By Igor Studenkov
For the Bugle
The Village of Morton Grove Board of Trustees voted unanimously to make the terms of pet licenses and vehicle permits start later and end earlier than they currently do.
The new schedule was designed to make it more convenient for residents to purchase the permits. With the new terms, most of the purchases will take place during the summer instead of spring. And, because the village will be able to take advantage of part-time summer employees, it is expected to be able to process applications quickly and more efficiently.
Under the previous regulations, both permits have to be purchased no latter than April 30. The licenses kicked in on May 1 and lasted until April 30 of the following year.
The ordinance approved on Sept. 11 changed the date. The licenses’ terms now start on Sept. 1 and last until Aug. 31.
Even before the ordinance took effect, the village changed the vehicle sticker purchase period. Hanna Sullivan, the Morton Grove finance director, told the Bugle that, while previously, residents had to get stickers between mid-March and the end of April, this year, this was changed to between June 1 and Aug. 31.
“It’s better weather, and it gives residents longer time to buy stickers,” she said. “We were able to get some part-time help [to handle the sales].”
During the Sept. 11 meeting, Suillivan said that the change worked well for the village.
“My staff noticed definite improvement,” she said. “The lines weren’t as long, and staff definitely noticed improvement because of that.”
Morton Grove photo contest winners and their families line up with their photos during the Sept. 11 board meeting.
Summer photo contest winners announced
Morton Grove Community Relations Commission chair Arcelia Pimentel told the village board that there were so many good submissions this time around that this time around that she had hard time choosing the winner.
But in the end, she was able to narrow it down to five. Sandra Covey was chosen as the first place winner, and residents Bernard Brady, Sunny Corba, Carmen Gray and Eileen Deano were chosen as finalists. The winners’ photos were displayed at the front of dais during the Sept. 11 meeting, and they will be displayed in the village hall and on Morton Grove’s official Facebook page for a few more weeks.
The Morton Grove Community Relations Commission has been running the photo contest on seasonal basis for the past two years. As Pimentel told the trustees during the Sept. 11 meeting, it was designed to “entourage community participation and show many faces and seasons of Morton Grove.”
“As you can see, the photos are getting better and better each year, so we’re very happy,” she told the trustees.
As always, the contest is open to all Morton Grove residents, business owners, village employees and “visitors.” Each one can submit up to five photographs per contest. The photos should be taken during whichever season the contest takes place in, and they must somehow reflect the village tagline – “Incredibly close – Amazingly open.”
Trustee Bill Grear told Pimentel that he appreciates what her commission is doing.
“The community relations commission – [you are] just dong a super job,” he said. “You’re wrapping your arms around the village and making us a better place.”
The fall contest has already started. Residents have until Dec. 1, 2017 to submit their entries. And, for the first time ever, the contest is open to kids and teenagers. Instead of competing in a general contest, they will compete for a special youth prize. The applications can be submitted online, or fill out and print out the applications. Both versions are available at http://www.mortongroveil.org/resident-information/photo-contest/