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CITY NEWS
Happy Thanksgiving    
Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have. ~ Catherine Pulsifer

City Staff & Elected Officials would like to wish everyone a Safe & Happy Thanksgiving Holiday.
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
Free Fall Leaf Pickup Ends this Week  11/26  
Darien free fall leaf pick-up will end with your pick up this week..  Next week the yardwaste / leaf bags bags will need to be labeled with a refuse sticker.

Yardwaste landfills will close on December 2.  After that time, yardwaste bags will need to be stored on your property until the landfill opens in the spring.
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. For more information please call 630-852-5000.
Darien Public Works Position Opening 
The City of Darien is hiring for the position of General Utility Worker Class lll. 

Under immediate supervision of the Water Foreman of Public Works Operations, the General Utility Worker Class III performs manual labor in the maintenance and repair of City streets, storm sewers and facilities, water mains and appurtenances, and building and grounds. This position is on call, 24-hours per day -seven days per week: Salary range is $39,950 - $60,320.

For a full description of the position and general requirements please visit here or call 630-353-8105. 
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.
 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.
 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, December 5
 7:30 p.m.

Monday, December 19
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
 2016 / 2017 Tree Trimming Program 
 
The City of Darien will be conducting their annual Parkway Tree Trimming Program beginning in December in the following areas:
 
This year's tree trimming program consists of trimming approximately 1,750 parkway trees, including Ash trees with dead limbs, approximately 68 tree removals and stump grinding. Below are the subdivisions to be trimmed:
 
Farmingdale Ridge                        
Norman Court      
Farmingdale South                  
Brookhaven Manor
Carriage Greens                        
Pine Parkway
Brookridge Creek                      
Knottingham Circle Condos
Rosewood                              
Regency Grove South
Sawmill Creek                          
Pinehurst  
Bailey Park                            
Smart Oaks Glen
Marco Court                            
Westminster Circle
Villas of Carriage Greens          
Carriage Way West
Lake in the Woods Townhomes          
 
  
This year's program also includes contract pricing for the Private Property Tree Trimming Program to all residents.
  
The price for the private property program is $70.00 per tree in the front yard, and $135.00 per tree in the back yard. Residents may contact Ryan P. Countryman, Homer Tree Care Inc. for private property work at 815-838-0320 or via email at Ryan@homertree.com  beginning Monday, December 2, 2016 through Friday, February 17, 2017. (Private property tree trimming will not commence until the City's program is complete).
 
For additional information regarding the Tree Trimming Program please contact us at 630-353-8105.
 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
Snowplowing Procedure   
The City of Darien follows a priority based system for plowing streets. High traffic arterial streets are plowed first, and if necessary, replowed until they are safe and passable. At that time, lower traffic collector streets are plowed. When both arterial and collector streets are safe and passable, the plows begin work on residential streets and cul-de-sacs. It takes approximately four hours to plow all of the city's streets once. Consequently, during heavy, ongoing snow, it could take several hours to get to an individual, residential street. Once all streets are open and passable, the City begins addressing other snow concerns, including cutting down large piles of snow at intersections which might create sight distance problems. Finally, after all the street work is complete, the City's crews begin work clearing sidewalks along Plainfield Road, Cass Avenue and 75th Street.
 
Please keep in mind that Plainfield Road, Cass Avenue and 75th street are DuPage County roads and are not plowed by the City of Darien.
 
In order to plow streets efficiently, there is no parking on City streets during a winter event where snow or ice exceeds one inch.

During plowing operations, the City's priority is getting snow off the streets to allow movement of traffic. Unfortunately, during the plowing process, snow will be pushed onto curbs and driveways. As a result, snow banks become higher and driveways can become filled with snow, an unavoidable process. Please do not push snow out onto the roadway or approach a snow plow to prevent snow from being pushed into the driveway. Both of these actions are dangerous. If possible, residents are encouraged to shovel several times throughout a heavy snow period to prevent snow filled driveways. Your patience and cooperation are appreciated
 
If at any time you have an emergency that requires you to leave your home and you cannot do so because of snow, please dial 9-1-1
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. 
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
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
Pizza with Santa!
Darien Park District Pizza with Santa will be held on Friday, December 2, from 6:30-7:45 at the Rec Center, 7301 Fairview Ave.

Did you know that next to cookies & milk, Santa's favorite food to eat is PIZZA!! So we decided to invite Santa to join us for a pizza party & we want you to be there too! Besides having pizza & a beverage, we will make a craft, play some games & do some jumping in our bounce
house. Weather permitting we will have a candy cane hunt outside at the end of the event so dress warm & bring your flashlight.

Children age 2 & up and Adults MUST pre-register. Children MUST be accompanied by an Adult. Activities are provided for children age 2-9. Registration Deadline: November 28.

For more information: 630.968.6400
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!
Historical Society Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony 
Come one and all to the  "Tree Lighting" sponsored by the Darien Historical Society on Sunday, December 4, at Old Lace Schoolhouse & Museum, 75th & Cass Avenue.  Open House from 1pm 3pm, ceremony beginning at 4:00 p.m. Every age is welcome. Come to hear traditional Christmas Carols, enjoy Santa's visit, and sample indoor refreshments! 

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