A Korean barbecue restaurant should open this spring in downtown Des Plaines’ Metropolitan Square complex takes over a space last occupied by a Panera Bread The roughly 7,300-square-foot storefront has been vacant since September 2020 An exact opening date hasn’t been announced A Glenview-registered company called Gen-X LLC is behind the plan A representative couldn’t be reached for comment Mayor Andrew Goczkowski on Friday said he’s looking forward to visiting the restaurant with his family “Any time that someone wants to invest their money and open up a restaurant here in the city Revitalizing the downtown area has been a priority for city officials for years The vacant shops in Metropolitan Square have been of particular concern Set north of Miner Street and west of South River Road Metropolitan Square contains commercial and condominium buildings Current retailers include Shop & Save Market But about 20% of the commercial units are empty The center has never caught on as a gathering place A consultant proposed nearly $5 million in roadwork and streetscape improvements there in 2022 but the city council didn’t act on the plan The city council will consider awarding Kow a liquor license when it meets Monday night If the council tentatively approves the license Monday a second vote will be needed to make the decision official Monday’s council meeting will be livestreamed at desplainesil.gov/livestream A 53-year-old Des Plaines man died early Sunday morning after suffering a medical emergency on an interstate off ramp in Chicago Illinois State Police said Charles Joseph Berry and another occupant were in a vehicle exiting Interstate 90 at Cumberland Avenue in Chicago when the vehicle ran out of gas at about 6:45 a.m The pair began walking along the off ramp when Berry suffered some type of medical emergency and was ultimately transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead An autopsy was conducted Monday by the Cook County medical examiner’s office Berry’s cause of death is pending toxicology results The Des Plaines History Center’s longtime volunteer Sandy Johnson received the Illinois Association of Museums 2025 Volunteer Service Award for her remarkable 30 years of volunteer service to the organization The History Center celebrated Johnson’s well-deserved honor on April 30 and presented her with a framed certificate from the IAM commemorating her achievement she is the heart and soul of the Des Plaines History Center and the 1907 Kinder House Museum,” said Stan Kotecki president of the Des Plaines History Center Board of Trustees Sandy has contributed her time and talents in virtually every area of the organization and engages our community with her wonderful storytelling ability.” Johnson’s expertise in archival work has been instrumental in preserving the history of Des Plaines Whether transcribing century-old diaries and correspondence identifying faces in faded photographs or researching the origins of local landmarks Sandy’s dedication has helped safeguard these irreplaceable records ensuring they remain accessible for future generations through the History Center’s collections and exhibits Johnson is also a recognizable presence in the History Center’s tent at the annual Fall Fest in September She can be found dressed in her 1800s reenactor’s garb demonstrating how to turn wool into yarn on a traditional spinning wheel much to the delight and fascination of kids and adults who have never seen this process Johnson represents the Des Plaines History Center at countless city events telling the public about the center’s various memberships and adult programs and the popular Hands-on-History children’s programs Johnson continues to inspire with her boundless energy and unwavering commitment to the History Center This recognition is a fitting tribute to her incredible impact The views expressed here are the author's own And don't forget to stock up for the week from this local favorite Your order will be available for home delivery between 2:30 - 6:00pm Please leave a cooler outside if you won't be home We’re delivering this restaurant event to Mount Prospect, Long Grove, Arlington Heights, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Lake Zurich, Palatine, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, and Hawthorn Woods. Learn more about our delivery zones here View menu + order: https://dwell.social/43kL0CL Neighbors in the northwest Chicago suburb of Des Plaines have been wondering what is going on after police put up crime scene tape and started investigating a home the investigation had been underway for two days at a house with a wooden front door at 121 N The Union Pacific Northwest Metra line runs behind the houses on the block Investigators have been making trips from the backyard of the house and a police truck parked out front But what they were investigating remained a major unanswered question Tuesday Click here for the full story via CBS Chicago\ Des Plaines police confirmed Wednesday they are searching a home in connection with an ongoing investigation into an old case but denied reports they’re looking for a body Authorities said Des Plaines investigators are working with the Cook County Major Case Assistance Team to search the property in the 100 block of North Warrington Road a neighborhood of small homes southwest of Route 14 and Mount Prospect Road “We can confirm that there is no threat to the public