Mayor's Message-Winter 2014
Mayor’s Message
The Village recently entered into a twenty year agreement with the City of Chicago Heights for the purchase and delivery of water. This agreement resolved longstanding differences between the two communities and establishes clear direction of the cost and responsibility for ownership and maintenance of the line going forward. We also have a non-exclusive agreement that will allow us to search for better and less expensive sources of water while maintaining the current service.
We are also purchasing the entire failed residential development at Glenwoodie. This was necessary to ensure we had sufficient property for parking at the facility. The residential units will be available for purchase by the public hopefully by Christmas 2013. The remaining 14 lots will be available for purchase in the spring 2014. There will be more information on the sale following closing.
The Village has been pursuing a flood relief project over Thorn Creek. The intermittent closing of the roads in the Village during flood events has a negative impact on life safety and is of great concern to the Village. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, (MWRDGC) is entering into an agreement with the Village to provide relief to flooding and along with the Illinois Department of Transportation, (IDOT) will be working to raise 187th Street and the affected bridges out of the 100 year flood plain. The project is also proposed to resolve the repetitive overbank flooding of homes in the Manor Subdivision.
We were also successful in obtaining a separate agreement with MWRDGC for storm sewers in original Glenwood. This one million dollar project will fund storm sewers on Glenwood Avenue to School Street. This will begin to resolve localized flooding issues due to the lack of sufficient infrastructure in the original part of the Village.
The Economic Development Committee; composed of residents organized to hear requests for incentives has a new Chairperson, Angela Dixon. JoAnne Alexander has turned over the Committee to Angela after 17 years of stewardship and will continue to serve in the role as Liaison previously held by Trustee Ron Gardiner. I thank all of those serving on the Committee especially JoAnne and John Segala, who is leaving after over a decade of service.
Glenwood has been hosting Bridal Shows at Glenwoodie for over 2 years. Our next event is February 23, 2014 from Noon to 3pm. Tickets are available at both Glenwoodie and the Village Hall. We need to promote events in our community when we benefit directly from them. Participation from Glenwood residents, families and friends in events like the Bridal Show is important to our success.
There are no better representatives of a community than its residents. Please share with your friends and families the opportunity, beauty and quality of life Glenwood affords.