[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6026108,"mediaKeyId","5747502-71c79a41e31ea31763e03b14e3605b3e","parentId",5747502,"title","Council approves $120,000 AMM Enterprises water‑plant consulting contract after debate over term length","audioSeconds",1717,"startMs",5209000,"endMs",6926000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5747502-71c79a41e31ea31763e03b14e3605b3e&start=5209&end=6926","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5747502-71c79a41e31ea31763e03b14e3605b3e/thumbnail_5209000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6026108/North-Chicago/Lake-County/Illinois/Council-approves-120000-AMM-Enterprises-waterplant-consulting-contract-after-debate-over-term-length","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6026108-4f87c8835068acb03cf297041596bafc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775096442&Signature=cD09iyrtVv9kIYvCs4OyhWviNfPvf-yll81WZRBPUiW23h9-ZP03l3t0AFevTbIw0lOi7THXmKnqNhBvKRRY8cQRJfC3NtCcsgIgJqlinSkPNe7qPBLhiL7l3helGVtPnEr6Ya5Bs4jiOWkRtwJpZ-UN9YgVIiIwB5k99zyxRIUgM4-aNVExaRhBIdLx0PsRLpMGXJKrRPl7nDCFzVOfW7XhkA9HfBUFCCpGKkisfHPDbxRyLp09UlSdNMJiGlB5Tyv5avS7xGrLyKfUqxPkbqFeSZZTgszHWEpJdxfAIYTHCM57BTYnR3gDqgoFwb6y4-hsapsm9lzXAp1qyUu-zw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Chicago, IL","date","2025-05-06T14:18:42Z","article","The council approved AMM Enterprises Inc. services for water‑plant and related public‑works consulting at a contract value not to exceed $120,000 for a 12‑month term, with a six‑month review and an option to extend. Alderman Carl Evans moved the approval and Alderman Donna Murphy seconded.

City staff said AMM Enterprises and its consultant Bob Miller were engaged to complete a broad IT and infrastructure refresh and to mentor and professionalize supervisory staff at the water treatment plant after years in which succession planning and technical capacity needed reinforcement. Staff described the engagement as focused on completing a previously started transition: refreshing equipment and ensuring leadership and operational continuity at the water treatment plant.

The contract prompted extended debate. Alderman Robert Coleman argued the city had already achieved many of the benchmarks and said he would vote against a full 12‑month extension, suggesting a six‑month transition period would be sufficient and less costly. \"I will be voting against a 12 month extension,\" Coleman said, citing concern over the cost and his view that current staff were prepared to lead independently.

Other council members and staff defended a longer contract window to finish outstanding infrastructure work and to avoid handing off a partially completed program mid‑project. Staff said some tasks require time (equipment refresh, cloud migrations, firewall and server replacement) and that handing off work midstream could increase risk to operations and security. Council members requested regular reporting: staff committed to reporting progress every two months against the benchmarks and to conducting a formal six‑month review; the council kept the option to end the contract sooner if the benchmarks were met.