regarding this investigation,” police Cmdr Media reports indicate police began searching the home on Monday Aerial news footage shows multiple canopies set up in the backyard along with digging tools buckets and indications investigators had been sifting through dirt Police said more information will be released when they believe it will not jeopardize the integrity of the investigation As the work day concluded Thursday afternoon hundreds of people lined both sides of Northwest Highway in Palatine to protest President Donald Trump’s policies as part of May Day With Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime” playing in the background urged observers to “rise up/fight back,” waved flags and cheered drivers who honked their horns in solidarity who attended the rally with college friend Sue Carlson of Kildeer The Barrington woman expressed pride that her generation recognizes the need for unity “The momentum has to keep going,” she said The women plan to return June 14 for a Flag Day rally Murach’s succinct message contrasted with Tim Thomas’ more wordy sign urging hands off Medicare “Labor and the workforce has been trampled on for too long,” said the Palatine man who led fellow protesters in chanting “workers united will never be defeated.” “We need to voice our concerns and be heard … We can’t let people push us around,” he added Intermittent rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the 250 to 300 protesters who gathered at the intersection of Golf and Wolf roads in Des Plaines stand up for workers’ rights and fight the tyrannical government coup,” said organizer Kate Olsen Concerns over Social Security drew Park Ridge resident Larry Smith to the Des Plaines rally “I am worried about my grandchildren’s future and I want to bring democracy back,” he said He said it’s not enough for people to fight back “Merely opposing Trump is not enough,” he said Defending the Constitution inspired the participation of fellow organizer Marine veteran and former federal worker Dan Tully the West suburban army reservist referenced Chicago’s deadly 1886 Haymarket riot and urged participants to “resist” in the spirit of International Worker’s Day Janet and Jerome McDonnell of Arlington Heights and Terri Murphy of Prospect Heights held aloft giant cutouts of clenched fists “A lot of people feel the same but still stay on the sidelines,” Murphy said “It’s important to come out at this moment because two months from now six months from now there may not be the opportunity to make a change.” · Daily Herald staff writer Brian Hill contributed to this report A Scooter’s Coffee shop soon could replace a restaurant in Des Plaines The franchise operation is proposed for 20 W which has been home to Johnny’s Place since 2009 which is on the north side of Golf Road and west of Mount Prospect Road in the 4th Ward to be renovated and divided into two units One would become Scooter’s; the other would be reserved for separate office space The current restaurant has a drive-through window and the would-be franchisee has asked the city for a permit to offer drive-through service The city council could tentatively approve the permit when it meets at 7 p.m A second vote would be needed for approval Scooter’s, a Nebraska-based chain of drive-through stores One recently opened on Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling; another is planned for Deer Park Monday’s council meeting is open to the public. It also will be livestreamed at desplainesil.gov/livestream Read Today’s Top Story: Matthew Gardner’s Q1 2025 market insights Seven-acre development land site in Des Plaines The site is close to a new large apartment building and townhomes under construction selling in the upper $400,000s The site was previously approved for 38 or 39 single-family homes on 40-foot lots with 5-foot side yards depths of 105 feet to 110 feet and 30-foot wide units Well-respected Spaceco Engineering prepared the preliminary engineering plans and we believe it is in the developers’ best interest to use the existing site plan The original development provided several types of floor plans for three- and four-bedroom homes with first-floor primary suites Call for pricing. For more information, click here and website in this browser for the next time I comment @properties Christie’s International Real Estate Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited Des Plaines City Council members on Monday overwhelmingly supported creating a local 1% sales tax on grocery items to offset the pending elimination of an identical state tax Illinois is phasing out a tax on grocery items that generates revenue for the communities where the purchases occurred Buffalo Grove officials are expected to take up the issue this month The loss of the state tax will cost Des Plaines about $1.4 million annually city Finance Director Agnes Podbial told the council Monday night Creating a local 1% sales tax would keep the revenue flowing without creating a new burden for residents Fifth Ward Alderman Carla Brookman spoke against creating the tax saying the millions the city gets from Rivers Casino should be enough to keep Des Plaines financially healthy ‘When is enough enough?” Brookman said about taxes Eighth Ward Alderman Mike Charewicz took the opposing stance saying a local tax would merely continue an existing tax Audience members spoke for and against the proposal the council voted 7-1 to