Gang Enforcement, Animal Rules, Smart Energy Funds and Drive-Through Petition Pass

A handful of Orland Park ordinances and smart energy fund recipients were approved on Monday night with little discussion, though they had been debated in recent weeks.

On Oct. 18, Orland Park Police Chief Tim McCarthy advised the village's Public Safety Committee on two of those ordinances.

He suggested the village team up with the Cook County Sheriff's Police and other neighboring—yet undetermined—municipalities to form a gang enforcement response team, modeled on the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force. If the village or its neighbors have any gang-related issues they can now call on the team to assist and pool their resources.

McCarthy also favored changing the village's animal control ordinance to restrict exotic animals, certain hunting items and cockfighting, and give police officers more authority when dealing with pets and strays.

On the same date, the village's Development Services Committee approved the applications of 10 businesses and eight homeowners to use federal stimulus money to make . The village has now distributed about $150,000 of the $520,700 it received as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009.

Village trustees have talked plans for the Southmoor Commons for years. They approved an amendment in Dec. 2009 that limited drive-through lanes within the development, located across from Carl Sandburg High School. Any standalone property in the commons interested in constructing a drive-through needs special permission. On Monday, Buona Beef Restaurant took the first step in that direction.

Here's the round up.

Gang Resistance Team

• Passed unanimously.
• McCarthy said the village's participation would not cost anything but would help police officers keep track of known gang members in the county. "It's a better way of doing business in the long-term, of putting our resources together for the common good of all the communities," he said.

Animal Control Ordinance Changes

• Passed unanimously.
• The state and county already prohibit leg hold hunting traps, cockfighting and certain exotic pets. Police now have the authority to ticket persons whose pets block public right-of-ways and slay any animals posing an "imminent threat" to humans or other animals.

Smart Energy Fund Recipients

• Passed unanimously.
• Village trustees and staff say the proposed energy-efficient building improvements should greatly cut energy costs. Lakeview Plaza, for one, predicts a 77 percent reduction in the amount of energy consumed

Buona Beef Drive-Through

• Passed with one dissenting vote. "It was supposed to be an upscale center," said Trustee Kathy Fenton of the entire Southmoor Commons. "It was supposed to (have) an upscale grocery store, upscale white linen tablecloth restaurants. So I've just been consistent in voting against everything because it's not what we were promised."
• The Village Board gave Buona Beef the right to petition the village's Development Services Department to add a drive-through to their building plans. The restaurant must now hold a public hearing on the matter.