Five Takeaways From Dec. 2 Plainfield Board Of Trustees Meeting

PLAINFIELD, IL — Monday night's village Board of Trustees meeting was a relatively short one —only a half hour — but there were some noteworthy moments all the same. Here are five takeaways for Plainfield residents:

1. Riverfront Foundation Casino Night 2019
Trustee Margie Bonuchi reminded fellow board members and all attendees that this Friday, Dec. 6 is the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation's annual Casino Night. The yearly fundraiser — this year at Warehouse 109 on 14903 South Center Street — costs $75 per person to attend. Admission price includes food and one drink ticket. Attendees will be able to play blackjack, craps, poker, roulette and more. All funds raised at the event will go towards the maintenance & redevelopment of the Plainfield Riverfront.

2. Tax Levy Acknowledged
The Board voted to acknowledge the 2019 preliminary tax levy estimate in the amount of $6,880,000.00. The tax levy establishes the estimated amount of revenue the village will collect from local property taxes this fiscal year. This figure is not final, and Bonuchi said she expects the actual dollar amount collected to be lower. A public hearing will be held on the tax levy at the next Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, Dec. 16. Interested readers can see the 2019 tax levy report in this document.

3. Truck Parking Lot Denied
The biggest development of the night came when the Board considered approving the site plan for a truck parking lot on 13611 S. Route 30 at Unit 2 in the Plainfield Small Business Park. The proposed lot would have fit up to 90 semi-trailers at a time and was envisioned as the first phase in a larger development plan. Trustee Harry Benton was the lot's most vocal opponent, citing safety and traffic congestion concerns. Conversely, Trustee Cally Larson was among its most vocal proponents, claiming that because the lot was zoned for business, it was the property owner's right to develop it. Ultimately, the Board voted "no" 3 - 2, and thus the motion to approve its site plan failed.

4. Denler Inc. Wins Bike Path Seal Coating Bid
Officials with the village's Public Works department said they were already looking ahead to next year's construction and maintenance projects when they delivered their reports to the Board. One important project in 2020 will be seal coating several bike paths throughout the village. Initial engineer estimates put the total cost for this work at about $107,000; the Board voted to give the job contract to private paving company Denler Inc. after they bid their total price for the work at $96,523.98. Denler Inc. is based out of Joliet and is involved in numerous pavement construction and maintenance projects throughout the Midwest.

5. Local Students Sit In For Their Government Class
The meeting concluded with students from Plainfield South High School approaching the trustees for signatures. According to one student who spoke briefly with Patch, they were required to attend the board meeting as part of their Government class. Some students seemed genuinely excited to witness local governance up close. Others were far less thrilled.