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Village of Wilmette E-news
Enews
Oct. 16, 2020
The following email provides timely information on general news and community events from the Village of Wilmette. For more information, please visit the Village of Wilmette website.
Oct. 12 Village Board Meeting Recap 

The Village Needs Residents to Serve on Boards and Commissions!
YOU can help shape the future of Wilmette and use your skills and talents to strengthen our community. No matter your schedule or level of time commitment, the Village has numerous volunteer opportunities that can be the right fit for you to get involved. Supporting our community is more important than ever. If getting involved with our local government and helping shape the future of our community interests you, please click here to learn more and apply today! 

After a thoughtful and extensive review of volunteer boards and commissions, the Village Board is eager to fill vacancies as soon as possible! Specifically, the Village plans to reinvigorate the Housing Commission and Human Relations Commission. 

In Case You Missed It: The Board discussed boards and commissions at its Monday meeting. View the summary report and listen to the discussion

2021 Proposed Operating Budget 
The 2021 Proposed Operating Budget is now available for you to review. You're invited to tune in to the Village Board's virtual budget workshop on Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. when Trustees will review and discuss the spending plan and accept public comments. The annual budget is the most important guiding document the Village produces each year and developing the budget is an all-encompassing process that involves feedback from residents, business owners and community stakeholders. The Board is expected to adopt the final budget at its Nov. 24 meeting.
COVID-19 Update: Holiday Gatherings and Travel

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 4,015 new COVID-19 cases in the state yesterday, the highest single-day record since the pandemic began. While Region 10 (Suburban Cook County) continues to stay below the test positivity and hospital admissions metric levels that would trigger additional restrictions, there have been slight increases in both of these key metrics in October compared to more flat trends in September.

The takeaway? COVID-19 preventative measures remain critical to keeping our community healthy, safe and on track toward recovery. The Three W's - wear you mask, wash your hands, watch your distance - are simple tools we all can use. We're in this together, Wilmette!

Holiday Gatherings and Travel
Many families are beginning to think about holiday plans as we head into a season typically filled with gatherings and travel. Unfortunately, holidays are another aspect of 2020 that requires us to plan carefully and possibly celebrate differently this year. Factors to consider when making holiday plans include how many people will be present, whether guests will be wearing masks and practicing social distancing, your personal and family health factors and how closely others have been following prevention guidelines. 

If travel is part of your holiday considerations, remember that the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) recommends a 14-day self-quarantine for anyone returning to suburban Cook County after spending more than 24 hours in states with high levels of COVID-19 infections.  Additionally, if guests are visiting you from a high-incidence state, CCDPH recommends they self-quarantine for 14 days. 26 states are currently on the travel restrictions list, which the County updates every Tuesday (changes go into effect that Friday). 

COVID-19 in Wilmette:
  • As of Oct. 12, Wilmette's seven-day rolling average of confirmed daily cases is at 3.1 new cases per day. To date, Wilmette has had 356 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 17 new cases reported in the last week.
  • The Village's seven-day rolling average for test positivity (percentage of those tested who test positive for COVID-19) is at 3.4 percent compared to the State at 4.3 percent and Region 10 at 6.2 percent.
  • Overall, there have been 9,731 tests for Wilmette, with 377 new tests.
Wilmette Cannabis Referendum 

Wilmette voters will see a ballot question asking whether the Village should allow the retail sale of cannabis within Wilmette. This non-binding referendum is intended to gauge public opinion for future Village Board policy discussions. The referendum reads: 

"Shall the retail sale of adult use recreational cannabis be permitted within the Village of Wilmette at a business licensed by the State of Illinois?"

As you consider how to vote, please check out the resources the Village has assembled on our dedicated cannabis referendum webpage, including information on State regulations, surrounding communities' policies and referenda and helpful FAQs.

These resources will also come in handy in post-referendum Village Board discussions. The public will be asked to provide input on: 
  • An ordinance prohibiting or allowing the retail sale of cannabis in Wilmette
  • What uses would be permitted (e.g. dispensary vs. cultivation)
  • Zoning regulations and locations where cannabis retail businesses might be located, including consideration of special districts, limits on the number of establishments and distances from certain other establishments (e.g. schools)
Election 2020: Voter Registration Deadline Sunday & Early Voting Monday

Don't forget these key election dates coming up in just a few days!

