I raised my concerns last year about Cortland’s ability to povide sanitary service to the new school. Here’s an update from attending DeKalb Sanitary Board Meetings. Cortland’s sewage treatment lagoons are nearly topping over. They haven’t been able to spray irrigate yet because of wet conditions. You might be able to see it on google…
Corrupt Illinois Politicians vs. the Sicilian Mafia
The Chicago Tribune continues to follow the admissions scandal at the University of Illinois. Columnist John Kass wrote a piece and in the comments section was this gem: “Voice of reason Hammond, IN 7 hrs ago John, I have read your articles comparing the corrupt “pols” to the Outfit. I googled Mafia and found an…
City of DeKalb to Honor Contracts When It Feels Like It
Last night I once again spent four hours in Bizzaro World. It was very hot inside and about the same hot outside, yet the exit from the city council meeting felt like a breath of fresh air. Well, it did until a certain city official tracked me down as we stood outside in little groups…
Firefighters Rally Tomorrow
The DeKalb firefighters’ union, IAFF Local #1236, is putting out the word to their brethren in Aurora and Bolingbrook to join them in a rally preceding the Council meeting tomorrow evening. The members of DeKalb L-1236 need your help!! The city council is planning a vote at their meeting on June 22 concerning citywide layoffs,…
Breakfast and FOIA with the Attorney General
Attorney General Lisa Madigan gave an overview of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and proposed changes at a breakfast by the Better Government Association. The room in the Union League of Chicago was a little dark, perhaps because bright lights would not be friendly to the artwork on the walls. None of my pictures…
Rally for Human Services Tomorrow
DeKalb Community Coordinated Child Care (4C) is planning a rally at Rep. Bob Pritchard’s office Thursday (tomorrow) at noon. The reason: social service agencies expect to be funded by the state this coming fiscal year at half the usual levels. If this happens, agencies such as Children’s Learning Center daycare, which serves many low-income families…
Human Services Public Hearing
Lots of good coverage is out there already. This meeting lasted at least 3 hours, so it’s great to be able to access it in pieces if that’s your druthers. YouTube’s DeKalbILLINOIS has it. DeKalb County Online coverage Chronicle coverage
If You Like TIF, You’re Gonna Love STAR
This is STAR as in Sales Tax Anticipated Revenue bonds, and it’s a plan only big developers and pocketed or ill-informed legislators could love. I’ll put links to other articles after the jump so you can further clarify for yourself exactly how STAR financing works, but if you understand Tax Increment Financing (TIF) — and…
Choose to Reuse: Update
Update: Bumped up because this event totally rocked. The group filled at least two big rooms at Sawyers (plus whatever came in early Saturday that might have overflowed into a third) with both the expected (books, kitchenware) and the unexpected (greenware, skis). Afterward, there was so little left over, in terms of volume I estimate…
Municipal Morality
If you peruse the city’s check registers you start getting a feel for certain patterns. Based on a sample of five months over the past 15, DeKalb on average pays out about $5000 per month on cell phone service, $600 for locks and keys, maybe up to $1000 or so for janitorial supplies and sometimes…