The City’s leaf collection program will begin October 26th with the 1st of 4 scheduled pick-ups in each of the 4 quadrants of St. Charles.

In May, the City Council awarded a 3-year contract to Kramer Tree Service from West Chicago to perform this valuable service for St. Charles residents.  The value of the contract with Kramer for collection of leaves is $230,000 and the service is funded by a $3.35/month fee collected on most residential utility bills. More importantly, the City has always received very favorable comments regarding the quality of Kramer’s service.

In 2008, when the City outsourced this service, there were concerns expressed that quality would suffer. These concerns were expressed even though the City’s program was frequently subject to cost-overruns and delayed collection due to weather conditions and staff absences. In fact, the quality of the service has been improved as Kramer invested in state-of-the-art equipment and provided sufficient staff to operate it – all for a fixed contract price. In fact, both Batavia and Geneva have followed suit and contracted their leaf collection program to Kramer as well!

In placing leaves at the curb, residents should heed the following advice:

• Leaves must be on the parkway by 6:30 a.m. on your area’s designated day. 
• Rake leaves in a row parallel to the street, on the parkway, at least 1 ft. back from the curb and off the sidewalk.
• Pushing leaves into the street is a violation of Municipal Code 12.04.170, punishable by a fine of up to $500 for each offense. Piling leaves in the street can clog storm drains, cause localized flooding, and make the roadway slippery for cars, bikes, and pedestrians.
• Avoid raking foreign materials into leaf piles (brush, grass clippings, trash, etc.), as these could damage equipment or cause injury to personnel. 

For additional details regarding the City’s program, please click here.

On Monday evening, the City Council’s Planning & Development Committee heard a proposal from Economic Development Director Chris Aiston to study the creation of a new Business District in the East Main Street area. This is an idea that has been developed over the past several months as a result of discussion internally about the question, “What steps can the City of St. Charles take to encourage redevelopment and reinvestment in east side businesses?”

The East Gateway area of St. Charles and the East Main Street corridor have ample opportunities for redevelopment. There are many vacant properties and other parcels that are underutilized. Those include Tin Cup Pass, the former Baker’s Square, the former Rex’s Cork & Fork restaurant, the former Bennigan’s restaurant, the former Richards Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge auto dealership, the 1501 E. Main Street property, and, of course, the Charlestowne Mall.

Residents have also noted that the East Main Street corridor seems to lag behind other areas of the community. In the 2009 Priorities Survey, almost 70% of respondents rated the appearance of East Main Street as “average,” “poor,” or “very poor.” It was the lowest rated corridor in St. Charles.

Staff is suggesting that the City Council consider the merits of establishing a Business District for the entire East Main Street corridor in order to enhance our economic development efforts. A Business District is a distinct geographic area that, once established, would permit the City to enact a special sales and/or hotel tax. The sales and/or hotel tax proceeds can then be used for a variety of activities including land assembly, public infrastructure improvements, site preparation, and advertising. In short, this is an opportunity to provide incentives for redevelopment and marketing activities. This document provides more details about Business Districts. You can see Chris Aiston’s full presentation to the Planning & Development Committee here.

At a forum held last week, business and property owners said that improving retail on the east side of the city is their #1 goal for the city as it forms a new comprehensive plan. This proposed Business District is one way to achieve that. The proposed district would impose a tax on purchases in this corridor to generate revenue to support additional development and leverage investment in the area.

Pursuant to state law, there are specific criteria that must be satisfied to create the Business District. While staff believes that the East Main Street area has lagged other areas of the city in development/redevelopment, we do not know if the area qualifies until a detailed study is conducted. At this time, city staff has requested permission from the City Council to study this idea and report the results. The Council’s decision is expected on October 17th.

What are your thoughts on the East Main Street corridor? Do you believe that an additional .25% sales tax to support redevelopment would be beneficial to the area? Or, would it cause you to change your shopping habits and drive to other areas?

Pace bus service is important to many residents of St. Charles.

