Bensenville Gateway Newsletter-July 2013 by Village of Bensenville

JULY 2013

FROM WHERE WE’VE BEEN TO WHERE WE’RE GOING

A Message from your Village President

| As we approach the mid-way point of the year, it feels as if we have a great deal to share with you regarding our recent accomplishments. To begin with, we hope you have taken notice of our new name and design for this newsletter. The new name, Gateway, aligns nicely with our recently introduced slogan, Gateway to Opportunity. It also represents an open door in terms of communication between your village government and local residents and businesses. The changes are also consistent with the overall rebranding of our village. We hope you have noticed our new wayfinding signs and banners as well as improved street signs throughout town. All of our materials now have a clean, consistent look which we believe will serve us well as we continue to improve our presence throughout the region and country. However, our recent success, and that which we hope to experience in the months ahead, must stand on more than just improved graphics and a catchy slogan. It is in that regard that I think we have a great deal to report on throughout this issue of Gateway. The growth and stabilization of our community will be based on developing and executing a sound strategic plan that incorporates fiscal responsibility, a meaningful relationship with local businesses, and a constant and productive dialogue with our residents. To that end, one of the highlights of this year has been the strengthening of our Village Board. In April, voters elected former Village Clerk Susan Janowiak to the Board, and Ilsa Rivera-Trujilo to the Clerk’s office. I am pleased to welcome them to these positions and have been very encouraged by the way in which the new Board has immediately rolled up their sleeves and begun addressing some of our most pressing issues. As we continue to hold to our pledge to operate under a balanced budget, we remain intensely focused on key infrastructure projects and new business initiatives that will strengthen our community. The Irving Park and York Road grade crossing continues to proceed on schedule, and we are moving toward a set of changes that should improve and enhance traffic around the Route 83 and Foster Avenue intersection. Both projects will improve our ability to serve residents and local commerce. Inter-governmental partnerships continue to improve as evidenced by the outstanding cooperation exhibited in working with School District 2 to address flooding issues during the construction of the new Tioga Campus. We think residents in that area will benefit significantly due to the manner in which both government bodies worked together. Similarly, residents on the north side of Bensenville will soon enjoy an improved Mohawk Park which will enhance the quality of life and property values in the area. Our thanks to the Park District for their cooperation in making that project a reality.

VILLAGE PRESIDENT Frank Soto BOARD OF TRUSTEES Morris Bartlett Susan Janowiak Robert Jarecki Martin O’Connell, III JoEllen Ridder Henry Wesseler CLERK Ilsa Rivera-Trujilla VILLAGE MANAGER Michael Cassady

Finally, I encourage everyone to get out and enjoy all that Bensenville has to offer during the summer months. There are a number of great activities for families all summer long which also provide a nice opportunity to meet and enjoy some time with your neighbors. From the recent visit of the Healing Wall to our newly improved Music in the Park concert series we hope to see as many of you as possible around our wonderful town this summer. Please keep it safe for yourself and those around you.

FRANK SOTO | VILLAGE PRESIDENT

P.S. While we consider ourselves a friendly and welcoming community, here’s a tip of the hat to all of the youngsters who came out to show their support of the Blackhawks while watching the now dethroned 2012 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings as they practiced at the Edge Ice Arena. We were pleased to serve as hosts to the visitors, but a bit more pleased that they went home empty-handed.

Summer Celebrations While it seems as if summer took a while to get started, warmer temperatures are finally here – just in time to get everyone outdoors to enjoy a wide range of activities in Bensenville.

We invite everyone to be a part of our highly popular and successful Music

in the Park concert

series every Wednesday night throughout summer (with the exception of July 3rd). Downtown Bensenville (Center and Green Streets) is the location for not only a night of great music every week, but also plenty of great food, family activities, and a weekly car show. Concerts

begin at 7:30 but be sure to come early to get your favorite spot. Special seating at the

front of the audience will be set aside for seniors. Kids can get their faces painted and everyone can enjoy carriage rides and take a chance at being the night’s lucky winner of our 50/50 raffle with proceeds going to assist our local food pantry. These free concerts will feature family friendly music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Our weekly

is open to all participants and begins

Cruise Night

at 6:00. Most nights are designed around a theme consistent with the music era And there’s no need to worry about dinner on these Wednesday nights either.

featured in that night’s concert.

