Today’s edition of the Park Ridge Journal features a page one story titled “Citizens Take Control,” which reports on a citizen-based organization that will champion the City’s interests in connection with the new O’Hare runway.
The currently un-named organization is headed by resident Christine Kutt Zolt, and hopes to develop and maintain “a high profile and constant contact” with our U.S. senators, congress-people, and the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”). The organization will operate through four working groups: communications, technology, legal, and finance.
We applaud these residents, as we do all citizen activists who step up to express their own opinions and attempt to influence government policy or actions. This O’Hare issue is crucial to the residential value and quality of life of our community – something noted by 4th Ward Alderpuppet James Allegretti at this past Saturday’s special Town Hall meeting.
Which causes us to wonder why Allegretti, in particular, ignored the potential for this situation back in 2005, before construction of the $500 million runway 9L27R began and it might have been easier to do something about it?
A full three years ago, as reported in the minutes of the December 5, 2005, City Council meeting [pdf], then-Ald. Jeannie Markech (2nd Ward) – the Council’s alternate (to Mayor Frimark) liaison to the O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (“ONCC”) – distributed new noise contour maps that disclosed “significant changes” that would affect many areas in Park Ridge. She also encouraged more involvement in ONCC matters by the mayor and other Council members:
“Ald. Markech asked the Mayor to attend the General Meetings to represent all of Park Ridge…She asked for a representative from the 4th Ward to attend the Residential Committee Meetings, which are on Wednesdays.”
From what we can tell, Frimark attended only one ONCC meeting between that December 2005 Council meeting and the new runway opening; and Allegretti attended none. If we’ve missed their attendance, however, we invite them to correct us.
Which causes us to wonder if something isn’t seriously wrong with our City government – and a Council cut in half by Frimark’s referendum in 2006 – when the defense of something as important as our community’s property values and quality of life has to be taken up by a group of un-elected citizen volunteers, however public-spirited they may be.
Especially when our mayor and at least one of his hand-picked alderpuppets couldn’t be bothered to involve themselves in O’Hare matters for the past three years.
8 comments so far
This really ticks me off. We elect these people to represent us and they drop the ball and then get un-elected private citizens to do their work for them. Just like Ryan wants to let “experts” make decisions for him.
Why do we elect these people?
Where is it written by O’Hare, the FAA or any airline that this runway will forever be used only under certain conditions, or that it will only be used for certain sized planes?
Fred, I can’t find anything either, but Alderman Bach did say he got materials that said the runway was only for bad weather and small planes. I wonder why those materials aren’t posted on the city website or why Alderman Bach didn’t cite them by name and date or title like he did for his Wikipedia reference.
I am not one of the people suffering from this O’Hare expansion, but I do live in Park Ridge and I do have an interest in it being healthy and maintaining property values and our quality of life.
The comments about the runway being used as a reliever, for smaller aircraft, and for inclement weather only were on the City of Chicago web site, and repeated in the Tribune. In the materials distributed at the Town Hall meeting last night, there are frequent comments that the FAA has requested that the incorrect information be corrected by the City of Chicago.
I think we all need to write, write and write some more to all the state reps AND Mayor Daley himself. Why are we “expanding” O’Hare anyway, when less people can afford to fly (for business or pleasure)? I think O’Hare, Daley and anyone else pro-expansion need to re-evaluate the situation. We, in PR, got the shaft…big time! And I hear more runways are coming. Write, I say, write…happy holidays!
Curly-Q,
What is the “goal”? What should people write and ask to be done?
Nessie:
I was at the meeting and also anyone can go to the cities website and read the FAA response to a bunch of questions posed by PR officials.
The exact quote on the point you made is as follows:
“The FAA is aware that the City of Chicago’s press documents and website may have created some confusion on how/when Runway 9L/27R would be used. The FAA has requested the City amend their information”.
I think the City of Chicago was aware of it as well. What on earth would expect them to do, tell the truth??
What a joke!!!
Anybody in city government since 2003 should have known what was coming with the new runways, especially when they decided to do 9L first. Where was Frimark? Where was Frimark? Where was Frimark?
Trying to hustle insurance to local businesses and looking to deal for a new police station, don’tch know.
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