The following email provides timely information on news and services
from the City of Darien.
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Weekly eNews - April 13, 2023
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On April 19 and 20, I will be leading a group of Mayors to Springfield to meet with the Governor and to lobby State Legislative leaders regarding the restoration of “LGDF” or the Local Government Distributive Fund. I feel it is important to share this information with all of our Darien residents regarding this effort, and to ask all of you to become involved by contacting your local State Senator (Curran) and State Representatives (Egofske and Stava-Murray) asking them to support Senate Bill 180 and House Bill 1116.
In addition to warmer spring weather, tax season is a common subject of discussion at this time of year. As Tax Day approaches on April 18, Darien is joining forces with cities, villages, and counties across the state to urge state lawmakers to Invest In Communities by returning a greater portion of your taxes back where they belong, right here in our community.
What does that mean? When the State income tax was established more than 50 years ago, it was agreed that a portion of it should be returned to each community based on population. In the State budget, this funding is known as the Local Government Distributive Fund, or LGDF.
LGDF is an important revenue source for every local government in the state, not only because it is stable and reliable year after year, but because each community can use it wherever it is most needed to stabilize and improve the community. In Darien, LGDF makes up 14 % of our annual operating budget.
But here’s the problem: in 2011, the State decreased the portion of income taxes that is returned to our community from LGDF. Rather than 10% of income taxes, Illinois lawmakers have allocated just over 6% to local governments in recent years.
Across the state, over the last 11 years, municipalities and counties have lost out on more than $8 billion (Darien has lost over $14 million) that could be used in lieu of property taxes or other revenues to replace lead service lines, train police officers, buy equipment for first responders, pay down public safety pension obligations, improve or repair infrastructure projects, and more. Our LGDF fact sheet shows the impact of this loss in our community and the importance of restoring this critical source of local funding.
With the State’s financial condition the healthiest it has been in decades, now is the time for the General Assembly to prioritize funding for infrastructure, public safety, and community services in all Illinois communities by restoring LGDF. In Darien, additional funding could mean monies toward police pensions or body cameras for our officers without needing to cut funding to other services provided by the city.
As Illinois lawmakers prepare this year’s State Budget, Mayor Marchese, President of DMMC and other local government leaders are urging the General Assembly to Invest In Communities and restore the Local Government Distributive Fund to 10%. Visit InvestInCommunities.org to learn more and make your voice heard by contacting your state legislators and posting on social media using #InvestInCommunities.
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Darien Connections - Spring 2023
The City of Darien's spring newsletter is available here! Find out about how Darien celebrates the business community in this season's Darien Connections.
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Economic Development Committee Meeting Canceled
The Economic Development Committee meeting scheduled for today, April 13, has been canceled.
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City Council Meeting - April 17
City Council will meet on Monday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. The agenda will be posted here.
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Planning and Zoning Commission Public Hearing Notice - April 19
The Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Darien will hold a public hearing on April 19, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1702 Plainfield Road, Darien.
The purpose of the public hearing will be to hear testimony from interested persons and make a recommendation on CASE NO. PZC2023-02. This case involves a petition for a ground mounted sign with an electronic display at the property located within the B-1 Neighborhood Convenience Shopping District. Find the full notice here.
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Hydrant Flushing
The City of Darien-Municipal Services Department will be flushing fire hydrants beginning Monday, April 17. The flushing activities will take place between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. and will take approximately one week to complete. The City flushes all of its hydrants in order to remove any accumulation of minerals and other deposits that exist in the water main to maintain a high quality of water. In addition, the Municipal Services Department inspects all fire hydrants to make sure that they are working properly. As the flushing process removes accumulated deposits in the water main, residents may temporarily experience some discolored water. If this should occur, simply run the cold water until the line clears (3 to 10 minutes). The City will post signs in advance of the area that is going to be flushed in order to advise residents of when the hydrant flushing will be taking place.
If you have any further questions, please contact the Municipal Services Department at (630) 353-8105.
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National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
The second full week of April is set aside as a time to express our thanks and appreciation for public safety telecommunicators around the country. Darien is a member of DU-COMM, which is an intergovernmental agency formed in 1975 to provide public safety communications services to Police, Fire, and EMS agencies. Today, DU-COMM serves forty-four (44) agencies in DuPage County and is one of the largest consolidated 9-1-1 centers in Illinois. In 2018 DU-COMM processed over 1.2 million phone calls and over 750,000 police and Fire/EMS incidents.
On behalf of the City of Darien, we say thank you!
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Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time to honor the voices and experiences of victims and survivors.
Every person has a role in preventing sexual violence. What role will you play? Learn how to be a part of the solution here.
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Lock it or Lose It!
It seems simple, but most vehicular burglaries still happen to UNLOCKED cars. This is true for Darien and communities throughout the United States. These burglaries are often crimes of opportunity where many suspects have only advanced to burglarize a vehicle if they’ve found it unlocked.
This video was provided by the Village of Winnetka in 2017. IT IS A MUST-WATCH.
There are similar videos that have been provided over many years but UNLOCKED VEHICLES REMAIN A PROBLEM.
Remember, you can protect your valuables (phone, laptop, tablet, wallet, purse, etc.) from theft by following these simple precautions:
- Always lock your vehicle's doors and remove valuables or at least keep them out of sight.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended while it is unlocked.
- If you have a garage, use it and lock the door.
- Never leave your car keys in plain view or in an easily accessible area.
- Use tire and/or wheel locks.
- If you must leave valuable objects or packages in your vehicle, lock them in the trunk.
