Latest news with #SkokieVillageBoard
Chicago Tribune
15-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Skokie Village Board blocks Buddhist center near downtown after neighbors object
The Skokie Village Board approved one piece of a proposal to develop a Buddhist center just south of downtown Skokie, but rejected two others, leaving the religious group with uncertainty. One village trustee also expressed unease after a resident referred to the Buddhist group as 'these people.' The Board, at its July 7 meeting, was considering a developer's plans that called for a three-story community center with 17 dormitories to be located at 7852 Lincoln Avenue, near Babb and Lincoln Avenues. It remains unclear whether they could modify their plans and get a green light from the village. Mayor Ann Tennes cast the tie-breaking vote to reject Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association's site plans to build the community center and also reject their proposal to include dormitories. Tennes did not vote on the proposal's religious use of the property, which passed on a 4-2 vote. 'The (Buddhist) group is now re-evaluating its plans. Since their original proposal included a dormitory and that part was not approved, they will need to decide how to move forward with a revised building plan for religious use,' said Meredith Gioia, communications manager for the village of Skokie, in an email. She said the group could potentially revise their plan prior to the Board's second reading, which would give the Board a chance to consider it at a future regularly-scheduled meeting. The Skokie Plan Commission had previously approved all three parts of the group's proposal before sending it to the entire Village Board for consideration. Before the vote at the July 7 meeting, neighbors living closest to the proposed site stated their objections to the proposal, including traffic and parking concerns. Nadiia Vasilj, who lives within a half mile of the proposed site, said she didn't oppose the project because it was a Buddhist proposal. 'Every single window of my house faces some kind of church,' she said. 'Lincoln and Babb are super busy. We also have a junior high at that intersection,' she said, referring to Lincoln Junior High. 'The structure itself does not represent Skokie. We really like the bank, which has Skokie representation, it has a beautiful building and a lot of parking lot [sic].' When asked why the developer set its sights on 7852 Lincoln Ave., Dharma Drum Mountain's President Alan Myers said he was aware that a former Zen center operated at that location at one point, and was hopeful that the neighborhood would be receptive to another Zen space. Some trustees on the Village Board expressed concern, however, that parking or traffic on Lincoln Avenue were not the real issue discussed by some of the commenters. 'One of the speakers referred to the residents, or the folks who want to come, as 'these people.' It just kind of struck a chord with me,' Trustee Keith Robinson said. 'People deserve to do what they want to do, practice whatever they want to.' 'We have to be more inclusive and not to 'other.' To me it was an 'othered' statement,' he said. A major sticking point that concerned some residents was the possibility of Dharma Drum Mountain hosting an abbot visit, which could bring in 200 guests to the community center. Myers said if the group decided to invite an abbot, it would be infrequent, and no more than once every two years. It also wouldn't be guaranteed, as the abbot would have to accept the invitation, he said. Provisions in the group's application also require Dharma Drum Mountain to give the village a 90-day notice for major events, and to provide guests with off-street parking within a half mile of its proposed location. Employees of the center are required to park onsite, according to the developer's application. The group's regular 20 to 25 daily visitors to the center are also able to park onsite and at nearby businesses' parking lots when not in use by those businesses, Myers said. The dormitory access would also be limited to six weekends a year, Myers said, and would be used for religious retreats. Each dormitory would have a limit of two guests. Trustee Gail Schechter asked whether the village should consider a parking permit for Babb Avenue residents to park their vehicles, which Mayor Ann Tennes shot down after immediate groans from the audience at the meeting. 'I had actually spoken to a couple of individuals on the block, and what I was told was that they do not want that because it's an inconvenience to them to get the stickers and more importantly to get the stickers for their guests as is required in permit parking areas,' Tennes said. While the Village Board rejected the site plans, it remains unclear whether Dharma Drum Mountain can make adjustments to the site plans to get a second vote from the Village Board and possibly receive approval for their project, commented Patrick Deignan, communications and community engagement director for the village. In early 2024, a developer intending to convert two seven-story residential office buildings into apartments failed to get an approval from the village board on its first reading, but after adjustments were made to it, the board voted to approve the development. 'There could be a wide range of scenarios to work through with the applicant on this proposal,' Deignan emailed Pioneer Press. 'The applicant is determining next steps, and has not given the Village an indication of what they would like to do and if they will make any modifications to the project.'
