Gurnee trustee resigns, cites family circumstances

Gurnee Village Trustee Steve Park has resigned after a little more than four years in office.

Citing family circumstances, Park's resignation was submitted Monday and becomes effective Thursday. He could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

Even before his election to the village board in 2011, Park had a long association with village government. He served on Gurnee's advisory zoning board of appeals from 1999 to 2001, then shifted to the advisory plan commission, which he served on from 2001 to 2011.

He was elected to his first four-year term as a village trustee in 2011, then won re-election for another four years in April.

"Steve's resignation will definitely be a loss for the village of Gurnee," Mayor Kristina Kovarik said. "His contributions while on the village board and plan commission can be seen on a daily basis across the community."

Park's credits include helping spur creation of the village's advisory economic development committee.

Kovarik will be accepting letters of interest from Gurnee residents hoping to fill Park's seat until the April 2017 election. At a minimum, officials said, applicants should cite qualifications, explain why they want to be a trustee and state what they would hope to accomplish on the village board.

Letters should be sent to Kovarik at Gurnee village hall, 325 N. O'Plaine Road, Gurnee, IL 60031. State law requires Kovarik to bring forward a trustee appointment within 60 days.