ON THIS PAGE:
* Oakton Street Road Diet * Village of Skokie correspondence with ComEd
* Skokie Voice Crawford Avenue petition * Skokie Voice Housing Forum
* Community Safety Outreach
October 2011
Oakton Street Road Diet
On Oct. 17 the Skokie Village Board unanimously voted down the Road Diet for Oakton Street.
At the meeting, Skokie Voice presented a summary of comments on the Road Diet submited
via the SV website. To read the summary, click the icon below.
| rd_comments_summary.pdf |
August 2011
Village of Skokie addresses ComEd service, infrastructure problems
Letters sent to ComEd VP, Illinois legislators
Recent repeated and prolonged power outages experienced by Skokie residents caused by severe weather and aging infrastructure have prompted the Village of Skokie to address the issue in a series of letters addressed to ComEd and a number of state lawmakers.
Skokie Voice has obtained copies of these letters from the Village and is posting them below as a public service. In the letter to ComEd Vice President of External Affairs Michael Guerra dated Aug. 12, 2011, Village Manager Al Rigoni stated:
... [W]e are concerned with the age of the electric infrastructure and the power outages resulting from overhead, underground and transmission/substation equipment failures.
... The Village of Skokie is therefore asking that ComEd make the necessary capital improvement and process changes to address the aging infrastructure. ComEd continues to seek support for House Bill 14, its smart-grid enabling legislation; the condition of ComEd's infrastructure in our region demands first and foremost a direct investment in circuits [including] the ones [in Skokie] listed above, which we believe to be among the worst performing. On behalf of our residents, the Village is encouraging our state legislators to demand that House Bill 14 include and prioritize these kinds of investments as a condition of approval.
Skokie Voice encourages the Village to continue its efforts on behalf of Skokie residents and merchants alike to compel ComEd to improve its service and infrastructure.
In early August Skokie Voice posted notice of the town hall meeting with ComEd representatives held by state Rep. Daniel Biss (17th District) on Aug. 1 at the Glenview Police Station.
The Village of Skokie map of problematic ComEd infrastructure and letter to ComEd VP Michael Guerra are displayed below. To view the entire file of VoS correspondence to state legislators and ComEd, click this icon:
Skokie Voice has obtained copies of these letters from the Village and is posting them below as a public service. In the letter to ComEd Vice President of External Affairs Michael Guerra dated Aug. 12, 2011, Village Manager Al Rigoni stated:
... [W]e are concerned with the age of the electric infrastructure and the power outages resulting from overhead, underground and transmission/substation equipment failures.
... The Village of Skokie is therefore asking that ComEd make the necessary capital improvement and process changes to address the aging infrastructure. ComEd continues to seek support for House Bill 14, its smart-grid enabling legislation; the condition of ComEd's infrastructure in our region demands first and foremost a direct investment in circuits [including] the ones [in Skokie] listed above, which we believe to be among the worst performing. On behalf of our residents, the Village is encouraging our state legislators to demand that House Bill 14 include and prioritize these kinds of investments as a condition of approval.
Skokie Voice encourages the Village to continue its efforts on behalf of Skokie residents and merchants alike to compel ComEd to improve its service and infrastructure.
In early August Skokie Voice posted notice of the town hall meeting with ComEd representatives held by state Rep. Daniel Biss (17th District) on Aug. 1 at the Glenview Police Station.
The Village of Skokie map of problematic ComEd infrastructure and letter to ComEd VP Michael Guerra are displayed below. To view the entire file of VoS correspondence to state legislators and ComEd, click this icon:
| village_of_skokie_letters_comed.pdf |
Update: August 2011
Cook County Commissioner Suffredin responds
to SV Crawford Avenue petition
Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin (13th District) has responded to the Skokie Voice petition calling for expeditious repairs to Crawford Avenue from Jarvis Street to Golf Road (see below). In a letter to Skokie Voice dated Aug. 23, 2011, Suffredin stated:
[Cook County Highway Department] Crews have begun patching numerous areas of Crawford Avenue on the inner lanes. This patching is only the first phase of improving the street. The second phase will be to totally resurface the inner lanes by late Fall of 2011.
