the crisp white light and very high visual acuity of solid-state induction
lighting.
Working with American Green Technology (AGT), Sauk Village won an
Illinois Clean Energy Foundation grant of $35,000. The grant, coupled with a
leasing program through a financing partner of AGT, Sauk Village will complete
the project with no cash out of pocket. The terms of the lease will actually
result in a positive cash flow, even during the term of repayment.
The Mayor and Board are pleased to bring these benefits to the
citizens of Sauk Village: significant energy savings, eliminate routine
lighting maintenance, better quality lighting, and a greener more
environmentally responsible community.
11. Q
- Do you feel like we have a bobble head village board? A - Sauk Village does not have a bobble head board. Board members are
free thinkers and do a lot of research prior to voting. Just because a Trustee
doesn’t ask a question in a board meeting doesn’t make them a bobble head. It
is the Trustee responsibility to do their homework prior to the meeting and
know the subject at hand. There may be some final clarification questions at a
village board meeting however, it is also the Mayors job to provide as much
information as possible so the board is well informed. Example, when you were
in school you didn’t come the day of a test and ask the teacher to explain the
subject.
12. Q
- What would have happened if this administration wouldn’t have moved forward
with the Attorney General and IEPA’s direction concerning our wells? A – Sauk Village was looking at more
litigation and was on the verge of the State and Attorney General coming in and
taking over Sauk Village. I am pleased to inform the residents that this
administration is working to resolve the issues by working with the Attorney
General and the IEPA instead of working against what is right.
13. Q
- Is there any way for Sauk Village to gain control of Cook County Forest
Preserve property? A – Sauk Village does
have Cook County Forest Preserve property to the South and East of Sauk
Village. Forest Preserve property cannot be acquired or built upon
(residential, commercial, retail, etc.) however, Sauk Village has reached out
to Cook County to request an intergovernmental agreement for recreation and
open land space for additional park space.
14. Q
- How does openings in committee and commissions get communicated to village
residents? A – When there are openings
announcements are made at village board meetings. If residents would like to
volunteer they can submit letters to the Mayor. The Mayor informs the board of
those interested and the Mayor makes the appointments with consent and approval
of the village board.
15. Q
- What are the plans for the upcoming budget? A – Trustees have received the current budget through December which is
67% through the budget year. Trustees will have time to review and the board
will start budget hearings in February or March. I have also already asked
department heads to submit their proposed department budget for 2015/2016.
Below is a stoplight view of our current budget through January 2015
16. Q
- What is the village doing about misleading information? A – There are those that mislead and do their best to slow Sauk Village
from “Moving Forward.” These are bitter individuals that are looking for
attention and this administration does not recognize them as most of them and
their followers are not even Sauk Village residents. All I can do is to
encourage residents to participate in village board meetings, meet the mayor
events and ask questions. As one of the presenters stated at a recent town hall
meeting...remember and consider the source.
17. Q
- Is there a budget surplus? A - Sauk
Village has never nor does it have a surplus and the budgets are based on the
projected revenues (property taxes, sales, taxes, licenses, fines, fees, etc.)
for the following year. As we look at his year’s budget we will continue to
work towards reducing our debt as we have for the previous two years.
18. Q
- What is the village doing about communicating to the residents? A – Sauk Village communicates through the
following:
a.
Village
board meetings
b.
Sauk
Talk
c.
E-Blast
d.
Village
website
e.
Sauk
Village information Facebook page
f.
Village
marquee
g.
Notices
posted at village hall and library
h.
Mayor
and Trustees meeting with residents, newsletters and their personal Facebook
pages
19. Q
- Infrastructure projects A – See chart
below
Other
projects include:
·
Fire
hydrant repairs/replacement.
·
Street
light replacement with energy efficient fixtures
·
Repairs
of areas located in leak detection survey
·
Replacement
of curb boxes (B-boxes) and jetting
·
Tree
removal
20. Q
- What programs does Sauk Village have for children? A – Trustee Poskin could answer this question the best. His committee
has increased the programs for Sauk Village children every year for the last
two years and are providing more programs than any committee prior. To name a
few programs under Trustee Poskin and the Parks and Recs Committee:
a.
Basketball (Winter & Summer
Programs)
b.
Corn & Dog Roast
c.
Trunk or Treat
d.
Santa Parade
e.
Easter Event
f.
Game Nights
g.
Cheerleading
h.
Movie Night
i.
Right Start Sumer Youth Program
j.
Baseball Camp
Under
the direction of Trustee Poskin the committee are planning more programs for
Sauk Village youth in FY2015