On roll call the motion to approve AMM Enterprises' services as presented passed. The approved contract requires staff to report to council at two‑month intervals and to perform a formal review at six months; if benchmarks are met earlier, the council retains the authority to end the contract.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","North Chicago City Council May 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved a one‑year AMM Enterprises contract for water‑plant consulting and management services not to exceed $120,000, with a six‑month review and option to extend; council members debated whether a six‑month transition would suffice or if a longer contract better protected infrastructure modernization work.","taxTitle","North Chicago, Lake County, Illinois","taxId",55514,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6026113,"Council reopens Compass sign variance after Mould Center objections; signage vote tabled to next meeting",241,3657000,3898000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5747502-71c79a41e31ea31763e03b14e3605b3e&start=3657&end=3898","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5747502-71c79a41e31ea31763e03b14e3605b3e/thumbnail_3657000.jpg","/articles/6026113/North-Chicago/Lake-County/Illinois/Council-reopens-Compass-sign-variance-after-Mould-Center-objections-signage-vote-tabled-to-next-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6026113-de18ddec2572e99815549ba30ed49e45/orig.mp4?Expires=1775096442&Signature=XCl81KvLxUX86o0uUSTsjnL-c2x8YWndPhbSXrCwxTlyd3gq1rXkPCHQLddWEWSZCEYqsCoS0ESvvc2fbCjis7W65Fp8x3D0SNF9XH-ttrO9~o6IihwtrJAcPRncW5LfTQujF17pzcaDwnzkKvEOxZwe69xcTORz5g40QaILUexxyGww6Jeg0zV1pEXVKSbPq8LRTiMu17jxLvlmUUiWZaBnoJhkLEbNFVTOaw5C4i4ZpAxXhc1y6AgHo-prtZwkHjr9llOEcchJKuKp6Rn0N-TYTl4Aeh4Krx~L-vPwn2YReSPDigdsoGNGbjx4oJq~s0iGwO3MXsxcjiEboYXbDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Adam Kingsley, attorney for Jim Sackelman of the Mould Center, and Sackelman told the council they were not given adequate opportunity to resolve a sign dispute with the Compass project at 3100 Skokie Highway. Sackelman said the sign option the developer offered was only 3 feet high and would be obscured by traffic, hampering the Mould Center's visibility and livelihood.

\"The sign that they've offered us is 3 feet, and the cars are next to it ... All we're asking is 8 feet high ' the starter sign so we're visible,\" Sackelman said during public comment. That representation followed an attorney presentation that sought a variance for the Compass development's signage plan.

The sign variation had been included on the council's omnibus vote agenda and approved earlier in the meeting. Alderman Robert Coleman told the council he had not received sufficient information from the city attorney before voting and moved to reconsider his omnibus vote on agenda item 6‑5; Alderman Michael R. Jackson seconded the motion. The motion to reconsider carried on roll call, bringing the signage matter back to the regular agenda.

On the regular agenda, Alderman Coleman moved to table consideration of Ordinance 6‑5 (the sign variation for North Chicago 2023 LLC at 3100 Skokie Highway) to the council's next regular meeting to allow additional negotiation with Compass and to give affected businesses more time to be heard. Alderman Dante Brooks seconded the tabling motion; the motion carried by roll call vote (motion carried; Alderman Jackson recorded a No vote). The council directed staff to work with Compass and the Mould Center to explore sign placement options, including a possible compromise that would place the Mould Center's logo within or alongside Compass's monument signage.

Council members and staff described the dispute as a negotiation over visibility and business livelihood rather than a zoning change to the property. Staff said the city would follow up with Compass to see whether a middle option or the owner's preferred 8‑foot‑high sign could be achieved without undermining the developer's signage plan.

Council action: Item 6‑5 was removed from the omnibus vote by a successful motion to reconsider and then tabled to the May 19 regular meeting for further negotiation and public discussion.","The council agreed to reconsider an omnibus-approved sign variance for 3100 Skokie Highway after the Mould Center's attorney and owner said the proposed sign would not be visible to their business; Alderman Coleman moved to reconsider and later successfully moved to table the item to the May 19 meeting to allow further negotiation with Compass.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6026118,"Lake Bluff, Sanctuary residents urge council to reject rezoning request for 3601 Skokie Highway",5030,2916000,7946000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5747502-71c79a41e31ea31763e03b14e3605b3e&start=2916&end=7946","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5747502-71c79a41e31ea31763e03b14e3605b3e/thumbnail_2916000.jpg","/articles/6026118/North-Chicago/Lake-County/Illinois/Lake-Bluff-Sanctuary-residents-urge-council-to-reject-rezoning-request-for-3601-Skokie-Highway","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6026118-fa7b2eef31fea6d3b91751396e6d9521/orig.mp4?Expires=1775096442&Signature=ZMUfA06-rIQSvgqXeQfoJIB~tLcGMG7NvkFTSDHdlRtyDnmqyP4raQnJzBDUFuotEMzDt2VypfVw8y-FlQ3omKOI54Szk0i5XfXCJDGJaRQBaKXCr2sVDvovkDtSUo2ZpHEK491V4VyPOuKbvbOs3Ty4DNMIdxdvldq3PdtHu~Tq23fDN-8MT0unK6RD4VcBAUYZ8nz-vB~litFrP75Ssn4w7c10E2BBp1vfPpyffrN0-OnNKL-yDkDCZ3vQmtzUUnmias5NReQWjqDcy8aXNRpWcG2PM--Fs53hmu3KM3eblIAYIE845O5jDL07ryl25orH0~0lWdEann3YmTu1Zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Drew Urban, village administrator for Lake Bluff, told the North Chicago City Council that his village opposes Grama Realty's application to rezone 3601 Skokie Highway from M‑1 (limited industrial) to M‑3 (intensive industrial). Urban said the petition raises safety and land‑use compatibility concerns because the property sits within 250 feet of existing residences in Lake Bluff's Sanctuary neighborhood and could allow heavier industrial uses.

