Mokena Park Board President Responds to Olivieri's Claims

MOKENA, IL - Mokena Park Board President Mike Bartos has said local firm owner John Olivieri, a candidate for one of the seats on the board, knew about an issue with the Fox Ridge tennis courts long before residents voiced complaints regarding high standing water there.

The Mokena Park District has filed two lawsuits against the Frankfort-based Olivieri Brothers. Oliveri has claimed both lawsuits - one involving the tennis courts and another related to the firm's Yunker Farm/Oaks project - are "politically motivated" and "baseless."

Bartos told Mokena Patch in an email that while the board just found out about the problems at the courts recently, emails show Olivieri and former Park District Executive Director Jim Romanek knew about it as much as three years prior.

"Romanek would have staff after a rain go out there and clear all the puddles away," Bartos claims. "We as taxpayers paid almost $1,000,000 for a park and the tennis courts have problems. Not only do they have problems but a huge safety issue. This was never known by the board or discussed."

RELATED:

• Park District Sues Firm Over Water on Tennis Courts
  
• Olivieri Responds to Park District's Claims on Litigation
  

Bartos also claims the sub-contractors told the construction manager the problem of a sunken tennis court was going to happen.

"Well they still went ahead and now the construction manager thinks the Mokena taxpayers should pay the $50,000 to fix it," he said. "The construction manager should of done it correctly in the beginning."

In the park district's pending lawsuit against the Olivieri Brothers related to the Yunker Farm/Oaks project, Bartos said the Henry Brothers (the firm hired by the park district to oversee the construction manager phase of the project) found more than 50 errors in the Olivieri Brothers' drawings.

He says Olivieri "took it personally" the fact that another firm was hired for "a set of checks and balances."

"Would Olivieri of found his own mistakes?? Who knows, but (a majority) of this board still today is confident that we made the right decision," Bartos said.

Photo of Fox Ridge tennis courts / courtesy of Mokena Park District