Trustee Daney’s motion to demolish Village Hall Plaza buildings approved; staff to restore sites and compile costs

Trustee Daney moved the Committee of the Whole on July 7 to table a larger plaza design and instead proceed immediately with demolition of damaged structures at the Village Hall Plaza and minimal restoration to make space usable for the near term. The motion passed on a roll call vote and the meeting was adjourned.

Daney said, in light of tornado damage and tree removal, the board should delay the broader design discussion and "move forward with the demolition of the building" and limited restoration: dirt and seed, some paving only for a walkway, and a pad for the holiday tree. A staff member said NiCore is scheduled to relocate a gas meter the following day, which would allow demolition of a village well house "in the next couple weeks." The staff description of restoration was limited to leaving the sites as dirt and seed unless further work is approved.

Why it matters: the motion removes damaged structures quickly and creates a temporary public surface for plaza use, but the village has not yet compiled totals or costs for cleanup and repair. Trustee Daney requested a legal survey to confirm property lines before disturbing areas that might be private; the board asked staff to coordinate with the fire barn, which has agreed to remove an adjacent storage building.

Details: Staff said brush pickup for the second storm event was finished the day of the meeting (Tree R Us and Kramer conducted pickup), but the village has not yet calculated total cleanup costs by storm event. Staff noted Cook County offers small-business relief (low-interest loans) and that the June 11 storm damage had been concentrated in DuPage County; eligibility and funding sources were discussed but no formal funding decision was made.

Vote and procedure: Trustee Daney moved and an unidentified person seconded the motion; the clerk recorded votes of yes from Trustees Batterman, Gansey, Hopkins and LaPorte. The transcript does not identify who seconded. After the vote the president adjourned the meeting.

Next steps: staff will begin demolition as site conditions allow, arrange for a legal survey to verify property limits, compile cost totals by storm event, and coordinate any required permits or public‑notice steps before further plaza work.