- Park in well lit areas when possible.
- Avoid parking near large vehicles and bushes as they provide cover for thieves.
- Call 911 if you see somebody looking into windows, pulling door handles or checking for alarms by bumping windows or bumpers.
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Earth Month Tips - For the Whole Family
You are never too old or young to participate in the celebration and protection of our planet! Every parent wants their children to grow into responsible, considerate, and successful adults. Commemorating Earth Day as a family is key to nurturing these values and ensuring that nature and sustainability are an important part of your child’s identity.
- Have a conversation with your children about the importance of living sustainably and identify ways that your family can improve together.
- Work together as a family to implement as many of these 52 Actions and Tips to make a difference.
- Take your family to a local cleanup, or start your own in the neighborhood or a nearby park!
- Plant a pollinator garden with your kids for a fun, impactful, and educational day outside.
- Use our plastic calculator with your kids and discuss how your family can reduce plastic consumption.
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Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Did you know that at least 8 people a day are killed in distracted driving crashes? Handheld and hands-free phone calls and texts, emails, social media, passengers, snacks and even built-in vehicle touchscreens are just some of the distractions fighting for your attention on the road. The fight to end distracted driving starts with you. Make the commitment to drive phone-free here. Follow these tips to prevent distracted driving:
- Protect lives by never texting or talking on the phone while driving.
- Be a good passenger and speak out if the driver in my car is distracted.
- Encourage my friends and family to drive phone-free.
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Seasonal Employment Opportunity
Public Works Department
The City of Darien is accepting applications for summer employment for its Public Works Department. Applicants must be 18 years of age and have a valid driver’s license. Work involves manual labor and is primarily outdoors. The starting salary is $18.75. Applications can be obtained online under Employment-Opportunities. Applications can be sent to the City of Darien at 1702 Plainfield Rd., Darien, Il. 60561 or emailed to lklemm@darienil.gov.
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Branch Pick-Up Resumes
The first Branch Pick-Up week for the 2023 year will be April 24 - 28. The City of Darien is pleased to offer FREE BRANCH PICKUP for all residents within our boundaries.
To help keep the streets clean and our crews on schedule, please stack the branches neatly by the curb on the Sunday before the pickup week. The chipper can accept branches up to 6” in diameter. Please do not tie the branches or put in garbage cans. All other yard waste such as grass clippings and flowers should be disposed of through our yard waste program with LRS. Learn more.
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April is Financial Literacy Month
Residents can access the Illinois Financial Wellness Hub Pilot Program through the Office of The Treasurer. The program offers tools to help improve your personal finances. Register for your free account here.
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National Safe Digging Month
April is National Safe Digging Month, a great reminder to always contact 811 before you dig! No matter how small your next home digging project is, remember to keep yourself and your community safe by contacting 811 to have the approximate location of buried utilities marked with paint or flags before breaking ground. Learn more here.
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Queen of Hearts Has Been Found
This past week, the Queen of Hearts was uncovered at spot 47. The winner splits approximately $25,500.
This drawing brings a close to this game. The Darien Lions wish to thank all of you that participated in our Queen of Hearts Raffle.
The proceeds of this event went into our 501(c)(3) Darien Lions Foundation to support the following programs:
- Special Needs – Eyeglasses, vision tests, hearing aids and exams
- Scholarships to Hinsdale South and Downers Grove South High School Students
- School Supplies for Darien area grade school students
- Food Baskets Program – Providing both food and toys to local families in need at Christmas
- Someone Special Program – A lunch and play for those with special needs
- Camp Lions Program – a day camp for vision impaired children
- Darien Cub Scouts
- Darien Boy Scouts
- Disaster Relief for local communities as needed
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Darien Park District - Summer Program Registration is Open
It is time to register for summer programming at the Park District! Check out the Summer Program Guide and register here. Let's get ready for a summer of fun!
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Safety Village Registration Now Available for Summer Classes
The mission of Darien Safety Village is to teach children about many areas of safety. The classes are geared toward younger children, ages 5 to 7 and 8 to 10.
Registration is now available for summer classes; visit here or call (630) 968-0777.
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Darien Woman’s Club Glamour Gala - April 16
The Darien Woman’s Club is holding a Glamour Gala luncheon and fashion show fundraiser. The event will take place on April 16th from 11:00am – 3:00pm at Ruth Lake County Club. All proceeds will support the club’s philanthropic efforts in Darien and the surrounding communities. Please register here.
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Darien Rotary Club’s Casino Night
Save the date for Darien Rotary Club’s Casino Night event on Tuesday, April 25th, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. There will be food, drink, raffles, and casino games. All attendees have a chance to win a trip for two to the Cosmopolitan Casino in Las Vegas with airfare included!
The event will be held at Ashyana Banquets at 1620 75th St in Downers Grove. Register here.
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DGC Sprouts Meeting - April 26
Be inspired to plant sunflowers and learn how your children can contribute to community science in a big way! We will welcome special guest Delanie who, as a 5th grader, created the DuPage Sunflower Project. Delanie will talk about her mission to plant a sunflower at every home in DuPage County to inspire happiness and save the planet. All children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Find more info and register here.
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Darien Police Weekly Press Release
The Darien Police Department issues a press release each week.
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Darien Events and Happenings
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Check out the City Calendar for information on upcoming meetings and events
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Check out the Community Calendar for the news on events from Darien community organizations!
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(630) 353-8114
City Hall (630) 852-5000
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Visit the City of Darien's website for information on City services.
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