La Grange Park adopts $500 lift-assist fee for assisted-living and nursing facilities

La Grange Park’s village board unanimously adopted an ordinance that allows the village to charge a $500 lift-assist fee to assisted-living and nursing facilities after the sixth such municipal response in a calendar year, following an amendment to state law.

Trustee Caputo said the fee, recommended at $500, is intended to help the village recover personnel and equipment costs and to reduce repeat nonemergency calls that tie up EMS and fire resources. The board discussed that the fee applies only to licensed assisted-living and nursing facilities and does not change service for private residences.

Board discussion cited Illinois Public Act 104-0057, effective Jan. 1 of this year, which amended the Illinois Municipal Code to allow municipalities to charge reasonable fees for lift-assist services after the sixth occurrence at a facility in a calendar year. Trustee Caputo and others framed the ordinance as a measured approach: facilities receive five free responses before fees apply, and the count resets annually.

Trustees approved the ordinance by roll call; Trustees Lner, Zora, Council, Sheen and Caputo voted yes alongside President Dipio.

The ordinance will be incorporated into La Grange Park’s municipal code fee schedule; staff said it is intended to deter unnecessary calls and to preserve EMS availability for genuine emergencies. Implementation details, such as billing procedures and notifications to facilities, were not specified at the meeting.