The following email provides timely information on news and services
from the City of Darien.
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Weekly eNews - April 18, 2024 |
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Mayor's Message
“We cannot be mere consumers of good governance, we must be participants, we must be co-creators.”
- Rohini Nilekani
On Wednesday, April 17, I will be accompanied by City Administrator Bryon Vana, Alderwoman Mary Sullivan, and Aldermen Joseph Kenny and Gerry Leganski to Springfield, Illinois, for the DuPage Mayors and Managers Annual Drive Down. As Past President of the DMMC, I have made this trip each year since my election, and I have encouraged my fellow elected officials to join me as we seek to lobby the State Legislature and State Governmental leaders on issues that directly impact the state, DuPage County and the City of Darien.
This year, our main issue will once again be our request for an additional increase in the Local Government Distributive Fund. Back in 1971 when it was established, the state guaranteed municipalities that they (the State), would return ten-percent of income taxes paid by residents to each municipality on a per capita basis. That commitment was sustained until 2011 when the State suffered some financial setbacks, and the figure was cut to 6%. Unfortunately, the State reneged on its commitment, and the figure has never been raised back to its official funding level of 10%. Over the past thirteen years, all municipalities across the state have lost significant funding that would normally go toward public safety and infrastructure. Our lobbying efforts over the past three years have seen a slight increase from 6% to 6.47%. While not insignificant, we will once again seek an increase through legislation to 8%, with gradual increases to 10% by 2031. Because this is an issue that impacts all municipalities in the state, it will be our primary lobbying effort this year.
While we have a specific Legislative Action Program that will be our focus in Springfield, there are two other issues that we will spend time discussing with our state representatives. These two issues, the suspension of the 1% grocery tax and changes to Tier 1 and Tier 2 pension consolidation, will each financially impact all municipalities. While the 1% grocery tax suspension may save you $1 for every $100 you spend on groceries, it will see a loss of anywhere from $350,000 to $700,000 in lost revenue to our city. These monies again go to public safety and infrastructure improvement, and the loss of this revenue will impact budgeting for all local governmental bodies.
Our third major focus involves changes to the Tier 1 and Tier 2 pension system, which, if enacted, will see increases in our yearly funding of our police pension costs. Tier 2 legislation was created in 2011 in order to help municipalities maintain their pension costs, and the change has assisted us in meeting our pension obligations over the past 13 years. If changes occur to meld Tier 2 with Tier 1, it will significantly impact our rising annual payment. We are committed to maintaining a healthy pension system for our Darien police, and we, as well as other municipalities, will be lobbying to maintain the current system.
These are but three of the issues we will be concentrating on while we are down in Springfield this week; our goal, as it is every year is to maintain local control, eliminate costly mandates, and allow our local governments the opportunity to legislate that which is in the best interest of our residents.
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City Administrator Vana, Alderwoman Sullivan, Mayor Marchese, Alderman Kenny, and Alderman Leganski lobbied in Springfield along with the DuPage Mayors & Managers Conference. |
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City of Darien representatives meet with State Senator/Minority Leader John Curran |
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Congratulations Hinsdale South Athletes
Mayor Marchese and the City Council recognized exceptional Hinsdale South High School athletes who competed at the state level in swimming, tennis, bowling, and basketball during this school year. Congratulations on your successes! We are so proud to support your hard work and good sportsmanship and to cheer for you on the sidelines.
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Students Honored included (not in order):
Parker C. - Boys Swimming
Chloe G. - Girl’s Tennis (27 – 3 record)
Kelsey P. - First Place in State/Girls Bowling (Wheelchair Division)
Amerie F. and Amelia L. - All State Girls Basketball and members of the 4th in State Girls Basketball Team
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Darien Connections - Spring Newsletter
The 2024 Spring edition of the Darien Connections Newsletter is out! You should receive a copy in your mailbox and you can also check it out online here. |
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Arbor Day Celebration - April 26
Darien’s 25th Annual Arbor Day Celebration will take place on Friday morning, April 26, at 9:30 am, at Hinsbrook Park (Beechnut Lane and Hinsbrook Ave., just west of the Darien Swim Club).
