[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6364999,"mediaKeyId","2160436-72e245701b9c8af02a08a02be6718a99","parentId",2160436,"title","La Grange trustees approve reappointments, craft fair, and honors finance director in unanimous votes","audioSeconds",3543,"startMs",1530000,"endMs",5073000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2160436-72e245701b9c8af02a08a02be6718a99&start=1530&end=5073","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2160436-72e245701b9c8af02a08a02be6718a99/thumbnail_1530000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6364999/La-Grange/Cook-County/Illinois/La-Grange-trustees-approve-reappointments-craft-fair-and-honors-finance-director-in-unanimous-votes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6364999-28b64ded34626f48f9291aebf73c4ccb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177236&Signature=LiMNXJjPCXL8uCPbgilrumdiJVwxa5rBodz~18rEBbLC7tN3zv262bvtRfKlw3ZXgvt1xEJIcwZjhml4otI4mbS~8Xp~bf7w6EtvoHY~O4All9OIRmwPj1p2S3qKi9tnbaB~11Mv9mGAsP5GfKqsLEJGWpJeDDHTpkM~gQBB6gz0NdU3LP4Dye6oYbYRomugEXV6~DfUkBkTh8Fyounq6jCIZGOLedYjADWlKfVWHUmlIzRSJUO9cW5OdnrP5plIuAIy-YJ7Rm1sbD0mrjVRsH~0JyAzbRBryWrv8y2NDAOtF2JsAs~qdXCaVL2mMVKrnz~f1CSrutRaYHDp8ETGxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Village of La Grange, IL","date","2025-01-29T17:13:46.947Z","article","The Village of La Grange Board of Trustees on June 12 approved a series of routine and ceremonial matters in unanimous votes, including reappointments to advisory boards, a liquor commission appointment, a resolution recognizing Finance Director Lou Ciparone’s retirement, and a permit for the LaGrange Craft Fair.

Reappointments: The Board reappointed members to multiple advisory bodies, including Elise Offenburg (Board of Fire & Police Commissioners chair), Russ Roberto and Lisa Schur (Community Economic Development Commission), Ray Baker (Design Review Commission), Ali Bow and Molly Mahoney (Environmental Quality Commission), Julie Egan (Plan Commission) and Paul Curpin (Zoning Board of Appeals). Trustee Gail moved approval; Trustee Peterson seconded. The voice vote carried unanimously.

Liquor commission: Trustees approved appointing Trustee Tim O’Brien to the liquor commission and reappointing Trustee Beth Augustine to that body; the motion carried by voice vote.

Resolution of appreciation for Finance Director Lou Ciparone: Trustees adopted a resolution recognizing Lou Ciparone’s 29 years of service to the village; Ciparone told the Board he was “grateful for the opportunities” and thanked colleagues and family. The resolution passed unanimously.

Special event: The Board approved the LaGrange Business Association’s request to hold the 49th annual LaGrange Craft Fair on Friday and Saturday, July 15–16, 2023, with an expected ~200 exhibitors and standard event conditions (licenses, insurance, vendor waivers, portable toilets and parking plans). Nancy Cummings of the LaGrange Business Association said the event attracts visitors from multiple ZIP codes and benefits downtown merchants.

Consent agenda: Routine items on the consent agenda — including a contract to repair the Village Hall auditorium air conditioning, minutes of the May 22 regular meeting and consolidated voucher 230612 — were approved by roll call. Manager Knight also reported that Brainerd Avenue water main replacement work has begun and that contractors are targeting 100 feet of water main installation per day.

Public comment: Residents raised two matters in open public comment. Mary O’Dowd asked the village to inspect and repair potholes in the alley behind 737 South La Grange Road; officials said staff would investigate and improve communication. Landlord and resident Randy Valenta urged stronger traffic enforcement downtown, citing repeated illegal left turns, high speeds and safety concerns for pedestrians and children.

Closed session: The Board announced it would meet in closed session under the Illinois Open Meetings Act to discuss purchase or lease of real property and pending or probable litigation; no further action was taken in open session.