For more information go to www.bensenville.il.us

INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE WITH THE WALL THAT HEALS As we had been anticipating, June brought a very powerful experience as the replica of the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, The Wall That Heals was in our community from June 20th through the 23rd. We hope that many of you were able to be a part of this very moving experience. While the exhibit was only temporary, a permanent tribute to our military veterans, our own Veterans Memorial is scheduled to be moved this year to a more prominent and fitting location at Redmond Park. The baseball and softball fields at the park have also been renamed as Memorial Field and Liberty Field respectively in hopes of providing our youngest residents with a reminder of how the freedoms they enjoy were achieved. We would like to thank the many volunteers who assisted with The Wall That Heals visit, as well as all those who worked to install and dedicate our Veteran’s Memorial. We hope that you will all take time to stop by and remember the service and

Since its dedication in 1996, The Wall That Heals has visited more than 350 cities and towns throughout the nation, spreading the Memorial's healing legacy to millions.

sacrifice of so many people.

I thought our electric provider was changing? It did! What didn’t change is who distrib-

utes your electricity and who bills you for it. While you still receive your monthly electric bill from ComEd, you will notice First

KEEP SUMMER SAFE The Bensenville Police Department wants to remind all residents to make this a safe summer in Bensenville. Some important tips to keep in mind: • With the kids out of school there are more bikes, balls, skateboards, and people on and around streets. Exercise extra caution when driving through our neighborhoods. • Be cautious around garage sales. If you

Energy Solutions listed under Electricity

are stopping to look for bargains please be

Supply Services. The rate listed should be

considerate of others. Do not park close to

.05205 multiplied by your monthly kWh

intersections and leave room for regular traffic to get by.

usage which represents the new lower rate provided by First Energy. The aggregation provides the average Bensenville home with savings of $26/month or $311/year over their previous ComEd rate. This is yet another way your Village

Government is saving you money. If you have questions on your rate, please email Dan Di Santo, Asst Village Manager, at ddisanto@ bensenville.il.us or call 630 350 3400.

• Be mindful of weather alerts as severe weather is always a possibility. Do not venture outdoors during lighting or high wind events. • If you are doing work around your home or in your year, always call for a utility check before doing any digging. • We advise everyone, particularly senior citizens to be aware of and always report suspicious activity. Do not fall prey to any of these common scams: - Do not let any strangers into your home unless you have scheduled an appointment. Utilities and other services will not show up unexpectedly at your home asking to be allowed inside. - Never pay a contractor or service provider in advance. - If you receive a call saying you have won a contest or lottery, do not give away any personal information like bank accounts, and do not send the caller any money to secure your prize. • No fireworks in our community please! We invite everyone to enjoy the community wide show on the 4th of July at Redmond Park.

SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE 2013 brings some new technologies to Bensenville. Rather than high-

WATER METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

tech toys, we’re introducing a new tool to make life easier.

The Village is pleased to announce the commencement

Smartphone users are encouraged to download the FREE BENSENVILLE APP from iTunes or Google Play. This useful new app provides information to you including important contact information for all village entities including governmental departments, the Park District, the Library and many other local groups. You can use the app to report issues to us, to track dates and locations of activities around town, and to get information about village services like refuse pick up. Just

of the Water Meter Replacement Program. The purpose of the program is to replace all of the approximately 6,000 water meters within the Village. Water meters are routinely replaced at the end of their useful life, which is typically around 20 years in this area. The most recent water meter replacement project was performed in the Village over twenty years ago in 1992.

search Bensenville in iTunes or Google Play and get connected!

