A year later in Lombard: 'Today, we are a team,' mayor says
Lombard Village President Keith Giagnorio described the Lilac Village as "strong" Wednesday, crediting that strength to the many partnerships that have been formed since he took office two years ago.
"Lombard is strong because each and every one of us loves Lombard," he said during his State of the Village address, which was sponsored by the Lombard Chamber of Commerce and held at the Westin Hotel. "We're all in this together, working with each other for the best interest of this great community."
It's a positive outlook that was different from Giagnorio's speech a year ago, when he said the village was focused on new beginnings. After the 2013 election, he said, village board members had to gain confidence, improve communication and build trust with each other.
"Today, we are a team," Giagnorio said. "Do we agree on every single issue? Not always. But healthy debate leads us to make the best possible choices for our citizens."
Some debate that has occurred in the past year has been in regard to medical marijuana, video gaming, scholarship funding for the Lilac Princesses and the temporary discontinuation of Taste of Lombard this summer.
One of the biggest announcements in Giagnorio's speech was a proposal to create a new Lombard Pride Committee to help pull together ideas for a new summer festival.
"As it goes forward, this committee will focus on overseeing events and festivals to make sure they are in keeping with Lombard's image, traditions and character," he said.
Giagnorio also discussed some of the results of successful partnerships that he feels are making the village strong. The state, for example, provided funding for projects like the Vista Pond expansion and the upcoming reconstruction of the Hill Avenue bridge.
Another partner, Lombard Town Centre, has been "a wise investment that has paid great dividends," Giagnorio said. It has helped to revitalize the downtown area, where three new businesses are set to occupy a long vacant building at 130 E. St. Charles Road.
Two new restaurants are also set to open in the downtown area in the near future, including a bakery and deli with outdoor seating at 14 W. St. Charles Road and a historically-themed restaurant featuring a locally produced menu at 18 W. St. Charles Road.
Last year, the village issued more than 2,000 permits and welcomed 143 new businesses - the most since 2007. This year, the city also hopes to implement an online permit process to allow residents and developers the ability to monitor applications remotely.
"We want to make doing business with the village easier," Giagnorio said. "We are streamlining processes and limiting the red tape."
Other highlights from the past year included the creation of a Welcome Home Veterans program, the introduction of an e-news program that sends email alerts about the village to nearly 3,000 subscribers and the start of a new junior fire academy for high school students.
In addition, the village's budget is balanced, the police department received reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and the village's transparency policy earned Lombard the 100 percent transparency rating from the Illinois Policy Institute.