Village of Summit. Letter from Mayor Strzelczyk

Transcription

1 Mayor Village of Summit DECEMBER 2014 Joseph W. Strzelczyk Clerk Sergio A. Garcia Trustees Bonifacio Aldaco Colleen Lambert Tyrone Modiest Sergio Rodriguez Steve Memishi Marvel Parker Letter from Mayor Strzelczyk It s with great satisfaction that the Village of Summit Welcomes Sergio A. Garcia as our new Village Clerk. Garcia succeeds Patricia Tichacek who retired last month. Tichacek was a pioneer in Summit, being the first women ever to be elected as a Village Trustee in She was then elected as clerk in We wish her the best and an enjoyable retirement. Many of you know Sergio Garcia from his work at the local Summit School District 104 and on the Village Fire and Police Commission. With his background in computers and technology, he will help us continue our progress towards offering residents more and more access to online services. I also want to offer our best wishes to Marianne Stawski who retires at the end of this month after 30 years of dedicated service to the Village. Newsletter Info Phone: Please send articles or ideas for articles for inclusion in the next newsletter to the following address: 7321 W 59th Street Summit, IL As we enter the Holiday Season and approach the New Year, I want to wish everyone in Summit a Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope I will see many of you at our annual Christmas luncheon celebration at the VFW Hall on Saturday Dec. 20 from 11 am until 2 pm. Bring your children for some fun and photos with Santa.

2 PAGE 2 The public has a right to know everything,that s what makes us a better government, Welcome to new Summit Village Clerk Sergio Garcia I n 2012 Sergio A. Garcia, 40, was appointed to the Village of Summit Fire and Police Commission after seeking public office previously and helping to define the community discussion. In 2013 Sergio was elected to the Summit School District 104 as a board member, serving as vice president. My commitment is to help strengthen the school district s ratings and turn it around, and make it a better place for all our kids. I know our children are our future and they deserve that we put as much effort into giving the best education as possible and being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers. Appointed Village Clerk on November 3, and unanimously approved by the board of trustees, Garcia will be seeking election for Clerk in April Garcia said that he believes the village clerk s system can be streamlined and rely more on computer access and continuing the village commitment to bring its services to the public through digital technology such as through the website. One of my priorities is to help provide more services to our residents by using technology and being more transparent. The public has a right to know everything, that s what makes us a better government, Garcia said. It will take time but we are working towards that goal. Garcia saluted the former clerk, Patricia Tichacek, noting that being clerk requires a strong commitment to public service. Born in Chicago, Garcia and his wife, Martha, have four children, Sergio Sebastian, 12, Giovanni, 9, Jessica, 4, Diego, 3. Garcia works at a major Chicago bank where he is Vice President of Technology. He graduated from Argo Community High School, and received his B.S. Degree in Computer Science from DePaul University.

3 PAGE 3 In 2015 the Village of Summit will be celebrating 125 years! A s Chair of the 125th Celebration Committee, I am very excited to get started on the planning. Over the next couple months, I will be putting together a committee that will be planning an Old Fashion Community Picnic and Historical Exhibit which will not only feature the history of the Village but the early families and businesses who settled here, have stayed here and continue to grow here in Summit. Many exciting things are coming in 2015 to celebrate and I look forward to working with the Committee that will be put together, entities within the Village, the residents, businesses and let s not forget our school children! More information will be coming!! Stay tuned!!! Trustee Colleen Lambert Chairperson Public Safety and 125th Celebration From the Desk of the Chief of Police. John Kosmowski W ith the holiday season fast approaching here are a few things to remember. Snow Removal: The posted no parking signs on each block are there both for street cleaning and snow removal. The signs stay in effect all year long; it makes it so much easier for our plow trucks to keep the streets clean. In the event of a large snow fall temporary signs may be posted. If you see the temporary red & white signs please try to move your vehicles accordingly, if you have any questions please call us for assistance. Vehicle Safety: Everyone loves a nice warm car when they go out in the cold, but please don t leave your keys in an unattended vehicle. Whether parked and left running at the store or gas station or just warming up outside your home having the keys in and car running is an invitation to auto theft. It is also important to note that leaving the car running in any closed structure is a bad idea (garage, car port, warehouse, ect.). Heating: Adequate heating is essential in the winter months. The gas company and the landlord are required to keep the furnace running during this time of year. If you are experiencing heating issues please don t try to heat your home through alterative means. Don t use the oven, cook top burners, or barbeque grill to heat your home as this can cause a fire or unsafe air conditions. We will operate a warming center at the Police Department for emergency heating, and can assist you in finding placement in a temporary shelter if needed. Police patrol units will be doing extra duty in and around our shopping districts during the holiday season. By working together we can all enjoy a safe and happy holidays residential visitor parking passes are now available at the Municipal Building, 7321 W. 59th Street.

