What started as a routine village board meeting in Chicago Ridge turned tense when a proposed risk audit sparked sharp debate over timing, necessity, and transparency.
The three-year, $15,000 agreement with Gallagher Basset, aimed at reviewing the village’s insurance coverage and risk exposure, faced pushback on Feb. 18 from some trustees who questioned whether the audit would provide value or simply duplicate the work of the village’s existing insurance broker.
Trustee Roger Meslar expressed hesitation, pointing to the recent settlement of a large legal claim.
“I just think this is the wrong time to do an audit,” Meslar said. “It should be done closer to the expiration [of the insurance policy]. Nobody’s going to give you a quote at this time of the period.”
Trustee Elaine C. Davenport countered, emphasizing that transparency and accountability were worth the expense.
“Whenever I hear a municipality has an issue with self-auditing their practices, I think that should be a red flag with everyone who pays taxes in the community,” Davenport said.
She warned that delaying the audit could backfire.
“If we don’t do this now, we could come back in November and find out nobody offers us insurance,” she said. “Why not do a safe, responsible check now?”
The conversation grew tense, with trustees speaking over each other until acting mayor and Trustee John F. Lind stepped in to refocus the discussion.
“Look, we’re not talking about a huge financial burden here,” Lind said. “Fifteen thousand dollars over three years is not going to break this village. What will break us is getting hit with another lawsuit and finding out too late that we could’ve done something to mitigate it.”
In the end, the board voted to approve the risk audit, acknowledging that the potential financial benefits outweighed the concerns about timing.
Beyond the audit debate, the board approved a resolution to apply for $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to support a sewer line replacement project aimed at reducing clean water infiltration and easing the burden on the village’s sanitary system.
“This recommendation is kind of picked back by the study that we had done last fall,” a village engineer said. “It identified an area attributing to clean water entering the system and releasing some of the burden on the adjacent police station.”
The targeted project area includes blocks around the police station and residential neighborhoods, with the goal of improving drainage and preventing future issues.
Additionally, the board approved naming a memorial street in honor of Amira Nairat, a young resident who lost her life in a tragic incident. The street will stretch from Central Avenue to the east side of the village.
“We want to make sure Amira’s memory lives on in this community,” Lind said.
The meeting wrapped up with discussions about EMA building maintenance, including painting and signage, with a decision to finalize the work before an upcoming dedication ceremony.
Before adjourning, Davenport took a final moment to address the tension in the room.
“This isn’t about winning an argument,” she said. “It’s about doing what’s right for the people of this village. I’d rather we have this debate now than pay the price later.”
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