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Orland Park attorneys present phase‑one code enforcement updates including feral cat and noise rules
Summary
Village prosecutors and attorneys reviewed 24 phase‑one police and code enforcement amendments aimed at deterring repeat violations: raising some fines (general penalty minimum $250), adding a feral cat colony management ordinance (registration, reporting, max six cats per colony), and expanding the noise ordinance to set factors for officer discretion and time‑of‑day limits; the changes were discussion only and will appear as ordinances at the April meeting.
Don Harmon, the village prosecutor, and attorney Jessica Sisler presented phase‑one updates to the Village Code covering police and code enforcement matters. Harmon said the working group reviewed the fine schedule in Appendix B and sought to increase minimum penalties where necessary to deter repeat offenders; the general penalty was raised to a minimum of $250 in the proposed updates.
Harmon described examples that prompted changes and said the working group examined the most prevalent violations and repeat offenders. "In the recent past, there have been several instances of businesses, individuals, and other entities knowingly violating village code and accepting the corresponding fine with the attitude that the levied fine was just the cost of doing business," Harmon said.
Two new ordinances were highlighted. The first creates a feral cat colony management framework designed to complement Cook County rules: it would require colonies to register with the village (no fee), limit each colony to a maximum of six cats, require annual reporting on vaccination and neutering status, and give the village authority to manage nuisance complaints that previously defaulted to county control. Harmon said, "According to the response I received from a FOIA request to Cook County Animal Care and Control, as of 2024, there are 14 feral cat colonies in Orland Park with a total of 77 cats."
The second ordinance expands the village’s noise control provisions by specifying factors officers should consider (proximity to sleeping areas, zoning/land use, time of day, duration and recurrence) and by setting time‑of‑day considerations for particular noise sources (shouting, music, lawn equipment). Sisler told the committee the ordinance exempts village‑sanctioned special events when neighbors are given reasonable advance notice and that enforcement would rely on police discretion supported by training.
Trustees raised concerns about preserving reasonable leeway for occasional parties and ensuring the police exercise discretion appropriately; Chief Rossi said officers aim to be reasonable but that repeat complaints can warrant citations and MV court review. The 24 ordinances discussed are slated to be placed on consent at the April Village Board meeting unless trustees request fuller review.
Because this was a discussion item, no formal committee vote on the substantive ordinances occurred at the meeting. Staff and the attorneys will finalize ordinance language and provide materials to trustees ahead of the April meeting.
