A longtime tug of war between school districts 135 and 230 and the Village of Orland Park over Tax Increment Finance money will be put on hold.
Since 2021, the village and the districts have made offers, counter offers and at one point the village was threatened with a lawsuit by District 135.
The village board on Feb. 17 voted to put all of this on hold until after the April 1 election.
“We reject their offer and will pull our offer from the table until after the election and hopefully we will get some people with some sanity on the other side,” said Mayor Keith Pekau.
Interim Village Manager Jim Culotta gave a recap of the back-and-forth between the village and districts and said that in October, the village made its latest offer.
The village agreed to pay 135 and 230 each, $150,000 a year for five years. The village said it would invest $3.2 million into the District 135 athletic fields south of the John Humphrey Complex. They would also receive revenue from impact fees.
But the districts must agree to not object to a 12-year extension for a proposed TIF at the former Andrew Corporation. They must agree to support other potential TIFs and this agreement would nullify the 2007 Main Street Triangle TIF and intergovernmental agreement from pending or probable litigation.
Culotta said the districts responded earlier this month and both wanted impact fee revenue.
District 135 also requested removal of 9750 on the Park apartments from the Main Street Triangle TIF.
He also said District 230 may be willing to discuss the proposal but had not heard any details from them.
Pekau said throughout this process, the school districts would benefit greatly from the village’s proposal.
“Dealing with government entities is ridiculously cumbersome, to be blunt,” Pekau said. “It’s not unusual for government bureaucrats to ask for more and more and time after time.
“But this one takes the cake. It really does. We as a board don’t act parochially just for the Village of Orland Park. We try to do what’s in the best interest of all the residents because this is our home.”
Pekau has a hunch the districts’ decisions are based on politics.
“This is so obviously a win-win and the school districts are actually getting financial benefit of all of this,” he said. “We don’t bluff or play games. It’s old to watch two boards make decision after decision that are horrible for our residents and our children.
“They threaten to sue the village because they want a do-over on their poor decisions? And they make a counter offer where the village gives them money for no reason to offset their stupid decisions from 2022 to 2024? It still makes no sense to me.”
Cops honored
The board held it bi-annual awards ceremony for the police at the Committee of the Whole meeting before the regular board meeting.
Michael Freeman was sworn in as sergeant and Sebastian Dziewulski was sworn in as a police officer.
Investigator Miranda Nickel won the Officer of the Year Award.
Officer Chris Pratl was awarded a Grand Cordon special award.
Sergeants Freeman, Casey Wall, Doug Kein, investigators Hank Schoonveld, John Folliard and Alex Vainer and officers Julio Oiva, Danisha Goodman, Pratl and Mallory Janozik earned awards for exceptional service.
Officers Morgan Hill, Daniel Durling and Jacquelyn Skender won awards for lifesaving.
Pratl won for educational/training achievement. Telecommunicator Alan Labno was the Civilian of the Year.
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