Town of Cedar Lake
Unsafe Building Department
Regular Meeting Minutes

Pledge of Allegiance

Mr. Thiel called the meeting to order and led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll Call

Approval of Minutes

Minutes of the June 17, 2026 regular meeting were presented for approval.

Motion to approve the June 17, 2026 regular meeting minutes made by Mr. Parker; seconded by Mr. Layman.

Motion carries, 3–0.

Active Unsafe

1. 7204 W. 129th Lane — 14-Day Notice Prior to Demolition Order

Mr. Gatto reported that while the property owner's (Josh) proposed scope of work was previously found acceptable, he never submitted a building permit application. Mr. Gatto has been in contact with him by phone and email but has not received further response since being advised he needed to formally apply.

The Board expressed significant frustration with the continued lack of communication and progress despite multiple prior opportunities. After extended discussion of options — including immediately proceeding with a demolition order — the Board settled on a firmer, final notice approach rather than jumping straight to demolition.

Motion directing staff to notify the property owner, in writing (email, consistent with the Town's prior communications with him) and by supplemental letter, that he has 14 days to submit a permit application; if a permit is not obtained, the Building Department will be instructed to prepare a demolition order for Board consideration at the next meeting, made by Mr. Layman; seconded by Mr. Parker.

Motion carries, 3–0.

2. 7110 W. 128th Avenue — 30-Day Deferral (Contingent)

Okreglak, Tadeusz appeared. He explained he would like to pay for and obtain the building permit and begin construction himself as owner-builder, framing and roofing the house using materials he already has on hand, and secure a licensed plumbing and electrical contractor at a later point in the project once he can find qualified tradespeople at an affordable price.

Mr. Gatto confirmed the previously reviewed plans (originally reviewed circa 2019) remain unchanged and valid, and that a homeowner has the right to self-perform construction work on his own residence. The estimated permit cost is unchanged from the prior estimate, approximately $3,500–$3,800. Mr. Gatto explained the standard permit review turnaround is approximately 7–10 days once a complete application is submitted, which can be done online or by email.

The Board clarified that the permit must be issued before work begins, and that continued progress will be expected once construction starts. The owner indicated he intends to submit his application within the next day or two and hopes to begin work while favorable weather continues.

Motion to defer 7110 W. 128th Avenue 30 days, contingent on the owner submitting a permit application and obtaining the permit — if the permit is obtained before the next meeting, the owner's appearance will not be required and the item will move to Under Permit — made by Mr. Parker; seconded by Mr. Layman.

Motion carries, 3–0.

3. 14616 Dewey Street — 30-Day Deferral

Tom Frick did not appear. Mr. Gatto reported he has continued attempting to reach DVG Engineering regarding the outstanding drainage plan, including a follow-up call two days prior with no response received. The site plan and house design are otherwise complete and the house remains secure; the drainage plan is the sole outstanding item.

Motion to defer 14616 Dewey Street 30 days made by Mr. Parker; seconded by Mr. Layman.

Motion carries, 3–0.

4. 13438 Hilltop — 30-Day Deferral

The title report ordered in connection with demolition order preparation has not yet been returned; no contact has been received from any party connected to the estate. No further action is available until the title work is complete.

Motion to defer 13438 Hilltop 30 days made by Mr. Parker; seconded by Mr. Layman.

Motion carries, 3–0.

5. 13517 Dewey Street — Title Search and Demolition Order Preparation Directed

This item was moved to Active Unsafe at the June 17 meeting. Mr. Gatto reported no further contact from the owner (Francisco Perez) since his initial response when the letter was first sent; the owner previously stated he intended to sell the property and was not interested in making repairs, but no listing, maintenance, or sale activity has been observed.

The Board discussed proceeding proactively with title work and demolition order preparation now, rather than waiting, reasoning that doing so would place any prospective purchaser on notice of the pending unsafe building action during their due diligence, and would help ensure the matter does not fall through the cracks if the property changes ownership.

Motion to direct legal counsel to order a title report and prepare a demolition order for 13517 Dewey Street made by Mr. Layman; seconded by Mr. Parker.

Motion carries, 3–0.

6. 7409 W. 140th Place — Emergency Demolition Follow-Up; Property to be Secured

Mr. Gatto and Tim King visited the site following the June 17 emergency demolition order. Mr. Gatto reported the Town has no working contact information for the owner — no phone number or email on file, and the mailing address for tax and utility billing is the site address itself, from which bills are apparently being paid in person, in cash. Basement water was estimated at approximately two feet in depth.

