Broadview department reports: 17th Avenue water-main work to begin next week; hiring and community programs under way

Multiple Village of Broadview departments briefed trustees on operations and planned projects during the March 17 meeting, including a public-works water-main replacement that will affect traffic near Village Square.

Public Works Director Matt Ames said the 17th Avenue water-main replacement should begin the week of March 24, with contractor mobilization anticipated then and an estimated project duration of about three weeks. Ames warned that traffic to and from Village Square would be affected and said notices and message boards will be placed; he also said targeted lead-service-line replacements will occur at identified homes as part of the work. “We will provide the administrator exactly what blocks will be shut down temporarily and we will also put that on our Facebook post,” Ames said.

Ames described other operations: approximately 362 tons of salt were used in February (the village did not need to purchase additional salt this fiscal year), nine emergency water-main breaks were addressed and updated forestry mapping is guiding tree-trimming and removals. He also said the village has made progress on reducing non-revenue water loss with assistance from Cook County and related partners.

Fire Chief Derek Bryant reported the department ran 270 incidents in February, installed five smoke detectors for residents and is running a firefighter/paramedic hiring exam that closes March 31. He encouraged residents to call the fire department for smoke-detector installation requests and thanked neighboring communities for mutual aid at a recent transformer/garage fire.

Police Chief Thomas Mills reported a 9% decrease in calls for service for Broadview in February, noted a deputy chief promotion and described added roll-call training and the presence of a new village counselor, Latata Greaves.

Building Department Commissioner Dave Upshaw summarized ongoing development activity, including progress on Broadview Community Flats (lease negotiations at 1301–1331 Roosevelt Road), asbestos/soil-removal work at a physician’s office (2200 Roosevelt Road), phase-two work at a cultivation site (2150 Parks Drive) and that Amazon at 2800 S. 25th Ave is applying for building permits.

What’s next: Public Works will post localized notices about the 17th Avenue closures and lead-service-line work; residents who need assistance can contact the listed village phone numbers and follow village social-media updates.

Community members seeking more detail should consult department reports the village filed with the clerk.