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…
You Decide
Is there any resemblance between DeKalb’s new logo here: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2009/04/28/97591321/ and the leaves on Naperville’s tree logo? http://www.naperville.il.us/ You decide!
All This Budget Input
The Chronicle notes Tuesday’s budget hearing. The city has held a series of public workshops during the past two weeks, with each one addressing individual, or in some cases several, city departments and their fiscal needs. Tuesday’s hearing will be another chance for residents to comment on the budget, City Manager Mark Biernacki said during…
EPI Letter
Appearing today in the Chronicle: To the editor: In a controversial action late last year, the city of DeKalb hired a financial consultant, Executive Partners Inc., to analyze our finances and make recommendations for putting the city on better financial footing. EPI’s evaluation, “Strategic Financial Evaluation & Planning Process,” was distributed to council members May…