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Make Your Water Conservation Pledge by April 30th

 

The Village and many of its 11,000+ water customers have joined the Carol Stream Team to compete in the 5th Annual Mayor's Water Conservation Challenge.  The Village is currently in 8th place in its population category (30,000 - 99,999). Mayor Saverino asks Carol Stream water customers who have not yet made their online water conservation pledge to do so before the April 30th deadline at www.mywaterpledge.com  The Village hopes increased enrollment from our water customers during the final 10 days of the competition will put us in contention for winning this nation-wide contest. The city with the highest percentage of water customers making a pledge  will win tens of thousands of dollars in prizes including a brand new Toyota Prius.  
Vehicle Registration Kicks Off Monday, May 2nd

BEGINNING MONDAY, MAY 2ND, Village residents and businesses can register their vehicle(s) with the Village Cashier-Receptionist during regular business hours of Monday thru Friday between 8 AM - 5 PM. Vehicle owners can also register their vehicles after hours during the week or round the clock on Saturdays and Sundays at the Police Department Walk Up Lobby in the Municipal Center during the 60-day registration period. The Village's vehicle registration web portal will begin processing online applications starting Monday, May 2nd. To register your vehicle(s) online, visit www.carolstream.org - Residents or Business  - On-Line Services - Vehicle Registration. Village vehicle owners MUST DISPLAY a vehicle sticker on the lower right corner of the front windshield of each of their motorized vehicle(s) by THURSDAY, JUNE 30th. The Village will conduct special Saturday registrations on both June 18th & June 25th beginning 9AM at the Carol Stream Municipal Center. This year's vehicle license fee schedule has remained unchanged since 1993 and is as follows:
  
     Senior Citizens (65 years+) $   3            Motorcycle          $   9
     Passenger Vehicle                 $ 15            B Plate Truck      $ 20
     C Plate Truck                         $ 27            D Plate Truck      $ 34
     F Plate Truck                         $ 56            G Plate Truck      $ 79
Pond Sweep Volunteers Needed
 
The Village, in conjunction with the DuPage Conservation Foundation is hosting a local Pond Sweep on Saturday, May 21st beginning at 8AM. Individuals and volunteer groups will be provided cleanup supplies including retrieval tools, bags, gloves and drinking water and also be assigned several area stormwater ponds from which to remove shoreline debris. This annual cleanup event has been instrumental in removing blockages from local waterways so these flood control structures operate as designed during rain events. In addition, litter-free ponds help protect the habitat of waterfowl, fish and amphibians who live in these waters. To volunteer yourself or your group, contact Donna by phone at 630-871-6220 or by e-mail at dhawco@carolstream.org.
Improvement Projects Requiring a Building Permit
 
This is the time of year when many homeowners look to undertake home or property improvement projects. Many common projects require a Village building permit, so please be sure to check with the Community Development Department if you have any questions. Below is a partial list of common projects that require a permit:
 
Central Air Conditioning   Finished Basements   Decks      Driveways   
Lawn Irrigation Systems  Electrical Work           Fences     Fireplaces Swimming Pools                Water Heaters           Gazebos   Garages
Residential Generators      Furnaces                    Porches    Sheds
Sidewalks <4' wide            Room Additions         Patios      Flagpoles

The main purpose of Building Codes is to provide minimum standards to safeguard life, health, property and public welfare by regulating and controlling the design, construction, quality of materials, use and occupancy, location and maintenance of all buildings, structures and certain equipment within the Village. The requirement that a building permit be obtained is intended to ensure that the improvement will be designed and built in accordance with the established codes. The Village maintains a record of all permits issued to a particular property. It is not uncommon for the prospective purchaser of a residential property to contact Village Hall to inquire as to whether building permits were obtained for structures
Click to Reference Handouts
that exist on a property.
  
Building permit applications and helpful handouts for common improvement projects are available in the Village Hall lobby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The handouts (not permits) are also available for reference and downloading  from the Village website.
  
