A “Giving Spirit” is one of the reasons St. Charles was named #1 City for Families by Family Circle magazine. Proud examples of the many ways people give back can be found throughout our community.

Among the groups that donate their time, talent, and resources are City of St. Charles employees. Both individually and collectively, the 303 employees of the City make a tremendous impact within St. Charles’ borders and beyond. Last year, City employees donated more than $11,000 in contributions and gifts and worked countless volunteer hours to support more than 50 local and national non-profit organizations.

“We hear about City employees who go above and beyond in their jobs every day,” said Kathy Livernois, Director of Human Resources at the City. “But the success of the City-organized charity initiatives year after year shows how City staff members serve the community on a personal level too.  These employees reflect compassion, unselfish caring, and generosity in their giving of time and contributions.”

Throughout the year, the City conducts several philanthropic programs including:

• Giving Friday

Employees make charitable donations of $6 or more to dress casually at work two Fridays each month. Proceeds from each “Giving Friday” benefit a named charity.

• Combined Charities

Employees donate to various charities through payroll deductions.

• The Giving Tree

Holiday gifts are donated for families in need.

• Neighbors in Need

Contributions help St. Charles residents in need pay their utility bills.

• Christmas in July

Needed items are donated to local animal rescue organizations.

• Blood Drives, Bake Sales, Food Bank Collections

• Fire Department

Organizes and participates in Fill the Boot, Seniors Holiday Dinner, and the Holiday Toy Drive.

• Police Department

Organizes and participates in Cop on Top, Tip a Cop, Polar Plunge, and the Annual Golf Outing to Support Special Olympics Illinois.

Some of the local organizations and events that are impacted by the contributions or volunteerism of City employees:

• Bob Leonard Riverwalk 5K Run/Walk
• CASA Kane County
• Community Contacts, Inc.
• Community Crisis Center
• Fox Valley Hospice
• Holiday Homecoming Electric Parade
• Kane County Juvenile Drug Court
• Kiwanis
• Lazarus House
• Area Lions Clubs
• Moose Charities
• Mutual Ground
• Northern Illinois Food Bank
• Riverfest
• Rotary Club of St. Charles
• Rover Rescue
• Scarecrow Fest
• Special Olympics of Illinois
• St. Patrick’s Parade
• Tri-City Family Services

Many individuals and organizations work together to make St. Charles so special. As public servants, St. Charles employees help define how our community looks and feels—its safety, security, comfort, convenience, and vitality. As members of the greater St. Charles community, they demonstrate a commitment to consistently help where there is a need.

Municipal officials from Kane, Kendall, and DeKalb counties take time for a photo after a meeting with Governor Quinn.

On Wednesday, May 14th, representatives from area cities and villages traveled to Springfield to participate in the annual legislative day activities of the MetroWest Council of Governments. City officials went to Springfield to discuss a variety of issues with state legislators and other state government officials; however, there was one issue that dominated conversations – the plan put forth to reduce the revenue that the state shares with local governments.

At the present time, the State of Illinois collects and redistributes approximately $1 billion in income tax receipts to local governments (cities and villages), based on population. St. Charles receives approximately $3 million annually and uses the funds to support services provided to the community, including police, fire, and public works.

There have been proposals submitted to reduce the local government share of the income tax. Implementation of the proposal could lead to a reduction in City services or higher local taxes.

During the 2-day event, I was able to meet with area Senators Karen McConnaughay and Jim Oberweis as well as area Representatives Tim Schmitz and Mike Fortner. In addition, I met with Senate President John Cullerton and Elgin-area Senator Mike Noland. Many of those legislators understand that the income tax revenue is important to St. Charles and were supportive of the City’s position to maintain the local share. Some believe that the “transfer out” of state income tax revenue is something that needs to be reconsidered, given the state’s fiscal situation.

You can learn more about this critical issue by clicking here.

MetroWest representatives also met with representatives of the Illinois Municipal League, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The meetings with state agencies focused on programs that cities can participate in and rules or regulations being proposed by agency staff.

One of the highlights of the trip was a meeting with Governor Pat Quinn. MetroWest representatives were able to meet with the Governor to discuss the recent flooding and the state disaster declaration, state programs to assist cities with building or modernization of water system facilities, pension reform, and the local share of the state income tax. The Governor listened carefully to what City mayors, aldermen, and other officials had to say.

St. Charles residents are encouraged to contact the Governor and state legislators to express their opinion on legislation being considered in Springfield. Contact information is available on the City website here.

