Police station improvements, fleet upgrades lead 2019 Oak Park budget items

Sept. 03--A number of infrastructure projects, fleet upgrades and police station improvements could be on tap as the village of Oak Park begins planning for its 2019 budget.

As a way to get ahead of the budget planning process, trustees asked village staff to present their key budget priorities earlier than usual, which took place at the Aug. 27 board meeting.

Among key priorities for the village fire department includes replacing a 1998 fire engine, adding a third ambulance to its operations, upgrading ambulance computers and purchasing new on-board equipment.

"We are a very equipment-heavy operation," Fire Chief Tom Ebsen said. "We have three [fire trucks] that are in service every day. We have a reserve apparatus when one of those three [are out.]. Our reserve apparatus is 20 years old. The normal service expectancy is anywhere from 10 to 15 years, depending on how busy you are."

Ebsen also said a third ambulance is needed for the department to provide optimal services to the village. Should both of its ambulances be out on call, Oak Park still sends out its own firefighters/paramedics to any new calls received, but transports are typically handled by a neighboring jurisdiction.

"The calls for medical services [have] been increasing steadily in the last five or six years," Ebsen said. "We're finding out with just two ambulances, we're really putting a heavy load on them. It's hard on our people, but also our surrounding communities."

Should Oak Park's ambulances be out on a call, the village typically relies on Forest Park, River Forest or Berwyn to provide assistance should a third ambulance be needed, Ebsen said. The village also loses out on transport fees should a neighboring agency be needed to assist, officials said.

"Every third day, we're asking for an ambulance from [those communities] because our two ambulances are already out on calls," Ebsen said. "We're also in the process of hiring three additional firefighters. Adding one to each shift will give us capacity to run that third ambulance about 60 percent of the time."

In addition to vehicle upgrades, the fire department is also seeking to replace an 18-year-old alarm system at its fire stations and replace laptop computers aboard its ambulances.

In 2018, the village completed a space-needs analysis at village hall, while also hosting tours with various architects, with a primary focus placed on the police department in the basement of the building.

"We'll be getting those proposals shortly and we'll bring that back to the board," village manager Cara Pavlicek said. "Hopefully, in the first quarter of 2019, we can look at that. This facility, it really is a facility that is in need of some strategic investment so that it's meeting the needs of the employees who work here and our guests that sometimes have to stay here. I think we have to pay attention to that and make some decisions."

Village officials agreed with the assessment that the police department is in need of upgrades, adding the public should be made aware of the conditions officers deal with each day.

"I think it would be really helpful to offer [public tours] because it's really an eye-opening experience," Oak Park Trustee Dan Moroney said. "I think there is new facility fatigue in the community, so I really think the more we can show the need, the more successful the process will go."

Trustee Deno Andrews agreed, adding that accessibility issues also plague village hall and the police department in the building.

"As many people in the village that can see what the conditions are down there, the better," Andrews said. "Quite frankly, as a public official and a villager, I'm embarrassed."

Among public works projects proposed include the continuation of its street and alley repaving program, as well as increasing the search for leaks within the village water system.

"A lot of that relates to aggressively going after leaks in the pipes," Public Works Director John Wielebnicki said. "We found four large leaks this past month. We need to move towards an annual [leak detection] program."

Trustees agreed with the need to address the village's aging water pipes.

"We lost $1 million in water last year," Trustee Jim Taglia said. "The cost for an annual leak detection program was about $20,000. It seems like $20,000 versus $1 million is something we should put at the top."

The public works department is also pursuing a street retrofit lighting program to use more energy-efficient bulbs for parkway lights, and will propose upgrades to viaduct lighting to improve safety along its railways.

A plan to sealcoat six blocks of bluestone sidewalk along Marion Street is expected to cost about $100,000, Wielebnicki said, adding that a streetscape plan for Oak Park Avenue may also be pursued.

In discussing various department priorities ahead of budgeting process, trustees hope to rein in proposed increases before finalization of the 2019 budget document.

"Specific to this year's budget, however, I have some concerns about residents' abilities to continue to fund village government at an ever-increasing rate," Taglia said. "I'm speaking about all units of government, not just the village. Our collective property tax burden has become unaffordable for many residents. Based on our property tax bills, it's going to take years for peoples' incomes to catch up to this level of taxation."

Taglia said he wanted to be up front with various department directors in being careful with asking for increases, and asked for the village to aim for an increase of no more than 3 percent in its share of a property tax bill.

"I understand we have an aging infrastructure and new labor agreements this year, but I'm still going to advocate for a very small levy increase, at most," Taglia said.

The proposed 2019 village budget is expected to be studied in-depth with the finance committee this fall, with public hearings expected to take place in November. The village board is expected to review the proposed budget in November, with final adoption expected in December.

Steve Schering/Pioneer Press

Lighting upgrades to viaducts and resealing of the bluestone sidewalks along Marion Street are two key projects identified in the proposed 2019 village budget.

Lighting upgrades to viaducts and resealing of the bluestone sidewalks along Marion Street are two key projects identified in the proposed 2019 village budget. (Steve Schering/Pioneer Press)

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