Work done without a required permit is subject to increased fees and possible fines. Decide early on whether you or your contractor (if applicable) will obtain the necessary building permit(s). Once a building permit has been issued it should be clearly posted in the front window or on the entrance door of the home. Contact the Community Development Department by phone at 630-871-6230 or by e-mail communitydevelopment@carolstream.org if you are not sure whether your project requires a permit, or if you have questions about building or zoning code requirements, permit fees or the permit process in general.
April is SAFE DIGGING Month

Click for Homeowner Education
Springtime is a traditional season to make landscape enhancements to your property and to also undertake improvements to your home like building a deck or shed, pouring a patio or installing a backyard pool to name a few of the projects. Outdoor improvement projects that include any excavation will first that JULIE be first contacted by phone at 8-1-1 or by e-mail request prior to any digging. A JULIE Representative will issue a dig number and subsequently notify all utility companies including ComEd, NICOR Gas, Comcast Cable, Carol Stream Water/Sewer to clearly mark the location of their service lines on the property where the work will take place. Utility service locates will be marked in either color-coded spray paint or ground flags.  ACCORDING to STATE LAW,  the homeowner, contractor and/or subcontractor doing the actual digging is required to call JULIE no later than 2 working days BEFORE excavation is set to begin. Failure to call JULIE before excavating is a violation of the Illinois Underground Utilities Damage Prevention Act.  Please Note that JULIE Call Centers are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Rain Barrels Help Homeowners Save Money on Outdoor Watering
 
The Village encourages homeowners to purchase a rain barrel at cost from the DuPage Conservation Foundation. It is estimated that approximately 40% of all billed water costs during the summer months are from watering
How to Install a Rain Barrel
VIDEO: How to Install a Rain Barrel
landscaping. One-quarter inch of rainfall can yield up to 200 gallons  for watering outdoor landscaping.  Because fresh water  sources are limited and exhaustible, a rain barrel will save a homeowner money on avoided outdoor watering costs. Harvested rain does not include any chlorine residual, lime or calcium which makes it a  beneficial water resource for watering your trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables. A rain barrel  purchased from the DuPage Conservation Foundation will include insect netting around the lid opening to prevent the breeding of nuisance insects like the flood water mosquito. The 55-gallon rain barrel comes in a variety of colors and can be purchased ONLINE for $60 (plus tax).  Home delivery is available for an additional $5. Barrels can also be purchased in person at McDonald Farm in Naperville or at area events for $75 which includes sales tax.    
Red Apple Pancake House Site of Next Parade Fundraiser
The July 4th Parade Committee will host a Dine-In fundraiser at the Red Apple Pancake House on Saturday, April 23rd from 6 AM - 3:00 PM. Dimitries and Costas, the owners of the Red Apple Pancake House located at 414 S. Schmale Road will donate 10% of all pre-tax meal purchases to help fund this year's Independence Day Parade.
The Glenbard North Theater Department will host the student theater production of 'Mary Poppins' on Thursday, May 5th, Friday, May 6th and Saturday, May 7th at 7:30 pm in the Ramsey Auditorium. Set in London during the height of the Industrial Revolution, Mary Poppins tells the story of the wealthy Banks family who is faced with the prospect of finding a new nanny for their 2 young children. After trying out a few woeful candidates, the Banks family is pleasantly surprised by the magical appearance of Mary Poppins into their household. Tickets can be purchased at the theater box office on the evening of the performance, reserved in advance ONLINE or by calling the Ramsey Auditorium box office at (630) 681-3399.
Police to Host Roadside Safety Checkpoint this Weekend
 
The Police Department and the Illinois State Police will conduct a Roadside Safety Checkpoint THIS Friday, April 22nd from 9 pm thru 2 am  Saturday, April 23rd. Officers and volunteers staffing the checkpoint will gradually slow traffic stopping vehicles at predetermined intervals to check for signs of impaired driving and faulty vehicle safety equipment and licensing violations. Roadside safety checkpoints are a proven tool in reducing the incidence of impaired driving and unsafe vehicle operation.  For information on roadside safety checkpoints, click the following link Roadside Safety Inspections.
 
Area employers looking to save their company and employees who rely on public transit to get to and from your place of business money should consider enrolling in RTA's Transit Benefit Fare program. This affordable employee benefit program is easy for employers to administer and helps your employees save up to 40% on their annual workplace commute costs while also reducing an employer's payroll tax liability.  Over 1,400 companies throughout the metropolitan Chicago region have registered for the tax benefit program enjoyed by more than 22,000 employees who rely on PACE, CTA, Metra Rail or an approved transit provide to travel to and from their place of employment. This pre-tax transit benefit program allows employees from a participating company to have their employer deduct an equal amount from each paycheck to cover their work commute costs.  Since the IRS does not consider work transit costs income, it is not subject to payroll taxes and increases an employee's take home pay. Reductions in payroll tax liability is a win-win-win proposition for the employer and their participating employees. For more information, visit www.mytransitbenefit.com or call the RTA Transit Benefit Hotline at 312-913-3230.  

Plan Commission & ZBA

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 Village of Carol Stream | 630-665-7050 | www.carolstream.org
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