SEARCH RESULTS

The Metropolitan Planning Council in a posting on its website states construction of the 47-mile road will divert funds needed for other major road projects, produce far fewer jobs than boosters claim and will not solve freight congestion. The MPC has completed an analysis of the proposed Illiana Expressway and found it will not deliver enough benefits to justify its more than $1 billion price tag, said MPC Executive Vice President Peter Skosey…Please click here to read  Keith Benman’s full story in the Times, or here to read a related story in Craig’s Chicago Business or on WBEZ.

Mayors and managers are invited to… A conversation presented by the Millennium Reserve Steering Committee Learn about the nationally recognized initiative that is forging innovative partnerships and spurring action to honor the region’s cultural and industrial past, restore and enhance its natural ecosystems, and stimulate vigorous and sustainable economic growth and advanced manufacturing and logistics. *** Listen to success stories of local projects led by Millennium Reserve partners and learn how you can play a role. *** Get the latest information about grant opportunities from Illinois state agencies. Tuesday, September 24, 2013 Join the conversation in Chicago or the South Suburbs! 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Harborside International Chicago 11001 S. Doty Ave, Chicago Hosted by Aldermen John A. Pope and Anthony Beale OR 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Mi-Jack Products 17301 Palmer Drive, Homewood Hosted by the South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association Breakfast and lunch will be served at the briefings. Please R.S.V.P. by September 20, 2013 (312) 814-1405 Luz.Payan@illinois.gov http://www.millenniumreserve.illinois.gov To download the flyer, click here.

Please contact Monika Korzun, Mkorzun@tmanet.com, or Mike Dexter, mdexter@tmanet.com,  (847) 825-1120, for questions or to RSVP.

The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus’ Public Sector Energy Efficiency Program combines expertise and streamlines programs to help local governments by: Identifying energy efficiency improvements. Technical experts will assess your facilities and recommend optimal improvements; Completing assessments, technical reports and bid specifications for you; Providing direct grant and application assistance to help you take advantage of all state and private funding available to pay for energy efficiency improvements and; Offering the opportunity to participate in bulk purchasing. By aggregating the energy efficiency needs on behalf of all participating communities you can buy materials and labor at the lowest cost. For more information, visit the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus website. To download the full RFP, click here.

Thursday, Sept. 12 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Olive-Harvey College 110001 S. Woodlawn Chicago, IL Register here To download the flyer, click here Network with prospective employers about career opportunities. Participating employers include: Coyote Logistics Falcon Transport Werner Trucker J.B. Hunt FedEx UPS Republic Services Illinois Department of Transportation Chicago Carriage and Schneider Intermodal/Rail Get hands-on demonstrations of the latest vehicles and software used in the roads and rail industry. City Colleges’ certificate and associate degree programs prepare you for a career in Transportation, Distribution and Logistics. If you’re always on the go—now is the time to make a career of it. This event is free and open to the public.

Local officials and CN Railway executives celebrated the groundbreaking of the site Thursday at 175th Street and Ashland Avenue. The 62,000-square-foot, multimillion-dollar Southland site will complement a 100,000-square-foot training site the company is building in Winnipeg, Canada, officials said…Please click here to read the rest of Casey Toner’s story in the Southtown Star.

