Tri-Com Central Dispatch, which handles Geneva's emergency calls, said texting to 911 should only be used when making a voice call is not possible due to a speech/hearing impairment or if the caller's physical safety would be in jeopardy by making a traditional 911 call.

If someone finds themselves in a situation where they need emergency assistance from the Geneva Police or Fire departments by texting, remember these important tips:

• Enter the numbers "911" in the "To" field;
• The first message should be brief and include the location of the emergency and type of help needed;
• Push the "Send" button;
• Be prepared to answer follow-up questions and follow instructions from the 911 operator;
• Text in simple words and do not use abbreviations;
• Do not include attachments such as photos, videos or audio clips; and
• Keep the text messages brief and concise.

A text or data plan is required for this service, and texts to 911 have the same 160 character limit as other messages. The text message should only be sent to 911 in an emergency and should not include other recipients.

This new texting service can be a lifesaver for someone who is hearing/speech impaired or has a medical emergency that renders them unable to speak. Another potential use would be for a victim of a home invasion or abduction where the victim's safety would be put in peril if they tried to call 911.

Officials stress that talking with 911 by phone is the most efficient way to provide instantaneous communication during a life-threatening emergency. The limitations of texting to 911 make using it a last resort. As with all text messages, text to 911 communications can take longer to transmit, can be received out of order, or worse yet, may never reach their destination.

The best rule to remember is: Call 911 if you can, text if you can't.

Hydrants will be flushed from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday. The water is safe to drink, but residents are encouraged to let their faucets run for a few minutes if they notice any discoloration.

Residents are urged to limit their water use if possible and refrain from laundering their clothes during this time period to avoid staining from rusty water. In the event rusty water discolors clothing, residents should keep the garments wet and call the Geneva Public Works Department at 630-232-1501 to request a rust-removing solution packet.

Signs will be placed in neighborhoods to remind residents that the program is underway in their area. Work is expected to be completed by the end of April. Residents can track the City's progress with an online map that will be updated weekdays on our website. Once crews have finished hydrant flushing in a certain neighborhood, residents can wash their clothes without restrictions.

The City flushes its hydrants to improve the overall quality of the water by cleaning the water mains of rust and corrosion and to ensure that all fire hydrants are working properly.

For more information, contact Bob Van Gyseghem, City Superintendent of Water and Wastewater, at 630-232-1551 or via email.

The City won in the Structures Category for projects less than $5 million. The APWA chapter award was based off safety performance, environmental impact, community relations, accomplishments under adverse conditions and quality control/construction innovations brought to the project. The honor was presented to Geneva during the APWA Chicago Metro Chapter awards luncheon March 18 in Addison. The Chapter is comprised of 1,500 members in five branches throughout the region.

"Being recognized by your peers in the Public Works industry is always a very rewarding experience," Public Works Director Rich Babica said. "Geneva's parking deck expansion improved commuter accessibility to public transportation and minimized the environmental impact in the downtown, which were two key points of judging criteria at the regional level."

After winning the APWA "Project of the Year" award at the Fox Valley branch level and Chicago Metro Chapter, Geneva's parking deck project now moves on to the APWA national competition in Minneapolis this summer.

The City oversaw construction of the $4.5 million parking deck tier that began in August 2014 and was funded entirely by grants through Metra. Before the structure was shut down for six months, the City conducted extensive communications outreach to inform commuters of the project and temporary parking plan.

Anticipating the inconvenience of the deck closure, the City secured two temporary parking locations through an intergovernmental agreement with the Geneva Park District and a lease deal with the First Baptist Church of Geneva. The City then worked with Pace Bus to provide a shuttle service running between those parking lots and the Geneva Metra Station during rush hours.

The deck's first two levels reopened in February 2015. Even with the bulk of construction taking place during the winter, the third tier was completed ahead of schedule last May without any major safety incidents thanks to collaboration from the City, Metra, Union Pacific Railroad and the construction contractor.

The Third Street Commuter Parking Deck's capacity officially increased by 176 spaces, bringing the overall total to 498. Additional improvements also were made to the existing garage levels to enhance lighting, signage and drainage.

The public hearing portion of the development process closed March 10 (previous meetings were held Dec. 17 and Jan. 28). The next meeting, which is open to the community, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 14 at Williamsburg Elementary School, 1812 Williamsburg Ave. The focus of the April meeting will be dedicated to the Plan Commission deliberation and making a recommendation to the City Council.

The revised development proposal calls for a 202-unit apartment building, a 337-space parking structure, 106 surface parking spaces a 5,940-square-foot retail building and the extension of Seventh Street from West State to Peyton Street. Project plans, reports and other information is posted on the City's website.

After the Plan Commission makes its recommendation on the project - to approve or to deny - the proposal will then move to Committee of the Whole for consideration by the City Council.

The entire project area includes property bounded by Peyton Street to the north, State Street to the south, Richards Street to the west and Seventh Street (extended north to Peyton) to the east. The area includes a land parcel located at the southeast corner of Seventh (extended) and Peyton streets.  

People who have questions on the proposal can call the City's Community Development Department at 630-232-0818.

The French Market opens April 17
The Geneva French Market brings farm fresh produce, fresh flowers, baked goods, artisan jewelry and crafts to downtown Geneva on Sundays through mid-November. The first market of the season will kick-off rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 17 in the parking lot of the Metra Train Station at Fourth and South streets.

The Geneva Cultural Arts Commission funded this bike rack installation in 2014, but there are many other bike racks and benches throughout the downtown awaiting dedication.

It is true that the two remaining Kane County weekday drop-offs in St. Charles and West Dundee are closing indefinitely as of April 8, but there is no need to panic.

The Kane County Electronics Recycling collection events will be held at 540 S. Randall Road in St. Charles on the second Saturday of each month April through November. Electronics and books will be accepted at all events. Check online for a list of the additional items that will be collected at certain events throughout the year. Please note that these events are for Kane County residents only.

The first Kane County Recycles Event of the year will be held on Saturday, April 9 between 8 a.m. and noon. At this event, you can recycle electronics, including TVs (free); books (free); and liquid latex paint (for a fee). You may also bring up to four large boxes of residential confidential documents for onsite shredding (free). See the link above for a complete list of accepted items. The program will accept up to three TVs per car of any type, size, or age. Large loads of TVs will not be collected.

Avoid Long Lines: The following event will be on May 14, and they will be recycling electronics and books only. Please wait for this event if you have only electronics or books to recycle. April 9 is expected to have increased traffic and much longer lines. Help out by waiting until May if you can. 

Businesses with electronics to recycle: This program is for Kane County residents only. Businesses, institutions, schools, and non-profits may not use this event, and should contract for recycling services from a certified electronics recycler.

Ninety-one new commuter permit parking spaces are now available for use in downtown Geneva.

After partially opening in December, the entire parking lot at Fourth Street and Crescent Place is now available for commuters after additional light poles were installed in March. Landscaping work is anticipated to be completed this spring.

The parking lot is designated for commuter permit parking during the day but will be open for free public parking during the evenings and weekends.

The project was a high priority in the City's Capital Improvement program. The parking lot and expansion of the Third Street Commuter Parking Deck were needed to accommodate parking that will be lost as part of Union Pacific's future plans to add a third rail line, which will remove about 145 existing surface parking spaces.

During 12 public meetings between May 2015 and January 2016, the draft preservation ordinance was reviewed by the City Council along with listening to community feedback. The Council approved the ordinance, which includes a nomination fee component, in February.