Costs from the summer tornados are starting to mount and the Village of Orland Park Board of Trustees approved expenses closing in on the $2 million mark for tree service support and a generator purchase.
The village agreed to divide $1 million among four vendors for tree cleanup services at the Sept. 9 village board meeting after discussing it earlier in the evening at the Committee of the Whole meeting.
Mokena-based Davey Tree Expert Company, Lockport-based Homer Tree Care Inc, Country Club Hills-based Semmer Landscape and Alsip-based Smitty’s Tree Service Inc. will each receive up to $250,000 for work done after the July 27 and Aug. 11 tornadoes hit part of the village and damaged trees.
“We had unprecedented severe weather with two tornado events,” Village Manager George Koczwara said. “The village is fortunate to have the wherewithal to engage private-sector vendors to supplement our crews, which is one of the reasons we were able to get our debris cleanup done so quick.”
There may be more payments to be made along the way, Koczwara said.
Meanwhile, he said Orland Park could be partially reimbursed for the costs of the tree support. He doubted the village could get money back for damage done by the first tornado but is hopeful some money will be reimbursed for the damage from the second tornado.
Meanwhile, the storms showed a need for a generator and the board approved a $778,800 purchase from Orland Park-based Dav-Com Electric Inc. for materials and labor for a Cat mobile trailer generator with 522 hours for standby power.
Trustee John Lawler first wondered if the village needed what he called “a backup to a backup” generator but upon further review, he saw a need for it and added that it can be lent to other communities in case of emergency.
“The fact that it’s mobile and could power in a dire situation for either the police or the main pumping station is an important redundancy that we need to have,” Mayor James Dodge said. “But let’s make sure the generators are used.”