To view Suffredin's letters to Skokie Voice and signers of the petition as well as a county letter to Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen outlining the repairs in detail, click this icon:
[Cook County Highway Department] Crews have begun patching numerous areas of Crawford Avenue on the inner lanes. This patching is only the first phase of improving the street. The second phase will be to totally resurface the inner lanes by late Fall of 2011.
To view Suffredin's letters to Skokie Voice and signers of the petition as well as a county letter to Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen outlining the repairs in detail, click this icon:
| comm._suffredin_response_crawford_avenue_petition.pdf |
July 2011
Skokie Voice delivers Crawford Avenue petition
250 residents send message: Please repair this vital thoroughfare ... and soon!
On July 13, Skokie Voice delivered a petition to the office of Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin (13th District), asking him to expedite road repairs and lighting improvements to Crawford Avenue. Crawford is under the jurisdiction of the Cook County Highway Department for more than three miles from Jarvis Street (7400N) to Golf Road (9600N).
In May, June and July, 250 Skokie residents signed the Skokie Voice petition at venues including the Skokie Festival of Cultures and the SV Community Forum on Housing. The cover letter to Commissioner Suffredin appears below, and SV will post in the same space any written reply. The petition states:
We, the undersigned Skokie residents, call on Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin (13th District) to expedite repairs and improvements, including but not limited to repaving and installation of sufficient lighting, by the Cook County Highway Department to Crawford Avenue from Jarvis Street to Golf Road in Skokie. The current state of disrepair endangers the safety of those who travel, walk and reside on Crawford Avenue.
In May, June and July, 250 Skokie residents signed the Skokie Voice petition at venues including the Skokie Festival of Cultures and the SV Community Forum on Housing. The cover letter to Commissioner Suffredin appears below, and SV will post in the same space any written reply. The petition states:
We, the undersigned Skokie residents, call on Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin (13th District) to expedite repairs and improvements, including but not limited to repaving and installation of sufficient lighting, by the Cook County Highway Department to Crawford Avenue from Jarvis Street to Golf Road in Skokie. The current state of disrepair endangers the safety of those who travel, walk and reside on Crawford Avenue.
June 22, 2011
Skokie Voice holds community forum on housing
At its second Community Forum of 2011, Skokie Voice once again opened the channels of communication between residents and village officials – this time at a forum on housing issues held on June 22.
About 120 residents attended the forum at Oakton Community Center, where a four-member expert panel addressed a range of issues for the first hour.
Village of Skokie Property Standards Supervisor Terry Oline and Director of Community Development
Peter Peyer outlied Village property-standards ordinances and enforcement procedures, including issues of over-occupancy. They also discussed foreclosures in Skokie and the Village Nuisance Intervention and Prevention
ordinance.
Howard Handler, government affairs director of the North Shore-Barrington Association of REALTORS, detailed the recent foreclosure filing rate in Skokie, including comparisons with rates in surrounding communities. He also commented on steps the Village of Skokie could study to indirectly ease local foreclosure conditions.
Richard Koenig, executive director of the Housing Opportunity Development Corp., discussed the difference between affordable housing and Section 8/Housing Choice vouchers as well as affordable housing opportunities in Skokie.
Following these initial remarks, the panelists answered questions on this range of issues posed by more than a dozen residents in a one-hour open-mike segment.
A summary of the panelists’ remarks and the Q&A segment appear below.
Terry Oline, Peter Peyer Village of Skokie
PROPERTY STANDARDS: Inspections and complaints
· Oline and Peyer said the property-standards inspection process is based on routine Village checks and complaints made by tenants and neighbors. Oline said Skokie property-standards ordinances are based on international property-maintenance codes, and that the Village generally responds to complaints within 24 to 48 hours. He added that the Village has three full-time property-standards inspectors.
· Residents can file complaints by phone, e-mail or by coming in to Village Hall, Oline said. Each complaint is
assigned to an inspector within 24 hours, and complainants who leave their names receive follow-up ommunication from inspectors after inspections are completed.
