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Record of Proceedings

Park Ridge City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting - April 6, 2026

City Council & Commissions — Monday, April 6, 2026
BodyPark Ridge, Illinois
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateMonday, April 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 40:28

Original source
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0:01

Like to call the order of the committee of the whole meeting for the Park Ridge City Council for Monday, April 6th.

0:05

Can we have a roll call, please?

0:07

Mayor Maloney.

0:08

I'm here.

0:08

Older person we're in?

0:10

Here Sanchez.

0:11

Yep.

0:11

Lawrence.

0:12

Here.

0:12

You know?

0:13

Here.

0:13

Sign fellows here.

0:15

Rampusin?

0:16

Here.

0:16

Leftler.

0:17

Here.

0:17

We have a quarter.

0:18

Excellent.

0:18

Thank you.

0:19

Uh, there are any citizens who wish to be heard on a non-agenda item.

0:24

Seeing none, we'll move jump right, jump in to public safety.

0:38

All right.

0:38

Public safety, police.

0:40

Chief Campworth, do you have anything to report?

0:43

I have nothing to report.

0:44

Nothing.

0:45

Executive Officer Lazowski.

0:47

Anything to report?

0:48

No, sir.

0:48

Can you just give an update on the fire that occurred?

0:50

Just uh any follow-up that you think council should know.

0:54

Um, no, I believe Chief Sornson sent a message.

0:57

Um, I'm not sure if you all saw it, and I mentioned in my uh email with the press release, but it was uh it was the coolest thing to see in all the years I've been here and Chief Sorns and like all the departments.

1:08

Just it was really nice.

1:10

Like uh everyone's working great.

1:12

His guys were practically on top of us.

1:15

What could they do to help?

1:16

Um, or we could turn around.

1:17

Drew's people were out there.

1:19

Um public works were blocking the streets for us, and I know some neighbors are on there, and they even made comments about it.

1:26

They're like, wow, it was you know, really orchestrated well.

1:28

And then the fire side of it, we've been just doing so much training with displayings and um our neighbors, and it is pretty seamless.

1:35

It's cool to see it all work well.

1:37

So very good.

1:38

Thank you.

1:38

That'll close out public safety.

1:51

Public works has two action items.

1:53

First has me making a motion to approve a contract for Northwest Highway water main replacement engineering services with Mackie Consultants LLC in the amount of two hundred and thirty-nine thousand two hundred dollars.

2:04

Second, thank you.

2:06

And director Mitchell staff issued an RFP for the Northwest Highway water main replacement engineering services on January 15th.

2:14

Seven proposals were received by the January 29th deadline.

2:18

This contract is to develop plans, specifications, and to provide construction inspection for the replacement of approximately 4,000 feet of water main on Northwest Highway from Glenview to Western.

2:30

Work includes design and permit coordination with the appropriate agencies and construction will be staged over two years.

2:37

Proposals were received and reviewed by a team of three staff members, and the summary of the evaluations is attached.

2:44

Staff recommends a contract be awarded to the highest scoring vendor, Mackie Consultants, in the amount of 239,200.

2:53

Thank you.

2:55

So did you have any insight?

2:56

And that's a really wide range again for prices.

3:02

Um I mean, these proposals are based on hourly rates for staff.

3:09

Uh so the firms that submit basically are estimating a number of hours they think it will take.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Outdoor Dining████████████████████20%
Public Safety██████████████14%
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Parks and Recreation█████████████13%
Procedural███████████11%
Budget Equity Analysis███████7%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Administrative Services█████5%
Parking█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Park Ridge City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting – April 6, 2026

The Park Ridge City Council met as a Committee of the Whole on Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8:15 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting covered routine approvals, budget amendments, a discussion on the 2026 expanded outdoor dining program, and updates on public safety, public works, and administrative services. Council reached consensus on shortening the outdoor dining season and keeping fees unchanged.

Roll Call

  • Mayor Maloney and all aldermen were present.

Citizens Who Wish to be Heard on a Non-Agenda Item

  • None.

Public Safety

  • Police Chief Campworth and Executive Officer Lazowski reported no new items.
  • An update was provided on a recent fire incident: cooperation among fire, police, and public works was praised as seamless and well-orchestrated; no further action needed.

Public Works – Action Items

  • Contract for Northwest Highway Water Main Replacement Engineering Services (Mackie Consultants, LLC – $239,200): Motion passed unanimously. The contract covers design, permitting, and construction inspection for approximately 4,000 feet of water main on Northwest Highway from Glenview to Western, staged over two years. Seven proposals were evaluated; staff recommended the highest-scoring vendor.
  • One-Year Extension to Emergency Water Main and Sewer Work Services (Rossi Contractors, Inc.): Motion passed unanimously. This is the final of two optional one-year extensions at unchanged terms and prices.

