By Jeff Vorva
After 16 years, retiring Palos Park Mayor John Mahoney presided over his last full meeting on April 24.
He’ll get to bang the gavel one more time on May 8 before turning it over to new mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters.
Mahoney did not have a long speech, but he did have a few things to say after a resident spoke up to thank him for his many years of service.
“I’m very grateful for all of the people I’ve met doing this job and all the relationships I’ve made,” Mahoney said. “It’s truly been a blessing for me.”
He said he has enjoyed communicating with residents whether it was at board meetings, grocery stores or walks with his kids.
“Everyone was very respectful, almost without exception,” Mahoney said. “They would say ‘I’m sorry to bother you…’ And I always said, ‘it’s the job.’ And when I don’t feel like it’s my job, I’m going to stop doing it.
“There was a time when my kids were small, and we would go on walks and we would go to the Kaptur bridge and a certain resident would stop me on almost every walk to talk about things related to the village. My son, John, was probably 3 or 4 at the time and would be tugging at my coat two minutes in and usually these talks would last for 40 minutes. I appreciate all of these memories.”
Budget passed
The council voted to pass the $15.6 million budget that will start on May 1 and end April 30, 2024.
“The theme of the budget is definitely capital,” Finance Director/Treasurer Allen Altic said. “It’s very capital intensive and there are nearly $5 million worth of projects. We will be our largest roadway program in the last 20 years. We have capital projects for Village Green upgrades and upgrades for our water and sewer system.”
He added there will be more capital going out to the recreation department because it is hosting more programs.
Other items
The council voted to close a portion of McCarthy Road for its Autumn in the Park parade on Sept. 16. It will be shut down from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. between 80th Avenue and LaGrange Road.
Fees will be waived associated with the proposed tax amendment regarding legal nonconforming uses for buildings at Cog Hill Country Club and Ludwig Farm.
The council approved a construction engineering proposal from Baxter and Woodman for the water main extension to the Cog Hill property west of Bell Road not to exceed $111,650.
The council also approved purchasing 13 new street sign poles and brackets from Bartlett-based Traffic Control and Protection for $13,351.50.