OVER-OCCUPANCY/OVERCROWDING
· Peyer said Village property-standards ordinances are based on square footage per person per bedroom. A housing unit must have 70 square feet for the first person occupying a bedroom and 50 square feet for each additional person occupying the same bedroom.
· While Peyer acknowledged there are some over-occupancy issues in Skokie, exact statistics aren’t available because the Village’s knowledge of overcrowding is based on complaints received from residents. He added that average occupancy in Skokie is 2.67 persons per rental unit and 2.74 persons per single-family home.
· Oline said “empty nesters” who rent out rooms in their single-family homes must meet the square-footage criteria of Village occupancy standards. He added that in recent years federal courts have struck down codes
mandating that occupancy requirements be based on family relationships.
FORECLOSURES
· Peyer said Skokie is ranked #31 among all Chicago-area municipalities for foreclosures, with a total of 1,947 residential units having gone into foreclosure since 2007. Oline added that currently there are six or seven Skokie commercial properties in foreclosure.
· In May 2011, 41 Skokie properties with a total of $12 million in mortgages went into foreclosure while five others came out of foreclosure, Peyer said, adding that since the beginning of 2011 the rate has “started to go down.”
· Peyer said the Village takes a comprehensive approach to foreclosures, with lists of foreclosed properties forwarded to the public works, police, health and human services departments.
· Oline said the Village holds foreclosed properties to the same code-enforcement standards as
other properties in the Village. It generally takes about two years for properties to go through the foreclosure process, he said, during which time Village inspectors track them for peeling paint, broken windows, weeds and
abandoned cars, and issue citations to owners, including banks.
NUISANCE INTERVENTION and PREVENTION
· The Village Nuisance Intervention and Prevention ordinance, enacted in 2009, addresses criminal activity and/or an increase in calls for Village service (police as well as code inspection and animal control) to
privately owned residential and commercial properties.
Peyer said owners, including absentee landlords, of properties that garner frequent complaints are first notified by letter and then may be called in for a meeting with the Village NIP committee to discuss required corrective action. If the property owner does not comply, the Village may issue a citation and/or
take legal action.
Howard Handler North Shore-Barrington Association of REALTORS
FORECLOSURES
· Handler said for the month of May, the foreclosure filing rate in Skokie was .3 percent, or one out of every
333 housing units, nearly equally divided between the 60076 and 60077 ZIP codes.
· The May .3 percent foreclosure filing rate for Skokie compares with .26 percent for Cook County, .20 percent for Illinois and .17 percent nationwide.
· The May .3 percent Skokie foreclosure filing rate also compares with .288 for Morton Grove, .209 for Lincolnwood, .19 for Niles, .153 for Evanston and .123 for Wilmette.
· The number of overall Skokie foreclosures as a percentage of total residential properties is 3.38%, second
to Morton Grove for surrounding communities with 3.78%. Other neighboring communities’ ratios are Lincolnwood, 3.36%; Niles, 2.6%; Evanston, 1.71%; and Wilmette, 1.28%.
· Handler said because the foreclosure rate is declining only slowly nationwide due to the persistently sluggish
economy, Skokie and other municipalities are limited in what they can do to ease local foreclosure conditions.
· However, Handler said the Village could consider taking steps to attract employers and investors
to Skokie and to stimulate the local housing market. These include streamlining bureaucratic procedures to facilitate business owners’ dealings with the Village; waiving building-permit fees and the real-estate transfer tax; and facilitating communication with housing counselors and mortgage lenders.
Richard Koenig Housing Opportunity Development Corp.
AFFORDABLE and VOUCHER (SECTION 8) HOUSING
· The federal government has defined affordable housing as having rents or mortgages that do not exceed 30% of a family’s income, Koenig said.
· Affordable housing is characterized by a fixed rental rate that is below the market rental value of
the unit. The tenant pays the entire below-market rental rate, Koenig said. The owner agrees to keep rental rates below market value for the long term.