tentatively approve the sales tax The final vote could occur when the council next meets at 7 p.m. April 21, at city hall, 1420 Miner St. It will be open to the public and livestreamed at desplainesil.gov Des Plaines has joined the growing list of suburbs implementing a local 1% sales tax on groceries to offset the pending elimination of a state tax the city council voted 7-1 Monday night to create the tax As was the case when the council gave preliminary approval to the plan two weeks ago 5th Ward Alderman Carla Brookman was the lone dissenter That tax generates about $1.4 million annually for Des Plaines Carol Stream and Lake Zurich each agreed this week to enact a tax Brookman said it would be a mistake to replace the disappearing sales tax Lower prices on groceries would benefit Des Plaines merchants and residents Brookman insisted the millions Des Plaines gets annually from the city’s Rivers Casino would more than make up for the lost grocery tax revenue Other towns don’t have that revenue stream “The city can afford to eliminate the grocery tax and not impose a replacement tax,” Brookman said before the vote Three audience members spoke to the council about the proposed tax while one said the revenue should be used to help poor residents afford food perhaps by giving some of the money to local food pantries or groups for senior citizens Mayor Andrew Goczkowski said city officials will consider such support when they next discuss grants for social service organizations A video recording of Monday’s Des Plaines council meeting can be found at desplainesil.gov city council members and city clerks would be paid significantly better than current officials under a proposal that was tentatively approved Monday night If the council confirms the proposed increases at its next meeting the clerk’s salary would double to $12,000 annually the mayor’s salary would nearly triple to $30,000 annually and aldermen would see their pay quintuple to $15,000 annually the officials’ pay would automatically increase 2% annually State law prohibits elected officials’ pay from being adjusted during their current terms and because Des Plaines elected officials are limited to two consecutive terms the earliest the proposed changes could be implemented is after the 2029 municipal election All 10 of Des Plaines’ elected offices are part-time positions Three council members — the 1st Ward’s Mark Lysakowski the 2nd Ward’s Colt Moylan and the 3rd Ward’s Sean Oskerka — requested an analysis of political salaries in February After the city staff provided information about what elected officials in more than a dozen other towns are paid the trio requested the proposed salaries be presented to the council for consideration who last week was elected to a second term Mastalski gave up the office to run for alderman in the 1st Ward and will be succeeded by clerk-elect Dominik Bronakowski in May The eight aldermen each are paid $250 per month or up to $3,000 annually Reimbursements for expenses no longer would be available who introduced the proposal Monday night as leader of the council’s legal and licensing committee questioned the legality of the proposed 2% increases city attorney Peter Friedman said such annual increases would be fine as long as they don’t take effect during the terms of any sitting officials the 7th Ward’s Patsy Smith and the 8th Ward’s Mike Charewicz voting against the measure All three had supported delaying the vote two weeks to get more information about what elected officials in other towns are paid but they were outvoted by the other 5 council members Moylan noted that the mayor’s and council members’ salaries haven’t increased since 1996 that no sitting officials will benefit from the changes if they’re implemented The next council meeting is set for 7 p.m. April 21 at city hall, 1420 Miner St. It will be open to the public and will be livestreamed at desplainesil.gov More than a week after the final votes were cast the winner of the race for Des Plaines’ 1st Ward aldermanic seat remains unknown — but the finish line is within sight That gives Chlebek nearly 52% of the total This upcoming Tuesday is the last day late-arriving mailed ballots and provisional ballots can be counted for the April 1 election. The Cook County clerk’s office has until April 22 to send the final tally to the Illinois State Board of Elections Chlebek and Mastalski battled for an open seat in the 1st Ward. A city ordinance prevented incumbent Mark Lysakowski Chlebek had a four-vote lead on election night and that expanded to 12 votes and then to 22 as more ballots were scanned Given the votes already counted in the race and the time left for stragglers, a Mastalski victory is “highly unlikely,” said Melissa Mouritsen, a political science professor at the College of DuPage we don’t see more than a handful of ballots come in this late after the election and I have never heard of a race that was determined by ballots received more than 10 days after the election,” Mouritsen said Friday “Suppose there are 23 residents abroad who voted for Mastalski who mailed their ballots on Election Day,” she said 1st Ward Des Plaines resident turning in their ballot even at 5 p.m on Election Day — in all likelihood it’s been counted.” Chlebek didn’t respond to interview requests Friday who has served as Des Plaines’ city clerk since 2021 hasn’t responded to requests for comment since before Election