Chicago Tribune
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Skokie man detained by ICE; local officials trying to get him released
Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents seized and detained a man who has lived in Skokie for 25 years when he was walking in his neighborhood Saturday, local government officials said. Several officials quickly expressed concern, and Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita said the man, originally from Mexico, does not have a criminal record, is in his 50s and lives with his family, including his grown children and grandkids. Morita, in a separate capacity from her commissioner role, also leads the Niles Township branch of the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights Rapid Response team, which is assisting the Skokie man and his family. The Skokie man, whose name has not been released, was walking in the area of Cleveland Street and Kedvale Avenue on July 6, Morita said, when immigration agents seized him. Neighbors alerted village officials, who shared news of what they called possible federal immigration activity on the Skokie website. The news prompted words of support from the Skokie Village Board and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky's office. At Monday's Skokie Village Board meeting, Mayor Ann Tennes called the incident 'a difficult day in Skokie.' Rep. Schakowsky is personally leading an attempt to reunite the man with his family, said Alex Moore, her office's communications director. Morita said that in her role with ICIRR, she has been in contact with the Skokie immigrant's family, and they told her he was transported from Skokie to a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Broadview. Because the Broadview facility is not a detention center, he awaits being transferred to a detention center, with the closest ones being in Wisconsin, Kentucky and Indiana, Morita said. To her knowledge, she said, the Skokie man is the first person to be detained by ICE in Niles Township, which includes Skokie, Lincolnwood and portions of Niles and Morton Grove. She acknowledged that an Evanston man was also detained by ICE weeks ago at a Starbucks, but did not have additional details. At the Congressional level, Schakowsky is in contact with ICE, Moore said. It is a common practice, he added, for a representative to call ICE to verify whether an individual was detained lawfully and ask why they were taken. 'Oftentimes, she's [Schakowsky'] been able to get people reunited with their families, and so we're doing everything we can to try and make sure that's the case,' Moore said. In order for Schakowsky to reunite the family, her office would need to get a Privacy Act Release form for the Skokie man, and Moore said Schakowsky is working on this personally on his behalf. What's not so common is the practice of how immigrants have been detained by federal authorities under the Trump administration, he said. 'I think that what we've seen is ICE has overstepped in communities all across the country, and so we don't agree with the process at all… And so, no, I wouldn't say that this is the typical process… and that's also a reason why the congresswoman is wanting to speak to ICE specifically.' Moore said the Skokie man is the first high profile case the representative's office is aware of of someone being detained by ICE in Illinois' 9th Congressional district, which stretches from the area around Rogers Park in Chicago through Evanston, Skokie, Glenview, and northwest to Crystal Lake. He acknowledged it is possible that other people could have been detained and deported without the office receiving notice from ICE. The village of Skokie posted a civic alert saying ICE did not reach out to the Skokie Police Department or the village of Skokie, as it is federal protocol to keep those detainments confidential. Under an Illinois law called the TRUST Act and village ordinance, the police department is barred from assisting federal immigration officers unless a criminal warrant is signed and approved by a federal judge. Tennes and village trustees at Monday's Village Board meeting expressed their support of the immigrant community and neighbors in the aftermath of the incident. 'The care and concern expressed by our neighbors throughout Skokie was heartwarming and not at all surprising,' Tennes said. 'What I believe is essential is that we as a community continue to live our values by educating ourselves and making sure that our neighbors also are well informed.' Trustees added their thoughts, with Trustee Keith Robinson saying, 'There is a rapid response team actively working with the family to make sure they are getting the help that they need. They are not alone and neither are you. 'If you feel called to engage and support during this time, do whatever you feel… whether it's through outreach, understanding the rapid response process, showing up for your neighbors or simply offering kindness. We all play a role in making sure that this community stays strong and united.' Trustees on the dais largely echoed Robinson's words, with Kimani Levy, an immigrant herself, adding her thoughts. 'As a naturalized citizen myself, it really hit home for me because this is what I lived,' Levy said. 'Going back and forth between U of I and downtown to do my interviews, taking the Constitution test several times… that was my life going back and forth… navigating a very long process towards citizenship,' she said. 'With Skokie being such a diverse community… I'm trying not to get emotional here,' Levy said as she began to choke up. 'It's just very unsettling… and to this entire panel, the village does support our neighbors and we don't like to see anything like this happen. 'I want to put it out there. Not all immigrants are bad people. Many of them, like myself, are your neighbors, coworkers, friends that we work with. We work hard and we contribute positively to this community… so this is what we call home and obviously we want to feel safe,' Levy said.
