The Daily Chronicle reports on the mayor’s formation of a housing task force: The Task Force for Safe and Quality Housing will ensure that housing units in the area are up to code and safe to occupy, Povlsen said. It is important that the city make public safety a high priority, he said during a…
Category: City Watch
2010 Property Tax Assessments
These came out last week. They’ve come down a wee bit over 6% for every primary residence I’ve checked so far in DeKalb Township — everyone, that is, but our esteemed mayor and 2nd Ward alderman Tom Teresinski, who enjoyed downward adjustments of about 19% and 19.5%, respectively. Way to share the pain, guys.
Meeting Comments & Questions
— Aldermen Gallagher, Baker and Kammes should be ashamed of themselves for voting against receiving and filing the Hope Haven emergency shelter expansion proposal. Instead of saying “no,” maybe they could talk about what it would take to overcome their misgivings. But, that would be too much work, I guess, and most of all too…
A Few Thoughts About Homelessness
I’ve talked about being homeless before. We were among the lucky ones, being able to return after the crash to our support system where there was always a safe place to sleep and a leg up where we really needed it. Nevertheless, homelessness is a certifiable trauma however soft the landing, a tense and desperate…
Rochelle to Get 250+ New Jobs
[Update 10/21: Groundbreaking ceremony & more info on Nippon Sharyo.] I haven’t seen this anywhere else but the Rockford Register Star so far. Gov. Pat Quinn comes to Rochelle at 11 a.m. today to announce that a $35 million to $40 million railcar factory, expected to employ 250 to 350 people, will be built in…
Star Covers Library Comments at Council Meeting
I see some of comments left at the Daily Chronicle website express puzzlement that Mac McIntyre hasn’t yet filed suit in the case of the DeKalb Public Library Board’s violations of the Open Meetings Act. Today the Northern Star sheds some light: Mac McIntyre, member of the Finance Advisory Committee, said the DeKalb Public Library…
DC Hits It Out of the Park
“Schaumburg: Open meetings agreement disappoints”. The settlement – filed and approved in court this week and amounting to little more than a slap on the wrist – shows us that the DeKalb Library Board still has no credibility and that state laws in place to enforce and protect open and transparent government are viewed as…
Plan Commission Resignations
Joe Gastiger and Tom Specht both have sterling reputations, as their dignified resignations from the Plan Commission this week attest. It’s an old-school gesture of protest, and all too rare. The story is here, available for about a week. Keep an eye on Lunatic Fringe of DeKalb at FB, in case there’s some action.
Conflicts of Interest & the Tip of the Iceberg
Council’s affirmation of the mayor’s removal of John Guio from the Plan Commission for reasons of ethics comes as no surprise. I wonder, however, if any of the aldermen get that wife Sue Guio’s former position with the city presented more in the way of potential conflicts of interest than her place on the board…
Civic Campus Master Plan
Wow, they already have an architect involved: The Library is proceeding with their plans to purchase the Clinic properties. The School District has expressed interest in having its administrative office space relocated into downtown. Other governmental units may also have interest in a downtown presence. With what will become a sizeable amount of publicly owned…