Day Five additional municipal seats were on ballots in Des Plaines this cycle Alderman Sean Oskerka won a second term by defeating challenger Debra Lester Incumbent Carla Brookman couldn’t run again because of term limits and instead campaigned for clerk Alderman Patsy Smith beat challenger Bob Porada to secure a second term Mayor Andrew Goczkowski ran unopposed for a second term In the race for the city clerk’s office to be vacated by Mastalski first-time candidate Dominik Bronakowski bested Brookman The Des Plaines City Council this week enthusiastically approved a multimillion-dollar economic incentive and development agreement that will lead to a new downtown restaurant that once housed Oliveti’s Italian Ristorante will be knocked down and something new will be constructed on the site The proposed two-story building will be anchored by an 8,200-square-foot restaurant on the ground floor and have apartments upstairs Aldermen on Monday unanimously agreed to lend the two limited liability companies behind the project — Miner Street Station and D-4 of Des Plaines — $3.6 million to help pay for construction Up to $1.2 million of the loan will be forgiven when the final occupancy certificate for the restaurant is issued Ownership partners include the operator of Park Ridge’s Harp and Fiddle restaurant Although “Harp & Fiddle” appear on an architectural rendering for the proposed building the name and theme of the proposed eatery haven’t been revealed Oliveti’s had served customers for 20 years before closing in 2012 some bricks from the old building will be used to construct the new restaurant The deal took more than six months to put together The permit application and approval process demolition and construction could take 18 months the city’s community and economic development director several aldermen praised the agreement and the restaurant plans Second Ward Alderman Colt Moylan said the project is helping to transform the downtown area south of Miner Street “This is a pretty exciting time,” Moylan said The 3rd Ward’s Sean Oskerka called the incentives a “creative way of bringing a new Margaret Chlebek’s narrow lead in the race for Des Plaines’ 1st Ward aldermanic seat tripled to 12 votes Thursday With late-arriving mailed ballots and provisional ballots still being counted, Chlebek lead over Jessica M. Mastalski grew to 353 votes versus 341 It was the first time the tally posted at the Cook County clerk’s website changed since late Tuesday night Chlebek said she was “beyond grateful and thankful” for the support she’s received “I am amazed to see how the residents and businesses in the 1st Ward have shown me a magnitude of support and encouragement,” Chlebek said in an email text messages or social media posts requesting comment Chlebek and Mastalski campaigned for an open seat in the 1st Ward A city ordinance prevented current Alderman Mark Lysakowski Five additional municipal seats were on ballots in Des Plaines first-time candidate Dominik Bronakowski bested veteran 5th Ward Alderman Carla Brookman by a wide margin Brookman couldn’t run for alderman again because of term limits Brookman served on the council from 1997 to 2009 and was reelected in 2017 and 2021 represented the 5th Ward from 2009 to 2017 Bronakowski — a 24-year-old who was appointed to the city’s planning and zoning board last year — said he believes people are ready for “generational change” in Des Plaines and elsewhere “New leaders are stepping up,” said Bronakowski Bronakowski said he overcame Brookman’s experience and name recognition by campaigning door to door since Thanksgiving and building grass-roots support In the 5th Ward aldermanic race to succeed Brookman Alderman Patsy Smith knocked off challenger Bob Porada to secure a second term The brick building that once housed Oliveti’s Ristorante in downtown Des Plaines soon could make way for a new eatery Entrepreneurs want to knock down the two-story structure at 1575 Ellinwood St L-shaped building that would be anchored by an 8,200-square-foot restaurant on the ground floor Three apartments and storage spaces are planned for 5,400 square feet of space on the second floor The city council on Monday will consider approving a multimillion-dollar economic incentive and development agreement for the project Mayor Andrew Goczkowski is excited about the business plan saying it’s another step toward revitalizing downtown Des Plaines “for generations to come.” “It’s clear that we are moving forward and seeing real growth and real interest in making downtown Des Plaines a place to be,” Goczkowski said The former Olivett’s building is in the 2nd Ward between South River Road and Pearson Street near the eastern edge of Des Plaines’ downtown district The ground-floor commercial space has been unused since Oliveti’s closed in 2012. A country/western-themed restaurant and bar called Firewater Saloon was announced for the space in 2018 Two limited liability companies — Miner Street Station and D-4 of Des Plaines — are behind the new plan Partners include the operator of Park Ridge’s Harp and Fiddle restaurant Although the name Harp and Fiddle is featured on the facade of the building in an architectural rendering included in city documents Goodman couldn’t confirm the proposed restaurant’s likely name Friday the companies are requesting a low-interest loan from the city Constructing the new building will cost about $3.6 million and