July Update from Orland Pk. Mayor Pekau

This update is slightly delayed from the 7/16 board meeting.  The next board meeting is still 8 days away on August 6th.    The board passed a contract upgrading all of the street lights (except IDOT roads) to LEDs.  You may remember that several months ago we were given an estimate from our consultant of $4M for these replacements (including IDOT roads) with a payback of 8 years (from energy savings).  Given this information, I requested that we send out Request For Proposals (RFPs).  This request was supported by the entire board.  We received the RFPs and the cost was $1M to replace the bulbs.  The bulbs will last over 25 years and pay for themselves in less than 8 years with the energy savings.  It was a no-brainer for the board to approve, and we did 7-0.   I did express my concern that our consultant was off by a factor of 4 with their initial estimate.  Poor estimates such as this, can lead us to not move forward on projects that would be good for the village.  Thankfully, in this case, it didn’t stop us from looking at accelerating LED street lamps and doing them all at once.   Additionally, we donated one of our police vehicles to Robbins.  This vehicle was being rotated out of our fleet due to high mileage.  I support the policy to help out our neighbors and they are very thankful for our help. We also passed an ordinance to address small cell wireless technology.  This was required due to unfunded mandates from a recent State of Illinois law.   My biggest concern is that the state law allows wireless providers to put up poles where we have put utilities underground.  Over the years the Village has tried to underground utilities wherever possible to reduce visible clutter.  This effort could be in vain given the new law.  Our ordinance encourages providers to use other alternatives rather than placing poles in areas where we have under ground utilities.   Unfortunately, this is another unfunded mandate shoved onto municipalities by Illinois and we are doing the best we can to deal with it. The biggest discussion item of the night was the signage code.  There has been a big push for electronic signage, but I share the concerns that we will be unable to enforce electronic signs.  I understand the concerns of business and their interest in using technology, but I would not want to see flashing lights, changing messaging, etc., all over the Village.  I prefer that we help businesses and organizations through other means (Village app, economic development, etc.).   We approved A-frame signs within 15’ of entrances to businesses (sidewalk signs) provided clearance for pedestrians was maintained.  On the other hand, we significantly restricted temporary signs, including flapping banners which are now allowed only for temporary businesses (like a Halloween Store) and for grand openings.  Our goal is to allow businesses to market effectively while keeping a “clean” look throughout town.  Several stores in Orland Park are their company’s top stores in Illinois, the United States and North America.  This demonstrates that Orland Park is a draw and the restrictions that we’ve placed on signage do not hinder business success.  The other changes were administrative/legal in nature to bring our code in compliance with the ever changing federal and state statutes. Lastly, the board approved a policy regarding concerts in Centennial West for next year.  Whenever we have a performer lined up for a concert, the Village Manager, Parks & Recreation Chairperson and the Mayor can agree to sign the contract without going to the board for approval (up to a limit of $100,000 for the main act).  This year we lost two acts because of the delay of going to the board (which can take two to three weeks) and four members of the board voted down the acts I found to replace what we lost.  While I am disappointed that we won’t have a concert this August, the push for this concert led to the approval of up to three concerts next year and a policy that will allow us to land the acts as early as September/October of this year.   Centennial West has been a poorly used ass  et and I am looking forward to hosting budget neutral concert events at a venue that was built to host outdoor concerts. Outside of the board meetings, there are many exciting things happening in Orland Park.  We have had another new restaurant, two hotels and a senior targeted ranch townhome development petition for construction in the last few weeks.   We also are reviewing two exciting RFPs for the “Triangle”.  Additionally, Orland Square’s transformation is progressing nicely.  I am sure you have noticed the construction at the mall which has recently started, but this is just the beginning.  A lot of work is taking place behind the scenes and over the next 2 to 3 years, the construction at the mall will persist as it adapts to a changing market. I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer and I hope to see all of you at “The Taste of Orland” next weekend. Keith