Chicago Tribune
21-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Skokie budget restores 1% grocery tax, hikes water rates but freezes property tax
After the state of Illinois rolled back a 1% grocery tax, effective at the end of the year, the Skokie Village Board joined many other suburbs in voting to restore and collect the tax starting in 2026. The move took place as the Skokie Village Board approved the upcoming fiscal year's budget, which also contains a 15% water rate hike, but maintains the village's freeze on the property tax rate for the 36th year in a row. Essentially, residents will not see their grocery tax go up; it will, in effect, remain the same, though if Skokie and the other suburbs had not restored it, grocery shoppers would have paid less tax at the checkout counter. Village trustees approved the budget at their June 4 meeting after three budget hearings, according to a spokesperson for the village. Once Skokie's grocery tax is implemented on Jan. 1, 2026, the village will join the suburbs of Barrington, Berwyn, Buffalo Grove, Carol Stream, Cicero, Des Plaines, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, Lombard, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Palatine, Schaumburg, Tinley Park, Wheaton and others in having a grocery tax of its own. Skokie and other suburbs currently benefit from a grocery tax collected by the state of Illinois and disbursed back to municipalities. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill last year abolishing the grocery tax because it hurts low-income people the most. However, low-income recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, do not pay the tax, according to previous reporting. The village also anticipates raising its water rate by 15% for an increase of 99 cents per 100 cubic feet of water. Skokie's Director of Communications and Community Engagement Patrick Deignan said even with the hike, Skokie's water rate is second lowest among neighboring communities, with only Evanston having a lower rate. The revenue raised will help fulfill state requirements to phase out water lines which bring lead into residents' homes.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Skokie swears in first new mayor in 26 years, new Village Board
A jam-packed Council Chamber cheered and clapped for what some saw as a new day in Skokie, with the swearing in of a new mayor and Village Board on Monday. Mayor Ann Tennes was the first official to be sworn in, and received a standing ovation from Skokie residents after she commented on what it means to be Skokie's mayor. Incumbent Trustees Keith Robinson and Alison Pure Slovin were sworn in for their second term on the village board, and new trustees Kimani Levy, Lissa Levy, Jim Iverson and Gail Schechter took the oath for the first time. Village Clerk Minal Desai was also sworn in at Monday's Village Board meeting. 'Thank you to everyone who entrusted all of us to guide our community,' Tennes said. 'As (it) has been said in the last few minutes, whether you voted for one of us, all of us, or some of us, we will represent you.' Tennes paid homage to past female mayors in the northern suburbs, including Jacqueline Gorell (Skokie), Lorraine H. Morton (Evanston), Joan Barr (Evanston), Madeleine Grant (Lincolnwood), Nancy Firfer (Glenview), and Sheila H. Schultz (Wheeling). 'I stand on their shoulders this evening,' she said. 'I believe that we will see that the best decision we make will often include components of our differing thoughts and opinions on the issues we face. And I also believe, and I know, that we are all stronger and better together,' Tennes said. The new village board represents a mix of more traditionally-minded officials and reformers who felt empowered to run for office after the village implemented election reform initiated by residents through a petition. As part of that election reform, an amended election code created term limits, staggered terms for trustees (with some running every two years) and four geographic districts from which trustees were to be elected. In line with that last item, the Skokie Village Board now contains four district trustees and two at-large trustees who represent the entire village. Election reform also created non-partisan elections, meaning that party affiliation wasn't on the ballot for Skokie voters. Skokie voters also recently approved ranked-choice voting for its municipal elections, though that voting system appears to be facing roadblocks to implementation in Cook County. Robinson, who received the most votes for re-election in his race, thanked voters. 'Your confidence humbles me and I do not take it lightly,' he said. 'This election felt very different. While we're no longer managing the global crisis of COVID-19, like we did before, we are undeniably in another epidemic: a national crisis of hate, division and misinformation.' 'What grounded me was the joy of connecting, meeting new people, walking through new neighborhoods and listening — I'm talking real deep listening — from parents concerned about their LGBTQIA+ children's future, to families unsure about where they will live next. To folks who are worried about something as basic, but as real as the rat and garbage problem,' Robinson said. 'To my new colleagues on the board, congratulations. We've got work to do. And if I can offer some unsolicited old head advice — check your privileges and your bias at the door. This seat is not about your personal agenda, it's about our shared future. Ask questions. Be willing to learn and recognize the brilliance of this village and the value of the commissioners who work tirelessly behind the scenes.' Schechter said she accepted her seat on the board with humility, honor and gratitude. 'My philosophy of responsible democratic governance over my 40 years of community service that I developed is this: trust your people.' 'The underpinning of democracy is that no one is entitled to lead a government by divine right, inheritance, military might or wealth,' Schechter said. 'With electoral reform in Skokie, a campaign that I am proud to have chaired, now no political party has that kind of privilege either.' 'Today, you seat the first village board in decades that was elected based on our individual merits, vision and values. You have the right to expect a board that is accountable to you, as Alison said, that listens to you and that is not only welcoming, but invites you to sit at the governing table and contribute meaningfully to improving everyone's life,' she said.