· Section 8 or Housing Choice vouchers are funded by the federal government and issued by county housing authorities (locally, the Housing Authority of Cook County, or HACC) to holders who meet specific income-eligibility requirements, Koenig said. Market rates apply to units rented by voucher holders, who pay 30% of their income toward the rent. The owner of the property receives a government subsidy that accounts for the difference between what the renter pays and the market value of the rent.
· (Peyer noted that 435 Section 8/Housing Choice vouchers were in use in Skokie in 2010, with 47% held by
seniors and 93 units inhabited by people with physical disabilities. In 2009 there were 440 vouchers in use in Skokie; in 2008 there were 450, he said.)
· Koenig said the nonprofit Housing Opportunity Development Corp. runs two affordable-housing apartment
buildings in Skokie with a total of 23 units. There is a waiting list for both buildings. Eligibility is based on income thresholds according to family size. In the Chicago metropolitan area, a family of four must have income of approximately $45,000 or less to qualify; a single person, about $20,000 or less.
· Koenig said HODC does its own property management, including administration and maintenance, and its
buildings are subject to Village inspections just as privately owned properties are. Units rented to Section 8 voucher holders are subject not only to Village inspections but also to periodic inspections by the HACC, he
said.
Q&A SEGMENT Can the Village limit the number of group homes in Skokie? Peyer: Federal regulations stipulate that municipalities cannot treat group homes differently from single-family homes. The Village inspects group homes twice a year and follows up on any police reports that are filed. What is the Village doing to increase the desirability of Skokie in order to attract home buyers and businesses? Peyer: The Village maintains a triple-A bond rating, has not increased its share of property taxes since 1990 and enforces its property-maintenance codes. It has also increased its economic development outreach, including the hiring of new staff, in order to attract new businesses to Skokie and keep existing ones here. Why are foreclosure rates relatively high in Skokie? Peyer: Across the country, the weakness of the national economy and inappropriate lending practices have been the major reasons for the foreclosure crisis. Unemployment rates are also a factor: In 2007 the unemployment rate in Skokie was 3.8%; in 2011 it has risen to 8.3%. Can the Village limit the number of Section 8/Housing Choice vouchers used to rent residential units in Skokie? Oline: The Village has no say over how many vouchers landlords accept for rental of Skokie properties. The vouchers are issued by the Housing Authority of Cook County, and rental agreements are voluntary matters between landlords and tenants. The Village does maintain an interface with the HACC. Koenig: Communities cannot categorically exclude or limit the number of vouchers. The number of vouchers | accepted by landlords in a given community is often a factor of prevailing market conditions. Jurisdiction for action on abuses of the voucher system lies with Cook County, not the Village of Skokie. If a voucher-holding tenant is evicted, the HACC can revoke the voucher. What can the Village of Skokie do to keep property taxes low? Peyer: The Village has not raised its share of the property tax rate since 1990. Other units of local government – the school districts, public library and park district – have raised their rates in recent years, in particular the school districts. Are over-occupancy/overcrowding problems common among transient families and families from immigrant communities? Oline: Occupancy codes are based on square footage, not the permanency or origins of residents. On a case-by-case basis, if occupants are found to be in violation, they are given anywhere from 30 to 90 days to comply. Complaints about overcrowding have increased slightly in recent years, with about 30 to 40 complaints per year. Most occupants correct the violations voluntarily, with a small percentage going to administrative hearings. Comment: Given the length of time it takes to resolve complaints, it appears that the Village does not have enough housing inspectors. Comment: The Village should charge fees to inspect foreclosed properties before they are sold. Comment: The Village should take steps to attract new middle-class residents rather than voucher holders to Skokie. |
CS Outreach
* * * *
Skokie’s Community Safety dialogue
The Skokie Voice Community Safety Committee has partnered with the Skokie Police Department to create CS Outreach.
CS Outreach opens a new channel of dialogue among Skokie residents, business owners and the Police Department on safety issues of interest to the community. Answers in the following Q&A dialogue have been provided by the SPD.
Skokie residents and business owners can submit questions and comments for the SPD via Skokie Voice by using the form at the bottom of this page. CS Outreach will be refreshed periodically with new Q&A content.
