Continued improvements to downtown, including expanded outdoor dining, are strong on the radar for Northbrook officials as they enter 2025. “One of the cool things we did in 2023 was a survey of the community,” Village President Kathryn Ciesla said. “Folks want us to focus on downtown. We kind of knew that anyway, but it was good to have some numbers. We knew we needed to do more.” One “positive” that arose out of the Covid pandemic was a focus on outdoor dining, Ciesla said. Northbrook is planning to make temporary dining areas on downtown Shermer Road permanent by June, including at Trattoria Oliverii, Landmark Inn, Eataco and Leonidas Chocolate Cafe, she said. “We’re expanding to include outdoor dining, which could be a year-round endeavor,” Ciesla said. “We’re also doing improved landscaping, lighting and streetscapes.” To cap off the village’s response to the survey, Northbrook created the Economic Strategies Commission, made up of business and civic leaders, she said. “The commission said you need to look at economic development and retention,” Ciesla said. “The commission said we want you guys to do even more.” As part of the process, Northbrook is planning to hire an urban designing firm to help in shaping the design and development of downtown, she said. “One of the things we need or want to do is really engaging the community in this endeavor,” Ciesla said. “Transportation (to downtown) is a big deal, but a lot of people travel to other downtowns and have good opinions.” A new project starting in 2025 will be installing new water meters in every Northbrook home and business over the next two years, she said. Currently, the village uses reader meters who can read some meters outside but have to enter homes in other cases, Ciesla said. “The new meters are going to be state-of-the-art digital meters,” she said. “We’re going to use the same systems ComEd uses. We’re going to be able to track water in the same way they can track electricity.” The meters will help identify leaks and other problems residents might not otherwise notice, Ciesla said. “It’s going to be great for residents,” she said. “For example, if you’re a snow bird, this technology can prevent you from coming home to a gargantuan water bill.” Northbrook also plans to update the software that manages village operations, from payroll to permits, by using a cloud-based system, Ciesla said. “Internally, it means we’re going to be more efficient,” she said. “The processes are going to be more efficient. Externally, for residents and businesses, we’re going to be able to streamline many things and make things easier.” Among the changes will be automated business renewals and applications and the ability to pay water bills online, Ciesla said. “It will provide way better customer service,” she said. “It’s a heavy lift and a difficult project. It includes every department and 30 processes. It will make us more efficient on the back end. On the customer side, it’s just more convenient.” In 2024, the village acquired parcels at 3504 Commercial Drive for the fleet maintenance garage and 1820 Dundee Road for a new fire station, Ciesla said. “A big thing we’re doing is village facilities,” she said. “These are huge projects. The design work is going on now. The next thing we need to do is identify a site for a new police station, whether it’s on the current site or somewhere else. We’re still working on that.” Village officials are well aware that development throughout the Chicago area has taken a hit in the current economy, Ciesla said. “If you drive in the city, you used to see 30 construction cranes and now there’s like two,” she said. “I want people to know we continue to work with owners and developers to create a good, friendly environment for redevelopment.” Among the encouraging news is recent conversations with Northbrook Court officials about revitalizing the shopping mall, Ciesla said. “They are committed to the project,” she said. “It’s just a matter of lining things up.” Trustees are very “receptive” to the idea that the village of Northbrook must act as “parents” in promoting economic development, Ciesla said. “With Northbrook Court and the incentives we gave Tesla and Hometown Coffee, we are putting ourselves in a good position,” she said. “We’re doing a lot to position ourselves as a community friendly to development and business retention.” Lastly, Northbrook has undertaken a complete rewrite of the village zoning code, which was first written in 1982, Ciesla said. “I anticipate toward the middle or end of 2025, the Village Board will vote to approve a new zoning code,” she said. The new code will be the result of multiple meetings with the Plan Commission and residents, Ciesla said. “We want to make our zoning code user friendly, focus on sustainability, and focus on service for all and customer service,” she said. “So it is easy to do an addition to a house or bring a business to Northbrook. That will be reflected in the zoning code.”