that’s what the companies want to borrow from the city The sum doesn’t include the price of the land or demolition costs The proposed loan agreement calls for a 10-year repayment schedule with a 3% annual interest rate up to $1.2 million of the loan would be forgiven when the final occupancy certificate for the restaurant is issued Monday’s council meeting is set for 7 p.m. at city hall, 1420 Miner St. The meeting will be open to the public and livestreamed at desplainesil.gov closed-door meeting at which the council is scheduled to discuss pending litigation and personnel matters A Des Plaines woman was deceived into giving away an estimated $500,000 in a computer-related scam that lasted more than a year The 76-year woman was contacted by phone in December 2023 by someone who claimed to be a Microsoft employee and said her computer was infected with viruses The caller said he could eliminate the viruses if she paid for the services using bitcoin Reports don’t indicate if the woman tried to confirm the caller’s identity with Microsoft The woman repeatedly sent money before contacting authorities this month Police don’t know what led her to eventually report the scam People should never send money to strangers when they’re contacted by phone “Unless you know the caller to be a trusted source do not provide money or personal information to people over the phone,” Bowler said The FBI received nearly 900,000 complaints about internet crimes in 2023, with losses exceeding $12.5 billion, according to the most recent data available It ranked seventh for total financial losses with $335.8 million The FBI recommends people keep computer systems and software up to date and for them to use reputable anti-virus programs computer users shouldn’t send payments to people or organizations that are requesting money and urging immediate action More information about cyber crimes is available on the FBI’s website at fbi.gov/investigate/cyber A real estate company has scrapped plans for a seven-story apartment-and-retail building in downtown Des Plaines Chicago-based Advent Properties had eyed nearly 3 acres at 760 Lee St Some of the privately owned site is a parking lot and the rest is undeveloped Commercial buildings once stood on the site Advent wanted to build 8,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space and then six stories of apartments Indoor and outdoor parking areas and a park that would’ve be open to the public were proposed The city council needed to approve a development agreement for the project It publicly discussed the proposal in December and suggested revisions The council was again scheduled to discuss the plan in February but postponed the review to give Advent time to adjust the plans city senior planner Samantha Redman said in a memo to City Manager Dorothy Wisniewski a lawyer for Advent emailed city officials to withdraw the application No explanation was given in the lawyer’s email a copy of which was included in documents for the city council meeting set for this Monday night Advent will continue to evaluate development options for the property Monday’s council meeting is set for 7 p.m. at city hall, 1420 Miner St. It is open to the public and will be livestreamed at desplainesil.gov Des Plaines City Council member Patsy Smith appeared headed to victory over challenger Bob Porada in the race for the 7th Ward seat Tuesday night The contest was one of four aldermanic races on Des Plaines ballots Smith was ahead of Porada 560 votes to 298 votes Smith stayed positive and addressed issues such as downtown redevelopment and infrastructure needs newcomer Margaret Chlebek was ahead of current City Clerk Jessica Mastalski 335 votes to 331 votes Tuesday night with ballots in all seven precincts counted was unable to run again because of term limits Chlebek touted a pro-business attitude and supported downtown redevelopment efforts Mastalski criticized her opponent’s lack of political experience and her connection to Lysakowski Mastalski also blasted the municipality’s financial relationship with a credit union based in city hall Mastalski was fired from her job the credit union shortly after she was elected clerk in 2021 The case against the city was dismissed and she settled with the credit union in 2023 incumbent Sean Oskerka led Debra Lester 648 votes to 546 votes Tuesday night with ballots in all seven precincts counted They differed notably regarding the downtown district While Oskerka solidly backed the city’s plans and projects Lester expressed concern about the cost of buildings the city has purchased for future redevelopment In the 5th Ward showdown between two newcomers Merlin led Michael Hardiman 373 votes to 166 votes Nearly two years after Des Plaines City Clerk Jessica Mastalski settled her lawsuit against the city-connected credit union where she once worked and the city she again is arguing issues at the core of the case — but this time in the court of public opinion Mastalski spent two minutes during last week’s city council meeting talking about the breach-of-contract lawsuit and questioning the financial relationship between the city and the city hall-based Northwest Municipal Federal Credit Union. Mastalski criticized the payment process for credit union workers alleged financial wrongdoing by unspecified city employees and called for an investigation “It is disappointing that the city is not taking such matters seriously,” said