All votes reported in open session were unanimous unless noted and where roll calls were recorded the minutes list Trustee McGee as absent for the evening.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","La Grange Village Board Meeting 6-12-23","oneSentenceSummary","At its June 12 meeting the Village Board approved a slate of routine and ceremonial matters including multiple board reappointments, an appointment to the liquor commission, a resolution honoring Finance Director Lou Ciparone, and a special‑event permit for the LaGrange Craft Fair; consent agenda items passed as well.","taxTitle","La Grange, Cook County, Illinois","taxId",70233,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6365003,"La Grange approves engineering task orders for 50th Street storm sewer; project team, schedule set",593,3065000,3658000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2160436-72e245701b9c8af02a08a02be6718a99&start=3065&end=3658","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2160436-72e245701b9c8af02a08a02be6718a99/thumbnail_3065000.jpg","/articles/6365003/La-Grange/Cook-County/Illinois/La-Grange-approves-engineering-task-orders-for-50th-Street-storm-sewer-project-team-schedule-set","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365003-699c8e4ca499faac46f3dc8ace633f0d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177236&Signature=g1aFet7v9OKbU9YU3vdGzf-sLzmPOtp~BNnWlfGQKMg0Axm-GuRpOUk9KfbjdrJ7uSxablG2epfP5q7AozEV4XMeTyIDTHsaN3TxhBO9G0VE7fv7tttfRSjnys7GWZ9cB76b0QHi3YTbajStpcED4xr0kNaA69PWmdJgy88QHgXTzC8AsHEDs33UrxVHbqzvVr1rkzp1x4woWRB-c4k4xLj6r9IUk7lTcFERMakaCR7wVZ7hgROEZPNvj77V5JSr0WD-kIyhRATMOtk-WE0u30jJUUVwcpdDpgZy5oQLqYVBOKmVRqlUac3mx6g-jxvw5CssfmP8J21PuEpT0L6L4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Village of La Grange Board of Trustees on June 12 approved two engineering task orders to advance design and project management for a planned trunk storm sewer along 50th Street that officials say will reduce chronic flooding in the village’s south basin.

Director of Public Works Richard Colby summarized the effort and said the two agreements divide work between Baxter & Woodman — which will produce biddable construction documents for the trunk sewer — and Christopher B. Burke Engineering — which will provide project management, interagency coordination and peer review. Colby said the village is coordinating with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and hopes to execute an intergovernmental agreement with MWRD by the end of September 2023.

Trustee Gail moved approval of the task orders and Trustee Thompson seconded. The Board approved Task Order No. 270 with Baxter & Woodman in an amount not to exceed $447,759 by roll call (Trustee Augustine — aye; Trustee Gail — aye; Trustee McGee — absent; Trustee O’Brien — aye; Trustee Peterson — aye; Trustee Thompson — aye). The Board then approved Task Order No. 10 with Christopher B. Burke Engineering in an amount not to exceed $133,204 by roll call with the same vote pattern.

Colby told trustees the project will target the five depressional areas south of 47th Street and that the firms will analyze hydraulic performance, account for recent high‑intensity rain events and determine whether lateral sewers to small depressions should be built as part of the overall solution. Trustee Thompson questioned whether laterals that modelled zero homes protected in prior analyses should be built; Colby said Burke’s team would perform the alternatives analysis and help determine a cost‑benefit basis for any lateral construction.

Staff provided a preliminary schedule: execute an intergovernmental agreement with MWRD by the end of September 2023; complete trunk sewer engineering and permitting in time to prepare a bid package by January 2024; seek construction contract award by the end of March 2024; and advance lateral sewer preliminary engineering by April 2024. Colby and staff noted that litigation outcomes, permitting, final MWRD review and contractor schedules could influence timing.

