Mokena's Outgoing Mayor Bids Farewell

Joe Werner, the former mayor of Mokena, bid farewell at the Monday Village Board meeting, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Monday Village Boad meeting was anything but typical. It marked the end of former Mayor Joe Werner's career as top municipal leader. With the re-election of all incumbent trustees—John Mazzarana, Joseph Siwinski and George Metanias along with Clerk Patricia Patt—elected officials formally took their seats.  While the newly-elected Mayor Frank Fleischer took an oath to uphold the standards of his leadership role, the evening was really all about former Mayor Joe Werner. Werner dropped out of the race in January. It would have been his third term. Despite a hotly contested and bitter race that sparked the ire of candidates on both sides, Werner left office on a positive note. He expressed his appreciation for the board members and staff…

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Mokena Man Demands Village Election-Related Correspondence

Political squabbling marks the regular Village Board meeting.

Mokena resident Jim Giglio told the Village Board at the regular meeting on March 11 that he wanted more information about election-related issues, according to a Chicago Tribune story. Specifically he was interested in correspondence concerning a former candidate. Mayor Joe Werner suggested that he delve more closely into court documents pertaining to election petitions that had been challenged in January, the Chicago Tribune reports. At the previous board meeting on Feb. 25, Giglio pressed the village officials about his Freedom of Information requests, including line item expenditures stemming from the mid-January municipal election petition challenge. Giglio questioned the approximate $12,000 expenditure to cover the cost of the …

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Mokena Water Rates to Increase in 2013

The second of four Chicago-instituted rate increases will factor into January's village meter readings.

Mokena residents will see an increase in village water rates starting in February. Village Administrator John Downs presented the specifics of the increase to the village board at a meeting on Jan. 28. Water customers in Mokena can expect a $.40 increase on their January water meter readings. Rates will rise from $5.46 per 1000 gallons to $5.86. Downs estimates that water invoices for most residents will increase by between $1.60 and $3.20. “It’s never a fun thing to do to have to increase the rate,” said Mokena Mayor Joe Werner. The upcoming hike in water rates is the second of four such annual increases to be implemented by the City of Chicago between 2012 and 2015. Each increase will also impact the many surrounding communities using …

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How Will the Village Spend its Money in 2014?

Roadwork is high on the Mokena village board's priority list for the coming year. Also, Mokena is now officially a railroad "quiet zone."

The Mokena Village Board of Trustees discussed budgetary priorities for the 2014 fiscal year on Jan. 14, according to the most recent issue of the village newsletter. Preliminary approval has already been given to numerous projects, including the following: Also in the latest issue of the village newsletter, it was announced that Mokena is now officially a “quiet zone” for trains on the Rock Island rail line. Metra recently removed the pedestrian platform crossing over the tracks directly between the Front Street lot and the downtown station to increase safety before the transition. To read more about implementing a horn-free “quiet zone” in Mokena, click here. For more of the latest news updates from the village, click here. This post …

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Mokena Village Trustees Agree to Nix Vehicle Stickers

Mokena Village Trustees bantered the issue of village stickers for next year. See what they decided.

Mokena Village Board Approves Video Gaming

Mokena anticipates an additional $50,000 in revenue from its video gaming ordinance.

The Mokena village board Monday amended their rules and regulations to authorize video gaming. The vote was 4-1. A community that has long withstood the lure of sin tax dollars from gambling paid heed to an econonomic crunch and approved the ordiance, according to an Oct. 9 story in the Chicago Tribune. Village coffers are expected to grow about $50,000 a year. Read the full story in the Chicago Tribune. Mayor Joseph Werner, the Chicago Tribune reported, said, "All of our deciions weighed whether there wa a value or a negative."  The discussion was initiated in August when representatives from the Mokena VFW approached the board with the idea of installing video gaming equipment.   

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Carolyn

2:58 pm on Friday, October 12, 2012

More people would like to live in a town that is free from video gambling. This is why we didn't have the opportunity to vote on a referendum to decide for or against video gambing in bars and restaurants. When taxpayers have to pay for the many social problems that come with video gambling addiction, it does become our business.   more ›

Caution: Roadwork Ahead for Mokena Streets

In the coming weeks, the Village of Mokena will being routing and sealing many roads in the village. The work will be funded by more than $41,000 in motor fuel tax funds.

Several Mokena roads are scheduled for roadwork in coming weeks. With $41,000 in funding from the motor fuel tax fund, more than 60,000 feet of road will be resealed. A specific start date has not been scheduled for the roads, which include: The work should add years of life to the roadways, said Village Engineer Paul Pearson. “Staff strongly believes with these additional maintenance measures, we think it's going to help prolong the life of our roadways,” Pearson said. The low bid was from Mokena-based Denler, Inc., which completed the same road work last year, to various other streets in Mokena. Denler's bid was just over $900 more than what was budgeted for the work, although Pearson did say that budgeting for this type of work is, “not…

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New Wine, Spirits Shop Coming to 191st and LaGrange

LaGrange Wine & Spirits was approved for a special use permit to sell beer, wine, liquor and more at 19155 S. LaGrange Road. The business will bring the shopping center at the location to 100-percent occupancy.

Mokena residents looking to sip a cocktail at home will have a new liquor store to browse soon. Mokena Village Board members approved a permit for LaGrange Wine & Spirits at its July 9 meeting. The business, which will occupy 1,100 square feet of retail space, will be owned and operated by Imad Aboukheir, who also owns the shopping center located at 19155 S. LaGrange Road. The location was previously featured in one of Patch's What Should Go Here posts. The business will sell beer, liquor, wine, packaged food and canned soft drinks. On Sundays, the store will be open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday the store will be open from 9 a.m.-10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday the store will be open from 10 a.m.-midnight. The liquor store brings …

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Training Center for Developmentally Challenged Inches Forward

Board members pondered plans for a job training facility for developmentally challenged adults. The facility would sit on 10 acres at 191st and 88th Avenue, would be run by a nonprofit company and would be exempt from paying sales and property taxes.

Board members July 9 took a first look at concepts for a job training facility for developmentally challenged adults, planned for 10 acres of a 40-acre parcel at 191st and 88th Avenue.  The facility, which is in preliminary planning stages, would offer job training and social opportunities for developmentally challenged adults, run by nonprofit Community Services Foundation. The services would be tuition-based and students would not reside on the property. Board members and residents delved into location, impact on local tax revenue, water retention and wildlife disturbance during a work session following the village board meeting. Residents spoke up about traffic flow and spacing between the facility and nearby Brookside Glen neighborhood…

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Village Board Signs Off On Final Bills For Fiscal Year

Village Administrator John Downs highlights two items on the final budget approval for the fiscal year, while outlining where some money is earmarked for the coming fiscal year.

The Village of Mokena's fiscal year came to an end June 25, but not before the board members approved some final spending for the year.  Among the payments, were the village's annual water leak survey and the restriping of the southern half of Wolf Road.  “Those were the only two notable items, Mayor,” said Village Administrator John Downs said during the meeting. “I would recommend the approval of the special accounts payable in the amount of $66,248.40.” Downs added that during the new fiscal year, which began Tuesday, June 26, the Village is planning to continue the restriping of Wolf Road. He also said that the water leak survey detected only some minor leaks, but that the survey saved the Village money in the long-run, as it will …

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