Story posted Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Hanusiak Sworn In As Newest Trustee
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
Niles businessman and Planning and Zoning Board Commissioner Chris Hanusiak was appointed as the village's newest trustee by Mayor Robert Callero last Tuesday, Jan. 26, replacing former Trustee Kim Biederman who unexpectedly stepped down last November.
Though the mayor has seated three trustees by appointment since last April's election, only Hanusiak was a candidate at that time. Last April, five candidates ran for mayor of Niles and five ran for seats as village trustees for three spots. In that race, Hanusiak garnered 22% of the vote in the race for mayor, losing to Callero.
"Mayor Callero has shown that he is committed to a Board inclusive even of those who have differed with him in the past. He is a big man for doing that," said Hanusiak.
Since the election, Hanusiak was first selected as a member of the Niles Board of Ethics Citizen's Plan Compliance Subcommittee where he served as a co-chair working with the group that drafted a new code of ethics for the village.
Ethics board members are in meetings with subcommittee members to prepare a final draft for village board approval.
Last month, Hanusiak was taken from the ethics subcommittee and appointed by Callero to serve on the Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals to replace James Hynes who also was appointed to the village board.
Hanusiak applied to be considered for the Plan Commission and Zoning Board, but said it was Callero who approached him about serving as a trustee. Hanusiak has been quoted in past Journal & Topics stories saying he was interested in serving as village trustee.
Hanusiak will serve with Trustee Andrew Przybylo on the building and zoning committee and with Louella Preston on the Milwaukee Avenue beautification committee.
Hanusiak said he would also be happy to make himself available to the board of ethics if it had any questions relating to the draft code of ethics he helped draft, or anything else.
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