FEBRUARY 2015
FROM WHERE WE’VE BEEN TO WHERE WE’RE GOING A MESSAGE FROM YOUR VILLAGE PRESIDENT | As this Newsletter reaches your mailbox, we are already a full month into 2015. While we have a very full agenda for this year, I want to provide a brief recap of what we accomplished in 2014 and acknowledge the contributions of many residents who made it a very successful year. We are emerging from the recession and I am pleased to report that the Village is in very good financial condition. The Village still managed to accomplish much even in the difficult economic climate. Our successes are due to developing a long-term Strategic Plan, defining our core objectives, adhering to that Plan, and hiring extremely qualified Staff to implement the necessary steps to achieve our goals. Much has been accomplished and much more is just ahead. One core component in our Strategic Plan involved implementing sound financial practices. In 2015 the Village was issued our 3rd Bond Rate increase in the past five years. The Bond Rating is similar to a credit rating. Moody’s Investors Service attributed the upgrade to our professional Management Team, maintaining Reserves through conservative budgeting, reducing expenditures, controlling costs and restructuring of outstanding long-term debt with 65% of the principal to be retired over the next ten years. We have come a long way and the Village’s strong financial condition has allowed us to avoid tax increases over CPI, as you may recall, the Village is only 12% of your tax bill. Another core principal in our Strategic Plan involved stabilizing our neighborhoods and home values. As a result of a great deal of hard work with the Village reaching out to those facing foreclosure, Village home prices not only stabilized but significantly increased. Bensenville posted one of the highest percentage increases of single family home prices in 2014 pursuant to a recent study published by CoreLogic Case-Shiller. Bensenville is a great place to live and raise a family and others are beginning to recognize this fact. Creating business growth is not an easy task. Businesses have been reluctant to expand over the last several years. Regardless of the recession, it was important to the Village Board and staff to position the Village to benefit as the recovery starts. One such impediment was the railroad crossing at York and Irving Park. The bridge project is underway and we have already seen an improvement in the number of businesses coming to town. The Green Street Tap House and Grill has been approved for 120 West Green Street in our Downtown District and construction will begin in February. Final lease negotiations are underway for a fresh market grocery store at the old Dominick’s location. We anticipate the store opening later this year. Foremost among the major issues that we face is the continued pursuit of noise reduction solutions for our community. I attended the National League of Cities Conference to build relationships with others and committed to participation in the National Organization to Insure a Sound Controlled Environment (N.O.I.S.E.). Here in Bensenville, we created a new O’Hare Impact Committee which meets monthly with residents and we have added resources to our website (www.bensenville.il.us). Our approach and ideas are being adopted by other impacted communities.
VILLAGE PRESIDENT Frank Soto BOARD OF TRUSTEES Morris Bartlett Susan Janowiak Robert Jarecki Martin O’Connell, III JoEllen Ridder Henry Wesseler CLERK Ilsa Rivera-Trujillo VILLAGE MANAGER Michael Cassady
We’ve made substantial progress on our new Police & Emergency Management Headquarters and the restoration of our Waste Water Treatment facility. Both remain on schedule for completion in 2015. These projects provide substantial benefit to the community. We have utilized a variety of funding sources including grants and unique bond opportunities to manage our costs. Both projects should come in on schedule and under budget. Finally, no recap of our year would be complete without recognition of the many great social and community events that took place in Bensenville. Whether it was our Community Youth Services Coalition holding their first health fair and walk for young families, or our Senior Fair & Expo, there was something special for every resident to enjoy this past year. The new Farmer’s Market complimented our summer concert series and fall brought a variety of family events throughout town. We can be proud of the many physical improvements that have taken place in our schools, our roads, our downtown, and in our service sector, but it all matters little if not for the quality of life that is generated by the many residents who make Bensenville such a great place to live and work. Here’s to a very successful 2015!
FRANK SOTO | VILLAGE PRESIDENT
MOODY’S UPS VILLAGE RATING!
