CALUMET CITY NAMES NEW POLICE CHIEF
Edward L. Gilmore brings 30 years of law enforcement experience to community

Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush is proud to announce the appointment of Edward L. Gilmore as the new Chief of Police of the Calumet City Police Department.  Gilmore brings over 30 years of combined local and federal law enforcement experience to the community.

Chief Gilmore, Mayor Michelle, & former Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hilliard
 

Chief Gilmore was selected after an extensive national search conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), headed by former Chicago Police Superintendant Terry Hilliard.  The Washington, DC, based agency specializes in nationwide searches for police chiefs and other executives.

Approximately 65 applicants were screened and reviewed by PERF, who then narrowed the list to 20 candidates.  PERF presented the Mayor with nine highly qualified candidates for further review.  Extensive interviews were conducted detailing resumes, writing samples, and oral interviews.  After days of interviews, the nine final candidates were narrowed down to three and a second interview was conducted.

Chief Gilmore’s term begins May 1, 2008.  He will replace retiring Chief of Police Russell Larson.

GILMORE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
-  Over 30 years of local and federal law enforcement experience.
-  Currently serves as Deputy Chief Inspector of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Washington, DC.
-  Holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley University and has hundreds of hours of both municipal and federal training.
-  First 10 years of law enforcement were spent with the Chicago Police Department, serving in numerous capacities including patrol, tactical operations, vice and narcotics enforcement, and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.
-  Federal career with the DEA includes service as a special agent, special agent pilot, resident agent in charge, DEA Academy instructor, and internal affairs investigations.

Cal City Revamps Water System

Long-term project to upgrade 'antiquated' water system
This story originally appeared on nwitimes.com on June 26, 2007.  Written by Kirsten Srinivasan.

Calumet City is in the midst of revamping its water system.

The city has started a seven-year stormwater capitalization plan this year. Phase one is a new water pumping station, phase two entails rehabbing the existing ground reservoirs, phase three will replace substandard water mains and phase four is to repaint the public works elevated tanks on State Street, said Ron Wiedeman, Calumet City engineer. The project also includes miscellaneous items, such as demolishing an old water station and repainting the interiors of the River Oaks elevated tanks, he said.

"This is a pretty massive overhaul," Wiedeman said. "Calumet City hasn't had much work on their water system for a long, long time," Wiedeman said. "The pump station we are working on in the first phase of it, there's equipment in there from the '40s still."

The city hopes to break ground on a new pumping station next spring, he said.

Calumet City Treasurer Michael Zimmerman said the overhaul should make a big difference.

"We sat down with the city engineer and department heads and looked at the bigger picture of the entire water system in the city," Zimmerman said. "It was obvious (the) system is antiquated. It (needed) to be addressed and hadn't been for many years, so we sat down and came up with a (seven)-year water system improvement project that starts '07 (and) goes to 2013."

The total cost of the project is estimated to be about $7.08 million spread out over the years, he said. To help fund the first year, the city floated a bond issue in March that included $1 million targeted for water system improvements. The City Council also approved another $1.5 million for the project in May. A water rate increase effective in January is also helping fund the project, he said.

Residents may not notice the difference between 4-inch, up-to-date water mains, compared to old 2-inch ones underground, but the improvements are important, Zimmerman said, adding that the improvements are needed to ensure lines are "clear and clean."

"Over years, (they) build up sediment and we need to replace this," he said. "It is for the safety and welfare for the residents."

Homeowners May Soon See Insurance Savings
Long term efforts to remap floodway maps about to pay off

CALUMET CITY, IL – Many Calumet City residents may soon see significant savings on their homeowner’s insurance premiums.

About 2,100 structures lie in a designated floodway along the Little Calumet River in Calumet City, requiring owners to purchase additional flood insurance. But with the near-completion of the Thornton Quarry storm water reservoir project and remapping of flood insurance rate maps, many of those properties will no longer fall in a flood zone, saving homeowners significant money.
“It’s been a long process, but the hard work will soon pay off, saving some of our residents quite a bit of money,” stated Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush.

The process of changing the insurance rate maps is in its preliminary stage. Residents will soon receive notice of public hearings that will allow for questions and comments. After an additional period of review and possible revisions, the new map will be adopted.

The new preliminary maps will be available for viewing this Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at a public meeting at 7:00 pm at the South Holland Community Center, 501 East 170th Street. Residents of Calumet City, South Holland, and Lansing are invited to attend the event, which will also include presentations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), and local officials. Residents can also access the preliminary maps at www.illinoisfloodmaps.org.

The March 18th event coincides with Calumet City’s Flood Awareness Week, calling attention to flooding issues in Calumet City and the surrounding area. Activities will include flood information on the city’s website and the local cable access channels (Comcast Channel 4, Wide Open West Channel 6) will air informational slides and a thirty (30) minute public service announcement concerning flood issues and prevention tips in Calumet City.
“Preparing for a flood ahead of time can save thousands of dollars of damage and unwanted headaches,” stated Qualkinbush.

In 2005, Calumet City adopted a Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan with the help of a state-funded grant. To date, Calumet City is one of only five cities in Illinois with such a plan.

For more information about floodplain preparedness and insurance issues, residents are encouraged to contact the Department of Inspectional Services at (708) 891-8120.