Helmer takes over in Prospect Heights, pledges road, police improvements
Nicholas “Nick” Helmer promised to improve streets in Prospect Heights, hire more police and achieve economic development as he took office as mayor Monday night.
Helmer said work will start at the end of this month on Wheeling Road, with extensive repairs funded from a $15 million bond issue approved by voters last year. Alderman Scott Williamson of the Third Ward will lead the project.
Patrick Ludvigsen, elected as alderman from the Fourth Ward, will head up the effort to add full and part-time officers to the police department. Six officers were laid off in November after an arbitrator ruled that city-imposed furloughs were not allowed under the police union contract.
City officials also are working on plans to lease or sell 15 acres near Palatine Road known as Arena Land, said Helmer. Alderman Luis Mendez, just elected in the First Ward, and Stacey Adamson, the city’s new clerk, will be the point persons on economic development.
Prospect Crossing on Rand Road is finalizing plans for a restaurant and sports bar and a weekly antique expo, Helmer said, and a long-vacant store at Palatine and Elmhurst roads will get a face lift in an effort to improve its marketability.
“So you can see that there are a lot of good things happening in our future, but everyone must tell the same story,” Helmer said. “And that is that we are looking to the future and not the past.
“Aldous Huxley wrote “It’s a Brave New World.’ Let’s make our goal to have a brave new Prospect Heights in the next four years of our city’s history,” he added.
Helmer also made the following appointments Monday: William Kearns to the Chicago Executive Airport board of directors seat vacated by Helmer and Betty Cloud to the one that had been held by Mendez; Danielle Dash, Plan/Zoning Board of Appeals; Mark Parkinson, Water Committee; Michael Weides, Police Pension Board; Jim Brophy, Police Pension Board; Jerry Meyer, Board of Fire and Police Commissioners; and Leonard Digate, Finance Committee.