Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Also, city of Elmhurst shares update on progress of FEMA evaluation.
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, May 8
Damage incurred during the heavy rain and flooding April 17 and 18 may have reduced the value of some Elmhurst homes. Those property owners may be able to receive assessment relief for the 2013 assessment year (property taxes payable in 2014) by contacting their respective townships for more information. Elmhurst residents who live in York Township (south of North Avenue) should contact the York Township Assessor’s office at (630) 627-3354 or visit its website. Deadline for applying to York Township is Friday, Aug. 16. Residents in Addison Township (north of North Avenue) should contact the Addison Township Assessor’s office at (630) 530-8161. Following is updated information from the Protect DuPage website with regard to status of …
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Officials are tallying the damages; an update is planned for the next City Council meeting on May 6.
The City of Elmhurst is still tabulating the cost of the mid-April storm that flooded many city streets and homes and led to DuPage County being declared a disaster area, and an update on the recovery efforts should be available by the next City Council meeting on May 6, the Chicago Tribune reports. According to the paper, the threshold for public damages to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency relief funding is $3.16 million for the county and $17.6 million for the state; there is no specific threshold for whether DuPage will qualify for private property assistance to individuals. Washington Street resident Jeff Byrd, whose home has flooded three times in four years, told the paper the recommendations offered by a committee of …
Friday, April 19, 2013
City of Elmhurst provides an update on FEMA, roads and more.
Elmhurst residents have been asking numerous questions since the city was deluged with water April 17 and 18: Is the quarry full? How do we get FEMA relief? What roads are still closed? The city of Elmhurst on Friday afternoon released information designed to answer many of those most pressing concerns. Find all Elmhurst flood stories in one place by clicking here. What's Happening with the Quarry? It's not full. The quarry is half-full, which means about 1.35 million gallons of water was diverted there and kept out of the streets of Elmhurst and neighboring communities. The quarry began taking water at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, and has been fully operational ever since. According to the city, Salt Creek crested Friday at about 6 a.m…
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Acting Mayor Scott Levin signed the disaster declaration on Thursday.
Acting Mayor, Scott M. Levin has signed a Declaration of Disaster for the City of Elmhurst. The declaration reads as follows: Upon the authority of Chapter 20, Act 3305, Section 11 of the Illinois Compiled Statues, I, Scott M. Levin, acting mayor of the City of Elmhurst, do hereby proclaim that a state of emergency exists in Elmhurst, IL, for the following reasons: Overland flooding, severe sewage backup into homes, emergency personnel staffing, overwhelmed resources. Departments and agencies charged with response and recovery activities under the City of Elmhurst Emergency Management Plan are hereby directed to respond with haste in accordance with the plan to bring said emergency to a rapid conclusion for the best interest of the …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The "landmark" agreement was a year in the making, but School Board officials say persistence paid off.
Rumors have been going around that Elmhurst Unit District 205 was offered $1 million in tax increment financing surplus from the city of Elmhurst, and the School District turned it down. School Board President Jim Collins said Tuesday, it's partially true. "A year ago, the city did offer us $1 million surplus out of TIF 2," he said. "We did turn it down. We then spent the past year negotiating with the city, and we've managed to turn that $1 million offer into $10 million." The School Board on Tuesday unanimously signed off on the intergovernmental agreement with the city that spells out exactly how that $10 million will be distributed to School District 205. What is TIF? TIF districts freeze assessed property values for taxing bodies for …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The city on Thursday released Sept. 10 and 17 audio of meetings the Attorney General's Office says violated the Open Meetings Act.
The city of Elmhurst released on Thursday the audio recordings from its Sept. 10 and 17 closed session meetings. First Ward Alderman Paula Pezza filed a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Bureau regarding the two meetings, which included discussions about Arco Murray/Addison Corridor LLC's proposal to build a six-story building at 135-149 N. Addison. An opinion issued by the State's Attorney's Office stated that the City Council twice violated the Open Meetings Act by discussing aspects of the Addison project in closed session. The Sept. 10 audio is 35 minutes long and Sept. 17 is 28 minutes. Related: Let Patch save you time. Get more local stories like these delivered right to your inbox or smartphone with our …
Sunday, March 3, 2013
City of Elmhurst was deemed in violation of the Open Meetings Act. The city must release the records of those meetings because it has "an overarching ethical duty to the public."
Dear Acting Elmhurst Mayor and Aldermen: As you know, the Public Access Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s office has recently determined that the City of Elmhurst was in violation of the Open Meetings Act during closed session meetings on Sept 10 and Sept 17, 2012. The improper discussions evidently involved the Addison Street development project, now under active consideration by the Zoning Commission. The City has responded to the notice of violation by asserting that it was “advised that the topics discussed were proper under the exemptions to the Open Meetings Act.” Based on the opinion of the Attorney General’s office, it seems that the City was poorly advised. Furthermore, despite City protestations to the contrary, the …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
All that's left is a little lawyering, a public viewing and a vote.
It appears the city of Elmhurst and School District 205 are very close to signing off on an agreement that spells out how the city is going to share property tax revenue from its tax increment financing districts. TIF districts freeze property values for up to 23 years to encourage redevelopment in areas considered blighted. TIFs generate revenue through new construction in the district. The difference between the frozen property value and any new growth goes into a fund to pay for improvements or redevelopment in the district. Two of the three elements of the revenue sharing plan have not been disputed by either side. First, the city will pay a $1.5 million surplus from the Lake Street TIF to the School District and Elmhurst Park Board. …
Friday, January 4, 2013
Electoral Board hearing is scheduled for Monday to address a petition challenge in the 7th Ward race.
Elmhurst mayoral candidate and 7th Ward Alderman Mark Mulliner has recused himself from participating in an Electoral Board Hearing scheduled for Monday, Jan. 7. The hearing was called because Elmhurst resident Darlene Heslop is challenging the nominating petitions filed by 7th Ward incumbent candidate Pat Wagner. In accordance with Illinois state statute, the city's Electoral Board is composed of the mayor, in this case interim Mayor Scott Levin, City Clerk Patty Spencer and the longest-serving member of the City Council. The longest-serving member is 7th Ward Alderman Mark Mulliner who, on Friday morning, let the clerk's office know he would not be participating in the proceedings. "The hearing relates to a candidate that is running for …
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Illinois Senate amended its election code so candidates in local elections—from City Council to School Board—can submit nominating petitions until 5 p.m. today.
- ELECTIONS
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
A new state law passed Nov. 29 by both houses of the General Assembly is good news to municipal clerks, school board secretaries, township clerks, park district and library secretaries and other local election officials who were previously required to accept candidate petitions until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, regardless of whether their respective governmental offices were open. Senate Bill 3338 amended Section 1-4 of the Election Code to specify that, for the 2013 consolidated election period, local election officials have until 5 p.m. Dec. 26 to accept candidates' petitions or certificates of nomination. City Elections Those seeking to run for office must file at City Hall, 209 N. York St., by 5 p.m. Wednesday. Objections can be filed …
Doremus Jessup
11:01 am on Thursday, May 9, 2013
You got it Jim. more ›