The City of St. Charles has received notification from Pace Suburban Bus that significant service reductions are being planned for routes 801 and 802 that serve St. Charles. The reason cited for the proposed reduction is ”low ridership.”

This diagram indicates that the route serving St. Charles will be modified to eliminate most service to the east side of St. Charles. More information regarding the proposed changes can be found here for Route 801 and here for Route 802. You can also find out how to contact Pace with questions and concerns.

In response to the proposal to change fixed route service, Pace is proposing to offer a new “call-n-ride” program.

The Geneva-St. Charles Call-n-Ride is to be operated Monday-Friday from 6:30 am to 7:00 pm, and on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm. Pace will provide curb-to-curb transportation based on customer reservations, which will be made by the customer at least 1 hour in advance by calling the driver on a Pace-provided cell phone. The operator will also accept walk-on reservations at scheduled timepoints.

The call-n-ride vehicle will operate only within an area generally bounded by the following streets:

• Randall Rd on the west
• IL-38/State Street on the south
• Charlestowne Mall on the east
• E Main Street on the north

This will mitigate some of the concern regarding transit service cuts and improves service if your origin or destination is within the call-n-ride service area.

A public hearing on this proposal will be held on Wednesday, October 19th at the Kane County Government Center in Geneva. 

While the City of St. Charles understands the financial constraints that Pace is operating under, we oppose the proposed reductions in service due to the impact it will have on those that rely on transit services to access jobs, medical care, shopping, and other important community services. There are those in our community that desperately need this public transportation system to remain in place and the City intends to advocate on their behalf.

In addition, the City plans to request that the call-n-ride service area be expanded to include areas north of IL 64/Main Street on both the east and west sides of St. Charles to ensure that these residents and businesses continue to have transit service available to them.

What are your thoughts on these proposed service reductions? Can you attend the public hearing to support St. Charles transit services?

Since 1996, the City has conducted a citywide survey of residents called the “Priorities” survey. The services residents expect from their government, like police and fire protection, road maintenance and water, are important for a healthy community but expensive to provide. Because there are many needs and a limited amount of money to meet those needs, the City asks residents to help set its priorities.

Earlier this year, St. Charles was selected as the “Best Town for Families” by Family Circle magazine. While we appreciate the recognition from a prominent publication like Family Circle, we place greater value on the opinions of residents. It is for this reason that we regularly survey residents to obtain their opinions about the community.

The fact that we find ourselves living in a period of extremely challenging economic times makes this survey process even more important. By identifying issues that residents believe are priorities, City officials can determine the expectations of its citizenry and set an appropriate course for the future.

Throughout the survey, residents are asked several questions about quality of life, communication, transportation, development, and city services. The survey is divided into sections based on the six vision areas in the City of St. Charles Strategic Plan. Those are:

• Quality of Relationships
• Sense of Place
• Service Delivery, Resources and Needs
• Economic Vitality
• Mobility and Connectivity
• Vibrant Downtown

The City’s sample population of 1,800 households is selected randomly from the Utility Billing database, and participation is anonymous. The city uses the online survey tool – SurveyMonkey - to gather information from residents, compile the data, and present the information to the City Council and community at-large.

This year, the survey will be distributed to selected households on September 30th. Residents selected to participate will receive a letter from Mayor DeWitte on or about October 1st. The survey should take about 20 minutes to complete.

Responses to the survey are due by October 30th and results will be made available to the public in January with a formal presentation to the City Council.

For more information regarding the survey and the results of the 2009 survey, please go here.

At the Planning & Development Committee meeting on Monday evening, there was a discussion about changing the way that the community is notified of development proposals or zoning changes that require a public hearing. The discussion took place at the request of Alderman Ray Rogina, who suggested further steps were necessary as a result of comments that he heard from constituents regarding the Illinois Central School Bus proposal.

City staff and legal counsel provided information regarding the City’s current practices and those of other area communities. This information can be found here and demonstrates that the St. Charles requirements are similar too, or more stringent than, most other communities in the area.

