OP_101019

4 | October 10, 2019 | the orland Park Prairie news
OPPrairiedaily.com
Orland Park Village Board
Public budget hearing focuses on $25 million in capital projects
Jon DePaolis
Freelance Reporter
The Village of Orland
Park Board of Trustees
continued fiscal year 2020
budget discussions Sept.
30 during a special hearing
that touched upon capital
improvement, technology,
and water and sewer projects.
The proposed fiscal year
2020 budget would spend
approximately $25.7 million
on capital projects,
$1.1 million on technology,
and $1.4 million on
vehicles and equipment.
Funding for these expenses
would come from the general
fund (approximately
$2.6 million), home rule
sales tax ($6.65 million),
the water and sewer fund
($4.5 million), an existing
line of credit ($4 million
for capital improvement
projects) and additional
debt proceeds ($4.8 million
in capital improvement
projects, and $3 million
for water and sewer).
For the capital improvement
projects slated to be
funded by existing line
of credit revenue and additional
debt, the projects
include $3.3 million for
the roadway maintenance
program, $4 million for
the roadway reconstruction
program, $580,000 for
the Harlem Avenue street
lighting wire replacement,
$500,000 for Phase 2 improvements
to the John
Humphrey Complex, and
$400,000 for a telecommunications
system upgrade.
The water and sewer
project slated to be funded
by additional debt would
be for water main replacements
in the amount of
$2.6 million.
“The road programs have
already been tentatively approved
by the board for
about $4 million in additional
debt, and that’s part
of the road program that has
been discussed previously,”
Interim Village Manager
Tom Dubelbeis said. “If the
Board of Trustees approves
all the items in the capital
budget, it will increase debt
by an additional $7.84 million.
That’s if all projects
are approved.”
In terms of existing Village
debt, Dubelbeis said
that $6.7 million of debt
would be paid in 2019; $5
million in 2020; and $19
million in both 2021 and
2022.
“By the end of 2022,
$49 million in debt will
go away,” Dubelbeis said.
“We’re not recommending
you replace it with $49
million of debt, but it certainly
gives you the latitude
to continue to be fiscally
responsible and take
on debt as it makes sense
to provide services to the
community.”
In regard to the roads,
Trustee Dan Calandriello
asked how certain roads
were selected for repair.
According to Village staff,
the process involves a list
put together by a consultant
that ranked roads in
order of those in most need
of repairs, as well as staff
input on roads that have
received complaints about
increasing deterioration.
Mayor Keith Pekau also
mentioned that practicality
plays a part.
“Also, if I recall from
this year, what [staff] tried
to do with a few is if we
had — in one case — two
subdivisions being done
and right in between was a
third one that made sense
[to repair even though]
it was not one of the Top
10,” he said. “But it was
like [Top] 30. So, they did
them all at once.”
Trustee James Dodge
pointed out that the increased
road funding
would not be a “one-off
thing.”
“If I’ve heard staff correctly,
over time, this is
multiple years at roughly
$7 million a year that we’re
recommending,” Dodge
said. “So, this is the start
of potentially $35 million
to $40 million worth of
road improvements over
the next 5-7 years.”
In terms of funding,
Dodge said there are only
a few options the Village
can take.
“We need to invest in
our roads,” he said. “Roads
cost money. You either borrow
it or you raise taxes,
or you cut expenditures
elsewhere. Pretty simple
formula.”
Meanwhile, Pekau said
one of the reasons for borrowing
to help fund the
water and sewer projects
is because water and sewer
rate revenues were “soft
this year.”
Finance Director Annmarie
Mampe expanded
on that during the meeting.
“We’ve seen a significant
decline in our consumption
over the last three years,
and [revenue] has taken
a pretty big hit,” Mampe
said. “All the water rates
have gone up every year
over the last five years, because
our consumption has
gone down so much.”
She said there will need
to be further analysis of the
water fund and consumption
rates to factor into
planning for future years.
Dodge pointed out that,
overall, the Village’s financial
history has allowed it
to be able to take on new
challenges.
“I’m just thrilled that
we’re in a place to have this
kind of financial strength,”
Dodge said. “All those
plans years ago netted us
exactly the situation today,
so we can start to put money
back for our residents. It
worked out well.”
At the end of the meeting,
Mampe said the proposal
for the items discussed
would remain a draft until
formally approved by the
Village Board in December
— meaning it could be subject
to change as more conversations
take place about
the budget.
There was tentative
agreement over the items
from all of the trustees,
though.
“I have no problems supporting
this as a very welldone
simulation,” Dodge
said prior to the rest of the
Village Board giving a nonbinding
vote of consensus.
D135 committee questions trend of parents eating with students at lunch
Board advisory
committee also
takes another look
at pot policy
Rochelle McAuliffe,
Freelance Reporter
Policies regarding parents
visiting students for
lunch and a drug-free
workplace with the legalization
of cannabis in January
2020 were the two hot
topics at the Orland School
District 135 Policy/Personnel
Board Advisory Committee
meeting on Oct. 1.
Out of a concern for
the safety and privacy of
students, the committee
discussed Policy 8:30, referencing
visitors and conduct
on school property
because of an increased
number of parents visiting
school campuses during
lunchtimes to eat with
students.
According to committee
members, this trend is not
only alarming but also disruptive.
“Every time a door
opens to let a visitor in,
that’s breaking our safety
and security,” said Suzanne
Owens, director of
human resources for the
district. “We also just want
them to be able to be kids
and to be able to engage
with their peers.”
In addition to the disruption
in the school day
for students, there is an
extra burden put on staff.
Janitorial staff is forced to
put out additional tables,
and administrative staff is
pressed to accommodate
the checking in and out of
multiple parents in a timely
yet secure manner.
Committee member Brian
Riordan questioned if
there was any benefit at all.
“I just don’t understand
it,” Riordan said. “It’s a
break in their [school] day
routine. This is a safety issue,
it’s a social issue, it’s
an administrative issue and
it’s a social disruption.”
Owens referenced the
policy of New Lenox
School District 122, which
allows parents to pick up
children for pre-approved,
off-campus lunches on
special occasions such as
birthdays, and the committee
discussed implementing
a similar policy.
The committee is to
discuss the issue with the
Board of Education at the
next full board meeting
8
7
Drug policy in schools
discussed as cannabis
legalization looms
After the passing of the
Illinois Cannabis Regulation
and Tax Act, cannabis
will become legal on
Jan. 1, 2020. As legalization
draws nearer, Illinois
school districts are being
advised to look at policies
and procedures regarding
drugs, alcohol and tobacco
Please see d135, 8