News from Bedford Park-Clearing Industrial Association

U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, brought out the heavy hitters to announce the state is putting toward the Central Avenue Bypass Project $60 million from the recent legalization of video poker. Joining the congressman, who's clearly trying to make the bypass his legacy, were Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. About $170 million in state and federal dollars has been set aside to pay for "preconstruction" such as right-of-way purchases, engineering and environmental studies, according to Nathaniel Zimmer, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski. Estimates for the total cost range from $300 million to $500 million. Illinois Department of Transportation officials at Lipinski's gathering indicated construction could happen as soon as 2011, with the bypass opening in two year (2013). Residents for years have pushed for another route to relieve congestion on Harlem and Cicero avenues, which are the only continuous north-south routes in the area.

Village of Bedford Park

Property Tax Incentives

Class 6 b - The Class 6 b is designed to encourage industrial development throughout Cook County by offering a real estate incentive for the development of new industrial facilities, the rehabilitation of existing industrial structures, and the redevelopment and occupancy of abandoned property or buildings.

Class 7 a - The Class 7 a incentive is designed to encourage, in areas determined to be "in need of commercial development", commercial projects with total development costs, exclusive of land that does not exceed $2 million and would not be economically feasible without the incentive.

Class 7 b - The Class 7 b is designed to encourage in areas determined to be "in need of commercial development", commercial projects with total developmental costs, exclusive of land that exceeds $2 million and would not be economically feasible without the incentive.

Class 8 - The Class 8 real estate tax incentive is designed to encourage industrial and commercial development in areas of Cook County that are experiencing severe economic stagnation.

Special Circumstances for Eligibility of Incentives:
The Real Property Assessment Classification Ordinance defines abandoned property as buildings that have been vacant and unused for at least 24 continuous months and purchased for value. New provisions now allow a building to be "abandoned" if there are special circumstances for abandonment of less than the 24 months and purchase for value, or there are special circumstances or abandonment for more than 24 months without a purchase for value (no change in ownership).

Requirements for Filing:

The Assessor and the Chicago-Cook County Business Center (CCBC) must receive a complete Eligibility Application prior to the reoccupation of the abandoned property. In all cases of abandonment with special circumstances, the resolution of the municipality detailing the special circumstances that led to the finding of abandonment and the resolution of the Cook County Board shall be submitted with the applications. Letters from the municipality and the CCBC may be filed in lieu of a resolution prior to reoccupation, but the resolution must be filed before the incentive can be rewarded by the Assessor.

Filing Process Steps:

1. The applicant must gain municipal approval in a resolution or ordinance to have the property qualify as abandoned. For special circumstances, the local municipal resolution must state (a) the period of abandonment, (b) a finding of special circumstances that justifies the building is deemed "abandoned", (c) a description of the special circumstances, and (d) that the incentive is necessary for development to occur.

2. The applicant files the Eligibility Application along with the letter in lieu or municipal resolutions with the CCBC and the Assessor's Office prior to reoccupation of the property. The CCBC will send letters in lieu of the resolution to the applicant and this letter must also be submitted to the Assessor. Cook County CCBC requires a municipal resolution before submitting the application of the Board of Commissioners.

3. The Eligibility Application, municipal resolution and the report of the CCBC will be forwarded to the Cook County Board for consideration. The applicant must also comply with the County's Living Wage Ordinance. After a resolution of the Cook County Board is approved, a copy of this resolution must be submitted to the Assessor.

Many Types of New Development

also may Qualify

The Village Board is committed to utilize the Tax Incentives that are available. For further information email Donna Smith @ donna@villageofbedfordpark.com

Harris Bank Open

Bedford Park-Clearing Industrial Association Newsletter

September 2009

Presidents' Message:

I would like to start out by saying Thanks' to all those involved in our three golf outings this year. Once again, despite the June rainout which was rescheduled in September, we were able to offer our members the opportunity to come out and enjoy a fine day on the courses and a chance to network between members and guests at the dinner afterward. A special thanks to the Golf Committee, Sponsors, Prize Donors and all those who participated in this years events. It's only through your generous donations of time, contributions and participation that we are able to provide our members with 3 outings per year. I don't know of many other organizations that do more than one per year. My thanks again to all.

As you may be aware, our Organization continues to grow and expand, attracting more and more members, both Active and Associate. As part of the mission of the organization, we continue to provide the opportunities for our members to network and interact with other business professionals to promote a healthy, prosperous business climate, especially in these trying economic times. We have developed an outstanding relationship with local government and hope to provide a strong conduit between our members and the Village of Bedford Park which serves our business community.

In that vein, I am happy to announce a new position that our Executive Director, Donna Smith has taken on. After being contacted by Mayor Brady and through negotiations with the Village attorney and Board, Donna will now also serve as the Village Business Contact person. In addition to her duties with BPCIA, Donna will be working part time for the Village, contacting all the businesses in Bedford Park and keeping track of sales calls and activities throughout the year. She will also be the contact person for the new radio commercials the Village has planned which should attract new business to Bedford Park. The relationship should be beneficial to both our organizations.

As always, if you have any questions, suggestions and or comments about the organization, feel free to contact any of our board members or Donna Smith directly at our business office (708) 496 - 0336.