At the present time, there are many ways that interested parties can learn about proposals being considered by the City:

1. a sign posted on the property that is the subject of the public hearing. The sign is posted by the City and includes a phone number to call for more information.
2. a notice mailed to the registered owner of property located within 250 feet of the subject property
3. a notice published in local newspaper of general circulation
4. notices/meeting materials posted to the City’s website and distributed to local news media
5. contact with the city staff or officials

Traditionally, there has not been outcry from residents that they did not know about, or cannot find information regarding, what is occurring in St. Charles or their neighborhood.

In the City’s 2009 survey of residents, the number of respondents that rated the City’s communication as “poor” or “very poor” was 3.5%, a decrease of .5% from the 2007 survey. This means that over 96% of city residents believe we are doing an adequate job of communicating with them. That survey also revealed that the three most frequently utilized sources of information about things going on in the city were:

• the city newsletter
• a public hearing/meeting
• word of mouth

In addition, the City is a recognized leader in communicating with constituents. 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 we communicate 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.

Ultimately, the members of the City Council elected to ask staff to consider installing a larger sign on the properties that are the subject of public hearings. They elected to maintain all other current standards for providing public notice at this time.

What do you think about the City’s efforts to communicate regarding development proposals or public hearings? What methods would you suggest the City employ to communicate with you about these projects or proposals? 

Your feedback is welcomed.

I have a bit of writer’s block this week, so I thought I’d use the opportunity to provide updates on several topics of interest.

IL 64/Oak Street intersection project

Some of you may have noticed that the project to widen the intersection of IL 64/W. Main Street and Oak Street has been delayed. The delay is due to land acquisition activities that have not yet been completed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

The project will include the reconstruction of IL 64 starting east of Oak Street and extending west to Campton Hills Road. The work will include the addition of one through lane in each direction and a new traffic signal. The City has awarded a contract to Curran Contracting Co. to begin work; however, IDOT will not issue a permit until all land has been acquired.

We understand that IDOT and the US Postal Service are very close to finalizing documents. With the execution of documents, IDOT will issue a permit to the City so our contractor can move ahead with construction. If construction can start this month, the project can be complete by mid-November.

Rental Licensing Program to be presented on September 12th

On Monday, city staff will be making a presentation to the Planning & Development Committee regarding the proposed rental licensing program. Background materials including a staff memo, draft ordinance, and draft lease addendum will be posted to the City’s website on Friday. All interested parties are encouraged to review and study these materials in advance of Monday’s meeting.

Some of the items to be discussed on Monday include:

1. What properties should be subject to the licensing and inspection program? What properties should be exempted, if any?

2. What should the inspection program include? Should it include the exterior of the unit/building only? Should interior inspections be conducted? If so, should the interior be inspected on a regular schedule, on a complaint basis, or when a unit becomes vacant?

3. Is the proposed license fee appropriate, given those charged by other communities and the costs that the city is to incur?

Family Circle banners coming to Main Street

Banners to commemorate the City’s recognition as the “best town for families” have been designed and fabricated. Look for them to be displayed on Main Street in the next few days. Other government agencies have also obtained banners to display at their facilities.

City staff is also working on signs for gateways to our community. We are also working on window clings and other items that can be displayed at homes and businesses.

This week at the City Council meeting, Mayor DeWitte and the City Council recognized the Corbett family. Mike and Monica Corbett, together with their 4 children, played a key role in St. Charles being named the #1 town for families. Their interview with the representative of Family Circle was a contributing factor in our community being selected #1. Family Circle was very impressed with what the Corbetts had to say about their decision to locate here and their experience living in St. Charles.

Red Gate Bridge Webcam Now Live

For the past few years, the City has utilized web cameras to provide residents and other interested persons with real time views of various construction projects. Past projects include First Street, Fire Station #1, and Well 3/4 Radium Removal.

The City now offers a live construction view of the Red Gate Bridge project. You can view the construction activities here.

