December was a really good month for activity in and around Clarendon Hills! Many homes were purchased and sold in the village, many being in the higher end price range. The Clarendon Hills Chamber of Commerce put on a great show for the residences and homeowners with the Christmas Walk. Please take a look at this issue of the Trustee Topics for more information.
Open House Planned for 2011 Road Program
The Village is moving forward with plans for the 2011 Road Improvement Program, which will incorporate the Village’s new road standard that uses concrete shoulders instead of gravel shoulders. This concept was first tested on Grant, Churchill and Hudson Avenues.The 2011 road program targets those roads with the lowest condition rating. While the Village had planned to incorporate roads impacted by Flagg Creek Water Reclamation District’s work, the Village and Flagg Creek are still negotiating how this project will be completed as Flagg Creek may choose to complete the work independently. The Village will keep impacted residents informed of plans affecting their street.
As with the last road improvement cycle, the road improvement projects will be funded in part through special service areas (SSAs), which will share the cost of road repair and resurfacing between homeowners and the Village for those residents who have not previously been included in an SSA. When this first group of SSAs was established, the Village committed to providing an additional maintenance cycle within a 20 year period for those roads whose condition warranted such maintenance. The Village plans to fully fund and maintain this commitment for those roads previously included in an SSA and in need of repair. In both instances, however, the enhanced concrete shoulder will be funded entirely through an SSA. The concrete shoulder will not replace existing curbs. In those instances, the project will be limited to resurfacing of the roadway.
Residents who will be impacted by the 2011 Road Program are invited to an Open House on Monday, January 24 at Clarendon Hills Middle School from 6 to 8 p.m. Affected residents will receive a letter in the mail outlining details for their particular street and inviting them to the open house. The streets planned for improvement include Fairview Court, Juliet Court, Iroquois and Mohawk from Norfolk to Algonquin, North Jackson from Ogden to Chicago Avenue, Hudson Avenue from Hosek Park to Walker, and Ridge Avenue from Western to Walker.
Village’s 2010 Annual Report Now Online
Each year the Village publishes an annual report outlining the various accomplishments and event of the past year. The Annual Report for 2010 was recently included in the print edition of Trustee Topics, but it is also available on the Village’s website at www.clarendonhills.us/administration.cfm.Highlights of 2010 include the beginning of construction for a new Infiniti car dealership on Ogden Avenue in Clarendon Hills, annexation and zoning for a 22-room expansion of The Birches Assisted Living Facility, and the continuation of the Village’s Downtown Plan through grants from the Regional Transportation Authority and the West Suburban Mass Transit District.
Challenges lie ahead, however, for the Village. The most significant of which is maintaining the Village’s fiscal health. The Village Board has assigned the Finance Committee the task of reviewing the VIllage’s financial position and policies and developing alternatives. Projections show that the Village’s General Fund Balance will fall below the required 40 percent threshold as early as 2012 and carry a negative balance by 2015. See the Village’s annual report for more details on this and the many significant events in the VIllage over the past year.
Special Events Committee Seeking Members
The Village is seeking members interested in being part of the Special Events Committee. The Committee comprises resident volunteers who plan, organizing and run the Village’s Dancin’ in the Street summer concert series. Committee members meet one to two times a month beginning in January and leading up to the concert series, and then are asked to commit time to help run the concerts during the summer. If you are interested in being part of the Committee or would like additional information, please contact Christina Collison at 630-286-5402 or [email protected].Coyotes Sighted in Clarendon Hills
The Village recently had reports of a coyote sighted in Clarendon Hills. While the Village does not offer trapping services for wild animals, it does offer some precautions residents can take. First, residents are recommended to protect small pets by not leaving them outside unattended. Residents should also not leave any food or water outside that may attract coyotes and other wild animals to their property or to the area.Coyotes are generally nomadic creatures that are fearful of humans. While they typically do not pose a threat to humans, residents should not approach a coyote if one is spotted. Instead, waive your arms and make loud noises to encourage the coyote to run away. Due to their high mobility, coyotes are not good candidates for trapping, which is often used for skunks and raccoons. Questions about coyotes may be directed to the Village’s Police Department at 630-286-5460.