Park Ridge City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting – October 19, 2026

The Park Ridge City Council Committee of the Whole met Monday, October 19, 2026, at 8:15 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. Seven alderpersons were present and Mayor Maloney was absent. No minutes were available, so this summary is based on the agenda and transcript. The meeting included one public comment, departmental reports from planning, public works, police, fire, administration, and finance, and approval of an FOIA policy, a train station lease, and the 2027 insurance renewal.

Public Comments & Testimony

• EJ Peparaki, 1217 Powder Road, expressed concern about the state's People vs. Parking Act and its effect on street parking near transit. He explained that the act means developers are not required to provide parking within half a mile of a transit station, and he urged the Council to enforce zoning ordinance square-footage standards to encourage developers to provide on-site parking and to anticipate future development cases before ZBA and City Council.
• No other members of the public spoke.

Procedures and Regulations

• No formal action or discussion items were listed, but discussion covered vape shop regulation, historic surveys, and PUD parking incentives.
• The department head said a Planning and Zoning memorandum was provided for the night, and historic survey outcomes and preservation planning could be added to a future Committee of the Whole agenda.
• Ald. Lawrence asked whether the vape shop product review scheduled for December 7 could be moved up in light of national deaths linked to vape products. Staff noted a new state law addressing hemp-derived THC products; the city attorney said synthetic cannabis products may only be sold through licensed dispensaries starting November 12. The transcript also contains an earlier reference to the law taking effect November 1, a discrepancy not resolved on the record. Ald. Moran expressed concern that some shops violate state law and that enforcement and compliance will be a challenge.
• Ald. Steinfels asked whether on-site parking could be added to the planned unit development (PUD) public benefit list to address the People vs. Parking Act. The planning director initially said it might already be on the list; at the close of the meeting, Ald. Steinfels said it was not listed and asked that the city manager investigate adding it as a standalone item.

Public Works

• No action or discussion items were listed.
• Public Works Director Hosson announced the city's annual pumpkin compost drop-off will be Saturday, November 7, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Public Works Service Center. Residents should remove candles and decorations and use the dumpster instead of the community compost bins.
• In response to Ald. Steinfels, public works said alley construction for the SSA between Harrison, Belle Plaine, and Columbia is delayed while awaiting ComEd tree trimming and line de-energization.

Public Safety – Police

• No action or discussion items were listed.
• The Police Chief noted the recent death of Detective Frank Loria, who gave 22 years of service to the city, and thanked the community for support.
• Department highlights included the ongoing Citizen Police Academy, homecoming coverage for Maine East and Maine South, and an ongoing feasibility study with Cortigan Clark.
• In September 2026, there were 81 e-bike enforcements and five citations, all issued to underage riders. The Volunteer Corps contributed 79 hours in September and 726 hours year to date.
• A complimentary letter praising Officer Leia was read into the record.
• The drug take-back event will be Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; only dry substances are accepted, and liquids and syringes are prohibited.

Public Safety – Fire

• No action or discussion items were listed.
• Chief Sorensen reported highlights from the 2026 Q3 report: call volume was steady, with a plus-19 call variance from Q2 to Q3; the department received mutual aid 273 times and provided mutual aid 250 times. The tower ladder was out of service for periods, leading to additional coverage from Niles.
• Responses to residential health care facilities remained consistently at approximately 13 percent.
• Training highlights included about 45% of personnel hired since 2020, acquired-structure training on North Prospect, training at Lutheran General's build-out, and tactical walkthroughs at several facilities.
• The dispatch transition involving Red Center was delayed beyond the expected October timeframe.

Administrative Services

• Action item: The Council approved, 7-0, a Resolution adopting the City of Park Ridge Freedom of Information Act Policy.
• Staff explained the city had not previously had a formal written FOIA policy; the new policy outlines FOIA officer responsibilities, response procedures, and timelines.
• FOIA statistics cited: city-side FOIA requests were 452 in 2025 and 473 so far in 2026, on track for about a 20% increase; police department requests were 900 in 2025 and 750 so far in 2026.
• A discussion item on the HR monthly report was presented for review; no department head report followed.

Finance and Budget

• The Council agreed to take this section after Administrative Services, out of the published agenda order. No separate New Business discussion occurred.
• The Council approved, by voice vote, a lease with Awesome B Inc. d/b/a Sip & Bite for space at the Uptown train station. The original vendor backed out, and the new vendor operates a similar operation in the Arlington Heights train station.
• The Council approved, by voice vote, a purchase order in the amount of $1,226,822.11 for renewal of the city's Workers' Compensation and Liability Insurance for calendar year 2027 with the Illinois Municipal League Risk Management Association (RMA). The rate increase was a modest 2.7%.
• There was a brief discussion about whether the premium had been budgeted; staff confirmed they adjusted the 2027 budget based on the invoice, and the city was under budget for 2026.
• Budget workshops are planned for November 16 at 6 p.m. and December 1, possibly requiring action to move the regular council meeting start time from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the FOIA policy resolution by a 7-0 roll call vote.
• Approved the Uptown train station lease with Awesome B Inc. d/b/a Sip & Bite by voice vote.
• Approved the $1,226,822.11 CY 2027 workers' compensation and liability insurance renewal with IML RMA by voice vote.
• No action was taken on police, fire, public works, or procedures items.
• Next steps: historic survey outcomes may be added to a future meeting; the vape shop regulatory review is expected to continue into 2027; Ald. Steinfels requested that the city manager investigate adding off-street parking as a standalone PUD public benefit for the next council meeting.