South Cook News

City of Palos Hills City Council met Aug. 7

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

1) CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Bennett called the City Council Meeting to order at 7:00p.m.

2) PLEDGE TO THE FLAG: Mayor Bennett led everyone in the Pledge to the Flag.

3) ROLL CALL: Upon roll call the following Aldermen responded:

PRESENT: Price, Lebarre, Donahue, O’Connell, Kleefisch, Stratton, Frankowicz, Abed, Krasowski

ABSENT: Brachman

4) QUORUM: Mayor Bennett declared a quorum was present.

5) READING OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES:

Ald. Kleefisch MOVED to approve the City Council Meeting Minutes dated, July 17, 2025 as presented. SECONDED by Ald. Abed. Upon roll call the following Ald. voted:

AYE: Lebarre, Donahue, O’Connell, Kleefisch, Stratton, Frankowicz, Abed, Krasowski, Price

NAY: None

ABSENT: Brachman MOTION CARRIED

6) CITIZENS PETITION: None this evening.

7) CITIZENS HEARING:

Mayor Bennett, the meeting is open to the public for any comments or questions.

Bob Wojick of 9654 S. 88th Avenue is here to comment on the e-bike/scooter Ordinance and the several incidences that were near accidents, and made suggestions for helmet requirements as well as ID stickers.

Mayor Bennett stated that the next Committee meeting on August 21st will be scheduled to begin at 6:00pm so that it allows plenty of time for discussion, and if it’s not resolved it’ll be moved forward until the Council is comfortable with the Ordinance.

Sue Collins spoke of her concerns on e-bikes and scooters, as well as the need for education and licensing. She suggested that maybe the Community Center could have safety classes. She mentioned that she would like residents to know the law and be given a chance before they just break it.

There were no further comments or questions from the public; the public portion of the meeting was closed.

8) REPORTS & COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND OTHER CITY OFFICIALS:

A. CITY CLERK: No report this evening.

B. CITY ATTORNEY: No report this evening.

C. MAYOR: Mayor Bennett announced that there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Cal-Sag trail on Tuesday, August 19th at 11:00am off of 86th Avenue and Moraine Drive in the Riviera.

9) PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, RESOLUTIONS, AND ORDINANCES BY ALDERMEN:

A. BUILDING & LICENSING:

Ald. Abed presented and read the Building Department report for the month of July 2025 as follows: Total permits issued 98, total permit fees $27,755.00, total security deposits received was zero, and total security deposits refunded were zero.

B. CITY ADMINISTRATION:

Ald. Stratton had no report this evening.

C. COMMUNITY RESOURCES/PARKS:

Ald. Price thanked everyone that participated in National Night Out, and announced that Movie in the Park at Bennett Park featuring Moana 2 will take place tomorrow at 8:15pm. Ald. Price reported that registration for all fall programs begins on Monday, August 11th for residents.

Ald. Price announced that there will be a public meeting on Thursday, August 14th at City Hall at 6:30pm to discuss a proposed change at Krasowski Park.

D. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Ald. O’Connell had no report this evening.

E. FINANCE:

Ald. Lebarre MOVED to authorize the expenditure of a Vendor Warrant dated, August 7, 2025 in the amount of $1,132,508.64. SECONDED by Ald. O’Connell. Upon roll call the following Ald. voted:

AYE: Lebarre, Donahue, O’Connell, Kleefisch, Stratton, Frankowicz, Abed, Krasowski, Price

NAY: None

ABSENT: Brachman MOTION CARRIED

F. LEGISLATION & ORDINANCES:

Ald. Frankowicz had no report this evening, but did mention that on August 21st Committee will begin at 6:00pm for the purpose of discussing the electronic motorized vehicles.

G. GOLF:

Ald. Donahue had no report this evening.

H. PLANNING & ZONING:

Ald. Krasowski MOVED to accept the recommendation of the Plan Commission to approve the Special Use request for the addition of massage services to Noble Wellness located at 10506-08 S. Roberts Road, and have our City Attorney draw an Ordinance. SECONDED by Ald. Price.

Ald. Kleefisch said that he read the minutes from the hearing and there is some confusion about the hours of operation.

Mayor Bennett stated that all non-retail businesses need to close by 10:00pm by Ordinance.

Ald. Kleefisch said that the owner indicated that her therapists have not yet received their state licenses.

Mayor Bennett stated that they are required by Ordinance to be licensed by the State of Illinois in order to perform therapeutic massage.

Ald. Kleefisch added that they were not yet licensed as of the date of the Plan Commission hearing.

Upon roll call the following Ald. voted:

AYE: Donahue, Kleefisch, Stratton, Frankowicz, Abed, Krasowski, Price, Lebarre

NAY: None

ABSTAIN: O’Connell

ABSENT: Brachman MOTION CARRIED

I. PUBLIC SAFETY:

Ald. Kleefisch presented and read the Palos Hills Police Department Activity Report for the month of July 2025 as follows: 268 traffic tickets were issued, 101 parking tickets, 15 misdemeanor complaints and 5 felony complaints, there were no criminal homicides, there were no robberies, there was 1 aggravated assault and battery; there were 3 burglaries, there were 3 thefts, there was 1 motor vehicle theft, there was 1 arson, and our CID Division handled a total of 38 cases.

