Park Ridge City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting - September 21, 2026

The Park Ridge City Council Committee of the Whole met on September 21, 2026. Roll call confirmed a quorum. The council reviewed the FY2027 draft Capital Improvement Plan, approved a classification and compensation study, approved four Public Works contracts (one amended), heard a detailed affordable housing plan implementation presentation, and received police and fire department reports. Public comment focused on affordable housing, and the council agreed to continue that discussion at the next meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• A resident of 1505 Devine Avenue asked to speak after the affordable housing discussion item; the mayor confirmed comments would be accepted.
• Kristen Berg (1505 Devine Avenue) expressed support for adding a voluntary density bonus to the PUD process, but said she did not expect it to create affordable units because developers are not required to build them. She cited the proposed 50/52-unit apartment development and criticized the lack of prioritization of affordable housing on the PUD public benefit list.
• Nan Parson (422 Lake Avenue) urged the council to make clear that Park Ridge wants affordable housing and advocated for mandatory inclusionary housing. She cited Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Evanston, Oak Park, and Elk Grove Village as examples and referenced the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC).
• A member of the public asked how a Northwest Municipal Conference wage/salary survey would differ from the proposed compensation study; staff said the study is more comprehensive.

Finance & Budget

• FY2027 Draft Capital Improvement Plan: The council reviewed the multi-year draft CIP before upcoming budget workshops. No formal action was taken. One member had questions about out-year adjustments and was referred to Director Littman. Staff said budget workshop dates would be set, likely including a November regular meeting and a follow-up session.

Administrative Services

• Classification and Compensation Study: Staff requested approval of a $26,550 contract with MGT Impact Solutions, LLC for a classification and compensation study covering approximately 46 non-represented job titles and 55 employees, plus elected officials. The city's last such RFP was in June 2017; the RFP was issued June 18, 2026, and 14 firms responded. MGT was selected after a scoring matrix and second review of three finalists. The amount is within the $40,000 budget, and the study is expected to take about 20 weeks, from Q4 2026 into Q1 2027. Council discussion addressed the importance of comparable communities, the 3-5 year best-practice cycle for these studies, and implementation timing; the contract was approved 7-0.
• HR Monthly Report: The September HR report was included in council packets; no questions were raised.

Affordable Housing Plan Implementation

• Director Austin presented a menu of eight strategies from the city's adopted affordable housing plan. Illinois housing data puts Park Ridge at about 8% affordable, against a 10% state target, an estimated gap of about 315 units.
• Four strategies are financial or council-level: demolition fees/developer impact fees, first-time homebuyer assistance, senior aging-in-place assistance, and employer-assisted housing (staff has identified 38 local employers).
• The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) has finished work on two strategies: (1) it recommends a voluntary density bonus/inclusionary housing program - for example, a 20-unit base project could build 30 units with 5 affordable units through a 150% density bonus; (2) it recommends no changes to the PUD public benefit list, which contains about 13 items with affordable housing listed 11th. No Park Ridge PUD project has produced affordable housing units to date.
• Staff has also compiled a list of roughly 80 senior housing developers for outreach and is continuing work on preserving existing naturally occurring affordable housing (Strategy 8).
• Council debate covered whether the first four strategies would reduce the 315-unit gap, how affordability is measured, mandatory vs. voluntary inclusionary zoning, prioritizing/tiering PUD benefits, and legal/obligation risks from density bonuses. One council member expressed support for a mandatory 15% affordable requirement for large rental developments, but not for fee-simple ownership; another said they had favored a mandate. Staff noted the prior council had chosen a voluntary approach. One council member also corrected references to low-income housing, saying the discussion concerned affordable housing.
• Consensus: The council agreed to continue the discussion in approximately two weeks (targeting October 5), with staff providing links to prior PZC presentations and data. The future discussion will include the density bonus, PUD public benefit priorities, and pros/cons of mandatory vs. voluntary inclusionary housing.
• Department head report: A council member asked about the Q3 review of boards and commissions' missions, goals, and objectives; staff said the work is ongoing and will likely be brought forward in smaller packages by the end of the year.

Public Works

• Hydro Excavating Water Service Lines Program: Bid opening August 27; three bids from $757 to $1,572 per excavation. The $50,000 contract with Anchor Heavy Civil, LLC covers approximately 65 residential water service line excavations to refine the city's lead-service-line inventory for IEPA reporting. Approved by voice vote.
• Rock Salt: The city participates in the state CMS joint purchase. Morton Salt, Inc. was the low bidder at $91.01 per ton; the approved contract amount was $240,266.40 for up to 2,640 tons. The city has 1,100 tons in storage and averages about 3,000 tons per year. Approved by voice vote.
• Holiday Lights Installation: B&B Holiday Decorating, LLC submitted the low bid after a September 10 bid opening. The original recommendation was $79,064.65 for the base contract plus option 1 (74 pedestrian pole lights). The council amended the motion to include option 3 roofline lighting, raising the total to $103,068.25, above the $80,000 budget. The amendment passed 6-1 and the amended contract passed 6-1, with Alderperson Rapissan dissenting on both votes. Several members spoke in favor of the added lighting for community cheer and business district vitality; one cited budget concerns.
• Metra Train Station Exterior Door Replacement: Five bids were received August 27; the low bidder, Anderson Lock Company, Ltd., received the $62,276 contract to replace three exterior door sets at the Summit Avenue Metra station. The budget was $60,000. Approved by voice vote.

Public Safety

• Police Department: The August 2026 report noted a successful National Night Out and senior breakfast; a public safety facility feasibility study is underway; four officers graduated from the police academy and are in field training; a new social worker and records technician have started. E-bike enforcement totaled 158 enforcements and 11 written warnings/citations. The Volunteer Corps logged 120 hours in August and 647 hours year to date. August traffic stops fell from 808 in 2025 to 482 in 2026; the chief attributed the reduction partly to grant scheduling. Council discussion also noted four part-time police desk vacancies, described as difficult to fill.
• Fire Department: No action or discussion items were listed. The fire chief announced a funeral for an active-duty Chicago Fire Department battalion chief at St. Paul the Cross on Thursday at 11 a.m., with possible traffic impacts near the Canfield crossing.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the MGT Impact Solutions, LLC classification and compensation study contract for $26,550 by a 7-0 roll call vote.
• Approved Public Works contracts for Anchor Heavy Civil, LLC ($50,000), Morton Salt, Inc. ($240,266.40), and Anderson Lock Company, Ltd. ($62,276) by voice votes.
• Approved the B&B Holiday Decorating holiday lights contract as amended to $103,068.25 by a 6-1 roll call vote.
• Took no formal action on the FY2027 draft Capital Improvement Plan; budget workshop dates will be announced.
• Agreed to continue affordable housing implementation discussions at the next Committee of the Whole meeting, with staff providing background materials on the density bonus, PUD public benefit priorities, and mandatory vs. voluntary inclusionary options.