This La Grange Board Hasn't Met In 30 Years

LA GRANGE, IL — You probably don't know it, but La Grange has a Building Board of Appeals. Even close watchers of village government could be forgiven for being unaware of its existence.

"The Building Board of Appeals exists in our current code and has for some time, but it rarely meets. The last known time that we could find it met was in the early '90s," Mike DeLillo, La Grange's building official, told the Village Board this week.

That long-ago building board meeting was before internet use became widespread. And it was around the time a young Arkansas governor named Bill Clinton was running for president. So, yes, it's been a long time.

DeLillo gave no indication whether the members are still available for service. But he said the village staff is recommending that the members of the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Plan Commission and the Design Review Commission make up the building board. Those panels regularly meet.

The village is considering enacting new building codes for the first time in a quarter century. Under the proposal, the building board would continue to exist, DeLillo said. The board deals with appeals on building code issues.