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Summit to test raffles
St. Joe’s raffle to be closely watched by village
By Steve Metsch
The Summit Village Board wants to take a look at how raffles are run and how to best regulate them.
With that in mind, the board approved an ordinance that would allow raffles in Summit, using one run at this weekend’s annual carnival by St. Joseph’s Parish as a test.
Mayor Sergio Rodriguez said the village wants to make sure things “don’t get out of hand,” mentioning a Queen of Hearts raffle held recently downstate “that raised a massive amount of money.”
“St. Joe’s came to us and asked about selling raffle tickets. We want to see how it goes,” Rodriguez said.
Raffle tickets can only be sold by the parish and its affiliates, per the ordinance.
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Trustee Sam Dardovski wants the village to get a cut of future raffles held in Summit.
“We’ll allow it on a one-time basis, see how it operates. I believe that if it’s very successful, the village of Summit should get a small percentage of that in the future,” he said.
In other business, the board voted 5-0 to approve a Class 7C property tax incentive for Jimmy John’s, 5836 S. Harlem Ave. Dardovski declined to say why he abstained.
“It gives businesses some tax relief for a couple of years to get their business going and their market up there. Jimmy John’s is doing it on the back end. The final say is from Cook County, not us,” Rodriguez said.
“People say, ‘Oh, you’re losing property taxes.’ We had an empty lot there. All the taxing bodies were getting maybe $8,000 a year in property taxes. Now, it will be around $100,000 and we may be getting $40,000 to $50,000. That’s still more than we were getting,” the mayor added.
The board approved a $2,760 contribution to the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor Civic Center Authority. Trustee Mayra Ortiz said it’s a membership fee that helps promote communities like Summit that are in the organization.
The board also approved an intergovernmental agreement with Summit, Justice and Bedford Park for a feasibility study regarding the I&M Canal Bike Trail extension from Willow Springs.
In Summit, that would be near the canal, Rodriguez said.
“This is like years down the road, but the study will help us know how easy it will be and if it’s really possible,” Ortiz said.
William Ally, who owns property in Summit, questioned the board about the 63rd Street beautification project during the public comment portion of the meeting.
The work is progressing as planned, Dardovski told Ally.
In regards to that, the board approved a payment of $328,071 to A Lamp Concrete Contractors Inc., of Schaumburg, for Phase 2 of the project, between 74th and 76th avenues.
The village board approved leasing the Metra parking lot on June 30 and July 1 for $500 to the Croatian American Home Cultural and Radio Club.
The club is hosting a large soccer tournament that weekend in Summit Park and will shuttle people to and from the Metra lot, Rodriguez said.
The board next meets at 7 p.m. June 18.
— Desplaines Valley News
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