Be Aware...Fire Can Happen Anywhere
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It's that time of year when the Fire Department encourages everyone to practice good fire safety habits. Every October, the Fire Department observes, celebrates, and honors Fire Prevention Month. Fire Prevention Month came about as a result of the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred October 8th through the 10th in 1871. Fire Departments across the nation now recognize Fire Prevention Month during the second week of October, which begins on October 7th this year.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) continues to be the international sponsor of Fire Prevention Month and chose a theme each year. This year's theme is "Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware fire can happen anywhere." The theme outlines three specific steps to prevent and respond to a fire:
- Look for places fire can start
- Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm
- Learn two ways out of each room
These three skills apply to all locations, including your home. Following these three steps will allow you to focus on early prevention. Looking around at those areas in your home that can cause fires, listening for smoke detectors to let you know of a fire, and learning multiple escape routes from your room and home is vital. Practicing is also key to fire safety. Discuss a fire escape plan with your family, determine a meeting place where everyone goes once outside your home, and practice the escape plan regularly. Being prepared saves lives!
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Fire Prevention Month
AGN Revitalization Plan
Website Forums
City Manager Search
Budget Update
Smoke Detector Program
Landscape Ordinance
Trick or Treating Hours
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Get DeKalb
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Annie Glidden North Revitalization Plan -
Public Comment Period
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The process of drafting the Annie Glidden North (AGN) Revitalization Plan, which began in August of 2017, is nearing completion. On September 26, 2018, the AGN Task Force made a motion recommending that the draft Revitalization Plan move forward in the review process.
An public comment period will be open from October 2 through October 19,
during which, several meetings, as noted below, will be held for the public to review and provide input on the draft Revitalization Plan before it goes forward for review by City Council.
- Human Relations Commission: October 2 at 6:30 p.m.
- Economic Development Commission: October 5 at 8:30 a.m.
- AGN Community Meeting: October 10 at 6:00 p.m.
- Public Hearing - Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting: October 17 at 6:00 p.m.
Commission meetings will be held at City Hall and the Community Meeting will be held at the University Village Apartments Community Room. For more information, please
click here.
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In early 2019, the City's website will undergo a scheduled refresh as provided for in our existing contract with Civic Plus. The City is seeking feedback on potential changes to the website. Several community forums will be hosted in October and November to seek input on usability of the website. These forums will be held in various locations throughout the community.
- Tuesday, October 23, 6:30 p.m. at City Hall - 200 South Fourth Street
- Monday, October 29, 10:00 a.m. at City Hall - 200 South Fourth Street
- Thursday, November 8, 6:30 p.m. at Hopkins Park - 1403 Sycamore Road
- Wednesday, November 14, 6:30 p.m. at the DeKalb Public Library - 309 Oak Street
For more information, contact Jason Blumenthal via
e-mail or by calling 815-748-2396.
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Visit the City's
Employment Page
to view and apply for open positions. For more info, contact Human Resources at 815-748-2300.
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The City is currently seeking highly collaborative leaders with an understanding of municipal operations, economic development and community engagement to serve as its next City Manager. The City Manager is appointed by and reports to the Mayor and seven Council members. Qualified candidates may submit their interest through October 8, 2018. To view the position announcement and other additional details, please
click here
.
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This year, the City's budget process began early to address concerns raised during the prior year's budget planning process. Part of this year's planning process was an update to the
Five-Year Financial Plan. While revising the financial forecast section of the Plan, it was determined that the City will face a funding gap of approximately $1.68 million by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. To address this gap, the City identified budget-balancing measures, which include both expenditure reductions and new revenues, that could improve the fiscal health of the City. Those budget-balancing measures were presented to
City Council on September 18, and will continue to be discussed and evaluated at upcoming public meetings. Residents are encouraged to follow the FY2019 budget process and provide feedback by attending any of the following meetings:
- October 8 Committee of the Whole - Property Tax Levy Discussion
- October 16 City Council Budget Workshop - Property Tax Levy and Budget-Balancing Discussion.
- October 23 Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) - Budget Discussion
- November 5 Joint City Council & FAC - Proposed Budget Review
- November 12 City Council - Property Tax Levy Adoption
- November 26 City Council - Public Hearing and First Reading of Annual Budget
- December 10 City Council - Second Reading of Annual Budget
Related agenda items may be added to regularly scheduled Committee of the Whole and City Council meetings as needed. Please visit the City's
Agenda Center to preview meeting agendas.
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The Fire Department offers a smoke detector program to assist community members with any issues they may have with detectors in their homes. If you, or someone you know, ever has an issue with a detector, please feel free to contact the Fire Department and they will come out and inspect your smoke detector. Fire Department personnel will determine if there is a battery issue or if the detector needs to be replaced. If you live in an apartment or rental property, they will assist you in contacting your property owner to ensure your detectors are changed and you are safe from fires. The Fire Department also provides free smoke detectors to those in need. To contact the Fire Department during normal business hours, please call 815-748-8460. In the event of an emergency, call 911.
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Managed Landscape Ordinance
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Recently, the City modified the Municipal Code to clarify and provide guidance on landscaping standards. After input from the community, specific prohibited plants have been removed from the code. In its place, a more general policy has been enacted to address unmanaged plant growth versus intentionally planted vegetation. Additionally, the revised ordinance encourages use of native plant species to restore and maintain soil conditions throughout the City.
