by Mayor David Hanks
What cancer is to a body, “blight” is to a community: No
surprise that blight has spread and is having a disastrous effect on all parts
of Sauk Village. Its core cause “housing
flight” started years ago:
Today we see its havoc; housing vacancies, property de-valuation,
loss of revenue, increases in crime, pull-back of business, and discord among community
leaders. And yet we fight this disease in disarray, hoping its symptoms will
somehow go into remission.
Fighting the future of Sauk Village independently will not
breathe life back into it. We must attack BLIGHT as a community.
Our Administrator J.W. Fairman has laid out a blueprint to
attack blight, a plan that includes all of us. Results will not happen
overnight and will certainly depend on the amount of support Sauk Village is
willing to show him. He has already rallied the support of key staff. He is in
the process of producing a master Vacancy list, and correlating it to criminal
activity in the Village.
This will enable Police Chief Kowalski to identify the areas
of greatest concern. Reduction in crime is the first step in the property valuation
and increased revenues. Our Housing Commission, also a “blueprint” partner, is
moving forward with the demolition of blighted homes. The Village Board’s
Public Works Committee has authored a key piece of legislation placing the accountability
for delinquent water bills on the owners of property.
Mr. Fairman wants you to be our eyes and ears. When someone
tampers with water meters or turns on water that the Village has turned off for
non-payment – report it.
These people are not your friends, free water to them cost you more. When you see or hear something in your neighborhood that you know isn’t
right – report it.
"People who
commit crime value themselves over everyone else."
As the months go on I will report (good or bad) the results of our (yours and mine) efforts to turn Sauk Village around.
“Community” is the cure for BLIGHT.