The Village’s fiscal policies continue to aid the residents as the Village was notified that Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Bensenville’s General Obligation Unlimited Tax debt rating to Aa3 from A1. According to Moody’s, “The village’s financial operations will likely remain sound, given positive revenue trends and an actively engaged financial management team…..significantly bolstered its financial reserves. In addition, the village hired a new management team that has successfully maintained reserves through conservative budgeting, posting annual surpluses. During the same period expenditures fell from $29 million to $21 million, underscoring efforts by management to control costs.” The report further stated, “Moody’s expects the villages mature, tax base will continue to benefit from its favorable location within Chicago’s metropolitan region. The village’s full value increased 6.4% in 2013, signaling potential recovery following substantial drops.” Moody’s also noted restructuring long-term debt is average with 65% of principal retired over the next ten years. Bringing in a highly qualified management team and implementing sound financial practices has allowed the Village to see our bond rating increase three levels in five years.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHOWING POSITIVE GROWTH IN BENSENVILLE Generating business growth is a complicated endeavor. In addition to the strength of the economic climate other conditions effect business development. It is still hard in our current economic climate for businesses to increase risk by expanding. “What we had to do was identify what was inhibiting business growth and fix it,” said Village President Frank Soto. For Bensenville, the railroad crossing at York and Irving Park Road was identified as a major problem. This was not an easy task to fix. However, the project is underway and we are already seeing an uptick in new businesses. 2014 brought a surge in industrial and retail activity in Bensenville with several key projects poised to begin providing benefits in 2015. Watch for development to begin on an 185,000 square foot warehouse project near O’Hare Airport this year. Hamilton Partners purchased an 11.5 acre parcel at 340 County Line Road last March and preliminary site work has begun.
In 2010 the INDUSTRIAL & RETAIL VACANCY RATE was 16.3% and by the end of 2014 the vacancy rate was down to 5.3%.
Part of the Green Street Business District, the 340 site is close to the formerly depleted building that is now being redeveloped as our new Police & Emergency Management Headquarters. According to Village President Frank Soto “This development is a big win and should help stimulate further development in this key corridor along the future Elgin O’Hare Western Access Tollway.”
Wholesale Interiors recently leased over 300,000 square feet of space at 1010 Foster Avenue for a new facility. The company sells both wholesale and direct to the public and we are fortunate that they have chosen Bensenville for this significant new project. A new restaurant is planned for the old Senior Lopez site which will give residents a new place to eat in town when it opens this year. The location vacated by Dominick’s departure from the Chicago area will soon be home to a new fresh market grocery store. Look for an announcement soon.
BENSENVILLE HOME PRICES SEE SIGNIFICANT JUMP IN 2014 Bensenville posted one of the highest percentage increases in single-family home prices in the northwest suburbs experiencing a 9.7% increase from 2012 vs 2013 in data tracked by CoreLogic Case-Shiller. CoreLogic Case-Shiller is an independent organization that monitors home sales nationwide. “Our Village Board adopted a neighborhood stabilization program as part of our Strategic Plan which contributed to the increase in home values,” said Village President Soto. “The Village has also conducted realtor engagement sessions to showcase amenities Bensenville has to offer as well as improve communication and identify areas of improvement from residential real-estate brokers. Bensenville has a lot to offer with new schools and great recreational facilities between the Village and the Park District and we needed to let others know.”
A sure sign of our stability comes as much from growth of existing merchants as it does from the arrival of new ones. We’re pleased to announce that Grand Subaru is undertaking a renovation and expansion project at their dealership on Grand Avenue. One of the leading Subaru dealers in terms of volume, we are very pleased to have their renewed commitment to our community. GRAND OPENING CELEBRATIONS FOR MCDONALD’S & WING ZONE!
