The Manteno village board’s political factions were at it again, voting against several agenda items at its February 2 meeting, including denying payment to complete a turf project, and split opinions on a liquor and gaming license for a proposed new business and bids for a piece of unused village property.
The Square on Second Street has been the source of repeated disagreements, with the bathrooms and pavilion project serving as a battleground. At the last meeting, the board approved replacing the turf in the area by the new pavilion and bathrooms.
This time, however, the disagreement wasn’t about the bathroom and pavilion; it was about the installation of the turf — which had already been purchased — in the rest of the park.
Due to change orders resulting from the removal of the sidewalk, moving the pavilion and bathrooms, and replacing an area where the merry-go-round was, the cost to install the already-purchased turf was $86,218. The turf would be installed on the north side of the square where the playground is located.
There was some discussion about the turf warranty and its longevity, with Public Works Superintendent Jim Hanley noting it was new technology, and they hoped to get another eight-to-10 years of use.
“I mean, once again, I understand we have to continually look at things, but if I had a piece of turf that I’m paying $86,000 for, and it’s only going to last eight-to-10 years, I definitely would have looked at the long-term possibility of that,” Trustee Mike Barry Barry said.
“Would it be more cost-effective to put sod down?” Trustee Peggy Vaughn asked, with Barry interjecting that the village already paid for the turf.
Hanley said it would not be more cost-effective to use sod or grass and explained the village switched to turf due to high foot traffic.
“I think that part of the reason why they wanted to go with turf was so it’s not muddy. It looks clean. Gives a spot for kids to play,” Hanley explained.
Trustee CJ Boudreau moved to approve the cost of the turf installation, with Trustee Todd Crockett seconding. Each voted to approve, along with Trustee Joel Gesky.
However, when Barry and Vaughn voted against the turf installation, Mayor Annette LaMore also voted against it, resulting in the approval failing. Trustee Annette Zimbelman was absent.
“This was turf that was bought two years ago. This is before like most of the board was here already. So now it’s just sitting, wasting away. Again, that, to me, is not smart spending the money,” Boudreau said.
Vaughn advocated to halt all spending.
“I think this is absolutely ridiculous on how much money we are spending on just so many different things, and I think we need to put a spending freeze on everything across the board,” Vaughn said.
When the Square on Second’s pavilion initially failed, it returned to committee and was brought back before the board, where it passed despite the nays from LaMore, Barry, and Vaughn.
Gesky’s comments may have indicated a similar fate for the turf installation.
“As far as the turf, I think we’ll have to put that on our next park committee meeting to decide, since we don’t want to install the turf and do any improvements over there,” Gesky said, questioning what should be done with the turf the village owns and where it should be stored.
The turf wasn’t the only decision trustees split over.
When it came to a vote on a liquor and gaming license for a proposed business, Ace & Vine, the voting alliances remained the same. Barry, Vaughn, and LaMore voted for a liquor license with gaming, while Gesky, Crockett, and Boudreau voted against.
Ace & Vine has other locations in Will County, including one in New Lenox, which Boudreau said he visited.
Previously, owners Taho Shuaipaj and Afrim Shehu approached the planning, zoning, properties, and recreation committee meeting on January 14; the committee seemed to agree they didn’t want more gaming businesses in Manteno.
At that time, Boudreau asked the owners if they would be ok with the village simply granting them a liquor license.
“Gaming helps pay bills, you know,” Shehu responded.
“How about if we give him a six-month (license) – see how his business is going?” Vaughn proposed, but Shehu said the rent cost was a concern.
“The reason we’re concerned about giving out so many licenses for gaming or allowing it is because we’re still a small town,” LaMore said at the committee meeting.
“We have about 9,300 people, and we’re already taking in $3 million to $5 million a month. I mean that does affect families, the amount of money that goes into gaming. Sometimes people aren’t able to pay their bills because of their addictions,” LaMore said, adding Manteno had an adequate number of gaming businesses.
Gesky responded he was, “One hundred percent in favor of giving a liquor license without gaming.”
“If your business is managed right and the food is great and stuff, I don’t see a reason why you wouldn’t survive in Manteno. I think you’ll do good here, you know, and then we can go down the road with the gaming,” Vaughn said during the committee meeting.
Shehu said they would go back to their landlord to see if they could renegotiate the rent and would be back. Ultimately, the request was placed on the February 2 village board agenda as a liquor-with-gaming license.
By the time of the village board meeting, however, Vaughn and LaMore were advocating for full approval of the combined liquor-with-gaming license.
Crockett quoted the comments from LaMore and Vaughn during the committee meeting and said he fully agreed with them.
In response, Vaughn asked what the harm was in approving the license if they didn’t put up neon gaming signs that would “make it look like Vegas,” adding that gaming could help the business if it’s a little slow.
“We’re not denying the business. We didn’t deny them to come here,” Crockett said before making some quips that perhaps the village should allow gaming in the library, nail salons, and barber shops in case business is slow.
“Well, that’s just ridiculous,” Vaughn responded, with Crockett arguing, “but that’s your answer.”
At that point, Crockett reiterated they already told other businesses invested in Manteno, “no,” with this time Barry asking Crockett, which one it was. Crockett replied TruGolf, whose liquor-only license was approved at the same meeting.
Boudreau then recalled the committee meeting and said, at that time, everyone was in agreement against more gaming.
“I just don’t understand why we’re dictating how a guy could design his own business,” Barry said. Barry is unable to attend the 7 a.m. committee meeting due to his work schedule.
Boudreau contended it wasn’t about how the business was designed; it was the type of business, repeating he felt like the New Lenox location, which he visited, was a gaming cafe with no food menu, not a wine bar or restaurant.
“Maybe we need to see the blueprints,” Vaughn posited, with Barry quickly shutting it down and saying, “No, no” and putting his head in his hands.
Barry argued gaming revenue was “free money” for the village, and they had a vacant property in a prime location, with a potential new business ready to fill the space.
“So, now we’ve lost a business and a person who wants to invest in a building that sat vacant for two years because we don’t want gaming, but then we talk about how we need revenue sources coming into the village. And we have a person who wants to come and open up a nice facility in the town, and we tell them ‘no,’ and it just baffles my mind,” Barry said to applause from the public in attendance.
The board debated whether it would be a wine bar and restaurant or a gaming cafe, with Gesky asking LaMore whether she had reviewed the menu, which would offer charcuterie and mac and cheese.
“I’m the last one to give my comments, and it’s disappointing we can’t work together on things. It really is,” LaMore said at the end of the meeting.
“Sometimes we have to pick and choose our battles and pick and choose what’s the most important thing,” LaMore added.
The board also disagreed on the sale of the old public works property as surplus property, with Boudreau, Crockett, and Gesky voting in favor, and Barry, LaMore, and Vaughn voting against its sale.
It is worth noting the board managed to agree on some action items. They approved the liquor license (without gaming) for TruGolf, a lease agreement for the Youth Baseball and Softball Association, and authorized the sale of surplus property where a brush pile was kept.