Village Manager's Message

On Tuesday, April 1, Villa Park voters turned out in much better numbers than four years ago (based on the votes for Village President) a full 30% better. The 3,747 ballots cast (assuming there are none yet uncounted) was also more than the 2017 (3,374) or 2013 (3,540) elections. The still unofficial results show Kevin Patrick as the new President of Villa Park, and Jack Kozar, Deepasriya Kumar, and Tina Konstatos as the new or re-elected Trustees. Rolf Laukant unofficially received 527 write-in ballots to Hosanna Korynecky’s 451. It is encouraging to see more people participating in the local election, although the County-wide estimate of 23% is not nearly as high as national elections. Turn-out in our precincts in Villa Park was as high as 34%.

Local government is the closest to the people and affects you every day. The men and women who stand for election in smaller communities like Villa Park do so to serve in local government for very little pay and are “in session” 365 days a year, are easily unlike the State and Federal legislators, and are more easily found by phone as well as found in the grocery store or local events. Thank you to all who ran, and especially to those who will now serve. It was during my two three-year terms of service as a City Councilman over 30 years ago that I developed my love of local government, and with it, an appreciation for the elected officials and professionals in local government.

Last week LRS began collecting yard waste at the curbside. We began phone interviews for the next Finance Director. Chuck Howard has announced that he will be retiring in June, so our timeline for hiring is set to allow the new Director to overlap with Director Howard to learn the position. We also had our annual inspection from the Illinois Risk Management Association to make sure that our practices and workspaces were safe.

Electronics Recycling will be returning this month after a month’s hiatus. Public Works staff recruited a new company, and we actually will pay slightly less for the service. Progress on the Jackson Area Improvement continued. In talking to the V3 staff that is overseeing the progress, they have had several days when they installed 6 or more 8-foot lengths of 72-inch diameter pipe.

Last week I also attended the Manager’s Meeting of DMMC. I met with York Town-ship Trustee-Elect Joe Amore. I attended a meeting of the Employee Appreciation Committee which is planning the employee picnic for May 8th, during Public Employee Appreciation Week. I met with staff to iron out issues with the Budget Document. I also met with department heads in the regular Tuesday meeting, and individually.

View the full report here. All weekly reports can be found in our Document Center under Village Manager.

Matt Harline

Village Manager

Egg Hunts at Lufkin Park

We have 3 egg hunts coming up this Friday and Saturday at Lufkin Park! On Friday, April 11 at 7:00 pm, join us for the Flashlight Egg Hunt (ages 11-16) where you’ll search for hidden treats and golden eggs with extra prizes! On Saturday, the fun continues with the Egg Hunt at 10:00 am for all ages, featuring prizes for the winning egg in each age group, rain or shine. Then, at 11:30 am, bring your dog to the DOG Gone Bunny Egg Hunt for pets, where they can hunt for eggs filled with dog-friendly treats (dogs must remain on a leash). Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, and day of registration will be available for cash only, subject to availability. Register here today!