So, what did we learn from the latest Council meeting? We learned that, even though Fairview Drive residents have spoken at three meetings, made phone calls and sent letters and e-mail to them, one or more Council members perceived little opposition to forced annexation because the residents failed to arrive as an angry mob last…
Category: City Watch
City’s Response to Request for Review
The following is the City of DeKalb’s response to the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor regarding its denial of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the names of Council members who participate in the City’s health insurance plan. Click on any page of the letter to see a larger image of it.
Expenditures of Distinction, May 2010
Ellwood House room rental for strategic planning retreat, $150.00 Breakfast and lunch for strategic planning retreat, $202.80 Ellwood House room rental for 5th Ward meeting (mtg was in January), $100.00. This, from Alderman Ron “let’s get back to concentrating on core services” Naylor. Add yours in comments, if you like.
About Last Night…
First, I want to give a shout-out to Misty Haji-Sheikh, who presented the findings of apparently self-initiated research into the likelihood and implications of a rail transfer station on the south side if the landfill expansion is approved. She recommends council anticipate these developments and put ordinances in place to protect us pronto. Thank you!…
AG Accepts Request for Review of Denial of City Health Plan Participants’ Names
Last month CB reported that City of DeKalb’s legal counsel had denied a request under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for the names of City Council members who are currently participating in DeKalb’s health insurance plan. I subsequently filed a Request for Review with the Illinois Attorney General, which you may recall is…
2009 Population Estimates
From today’s Chicago Sun-Times comes population estimates for 2009. Click here to discover how the estimates were calculated, and here to make individual searches of cities, counties and other geographical divisions. The (incorporated) City of DeKalb is estimated thusly: Census 2000 39,018 July 1, 2000 Estimate 39,196 July 1, 2001 Estimate 40,028 July 1, 2002…
Budget Fail
In a previous post, I listed perks that theoretically could be cut from the FY2011 budget. Car allowances, magazine subscriptions, dues to professional organizations, lunch reimbursements, and clothing allowances run into hundreds of thousands each year. (Sure, some of them are contractual — but did they even try to talk to the unions about them?)…
Gallagher Despairs of ‘Appeasing’ the Fairview 29
Two e-mails were forwarded to me today. The first is an appeal from one of the Fairview homeowners to be excluded from forced annexation. The second is 4th Ward Alderman Brendon Gallagher’s response. To: [City of DeKalb Council Members] Subject: Involuntary annexation 11 June 2010 Mr. Gallagher, Council and Mayor; I am writing to inform…
Strategic Planning Notes
Last month, Council and staff met at Ellwood House on a “retreat” to discuss the updating of the City of DeKalb’s strategic goals. One civilian showed up, and that person was John Salovesh, who graciously provided me with some of his notes. The delay in posting was partly due to work schedule constraints, partly to…
Involuntary Annexation Info: Utilities
Questions have arisen about whether the owners of involuntarily-annexed properties would be obligated to hook up to city utilities. Here is a sampling of the applicable provisions of DeKalb’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), Chapter 23, Article 10. 10.02.02 Private Sewage Disposal Systems Limited At such time as the sanitary sewer system becomes available within one…