Juracek to chair O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission
Mount Prospect Mayor Arlene A. Juracek was unanimously elected chairman of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission on Friday, where she pledges to build consensus for aircraft noise abatement.
At the intergovernmental agency's annual meeting held at Café La Cave Restaurant in Des Plaines, Juracek thanked ONCC members - who represent close to 1.3 million residents living in Chicago and communities near O'Hare International Airport - for their support and pledged to remain unbiased when considering options for aircraft noise mitigation.
"Let us not forget how far we have come," said Juracek in a news release. "Far fewer geographic areas are impacted by aircraft arrival and departure noise. But we cannot ignore the fact that many more residents today are being impacted by noise for the first time and in new ways under the airport reconfiguration."
On Friday, commission members also recognized former ONCC Chairman Arlene J. Mulder, who retired after 18 years. The former Arlington Heights mayor received an ONCC proclamation of appreciation and numerous letters of thanks from aviation stakeholders and state and federal legislators.
Juracek said she wants to explore how other airports are enforcing noise abatement procedures and plans to address a different aircraft noise topic at each general meeting.
Prior to being elected mayor of Mount Prospect in 2013, Juracek was a trustee for six years. Her background is in engineering - she retired as vice president of energy acquisition at ComEd in 2007 with more than 35 years focused on electric utility regulatory and policy matters.
"This is a time to build consensus," she continued in the release. "ONCC meetings should allow for more open dialogue and informative presentations. The role of the commission is to facilitate those discussions, provide a forum in which to debate the pros and cons, and then reach an agreement."
After retiring from ComEd, she was acting director of the Illinois Power Agency, forming consensus among disparate groups on electricity supply issues.
The commission elected Niles Village Attorney Joseph Annunzio as vice chairman and former Norridge Clerk Judith Dunne Bernardi will continue as treasurer.
The members also welcomed the village of Hanover Park as its 55th member, joining the 32 other suburbs, six Chicago wards and 16 school districts. ONCC works to mitigate aircraft noise through residential and school sound insulation programs and advances in aviation technology.