As you can see, construction is progressing very well. Work continues on the embankment operations of the new Red Gate Road, east and west of the Fox River Trail. The grading and shaping of the detention pond west of the trail also continues.

The contractor has installed some storm sewer near the trail. The tree clearing along the bluff, east of IL 31 moved forward as well.

During the past few weeks, there has been some discussion about the City’s decision to permit a private school bus company to operate from a location on Randall Road. Questions include:

• Is a school bus facility really the best use of that property?
• Why would St. Charles allow this company to operate, since it serves kids who don’t live here?
• Won’t the traffic congestion from the school buses mean additional delays in the heavily traveled Main Street/Randall Road area?

The City undertook a careful analysis of this project and there are logical answers for these questions. That analysis resulted in the City Council approving the project by a vote of 8-2.

A portion of the site at 300 N. Randall Road (former Seigle’s stockyard and vacant area) is zoned M-1 Special Manufacturing (industrial). Uses permitted in the M-1 zoning district include:

• light manufacturing,
• warehouse/distribution facility, and
• minor motor vehicle repair, among many other uses

During the public meeting of the Planning & Development Committee, it was stated that some of the uses permitted under the current zoning could have a more detrimental impact on the area than the proposed bus facility, including increased traffic volumes and other objectionable activities.

A traffic analysis was conducted by the City’s traffic consultant to assess the impact of the bus facility on the adjacent road network. The analysis examined traffic conditions resulting from buses exiting the site during a single peak hour. The analysis concluded that there are no capacity issues anticipated as a result of the bus facility.

The intersections of IL Route 64/Randall Road and Dean Street/Randall Road were further studied. The analysis identified a potential area of concern with traffic signal timing at the IL Route 64/Randall Road intersection. The traffic signals were retimed to alleviate this concern.

Illinois Central School Bus will have approximately 150 employees at the facility, including drivers, dispatchers and mechanics, with a combined annual income of approximately $2.4 million. These jobs, while not considered high-paying, are still jobs that some people in our community want and need.

The drivers will serve school-aged children in the neighboring communities of West Chicago, Batavia, and Geneva. There is no legal basis to deny the company from operating because it serves residents in other communities. Should the city prohibit companies that offer services and products to those outside of St. Charles? I think we all know that answer.

The investment in improvements to the 300 N. Randall Road property is estimated at approximately $1 million, which includes renovations to the former Siegle’s building, removal of the storage outbuildings and rail spur, extension of the access drive from Xsport Fitness to the site, construction of the bus storage yard, installation of a fueling station, and construction of a stormwater detention basin. For a copy of the site plan, please click here.

During the review process, the owners stated that the bus company proposal is not their preferred use for the property. Retail/commercial use is their long-term goal, but the current economic climate makes that impossible. As a result, Illinois Central School Bus will enter a 5-year lease for the 300 N. Randall Road site. The City’s approval will also terminate in five years. The future goal is to redevelop the site with improved access to Randall Road. The expiration of the lease and special use will permit this to occur.

Finally, as part of this process, the owner will dedicate a public access easement for a future roadway through the site. For a copy of the site plan, please click here. The completion of the access drive from Randall Road to Dean Street is part of a long-term vision of the City’s that will allow for vehicles to travel between Dean Street and Peck Road. This will provide alternate routes to West Main Street/IL 64 and Dean Street.

While I will be the first to admit that the bus facility is not something with significant allure or charm to many, it is not the negative and harmful project that many claim it to be. There are benefits including:

1. Rehabilitation of an abandoned site into a productive, commercial use
2. New jobs and employment opportunities for those that sorely need them
3. A capital investment of approximately $1 million, increasing the value of the site that will benefit all local taxing bodies
4. Accommodations for a future public roadway at no cost to the City.

Mayor DeWitte, members of the City Council, Mark Koenen, and I at the ceremonial groundbreaking.

It was a beautiful day in St. Charles yesterday!

The sun was shining. There was not a cloud in the sky. The temperature was in the low 80s.

