An attempted home break-in on Crabapple Road last weekend has prompted officials in the Village of Flower Hill to push for better communication with local police after village leaders said they were not directly notified of the incident.
Deputy Mayor Frank Genese said during Monday’s March 2 Board of Trustees meeting that he learned of the attempted break-in through county contacts rather than from the Sixth Precinct.
“When I told you about it, you hadn’t heard about it,” Genese said, addressing fellow board members. “So I’m a little concerned as to why we have an incident like this in the village and the mayor of the village is not informed.”
Mayor Randall Rosenbaum said details of investigations may be limited due to ongoing investigations.
“They don’t have to share everything if it’s an active investigation,” Genese said. “Someone would have come here tonight and said, ‘What about the incident, the break-in on crabapple?’ And we all go, ‘We don’t know about it.’ It’s not a good look for us at all.”
Rosenbaum said village patrol logs showed a security patrol car had been in the area multiple times before and after the reported incident, but agreed communication needed to improve. He said he plans to request a meeting with the new precinct leadership.
The board opened discussion on a proposed local law that would move all village fines and fees out of the code and into a fee schedule adopted by board resolution. Rosenbaum said the change would allow the board to update fees more efficiently without having to amend the village code each time. He said it gives the board flexibility to update the fees in the future.
A second proposed local law would formally prohibit artificial turf in front yards by adding specific language to the village code. Rosenbaum said the change clarifies prior attempts to regulate synthetic turf, which had been treated as a structure under existing code. Village Attorney Jeff Blinkoff said residents with legally installed turf prior to this law will not be affected.
The board scheduled a public hearing on both local laws for April 6.
Trustees approved a resolution to hold the village’s budget hearing and annual organization meeting on April 6. The village election is set for March 18 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Village Hall.
The board declared April 24 Arbor Day as part of its annual Tree City USA recertification process.
Trustees also approved a resolution supporting an increase in state Aid and Incentives for Municipalities funding, which Rosenbaum said would bring an additional $4,161 to the village if approved.
The board also accepted the sole bid received for the village’s residential garbage collection contract. Although multiple carters were notified and the request for proposals was advertised locally and regionally, only one company submitted a bid, Meadow Carting.
Rosenbaum said the first year of the new contract would cost 3% less than the village is currently paying, with increases capped at 3% annually in subsequent years. The agreement is structured as a series of one-year renewals over five years, allowing the village to opt out annually.
The board will hold a public hearing on April 6 to consolidate construction noise regulations into one section of village code, removing duplicative language.
Closing out the meeting Trustee A.J. Smith offered a brief acknowledgment of U.S. troops serving overseas during the Iran conflict.
“I think we would be remiss as a village board while we’re talking about these village issues and they’re very important to be mindful that there are American troops right now that are under fire in the Middle East and to just acknowledge their service to our country and pray that they all come home safely,” said Smith.
