Lincolnwood extends several fee deadlines

by JASON MEREL

The Lincolnwood Village Board of Trustees at its virtual meeting Tuesday, May 19, voted to extend several village fee deadlines.

Vehicle sticker fees have been extended from June 30 to Sept. 30 with no late fees until after that date, dog licenses have been extended from July 1 to Sept. 30 and residential water bill payment deadlines will be extended by 30 days for bills in August for April through July usage. Commercial water bill payments will be extended by 30 days for bills in July from June usage. No water shut-offs will occur during the stay-at-home order, according to the village.

usiness license renewals have been given a 60-day grace period from the May 1 renewal deadline and liquor license renewals have been extended to July 31.

In addition, all block parties are on hold until further notice and will be allowed only in accordance with Illinois reopening guidelines.

Monthly gas, food and beverage taxes have also been given a 30-day grace period during the stay-at-home order. However, garage and estate sale permits, solicitor’s permits and commercial filming permits are on hold, pending state reopening guidelines. Finally, backflow inspection testing has been extended until Aug. 31.

Also at the meeting, the board approved a special use allowing the operation of a commercial-use building beginning at 4 a.m. to Starbucks Coffee Shop, 4320 W. Touhy Ave. The drive-thru and store will be open at 4:30 a.m. but staff may arrive at 4 a.m. to prepare for the day.

Also at the meeting, Lincolnwood graduates were honored this week after the village board approved an ordinance designating the week of May 18 as "Make Some Noise for the Class of 2020 Week."

High school graduates throughout the village put red or purple ribbons on trees in front of their homes and residents were encouraged to make noise, sing songs or otherwise shout congratulations at 8:20 p.m. Wednesday, May 20. Area schools were lit between 8 and 9 p.m. as part of the celebration.

The Class of 2020 at Lincoln Hall School in the Lincolnwood School District 74 will hold a graduation ceremony on June 4 that will feature a procession from the school to the Lincolnwood Town Center, 3333 W. Touhy Ave., where cars will park to view a pre-recorded graduation ceremony video. Each family vehicle will receive a nameplate before the procession.

Also at the meeting, the board considered whether or not to sign on to a letter being drafted by the Northwest Municipal Conference, urging Governor J.B. Pritzker to consider using the 11-region division of Illinois used by emergency medical services, rather than the four regions proposed in his "Restore Illinois" plan.

"I don’t agree with this strategy," Trustee Atour Sargon said. "I think it’s irresponsible and dangerous for us to think that somehow we are separate and want to separate ourselves from Chicago, when on many of our borders, you can cross the street and you’re in the City of Chicago. I urge my fellow board members to err on the side of caution here."

This was only a discussion item and did not require a vote, but the consensus among the trustees was not to add any recommendations to the NWMC plan or deviate from Pritzker’s plan.

Also at the meeting, trustees approved an ordinance amending the definition of "auto service or gas station" in the village zoning code to include properties where the sale or dispersal of automotive fuels is occurring and a convenience store is present, and denied a zoning text amendment permitting "auto service or gas stations" in the B-1 Traditional Business zoning district.