VOLK BROTHERS SUBDIVISION RECEIVES $400,000 IN IMPROVEMENTS WITH GRANT FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS Due to its proximity to several schools, the library, park district and water park, the Volk Brothers subdivision is host to plenty of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. In an effort to create a safe and reliable environment, the Village has been upgrading key elements of the area in recent years. In 2014, a $400,000 grant from the DuPage County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program assisted in completing additional upgrades to roads, sewers, sidewalks and curbs. The Village applied to the state for the grant with funds ultimately being administered by DuPage County. This was the fourth and final phase of a multi-year effort that improves public safety while also improving flood control initiatives for the area. The use of funding sources such as CDBG allows us to make improvements without further reliance on local property, sales or use taxes.
BENSENVILLE GOING GREEN In addition to efforts such as LEED Environmental Certification for new buildings including our Police & Emergency Management Headquarters, Bensenville is aggressively pursuing a wide range of green initiatives to produce a healthier, more energy (and often cost) efficient community. Hopefully you noticed the change in 2014 as we replaced all decorative lighting fixtures throughout town with new LED fixtures. Using Federal Grant dollars for the majority of the project, the new fixtures add to general safety by providing brighter light and are more energy efficient. ComEd has committed to upgrading their fixtures to LED as well, which in addition to the safer environment will provide us with cost savings. Our staff is currently in the process of reviewing ways in which we can safely add more bike paths to the community. We hope to provide updates on this important objective in the months ahead as we look for ways to reduce energy consumption and allow for healthier lifestyles for our residents. At the request of Village residents, the Village approved an ordinance to allow homeowners to raise hens for the purpose of providing fresh eggs. More green initiatives will be coming forward during this year.
POLICE STATION UPDATE Our new Police & Emergency Management Headquarters is expected to open this summer. There are multiple advantages that will come from this new facility beginning with a more secure and efficient work environment for our officers. The building will provide additional rooms for meetings, multijurisdictional task forces, officer training, and equipment and evidence storage. The additional space and new configuration will provide more security for the general public as suspects will now be moved and detained in secure spaces. Thanks to the manner in which we spread out the bond issues for the building we have already experienced significant savings on the project. By staggering the bond issuances we have the ability to obtain Qualified Energy Conservation Bond (QECB) rebates through the DuPage County DCEO for more than $6 million of the overall bond issuance. For meeting certain energy efficiency standards through green building initiatives, the DCEO will rebate back to the Village at least $550,000 in interest over the 20 year life of the bonds. Due to the structure of the bonds, this savings can grow to over $1 million by the time these bonds are paid out. In addition to the QECB interest savings, the Village has also been awarded $117,788 in grants to reimburse energy efficiency upgrades through DCEO’s Illinois Energy Now program. Illinois Clean Energy has awarded $25,000 for the LEED Silver Certification Process already underway. The final grant received to this point, which is one of two we are pursuing for solar power generation on the roof, is for $30,000 from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development. The hope is to be awarded an additional $60,000 - $80,000 to offset the cost of the solar power generation system, and that this final upgrade will push the building into the LEED Gold category.
O’HARE NOISE REDUCTION PROJECT The Village continues to make strides in working with local, regional and national agencies to help manage noise levels associated with O’Hare International Airport. Our strategy is to build a coalition of surrounding communities to speak with one voice for residents living near the airport and to identify opportunities for meaningful noise strategies. Some are at the state level and others at the federal level. With the southernmost Runway 10R/28L opening on October 15, 2015, it is even more important that we continue to work with the Federal Aviation Administration and the City of Chicago on possible solutions. The Village has been working hard to address the direction endorsed by our residents in the November referendum which was overwhelmingly passed. At the state level, Bensenville was instrumental in filing legislation that improves the way airport noise is measured. This new airplane noise measurement is called the CNEL (Community Noise Equivalent Level). The CNEL measurement accounts for noise overnight as well as noise during the evening hours, which are the most disturbing times to deal with noise at home. In addition, the Village continues to work through the O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission to urge the City of Chicago to conduct a new Part 150 Study for O’Hare. A Part 150 Study requires the City of Chicago to work