By Rita Kueny Last month, the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) announced an $868.00 price increase on the 2014 Dodge Charger Police Chase Vehicle, along with execution of the second of three possible contract extensions. This week, program vendor Napleton Fleet Group notified the SPC that they were able to convince Chrysler Motors to reduce that amount by half for the SPC. Therefore, the vehicle will cost $22,180.00, down from the previously approved $22,604.00. Chrysler anticipates significant changes to the 2015 model year, so this pricing and the SPC contract will only be honored through the 2014 model year factory cut-off date, scheduled for late April or early May, 2014. For questions or additional information, please contact Bob Barr, 630-455-2911 or rbarr@napletonfleet.com. Sewer Cleaning Contracts Extended The Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC), has awarded the first of three (3) possible one-year contract extensions to Standard Equipment, Chicago, IL as primary vendor and EJ Equipment, Manteno, IL as the alternate vendor. The SPC reserves the right to extend these contracts for up to two (2) additional one-year terms upon mutual agreement of both the vendor and the SPC on a negotiated basis. Primary Vendor: Standard Equipment Contract #127: Vactor 2112 Plus 12-Yard Fan Catch Basin/Sewer Cleaner with Auxiliary Engine on Navistar 7500 Tandem Axle Chassis Base price $280,188.00 Contract #128: Vactor 2110 Plus 10-Yard Fan Catch Basin/Sewer Cleaner with Auxiliary Engine with Navistar 7500 Tandem Axle Chassis Base Price: $264,441.00 Alternate Vendor: EJ Equipment Contract #127: Vac-Con Model V212E/1300 LHA mounted on a 2013 Freightliner 14SD, 66,000 GVWR, 6×4; ISC 350HP, 3000 RDS Base Price: $274,374 Contract #128: Vac-Con Model V290/1000 LHA mounted on a 2013 Freightliner Chassis 108SD, 46,000 GVWR, 4×2; ISC 350HP, 3000 RDS Base Price: $257,757 For additional information, questions, or to place an order, please contact the vendors directly. The Standard Equipment contact is Tom Markel, Sales Manager, telephone 312-706-9675, cell 312-208-6376, or tmarkel@standardequipment.com. The EJ Equipment contact is Eric Lasage, Regional Manager, phone 800-522-2808, cell 815-370-3549 or eric@ejequipment.com. 2014 Ford Expedition XL 4×4 Special Services Vehicle Contract Extension The Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) has awarded the second of three possible one-year contract extensions to Landmark Ford of Springfield for the 2014 Ford Expedition XL 4×4 Special Services Vehicle. This contract has been extended from October 5, 2013 through October 4, 2014. The SPC reserves the right to extend this contract for up to one (1) additional one-year term upon mutual agreement of both the vendor and the SPC on a negotiated basis. For additional information, questions, or to place an order, please contact Lyle Snow, 800-798-9912 ext. 253 (office), 217-553-2508 (cell), or lylesnow@msn.com. HVAC Air Filters/Belts Contract Extension The SPC has also granted Tri-Dim Filter Corporation of Elgin the first of three possible one-year contract extensions for HVAC air filters and belts. The contract will run from September 19, 2013 through September 18, 2014. The SPC reserves the right to extend this contract for up to two (2) additional one year terms upon mutual agreement of both the vendor and SPC on a negotiated basis. For additional information or questions, please contact District Sales Manager Kurt Bolin, 847-695-2600 (office), 773-410-8723 (cell) or k.bolin@tridim.com. Acting as an extension of your purchasing staff, SPC staff works diligently in order to avoid the needless duplication of effort through in-house coordination of several functions involved in the procurement process, including the bidding process. Please consider the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative when making purchases and note that every municipality and government agency in the State of Illinois is authorized to participate in SPC Programs. Feel free to contact your SSMMA SPC staff representative Rita Kueny at (708) 206-1155 or rita.kueny@ssmma.org with any questions or comments you may have regarding existing SPC programs or additional programs you might like to see added.

Chicago’s 176-mile fiber network connects police stations with 22,000 cameras used daily to support police missions and 911 operators. Operators who answer 911 calls in Chicago have an unusual – perhaps unique – capability. When a call comes in, an operator can view live video from the police camera closest to where the call originated. An interactive map shows camera locations, and the operator can click on the appropriate camera to bring up video and gain control of the camera. Operators have used this capability to observe burglary, battery and narcotics-related crimes in progress and have been able to get descriptions of suspects, identify the total number of individuals involved or get information about victims. If a caller has captured smartphone video related to the call, the operator can send the caller a special SMS message to which the caller can reply, sending the video to the operator… Please click here to read John Engebretson’s full story in Broadband Communities Magazine.

The 3rd Ward alderman said he is aware of instances where rental properties that once were valued at about $350,000 have been sold by owners for “$80,000 or less,” which Jones said hurts the long-term value of property in Calumet City. “We need to get involved and help set the market,” Jones said…Please click here to read Gregory Tejeda’s full story in the Times.

Downs, 55, eligible for retirement as of this past April, said the board would like him to “see through to completion” some of the village’s major projects during a time of transition with new mayor Frank Fleischer, who was elected in April…Please click here to read Ginger Brashinger’s story in the Southtown Star.

By a 6-0 vote, trustees approved a lobbying services agreement with Alfred G. Ronan, Ltd. Ronan was a staffer in the Illinois Department of Transportation during the administration of former Gov. Dan Walker, according to the Illinois Blue Book. He went on to represent a portion of Chicago’s Northwest Side in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1979-1992…Please click here to read Gregory Tejeda’s story in the Times, or here for a related story in South Holland, which also hired Ronan.