Dolton trustees host business brunch to address safety, leases and unpaid water bills

Dolton trustees and municipal staff on Tuesday held a business brunch to connect local business owners with village departments and outline next steps on safety, leases and utility collections.

Trustee Keanna Belcher, who organized the event, said the brunch is the second quarterly session intended to strengthen relationships between the village and small businesses. "We are building a better Dolton," she said, and emphasized that the meeting was meant to be an informal opportunity to answer licensing, zoning and permitting questions.

Why it matters: Village officials used the hour-long discussion to flag topics with immediate financial and operational implications for businesses — unpaid water bills that could trigger shutoffs, the process for leasing village-owned properties and steps businesses can take to reduce theft and vandalism as daylight shrinks.

Leases and municipal property Trustee Belcher clarified that Melanie's Fitness Center is village property and "was not sold; it is being leased." She said the village leased the facility because…