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CITY NEWS
Do Not Rake Leaves into Street   
Reminder - Residents are not permitted to rake leaves into the street. Raking leaves into the street can cause serious local flooding for you and your neighbors.
Darien Citizen of the Year Search 
It's that time of year again when we begin our search for a very special man or woman who has given of themselves to make Darien a "Nice Place to Live"! 

The Citizen of the Year Committee is accepting nominations for the 2017 Citizen of the Year.  If you know of a person who goes "above and beyond the call of duty" ... is always there when someone needs a hand ... and who has contributed to make Darien a special place, please write a letter to the committee or fill out one of our official nomination forms that can be found at any time during the year at City Hall or at the Indian Prairie Library. Nominations may be also be submitted on line by clicking here.
 
Guidelines for Nomination:
  • Resident of Darien
  • Outstanding voluntary contribution to the City - diversity of activities, length of service, degree of involvement in the community and impact to the City of Darien.
  • Cannot presently hold a paid or elected position within the City of Darien government. Paid or elected individuals within other local Governments are eligible for nomination.
The deadline for nominations is January 3.
City Offices Closed  
Darien City Hall & Municipal Services Department will be closed on Thursday & Friday, November 24 & 25, for the Thanksgiving Holiday
 
For any Police response please dial 9-1-1
Refuse & Recycling Delay   
Refuse and recycling pickup will be delayed by one day on Thursday November 24 and Friday November 25. Friday's pickup will be collected on Saturday, November 26.

Advanced Disposal may be contacted at 708-409-9700
 Public Hearing Notice 
Notice is hereby given that there will be a public hearing held before the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Darien on December 7, 2016, commencing at 7:00 PM, in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1702 Plainfield Road, Darien, IL 60561.
 
The purpose of the public hearing will be to consider a petition by Al Chile Mexican Grill, Inc. for a special use zoning permit to operate an eating establishment with a bar serving alcohol at the property located at 8123 Cass Avenue, Darien, Illinois 60561 within the Darien Plaza shopping center.
 City of Darien Election Packets 
Packets for the April 4, 2017 Consolidated Election may be picked up at Darien City Hall, 1702 Plainfield Road, beginning September 20, 2016.

Available Elected Positions include:
ALDERMAN for Ward 1, 3, 5, and 7 (4 year term)
ALDERMAN for Ward 4 (unexpired 2 year term)

Candidates are encouraged to seek advice of legal counsel before filing nomination papers, which must be in apparent conformity with the Election Code.  The first day to file is December 12, 2016 at 8:30 A.M. and the last day to file is December 19, 2016 at 5:00 P.M.

Regular business hours at City Hall are Monday thru Friday, 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
For more information please call 630-852-5000.
Free Fall Leaf Pickup Under Way 
The City of Darien is again providing fall leaf pick-up FREE OF CHARGE to residents. The program began October 3 and will run thru  November 26 of this year, and takes place weekly on your normal garbage day.

Leaves should be placed in brown kraft yard waste bags or in plastic garbage cans. If garbage cans are used they must have a permanent "YARD WASTE ONLY" label attached to the front of the can so the driver can identify it as leaf pickup. These labels are available free of charge at city hall.

Residents are not permitted to rake leaves into the street. Raking leaves into the street can cause serious local flooding for you and your neighbors. For more information please call 630-852-5000.
 Recycle Your  Holiday Lights!
Don't know what to do with the old strands of Christmas lights that are tangled and broken?  Don't throw them in the garbage - recycle them!  The City of Darien has again partnered with Elgin Recycling to offer our residents free recycling of holiday lights!  Last year Darien residents recycled 1900 pounds of Holiday Lights.
 
All light colors and strand lengths will be accepted. Items include mini-lights (Italian lights), C7 lights, C9 lights, rope lights, LED lights, and extension cords.   (Please - no CFLs).  Now through February 10 you may bring your lights to the Darien Police Department lobby at 1710 Plainfield Road. The bin is located outside, so there are no restricted hours. Please leave lights only, and take your boxes and bags home with you for disposal.

For more information please call 630-353-8115 or visit www.elginrecycling.com
 City Administrator
(630) 353-8114
(630) 852-5000
(630) 971-3999
(630) 852-5000
Mayor
City Clerk
Treasurer
Ward 1
Ward 2
Ward 3
Ward 4
Thomas Chlystek
Ward 5
Joseph Marchese
Ward 6
Ward 7

City Council Meetings 

Monday, November 21
 7:30 p.m.

Monday, December 5
7:30 p.m.

Official Social Media Links

FACEBOOK: There are several Facebook pages that come up when doing a search for our City page.  Please use this link to "Like" us for city contact information and current city news on the City of Darien Official Facebook Page

TWITTER: The City of Darien Now "Tweets"!  Please follow us on twitter  at  Cityofdarien. 
 
NIXLE: The Nixle  text alert system provides for the City to send out urgent and emergency alerts via text messages.  This a FREE service.  To sign up for Nixle, visit our website and click on the nixle icon.

