Fine tossed for Dixmoor library community event

A citation and $750 fine levied against the acting president of the Dixmoor Public Library District for attempting to hold a community meet-and-greet without a permit has been thrown out.

A municipal hearing officer dismissed the fine Thursday, primarily because the ticket did not include the date of the alleged code infraction.

“I’m very, very happy,” said Denise Ruffin, district president, after the hearing at Dixmoor Village Hall.

The event was held Sept. 24 on a vacant lot the district bought in 2016, at 14501 Davis Ave., which is the site of the proposed library.

The district spent a bit more than $2,000 to rent a tent, portable bathroom and to have giveaways such as $10 Subway gift cards and refrigerator magnets with the phone numbers for Village Hall and village police on them, according to Arletta Evans, the district’s secretary, and Yolanda Williams-Corner, the district’s treasurer.

They said that setup for the event began early in the morning and the gathering was opened to the public at 11 a.m. Evans said it was shut down by the village after noon, perhaps closer to 12:30 p.m.

Three village police officers and the village’s code enforcement officer arrived and told district officials that, without a permit, the event couldn’t continue, according to Evans and Williams-Corner.

At Thursday’s hearing, they and Ruffin, who the citation was issued to, explained the event was on private property, and that the library district is a separate governmental entity.

“Just because you are a governmental body doesn’t mean you can do what you want,” the hearing officer told the women.

He initially indicated he would not levy the proposed $750 fine, but that he intended to impose some financial penalty.

“I can’t just dismiss it because you were in violation,” he said.

But when the hearing officer noticed there was no date of violation on the ticket, he dismissed the case.

Evans and Williams-Corner had previously said district officials tried to get necessary approval at a Dixmoor Village Board meeting but were denied. The group was not on the agenda for that meeting, and the Village Board only considers items that are part of the agenda, according to a village spokesman.

A copy of the ticket shows the space where the violation date was to have been written is blank.

The due date for paying the fine was written as Sept. 24, which was the date the ticket was issued, and that same date had been written in the space indicating the court hearing date, but was scratched out to show Thursday’s hearing date.

The library district was established in 1989 and initially partnered with Harvey’s public library so Dixmoor residents could use its services. In 2011, the Dixmoor district instead partnered with the William Leonard Public Library in Robbins.

“What town does not want a library?” Williams-Corner said after Thursday’s decision.

Ruffin had brought a check for $750, assuming the fine would be assessed and would need to be paid right away. The hearing included tickets issued for vehicles with no valid registration and drivers parking in handicap spots. In instances were tickets were upheld, people were told they had 35 days to pay.