O’Fallon Update The Official Quarterly Publication of the City of O’Fallon, Missouri Winter 2015–16 • www.ofallon.mo.us
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas FEMA to change flood insurance maps across the region
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is issuing new Flood Insurance Rate Maps that all municipalities, including O’Fallon, must adopt. These new maps become effective on January 20, 2016, and some O’Fallon homes may be impacted. Please review the information on page 5 and on our website at www.ofallon.mo.us to see if your home is included in these changes.
In this issue
I
love the excitement of the holidays – the cooking, planning and celebrating Christmas, and even the hustle and bustle of shopping for presents. As a parent and grandparent, I especially look forward to getting together with my family for holiday traditions. If we’ve got out-of-town guests, we like to bundle everyone up for a tour of the Celebration of Lights display in Fort Zumwalt Park. There’s something eye-popping around every corner. The park is open nightly through December 30th, except on Christmas. And if you haven’t tried it, a Segway tour or a horse-drawn carriage ride through the park will add to the fun and make the event even more memorable. Of course ’tis the season to go shopping. If you’re looking for that perfect gift, you’ll find it in O’Fallon. Please shop your hometown. By keeping it in the “O’” you help grow jobs in our City and preserve our City’s vibrant economy. Besides the anticipation of presents, what kids love most about the holidays is the time off from school. You can keep your kids busy this season with our Holiday Break Camp, which is designed for ages 5–12 and keeps kids having fun and making friends without the worry of being home alone. The camps are listed on page 25 of the Parks & Rec Guide. As for snow, there’s no predicting the weather, but O’Fallon’s snow-removal program is geared to keeping traffic moving. For the convenience of our residents, page 9 of the newsletter explains what you can expect when the winter weather hits. After the holidays, break out of the winter blahs with family fun and exercise at Cabin Fever Daze on January 30th and 31st in Sports Park. Get all the details on page 4. Thank you for making 2015 another great one in O’Fallon. I look forward to serving you again in 2016. From my family to yours, may you have a safe, blessed and very merry Christmas season!
Bill Hennessy, Mayor
2
Candidate Filing
3
Celebration of Lights
Mayor Hennessy to give “State of the City” address
5
Public Works
O’Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy will deliver his annual “State of the City” address at 10
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Upcoming Events
a.m. on Friday, January 8, 2016, in the City Council chambers at the O’Fallon Municipal
8
Roscoe's Den
Centre (City Hall). The public is invited to attend the event. The address also will be
9
Snow and Ice Control
10 Police Bulletins
broadcast live on O’FallonTV (Charter Cable channel 991 and AT&T U-Verse channel 99), and on the City’s website, www.ofallon.mo.us.
11 Public Assistance 12 City Calendar
Discover resident assistance programs on page 11.