Thursday, July 12, 2018
The Reporter
3
OAK LAWN VILLAGE BOARD MEETING
Fourth of July parade treats
Fire department overtime costs draw board’s concern
Right: Oak Lawn Mayor Sandra Bury waves to the crowd and passes out candy to the kids at the annual Fourth of July Parade that started at 95th Street and 51st Avenue. Lower right: Cong. Dan Lipinski (D-3rd) passes out candy to children near 95th and Cook Avenue. Lower left: Dr. Kenneth Yerkes, DDS, an Oak Lawn resident and a Republican write-in candidate in the 3rd Congressional District race, plays the saxophone during the parade.
By Dermot Connolly
Photos by Joe Boyle
CHICAGO RIDGE
New office building joins medical facilities By Dermot Connolly
A newly built professional office building recently opened on Southwest Highway in Chicago Ridge, on land where the firehouse once stood, is adding to the “medical corridor” feel of the village’s section of the thoroughfare. Local contractor/developer James L. Waner has developed the building on a 1.25-acre blighted parcel of land at 10258 Southwest Highway that was purchased from the village last June. The site had been vacant for about eight years, since the old fire station was razed, and transformed into a one-story 9,050-square-foot Prairie Style professional office building “We opened in December. We built it in five months,” Waner said on Monday. “We thought the location would be very good for a medical building because it is almost exactly halfway between (Advocate) Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn and Palos Hospital in Palos Heights. I checked and it is about an eight-minute drive to either one.” He said that before the building was completed, it began attracting attention from medical professionals, and Vascular Surgery Associates, a group of cardiothoracic vascular surgeons, moved in. The professional building still has 5,375 square feet available for rent. “It is designed in a way that the available space can be divided as needed,” said Waner. “A group of dentists has expressed interest in it now.” The developer said it also doesn’t hurt that it
is close to other medical buildings. “We also built the urology building at 10400 Southwest Highway,” noted Waner, referring to a similar-looking two-story building that is occupied by Associated Urological Specialists. When the Chicago Ridge Village Board rezoned the vacant property at 10258 Southwest Highway last June, allowing for the medical building to be constructed, Mayor Chuck Tokar noted that the village’s section of Southwest Highway was turning into somewhat of a medical corridor, which he said would be a good thing considering the demographics of the surrounding area. Since then, on June 21, Tokar participated in a ribbon-cutting at a new medical building that opened at 10604 Southwest Highway. That glassfronted building, which had been under construction for about a year, is owned by a group of doctors. They are mainly oncologists affiliated with Advocate Christ Medical Center and Palos Hospital. It has office space for 25 to 30 doctors, and has facilities to provide chemotherapy, blood testing and other services. Adding to the medical services provided in the area, right beside the newest medical building is Chicago Ridge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, at 10602 Southwest Highway. A couple of blocks south, a Davita kidney dialysis center is at 10511 S. Harlem Ave. In the other direction, just off Southwest Highway in Oak Lawn, is the Women’s Care Group building at 5851 W. 95th St., another Waner Enterprises development.
Overtime costs accrued by the fire department was cited as a main reason behind a $3.8 million deficit in the operating budget for 2017 during a presentation on the annual audit findings at the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting on Tuesday. Jeff George and Jeff Slade, of the auditing firm of RSM, said that overall in 2017 the village saw a revenue increase of $14.9 million, largely due to increased returns in pension investment portfolios and a decrease in pension liabilities. They stressed that the village received a “clean opinion,” meaning there was no problem with the accounting practices. But they said the general fund loss of $3.8 million in the operating budget will likely be an ongoing problem unless a solution is found to the overtime costs. Slade said that $1.4 million of that loss was due to “timing issues,” meaning that the budgeted sale of a vacant building at 9500 S. 50th Court was not finalized early enough to be counted, as well as the $600,000 that Advocate Christ Medical Center agreed to pay the village in lieu of property taxes. Another $1 million of the deficit is due to “budget shortfalls,” caused by less revenue than expected coming in from property tax and home rule taxes. “It was a year-end deficit but we’re pretty much back to whole,” said Trustee Bud Stalker (5th). But George said that the problem will occur this year Finance Director Brian Hani-
Submitted photo
A new medical building owned by a group of oncologists officially opened at 10604 Southwest Highway in Chicago Ridge on June 21.
