The following items were discussed and/or action was taken at the Norridge Village Board meeting on Nov. 9.
Longtime employee honored
David Kaspar, a 30-year-employee of the village’s public works department, was honored for his years of service by the Norridge Village Board. Mayor James Chmura congratulated Kaspar with a proclamation honoring his employment.
Mapping services provider enters contract with Norridge
The board approved a one-year contract for $38,939 with Municipal GIS Partners Inc. of Des Plaines for support services for the village’s Geographical Information System. A GIS system is used to store and manage geographical mapping data to help with planning, emergency response and other municipal functions.
Village to consider bank’s request to build drive-thru
A zoning hearing is scheduled for Dec. 5. Village officials will consider a request from Wintrust Bank to construct a drive-thru at a proposed banking facility at 4363 N. Harlem Ave. The bank, represented by law firm Dowd, Dowd & Mertes Ltd., needs a zoning map amendment to rezone the land parcel from its current designation as a manufacturing district to what would become a general business district. Businesses in manufacturing districts are prohibited from having a drive-thru feature, according to the village.
Combined police dispatch center moves forward
Norridge officials Nov. 9 approved an intergovernmental agreement with the villages of Harwood Heights and Schiller Park for a combined 911 dispatch center opening in the Harwood Heights police department next year.
The call center will service the three towns’ 911 and non-emergency calls, and its opening will force the closure of the police dispatch departments operated by the Norridge and Schiller Park police departments.
The merger was prompted by a state law passed in 2015 requiring most communities in Illinois with less than 25,000 residents to combine their dispatch centers with neighboring towns.
Local officials have not said when the new dispatch center would open, but the state mandate says the new combined call centers should be operational by next summer.
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In a separate measure, the Norridge Village Board approved a $22,275 agreement with Computer Information Systems Inc. of Skokie for software to support records management and dispatch operations for the new call center.
New police employees hired
The board approved a recommendation from Police Chief Dave Disselhorst to hire Joshua Rio-Ramirez and Robert Smiegowski as auxiliary police officers. Kelly Brooks was hired as a reserve radio dispatcher.
Smiegowski, who started his new position Oct. 1, was employed by Norridge as a reserve auxiliary officer for the past year, according to the village.
Brooks and Rio-Ramirez marked their first day on the job Nov. 1, according to the village.
Next board meeting scheduled
The next Norridge Village Board meeting will be held Dec. 14 at village hall, 4000 N. Olcott Ave.
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.