Trustees: New Arlington Heights Integrated Services Department a model

The Arlington Heights village board on Monday declared the Integrated Services Department a success - a department created last June by consolidating the village manager's administrative staff, community relations and Information Technology.

Diana Mikula, assistant village manager and head of Integrated Services, said merging the different jobs under one department was meant to better address projects and issues at the start.

"The goal is to optimize interdepartmental processes and use strategic and organization-wide thinking," she told the village board Monday. "I feel like there's a new spirit and energy of people wanting to come to work and make continuous improvements."

The department oversees liquor licenses, the village's social media and website, downtown public parking, and customer service with residents in a consistent village voice.

"We want that voice to be clear, consistent and courteous," Mikula said. One achievement she highlighted was the village's Facebook page, which debuted last February and already has nearly 8,000 likes.

She said the village's website gets 35,000 to 40,000 unique visitors a month, a number she expects to go up when the village launches a new website and app in the coming year.

Mikula said her department is also looking at reintroducing the village newsletter to better help residents connect with local government.

In the coming year Mikula said the department will look at modernizing parking signs and maybe updating the technology used in village parking garages.

Trustees said they are impressed with what has been accomplished.

Trustee John Scaletta said he was skeptical last year when Village Manager Randy Recklaus proposed creating Integrated Services, "because I am not in favor of expanding government," Scaletta said. "But this is one of the best things you've brought to us."

Trustee Joe Farwell agreed.

"I think you've taken a concept that was viewed with some scrutiny from this side of the dais, and made it into a model department nine months later," he said.