By Dee Longfellow
During the announcements portion of the City Council meeting on Monday, May 6, Mayor Scott Levin shared a letter from Rob Wagner, the asst. principal of athletics at York High School. In the letter, Wagner thanked the City for providing CPR training to the coaches – and that the training very likely saved the life of a York student athlete recently.
Wagner related in the letter that on Friday, April 12 at a girls track meet at Downers Grove North, one of York’s triple-jumpers performed her jump, landed in the sandpit as expected, but when she got up, she immediately collapsed to the ground for no apparent reason. Adults at the event rushed to her aid and found her unresponsive and not breathing.
York’s assistant track coach began CPR immediately, while someone called 9-1-1; the athletic trainer was there with AED, the EMTs showed up within a 4- to 6-minute period and the young lady was off to Good Samaritan Hospital, where she was put on a ventilator. Still struggling, she had to be transferred to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge but, as of two weeks ago, she was recovering and is conscious and breathing on her own. She is expected to be released and back at school in the next week or so, according to Wagner.
“Thank you for teaching CPR to our staff,” Wagner said in his letter. “Our coach did exactly what he was supposed to do in an emergency situation and everyone from the EMTs to the doctors stated that the early CPR is what saved her life. I appreciate your training our coaches.”
Cost for York, B’field improvements covered 95% by grants
A report from the PWB committee was approved to enter a joint funding agreement with the Illinois Dept. of Transportation (IDOT) for Phase II Engineering for improvements to the intersection of York St. and Butterfield Rd. The City received 80% of the projects funds through the Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) improvement program through the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). The City petitioned IDOT to cover a portion of the expenses outside CMAQ’s grant since Butterfield is under state jurisdiction. As a result of the negotiations, IDOT is covering 15% of the remaining cost, leaving the City to cover $8,253 of the total design contract of $220,070.
Funds approved for Park Ave. bridge
• Council approved another recommendation of the PW&B committee to award a bid to Long Construction Co. in the amount of $1,147,391 for the relocation of the Park Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation Project. This is the bridge that crosses the underpass by the Elmhurst History Museum. Committee chair Alderman Emily Bastedo (6th Ward) reminded the Council that this bridge is especially important for the many events that take place over the summer and fall at the museum such as the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation’s Craft Beer Fest, which draws more than 1,000 outside people to the City.
Other Capsules
• A recommendation of the Development, Planning & Zoning (DPZ) Committee was approved for an amended conditional use permit for an allowance for parking within the front yard setback a planned unit development (PUD) at 188 W. Butterfield near Timothy Christian Schools.
• Also approved by consent was a blanket purchase order recommended by the Public Works & Buildings (PWB) Committee in the amount of $67,000 for Alexander Chemical Corp. to provide sodium hypochlorite and sulfur dioxide, two chemicals used in the operation of the City’s Water Reclamation Facility (WRF). The chemicals provide disinfection and de-chlorination to neutralize the chlorine added to the water prior to it reaching Salt Creek. Funds are available in the Chemical category of the Municipal Utility Fund budget.
To view the actions taken at the full City Council meeting, visit elmhurst.org or ElmhurstTV on youTube.
