Village Manager's Message
I hope you were able to make it to the Dunkin on North Avenue to participate in Cop on a Rooftop last Friday. With the donations from individuals for food and merchandise purchases, the Villa Park Police Department (VPPD) raised $4,061.00 last year for the athletes of Special Olympics of Illinois. This annual event is just one of several ways that the men and women of VPPD raise funds for worthy causes. A small example of how they give more than just their daily excellent service to public safety.
I also attended the retirement reception of Elizabeth Gonzalez with the Villa Park Police Department. After the speeches, I had a chance to ask Elizabeth how many women were on the force when she started, and she just pointed to herself. Today, we have four (she was the fifth) women in the VPPD force. She was an excellent cop, a trailblazer, and an asset to the community. She will be missed.
Last Thursday night, VPPD was busy helping to block off a section of Ardmore due to downed limbs and a power line. The Villa Park Fire Department received 34 calls (for the 24-hour period). The Public Works Department was out in force as well. They were finishing up the job of removing a large street tree that had fallen and crushed a fence at the corner of Vermont and Addison. ComEd reported that 455 households were without power in Villa Park that night, and 236 remained without power that morning. Public works crews will be through town this week, removing street tree debris. It was refreshing to see neighbors helping neighbors to clear streets, driveways, and sidewalks.
This week, the consultant working on the planning phase of our Ardmore Avenue Corridor Project will be installing a large number of traffic count cameras in the vicinity of Lufkin Park. These are the same type of cameras that were out previously, and they’re performing the same traffic counts as last time—recording motor vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic on and near Ardmore near Lufkin Park. This is part of a multi-year project to improve Ardmore Avenue from North Avenue to Roosevelt Road.
Last Tuesday, I followed the Employee Appreciation Committee to the Easterseals office on Madison Avenue, where we gave them a check for $1,715.25. This was the third year in a row that Village employees had raised money for a cause by selling t-shirts. The reception at Easterseals from President and Chief Executive Officer Theresa Forthofer, Vice President of HR & Employee Engagement Gina Coulter, and several other staff members was wonderful.
I participated in an ILCMA Idea exchange about the Learning and Operationalizing Racial Equity pilot program. LORE is a project of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. The program reviewed several communities that had moved into implementing specific programs.
Last week, I met with staff on some personnel matters. I also met with department heads in the regular Tuesday meeting and individually.
View the full weekly report here. View the full monthly report here. All weekly and monthly reports can be found in our Document Center under Village Manager.
Matt Harline
Village Manager
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