On December 6th, 2020, The DeKalb Police Department, the DeKalb Police Department's Police Benevolent and Protective Association (PB & PA), and Target sponsored this year's Hero's and Helpers (Shop with a Cop).

Heroes and Helpers is sponsored by donations from the community and the officers of the DeKalb Police Department. The PB & PA sponsored approximately seventy kids from DeKalb to participate in this awesome event. Each participant is given 100 dollars to purchase anything in the store. In Heroes and Helpers, the child (the Hero) is paired up with a police officer in uniform (the Helper) as the officer and the child shop together, discuss stories, and dream of a Merry Christmas.

This is the ninth year that the DeKalb Police Departments Officers have sponsored/participated in this event. If you would like to donate to next year's event, please contact Sergeant McNett, DeKalb Police Department, 700 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, Illinois.

Thank you to everyone in the community who donated to our event this year!

On Saturday December 5th, a Freight Runners Embraer 120ER twin-engine turboprop arrived at 11:30 a.m. from Milwaukee to pick up the NIU basketball team and take them to Pittsburgh for a game against the Pittsburgh Panthers. The final score of the basketball game was 59 - 89 Pittsburgh. The NIU team tried their best, let's hope they see some success the rest of their coming season!

On December 14th, the City Council approved a petition from Safe Passage to rezone the former DeKalb Clinic site at 217 Franklin St. to accommodate a new two-story 42,000 sq. ft. building to contain an emergency shelter, counseling services, administrative offices, outdoor playground and other accessory uses. Safe Passage is a not-for-profit organization which offers a broad array of services and programs for victims of interpersonal violence including domestic and sexual assault. Safe Passage is currently located in six buildings and would like to consolidate their programs and services into one facility, which will benefit the overall operation and efficiency of the agency. Construction is planned to start in the spring of 2021 with opening of the facility in early 2022.

Effective January 1, 2021, the City of DeKalb and the DeKalb Urbanized Area paratransit and deviated flex route services will be operated by Transdev Services Inc. (Transdev). The existing door-to-door paratransit services, non-emergency medical transportation (formerly MedVAC), and the Route 21 to Sycamore will all remain active.  The City of DeKalb, Voluntary Action Center of Nothern Illinois and Transdev Services Inc. have released periodic updates to the public regarding the transition including frequently asked questions and eligibility standards. These communication pieces and additional information can be found at the City of DeKalb Public Transit website.

Community members that have questions about the paratransit provider transition or want to learn more about any of the public transportation services available can contact the City of DeKalb Transit Manager, Marcus Cox, at 815-748-2370 or by email at marcus.cox@cityofdekalb.com.

This is a reminder that effective Friday, January 1st, 2021, the City of DeKalb will no longer main a courtesy copy of the utility bill to the Tenant/Occupant. The bill will only be sent to the property owner at their place of residence, per the Municipal code, Ch. 7. The City strongly recommends property owners and tenants discuss what arrangements may need to be made to address this change. Please contact Utility Billing at 815-748-2085 with any questions, comments, or concerns.

The DeKalb Fire Department would like to provide you some valuable information regarding winter fire safety.

Carbon Monoxide: Often called the invisible killer, carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas created when fuels such as gasoline, wood, coal, propane, etc. do not burn completely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of CO. CO incidents are more common during the winter months and in residential properties. Please be sure your CO detectors are up to date and tested to ensure accuracy and usage.

Winter Storms: Most of the U.S. is at risk for winter storms, which can cause dangerous and sometimes life-threatening conditions. Blinding wind-driven snow, extreme cold, icy road conditions, downed trees and power lines can all wreak havoc on our daily schedules. Home fires occur more in the winter than in any other season, and heating equipment is involved in one of six home fires and one in five home fire deaths. Please be sure all vents outside your home are free and clear of any snow/debris to prevent carbon monoxide backup into your home.

Generators: Portable generators are useful during power outages, however, many homeowners are unaware that the improper use of portable generators can be risky. The most common dangers associated with portable generators are carbon monoxide (CO) positioning, electrical shock or electrocution, and fire hazards. According to a 2013 Consumer Product Safety Commission report, half of the generator-related deaths happened in the four coldest months of the year, November through February, and portable generators were involved in the majority of carbon dioxide deaths involving engine-driven tools.

Candles: December is the peak of year for home candle fires; the top two days for home candle fires are Christmas and Christmas Eve. Between 2013 - 2017, an average of 7,900 home candle fires were reported each year. Only use candles when in the room with them and keep the out of the reach of children.

Electrical: Electrical fires are a leading case of home fires in the U.S. Roughly half of all home electrical fires involved other known types of equipment like washer or dryer fans and portable or stationary space heaters. Do not use extension cords for space heaters and keep the area around those heaters free of anything that could impede its usage and cause fires (i.e. newspaper, magazines, blankets, etc.)

Fire Hydrants: Keep the area around your fire hydrants free and clear of snow so that we can find them easier in the event of a fire and that it doesn't freeze up the caps, making them inoperable.

Receive important notifications from the City by signing up for ALERT DeKalb. Text, email, and phone messages are used to alert the public to emergency situations, severe weather, and traffic disruptions.

Users can also text ALERTDEKALB to 67283 to report criminal or suspicious activity and quality of life concerns.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has developed two winter weather tools for citizens to use to evaluate the level of potential winter storm impacts.

These tools will continue to be developed in the future, and your feedback could help with that development! You can provide feedback via survey links on either web page. If you have more detailed questions or feedback, you can send an email to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) Warning Coordination Meteorologist Alex Lamers, and/ or WPC Development and Training Branch Chief Jim Nelson.

City offices will be closed on the following days in January:

Normal office hours will resume on the following business day. If you need more immediate assistance, please call the Police Department's non-emergency number at 815-748-8400.

Please note that due to ongoing COVID-19 health concerns, meetings are subject to cancellation. Check the City of DeKalb's Agenda Center for the most up to date information.

Northern Illinois University offers a variety of music, arts, and entertainment events that are open to the public. Check out NIU's Events Calendar for a full list of events.

DeKalb Hometown Hero banners have returned to downtown to acknowledge some of our local veterans. To register for a banner, request an application from the DeKalb American Legion. You will be notified if your application is approved and a $100 fee will be required.

The DeKalb Public Library is offering virtual programs and events for children and adults of all ages. For more information check out their website for details.

The Egyptian Theatre invites you to join them for the events they will be organizing in January! For more information and tickets, please visit the Egyptian Theatre website.

City Hall          

Monday - Friday  

DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport    

City Clerk 815-748-2095 

City Manager's Office 815-748-2090

Community Development Department 815-748-2070

DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport 815-748-8102

Finance Department 815-748-2000

Fire/Police Emergency 911

Fire Non-Emergency 815-748-8460

Mayor's Office 815-748-2099

Police Non-Emergency 815-748-8400

Public Works Department 815-748-2040