Village Board Bits: Historic Home on Third Street; Budget Discussion Continues

The Civil War-era home at 11122 Third St. is a little bit closer to being designated a historical landmark through the Will County Historic Preservation Program.

The Mokena Village Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution during its Monday night meeting to support authorizing the nomination of the building to become a landmark. The resolution of support was needed as part of Will County's historic preservation process, Economic and Community Development Director Alan Zordan said. The resolution was adopted on the eve of the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Fort Sumter, the battle that ignited the Civil War.

As previously reported by Patch, the home's first owner had a general store downtown, and the second owner was the first pastor at St. John's United Evangelical Church.

Budget Talks Continue with Another One-Time Transfer

Village administrators recommended the board address the dwindling balances in the sewer operating fund by making a one-time transfer of around $171,000 from the 187th and Wolf Utility Extension Account. The account, according to village administrators, was created in 1994 to extend water and sewer service down Wolf Road, but no longer serves its purpose as needed. The transfer would bring the sewer operating fund to 22 percent of expenditure. The policy level is 25 percent. Without the transfer, its balance would fall down to 13 percent.

In addition, the transfer would allow administrators time over the next year to review the water and sewer systems before a rate increase is considered.

"Our effort is to keep the operating funds at stable levels and not raise rates until it's absolutely needed," Village Administrator John Downs said.

Downs added that the village faces several uncertainties when it comes to a rate increase, including negotiations with Oak Lawn's water system. Improvements to the water system are expected to result in rate increases, but since the negotiations are ongoing and the outcome unknown, the exact impact is unpredictable.

Also at the Meeting ...

• Mayor Joe Werner proclaimed this week Motorcycle Awareness Week. 
• Werner and the board recognized Angela Ray, a Lincoln-Way East student who wrote an essay nominating Werner as a Lincolnland Legend for the Illinois Dollars for Scholars program. Ray's essay won the district award and a $500 scholarship for East.
• The board reviewed amendments to the personnel manual to maintain consistency between state law and village policies. These include the manner in which electronic Freedom of Information Act requests and personnel records are handled and more specific guidelines for layoff/recall procedures.

Want to watch the meeting? You can, on the Village of Mokena website.