Rosemont board gives mayor more power over leases
Rosemont's village board Wednesday adopted a policy enabling Mayor Brad Stephens to extend lease agreements of village properties up to five years without trustees' oversight.
The ordinance approved unanimously by the board would allow the mayor to sign leases on his own for things such as a haunted house operator at the village's entertainment district.
It could also allow him to sign off on deals with much bigger tenants, such as DePaul University's basketball team or the Chicago Wolves.
Stephens said leases for tenants like DePaul or the Wolves - even if the contracts are under five years - "will pretty assuredly come before the board" for a public vote.
The reasoning behind the ordinance, he said, was more about the annual apartment leases the village handles through its senior citizen and commercial properties departments. The ordinance would allow Director August Sansone, Jr. to renew yearly leases with seniors and village employees who live in apartment buildings owned by the village, without asking approval of the village board.
The ordinance also enables village venue managers, such as Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Director Christopher Stephens, to sign leases for convention shows up to three days, without board approval.
Village Attorney Peter Coblentz said the impetus for the ordinance was "more on a policy basis than legal basis."