Niles recently received a $1,000 donation for the construction of the village’s first-ever community garden.
Village officials posed during their board meeting Aug. 23 with a gigantic $1,000 check delivered on behalf of Presence Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago by Bob Dahl, regional president and CEO of the organization.
The village received an $8,000 grant for the project from ComEd and Openlands — a conservation organization focused on the Chicago region — earlier this summer. As a condition of the grant, the village needed to raise an additional $8,000.
Assistant Village Manager Hadley Skeffington-Vos has said the village would cover whatever money isn’t generated via donations.
At the Aug. 23 meeting, Skeffington-Vos announced an expansion of the garden, currently under construction at 7087 N. Franks Ave., just south of the Niles Public Services building and on top of the remains of a former playground at Jozwiak Park. Skeffington-Vos said the garden now will include several additional rental plots, now totaling 28, in addition to an inter-generational garden that will be made accessible to individuals with disabilities.
All produce grown in the inter-generational garden will be donated to the Niles Food Pantry, she said.
The construction project is led by Eagle Scout Troop 175, she said. The village also hosted two volunteer days following last week’s meeting in which residents were asked to help by constructing wood frames for garden beds, installing dirt in-fill and preparing the site for the installation of a fence.
More Top Picks Best Amazon Prime Day Beauty Device Deals 2026
The garden beds will be open to renters in January of next year.
Village board members also addressed other items during their meeting Aug. 23.
New interim finance director
Trustees officially welcomed Harry Sakai as the village’s new interim finance director.
Former director Scot Neukirch left his post with the village earlier this month to serve as finance director for the Niles Park District. Village board members approved an employee leasing agreement with GovTemps USA, a public sector staffing firm that helps government agencies fill positions on a temporary basis.
Village Manager Steve Vinezeano said Sakai, who came out of retirement to fill the Niles post in the short term, will be paid for his work through the staffing firm.
Sales tax incentive with Golf Mill Ford
Board members voted 5-0 to approve a sales tax incentive agreement with Niles auto-dealer Golf Mill Ford.
The business intends to invest roughly $1.7 million into their property, 9401 Milwaukee Ave., to expand their service department, according to village documents. The economic incentive agreement stipulates that the village and the auto-dealer will split all sales tax collected over a baseline amount.
As part of the agreement, the dealership also will need to remain in Niles, trustees said.
“We not only have to encourage people to open up businesses, but we have to try to retain the businesses that are good to us and I see this as more of a partnership with Golf Mill Ford because they accepted the fact they will be marketing Niles on all their ads,” said trustee Dean Strzelecki.
Trustee Denise McCreery said the dealership has proved to be an “excellent neighbor” in the village. She said the incentive agreement “only strengthens us.”
“Having successful businesses in our community is the best way to continue to provide excellent service to our residents,” McCreery said.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelancer reporter for Pioneer Press.