Mastalski who is nearing the end of her four-year term as clerk and is running for 1st Ward alderman in the April 1 election Mastalski expressed the same concerns during a candidate forum earlier this month, in a candidate questionnaire and in a lengthy social media post Mayor Andrew Goczkowski called Mastalski’s lawsuit “frivolous” and noted it cost taxpayers more than $72,000 to defend Mastalski’s absurd claims have no merit and no basis in reality,” Goczkowski said Mastalski filed the lawsuit in Cook County court in November 2021, six months after being fired from her job as a member service representative with the credit union, court documents show. She had been hired in 2016 and worked there when she was elected clerk in April 2021 The credit union operates rent-free on the fourth floor at Des Plaines city hall. It’s open to municipal workers in Des Plaines and other suburbs as well as workers with other governmental organizations Mastalski claimed she was fired for asking supervisors why her paychecks came from the city The organization claimed Mastalski was fired because of “excessive tardiness,” according to court documents; Mastalski called that “nonsense.” Attorneys for Des Plaines argued the city served as a payroll administrator for the credit union just as it has for other nonprofit organizations dismissing the complaint against Des Plaines in July 2023 Mastalski and the credit union reached a settlement later that month but Mastalski revealed details of the agreement in subsequent court filings including that she was to be paid $55,000 and that the parties agreed to not disparage each other at the March 17 council meeting and on social media When asked via email why she’s going public with her concerns now Mastalski said “because the issue has not been rectified.” “The residents have a right to be made aware; since the city has not notified the residents I then proceeded to make it public,” Mastalski said Goczkowski said internal and external investigations into Mastalski’s claims found no evidence of impropriety the City’s finances have been examined annually by independent external auditors who have given the City a clean audit opinion,” Goczkowski said in an email the Internal Revenue Service has also audited the City Mastalski’s opponent in the 1st Ward race, Margaret Chlebek said the lawsuit shows Mastalski “doesn’t have the best interest of anyone but herself.” “She should do the taxpayers a favor and stop costing them money and step down from the race,” Chlebek said in an email A German pharmaceutical company’s $163 million plan to expand its facility in Des Plaines got a tentative go-ahead from the city council Monday Vetter intends to construct a roughly 158,000-square-foot manufacturing and office building on its nearly 18-acre campus at 10 W. Algonquin Road Three existing but sparsely used Vetter buildings elsewhere on the property will remain The development plan needs two affirmative votes from the city council The council also overwhelmingly supported a sought-after reduction of the property’s assessment rate by the Cook County Board Only one vote was needed to make that recommendation the rate change will be applied only to the portion of the property where the new building will be constructed It will cut the property's annual tax bill by about $3.7 million for the 12-year life of the deal Vetter representatives have said the expansion project isn’t financially feasible without the tax break Vetter fills and packages medical syringes, cartridges and vials. In addition to the Des Plaines campus, it has a facility in Skokie that features a manufacturing center The Des Plaines campus is on the northwest corner of Algonquin and Mount Prospect roads The company purchased the site in 2017 and began improvements promising hundreds of new jobs once a factory and other facilities were completed and a development agreement with the city expired Last year, though, Vetter announced it was ready to move forward The company plans to move workers from Skokie to Des Plaines and create at least 50 full-time positions within four years Several aldermen spoke in favor of the project Monday The 4th Ward’s Dick Sayad thanked Vetter representatives in the audience for maintaining the property for so many years even though the expansion plans had been on hold Mayor Andrew Goczkowski welcomed the Vetter team “We’re glad to have you come and call Des Plaines home,” he said The 5th Ward’s Carla Brookman was the only alderman to oppose the development plan She complained that the city had an opportunity to buy the land and build a municipal complex there before Vetter snatched it up and she insisted the factory isn’t the best use of the property Brookman also expressed concern about how the proposed facility would affect the homeowners who live near the property 8th Ward Alderman Mike Charewicz praised the company’s plan to use fences to shield those neighbors from noise Brookman voted against the proposed tax break noting Vetter is an international company with more than $1 billion in annual revenue and thousands of employees “It’s hard to believe that a company of this size … can’t afford to pay their own property tax bill,” she said Brookman erroneously said taxpayers would have to pay more taxes if Vetter gets a tax break who oversees community development issues for the council A video of Monday’s meeting is available at desplainesil.gov