SMART PHONE APP: The City of Darien smart phone app is now available!  The app will allow easy, mobile access to city information, services and request.  There is also a direct link on this app to Commonwealth Edison website, which is a great source of information during power outages. This FREE app is called Darien Connect, and is available in the Apple Store and the Google Play Store.

Agendas for City and Committee Meetings

The following links will direct you to the City Meeting and Committee agendas and packet information on our website.  Stay informed on City issues and upcoming projects!    

All Agendas

City Meeting info / Minutes on website 
As a reminder to residents, the City's website includes City Council, and various other city committee, meeting agendas, background materials, staff memos/reports, city expenses, monthly financial and meeting minutes. This allows residents to closely follow all of the business conducted by the City.

If you wish to review the Council and committee meeting information simply use the following link:

View Darien Meetings on YouTube!

You may now view city meetings on YouTube by clickng here.

 

Our user name is DarienCableChannel.  You may still access meetings from the links on  our website.

Meet & Greet Mayor Weaver! The third Monday of every month at Darien City Hall from 6 - 7pm
 Find out the latest city updates - Share your thoughts and suggestions. Get involved - Meet  other residents!
View Darien Police Department Weekly Incident Report
You may view the Darien Police Department weekly incident report by  clicking here

View Police Chief   

Monthly Police Report 

You may view the Police Chief's monthly press release by  
 clicking here 

Submit an article for Direct Connect 

You may submit an article for Direct Connect by emailing  mwintermute@darienil.gov
5 Thanksgiving Foods that can Harm Your Dog   
Avoid sharing these foods with your dog this Thanksgiving or else you will be skipping pie and headed straight to the Emergency Room.

1.Turkey Skin: Fatty foods like turkey skin and gravy are difficult for dogs to digest. Your dog's pancreas can even become inflamed, resulting in pancreatitis, a very serious disease.

2. Cooked Bones: Although dogs love bones, cooked bones are a different story. The turkey bone can splinter in the dog's digestive tract resulting in a trip to the ER.

3. Raw Bread Dough: Don't spoil your pet's holiday by giving him raw bread dough. When raw bread dough is ingested, your dog's body heat causes the dough to rise in your pet's stomach. As it expands, your dog may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring surgery.

4. Onions and Garlic: Onions and garlic contain sulfides, which are toxic to dogs. Digesting these toxins can cause anemia. Even if garlic and onions have been cooked, they are still toxic.

5. Walnuts and Macadamia Nuts: Walnuts and macadamia nuts are very dangerous for your dog. Within twelve hours of eating them, dogs are unable to stand, are vomiting, have tremors, fever, weakness, and an elevated heart rate. In fact, the toxic reaction is so bad it has a name, "macadamia nut toxicosis."

We hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
Television Recycling thru Advanced Disposal  
With free electronic recycling becoming harder to find, the City of Darien refuse hauler, Advanced Disposal, will be accepting televisions for recycling. 

You must place 5 refuse stickers on each, and call Advanced to let them know you will be placing the TV at the curb on your normal refuse collection day.  If you would like the TV collected outside of your normal refuse day, you can schedule
a special pickup for an additional $25.00 trip charge.

All televisions will be properly disposed of by Advanced Disposal.  Advanced can be reached at 708-409-9700. 
Town Hall Meetings with COD Chairman and President     
College of DuPage Board Chairman Deanne Mazzochi and President Dr. Ann Rondeau will host a series of Town Hall Meetings throughout District 502 to provide an opportunity for residents to share their thoughts and ask questions about the College.

"No questions are off the table," Chairman Mazzochi said. "These meetings are a way for us to connect with our community members and really listen to their thoughts, concerns, questions and ideas so we can continue to improve the College's service to our more than one million residents in District 502."

Sessions will take place:
* Monday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Carol Stream Center, 500 N. Kuhn Road
* Monday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Naperville Center, 1223 Rickert Drive
* Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. at the Addison Center, 301 S. Swift Road
* Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Westmont Center, 650 Pasquinelli Drive
* Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. at the College's main campus in Glen Ellyn, Student Services Center, Room 2200 (Board Room)

"We wanted to make sure all residents have a convenient time and location to meet with us, which is why we have arranged sessions at all of our Center locations as well as our main campus in Glen Ellyn. We hope many residents gather with us to discuss and clarify the issues the College has been facing," Chairman Mazzochi said. "Dr. Rondeau and I look forward to meeting with our community members to inform them about the work we are doing to ensure a bright future for this great institution."

For more information and to submit a question in advance for a particular session, please visit www.cod.edu/townhall.
Spread the Word About Direct Connect! 
Providing important city information to Darien residents has been a priority of the Elected Officials and city staff for many years. Our most important resource to distribute information is Darien's weekly E-newsletter, Direct Connect. This provides residents with important community information that is emailed on Fridays. Direct Connect is also sent out periodically when there is important information to provide to residents.

