Business View Civil & Municipal Apr-2023

83 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 RICHTON PARK , I LL INOIS neighboring Will County, support state-level discussions to bring a cargo airport to the region. While this would be the third airport in the south suburbs, feasibility studies have shown the benefits of this endeavor. Stockstell admits, “The south suburbs as a whole, as a unified group, continue to fight for bringing that forth. That would bring a tremendous number of jobs to the area, which I think would also spur growth in the form of housing and really put the south suburbs in a much stronger position for economic development.” Richton Park is also collaborating with a coalition of communities to prepare for the future of electric vehicles, supporting residents through the introduction of infrastructure that will be required as these vehicles become more common. As a Sol Smart silver community, Stockstell says the village is taking the same approach to EVs as it did when introducing solar. He recounts, “We dealt with bringing solar technology to our community for our residents, to educate them and make processes for them to obtain solar resources on their properties. Now we’re embarking on a similar effort as it relates to being EV-ready. Through the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, we are participating as the first cohort to achieve the same type of status, so that we will have the know-how, residents will have the access to the information they need to implement EV improvements on properties, and also the commercial and industrial environments.” As part of the Mayors Caucus, Richton Park is also a Greenest Region Compact (GRC2) community and has made a pledge to sustainability. Part of this sustainability effort includes the stormwater work outlined in the master plans guiding development in the village. “We needed two stormwater master plans, one for east of town and the town center, and one west of town for future development, which focuses on a combination of industry, commercial and residential,” acknowledges Stockstell. The South Suburban Mayors and Manager Council of Governments is a crucial