Urban outlined four reasons the village opposed the rezoning: intensive uses should not be so close to residences; the change would conflict with the Lake Bluff–North Chicago cooperative planning approach and a prior portal agreement; alternatives (including a text amendment to permit specific uses in M‑1) exist that would address a tenant's needs without full M‑3 zoning; and the rezoning is not consistent with the city's comprehensive plan and the LaSalle court factors used in Illinois zoning challenges. \"Intensive industrial uses should not be in such close proximity to the existing residential uses,\" Urban said.

Sanctuary residents spoke next. Barbara Ankenman identified herself as a Sanctuary resident and said the subdivision includes 177 homes; she said many residents received statutorily required notices because of the 250‑foot radius. She asked council members to preserve the neighborhood's ability to enjoy their property quietly and warned that M‑3 zoning would remove local control over as‑of‑right uses. Matthew Moody, representing the Sanctuary Area Homeowners Association board of directors, said the community pays nearly $200,000 for city water service and urged council to seek a compromise such as a special use or text amendment rather than full rezoning.

Speakers also noted the property's size and vacancy history. Urban told the council the site is about 540,000 square feet and that previous occupants included a 155,000‑square‑foot tenant; he said the vacancy pattern and the comprehensive‑plan inconsistency were relevant under Illinois's LaSalle factors. City planning staff said there was no immediate change proposed for the site and that the most likely tenant interest reported to the petitioner has been for truck‑repair uses; staff added that M‑3 would broaden the range of permitted users.

The matter was discussed in the council's Economic Development, Planning and Zoning Committee, where staff noted that adjacent parcels on the east side of Skokie Highway include M‑3 uses. Committee members closed the committee hearing and requested the petition be placed on the regular city council agenda for further consideration. No formal council vote on final rezoning was recorded at the meeting; the council committee asked staff to place the item on a future meeting agenda so members could consider the petition and the community input.

The petition drew repeated calls for a narrower solution from Lake Bluff and Sanctuary speakers: they urged North Chicago to consider a text amendment, a special use, or other conditional approvals that would permit a particular, limited use without opening the property to the full range of M‑3 intensive industrial activities.

What happens next: the petition will appear on a future North Chicago council agenda for formal action, and speakers requested the council weigh neighborhood proximity, comprehensive‑plan consistency and the LaSalle zoning factors before acting.","Officials from neighboring Lake Bluff and homeowners from the nearby Sanctuary subdivision urged North Chicago leaders not to rezone 3601 Skokie Highway from M‑1 (limited industrial) to M‑3 (intensive industrial), citing proximity to homes, the city's comprehensive plan and alternative zoning tools.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves $120,000 AMM Enterprises water‑plant consulting contract after debate over term length

Council reopens Compass sign variance after Mould Center objections; signage vote tabled to next meeting

Lake Bluff, Sanctuary residents urge council to reject rezoning request for 3601 Skokie Highway