By Steve Metsch

Residents of 44th Street in Lyons, between Riverside and Lawndale avenues, can look forward to smoother driving on an improved roadway.

The village board on May 16 unanimously approved a resolution regarding the awarding of a Cook County Community Development Block Grant for the work.

M&J Asphalt Paving Company Inc., based in Cicero, will do the job for an amount not to exceed $484,155.

That was the lowest of five bids opened on May 3, and much lower than the $523,475 estimated by Novotny Engineering.

A date for the work to start has not been set, Mayor Christopher Getty said.

“Anywhere there’s a driveway, they’re going to replace it. Sidewalks will be replaced. When you do a street, through (sidewalks) in there. It’s cost-effective,” Getty said.

In other business, the board approved hiring GW & Associates to perform audits for 2022 for the village.

The fee structure is $46,500 for a financial audit, $550 per TIF district if reporting is needed, and $4,250 for a single audit if need be.

The board also approved an amendment to a water tower and ground lease agreement between the village and Chicago SMSA Limited Partnership doing business as Verizon Wireless.

It amends a lease agreement that began in 1998 and ends in April 2024. The 20-year extension runs through April 2044 and incudes sizeable increases in rent.

The first year’s rent will be $49,766 and that number increases until it hits $87,042 in the last of the 20 years, Getty said.

Getty credited Village Manager Tom Sheahan and legal counsel who “held fast” for rent increases during negotiations with Verizon.

During the meeting, Getty noted that the current project of replacing lights, expected to save energy, throughout the village hall is “going very well.”

A big difference was seen in the board room. Trustees were bathed in bright light. Formerly it was murky at best.

Several upcoming events in Lyons were discussed:

  • The annual Father’s Day Car Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 18, in front of the village hall and in Smith Park, 4200 S. Lawndale Ave. Registration is $20 in advance, $25 day of show.
  • Lyons Fest will be held from 4 to 11 p.m. June 30 through July 4 at Veterans Park north of the village hall. There will be food and beverage booths, live bands each night, along with fireworks the night of Independence Day.
  • Summer camp, presented jointly by the village’s park and recreation department and School District 103, will run from June 5 to Aug 11. The camp meets at Washington Middle School from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The cost is $100 per week per camper. Extended hours are available at an additional cost. For more information, call Parks and Recreation Director Ted Tala at 708-442-4858.