Don Stanczyk

BPCIA President

Know Your Neighbor:

Acme Document Destruction

Division of Acme Refining

"To Shred or Not to Shred"

Businesses have not quite gotten used to the idea that the shredding of sensitive documents and proprietary information is on its way to becoming a typical business expense. It wasn't that long ago when expenses like the Internet and Blackberries were nonexistent. With over ten million people per year becoming victims of identity theft, every business needs to protect their companies, customers and their employees. A staggering $221 billion a year is lost by businesses worldwide due to identity theft. It's time to jump on the bandwagon and provide your company, customers and employees with the protection they deserve.
Unfortunately, there are criminals who make it their business to find a flaw in your procedures. They may prey on the dumpster where your trash is stored and now they have sophisticated computer programs that reconstruct documents shredded by an office shredder. There might even be one of these criminals working at your company. After all, 43% of identity theft victims think they know the person who has stolen their identity.
Popular identity theft techniques include stealing mail or rummaging through trash (dumpster and trash can diving), retrieving carelessly disposed documents/ information from public dump sites , and stealing credit card information, drivers licenses and ID cards from stolen wallets and purses.
Many companies ask what types of documents we recommend shredding. The answer at Acme is "all paper." We are not in the business of creating picture perfect paper shipments, we are in the business of protecting our customers. When a document shredding company asks for white paper only, they are in the business of creating dollars on the sale of their paper. At Acme, we encourage our own employees and our customers to put all paper into the document shredding bins. No decisions just place all office paper, newspaper, catalogues, junk mail into the bin. The material is shredded offsite and 100% of the paper is recycled.
If a company does not want all paper products placed in the shred bin, we recommend, at the least, all financial and payroll records, personnel files and HR information, invoices, customers lists and sales statistics, medical records make it to the shred bin. Basically any document that you would not want in the hands of a criminal or competitor.
There are many different types of shredding companies to choose from. They range from large publically traded companies to a one or two person operation. When looking for a document destruction company, it is important to do your homework. Document shredding is not an area to cut corners, the cost of an identity theft lawsuit ranges from tens of thousands to millions, depending on the circumstances. For instance, being a member of NAID (National Association for Information Destruction) does not mean the same as being NAID Certified. You may want to visit the document shredding company to view their procedures and make sure they are compliant with your company's needs. Just getting a good feeling about the sales person is not enough.
Acme Document Destruction, a division of Acme Refining, the Midwest's largest scrap metal service, is all about recycling. We work with large medical facilities to provide one stop shopping for recycling by implementing Green Programs that provide cost savings. By taking paper, cardboard, plastic, electronics and metal out of the waste stream, there is an immediate savings in refuse expense. We provide office consoles or rolling bins to store the sensitive information and our certified, experienced and watchful staff moves the documents in locked containers to ensure 100% security. Acme is NAID Certified which means we are audited for best practices to ensure your safety.
If you aren't already using a document shredding company, it's time to explore and compare the costs. What I mean by costs is the chance of a lawsuit by not shredding at all, identity theft and what it costs internally to have an employee shred the company's sensitive documents. Hiring a document shredding company is worth the expense, hands down.
For more information about Acme Document Destruction, please contact Judy Ferraro @ 773-523-4500 or visit our website at www.AcmeDocumentDestruction.com

Know Your Neighbor

European Chalet Banquets

FOOD TASTING

September 28

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

European Chalet Banquets is hosting a food tasting on Monday, September 28, 2009 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Anyone interested in finding a new and unique venue for an upcoming retirement, holiday or corporate party should RSVP to John Kapusciarz at 773-229-9440 by September 21, 2009. We will be showcasing all 20 different entree selections and 40 different accompanying side selections. When you host a celebration, you're the best judge of what you want. You know your guests and their personalities - it's your dream.

European Chalet Banquets is at your service. Like the concierge at a fine hotel, our family of experts will gather together to create an experience that you and your guests will talk about for years to come.

The secret of our success is treating you like one of the family. Nothing is compromised to give you what you want. We make our meals from scratch using fresh ingredients. Beverages? We have dozens of premium choices including a complete wine cellar. We are trained by experience and tradition to provide four star elegance for a fraction of the cost. After all, you're family, too.

How did this much-celebrated hidden gem come to be? In 1992 and just down the street from where he and his wife raised the family, European Chalet family visionary Joseph Kapusciarz first acquired the location that is now European Chalet Banquets-one of the finest banquets facilities. As the rest of the family joined in, through a lot of laughter, sweat and tears, we built what was to become the best banquet facility around.

To a person, we are all involved in every facet of the business, yet each family member has a specialty, too. Joseph is king of quality control; the food doesn't leave the kitchen unless it meets his extremely high standards. Maria, both mom and wife, makes certain that the kitchen and banquet rooms are spotless and shining. Theresa, the oldest daughter, manages each party with the precision of a Swiss clock while making guests feel right at home. John, who likes to introduce himself as the SOB (son of the boss) is responsible for sales and everything else office related, ensuring that our day-to-day activities run smoothly. Irene pitches in as a bartender and manager, while the youngest, Mark, ensures all the finer details are tended to.

European Chalet Banquets is full of food and fun, without the hassles. What better way to spend a night celebrating with your closest friends and family than with our family at European Chalet Banquets! No wonder so many of our neighbors are eager to share their excitement and assurance that European Chalet Banquets is the perfect choice.

John Kapusciarz
European Chalet Banquets
(773) 229-9440 Office
(773) 229-0437 Fax

September Golf Outing