Mayor Joe Marchese will speak about Darien’s Arbor Day program and the history of Arbor Day. Beth Bengston from The Morton Arboretum will “edutain” those families and friends in attendance with tree knowledge. Darien police and Tri-State fire will briefly educate the children in attendance on fire safety and stranger danger. Hinsdale South HS Madrigal singers will entertain with their magical voices too. Learn more here.
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Earth Day - April 20
The theme for Earth Day this year is Plant vs. Plastics. It is a great time to reduce the single use plastics we use each day. Here are some great ways to get started!
- Take a reusable water bottle with you
- Buy beans, rice, and more in bulk using your own containers
- Purchase chips and other snacks in larger bags and use reusable containers to make snack-sized portions
- Be sure to follow recycling guidelines of LRS. Plastic bags should not be recycled in your bins, but check with your local grocery store, as they will often collect these for recycling!
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Distracted Driving Awareness Month
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 3,308 people killed and and nearly 290,000 people injured in traffic crashes involving distracted drivers in 2022. Now that Spring has arrived, more people are heading outside to enjoy the warm weather. It is more important than ever to focus on driving, so use these tips from NHTSA to avoid distractions:
- If you have to text, pull over to a safe location and park your car — only then should you read or send the text message.
- Distracted driving isn’t just texting, scrolling through social media or messaging while driving is distracted driving too.
- Appoint your passenger as the “designated texter” to respond to calls or messages.
- Activate your phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature, silence notifications, or your put phone away in the trunk so you won't be tempted to respond.
- Speak up if you see someone texting and driving and ask them to put their phone away.
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Driveway Scams
There have been an increase in the number of scams where workers come to homes and offer to fix driveways and other paved surfaces because there were "already in the area." Avoid becoming a victim of a scam by following these tips:
- Always record the name and address of the company and then check to be sure it is legitimate
- For-profit solicitors in Darien must obtain a solicitor's permit and you can request to see the city permit
- Always check to be sure you have the correct permits before starting any work. Learn more here.
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DuPage County Health Department Confirms Case of Measles
The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) has confirmed a case of measles in a DuPage County resident, the first case identified in DuPage County since 2009. The case does not appear to be linked to new arrival shelters in Chicago and the source of infection is unknown at this time.
Measles is a serious respiratory infection that causes a rash and high fever and is capable of leading to pneumonia and other complications. Measles symptoms typically include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and a characteristic rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
DCHD urges residents to ensure they are up to date with their MMR vaccine. Residents are encouraged to review their immunization records or contact their healthcare provider to make sure they are up to date on the MMR vaccine. Measles information for healthcare providers is posted on the DCHD website.
View the full press release with more details and steps on how to protect your family here. |
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Summer Employment Opportunities
The City of Darien is accepting applications for the following positions:
Applications can be obtained here and 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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New Online Portal –
Property Maintenance Concerns
Residents can now submit their property maintenance concerns on the City’s new online site, OpenGov. This streamlined site allows users a way to submit their property maintenance concerns, commonly referred to as property maintenance violations. In order to access the portal, please visit the City’s website. If you have any questions, please contact Jordan Yanke, City Planner, at (630) 353-8113. |
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Get Emergency Alerts from the Darien Police Department |
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In our continuing effort to keep Darien residents informed, the Darien Police Department is introducing Emergency Notifications via text. Please visit our Direct Connect Signup page and provide your cell phone number to receive text notifications in case of an emergency. These texts will be sent at any time (day and night) when an incident within the City may impact the community (e.g. police activity, accidents where there are road closures, etc.). There is no cost to sign up for this service. The Police Department will continue to use X/Twitter for non-urgent notifications. |
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Be in the Know - Help Spread the Word
Darien’s Direct Connect E-Newsletter (DC) is the City’s primary source of information for residents and businesses. Please tell your friends and neighbors about DC, forward this email to them, and ask them to sign up. Signing up is simple and can be done here. |
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COMMUNITY EVENTS
Click on the links below for more information on these upcoming community events! |
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Lions Club Big Raffle 2024: link
Hinsdale South Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee -
DYC Opening Day Parade - April 20: link
Composting STARTS Now! with DGC Sprouts - April 24: link
Free Community Shredding Event - April 27: link
Emotional Health Workshop - April 30: link
Eisenhower Junior High Musical: The Little Mermaid - May 2-4: link
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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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