Resident asks village to review payoff and community benefit of Bennett sports complex bonds

Resident Dean Brecco asked the Village Board on Aug. 18 to examine whether the village is receiving expected returns from the bonds issued for the Bennett sports complex. Brecco said the sports complex was promoted years ago as a way to generate sales-tax and hotel-tax revenue and to serve local institutions such as Benedictine University and district schools. “Right now we're paying a bond for something,” he said, and asked the board to answer “why are we paying the bonds for that still? How is it serving the village of Lisle?” Brecco said early semi-professional teams used the complex but that the field has felt like “every game's an away game” and that District 202 and Benedictine University use has not matched early expectations. He asked the board to consider the village’s payback on the sports complex and whether the ongoing bond payments are justified. No board action, study directive or staff report was announced at the Aug. 18 meeting in response to the comment. The request was recorded during the public-comment period; residents seeking a formal review should contact village staff to request an agenda item or report.