Residents and business owners who wish to submit community safety questions and comments directly to the Police Department may do so via Action Line on the Village of Skokie website at http://www.egovlink.com/skokie/action.asp. (Those questions and Village of Skokie answers will not appear on this page.)
Welcome to the first edition of CS Outreach!
CS Outreach opens a new channel of dialogue among Skokie residents, business owners and the Police Department on safety issues of interest to the community. Answers in the following Q&A dialogue have been provided by the SPD.
Skokie residents and business owners can submit questions and comments for the SPD via Skokie Voice by using the form at the bottom of this page. CS Outreach will be refreshed periodically with new Q&A content.
Residents and business owners who wish to submit community safety questions and comments directly to the Police Department may do so via Action Line on the Village of Skokie website at http://www.egovlink.com/skokie/action.asp. (Those questions and Village of Skokie answers will not appear on this page.)
Welcome to the first edition of CS Outreach!
Neighborhood Watch
How does the SPD's
Neighborhood Watch program work? 
Neighborhood Watch is a crime-prevention program that enlists the active participation of residents working in cooperation with law enforcement to discourage and possibly prevent crime in residential neighborhoods. You may have heard of similar programs referred to as Neighborhood Block Watch, Citizen Crime Watch, Community Policing or Home Alert. The names may differ, but the idea is the same: neighbors looking out for one another.
Here’s how Neighborhood Watch works: You and your neighbors are in a unique position to know what goes on in your neighborhood. Neighborhood Watch organizes interested persons in a neighborhood (usually identified as the equivalent of a city block) into a powerful, 24-hour-a-day barrier against crime. Neighborhood Watch participants become the eyes and ears of the neighborhood, and they report any odd or suspicious activity to the police when crimes occur – or better yet, before they occur. Neighbors’ being watchful and concerned about what happens on their block and notifying police immediately about suspicious activity helps us identify suspects and otherwise prevent crime. 
How do neighborhoods benefit
from participating in Neighborhood Watch? 
NW neighborhoods benefit from having personal contact with members of the Police Department. Instead of only seeing patrol cars drive through their neighborhoods, NW participants get the opportunity to speak to police officers and discuss issues of concern. Through organizational meetings and interactions with beat officers, NW participants are exposed to law enforcement professionals and practices in a non-confrontational and friendly setting.
This kind of personal contact, which includes receiving materials and information directly from police officers, encourages NW participants to communicate the specific conditions and problems of their neighborhoods to the SPD. This enables us to tailor crime-prevention techniques and advice that address specific situations and problems on a particular NW block. Neighborhood Watch also includes the following features that benefit participants: ** Neighborhood Watch participants receive quarterly newsletters from the SPD that offer the latest information on crime trends, effective crime-prevention techniques and other news of interest. ** Members of the SPD Crime Prevention/Community Relations Unit make educational presentations to NW groups. Presentations focus on a range of tips and best practices to prevent becoming a victim of crime, as well as many other aspects of personal, residential and business security. ** Members of the SPD Crime Prevention/Community Relations Unit conduct security surveys of single-family homes, multiunit dwellings and small businesses at the request of owners and recommend ways that they can better secure their properties so they will be less of a target for criminals. Minimizing opportunities for criminals is paramount in our efforts to reduce crime in the community. Security surveys are available to all Skokie residents, whether or not they participate in Neighborhood Watch, and can be scheduled by contacting the Crime Prevention/Community Relations Unit at 847.982.5919. ** The SPD posts clearly identifiable outdoor warning signs on both ends of NW blocks to indicate their participation in the program. The signs state that these neighborhoods are organized as NW blocks, and residents will report suspicious activity to police – which is the best way to help us identify suspects and otherwise prevent crime. Such warning signs have proven to be effective in deterring some criminal elements from identified Neighborhood Watch areas. Window stickers bearing a similar message are also available. 
How many Skokie neighborhoods currently participate in NW? 
As of March 2011, there are 182 residential blocks throughout the Village that have organized to participate in the Neighborhood Watch program.
