ONCC Elects Mount Prospect Mayor Juracek, Pursues O'Hare Aircraft Noise Mitigation

Mount Prospect Mayor Arlene A. Juracek was re-elected today to a second term as chair of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission during the organization's general meeting at Café la Cafe, Des Plaines.

In her acceptance remarks before the 52-member commission, Juracek acknowledged a new working partnership with the Suburban O'Hare Commission and recognized the dauntless efforts of community-based organizations such as the Fair Allocation in Runways Coalition to mitigate noise.

"Like any new relationship, we realized that we had to build a fabric of trust, listen to every idea, and work for the common good and sometimes even compromise," said Juracek. "You know compromise is not always easy."

Niles Attorney Joseph Annunzio, a Park Ridge resident, was elected to his second year as ONCC vice chair. He previously served as chair of the ONCC technical committee and has a background in environmental law.

Dr. Raymond Kuper, Harwood Heights School Dist. 86 retired superintendent, was elected to a first term as ONCC treasurer. Kuper has served as chair of the ONCC School Sound Insulation Committee since its formation in 1997. In 2015 the committee oversaw completion of the sound insulation in Chicago Ward 41's Ebinger Elementary School, the last of 124 schools identified in the O'Hare modernization full build-out program. Kuper served as ONCC vice chair from 1997 until 2015.

Following the election of officers, Kuper recognized the accomplishments of former Norridge Clerk Judith Dunne Bernardi, ONCC treasurer for the past seven years. She retired this month after 17 years having served also as vice chair of the Residential Sound Insulation Committee and as a member of the Technical Committee for many years.

Juracek thanked ONCC members for their support and promised to remain unbiased when it came to aircraft noise mitigation. "Let's go forward and take the next steps to ensure that the common thread we all share for noise relief becomes the fabric of the ONCC culture," she said.

ONCC, an inter-governmental agency representing over 2.1 million residents living in 52 municipalities, school districts, and Cook and DuPage counties, is dedicated to mitigating aircraft noise from O'Hare International Airport.

ONCC member communities: Arlington Heights; Bensenville; Bloomingdale; Chicago including Wards 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 45; Des Plaines; Downers Grove, Elmwood Park; Franklin Park; Hanover Park; Harwood Heights; Hoffman Estates; Itasca; Maywood; Melrose Park; Mount Prospect; Niles; Norridge; Northlake; Palatine; Park Ridge; River Forest; River Grove; Rolling Meadows; Rosemont; Schaumburg; Schiller Park; Stone Park; Wood Dale, Cook County and DuPage County. ONCC member school districts: 59; 63; 64; 80; 81; 84; 84.5; 85.5; 86; 87; 89; 214; 234; 299; and 401.