OAK PARK
Village scales back hike in parking-meter rates
More Top Picks Best Night Lights For Seniors
Village shoppers won’t have to carry quite so many quarters to feed the meters this fall.
A fierce and immediate outcry against this summer’s increase in parking meter rates, which started Aug. 25, prompted the Village Board to partly roll back the higher rates this week.
The board had approved an increase to $1.50 an hour in some of the busiest shopping districts to encourage people to park in the less expensive garages and leave the metered parking for shorter shopping trips. But after getting many complaints about the higher rates, trustees lowered the meter rates in those high-demand areas to $1 an hour. In other areas, the meters will cost 75 cents or 50 cents per hour. The board also doubled the fine for parking at an expired meter to $20.
— Victoria Pierce
– – –
NAPERVILLE
Budget deficit forces hiring freeze for city
The City Council agreed this week to implement a hiring freeze as it grapples with a $5.1 million budget deficit.
Officials said the shortfall has been caused primarily by a decline in sales tax and real estate transfer tax revenues. The freeze requires that the council approve any future hires, other than critical public safety positions.
The city has left 27 positions unfilled since January. The council may be asked to OK the hiring of a fire chief at its Oct. 7 meeting to replace former Chief John Wu, who left the department in April.
— Greg Canfield
– – –
BATAVIA
Forums will explain bond proposal for pool
The Park District will hold three community forums on a $36 million bond referendum plan to repair Quarry Pool and build a fitness and recreation center alongside it. Residents will vote on the referendum plan Nov. 4.
If the referendum plan passes, about $7.5 million of the bond sale would pay for repairs and improvements to the pool and beach. The remaining $28.5 million would fund construction of a recreation facility.
The forums will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday; 7 p.m. Oct. 9; and 7 p.m. Oct. 22, at the Civic Center, 327 W. Wilson St.
— Denise Linke
– – –
ELBURN
District 302 meetings to address boundaries
Kaneland School District 302 residents will get their say on how the district will draw middle school boundaries at a series of community forums.
Kaneland Middle School, which will become Kaneland Middle School North next year, sits next to Kaneland High School, about a mile west of Illinois Highway 47 in Maple Park. Kaneland Middle School South is being built on Illinois 47 just north of Sugar Grove. The new middle school will hold half as many students as the current one, said Supt. Charles McCormick. Officials also will ask residents whether the district should adjust elementary school boundaries after a 200-student addition is finished at Blackberry Creek Elementary School. “I’m not assuming that we’ll be changing elementary school boundaries,” McCormick said. “We’re just looking at it as a long-term planning option.”
The forums will be held at McDole Elementary School in Montgomery Tuesday; at Shields Elementary School in Sugar Grove Wednesday; at Stewart Elementary School in Elburn Sept. 30; and at Blackberry Creek Elementary School in Elburn Oct. 7.
— Jack McCarthy
– – –
OSWEGO
More Top Picks Best Treadmill Desks For Focus
Official: Road salt costs more; city may salt less
A increase in the price of road salt means Oswego will likely pay more and salt less this winter.
The cost of road salt has more than doubled, $99 per ton this year compared with $42 last year, said Public Works Director Jerry Weaver during Monday’s Village Board meeting.
“Obviously we’ll do everything we can to keep the roads safe, but there’s going to be some snow-packed roads this winter,” he said.
The village had already increased its road-salt budget from $70,000 to $100,000, but will still be able to purchase only about 1,000 tons of salt. Last winter, the village used 1,500 tons. Weaver said salting priorities would be intersections, curved streets and hills. Some straight streets would get less salt, and lightly used roads might get none.
— Jack McCarthy
– – –
ROSELLE
Village increases rate for water service
Residents will pay a couple of bucks more each month for water service in Roselle beginning Oct. 1. The Village Board increased the charge to $3.40 per 1,000 gallons from $3.20, adding $1.80 to the average homeowner’s bill. The $1.55 monthly capital improvement fee remains the same, as do the sewer rates, which are $4.17 per 1,000 gallons for DuPage County residents and $2.02 for Cook County residents. Village Administrator Jeff O’Dell said the increase was needed because the DuPage Water Commission raised the rates it charges its 25 members.
“Months ago, Chicago raised its rates, and that increase gets passed on to the DuPage Water Commission,” O’Dell said.
— David Sharos