The Peotone Police Department reportedly thwarted a smash-and-grab attempt at a downtown business after keeping a close eye on cameras spread throughout the village.
“Officer Napoli happened to have the camera images up on the screen, which we encourage them to do because they can keep an eye on Sunset, keep an eye on things downtown. Happened to see the car pull up, four guys get out. So, he responds to the area immediately. They did not get entry,” Lt. Matt Moore reported.
He said the would-be bandits absconded after trying to break into Suzy’s Saloon. Police attempted to pull them over, but they did not stop. Police chased them out of town, where they got away heading north on Interstate 57.
“These smash-and-grabs are occurring everywhere. You see it on the news every day. I will say that compared to a lot of other places, Peotone’s been very lucky, even though we’ve had a couple,” Moore said.
He credited the police officers working overnights and their vigilance for keeping Peotone safe.
Moore said the would-be robbers used a sledgehammer but weren’t able to gain entry. He said Suzy’s Saloon has a special glass that made it impermeable, even with a sledgehammer.
Strategic Plan Approved
Cory Poris Plasch, the consultant hired to assist the village with a strategic plan, gave a virtual presentation to the board on the first draft of the strategic plan. She was originally scheduled to appear in person, but a change in schedule precluded that from happening.
The village began working on the plan in January. Engagement work included six focus groups, environmental scans, a community survey, and facilitated sessions with village leadership and staff.
Three goals identified were: enhanced communication, proactive development, and quality of life. Some of the village’s initiatives are to create a housing plan, develop a comprehensive plan for the village, and locate a new site for the village hall and police department.
The board approved the strategic plan, which is available for download on the village website.
Code Enforcement Hot Topic
Administrator Nick Palmer advised the board that there needs to be some discussion to determine a plan for how aggressive the village wants code enforcement to be. He reported some challenges with properties where the owner died and the property is bank-owned, rehabilitation after a fire is delayed or other issues with properties that the village is trying to stay on top of.
“Code enforcement, I’m just going to say briefly, has been a hot topic as always. There’s some in town who think we should be much more aggressive, and some, when we cite them for certain things, they think we’re a little over the top. We’re trying to balance that out,” Palmer said.
He added that many homeowners are responsive when an issue is brought to their attention.
IDOT Study Underway
In other news, Palmer reported IDOT is conducting a study about possibly adding a new interchange near the travel center and rest area.
“This is an important study because it’s looking at access on I-57, particularly for Peotone-Wilmington Road safety issues and Manhattan Monee Road,” Palmer said.
He suggested the board put something together to alert the community to provide their comments.
“My experience has been if you’re not commenting, then they’re not focusing on this area,” Palmer added.
Public Works Updates Progress
Leaf collection has started and will continue through Nov. 27, weather permitting, Public Works Supervisor Bob Hennke said. He reiterated that residents should not put leaves in the street but instead in the parkway.
The street improvement, sidewalk and crack sealing projects are complete. Branch pickup is also done for the season.
Hennke also reported he attended a public works conference and a big topic of conversation was disaster planning and that most communities don’t have one.
Kankakee County did not have a disaster plan when a tornado came through over the summer, but now they do, Hennke said. He advised the board that the village should work on making its plan more substantive, noting the village needs to work on it.
Additionally, the board approved drainage work for a failed culvert.
Mayor Casts Vote for Placer Labs Software
The board again had the Placer Labs data software to assist with business development on the agenda. The board was split on whether to renew with the additional capabilities, which increased the price to $24,000.
“This is a tool for us to do the job to bring more businesses to this village. We need the right tools to do it. Chat GPT, it does a decent job, but it doesn’t cover everything that the Placer System does. So, I feel strongly that this would be very beneficial to us,” Mayor Chris Vieaux said.
Trustee Gary Hudson also said he felt it would be a tool that could help the village and noted how the strategic plan helped identify how the village needs to grow. He said the software could help the village pursue development, which the village needs.
“We can’t get additional revenue without additional businesses,” Palmer said.
“Unlike some of our neighbors to the west of here, we may have a smaller population, but we have a highway right here. And that’s where I think Peotone is going to be more successful than some of our larger neighbors,” Palmer added.
The board discussed it at the last meeting, but members wanted to see more examples of the detailed reports it could provide before voting, and they wanted the rest of the board present to discuss. Palmer provided the board with the sample reports.
“I’m not for it. I’m going to vote ‘no’ just because there’s too many inaccuracies in it,” Trustee Jackie Richards said. She called attention to discrepancies in its reporting capability and noted specifically two examples where the information did not reflect the conditions.
Trustee Nick Strba also said he would be a vote against the software and raised concerns with the price doubling.
“I just don’t know if there’s another option we can use besides it. I just don’t feel comfortable with the company itself,” Strba added.
Despite their opposition, others felt it would be beneficial and were willing to give it a chance.
“I appreciate what Jack and Nick say and don’t disagree, but I also think we got to give you guys some tools to work with and you know, I’m committed to giving you guys a year to use this thing and let’s see what happens,” Trustee Pat Bowden said.
Ultimately, the board came to three votes in favor with Richards and Strba voting in opposition. Mayor Vieaux cast a vote, which approved the software