Chicago Tribune
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Skokie swears in first new mayor in 26 years, new Village Board
A jam-packed Council Chamber cheered and clapped for what some saw as a new day in Skokie, with the swearing in of a new mayor and Village Board on Monday. Mayor Ann Tennes was the first official to be sworn in, and received a standing ovation from Skokie residents after she commented on what it means to be Skokie's mayor. Incumbent Trustees Keith Robinson and Alison Pure Slovin were sworn in for their second term on the village board, and new trustees Kimani Levy, Lissa Levy, Jim Iverson and Gail Schechter took the oath for the first time. Village Clerk Minal Desai was also sworn in at Monday's Village Board meeting. 'Thank you to everyone who entrusted all of us to guide our community,' Tennes said. 'As (it) has been said in the last few minutes, whether you voted for one of us, all of us, or some of us, we will represent you.' Tennes paid homage to past female mayors in the northern suburbs, including Jacqueline Gorell (Skokie), Lorraine H. Morton (Evanston), Joan Barr (Evanston), Madeleine Grant (Lincolnwood), Nancy Firfer (Glenview), and Sheila H. Schultz (Wheeling). 'I stand on their shoulders this evening,' she said. 'I believe that we will see that the best decision we make will often include components of our differing thoughts and opinions on the issues we face. And I also believe, and I know, that we are all stronger and better together,' Tennes said. The new village board represents a mix of more traditionally-minded officials and reformers who felt empowered to run for office after the village implemented election reform initiated by residents through a petition. As part of that election reform, an amended election code created term limits, staggered terms for trustees (with some running every two years) and four geographic districts from which trustees were to be elected. In line with that last item, the Skokie Village Board now contains four district trustees and two at-large trustees who represent the entire village. Election reform also created non-partisan elections, meaning that party affiliation wasn't on the ballot for Skokie voters. Skokie voters also recently approved ranked-choice voting for its municipal elections, though that voting system appears to be facing roadblocks to implementation in Cook County. Robinson, who received the most votes for re-election in his race, thanked voters. 'Your confidence humbles me and I do not take it lightly,' he said. 'This election felt very different. While we're no longer managing the global crisis of COVID-19, like we did before, we are undeniably in another epidemic: a national crisis of hate, division and misinformation.' 'What grounded me was the joy of connecting, meeting new people, walking through new neighborhoods and listening — I'm talking real deep listening — from parents concerned about their LGBTQIA+ children's future, to families unsure about where they will live next. To folks who are worried about something as basic, but as real as the rat and garbage problem,' Robinson said. 'To my new colleagues on the board, congratulations. We've got work to do. And if I can offer some unsolicited old head advice — check your privileges and your bias at the door. This seat is not about your personal agenda, it's about our shared future. Ask questions. Be willing to learn and recognize the brilliance of this village and the value of the commissioners who work tirelessly behind the scenes.' Schechter said she accepted her seat on the board with humility, honor and gratitude. 'My philosophy of responsible democratic governance over my 40 years of community service that I developed is this: trust your people.' 'The underpinning of democracy is that no one is entitled to lead a government by divine right, inheritance, military might or wealth,' Schechter said. 'With electoral reform in Skokie, a campaign that I am proud to have chaired, now no political party has that kind of privilege either.' 'Today, you seat the first village board in decades that was elected based on our individual merits, vision and values. You have the right to expect a board that is accountable to you, as Alison said, that listens to you and that is not only welcoming, but invites you to sit at the governing table and contribute meaningfully to improving everyone's life,' she said.
