City of DeKalb is spending $98,000 on a study of the feasibility of bringing commuter rail service to our city. But the information is already available. DeKalb County examined feasibility at the end of 2015. Led by then-county board chair Mark Pietrowski, an informal meeting of the Metra Rail Exploratory Committee included representatives from DeKalb,…
Category: City Watch
Scott McAdams showed us who he is three years ago
Truly, a thousand words here. If Scott McAdams’ recent behavior shocks you, it might be you’re unaware of the extent of a run-in the alderman had with a towing company three years ago that resulted in a police investigation into possible official misconduct. Here’s the setup: DeKalb Police (DPD) receive a courtesy call from the…
A fine example of “something to run on” in the 5th Ward aldermanic race
Daily Chronicle is reporting that a petition for an order of protection (OP) against 5th Ward alderman Scott McAdams has been dismissed. A DeKalb woman who last month requested an order of protection against 5th Ward Alderman Scott McAdams, alleging verbal and emotional abuse, told a DeKalb County judge Friday that she no longer wishes…
County housing authority paid for employee’s bridal event
Public funds, property or credit shall be used onlyfor public purposes. Constitution of the State of Illinois, Article VIII. Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb (HACD) reimbursed a housing authority employee $250.00 for a bridal event thrown for another employee. Payment records obtained via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show HACD reimbursed then-employee Jennifer…
Evidence contradicts Scott McAdams’ testimony in ballot petition challenge
Fifth Ward alderman Scott McAdams is running for reelection in City of DeKalb’s Consolidated Election in the spring, and he’s faced challenges to his ballot nominating petitions. The city’s electoral board threw out the challenges in a 2-1 vote yesterday and, unless the challengers prevail in court, McAdams will remain on the ballot for the…
City’s and school district’s claims that they don’t support ticketing children in school is easily disprovable
DeKalb’s Human Relations Commission (HRC) met last week. The city has not yet posted the video of the meeting although typically it posts the next day. At least two of us saw a city staff member turn on the camera, so perhaps the reason for the delay is due to less-than-stellar conduct, as described here.…
Human Relations Commission to explore roles of police embedded in District 428 schools
DeKalb’s Human Relations Commission (HRC) meets tomorrow night and the agenda includes a discussion of the role of school resource officers (SROs). Superintendent Minerva Garcia-Sanchez and District 428 security staff are expected to attend. During its last meeting, HRC members expressed concern about the ticketing of children for local ordinance violations in Illinois schools, so…
How did City of DeKalb end up paying the library’s expansion debt?
Mr. Teresinski expressed his frustration that the library debt became the City’s obligation rather than the library’s. Mr. Teresinski commented there is no revenue that the City is using on the library’s behalf so it’s a pure add on to the City budget. City Manager Nicklas stated it was his understanding that the library needed…
The intersection of ‘Crime-Free Housing’ and Chapter 52 is where your kid’s behavior gets you evicted
The best thing City of DeKalb could do for families who live in apartments is to pull Chapters 52 and 38 from its “Crime-Free Housing” ordinance during the current amendment process. This is because these chapters describe “unlawful activities” that are not serious crimes but could still trigger eviction. Chapter 38 is the city’s liquor…
Series: Prosecution of City Ordinance Violations
Our local schools employ city police as “school resource officers” (SROs) via intergovernmental agreements, and have for years. The objectives are enhanced safety and better relations between law enforcement and the public. What people don’t know is many Illinois schools, including District 428, have turned to SROs to take on disciplinary roles for school infractions…