NOBODY LIKES A SHOWOFF. WELL, ACTUALLY WE DO There’s a lot to be proud of in Bensenville and we don’t want to be shy about bragging a little bit. Thanks to the implementation of our strategic plan, and significant effort to build new alliances with our business community, Bensenville is once again becoming one of the most desirable communities in the region for business and business expansion. In an effort to show off all that we have to offer, we recently hosted several events to showcase the many benefits of doing business in Bensenville, whether it is in our downtown area or our immensely successful Business Park. On July 24th we will invite real estate developers, retailers and brokers to join us for a community bus tour and open house. Choose DuPage, the economic development arm of the County, will be our co-host. It has been very gratifying in recent months to get so much positive feedback regarding our business climate and more than once we’ve heard real estate professionals speaking to their peers on our behalf, espousing the great business climate in the new Bensenville. We recently were pleased to welcome an extraordinary new television production facility to our Business Park as the Bulgarian International Television facility has been established here to broadcast Bulgarian language programming. The facility goes live July 18, initially streaming content live on the Internet from this new state of the art facility. Ultimately, the privately funded studio will produce live television content to provide Bulgarian Americans with a true freedom of the press in news coverage that is not otherwise available to them.

The Village will be replacing the existing water meters with automatic radio read water meters. Additionally, the meter reading equipment will be upgraded to accommodate an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system. With the new system, water meter readings will be automatically transmitted to the Village allowing real-time on-demand reads which improve the current system of obtaining reads only once per month. The new meters come equipped with software that allows real time monitoring of your water usage, which will help identify potential leaks and save you money. The Village has contracted with HD Supply Waterworks of Mokena, Illinois to supply and install the new water metering system and water meters throughout the Village. Their subcontractor, United Meters Inc. of Morris, Illinois, a licensed plumbing contractor, will compete the installation of the new meters and the corresponding communication device located on the outside of the property. The contractor anticipates completing all meter replacements by January, 2014. The Village requests your cooperation when United Meters, Inc. contacts you to schedule an appointment. Compliance with this program is mandatory for all water users. If you have any questions please call Bensenville Public Works at 630 350 3435.

There’s a lot to be prou

A Special Thanks

ALLIED WASTE CONTRACT EXTENDED

improved signage around town and stressed

Services (Allied Waste) to continue the village’s refuse pick-up

In recent months we’ve discussed our

our efforts to beautify the community. We appreciate all of the efforts of our Village staff and the many businesses who have

Our new Village Board got right to work this spring and came to terms with Republic program. Several new features have been added to provide better service and benefits to our residents.

contributed to our improved look. However,

• New 65 gallon rolling bins will be provided for recycling

we’d be remiss if we did not make a special

materials (with a 95 gallon option available at no extra

mention of the Bensenville Garden Club. These individuals helped with a refurbished sign for the Blue Star Highway. Their work can be seen at Rt.83 and Grove Street.

Thank you very much!

charge). • Senior citizens will now receive a 15% discount on their rates. • Overall, the average rate for Bensenville residents will drop by an average of 10.4%. Single family homes will see their rate remain flat at $22.58/month. • Annual contract increases beginning on January 1, 2015 will be based on the CPI-Transportation Index rather than a flat 4.75%, resulting in future savings. The new contract takes effect on October 1.

BUSINESSES NOW CALLING BENSENVILLE

HOME

Roesch Ford www.roeschfords.com

North Dupage Special Education Cooperative www.ndsec.org

Unzueta Law Group PC 630 509 2095

NOT PICTURED Amerifrieght Systems www.amerifreightsystems.com

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BENSENVILLE COMMUNITY YARD SALE After the success of the Summer Community Yard Sale weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve decided to do it again! Mark your calendars and clean out your closets for the Fall Community Yard Sale taking place the weekend after Labor Day, September 6-8. To host a Yard

-8 6 r e b m e t p Se

Sale during this time you must complete a Yard Sale application and obtain a Free Yard Sale Permit. Permit applications are available at Village Hall (12 South Center Street) or online at www.bensenville.il.us. For more information call 630 594 1010.