Village Manager's Message

As I was heading into work last Thursday, I saw ComEd trucks at Lufkin Park, so I drove by to say hello to AJ, who is in charge of the ComEd crew. He said everything looked in order and would call me when the power was on, which he did later that day. Aside from the walking trail, all that is left is the final plumbing work and the park will be open. Once the water and electricity are tested, we will announce a grand opening date at the beginning of August.

We are having slow adoption so far of the My Villa Park app. Of the 123 service requests from the last two work weeks the app has been live, we received 84 (69%) by a standard phone call to the office, 21 (18%) through the website, and 18 via the app. To download the app to your mobile device, search “My Villa Park.” You can send in concerns from your phone with pictures, and your phone’s location can be shared to help direct staff. There is information on the website. The Villa Park Public Library will host a training session on the My Villa Park app on Monday, August 5th at 6:00 P.M. in the Group Collaboration Room.

The Iowa and Vermont project is now in full swing with construction operations beginning last week. Installation of the new water main is ongoing and is expected to continue through at least the end of this week. During the partial intersection closure, Iowa Avenue north of Vermont Street will only be accessible from Plymouth Street. Iowa Avenue south of Vermont Street will only be accessible from the east leg of the Iowa and Vermont intersection. Traffic traveling from or to Ardmore Avenue should have no issues. Traffic traveling from or to Addison Road will need to use the posted detour route. This project received financial assistance from CDBG funds.

This week we looked at potential firms to host a Strategic Plan dashboard. Staff is concerned that we may need to spend some time prepping our data before we can make good use of the dashboard, so there will be additional discussion. Both firms had interesting solutions when it came time to choose. I attended the DMMC Transportation Policy Committee and learned about a study CMAP did on the contribution of speed in fatal vehicular accidents, which I have shared with the Chair of the Traffic and Safety Commission. I greeted the Local Government Leadership Class this week before their fourth class – this one was on Emotional Intelligence. I also met with Department Heads individually and together at staff meetings.

I made it to the Ruggard Pavilion this week to help out my fellow Kiwanians and to listen to Full Volume Classic Rock. This coming week it is the last Wednesday concert of the summer with Lake Effect, and then the very next night the Village and the VFW host Johnny Russler and the Beach Bum Band at Cortesi Park. Cortesi will also be the home for National Night Out on Tuesday, August 6 coordinated by the Villa Park Police Department.

Matt Harline

Village Manager

My Villa Park App Training Session

Download the My Villa Park app today! This allows residents to submit service requests, making it simpler for staff to address issues with seamless communication. Stay up to date with village news, events, and more! Visit our website for more and join us at the Villa Park Public Library for a training session on Monday, August 5 at 6:00 P.M.