Northfield board approves bills, consent agenda and contracts; authorizes $480,000 ambulance order

The Northfield Village Board voted unanimously on a package of routine financial and operational items at its Jan. 27 meeting, approving bills and disbursements for November and December 2025, clearing a six-item consent agenda, and authorizing several contracts and purchases.

Bills and consent agenda The board approved the bills and disbursements for Nov.–Dec. 2025 after staff highlighted regular bond principal and interest payments and a corrected vendor payment for a Bosworth sidewalk project. The consent agenda — approved on a single vote — included minutes from Dec. 2, 2025; an ordinance authorizing an indemnification agreement with Cook County; a resolution appointing delegates to the northeastern Illinois public safety training academy; an ordinance declaring property surplus and authorizing disposal; an intergovernmental agreement for shared use and maintenance of a fire-training tower with a neighboring municipality; and authorization to purchase a replacement Ford F350 with utility box (estimated $75,600).

Orchard Lane design services The board authorized execution of an agreement with Whit (referred to in materials and discussion also as White) and Company of Darien, Illinois for Orchard Lane porous‑paver parking-lot design services in an estimated amount of $34,000. Staff said the parcel is owned by Cook County with a right-of-first-refusal clause tied to the state transfer; adjacent property owners were reported as supportive. Trustee roll call approved the authorization.

Building-department contract amendment The board approved an amendment to the village’s ongoing building-department services contract with the private vendor identified in meeting materials to eliminate a 24-hour monthly minimum charge in exchange for higher hourly rates. Staff said other terms of the base agreement remain unchanged and recommended the amendment.

Ambulance order The board authorized placing an order with Foster Coach Sales (Sterling, Illinois) for a replacement frontline ambulance in the amount of $480,000. Fire Rescue Chief Burkowski described planned design changes — exterior access to ALS equipment, privacy windows, improved suspension and switching to a gasoline engine — and warned production times for ambulances and emergency vehicles are currently about two to 2.5 years; staff said the village intends to convert the current 2016 frontline ambulance to a reserve unit.

Votes at a glance (recorded roll calls) - Approval of bills and disbursements (Nov.–Dec. 2025): Trustee Orth — yes; Trustee Whitaker — yes; Trustee Fowler — yes; Trustee Gallen — yes; Trustee Edis — yes; Trustee Elfman — yes. Motion carries. - Consent agenda (six items listed above): Trustee Orth — yes; Trustee Whitaker — yes; Trustee Fowler — yes; Trustee Gallen — yes; Trustee Edis — yes; Trustee Elfman — yes. Motion carries. - Orchard Lane design contract (authorization to execute agreement, est. $34,000): Trustee Orth — yes; Trustee Whitaker — yes; Trustee Fowler — yes; Trustee Gallen — yes; Trustee Edis — yes; Trustee Elfman — yes. Motion carries. - Amendment to building-department services contract (remove 24-hour minimum; rate table revised): Trustee Orth — yes; Trustee Whitaker — yes; Trustee Fowler — yes; Trustee Gallen — yes; Trustee Edis — yes; Trustee Elfman — yes. Motion carries. - Order for replacement ambulance (Foster Coach Sales, $480,000): Trustee Orth — yes; Trustee Whitaker — yes; Trustee Fowler — yes; Trustee Gallen — yes; Trustee Edis — yes; Trustee Elfman — yes. Motion carries.

What the votes mean next Most items approved on Jan. 27 were contract authorizations or standard operating approvals; the ambulance order will require lead time for production. The park-district referendum presented earlier in the meeting was informational only; the village board took no vote on the referendum.

Who spoke and where to follow up Key presenters and staff at the meeting included Andrew Patrick (finance/staff), Chief Burkowski (fire rescue), John Ricky (fleet manager), and village communications staff who reviewed subscriber and open-rate statistics. Meeting materials and staff memos associated with each approved contract and the ambulance specification are part of the public record and can be requested from village staff.