Oct. 18 Voter Registration Deadline
Oct. 19 Early Voting Begins
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, early voting is encouraged to prevent long lines and crowding on Election Day. View the full list of early voting locations. 
  • Early voting will be available in Wilmette at Centennial Ice Rinks (2300 Old Glenview Road). 
    • Oct. 19 - 23: 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
    • Oct. 24 - 25: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • Oct. 26 30: 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
    • Oct. 31 - Nov. 1: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • Nov. 2: 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Downtown Shops and Restaurants are Open for Business During Construction!


Don't forget that shops and restaurants remain open for business during Wilmette Downtown Streetscape Plan construction! Parking is available in the area, including on the south side of Central Avenue. If you dine at one of our fantastic downtown restaurants, remember to wear your mask during any interaction with servers or staff.
Leaf Collection Tips and Reminders


The Village's fall leaf collection program began this week. Please remember these guidelines for safe and smooth collection: 
  • Street parking is prohibited on leaf collection days to allow heavy equipment to safely access leaf piles. Wilmette Police will be actively ticketing vehicles parked in posted "no parking" zones.
  • Do not park on the street until the street has been swept. Because of the time needed to thoroughly sweep the street, the street sweepers may be several hours behind the leaf collection trucks. Cars will be cited for parking on the street prior to the completion of street sweeping.  
  • If your curbside waste collection coincides with leaf collection, please place refuse, recycling and yard waste/compost toters three feet behind the curb. 
  • Please remember to rake your loose leaves to the curb by 7 a.m. on collection day (or 7 a.m. on the first day of a two-day collection window).

For more information and to view the leaf collection schedule, visit our leaf collection page. 


Mark your calendar! The Village and Go Green Wilmette will provide pumpkin composting on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at two locations - the Village Hall Parking Lot and Centennial Park. Please remove all decorations (candles, yarn, stickers, non-biodegradable material) before dropping off your pumpkins. 

Composting Fact: Besides creating nutrient-dense soil, composting pumpkins keeps them out of landfills, which are the third largest producers of methane in the U.S.! 
Fire Department Blood Drive Oct. 28


Register now for the Wilmette Fire Department's blood drive on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1304 Lake Ave. (Bloodmobile). Donors will receive free COVID-19 antibody testing with a successful donation. Appointments are required and donors must wear face coverings. To schedule an appointment, call 877-258-4825 or visit vitalant.org and use group code 132D. Donors will receive a coupon for a free pint of Culver's frozen custard.
Village Construction Projects
The Neighborhood Storage Project is the Village's largest ever infrastructure investment and will bring flooding relief to thousands of Wilmette residents while improving access and safety for our entire community. Visit the project website for construction updates
  • Phase 1: Community Playfield stormwater storage vault.
  • Phase 2: Hibbard Park stormwater storage vault
    • If you were not able to attend the online public meeting for the Neighborhood Storage Project at Hibbard Park on Sept. 30, you can watch the recoding at your convenience on the project website.
The Central Avenue Reconstruction and Downtown Streetscape Project will enhance lighting, sidewalks, roadways, plantings and amenities on Wilmette and Central avenues within downtown. Visit the project website for more information.  
Traffic Impacts: 
  • Restaurants and business are open and accessible during construction! Look for free public parking signs downtown.
  • Central Avenue is closed to eastbound traffic between Sheridan Road and Green Bay Road. Please follow the detour and allow extra time for travel.
  • Expect congestion, temporary lane shifts and temporary blocking of parking stalls in the work area.
  • Downtown parking on Central Avenue now accommodates vehicles traveling westbound.
Every year the Village completes road, sidewalk and alley repairs, brick street maintenance, sewer lining and many other infrastructure improvements. View project timelines and completion status, and check out an interactive map of all Village construction projects.
Wilmette Events and Happenings
Oct. 27 - Village Board Meeting
The Village Board will meet remotely on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams and broadcast live on the Village's YouTube and Channel 6. For more information on submitting public comment and remote participation via Microsoft Teams or YouTube Chat, please click here. View the agenda and materials here

Oct. 28 - 2021 Budget Workshop
Join the Village Board for a virtual budget workshop at 7:30 p.m.The meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams and broadcast live on the Village's YouTube and Channel 6. For more information on submitting public comment and remote participation via Microsoft Teams or YouTube Chat, please click here. View the agenda and materials here. View the 2021 Proposed Budget here.