Ald. Kleefisch reported that we received a check from Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions in the amount of $380.00, a check from Carfax in the amount of $5.00, and a check from Consolidated High School District 230 in the amount of $638.77.

J. PUBLIC WORKS/SEWER & WATER:

In the absence of Ald. Brachman, Ald. Donahue MOVED for consideration of An Ordinance of the City of Palos Hills, Cook County, Illinois providing for the Sale of Surplus Personal Property.

SECONDED by Ald. Lebarre. Upon roll call the following Ald. voted:

AYE: O’Connell, Kleefisch, Stratton, Frankowicz, Abed, Krasowski, Price, Lebarre, Donahue

NAY: None

ABSENT: Brachman MOTION CARRIED

City Clerk Nowak assigned number 2025-16 to that proposed Ordinance.

Ald. Lebarre MOVED to waive the reading of proposed Ordinance 2025-16. SECONDED by

Ald. O’Connell. Upon roll call the following Ald. voted:

AYE: Kleefisch, Stratton, Frankowicz, Abed, Krasowski, Price, Lebarre, Donahue, O’Connell

NAY: None

ABSENT: Brachman MOTION CARRIED

Ald. Donahue MOVED for PASSAGE of Ordinance 2025-16, An Ordinance of the City of Palos Hills, Cook County, Illinois providing for the Sale of Surplus Personal Property. SECONDED by Ald. Abed. Upon roll call the following Ald. voted:

AYE: Stratton, Frankowicz, Abed, Krasowski, Price, Lebarre, Donahue, O’Connell, Kleefisch

NAY: None

ABSENT: Brachman MOTION CARRIED

Ald. Donahue announced that on July 29, 2025 bids were received and opened for the 2025 Street Program. 5 bid proposals were received which have been reviewed and tabulated and are as follows:

• Lindahl Brothers, Inc $377,996.26

• M&J Asphalt Paving Company $463,935.51

• Builders Paving, LLC $466,756.80

• Gallagher Asphalt Co. $471,841.13

• McGill Construction $534,694.91

• Engineer’s Estimate $539,563.50

Ald. Donahue MOVED to accept the Engineer’s Recommendation and award the 2025 Street Program Project contract to Lindahl Brothers, Inc in the amount of $377,996.26. SECONDED by Ald. Abed. Upon roll call the following Ald. voted:

AYE: Frankowicz, Abed, Krasowski, Price, Lebarre, Donahue, O’Connell, Kleefisch, Stratton

NAY: None

ABSENT: Brachman MOTION CARRIED

Ald. Donahue announced that one bid evaluation for the Potable Water Pump Station Project was received and opened on July 30, 2025 as follows:

• Airy’s, Inc. $1,350,000.00

Ald. Donahue MOVED to accept the Engineer’s Recommendation and award Airy’s, Inc to the Potable Water Pump Station Project. SECONDED by Ald. Krasowski. Upon roll call the following Ald. voted:

AYE: Abed, Krasowski, Price, Lebarre, Donahue, O’Connell, Kleefisch, Stratton, Frankowicz

NAY: None

ABSENT: Brachman MOTION CARRIED

Ald. Donahue presented and read a Public Works update as follows:

• There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony on August 19th at 11:00am at the corner of 86th Avenue and Moraine Drive to celebrate the opening of the Palos Hills portion of the CalSag bike trail. The ceremony is open to the public.

• The City has received a $270,000.00 grant from Cook County for Invest in Cook Program. This grant will be used to install pedestrian traffic controls at the 111th Street and 86th Avenue intersection. The Council will need to pass a Resolution at the second meeting in August to approve the IGA with Cook County

• Commissioner Oeffling has received notice that the Cook County Highway Department are planning on doing the following projects in 2026:

-Repaving 103rd Street from Roberts Road to 88th Avenue

-Repaving 88th and 86th Avenue from 111th Street to 103rd Street

-Redoing the traffic signals, lighting, pedestrian crosswalks at the 103rd and Roberts Road intersection and removing the rumble strips directly east and west of Roberts Road

Ald. Donahue asked for the status of the flood remediation project. Mayor Bennett stated that the grant was frozen back in the spring, we finally got a release, but it’s now put the project a year behind and we still have to finish up engineering and we were not going to start on that project unless we had the guarantee of the grant.

Mayor Bennett reminded all that the envelope that is sent with the water bills for payment to our lockbox processing center will no longer be included with the water bills. This is due to the low volume of residents of residents utilizing our lockbox and delay with the post office.

10) REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES: Ald. Lebarre reported that he and Ald. Frankowicz were invited to a movie night by one of the homeowners associations where there was a large turnout and everyone had a good time.

11) UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Ald. Frankowicz added that Ald. Lebarre worked with Louks & Scoops and made special coupons for those that attended their movie night, so that they got $1.00 off a scoop of ice cream to help promote a new business.

12) MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS: Ald. Frankowicz thanked Bob Wojick and Sue Collins for speaking their minds on the electric vehicles.

13) ADJORNMENT:

No further business, Mayor Bennett entertained a motion to adjourn. SO MOVED by Ald. Stratton.

SECONDED by Ald. Donahue. By voice vote, all voted AYE.

The Meeting adjourned at 7:41p.m.

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