Park Ridge seeks new community development head after reassignment

• Reprints

Updated: March 24, 2012 8:41AM

Among actions taken by the Park Ridge City Council during a regular meeting Feb. 20, aldermen:

• heard a report from City Manager Jim Hock that Cathy Doczekalski, manager of the Department of Community Preservation and Development since 2010, has been appointed to the position of human-resources manager. Advertisement for the position of CP&D manager was expected to take place this week, with an emphasis on “candidates that have a balance of professional city planning and management education and experience,” a memo to the City Council read.

One of the city manager’s goals is to make improvements to the CP&D department’s operations and “public image.”

Though the authority to appoint or hire department heads rests with the city manager, aldermen weighed in on Doczekalski’s appointment. First Ward Alderman Joe Sweeney and 5th Ward Alderman Dan Knight questioned why Hock had not advertised the Human Resources position outside the city.

“There’s no reason we shouldn’t go out and possibly find a more qualified human resources director,” Sweeney said.

Hock said he believed Doczekalski is “fully qualified” for the position, as she has a background in human resources, has participated in labor negotiations and has a master’s degree in public administration.

• heard from Mayor David Schmidt that a proposal to post on the city’s website biographical information about members of city boards and commissions has produced a “mixed bag of feedback.” Schmidt said some members were supportive, but others have expressed concerns about privacy. The matter is expected to be discussed at the Feb. 27 Committee of the Whole meeting, with Schmidt calling for a way to “balance the public’s right-to-know with the volunteers’ need and desire to have their privacy protected.”

• heard from City Manager Jim Hock that a recent review by the Illinois Policy Institute ranked the city 24th among 117 governmental agencies when it comes to public transparency. The city received a score of 68.5 out of a possible 100 points. Much of what the project explored was how much information the city provides its citizens via its website. Areas of focus included meeting information, public records, budgets, financial audits, expenditures, salaries, contracts and taxes.

• Approved a zoning change from R-5, multi-family residential, to B-1, retail and office, for an office building at 111 S. Washington Ave. The rezoning was required in order for additional medical offices to open within the building. The property was rezoned from office use to multi-family residential in 2007, when a condominium development had been proposed for the area.

• reappointed Karen Grunschel to the Community Health Commission, Steven Debrauwee to the Fair Housing Commission, Steven Huening and Robert Smith to the Liquor License Review Board, and Kim Biederman to the O’Hare Airport Commission; and appointed Marcia Berke to the Community Health Commission, Joan Mattingly to the Historic Preservation Commission, George Korovilas to the O’Hare Airport Commission, Carol Rossi to the Public Art Commission, John Moran to the Youth Commission, and Steven Nadler to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

• approved a towing-contract renewal with A-1 Towing through March 2013.

• approved duties and responsibilities of aldermanic liaisons to boards and commissions. These include limiting the voting rights of liaisons when matters come before the board or commission.