By Jeff Vorva
Getting a new fire inspector for the Village of Beecher hit a snag.
At the June 12 board meeting, Mayor Marcy Meyer said the hiring of a new inspector is on hold because an inspector from SAFEbuilt, they were hoping to use, backed out.
“Just at the end of last week, the gentleman who had come out and who we had spoken to about the potential of doing the inspections had decided we’re too far for him,” she said.
Village administrator Robert Barber said two other vendors have submitted proposals, and the board could be ready to vote on a new vendor at the June 26 meeting or at a meeting in July.
Meyer lauded Barber for being able to quickly get more people involved in bidding for the position.
The unnamed inspector, who is based out of Westmont, visited the village in May, and Meyer was happy with his credentials and demeanor.
The village severed ties with the Beecher Fire Protection District’s inspections earlier in the year after board members received complaints from businesses about how they were treated by the previous fire inspector, who worked independently of the fire district.
The board and fire district could not work out an agreement, so the village cancelled an intergovernmental agreement and went in a new direction.
Penfield to close
Beginning June 26, portions of Penfield Street will be closed for a reconstruction project. The road closure isn’t the only hiccup the project could cause.
“There is a possibility we will not have water for the food stand for the Fourth of July (festival), but we have a Plan B to take care of that,” Barber said. “But progress is what it is, and we’re going to take advantage of every working day we have left.”
He is hoping the project is wrapped up by Thanksgiving.
In the zone
The board accepted a proposal for $57,500 from Teska and Associates to conduct a comprehensive amendment to the Beecher zoning ordinance.
“This will be a significant undertaking,” said Trustee Eric Gardner, the head of the Planning, Building and Zoning Committee. “The current ordinance was last updated in 2005, and there have been significant demographic and social changes to land use since then that need to be addressed.”
He said some of the changes include vape stores, crypto mining, outdoor eating, and animated signs.