Finance and Budget – Action Items

  • Amendments to the FY2025 Budget totaling $1,330,442.70: Approved by voice vote. Director Littman explained that most items (bond interest/principal payments, TIF refunds) had been previously approved by council; the amendments formalize the budget adjustments. Alderman Rapissant asked if such a high amount was typical; staff noted this was unusual due to those specific expenses.
  • FY2025 End-of-Year Budget Transfers: Approved by roll call vote (all yes). Majority of transfers are personnel-related (e.g., moving salary funds to overtime due to vacancies) and adjustments between insurance plans.

Administrative Services – Discussion Item

  • Board of Fire and Police Commissioners (BFPC) FY2025 Annual Report: Reviewed. HR Generalist Cynthia Lopez was available for questions. The report highlights the BFPC’s busy year supporting public safety staffing and filling vacancies. No council questions.

Procedures and Regulations – Discussion Item

  • 2026 Expanded Outdoor Dining Program: This was the second discussion. Council needed to finalize the season duration and fee structure. Director Austin summarized that staff surveyed restaurants and researched comparable suburbs. Public comments were heard from:

    • Demetrius Marcos (DeMarcos Cafe): Expressed concern that a handicapped parking spot in front of his new restaurant blocks potential patio space. He requested assistance in finding a solution to allow outdoor dining participation. He noted furniture ordering timelines require early clarity.
    • Tom Sotos (Molly’s Gorilla and Social 18): Asked about the process for determining how many parking spots a restaurant can use, especially if spots are in front of other businesses. He supported an equitable approach.
    • An unnamed speaker favored a Memorial Day-to-Labor Day season to balance restaurant and other business needs, noting that sidewalk cafes remain an option outside that window.

    Council discussion:

    • Season Duration: Aldermen weighed options. Proposals included May 15–October 15, May 1–November 1, and Memorial Day–Labor Day. Several aldermen noted parking concerns as a driver for shortening the season. Consensus was reached to change the season to May 15 – October 15.
    • Fee Structure: Given the shortened season, council agreed to keep the fee structure unchanged (no increase).
    • Future permanent solutions (e.g., streetscape redesign with expanded sidewalks) were noted for long-term consideration.

    Outcome: The program will run May 15 through October 15, with no fee changes. Administrative implementation will follow.

New Business

  • None. The meeting adjourned.

Key Outcomes

  • Water main engineering contract awarded to Mackie Consultants, LLC for $239,200.
  • Emergency water/sewer contract extension approved for Rossi Contractors (final one-year extension).
  • FY2025 budget amendments ($1,330,442.70) and end-of-year transfers both approved.
  • Expanded outdoor dining program: Season shortened to May 15 – October 15; fees unchanged.
  • Future agenda items noted: parking study (next meeting), affordable housing action plan update (summer/fall), and potential state legislation on accessory dwelling units.

Meeting Transcript

Like to call the order of the committee of the whole meeting for the Park Ridge City Council for Monday, April 6th. Can we have a roll call, please? Mayor Maloney. I'm here. Older person we're in? Here Sanchez. Yep. Lawrence. Here. You know? Here. Sign fellows here. Rampusin? Here. Leftler. Here. We have a quarter. Excellent. Thank you. Uh, there are any citizens who wish to be heard on a non-agenda item. Seeing none, we'll move jump right, jump in to public safety. All right. Public safety, police. Chief Campworth, do you have anything to report? I have nothing to report. Nothing. Executive Officer Lazowski. Anything to report? No, sir. Can you just give an update on the fire that occurred? Just uh any follow-up that you think council should know. Um, no, I believe Chief Sornson sent a message. Um, I'm not sure if you all saw it, and I mentioned in my uh email with the press release, but it was uh it was the coolest thing to see in all the years I've been here and Chief Sorns and like all the departments. Just it was really nice. Like uh everyone's working great. His guys were practically on top of us. What could they do to help? Um, or we could turn around. Drew's people were out there. Um public works were blocking the streets for us, and I know some neighbors are on there, and they even made comments about it. They're like, wow, it was you know, really orchestrated well. And then the fire side of it, we've been just doing so much training with displayings and um our neighbors, and it is pretty seamless. It's cool to see it all work well. So very good. Thank you. That'll close out public safety. Public works has two action items. First has me making a motion to approve a contract for Northwest Highway water main replacement engineering services with Mackie Consultants LLC in the amount of two hundred and thirty-nine thousand two hundred dollars. Second, thank you. And director Mitchell staff issued an RFP for the Northwest Highway water main replacement engineering services on January 15th.

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