The Homer Glen Village Board approved stricter penalties on tobacco stores that sell products to minors but postponed a decision to update a tree preservation ordinance, which would impose penalties on property owners who remove mature trees without a permit.
The Village Board has considered for the last month tougher rules for tobacco shops found guilty of selling their products to anyone under age 21 after receiving an uptick in complaints from concerned parents.
Village officials said the prior ordinance was too lenient. The new ordinance has a mandatory minimum penalty, including suspending the tobacco license, attorney Mike Pasquinelli said.
Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said one concern she had was if a tobacco shop was found guilty of selling to minors in May, but their annual license wasn’t up for renewal until the following April, the shop might continue selling tobacco products to children with no repercussions.
Under the ordinance approved Wednesday, the first violation would be a fine of between $1,000 to $2,500 and suspension of the tobacco license for at least 14 consecutive days.
A second violation within a 12-month period would be a fine of between $2,500 and $5,000 and suspension of the tobacco license for at least 30 days, and a third violation within a year would be a fine of at least $5,000 and revocation of the tobacco license.
The fines would be stricter than the minimum the state requires, which sets a first violation of $200, a second violation at $400 and higher fines for subsequent violations, deputy clerk Gina Marcotte said.
Illinois raised its age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 years old in 2019. The village has recently taken other measures to protect children from other harmful substances, including banning the sales of nitrous oxide, Kratom and synthetic Kratom.
Tree preservation ordinance
The Village Board tabled a tree preservation ordinance which aims to prevent clear-cutting of lots and preserve the village’s tree canopy after board members disagreed with some of the provisions.
The village’s mature trees are at risk as development increases on larger residential lots, said Trustee Robert Schaller, co-chair of the village’s Environmental Committee.
More Top Picks Black Plusdecker Hc150b
Trees are a big part of Homer Glen’s identity and play an important role in improving air quality, managing stormwater and increasing property values, Schaller said. They also take generations to mature, so the village wants to discourage their removal, he said.
“A 20-inch oak is somewhere between 80 and 100 years old,” Schaller said. “That tree is older than most homes in Homer Glen. Over a century, it filtered stormwater, pulled carbon out of the air, cooled properties around it and fed and sheltered wildlife that has nowhere else to go as this community develops. No mitigation payment restores that.”
Under the proposal, property owners who remove healthy trees can choose to replant trees on site, contribute to the village’s tree fund, which is used for planting new trees or arborist fees, or a combination of both.
Trees would be divided into three tiers depending on how large they are, and different penalties would be imposed if the property owner did not secure a village permit to cut down a tree. The penalties apply to trees that were in excellent, good or fair condition and not trees that are dying or hazardous.
Trees may be cleared without penalty if they are within the footprint of a proposed new home and driveway, but not an accessory structure, like a shed, the proposal states.
The board questioned how large the property must be for the ordinance to apply. The proposal says the ordinance would be implemented in phases starting in January with lots that are 1.5 acres and slowly apply to smaller lots. By 2031, the ordinance, if enacted, could apply to lots that are at least half an acre.
Trustee Curt Mason said while he doesn’t want to see properties clear-cut, he worried about government overreach on private land.
Trustee Mike Lepore said he felt the ordinance created an additional tax on homeowners, and penalties seemed excessive. Developers would pass the cost onto residents, he said.
“I also have a problem that this ordinance will turn neighbor on neighbor,” Lepore said. “How are we going to know if someone cuts down a tree? Are the Smiths going to call because the Jones cut down a tree?”
Several Environment Committee members said the village is known for its rural charm and respect for nature.
Homes can be built on vacant farmland where there aren’t trees, but those who choose a wooded lot should be considerate of their surroundings, committee member Joe Turrise said.
“We’re community and nature in harmony, that is what we are trying to accomplish,” Turrise said.
Committee member Andy Panelli, who is also president of the DeBoer Woods Homeowners Association, said other communities, including Frankfort, Lisle and Naperville, have tree ordinances.
“This is something that a lot of villages that want to protect the character of their community do,” Panelli said.
The village’s existing ordinance was last updated in 2006 and is outdated, Schaller said. The committee has worked on the proposal since February 2025 and is expected to consider tweaking the plan before it returns to the board for a vote.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.