By a nearly two-to-one margin, Norridge voters indicated in the election earlier this month that the village should take steps to establish its own zip code, proactively plant trees on municipal parkways and use solar, wind and geothermal power in future village projects.
According to the Cook County Clerk’s Office, turnout for the referendum questions averaged 1,318 votes, or 8.78% of the village’s 2021 U.S. Census population estimate of 15,009.
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“The Village Board placed these three questions on the ballot to get a better pulse on the community and their feelings towards the items,” Trustee Jack Bielak said. “Each question represented a topic raised by a number of residents. With the results of the referenda questions, the Board now has clear data when guiding future policy decisions.”
With an area of 1.81 square miles, Norridge shares the 60706 zip code with neighboring Harwood Heights, a village of 8,836 residents on 0.82 square miles of property.
According to information on the Village of Norridge website, “officials have received significant and ever-increasing complaints from residents and businesses regarding non-delivered mail and/or misaddressed mail. Village administration has received mail (especially water bill and other payments) from residents postmarked weeks or months before the date of actual receipt.”
Although there is no United States Postal Service retail facility in Norridge, its closest village boundary is just one-tenth of a mile from the Harwood Heights post office on Gunnison Street.
Norridge Village President Daniel Tannhauser and Village Administrator Joanna Skupien did not respond to multiple Pioneer Press requests for comments on referendum specifics, but website information cited “a recent and significant increase in new retail businesses” as a perceived contributing reason affecting the ability of the USPS to efficiently deliver mail in Norridge.
According to policies it outlined, the next step for the village to be assigned its own zip code is for the USPS to either conduct an internal review or for it to consider a boundary review initiated by the public, which would include formal surveys of public opinion and the possibility of passing state legislation.
Results showed 63% of votes were in favor of Norridge getting its own zip code.
By a margin of 70% to 30%, Norridge residents approved a second advisory referendum directing the Village Board to dedicate unspecified resources to the “investment in planting trees in public parkways.”
While Norridge currently does not have a proactive tree planting program, residents may request the village to plant a tree in their parkway, the village-owned land that extends 14 feet from the curb in front of most homes.
According to information on the Norridge website, the usual $100 tree planting fee has been waived for 2023 in order to gauge the popularity of residents wanting more trees.
Referendum background on the website states that devoting village resources to planting parkway trees “could result in an improved quality of life for village residents and an overall enhanced municipal esthetic” for reasons like trees absorbing carbon dioxide and increasing beautification and economic value, among many others.
Possible stated negative effects include staff and material costs, maintenance, space limitations and tree roots interfering with water and utility service.
The third advisory referendum asked whether Norridge should utilize renewable energy resources in future projects. Results showed 65% approved the question.
More specifically, the referendum was to gauge public support for encouraging the use of solar, wind and geothermal power in future projects, where feasible, provided that overall costs do not increase more than 5%.
Norridge officials may now alter purchasing standards to award contracts to bidders whose work or services include the use of renewable energy resources.
The downside, according to the website, could be that a 5% increased cost for contracts could be substantial on a large project. On the other hand, Norridge officials say renewable energy future costs may decline due to frequency of use and economies of scale.