Over the past few years, technology has rapidly changed and new methods of communication have been implemented by forward-thinking organizations. St. Charles has changed the way that it communicates with stakeholders, including the deployment of Facebook, Twitter, e-mail list serves, blogs, and RSS feeds. All have been well-received by constituents who have also adopted new ways to communicate with their co-workers, family, and friends.

The City has been able to embrace more electronic communication efforts with efficiency. As part of the continued evolution of the City’s overall communication strategy, the City of St. Charles has launched a new mobile application. It is called St. Charles Connect and is currently available on iOS and Android platforms. It will be available on the other operating systems – Blackberry and Windows – very soon.

St. Charles Connect is a real-time, mobile tool that gives citizens direct access to the City of St. Charles right from their smartphones. Residents can download the free mobile app and the intuitive design makes it easy to report an issue, such as a broken streetlight, or to request services from the City. Users can also get important City news and other information through the application.

St. Charles Connect enables a user to select a Report Type from a pre-populated list developed by a team of City employees. Once a Report Type is selected, additional comments can be added and a photo or video attached to the report. The mobile device’s global positioning system (GPS) functionality will automatically append accurate location information to the report.

The City encourages civic engagement and recognizes the value of mobile technology in quickly resolving issues, while saving both time and money. With St. Charles Connect, everyone can contribute to continuing St. Charles’ reputation as the Pride of the Fox.

Get St. Charles Connect now at the Play Store or App Store! Look for it on the Windows Store and Blackberry World soon!

You can also visit the City’s website for more information.

When Illinois first imposed a state income tax on residents in 1969, an agreement was made by legislators that, instead of allowing municipalities to impose a separate local income tax, the state would devote a portion of the state-collected income tax to local governments. This local portion of the income tax is essential to fund basic municipal services like police and fire protection, snow plowing, and much more.

Until 2011, 10% of all income tax collected was put into the state’s Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). Starting on January 1, 2011, the state increased the income tax rate, but lowered the local portion to 6% in order to keep all the new revenue in the state budget. Revenue in the LGDF is periodically allocated to municipalities on a per capita basis.

House Bill 961 was proposed to ensure the timely distribution of LGDF funds to local governments. Commonly referred to as “LGDF Direct Deposit,” this statutory change would require that the municipal portion of tax revenue be deposited immediately and directly into the LGDF, and then promptly paid to municipalities, without the need for intervening transfer, removing the opportunity to force a loan from the local governments to the state.

I am pleased to report that the Illinois House of Representatives has approved House Bill 961, which requires the direct deposit of LGDF (income tax) revenue to cities and counties.

Special thanks to Representatives Mike Fortner and Kay Hatcher for serving as co-sponsors to HB 961.

House Bill 961 now goes to the Illinois Senate for its consideration. Please consider contacting your State Senator and asking for their support for HB 961. You can obtain contact information here.

The City of St. Charles completed a weekday 24-hour traffic count on the Red Gate Bridge on Friday, April 5. The results indicated that vehicle crossings on the bridge have increased by 39% since the bridge opened in December.

The December count indicated that 5,200 vehicles were using the bridge. The April 5th count showed 7,223 vehicles crossed the bridge. Eastbound vehicles represented 3,522 vehicles and westbound represented 3,701 vehicles.

The fourth river crossing in the City’s bridge inventory is significant and will provide a number of very important benefits to St. Charles and the surrounding communities. These include decreased travel times, improved public safety, greater convenience, and providing a new physical connection for the east and west sides of our community.

For comparison purposes, these are the daily counts for the other St. Charles bridges for 2012:

• Illinois St. – 6,219 vehicles
• Prairie St. – 8,887 vehicles
• Main St. – 30,281 vehicles

The City will be conducting counts at the downtown bridges during the summer of 2013 to determine changes in traffic patterns.

If you would like additional information, please visit redgatebridge.org

During 2013, the City of St. Charles is producing a series of articles called Small Acts, Big Impacts that highlight the contributions of employees. Small Acts, Big Impacts is designed to raise public awareness of, and appreciation for, the value that City employees bring to effective local government and to make St. Charles a great community.

Even the smallest things can really add up to something big. Just ask Chris Adesso, the City’s Public Services Division Manager, who is part of a running club that together collected $400 last year for a local charity by picking up loose change they came across on their weekly run.

The Next Steps Running Club, organized by the local Dick Pond Athletics store in St. Charles, meets bright and early at 7 a.m. each Saturday morning at the store on 303 N. 2nd Street. Adesso has been running with the club for three years. Store manager Glen Kamps coordinates the club’s activities and launched the change pick-up effort. Last year, the money collected was used to purchase groceries that were distributed by the Salvation Army to families in need at Thanksgiving.

