In an effort to limit public gatherings and help contain the spread of the new coronavirus, the villages of Glenview and Northbrook have canceled all Village Board and other commission meetings until at least April 5, according to a news releases from each of the villages.
Village services will continue and the two village halls will still be open, but Glenview officials are “strongly encouraging” residents to pay bills and apply for building permits online instead of in person.
The offices for Northfield Township, of which Northbrook and Glenview are part of, are closed to walk-in business, except for the food pantry, township authorities said in a release.
“The village and its local Northfield Township government partners will continue to reassess conditions and provide alerts to the community, including the possible extension of this temporary suspension,” the village of Glenview release states.
Glenview will still be able to pay its bills, even though trustees can’t meet to approve the spending, village spokeswoman Lynne Stiefel told the Pioneer Press Monday. The board will have to “retroactively approve” the spending, she said.
Stiefel said resolutions and ordinances requiring a board vote will have to wait.
“We had some road construction bids (on the next agenda),” Stiefel said. “I think those projects won’t lose time if if they have to wait a few weeks to be approved.”
If meetings have to be postponed past April 5, Stiefel said the village will take direction from its lawyer and the state about how to safely and legally provide a way for trustees to meet.
“We acted very proactively when we announced last week that we would be canceling all public meetings,” Stiefel said. “Now that this is a statewide concern, I think that we would act in concert with the rest of the state. But that doesn’t preclude us from determining what’s best for our community.”
Glenview is also temporarily canceling building space use for events other than “essential village operations.” Residents can call the village manager’s office at 847-904-4370 to reschedule or ask questions.
For updates from both villages and other information, residents can visit glenviewnorthbrookcoronavirus.info.