And, the City of St. Charles celebrated with a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new bridge across the Fox River – the Red Gate Bridge.

Over 100 people attended the event held at the point where Red Gate Road will be extended across IL Route 31 and the Fox River to connect with IL Route 25. Local residents, business owners, and city leaders joined with federal, state, and county officials to celebrate this occasion. Speakers included:

• Norman Stoner, Illinois Division Administrator - Federal Highway Administration
• Randy Ramey, State Representative
• Karen McConnaughay, Kane County Board Chairman
• John Hoscheit, Kane County Forest Preserve District President
• Don DeWitte, Mayor

Other current and former elected officials who came to celebrate included:

• Chris Lauzen, State Senator
• Phil Lewis, Kane County Board
• Mark Davoust, Kane County Board
• Cathy Hurlbut, Kane County Board
• Mike Kenyon, Kane County Board
• Jerry Swanson, St. Charles Township Supervisor
• Colleen Lang, St. Charles Township Assessor
• Warren Kammerer, Former Kane County Board Chairman
• Sue Klinkhamer, Former Mayor of St. Charles
• Kevin Burns, Mayor of Geneva
• Jeff Schielke, Mayor of Batavia
• Patsy Smith, President of Campton Hills
• Jan Carlson, Former Kane County Board Member and current Regional Transportation Authority Board Member
• Caryl Van Overmeiren, Former Kane County Board and Metra Board member
• Betsy Penny, Former Alderman for St. Charles
• Pat Perez, Kane County Sheriff
• Jim Gaffney, District 303 School Board Member and President of the Fox River & Countryside Fire Protection District
• Mike Hill, St. Charles Library Board Member
• Ron Johnson, St. Charles Township Road Commissioner

Several other federal and state legislators sent representatives or staff members to participate on their behalf.

It was a day where all seemed right and good in the Fox Valley.  Everyone recognized that this bridge is being built for the right reasons:

1. to enhance transportation infrastructure
2. to alleviate congestion in downtown St. Charles
3. to connect the St. Charles community in a new way
4. to provide a new recreational amenity and enhance access to existing forest preserve district lands and bike trails
5. to enhance public safety
6. to save residents of St. Charles and the surrounding area time and money

This project has been discussed for a long time. Speakers at the groundbreaking talked about all of the discussion and debate that has occurred over the years. They also commented on the fact that this has yielded a stronger project, a better project that now enjoys overwhelming support. It is a project that will serve residents present and future, and allow our community to grow and prosper.

The project is based on thorough study, careful analysis, detailed technical review, federal and state oversight, and overwhelming popular opinion. There is no such thing as a perfect roadway expansion project, but the Red Gate Bridge project is about as close as you’re going to find in St. Charles.

For a slide show of images of the bridge location and artist renderings, please click here.

On Monday, August 15th, the St. Charles City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement with School District #303 to transfer ownership of the former Little Woods School from District 303 to the City. This is an excellent example of two local governments cooperating on a transaction that provides benefits to each agency and is good for taxpayers.

School District #303 is the owner of a parcel of property commonly referred to as the Little Woods School site. The site is approximately 2.25 acres in area located on the west side of Illinois Route 25 near its intersection with Pinelands Road. You can view an aerial photo of the site here. 

In 2007, the city obtained a “first right of refusal” to purchase the Little Woods School property in exchange for the lease of some city-owned property near the District 303 transportation facility (bus barn) on Peck Road. At that time, the school district needed some property from the city to accommodate its school bus operations. The “first right of refusal” ensured that the city would get the first opportunity to acquire the Little Woods property, if the school district wanted to sell it.

Also in 2007, a 10-Year Water System Master Plan was done to evaluate the city’s current water supply and distribution system to determine alternatives for future upgrades and improvements. One of the recommendations at that time was locating an elevated water storage tank at one of the following locations:

• Illinois Route 25 and Country Club Road
• Illinois Route 31 and Red Gate Road

The recommendation was to locate a water tower in these area for the following reasons:

1. Provide additional storage required in the long term, 
2. Facilitate maintenance in the system, for example water tower and system infrastructure service and maintenance, and 
3. Accommodate emergency shut-downs.