Foraging for change has become somewhat of a personal challenge, with runners stretching their distances until they find something to add to the collection jar, according to Kamps. But more than the amounts collected, it’s the spirit of giving back that means so much to our community. That’s an inspiring message Adesso was able to share with his 13-year-old son, Cole. ”We were out walking together one afternoon and found five dollars,” Adesso said. Cole thought it would be a good idea to donate it to the running club’s cause. So they got on their bikes and delivered the money to the store.

Adesso, a resident of St. Charles, took up cross country running in high school and has been competing in marathons and triathlons for about five years. Last year, he ran in both the Fox Valley and Chicago marathons, finishing first in his age division in the Fox Valley Marathon with an impressive time of 3 hours, 14 seconds. As Public Services Division Manager, Chris has responsibility for maintaining City facilities, forestry services, street maintenance, plowing, and special event road closures.

“It’s a great thing,” Adesso said of the running club program. “I’m glad to be a part of it.” So far this year the group has collected $101.39. The biggest find? $50!

The St. Charles Police Department has released its 2012 annual report that provides information about public safety programs as well as statistics regarding calls for service, crime, and traffic accidents.

The report reveals that the number of calls for service continued its marked decline in 2012. In fact, the number of calls for service for the department is at its lowest level since 2001.  The report showed that police responded to 15,727 calls for service in 2012, a 3% decline from 2011.

The report shows a continued downward trend in crime throughout the City. This includes the more serious Part 1 crimes as well as Part 2 crimes. Part 1 crimes have decreased by a whopping 39% since 2008. Part 2 crimes have decreased by 27% over that same period.

Motor vehicle accidents on public roadways have also declined in St. Charles. Statistics show that the number of accidents in 2012 totaled 974, a 26% reduction from 2008. However, the City still has certain areas that are prone to more accidents. The top 3 crash areas are:

• South Randall Road between Oak Street and IL Route 38
• East Main Street in the vicinity of Smith/Kautz Road
• East Main Street in the vicinity of Tyler Road

The reconstruction and widening of East Main Street is a contributing factor to the accidents on East Main Street; however, the completed improvements will improve the safety of this area.

The annual report also provides highlights of some of the other services provided by the Police Department, including the Kane County SWAT Team, K-9 Unit, and Crime Prevention Unit. The Community Restitution Program is also included. This program uses the labor of those ordered to perform court-ordered community service to complete many tasks including daily collection of refuse in the downtown area, pick-up of trash along public roadways, graffiti removal, and mowing/weeding of foreclosed and abandoned properties. Since its inception in 2004, this program has provided services valued at almost $2 million!

For additional information, or to view the entire 2012 report, please click here.

The results of the 2012 annual report demonstrate the positive impact that the women and men of the St. Charles Police Department have on the quality of life here in our community.

When Illinois first imposed a state income tax on residents in 1969, an agreement was made by legislators that, instead of allowing municipalities to impose a separate local income tax, the state would devote a portion of the state-collected income tax to local governments. This local portion of the income tax is essential to fund basic municipal services like police and fire protection, snow plowing, and much more.

Until 2011, 10% of all income tax collected was put into the state’s Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). Starting on January 1, 2011, the state increased the income tax rate, but lowered the local portion to 6% in order to keep all the new revenue in the state budget. Revenue in the LGDF is periodically allocated to municipalities on a per capita basis.

Over the last few years, proposals have arisen to take some or all of this local portion of income tax revenue in order to help address the state’s budget crisis. However, unlike cutting line item spending to decrease state expenses, this change would merely shift the burden for continuing state expenditures onto municipal taxpayers, who would then need to raise local taxes to pay for their basic municipal services, or see those services wane. Fortunately, legislators ultimately understood this issue and have not taken LGDF revenues away from local services.

One continuing problem, however, has been delays in issuing LGDF revenues to local governments. As the state receives tax payments from residents and businesses, the portion owed to municipalities grows. However, funds must be transferred from the state’s General Revenue Fund into the LGDF before they can be distributed to cities and villages. By delaying this transfer, the state essentially “borrows” the money from municipalities, helping their own cash flow, but threatening the solvency of local governments. In recent years the delay has been as much as six months, creating significant problems for a number of local governments throughout the state.

This year, Representative Anthony DeLuca had the vision to further protect municipal taxpayers by filing House Bill 961 to ensure timely distribution of LGDF funds to local governments. Commonly referred to as “LGDF Direct Deposit,” this statutory change would require that the municipal portion of tax revenue be deposited immediately and directly into the LGDF, and then promptly paid to municipalities, without the need for intervening transfer, removing the opportunity to force a loan from the local governments to the state.