Photo by Dermot Connolly
A new Prairie-style professional office building opened at the beginning of this year at 10258 Southwest Highway in Chicago Ridge, on the site of the original Chicago Ridge fire department.
Skin care concerns?
not needed but is dictated by an archaic, 1992 agreement that the union refuses to bargain over. “If the union’s position is sta-
“The village has tried to right that ship, but the union is fighting us on that. It is an ongoing problem.”
— Oak Lawn Mayor Sandra Bury
in the fire department. “Although we have narrowed the gap in what we owe the pensions, we still have an overtime problem that needs to be addressed with firefighting and ambulatory services,” said Hanigan. He said $2 million has been budgeted this year for overtime, but the department is in line to spend $3.1 million. “The village has tried to right that ship, but the union is fighting us on that. It is an ongoing problem,” said Mayor Sandra Bury. “This is virtual overtime. It is not affecting the health or safety of our residents,” said Village Manager Larry Deetjen. “It is a structural deficit. We’re spending close to $3 million that is
tus quo, under Illinois law, we have been unable to change that paradigm.” Deetjen said he was referring to “mandatory minimum staffing levels” that the village is bound to, requiring 21 firefighters to be working every shift. He said the agreement was made when there were more than 80 people working in the department, but that number has been reduced to 64 due to retirements. “We haven’t needed to fill those positions so this requires us to call them back for overtime. But they are not needed,” said Deetjen. He said the village has appealed to the Illinois State Labor Board for a ruling on the issue and that is decision is expected about July 20.
Crisis Center to host Dianne Masters golf tourney on Aug. 14
The Crisis Center for South Suburbia will host the annual Dianne Masters Cup Charity Golf Outing that will be held Tuesday, Aug. 14 at the Silver Lake Country Club, 14700 S. 82nd Ave., Orland Park. An estimated 200 people are expected to participate in the annual tournament that benefits individuals and families affected by domestic violence. This will be the fifth straight sold out tournament. Continental breakfast at the course and registration will begin at 7:30 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Lunch will be provided on the course. The outing also features contests such as Chipping to the Raft and Ball Launcher. Participants will have an opportunity to win prizes. Following the tournament, a cocktail and dinner reception will be hosted in the clubhouse. The nine-hole option at Silver Lake will also be offered beginning at 12:30 p.m. Golfers will have the chance to participate in trivia and contests on the course, as well as the cocktail and dinner reception following the round. For those individuals who do not golf, they can have a steak and chicken buffet dinner at the Silver Lake Country Club. Dinner tickets can be purchased separately for just over $50 per person. The evening includes raffles, trivia and the opportunity to converse with CCSS members and supporters. Opportunities to partner with CCSS through sponsorships are available to promote a business or honor a family member or friend. Individuals interested in sponsoring or participating in the tournament can call Jessica Brooks, (708) 4297255, ext. 136, or visit the website at https://crisisctr.org/events/golf.
Our medical staff
is here to consult with you
OUR PRACTICE ENCOMPASSES
General Dermatology • Skin Cancer/Mohs Surgery SRT Options for Treatment of Skin Cancer
COSMETIC SERVICES INCLUDE
Botox • Chemical Peels • Microdermabrasion Fillers • Sclerotherapy • Laser Hair Removal Laser Skin Rejuvenation
• Dr. Vivek Iyengar • Dr. Manuel Mesirow • Dr. Raymond Vahl • Dr. Arlene Ruiz deLuzuriaga • Dr. Eduardo Moioli • Trina Brucato PA-C • Michelle Ovando PA-C
gan said the village has “an inherent structural deficit” of between $1 million and $1.5 million each year because of the overtime issue
18425 West Creek Dr. Suite F • Tinley Park 13401 S. Ridgeland Ave. Palos Heights
(708) 444-8300 | Fax (708) 444-8301 | www.mydermdocs.com
• Thin Crust • Deep Dish • Stuffed • Pan And a Wide Variety of Traditional Homemade Italian Cuisine M-Th 11-10 • F 11-11 • Sat 12-11 • Sun 3-9
$
5 OFF PIZZA
18” PARTYTIME
With this coupon. Not valid with any other offer. 1 per pizza.