The two task orders together authorize up to $580,963 in engineering services to move the project toward bidding and construction. The Board’s approval allows staff to continue design and agency coordination ahead of expected grant/partnership funding discussions with MWRD.","The Village Board approved two task orders June 12 to advance design, project management and agency coordination for a 50th Street trunk storm sewer intended to reduce flooding in five depressional areas south of 47th Street; the contracts total up to $580,963.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6365007,"Judge rules for La Grange in yearslong quarry dispute over sewer easement",658,562000,1220000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2160436-72e245701b9c8af02a08a02be6718a99&start=562&end=1220","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2160436-72e245701b9c8af02a08a02be6718a99/thumbnail_562000.jpg","/articles/6365007/La-Grange/Cook-County/Illinois/Judge-rules-for-La-Grange-in-yearslong-quarry-dispute-over-sewer-easement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365007-120c65879941283d9d75934328e240e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177236&Signature=RVHhZyecYRzt6WZF7jJ~vK7b10En2OagJKh5wIYpxWguBE9fhjjUs-yErDLoOb3ZIRDD1Qa5M3nSSw3GzqNYs~jEy1uwLDjBuz0z5kTA0Lwem4D-KgOS47ZYKwO~WYltmbncRc-33B6VLbMebgDsE07t~7Lwy1BSHT4xz-OJUtMxbc1tMQVmn5WtBIUXPkDh9bmapTObD2HE~1BxWkNqBtCqOP1e9528kHxWbXyE6e8ttGvp-sqRdzQzr3~YL1EUqUkjQuC8rSr2M3tky9VaLL11P19ISJpCmiujFxhp2jrbSV7trtDgVTEReTcJOLUhtlOEujrX~6Ql2HgVw3ztJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Cook County judge has sided with the Village of La Grange in longrunning litigation with Hansen Quarry, concluding the quarry intentionally interfered with the village’s sewer easement and made false statements to local authorities, village officials said June 12.

Village President Kukler told the Board the decision found that “Hansen Quarry intentionally interfered with LaGrange’s easement rights,” and that the quarry’s representatives later misrepresented who owned the damaged pipe. The ruling follows litigation that began after the quarry cut a village sewer in 1992 and then opposed later village plans to improve the storm sewer that discharges into the quarry.

Dan Stanner, who described the trial and the judge’s 40‑page opinion to the Board, said the evidence showed the village held an express easement dating to the 1920s and that a 1935 deed explicitly recognized a right of way for the sewer. “The judge decided the village was correct,” Stanner said. He added the court found quarry representatives made material misrepresentations to the McCook Zoning Board, and called those claims “dishonest.” Stanner said the judge dismissed the quarry’s claims and that the outcome was “a victory for the village on all counts.”

The dispute blocked a multiyear sewer improvement effort intended to reduce basement and yard flooding in the village’s south basin. Village officials and staff said the litigation delayed construction of a trunk sewer along 50th Street that is intended to reduce flood risk in five depressional areas south of 47th Street.

Kukler acknowledged the case had been years in the making; he traced the project’s planning back to January 2015 and credited former Village President Tom Livingston, former and current trustees, former village engineer Ryan Gillingham and organized community activists for sustaining the effort. Kukler said the village would discuss next steps and pending appeal risk in closed session following the meeting.

The Board also publicly thanked the local volunteer group Dry Up LaGrange for sustained advocacy during the litigation. Stanner told the Board that while an appeal is possible, the trial judge’s credibility findings make a successful appeal unlikely; he said further legal strategy would be discussed in closed session.

The judge who issued the opinion was identified in meeting remarks as Judge Cohen. Village officials said the opinion recited documentary evidence, witness testimony and contemporaneous quarry files showing the quarry knew of the sewer and failed to obtain permission before cutting it.","A Cook County judge found Hansen Quarry intentionally interfered with a village sewer easement and misrepresented facts to the McCook Zoning Board, the Village of La Grange reported June 12; village counsel said the ruling clears the way to resume long‑delayed storm‑relief work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

La Grange trustees approve reappointments, craft fair, and honors finance director in unanimous votes

La Grange approves engineering task orders for 50th Street storm sewer; project team, schedule set

Judge rules for La Grange in yearslong quarry dispute over sewer easement