Thirty-three other Representatives, from both political parties, joined Rep. DeLuca as additional sponsors to HB 961, including Rep. Michael Fortner who represents a portion of St. Charles. On March 21, the bill was approved by the House Revenue & Finance Committee by a unanimous vote. The bill now goes to the House floor for a vote by the full chamber. We applaud the initiative shown by Rep. DeLuca and all the bill’s sponsors.

Residents can contact their Representative to encourage a “Yes” vote when this bill is brought to the House floor. It is important to let your legislator know that you value the local services provided by these funds, and to encourage the state to address financial concerns by balancing their own budget, rather than looking to use the revenue taken from other levels of government.

Please consider contacting your State Representative and asking for their support for HB 961. You can obtain contact information here.

The First Street Redevelopment Project is a subject of regular conversation in the community and remains a priority for the City of St. Charles. While a great deal of success has been achieved to date, more remains to be done and the City continues to dedicate significant time and effort to move the important project forward.

First Street was approved in 2006 and includes 5 distinct phases. To date, 2 of the 5 phases have been completed.

Phase 3 of the First Street Redevelopment project consist of mixed-use buildings (residential, retail, and office) and a parking structure located between Main and Illinois streets and the Fox River. The construction budget for the private developer portion of the approved Phase 3 is approximately $40 million. There are also approximately $6 million in public improvements for the City to undertake including 100 public parking spaces, riverwalk, plaza, streetscape, and street lighting.

Phase 4 represents a mixed-use building planned for the southwest corner of First and Illinois Streets.

Phase 5 represents 2 buildings planned for 2 parcels of property – one on the northeast corner of IL Route 31 and Illinois Street and another immediately east of the Blue Goose Market.

Under the terms of the redevelopment agreement, Phase 3 was to commence by March 1, 2009. The Great Recession and resulting impact on the economy stalled the project. Representatives of the City and the developer have been discussing Phase 3 regularly in an effort to retool it in response to the current economic conditions.

While it is easy to lament the delays and logical to ask what more can be done, it is also important to consider the progress that has been made since the project started in 2007.

When you look at an aerial photo of the First Street area from 2004, you can see several things:

• Mish-mash of public and private parking lots
• Lack of public access to the river front
• Few, if any, public amenities for residents and visitors
• Infrastructure in need of rehabilitation
• Tired stores and businesses in need of overhaul

When you compare that to the First Street area of 2013, it is clear to the substantial benefits that redevelopment has had on the area:

• Centrally located parking deck for 430 cars
• Improved access to the riverfront, including the completion of the Bob Leonard Riverwalk
• New public plaza that serves as a community gathering place
• New streets, sidewalks, and electric, water, and sewer infrastructure
• New and renovated buildings that house stores and restaurants
• New residences that bring new customers to downtown businesses
• Renovated and expanded recreational amenities

And, more work remains to be done. There are 5 additional parcels of varying sizes and shapes that are ready to accommodate new development, when the economy improves. Four of these parcels are owned and controlled by the City of St. Charles ensuring that the City will play a critical role in any redevelopment that may occur in the future.

If you haven’t been to First Street recently, make it a priority. You can see the progress that has been made and experience the improvements that have taken place to our award-winning downtown.

Over the past few years, technology has rapidly changed and new methods of communication have been implemented by forward-thinking organizations. St. Charles has changed the way that it communicates with stakeholders, including the deployment of Facebook, Twitter, e-mail list serves, blogs, and RSS feeds. All have been well-received by constituents who have also adopted new ways to communicate with their co-workers, family, and friends.

The City has been able to embrace more electronic communication efforts with efficiency. As part of the continued evolution of the City’s overall communication strategy, the City of St. Charles is preparing a new mobile application. It is called St. Charles Connect and will be available for all major mobile operating systems including iOS, Blackberry, Android, and Windows.

St. Charles Connect will be a real time, mobile tool that gives citizens direct access to the City of St. Charles right from their smartphones. Residents will be able to download the free mobile app and the intuitive design will make it easy to report an issue, such as a broken streetlight, or to request services from the City.

St. Charles Connect will enable a user to select a Report Type from a pre-populated list developed by a team of City employees. Once a Report Type is selected, additional comments can be added and a photo or video attached to the report. The mobile device’s global positioning system (GPS) functionality will automatically append accurate location information to the report.

The City encourages civic engagement and recognizes the value of mobile technology in quickly resolving issues, while saving both time and money. With St. Charles Connect, everyone can contribute to continuing St. Charles’ reputation as the Pride of the Fox.

The current schedule calls for St. Charles Connect to “go live” on April 2, 2013. Stay tuned for further details!