with all airport stakeholders, including the public and surrounding municipalities, to create a new Noise Compatibility Plan which will identify ways to implement noise mitigation policies and procedures. On the federal level the Village is also working with our lobbyists and technical experts to make recommendations on adjusting airport operations, such as the Fly Quiet Program, to alleviate the impacts on residential neighborhoods. In November, Village President Frank Soto appeared at the National League of Cities. The National Organization to Insure a Sound Controlled Environment (N.O.I.S.E.) hosted their annual Policy Summit and Community Involvement Workshop in conjunction with the National League of Cities Congress of Cities. The meeting provided a premier opportunity for local government officials and other stakeholders to interact directly with leading aviation officials, researchers, and mitigation experts to gain knowledge and information that will directly benefit their communities. Village President Soto was elected to the Board of the NOISE Organization. On a local level, in 2014 we established a new O’Hare Impact Committee. The Committee, chaired by Village President Frank Soto, held its first meeting in July and now meets monthly to provide residents with a forum to be heard and to receive updates on actions taken by the Village focused on noise and environmental issues associated with the airport. Bensenville also worked with DuPage County to craft the strategy of their O’Hare Noise sub-committee. The City of Chicago recently granted our request to install a new noise monitor at the former Mohawk School site on Hillside Drive. We anticipate this monitor to be installed this spring. In addition, the Village is piloting our own soundproofing program to help those residents being impacted the most. Additionally, visitors can now log on to our website to register noise complaints, review airport maps, download noise reports and data, read relevant news articles, and see the Environmental Impact Study related to the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP).
Train Horn Quiet Zone Coming Soon As if the noise generated from airplanes taking off from O’Hare were not enough, the Village has also been impacted by blasts from trains which are federally mandated to blow their horns when passing through certain crossings such as those along the Milwaukee West/Metra Line in Bensenville. In July, the Village received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for the development of a Quiet Zone. With the establishment of the zone, trains will no longer be required to activate their horns when passing through this busy section of town. To qualify for the Quiet Zone, the Village was required to construct certain safety improvements at the Church Road, Addison Street, and Center Street crossings. These improvements included driveway closures and the
installation of barrier curbs and flexible delineators to safely channelize traffic at intersections. Also included is a wayside horn located at the York Road crossing to provide audible warning of on-coming trains. “A wayside horn is one of the most practical and cost effective approaches to achieve Quiet Zone approval, and was well received by our residents and business owners during our demonstration in 2013,” said Village President Frank Soto. Bensenville resident Tod Bean was among those who welcomed the efforts of the Village in protecting the value of his home and the quality of life for him, his wife, and their neighbors. "I can't express enough how grateful my wife and I are to the administration of Bensenville, for all of their hard work to get the Quiet Zone approved,” said Bean. The work was completed as part of a $325,000 commitment in the 2014 Village budget.
“I can't express enough how grateful my wife and I are to the administration of Bensenville, for all of their hard work to get the Quiet Zone approved,”
www.bensenville.il.us BENSENVILLE RESIDENT TOD BEAN
SPECIAL EVENTS ABOUND IN 2014 Bensenville residents were active participants in a number of new community events during 2014.
WASTE WATER PLANT The projected two-year project to convert r Bensenville’s nearly 70-year old waste wate year treatment plant got under way this past with the target of simplifying operations and providing processes intended to improve water quality on the receiving streams and creeks. The $30 million upgrade project will modernize the facility to a state-of-the-art operation. The project will be funded through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Water Quality Revolving Loan Program. The IEPA has also extended a grant of nearly $765,000 as principal forgiveness on the loan.
In addition, the project received nearly $1.3 million in grant funding and special financy ing from the State of Illinois as well as nearl $500,000 in energy efficiency grants through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Illinois Clean Energy (ICE) Program.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS After a productive and successful 2014, there are more infrastructure projects in the works for 2015. Two of the primary efforts that may impact residents and businesses will be the resurfacing of Jefferson and Foster Streets. These two necessary projects will begin toward the end of March or early April with the target of being completed by the end of June. The good news is that 70% of the overall costs will be covered through federal grants for which we applied and have received.
