Town of Cicero Greenlights Infrastructure and Flood Relief Measures
The Town of Cicero trustees during their bi-weekly board meeting on Tuesday, September 12th, 2023. April Alonso/Cicero Independiente.
By Leslie Hurtado
The Town of Cicero Board of Trustees and President Larry Dominick met twice in September 2023 to discuss various ordinances and resolutions.
In recent developments, a range of items received approval, including church-related fundraising events, allocations for flood relief, efforts to enhance water infrastructure and an agreement regarding crossguard compensation with District 99.
Access the documents referenced in this recap by clicking on these links: September 12 and September 26. For live streams of the September 12 and September 26 meetings, visit our Facebook page.
Here is a summary of the approved items:
PERMITS
The town approved a permit that allows the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana their annual door-to-door cookie sales from December 15 to January 14, followed by booth sales scheduled from mid-February to May.
They also approved a permit from the Our Lady of Czestochowa & Charity Parish to host a fall dance on November 4 to raise funds for their upcoming Virgen De Guadalupe events in December.
The board also approved several church-related events, including block parties and fundraising events.
RESOLUTIONS
The Town of Cicero received a proposal from Tai Ginsberg & Associates, LLC, a government relations firm, to provide strategic consulting and advocacy services, focusing on transforming economic development, enhancing transportation and supporting water infrastructure projects. The agreement started on September 1 with a monthly fee of $10,000 plus extra costs.
In response to the July flooding, the board approved $25,000 allocation to Veteran Transportation Services for clearing flood-damaged household items.
They also approved several payments for emergency sewer rodding services provided by National Power Rodding. Work was done at various locations, including:
25th Street: Central Avenue to 54th Avenue
Cicero Avenue: Roosevelt Road to 14th Street
Cicero Avenue: 21st Place to Cermak Road
Lombard Avenue: 35th Street to Ogden Avenue
The total cost for cleaning these locations was $90,572.50.
The Town of Cicero secured a $1,162,360 grant from the Organized Retail Crime Grant Program. This funding will be used for advanced police radios, quad pole cameras, and training for law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute organized retail crimes.
Additionally, the town received a $148,571.42 grant from the Department of Homeland Security's Fire Prevention & Safety (FPS) Grant for fire safety initiatives.
TOWN SPENDING
The Town of Cicero has allocated $21,977 to Heating and Cooling Works, a La Grange heating and cooling service company, for urgent repairs. These repairs will focus on the homes of approximately 80 senior citizens affected by the July flooding disaster
The town has updated its real estate ordinance. In addition to spouses, property transfers to children are now exempt from certain taxes and don't require specific compliance certificates, benefiting local families.
CCS International, Inc., a construction company based in Oak Brook, was chosen by the board to manage the construction of a new inclusive park. Community Development Block Grants will be funding the park. This park aims to serve children of all abilities. The board will adjust the agreement, but the construction cost was not provided in the agenda.
The Town of Cicero and Cicero School District 99 have revised their agreement on compensating school crossing guards. The district will now co-fund the guards with a payment of $544,507.
APPOINTMENTS TO COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS
The Town of Cicero has formed a Stormwater Advisory Board, with members Larry Starnes, Steven Waldenga, Sonia Centeno and Frank Kraut, to tackle stormwater challenges and propose solutions. Their tenure ends on October 31 of this year.
Leslie Hurtado is a contributing reporter with Cicero Independiente. She graduated with a B.A. in Communications at Northeastern Illinois University. She worked at several news rooms including WBEZ, WTTW, Telemundo and City Bureau.
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