Relative to size and scope,
how are neighborhoods defined for Neighborhood Watch? 
Typically, a neighborhood is defined as a standard city block: for example, the 9400 block of Lavergne Avenue (east and west sides of the street); the 4500 block of Grove Street (north and south sides of the street). However, condo and apartment buildings also organize to participate in NW. Owners of small businesses who are interested in forming a NW group in their area should contact the Crime Prevention/Community Relations Unit for assistance in doing so.
How can residents start Neighborhood Watch initiatives
on their blocks? |
Just contact the Crime Prevention/Community Relations Unit of the Skokie Police Department at 847.982.5919 to get a Neighborhood Watch group started. A member of the CP/CR Unit will attend your first NW meeting – date, time and place to be set by you and your neighbors. The officer will present the Neighborhood Watch concept, discuss crime-prevention techniques and explain how you can make your block an effective NW neighborhood.
What are the responsibilities of Neighborhood Watch participants? 
Neighborhood Watch participants are responsible for reading and reviewing information distributed to them by the SPD, keeping a watchful eye on their own and their neighbors’ properties and reporting suspicious activity to police.
If you observe suspicious or criminal activity, call 9-1-1 immediately.Waiting to report such activity may allow a criminal to escape. In addition, Neighborhood Watch groups select their own block captains, who serve as the direct contacts between the Police Department and Neighborhood Watch participants. Block captains advocate and promote the practice of neighbors looking out for one another. Block captains are also typically responsible for organizing block activities including meetings and presentations with members of the SPD. Block captains also distribute printed information from the SPD and represent their blocks at annual NW meetings with the Skokie Police Department. Burglary follow-up
How does the SPD follow up
with residents and business owners whose homes and businesses have been burglarized? 
When a residence or business is burglarized and the SPD is contacted, officers are dispatched to check the area for any possible offenders. The first responding officer is responsible for meeting with the complainant / victim and conducting an initial investigation. Any and all witnesses, including neighbors and passersby, are interviewed for information that could assist in the investigation.
In most cases an evidence technician is dispatched to the location of the burglary to examine the scene and collect evidence. After the initial investigation is completed and a report has been filed, the case is reviewed by an investigations supervisor for assignment to a detective who specializes in the investigation of residential and business burglaries. When detectives are assigned to burglary cases, they review all initial reports including evidence reports and then contact the victims. Victims are encouraged to meet with detectives to review the information in the initial reports. The detectives then work to develop further information through crime patterns, known intelligence and recovered evidence in order to solve burglary cases. Burglary victims who have not received adequate follow-up information are encouraged to contact an Investigations Division supervisor: Sgt. Kevin Baltazar at 847.982.5941 or Sgt. Paul Weinman at 847.982.5942. Reporting crime tips
How should residents
and business owners report crime tips or suspicious activity? 
Any event or occurrence that requires immediate police assistance or response should be reported to the police dispatch center. In an emergency call 9-1-1. For non-emergencies call 847.982.5900.
Any information regarding suspicious activity or known criminal activity can be reported anonymously. However the SPD encourages callers to identify themselves. This enables us to provide callers with updates on the information they report and in the process maintain open communication with Skokie residents and business owners. To report information about narcotics or suspected gang activity, please call the Tactical Mission Team tip line at 847.418.1679 or contact Sgt. Robert Libit at 847.982.5959 (email: Robert.Libit@skokie.org). To report all other criminal-activity information, please contact Sgt. Kevin Baltazar at 847.982.5941 (email: Kevin.Baltazar@skokie.org) or Sgt. Paul Weinman at 847.982.5942 (e-mail: Paul.Weinman@skokie.org). Ride along with the SPD
Can residents and business owners sign up to ride along
with SPD officers on patrol? 
Yes! Please contact the Skokie Police Department front desk (847.982.5900) or the Crime Prevention/Community Relations Unit (847.982.5919) to schedule a ride-along. Scheduling is based on officer availability and SPD guidelines.
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 SPD Directory | Skokie Police Department
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