In September the Bensenville Community Youth Services Coalition welcomed several hundred residents to their first B-Well Walkathon & Family Fest. The Walkathon & Family Fest started at 10:00 a.m. at the Bensenville Park District and made various stops along the way to Redmond Recreational Complex allowing participants to complete up to 2.7 miles of walking. At the conclusion of the walkathon Redmond Park was the site of a healthy family fun fest featuring a free healthy meal and free access to everything the sport complex has to offer, including ice skating, indoor swimming, climbing wall and ropes course, soccer, volleyball, and a host of other activities. More than two dozen vendors were on hand to provide information on healthy lifestyles and available services. B-Well Bensenville is a community-wide initiative created by the Youth Coalition to encourage young people and families to achieve healthier lifestyles by promoting the activities and resources available within the community. This initiative takes a prevention-driven approach to health, supporting policies and environmental changes that promote healthy eating and active living in neighborhoods, schools and workplaces. The Youth Coalition is comprised of members from all of the Village’s taxing bodies as well as the DuPage County Health Department, various churches, and healthcare organizations throughout Bensenville. The following month found a group of seniors enjoying the Senior Expo & Fair at Bridgeway of Bensenville. Participants were treated to live entertainment, food, and great door prizes and provided with the opportunity to receive their annual flu shots. The day was filled with a series of very valuable information sessions including topics such as Protect Yourself from New Scams, Important Changes to Medicare, Emergency Preparedness, Healthy Mind, Healthy Body, Senior Living Options and Technology Made Easy.
KEEPING OUR FITNESS FACILITIES HEALTHY We pride ourselves on our great recreational facilities such as Redmond Park and the Edge Ice Arena, but those facilities require constant health checks as well. In 2014 we made some physical updates and some operational changes to keep our recreational programs in good shape. On the business side of things, the Village partnered with long standing business Bella Vista to take over operations of the concessions sales for all Edge facilities. This partnership is truly a win-win scenario generating income for both parties while lowering the Village’s operational costs. The Recreation Department also introduced new software to consolidate all facility reservations, activities and programming. Online reservation for residents is now in place. Finally, in keeping with the overall objectives and progress across other departments, the Recreation Department also instituted a series of new financial controls. Our facilities underwent some improvements as well. One of our primary projects was the installation of a press box at the Redmond Park soccer field. Our three ice rinks experienced various levels of dasher board repair or replacement which many of our regular users will appreciate. On a more general scale, we took on the task of repairing all of the picnic tables at Redmond Park in 2014. We look forward to a busy and healthy 2015.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS LEARN TO SKATE CLASS REGISTRATION Begins Wednesday | February 4 Edge Ice Arena 630 766 8888 AQUATICS WATER'S EDGE AQUATIC CENTER 545 John Street | Bensenville Jena H. Watson | Aquatic Director 630 670 4665 LEARN-TO-SWIM LESSONS Spring Session | April 12 May 23 WAHOO SUMMER SWIM TEAM May-August 2015
SENIOR CITIZEN LUNCHEON Tuesday | February 3 | 11am Tuesday | March 3 | 11am Tuesday | April 7 | 11am MONTY’S | 703 South York Road 735 East Jefferson | Bensenville Information call 630 594 1010 VILLAGE VS. FENTON CHARITY BASKETBALL GAME To benefit Special Olympics Wednesday | February 11 6:15pm | Fenton High School
PRESIDENT’S DAY Monday | February 16 Village facilities will be open HONOR FLIGHT CHICAGO CHARITY HOCKEY GAME between FBI & Chicago Police Saturday | February 28 | 7 to 10pm EDGE ICE ARENA 735 East Jefferson | Bensenville Ticket information call 630 566 0270 BRUSH PICK-UP For 2015, brush pick-up weeks start on the following days | May 4, June 1, July 6, August 3, September 7, October 5 and November 2
Para recibir este boletín en español, por favor llame al 630-766-8200 y pregunte por Maria, o mande un correo electrónico a mhampton@bensenville.il.us. Asegúrese de incluir su dirección completa.