Remarks by James E. McDonald
121 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 5
- Play at 3:04
“That's what I read, as a design feature, more than a bench.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 4:51
“And the motion as amended? Yes. Yes, to 124th Street.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 14:43
“That's all you got. That's all I got. I just have a question. Please. So this grass of the month stuff, you've been doing this for a while? Plant of the month stuff. Plant of the month stuff. This month it's grass. Oh, OK.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 22:26
“If you're looking at Sunnyland South, as you just stated, we have a number of different owners of that parcel, and there are entrances all the way along, starting with Sergio's at one end and Milam's at the other.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 23:34
“I agree. I think there's been a lack of bicycle parking. We build shared use paths. We try to encourage people to ride bicycles to the shopping area. And if you do and you don't have a place to park and lock your bike, you're not going to do it. Right.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 26:16
“Tell somebody that's a bike rack. I don't think so either. Okay.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 27:20
“I disagree, Vice Mayor. I think if we're going to do it, this isn't... Like 16 for 500 to 1,000 parking spaces. Well, we don't even have that. But the thing is, we don't have them now. It's 16 what? Bicycle. Bicycles, yeah.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:04:48
“Keep pushing that button. So we'll get more details on this in our work up to the budget as far as... Theoretically, yes.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:04:55
“Okay. All right. Thank you. All right. I have one other thing to say. Yeah. Listening to the gentleman, your presentation, which was well done, it reminded me way back when my kids were... small, I actually coached soccer. And we used the Palmetto Elementary over to the space that's right next to 124th Street, which was then wide open. This was back in, I think, the early 80s. And I was asked to coach. And I never played soccer, but I got the rule book out. And I figured it out. I used to tell the kids, just take it that way. Anyway, I had a woman come up to me and said, boy, you're such a…”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:16:49
“So they paid a total of what, $29,000? $29,000. Yes. $29,000, okay.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:17:16
“So now they're here and they want to settle this thing, pay the hard costs of 3,148.08 and basically a fine of 25,000.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:17:35
“Well, I already could figure it out. What do you want? I'd accept that offer and settle this and move on because they didn't, it seems to me like they've come... Well, let me finish. I mean, what I've heard, what I've read, they just took over the property a year ago. All of this stuff goes back to, what, five years, six years ago? Right.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:17:57
“Yeah, third owner, whatever. Here we are. They've already taken care of $20,000 in fines, and they're willing to pay the hard costs and make another payment. I say, let's accept that and move on. That would be my vote.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:18:48
“Hang on. He just interjected. What was the final score?”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:27:46
“Well, I have a question then. I'm sorry.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:28:01
“No, I mean, I remember my previous term on this council, we had a lot of these kinds of, a lot, a number of these situations. And we'd have our fines on a daily basis running up, sort of on paper. I don't recall. Maybe Mitch can answer. These fines, are they liens on the property? Are they actually liens? Are they liens? Yes, we lien the property. OK. So when in foreclosure, and this property has gone through a number of iterations.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:29:00
“So if we weren't listed, that means the, pardon? I'm sorry.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:29:17
“Okay, that was where I was coming from. If we were not listed and somebody takes property under foreclosure and is not aware of these liens that go back five or six years.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:29:47
“Well, okay, but let me finish my thought was or is You know if this were the original property owner who allowed the property to to lay fallow and all that that's one thing and but I don't think which is why I thought and what council has said, and what I remember from other incidents, Joe, Mr. Mayor, that we had similar type things where we had these enormous fines, and then somebody came in and purchased and did what we wanted, cleaned up the property. We looked at them as sort of on paper, a number, but then said, okay, let's resolve this for the new person. These aren't supposed to be…”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:31:32
“No, they're not here. I get that, but there's no way to quantify that other than, yeah, you don't want to live next to a place like that.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:34:38
“Did we really? I seem to remember making decisions, though, where we sort of, OK, let's move on and make and make a deal.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:35:07
“And if they knew it, that's one thing. I'm hearing that your guy didn't know it.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:35:13
“Well, again, here's what I'm seeing. I'm just looking at this. We're looking at whatever it is, $400,000. I don't want to say, well, she's a lawyer. You're a lawyer. If I get hit, I'm the owner, and I get hit with this, and I didn't know anything about it, there's enough money at stake here to drag us all into court and sue us over it. I mean, not that we have to. I'm just saying, is there an issue of notice? My whole point is on this kind of thing, let's settle it with a number that satisfies us and move on, and that's all I'm saying. Got it. And whether it's $50,000 or whatever.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:44:54
“Questions? I have one. Sir? So on the 77th Avenue streets, is it mostly the 77th Avenue that the cars are running, the reds? Or is it the cross streets? What have you got here? 120, 128, and 132nd?”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 1:45:20
“It would be the same answer then for 112 and 104? Correct. Okay, got it.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026