The ordinance is divided into two sections, Planned Natural Landscaping and Unmanaged Plant Growth. Planned Natural Landscaping is the removal of grass and the planting of trees, plants, and shrubs. These items must be of a certain height and located as to not create a visual impediment for cars at intersections, delivery of mail, or utilities service access. An example of these requirements can be found below. The second portion of the ordinance addresses Unmanaged Plant Growth and states that grass may not exceed 8" in height. In addition, the growth of noxious weeds is prohibited as outlined in the Illinois Noxious Weed Law (
505 ILCS 100/).
This information is being published for the benefit of residents as they begin planning spring landscaping projects. In the Spring of 2019, Code Compliance Inspectors will begin enforcing these new provisions. Failure to comply with these new provisions may result in a citation and fines. For the exact code, please visit
Chapter 6 section 20-5 of the Municipal Code.
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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.
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This year, Halloween is on Wednesday, October 31. Trick or Treat hours will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.. The Police Department recommends the following safety tips to keep children safe on Halloween:
- Young children should Trick or Treat with an adult and older children should Trick or Treat in large groups
- Children should walk on the sidewalk NOT in the street and cross the street at intersections or crosswalks
- Children should wear reflective clothing and carry flashlights or glow sticks
- Children should NOT enter a stranger's home for ANY reason
- Parents should inspect their child's candy before consuming
If you have any questions regarding Trick or Treat hours or Halloween safety, contact the Police Department at 815-748-8400.
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Human Relations Commission
October 2, 6:30 p.m. at City Hall
Planning and Zoning Commission
October 3, 6 p.m. at Council Chambers
Citizens' Environmental Commission
October 4, 4 p.m. at City Hall
Economic Development Commission
October 5, 8:30 a.m. at City Hall
Committee of the Whole
October 8, 5 p.m. at Council Chambers
City Council
October 8, 6 p.m. at Council Chambers
Finance Advisory Committee Meeting
October 10, 5 p.m. at Police Department Training Room
DeKalb Public Library Board
October 10, 7 p.m. at DeKalb Public Library
Fire Pension Board
October 11, 8 a.m. at City Hall
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Citizens' Community Enhancement Commission
October 15, 4 p.m. at Haish Conference Room
Special Committee of the Whole
October 16, 5 p.m. at Council Chambers
Planning and Zoning Commission
October 17, 6 p.m. at Council Chambers
Police Pension Board
October 19, 10 a.m. at DeKalb Police Department
Committee of the Whole
October 22, 5 p.m. at Council Chambers
City Council
October 22, 6 p.m. at Council Chambers
Finance Advisory Committee
October 23, 5 p.m. at DeKalb Police Department Community Room
Airport Advisory Board
October 23, 7 p.m. at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport Maintenance Facility
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To view agendas for City meetings, please go to the City's Agenda Center
here
.
To check for meeting cancellations and location updates, please check the City Website
here
.
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NIU Homecoming
October 7 thru October 14
This year's NIU Homecoming will take place from October 7-14. During this week, NIU will be hosting many different events. Please visit
NIU's Homecoming page for more information.
DeKalb Barb's Home Football Games
October 12 and 19 at DeKalb High School
Don't miss out on the last two home games of DeKalb Barbs football. Come on out and support your local team! More information can be found on the
DeKalb Barbs Athletics website.
Full Moon Hike
October 24 at Prairie Park from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Explore the nighttime woods and learn about nocturnal critters. This event is free and will have plenty of fun activities. To sign up, please visit the
DeKalb Park District website.
Spooktacular - Downtown DeKalb Trick-or-Treat
October 25 in Downtown DeKalb from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Dress up in your Halloween costume and bring the kids out for a safe, fun, trick-or-treating event at over 30 downtown businesses. Please visit the
Downtown DeKalb website for more information.
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Egyptian Theatre Events
135 North Second Street, DeKalb, IL
This month, the Egyptian will be having a Billy Joel tribute, an american's got talent contestant, and stars from the Broadway cast of Jersey Boys. For more information and tickets, please visit the
Egyptian Theatre website.
Stage Coach Players
Stage Coach Players, 126 S Fifth St, DeKalb, IL
October 24, 25, 26, 27 at 7:30 p.m.
October 27 at 2 p.m.
This month, the Stage Coach Players are performing
Jekyll & Hyde
by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn. This musical horror-drama is loosely based on the novel
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
by
Robert Louis Stevenson
. A great show to celebrate the Halloween season. For ticket information, please visit their
website.
DeKalb Public Library Events
309 Oak Street, DeKalb, IL
The DeKalb Public Library offers a variety of programs and events for children and adults of all ages. Check out their
website
for details.
Northern Illinois University Events
DeKalb Campus
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.
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Event dates, times, and locations are subject to change without notice. Please contact the event sponsor for additional details.
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City Hall
200 South Fourth Street
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Police Station
700 West Lincoln Highway
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Public Works
1216 Market Street
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport
3232 Pleasant Street
Monday - Friday
7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
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City Clerk
815-748-2095
City Manager's Office
815-748-2090
Community Development Department 815-748-2060
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
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