Orland Park Assistant Village Manager Jim Culotta will take over as the interim village manager and former police deputy chief Brian West will take his place as interim assistant.
The board of trustees made those decisions during the Oct. 7 meeting in the wake of village manager George Koczwara’s resignation after his contact was set to expire Oct. 14.
Mayor Keith Pekau said that while the board could have named a village manager, he didn’t think that was right so close to April’s election. In 2017, before Pekau was sworn in, the board at the time voted to name Joe La Margo as village manager and that led to controversy and lawsuits.
Culotta has been the assistant manager since March 2022 and in the past has been an administrator in Shorewood, Washington and Cedarburg, Wisconsin.
“His work has been exemplary,” Pekau said of Culotta. “I’m hopeful he applies for the open position as village manager.”
The vote for Culotta was unanimous, but West’s vote was 6-1. After a long pause, Trustee Michael Milani cast a “no” vote.
Koczwara served the village for five years and Pekau said he served it well through a divided board, followed by COVID-19.
“There were a lot of unchartered territories and unprecedented areas,” Pekau said. “During his tenure, he transformed Orland Park into a place that is, in my opinion, a model example of good government.”
Bars to open early Sunday
Pekau, who is also the liquor commissioner, is allowing bars in the village to serve liquor at 8 a.m. on Oct. 13 during the Chicago Bears game, which will take place in London.
“Bears games are a big revenue generator for them,” Pekau said and added that those establishments who will take part in the early opening need to contact the village.
Hitting the big 107
The board honored resident Connie Gurgone for her 107th birthday.
She said she couldn’t walk or hear very well and did not know what Pekau said about her during a proclamation that he read.
“I said all kinds of good things,” he said.
“They better be,” she retorted.
Criticizing the mayor
A man who said he was named Jimmy Adamek and the son of former Posen Mayor Jim Adamek spent his allotted three minutes during the Committee of the Whole meeting taking Pekau to task for a laundry list of things.
One of his issues with the mayor involved his father’s support of Pekau over the years.
“I have concerns about who you accept your money from,” Adamek said to Pekau. “You accepted just under $3,000 from a company called AB Material Testing Labs and the owner and proprietor of AB Material Testing Labs is Jim Adamek – my father.
“Jim Adamek is the disgraced mayor of Posen, who stole money from the village…while my mother was pregnant with me. You didn’t take a look at who you are taking money from, Keith? You’re taking money from a former mayor who served prison time. Why shouldn’t people be worried about you?”
News reports confirmed Jim Adamek was sentenced to 15 months in prison for stealing $180,000 from the village in 1998.
Pekau did not say anything at the meeting and after the meeting said Jimmy Adamek has been ripping him on social media for years and “I’m not going to comment on that and we’re not going to escalate anything.”
Making it official
The board approved the Main Street Triangle and Downtown Orland Park TIF amendment ordinances and other ordinances that will allow the completion of the decades-long Triangle project to commence.
The area along LaGrange Road and 143rd Street will have restaurants, a park, an ice rink, an entertainment venue and other amenities.
The “Criticizing the Mayor” section, is missing an important point of his laundry list…. Our current mayor doesn’t even have respect to his own citizens, citing the outburst he had at last meeting.