Oak Lawn: Apprehensive Agreement in Temporary Shelter Ordinance

An Apprehensive Agreement in Oak Lawn Temporary Shelter Ordinance

A standing room only crowd attended last night’s meeting of the Oak Lawn Board of Trustees to consider, among other orders of business, the newly revised draft of an ordinance to apply regulations for churches acting as temporary shelters.  Dr. Sandra Bury, the Village President moved the agenda to accommodate the audience’s obvious interest and placed the issue front and center.

The legal representative for the Village in this matter, Kevin Casey, took the podium and referenced the great amount of dialogue that had taken place since the meeting with church and shelter representatives the previous week.  That meeting with the Oak Lawn Planning and Development Commission saw another standing crowd and concern that too little collaboration had taken place between those who were constructing these regulations and those who worked with the poor and homeless. 

Casey outlined a number of proposed amendments to the original document:  the change of license approval from January of 2018 to October of 2018, the modification in the serving Oak Lawn homeless first to “making an attempt to do so”; an adjustment from keeping a record of names and data to be shared with the Village official(s) to a list kept by the church/program for seven years; an alteration to provide flexibility for shelter operators when facing extreme weather; and a revision of denying medical care programs to instead approved counseling, emergency treatment and access to flu shots.  

Earlier agreements had been reached during the week regarding changes in the limits of guests, revisions in staffing requirements, allowance for food preparation, and a revised hierarchy of appeals processes.

Casey identified both Pastor Peggy McClanahan of Pilgrim Faith Church and Tina Rounds of the BEDS Plus Program out of LaGrange as instrumental in helping collaborate this shift in the regulations. 

Both Pastor McClanahan and Ms. Rounds spoke later on.  Pastor McClanahan noted that “although this is not a perfect document,” she and many others were “hopeful that we can all work together to make this (ordinance) workable as we continue on.”  Tina Rounds offered BEDS Plus’ “commitment to the process and working together,” and she wished for the future “reasonable administration of this ordinance.”

Others spoke as well, but the most powerful of words provided for the Board of Trustees came from a young lady named Jennifer, who limped heavily to the podium.  She provided her name and described her residence as “Homeless.”  She kindly thanked the Board for the time to speak, and in an emotional explanation punctuated by tears Jennifer thanked them also for the kindness in providing for her and so many others.  “Even if you do not do this kindness directly,” she reminded, the effects of your goodness to someone reaches far beyond a single act.”  She described how it reverberated within a community and even through time to help and assist, long after the giver of such an act would know.  She described the pain and humility that are thwarted by such compassion and humanity.  As she struggled to return to her seat, the crowd responded in great applause. 

Trustee Vorderer moved to add the amendments to the ordinance.  Approved.

The Ordinance was called for the vote and during discussion; Trustee Robert Streit described the need to exercise some caution and restraint in moving so quickly.  The Village had received a call from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, and he wondered aloud whether the Village should wait on this measure – seeking more information from HUD as well as additional cooperation with shelter leaders. 

The Ordinance passed quickly after his words of concern and his dissenting vote.