Infrastructure Repairs Complicate Village Hall Renovations

Unforeseen circumstances raise costs of repair to sewer and water infrastructure at 120-year-old building.

Renovations at the nearly 120-year-old Lemont Village Hall have been under way since late July. The village had hoped to move from its temporary location at the Central School building on McCarthy Road and back into its refurbished digs in the historic limestone building at 418 Main St. by late November. But unforeseen circumstances have arisen during the renovations that could push the move into January. The project, with an estimated cost of about $1.75 million, includes improvements to the lobby, roof, windows, exterior doors, bathrooms and conference rooms. As work began at the building, contractors discovered an underground clay tile that had been almost completely destroyed, as well as improperly capped sewer and water lines that had…

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Government Watch: Local Public Meetings for May 23-27

Lemont Patch lists basic information about upcoming school district, village, park district, library, fire and township meetings.

Welcome to a new weekly feature here on Lemont Patch designed to help you keep tabs on what local government meetings are coming up. Perhaps you'd like to give local leaders a call about an issue before the meeting - or attend yourself to see what they have to say. Agenda and other information on village meetings can be found online here, while District 113A meeting documents are available online here. Village Board Meeting When: 7:15 p.m. Where: Village Hall, 418 Main St. Top agenda items: Amending the village leash law, phones for inmates at the Lemont Police Department, new identity protection policy, resolution for Community Development Block Grant program Lemont Park District When: 6 p.m. (budget hearing)/6:30 p.m. (regular meeting) …

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Five Things You Need to Know Today

March 28: Village Board Meeting Canceled, Women's Networking Event

Five things every Lemonter needs to know today.

The Lemont Board of Trustees will not hold their regular meeting Monday night as previously reported on the village website. Their next meeting will be held Monday, April 11, at 7 p.m. in Village Hall, 418 Main St. The Lemont Chamber of Commerce is organizing a new Women's Networking Group for all the village's working ladies. The kick-off meeting will be held Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Illinois Bar and Grill, 1131 State St. Contact the Chamber at 630-257-5997 for more information, or email joanna@lemontchamber.com. In honor of National Library Week, the Lemont Public Library, 50 E. Wend St., is holding a Design Your Own Book Cover contest for kids ages 5 to 11. Covers can be of real or made up books. All designs must be …

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Village Board Approves Construction Projects, Adopts New Budget System

Among items approved Monday night: improvements to Houston Street water tower, a public utility easement and a switch from an appropriations system of finances.

The Village of Lemont will move forward with several construction projects this year, including water main replacements, street resurfacing and the rehabilitation of the Houston Street water tower. Lemont trustees approved Monday night a $144,680 contract with Am-Coat Painting to update the 300,000-gallon water tower on Houston Street. The project includes cleaning, exterior spot blasting, interior full blasting, priming, painting and chlorinating, according to official village documents. The same town logo used on the State Street water tower will be painted on the side of the tank, said Village Administrator Ben Wehmeier. The bid came in well below engineers' original estimate of $185,000. The project is expected to begin sometime in …

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On the Agenda: Village Board to Vote on Easement, Water Tower Improvements, Budget Changes

The Lemont Board of Trustees will meet Monday at 7 p.m. in Village Hall, 418 Main St.

The Lemont Village Board will hold its semi-monthly meeting Monday to discuss budget issues, easement agreements and improvements to the Houston Street water tower. Among items to be discussed: The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in Village Hall, 418 Main St. For more information, call 630-257-1590.

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Hot Dog Stand Proposed for Main Street, Route 83 Intersection

Lemont officials indicated at their committee meeting Monday that they were on board with the fast food restaurant.

The idea of a hot dog stand at Main Street and Illinois Highway 83  received a favorable response Monday during a committee of the whole meeting of the Lemont Village Board. Property owner Gus Tingos is proposing a small carry-out fast food restaurant on a 26,000-square-foot site at 10985 Archer Ave. The restaurant would have an indoor counter and an outdoor seating area, he said According to village documents, the Technical Review Committee first heard Tingos's plans in December 2009. Though staff members were not opposed to the idea, they expressed concern about site design, as the development would be "a gateway to Lemont" from the Route 83 area. Previously, the site was home to a small gas station. Village staff identified a number of …

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Lemont Grapples with Faltering Economy

Village Board considers new sources of revenue, including a red light camera and annual vehicle stickers.

Despite making significant cuts to spending in recent years, the Village of Lemont is now considering other sources of revenue to grapple with the effects of a faltering economy. According to a detailed report presented to the Village Board of Trustees at a committee of the whole meeting Monday, the village's operational expenses continue to outpace revenue streams. In order to keep maintain the current level of services, the village will consider a number of options to generate revenue. One such option would be a red light camera at Main Street and Illinois Highway 83, an intersection identified by police as having a high rate of infractions. Revenue from tickets would be spent on public safety needs, village officials said. Another …

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Town Hall Meeting on Covington Knolls Road Extensions Draws Large Crowd

Residents expressed concerns Monday night over plans to connect the subdivision to McCarthy Road with the extension of First and Fourth streets.

CORRECTION (Friday, Nov. 12): Patch incorrectly attributed a quote to Aline Czub of Berkley Lane. Her name is Alina Czub, and she lives on Country Lane. Czub is opposed to the Fourth Street connection because she feels the current traffic safety issues along Country Lane need to be addressed. Additionally, the quote from Angie Sojka should have read: "The children on Fourth Street are no more important than the children on First Street or Covington. Everyone wants safety for our children wherever they live, no one wants a child to get hurt anywhere." We regret the errors. Dozens of Covington Knolls residents packed the Lemont Village Board Room on Monday for a town hall meeting on plans to connect streets in the subdivision with McCarthy …

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Lemont Trustee Loses Bid for Commissioner of Cook County Sanitary District

Republican Paul Chialdikas was defeated Tuesday in the race for Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

Lemont Village Trustee Paul Chialdikas lost Tuesday in the race for Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. As a Republican candidate from suburban Cook County, Chialdikas knew it would be a difficult campaign: The sanitary district, which covers 883-square miles across the city of Chicago and 125 suburbs, has been a Democratic stronghold for more than 30 years and all nine of its current members live in the city of Chicago. With three seats up for grabs Tuesday on the MWRD Board of Commissioners, Democrats Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, Barbara McGowan and Michael A. Alvarez received huge percentages of the vote, particularly in Chicago.  "I'm disappointed," Chialdikas said. "It's not that I lost, it's …

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