Motion to instruct Public Works to secure 7409 W. 140th Place (e.g., boarding open foundation/basement access points) made by Mr. Layman; seconded by Mr. Parker.

Motion carries, 3–0.

The Board discussed that costs associated with securing the property (labor, materials) will be tracked and pursued via lien against the property, consistent with standard Unsafe Building Department cost-recovery practice. Mr. Thiel noted approximately $11,000 remains available in the Department's regular (non-non-reverting) fund for this type of work.

Potential Unsafe

1. 14523 Colfax Place

Mr. Gatto reported the exploratory demolition permit holder has removed the garage and windows, consistent with the scope of the exploratory permit. No further action needed at this time; monitoring continues.

No formal action taken.

2. 13040 Polk Street — 30-Day Deferral

Jim DePersia appeared. He reported a significant new complication discovered within the past week: both south corners of the garage have settled by approximately 2¼ inches, and the block wall shows additional cracking beyond what was previously known. He explained the existing floor is a floating slab not structurally tied to the block walls, and that the settling issue is separate from and larger in scope than the floor-raising work discussed at the prior meeting.

Mr. DePersia stated this discovery requires him to consult a foundation contractor before he can commit to a scope of work, since simply raising the floor would no longer resolve the underlying structural issue. He requested additional time to evaluate his options, which may now include full demolition and rebuild on the existing footprint (same dimensions, since expanding the footprint would require separate variance approval) rather than repair. He also referenced a desire to potentially reconfigure one corner of the structure (which sits close to the road) as part of any eventual rebuild, which would require separate approval given it would alter the existing footprint.

The Board reiterated the need for a concrete plan and permit application, cautioning that indefinite delay is not acceptable and that construction season is limited. Mr. DePersia submitted a drawing from a prior (2017) permit application showing existing support posts, offered for the Building Department's file.

Motion to defer 13040 Polk Street 30 days, with direction for Mr. DePersia to work with Mr. Gatto to establish an agreed scope of work and pursue a permit — if a permit is obtained before the next meeting, his appearance will not be required and the item will move to Under Permit — made by Mr. Layman; seconded by Mr. Parker.

Motion carries, 3–0.

3. 7417 W. 134th Court — Moved to Active Unsafe

Letter sent April 13, 2026; no response received. Mr. Gatto reported the property is now VA-owned (following a default on a VA-guaranteed mortgage) and referenced a flyer found on the door listing a property manager's name and phone number. The house does not yet appear to be listed for sale; the detached garage is in worse condition than the house itself.

Motion to move 7417 W. 134th Court to Active Unsafe and send notice to the VA and the identified property manager made by Mr. Parker; seconded by Mr. Layman.

Motion carries, 3–0.

4. 12912 Hilltop

Letter sent June 30, 2026. The 60-day response window remains open; no action is required until it expires. No response received to date, though it is still early in the notice period.

No formal action taken.

Under Permit / Demolition Orders

14324 Edison (Town of Cedar Lake): No change.

13025 Tyler Street: Demolition complete — the structure has been removed. Mr. Gatto noted the contractor who performed the work did so at a substantially lower cost than prior quotes previously obtained by the Town for comparable work. Mr. Thiel asked that this pricing information be retained for future reference when the Town evaluates in-house versus contracted demolition costs.

Motion to remove 13025 Tyler Street from the Unsafe Building list, demolition being complete, made by Mr. Parker; seconded by Mr. Layman.

Motion carries, 3–0.

Update Items

13713 Parish Avenue (Diamond Peak Homes LLC): Mr. Thiel reported that the Town's prior contact at Diamond Peak Homes, Mr. Herbers, is no longer with the company; a new contact person is currently being trained but was not yet identified. Updated contact information will need to be obtained before further progress can be tracked on this item.

Public Comment

Dan Mitchell — 12534 Tall Oaks Drive

Mr. Mitchell raised a concern, previously brought to the Town's attention, regarding electrical work performed at a property without a permit or inspection. Mr. Thiel clarified that this Board's jurisdiction covers blighted and unsafe structural conditions, not permit or inspection compliance questions of this nature, and confirmed with Mr. Austgen that such matters properly fall under the purview of the Plan Commission or Town Council, not the Unsafe Building Department. Mr. Mitchell indicated he had previously raised the matter with Town Council President Recupito and that the issue had not been resolved to his satisfaction. The Board confirmed there is no action available to it on this matter and directed Mr. Mitchell to continue pursuing it through the appropriate channel.

Adjournment

Mr. Thiel adjourned the meeting at 6:46 PM.