In 2010, Dr. Don Schlomann, Superintendent of School District 303, contacted me and indicated that the school district planned to consolidate its administrative offices, relocate personnel from the Little Woods School, and sell the facility. This was being pursued as a way to save over $100,000 annually on the costs of operating the facility. When Dr. Schlomann indicated that Little Woods was being closed, it represented the perfect opportunity to pursue the city’s water tower plan, given the site’s location and topography.

Benefits of constructing a tower at this location include:

• Increased flows in sections of both east and west sides of town.
• Substantial impact on improving and maintaining pressure with the loss of the Campton Hills Road water tower due to either scheduled maintenance or emergency repair.
• Improve and maintain pressure with loss of Well #8 booster station (located in the Central Manufacturing District on Kirk Road) due to either scheduled maintenance or emergency repair.
• Allows modification to operation of Well # 8 booster station that will save approximately $30,000 annually (2010 dollars) in electrical costs.

In further discussing the transfer of the property, the school district expressed a preference to have the City provide the District with “in kind” consideration by providing high school resource officers for a period of time, in lieu of receiving money. For several years, the city and school district have had an agreement that places police officers in both high schools to assist with a variety of incidents. The duties of officers include:

1. Promote rapport between police officers and students in the school.
2. Make presentations to students, parents, and staff members on law and law enforcement, safety, and good citizenship.
3. Refer troubled students to proper professional help within the student services division of the school and police department.
4. Plan preventative substance abuse programs.
5. Work with parents on runaway students.
6. Assist school officials in the enforcement of truancy laws and work with truancy detail.

In exchange for the transfer of the Little Woods school to the city, the city agreed to extend the agreement for police officers at St. Charles North High School and St. Charles East High School for an additional eight (8) years from June 7, 2011 through June 6, 2019.

In the next several weeks, District 303 will be permitted to remove certain items that it can use in other buildings such as window air-conditioning units, chalkboards, fire extinguishers, and door hardware. District 303 will also remove and preserve the the building’s cornerstone for commemorative purposes.

The City intends to take possession of the property in mid-September, at which time the facility will be razed. The city will maintain the site until such time as a plan is approved to construct the water tower.

In St. Charles, residents are served by a variety of governmental agencies that work diligently to provide high quality services, programs, and facilities for the community. It is important that the local government representatives communicate regularly regarding their programs and activities and work cooperatively for the benefit of our constituents. The current economic climate will force more government entities to look at working more closely to serve common populations. The Little Woods School transaction is a model of intergovernmental cooperation and represents a true ‘win-win.’

As everyone knows by now, Family Circle magazine named St. Charles #1 in its Annual Survey of Best Towns and Cities for families. The comprehensive survey included communities from across the country and is featured in the magazine’s August 2011 issue. You can read more about the recognition here.

Since the award was announced, there has been quite a bit of discussion about what it means for our community and how we, as a city, should celebrate.

Representatives of several organizations have gathered to discuss this. We have also secured the needed permissions from Family Circle to use their logo and other information for our promotional efforts.

At this time, the following items are being pursued:

1. banners for Main Street
2. signs for the gateways to St. Charles
3. reprints of the article for distribution at local facilities
4. buttons
5. a brochure that could be used by realtors and others to help market St. Charles to prospective homeowners
6. a “badge” that can be used on publications and other documents used by government and civic organizations

Before we finalize our plans, we’d like to hear from you. What do you think that St. Charles should do to commemorate the Family Circle recognition? How should we make sure that St. Charles capitalizes on the award to ensure that it is not just a “flash in the pan,” but has a lasting impact and remains a source of pride?

You can submit your ideas to Lisa Garhan, the City’s Community & Public Affairs Coordinator. She can be contacted via e-mail here.