Opportunities for continued improvement and positive change lie ahead in Western Springs
“It promises to be an exciting year for plans,” said Village President William Rodeghier. “I just hope we an accomplish them all.”
Water quality
Several measures are under development following numerous complaints about poor water quality from mid-October to early December, when one of two deep wells was offline for repairs, Rodeghier said.
The village purifies deep well water through a reverse osmosis filtration system, resulting in quality comparable to Lake Michigan water from Chicago, officials said. But to meet demand during repairs, water from a shallow well high in iron and calcium content was used that couldn’t be treated in the plant.
From residents’ suggestions, officials are investigating whether to have a complete well shaft and pump motor ready to be installed in a matter of days, rather than weeks to avoid frustrating disruptions, he said.
An advanced filtration system also was suggested to purify water from the shallow well high in minerals so it could be treated in the plant as a definitely be an improvement over water delivered in November, Rodeghier said.
Digging a third deep well to insure a continuous high-quality supply is a long-term option and certainly the most expensive one, the village president said. A committee of volunteers and experts are studying possible locations for another deep well, the cost to drill and connect it to the existing system and how to finance the project, he said.
“It’s going to take years before that gets accomplished, but that’s certainly on the books,” he said.
Train station repairs
Plans to replace the east platform of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line at the Metra station have been in the works for some time, and 2016 could be the year it gets done, Rodeghier said.
“It’s deplorable, it’s ugly and it needs to get fixed,” he said.
Federal grant money will help fund the project, but the approval process has been slow in working with the federal government, Illinois Department of Transportation, railroad and Metra, officials said.
“It’s just an arduous process, but we’re finally getting there as far as I know,” Rodeghier said.
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Tischler’s property
Construction is expected to begin before the March expiration of a special-use permit required for the Foxford Station Development Plan, approved by the Village Board in February.
The project at the corner of Wolf Road and Burlington Avenue will demolish the former Tischler’s grocery store and Breen Cleaners, buildings which have been vacant for several years. The four-story building includes 52 housing units and 3,800 square feet of commercial space, as well as indoor parking facilities.
Rodeghier said village officials will keep a close eye on construction activities and traffic at one of the town’s busiest intersections
Consolidated Dispatch Center
Intergovernmental agreements were signed in 2015 by La Grange, La Grange Park and Western Springs forming the new Lyons Township Area Communications Center to combine emergency services dispatching.
Representatives of the three communities said studies showed the consolidation would provide enhanced service, retain local control and save money in the long run after equipment upgrades by forming their own center, rather than joining a larger neighboring agency.
With a governance board and operating structure in place, the center hopes to attract other neighboring communities to join and enjoy cost savings. A new state law requires all communities to be part of a consolidated center by July 1, 2017.
An architectural study is being completed to redesign part of the La Grange Police Department where the center will be located. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2016, officials said.
Water and websites
The two main jobs on Indian Head Park’s to-do list are installing new water meters and redesigning the village website, said Village President Tom Hinshaw.
The tentative date to open the bids for the project is in February, Hinshaw said.
“Once we select a vendor, we are hoping to get it rolling in March or April,” he said.
The meters the Village Board chooses will send signals electronically that report how much water is used, so employees will no longer have to go to each home and read the meter individually, he said.
Along with the meters, the village will get new computer software to prepare the bills, which most likely will be redesigned, Hinshaw said.
Village officials also decided it’s time to update the village website, which has not been done in 16 years, Hinshaw said.
The website does not open very well on mobile devices, which is how many people check Internet sites. The new website will be easier to read on mobile platforms, Hinshaw said.
Village officials have been discussing options with CivicPlus, a firm that specializes in website design for municipalities, he said.
Kimberly Fornek contributed to this article.
Twitter: @janemichaels22