Beach Park licenses pawn shop

By Zion Benton News

The first order of business for the Beach Park Village Board Feb. 9 was to consider an ordinance creating a license for a pawn shop within village limits. The annual license fee is $1,000. The 13-page ordinance adds its own requirements to those required by the state. All owners must pass a criminal background check to qualify for a license.

The shop will be required to have surveillance recording inside at all times, and must obtain two forms of identification for all sellers. The shop is required to have a security system that is monitored 24 hours a day.

“This ordinance is more restrictive that a regular business license, which is what would be used if nothing else was in place,” Mayor pro tem John Hucker said. “It addresses a gap that exists in our regular ordinances.

It was unanimously approved.

The board then discussed a conditional use permit for Ibrahim Safi to open a pawn shop in the Gladstone Square Shopping Center at 38975 N. Lewis Ave. The shop will lend money and charge interest using personal items as collateral until redeemed. It is not allowed to buy, sell or lend money on any type of weapon.

The board approved the license for Safi with Trustees Linda Sittig and Regina Miller voting against it.

Park Dept. activities
Trustee Richard Gust announced upcoming activities with the Parks and Recreation Department. March 15 is the ‘Luck of the Irish’ party for seniors. That will be followed by an egg hunt at Founders Park April 7.

There will be another village-wide garage sale this summer on June 15, 16 and 17. There will be a movie in the park in Cambridge subdivision June 16.
Electricity

Trustees gave John Hucker authority to approve an electricity supply agreement. The village is among communities participating in the Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Cooperative which is taking bids to buy deregulated electricity at an advantageous fixed price for a fixed term. Action is anticipated to take place before the next board meeting, Feb. 23.

Mayor Jensen
Mayor Milt and Ida Jensen attended the board meeting for the first time since his surgery. “He’s fine,” Mrs. Jensen said. “The doctor said all he has to do is eat - or die.” The mayor said he’s going to eat even though he doesn’t have much appetite.

Hucker said, “To my surprise and pleasure the mayor is here - but he is about 50 feet from where he should be.” Mayor Jensen shook his head and indicated he wasn’t ready to do that again.