Palos Heights City Employee Retires After 37 Years

You can't find many people as closely connected to Palos Heights as Sue Blattner. She was raised here. She lives here. And until today she worked here. 

It was in 1974 that Blattner first began her career with the city as a dispatcher for the . In the years that followed she has worked as the secretary to the public works department, building supervisor for the and , secretary to the mayor and city historian. 

She has been the city collector since 1987 and in 1999 added office manager to her duties.

"Who could ask for a better job?" she said. "It is a wonderful place to work."

Blattner knows almost all there is to know about Palos Heights, she watched it grow and evolve over the years. 

"When I was a kid you could cross Harlem Avenue and stop to tie your shoe in the middle of it," she recalled. 

Often times her work for the city went beyond the traditional 9 to 5. Mayor Bob Straz recalled the weekends and late nights she would give up. A regular volunteer for Channel 4, she will continue that work. 

"It will be hard to not be part of the group," Blattner said referring to her longtime colleagues.  

You might also see her pop up at the business expo or during busy vehicle sticker season. She will still be part of the group. 

Over the years the city has seen mayors come and go and political tensions rise and fall. It is the city employees who are the constant presence. Blattner recalled the City Council Wars of the late '90s as a difficult period, but believes as of late Palos Heights is running as smoothly as it ever has.  

"You just do your best to get along with everyone," she said. 

Jan Colvin, the city's finance director, worked next to Blattner for the last several years.

"It is amazing to see someone who cares about their town as much as she does," Colvin said. "She's very proud of Palos Heights."