We're in the home stretch, spring is in sight. Our Public Works crews have done a great job keeping our roads clear and safe, and hopefully, the worst of the cold and snow is behind us and we can look ahead to the bright future.

The City continues to focus on long-term plans and progress for the community. Among those opportunities are the City's downtown improvement and redevelopment plans, in which the City has made a significant investment over many years.

An upcoming effort in the City's downtown planning and redevelopment will be a "Developer Review Panel", which was awarded to West Chicago by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). This panel will be conducted in the spring of 2015. It will allow review of the City's downtown development plans and prospective redevelopment areas by a panel of experts, including real estate developers. Getting this kind of feedback, now that the economy is improving, will provide insight for the best ways to move forward. Further, it will increase the City's, and the downtown's, profile to the real estate development community.

To be awarded this project, the City went through an application review process with the RTA. The application stressed that in addition to having the downtown area plans reviewed, the City desires to have the downtown market area analyzed for prospective development, and to obtain recommendations that will assist us in our redevelopment efforts.

Future redevelopment will further contribute to the value of the downtown area. Overall, property values in the downtown area have increased over 113% since 1990. With anticipated redevelopment, property values are estimated to increase an additional 126% in the next 12 years.    

I look forward to sharing the Panel's recommendations with you in a future message!

Respectfully,

Mayor Ruben Pineda

 

City Services and Resources

DAYLIGHT SAVING

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, 2015. This is traditionally a time to check and/or change batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working properly. Make the most of the extra hour of daylight by adding an activity which further connects you to the community, helps a friend or neighbor, or brings added enjoyment to yourself and your family. 

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Whether you are thinking of home improvement, remodeling or building a new home, the City's goal is to ensure quality construction for the homeowner. It requires contractors to obtain a license by submitting the Contractor's Registration Application - 2015 (PDF - 44k) available at www.westchicago.org under Residents / Forms & Applications, along with a licensing bond to the City. Contractors licensed by the State of Illinois (plumbers, roofers, etc.) need only submit a copy of their license for those permits within the respective discipline for which the license has been issued. Furthermore, building permits are a required step in the process for new construction (including most accessory structures) and remodeling.  A building permit is issued once plans that comply with City Code are received, reviewed and approved. The builder is responsible for requesting all required inspections as construction proceeds. Building Permit Application forms are also available at City Hall, 475 Main Street.

LEAF COLLECTION

Residents may dispose of an unlimited quantity of leaves during the week of April 20 - 24, 2015 on the regularly scheduled garbage pickup day. No stickers are required for leaves during this week and no other yard waste may be mixed with them. All leaves must be placed in a biodegradable "Kraft" yard waste bag or a 95-gallon yard waste cart. Leaves will not be accepted in plastic bags or cardboard boxes.

Yard waste collection will resume April 1 - November 30, 2015. All yard waste that is not placed in a 95-gallon yard waste cart must be placed in a biodegradable "Kraft" yard waste bag with a universal sticker attached.

The City's monthly brush pickup program, which runs May through November of each year, is scheduled to begin on May 4, 2015. Brush must be placed at the curb no earlier than two days prior to the first Monday of each month. Limbs should be no larger than eight inches in diameter (length is unimportant), and neatly stacked with all butt ends in the same direction facing the curb line. Limbs should not be bundled. This program is not designed for pickup of whole tree removals. For more information, please visit the City's website at www.westchicago.org.

The annual Citywide Collection Event will be offered to those living in a single or two-family residence on the regularly-scheduled garbage collection day during the week of May 4 - 8, 2015. A total of eight "Universal" stickers must be affixed on the pile of ACCEPTABLE items. All eligible residents are encouraged to do some spring cleaning and take advantage of this annual program. If you would like more information, or if you have questions on acceptability of an item for pickup, please visit www.westchicago.org or contact the event coordinator, Michelle Baldino, at (630) 293-2255.  

• Examples of "Unacceptable Items" include, but not limited to; hazardous waste; tires; automotive parts, fluids and batteries (e.g., oil, transmission fluid, windshield washing fluid, starters, brake shoes, etc.); household batteries; oil based paint; pesticides; and propane tanks, and large household appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers). Small household appliances (e.g., toasters, televisions, microwaves, computers, monitors, speakers, stereo equipment) are no longer acceptable items as they are now banned from Illinois landfills from all sources under penalty of law.You may visit www.dupageco.org/recycling for more information on recycling the materials listed above.

HYDRANT FLUSHING

The City will be flushing fire hydrants this spring, weekdays between 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. around the last two weeks of April. Signs will be posted in the areas one day prior to hydrant flushing. Hydrant flushing maintains West Chicago's water distribution system and assures proper operation of hydrants in the event of an emergency. Unfortunately, discolored water can result. This discoloration poses no health risk. However, please check the water before washing laundry.

WATERING RESTRICTIONS

During the period between May 15 and September 15, the outside use of unattended running water from a hose or sprinkling system, for the use of watering/sprinkling of lawns and gardens, is limited to odd numbered days for buildings/residences that bear an odd numbered street address and on even numbered days for those which bear an even numbered street address. An exception may be granted for a two-week period of watering for sod and/or newly seeded lawns. For more information, please call the Public Works Department at (630) 293-2255. 

CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL DEVICES

As a means of protecting the City's public water supply system from contamination due to backsiphonage or backflow of contaminants or pollutants through the customer's water service connection, the City requires certain water users to install and maintain an approved backflow prevention (cross-connection control) device. The purpose of the cross-connection control device is to prevent materials from entering the public water system if, and/or when, the pressure of the private water system exceeds the pressure of the public water system. Per City Code and State statute, all cross-connection control devices shall be inspected at the time of installation and at least annually by the consumer using a person approved by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency as a Cross Connection Control Device Inspector (CCCDI). The inspection of mechanical devices shall include physical testing in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Results of the devices inspected must be forwarded to the City's Public Works Department. Please call the Public Works Department at (630) 293-2255 with any questions. 

Public Safety Matters 

SEVERE WEATHER

March through August mark the height of the severe weather season in Illinois. During this time, we are most likely to encounter severe weather events such as thunderstorms, lightning, hail, damaging straight-line winds, and tornadoes. Although nothing can be done to prevent severe weather, every family should know the basics of how to protect themselves from the potential dangers it poses. For information on what to do before, during and after a tornado or other weather emergency, visit the new ESDA section at www.westchicago.org. (Home / Government / Departments / Police / Emergency Services Disaster Agency (ESDA).

SPRING SAFETY DRIVING TIPS

With all the beauty spring brings, it also presents a unique set of driving challenges. Be alert for potholes created from temperature extremes during the winter months. Also, keep in mind how quickly seasonal weather conditions change, sometimes from sunny skies to thunderstorm downpours in a matter of minutes. Slow down for the increase in outdoor activity by children, adults and families; be alert for additional pedestrians, joggers, cyclists and dog walkers.

Remember, pedestrians have the right of way at intersections whether crosswalk striping is present or not.

Here are some common-sense tips to keep in mind as you hit the highway during this sometimes slick and soggy time of year:

• When rain or mist begins, slow down.
• Turn on your fan and defroster to keep the inside of your windshield clear of moisture.
• Avoid driving through big puddles; splashing water could affect your brakes and impair the vision of other motorists.
• Be alert for icy conditions caused by thawing snow, spring rains or mist, especially in shaded areas, and on bridges and overpasses. These areas tend to freeze first.
• Look carefully for pedestrians; they can be difficult to see in rain and fog. (Don't count on them looking out for you.)

The West Chicago Police Department Traffic Safety Unit wants you to enjoy the spring - and drive carefully. 

City Museum 

Late Night at the Museum

Late Night at the Museum

The City Museum will continue its Historiography program in March and April, a non-fiction book reading group held in collaboration with the West Chicago Public Library. The group will meet on Friday, March 20, 2015 at noon to discuss Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations in honor of Women's History Month. A program on Gertrude Bell will also be held at the Library on Thursday, April 2, 2015 at noon. Historiography participants will meet on Friday, April 17, 2015 at noon to discuss The Diary and Letters of Hannah Ropes, a Civil War nurse, in honor of the 150th Anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. The Historiography program is open to all, feel free to bring a bag lunch; complimentary drinks and desserts will be provided. Copies of the books being discussed can be checked out from the Museum or Library.

The Friends of the West Chicago City Museum will be holding its Spring Dance Fundraiser at Tango Argentina Club, 179 W. Washington Street, on Sunday, March 22, 2015 starting at 1:00 p.m. Join friends and neighbors for delicious food and dancing. Ticket prices are $15 per person or $25 per couple. Tickets can be purchased at the City Museum, 132 Main Street, or at the door. Please contact the Museum with any questions at (630)2 31-3376 or wchistory@yahoo.com.

There is still time to submit a postcard to be included in A Sense of Place, the project of visiting Danish artist Diana Velasco.  Participants can pick up a postcard from the City Museum and share a story or memory about a place in town. Stories can be shared anonymously. Diana is photographing a selection of places detailed in the postcards for an exhibit that will be at the Museum from May - August 2015. The submitted postcards will be included in the exhibit. Velasco is in West Chicago as part of the International Artist-in-Residency Program which is held in collaboration with People Made Visible and the West Chicago Cultural Arts Commission.

Visit the Museum in March and early April to see 25 Years of Telling Tales before it closes Saturday, April 18, 2015. The exhibit explores the history of Oakwood Cemetery as well as some of the people who were instrumental in the Cemetery's founding and preservation. Stories of veterans from the War of 1812 and the Civil War are also shared in the exhibit, which is based on the Museum's popular fall cemetery walk Tales Tombstones Tell which first began in 1989. The Museum's research collection also contains information about many of the people buried in West Chicago's cemetery and is open to the public upon request.

  

~Eleanore Roosevelt

People Made Visible

www.peoplemadevisible.com 

www.facebook.com/PeopleMadeVisible 

Thursday, March 26, 2015, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

American Legion Post #300 - 123 Main Street

6:00 p.m. - Mike Felten

7:00 - 8:00 - ZAZZ

Thursday, April 23, 2015, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

American Legion Post #300 - 123 Main Street

6:00 - 8:00 p.m. -  More than Molecules  

ArtShare Saturday

Saturday, March 21, 2015, 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Sandy McLain - Twig Weaving:  Use materials found in your yard - make a small wall hanging. Colors and textures abundantly present.

Saturday, April 18, 2015, 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Heide Morris - Clay Birds: Learn how to sculpt a lifelike small clay bird. Make a small buddy bird that will seem as though almost alive.

Featured Artists

School District 33 will once again engage the budding creativity of the community's youngest artists for an exhibit which will remain at the Gallery for the entire month of March.

Opening Reception date: Friday, March 6, 2015, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

The month of April will feature the talents of Community High School District 94 art students. This is the first time the High School is sponsoring a group show, and Gallery members are very excited about this opportunity to connect with the art program and students.  

Opening Reception date: Friday, April 10, 2015, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.