Dolton officials outline cleanup drive, housing program and public‑safety service changes at community meeting

The mayor of Dolton and several trustees used the village's "Tea with the Trustees" forum to give residents operational updates spanning public works, code enforcement, housing and public safety.

Mayor (speaker S2) thanked Royal Estates for hosting, introduced department leaders and highlighted a planned community cleanup and ongoing street and alley maintenance work led by Public Works Superintendent Darrell Bunch. Bunch (speaker S10) introduced himself as the superintendent responsible for maintenance and urged residents to report problems via the public‑works phone line (708-201-3280). The mayor reminded residents to call Public Works first so the mayor's office is not overwhelmed.

Brian Thigpen (speaker S3), who described his code‑enforcement role, said the department prefers to issue 48‑hour notices but will now take a more proactive approach and issue tickets when property maintenance or alley conditions require it. He described coordination between code enforcement and Public Works to remove debris after notice and possible ticketing for repeat violations.

On housing, the Dolton United Housing program was described by Trustee Brittany Norwood (speaker S7) and staff as prioritizing residents: the village will give residents a two‑month first‑chance application window for certain vacant properties, with more details to be provided at a housing committee meeting on Wednesday, March 18 at village hall. Housing official Darion (speaker S17) said his aim is to hold landlords and businesses more accountable and to attract better services by tying licensing and compliance to maintenance standards.

Clerk Allison Key (speaker S9) reminded attendees that early voting is underway at the Dolton Library and said election hours vary; she noted Precinct 40 will vote at the village location on election day. Fire Chief Curtis (speaker S18) announced a partnership with the Red Cross to distribute smoke detectors to homeowners and reminded businesses of annual inspections. Police Chief Chapman (speaker S11) said the department changed lobby customer‑service hours (now 3 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Friday) and installed an intercom and camera so dispatch can assist outside hours; he also introduced a departing detective and reported recent reductions in motor‑vehicle thefts.

The mayor provided a court‑case update: he said a state judgment that was previously described as $33 million has grown to about $40 million, and the village expects to present proposals to the plaintiffs within about three weeks while pursuing a separate federal insurance case; he said officials aim to limit property‑tax impacts while developing solutions.

Economic development items included an invitation from the Chocolate Lounge (owner speaker S20) to an open house March 28 (3–5 p.m.) and a note that Rucker Athletics has invested in restoration of the village fitness center and pool pending state certification. Officials encouraged residents to attend and provide feedback before any licensing decisions.

Next steps include the housing committee meeting (March 18), scheduling for the community cleanup (date to be announced), hiring for an animal-control specialist to operate a donated vehicle, and continued public outreach from village departments.