4 PAGE 4 T he winter season is upon us and we are all hoping that this winter is better than last year, but just in case it is not the water department is ready! Last winter we experienced over 30 Watermain breaks! Cold and snow we were out fixing them, and we do appreciate your patience with these unforeseen repairs. We always try our best to notify all the residents effected, but in times of urgency we may not be able to reach all of you. Please help us in these situations by being patient; we assure you that we Water are working as quickly as we can to complete the repair. The cold weather causes havoc on the water system inside and outside your home. We urge you in the bitter cold to trickle your water faucets to prevent any freezing of water lines inside your home. Also, try to shut off or insulate your outside spigots to prevent them from freezing. In the snow season we work hard to clear your paths and streets. Please help us and the fire department by keeping our paths clear to the fire hydrants at all times. Please keep them visible and accessible so that we can access them in case of an emergency. The 59th St. water department pumphouse rehabilitation project is now complete! We are pleased to announce that all of the upgrades have your water department running efficient and streamlined into today's technology. With this upgrade we are able to quickly recognize any issues that may arise or watermain breaks that may occur. With this quick response technology, we anticipate much cost savings in water loss and energy. For your convenience water bill payments are accepted at the Municipal Building, Harris Bank, online thru E-pay, and we also have a night deposit box (NO CASH). William Mundy, Water Superintendant Public Works Village of Summit, Public Works has been hard at work preparing for winter they have been trimming trees, grading alleys, and doing final patch work on streets. Please keep in mind as the winter months and snow are approaching, we ask you to please be mindful of the signs posted through the community regarding parking. To make it both safe and have efficient plowing, parking should be as close to the curb as possible. Also, please be aware of any fire hydrants that may get buried in due to snow or plowing. Please help keep them clean and visible for our fire department. Our plow operators are instructed to work with our residents. If a group of neighbors need time to relocate vehicles due to snowfall the plows will come back around to clear the street. During heavy snowfall our main objective is to clear streets for emergency vehicles and the motoring public. Christmas tree pickup will be thru the second week of January. They will be picked up in alleys as a bulk item. Please continue to report street light outages and garbage tote replacement. If there are any further concerns over the winter months please call the Building department at Tyrone Modiest Public Works Chairman

5 P A GE 5 Thanksgiving at St. Blasé Detective SGT. Mel Ortiz, Chief John Kosmowski and Detective Bob Mase helping at the Thanksgiving Lunch. Summit Public Library Summit Park District Fall Food Drive Nov 24th December 19thdrop off non-perishable food items at Summit Public Library District. Summit Park District will be hosting Supper with Santa on Wednesday, December 17th from 6:30-9p.m. Come out and do a Christmas Craft, enjoy some food and get a pic with Ole St. Nick. Only $4 per person, pre-registration is required. Saturday Movie matinee at 12:30 pm Dec 13th - It's a Very Muppet Christmas Holiday Break Camp has 2 sessions over Christmas Break. Dec. 22, 23 & 26 from 9a.m. -3p.m. and Dec. 29, 30 & January 2nd from 9a.m. SPARK Rec Center for ages Dec 20th - Nicktoons Christmas Cartoons Dec 27th - A Christmas Carol Free Notary Public Service Monday - Thursday, 10am - 4pm. Summit Public Library District ( ) Summit Park District is hosting a Co-Rec Adult Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, January 11. Only $50 per team gets a guaranteed 2 matches with Prizes for the top 2 finishers. Get your team together and come out to play! The winter 2015 Program Guide will be out by the end of December. Stop by the library and check out a pass for Brookfield Zoo, The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn, Chicago Botanic Garden, Naper Settlement and other locations. Please check out our website at to download our brochure with all of the programs, rental information and special events. We now offer on-line registration, so you can register from your computer! Like us on Facebook for up to date information.

6 T he Village of Summit is proud to host the annual Christmas Luncheon on Saturday Dec. 20 at the VFW Hall. The luncheon will run from 11 am until 2 pm and is open to every resident of Summit. There is no cost. The costs of the event are being shoulder through donations made by public groups and organizations. We thank them all. Don t forget to bring your children to take pictures with Santa and enjoy a great luncheon celebration this Holiday Season. Annual Christmas Luncheon Visit us online as we continue to expand our online services