There are approximately 3000 subscribers to Direct Connect. The City's goal is to have 5000 subscribers by the end of 2016. We ask that you please spread the word about Direct Connect and encourage your friends, neighbors, and local groups to sign up. Signing up is simple, just provide any Elected Official or staff member with your email address and we will have you registered. If you prefer to register yourself, you may use the following link: http://www.darien.il.us/Reference-Desk/DirectConnect.aspx.

Please help the City reach our goal!  
COUNTY/STATE/FEDERAL NEWS
Burr Ridge Electronics Recycling Center  
Burr Ride is now a designated Electronics Recycling Collection center.  This collection center is located at the Public Works building at 451 Commerce Street and is sponsored by eWorks ESI, the Village of Burr Ridge, and DuPage County. 

The center is staffed daily from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. There is a fee for all televisions and monitors, which can be paid in advance at http://recycle.eworksesi.org or you may pay the fee onsite.

For a complete list of acceptable items, click here.  "Fly dumping" is NOT permitted.
Lisle Electronic Recycling    
In order to assist DuPage County residents with collecting unwanted electronics and to ensure environmentally-responsible recycling of these devices, DuPage County and the Village of Lisle have partnered with eWorks Electronics Recycling Services, Inc.  to develop an electronics recycling drop-off program to collect electronics on a regular basis.

The Village of Lisle offers a site for electronic recycling the third Saturday of every month, from 8am to 12pm at 925 Burlington Avenue.  Televisions will be collected for a fee that ranges from $25 to $35..  For a complete list of accepted items visit  here. 
DuPage County encourages residents to sign up for Smart911
As the new year draws near, DuPage County officials are asking residents to "resolve to be safe" and sign up for Smart911. Smart911 is a free, confidential service that allows users to create a profile that is activated in participating dispatch centers when a person dials 911. The electronic safety profile provides essential household information about family members, your home, pets and vehicles. This information will display automatically on the 911 call taker's screen when users make an emergency call. It's private and secure, and users control what information is in their profile.
 
Smart 911 is a valuable tool when searching for missing children, assisting unresponsive callers who are unable to speak due to a medical condition, or in a house fire when first responders need to locate and account for family members, pets and essential documents.

Learn more on the DuPage ETSB webpage at www.dupageco.org/smart911 and register at www.smart911.com.
Electronic Recycling Information 
The State of Illinois has banned computers, monitors, printers, televisions, and other electronics from landfills. If any of these items are left curbside, they will not be picked up.  There are many options to responsibly recycle your electronics throughout DuPage County. Residents are encouraged to visit the DuPage County  website or SCARCE for information on how to recycle electronics.
COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS
Historical Society Turkey Raffle
Darien Historical Society repeats long-ago tradition with a TURKEY RAFFLE on Friday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m., at Chuck's Café, 8025 Cass avenue

Pre-Event Tickets $10.00 - At Door $12.00. includes one raffle ticket. Additional tickets are .50 cents apiece. Plus Silent Auction, Pulled Pork and 21 and-over refreshments available. Win a turkey for your holiday season!

Call 630-724-7325 for tickets
Toy Express Kickoff Parade
Toy Express Children's Charity will kickoff with a parade on Sunday, November 27, at 1:00 p.m. at the Chestnut Court Shopping Center, 7511 Lemont Road.  Watch the parade led by Santa himself, and stay and get your picture taken with Santa and enjoy some light refreshments.

Please consider bringing a new, unwrapped toy to donate.

Toy Express is an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) not for profit organization dedicated to brightening the lives of underprivileged children in the western suburbs of Chicago. Staffed entirely by volunteers, with the assistance of local fire departments, police departments and businesses since 1990, Toy Express has collected and distributed toys to children in need each holiday season.

NEW unwrapped toys may also be dropped off at the Darien Police Dept., 1710 Plainfield Road. 
Darien Community Blood Drive Hosted by the Knights of Columbus
The Darien Community Blood Drive will take place on Tuesday, November 29, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Lace School - 7414 Cass Avenue. Walk-ins Welcome! Prepare for your donation: Eat Well - Stay Hydrated - Bring I.D. For more information please call 877-543-3768
Christmas Craft & Vendor Fair
Everyone is invited to the St. John Lutheran Early Learning Center (ELC) Christmas Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, December 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 7214 South Cass Avenue in Darien, IL. Admission is free.
 
Each year this extensive showcase of handmade and retail items provides the perfect opportunity for patrons to find items on their holiday gift list in one convenient location. Popular retail products will be featured along with crafters of jewelry, textiles, and seasonal items. There will also be a bake sale and raffle.
 
A unique feature of the fair is Candy Cane Lane where children can meet Olaf the Snowman and participate in supervised Christmas-themed games, crafts, music, and read alouds while their parents shop.      
 
If you are a crafter or vendor and would like to reserve a table, call 630-324-6582 or email elc@sjlcdarien.org. The event raises funds to help support the preschool. Whether you come to sell or to buy, we hope to see you there!

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