May 2010 News from the Village of Hoffman Estates 2010 street revitalization project The Village of Hoffman Estates has prepared its annual street revitalization project. There are fi ve streets scheduled to be reconstructed. Based type of rehabilitation, such as reconstruction or resurfacing, on the lowest qualifi ed bid for street work received in April is most cost-effective. and the available budget, additional street resurfacing may be included. Residents will be notifi ed well in advance of the Reconstruction involves the complete removal of the street, start of any street work. during which time access to private driveways is not possible for three to fi ve weeks. Resurfacing, on the other hand, may The Village utilizes a pavement management system to cost- include only a few days with no access to private driveways. effectively maintain streets. A pavement condition rating (PCR) provides a snapshot in time of the surface condition [continued on page 8] of all street segments in the Village on an annual basis. The PCR helps determine what locations to rehabilitate and what In this issue Historian’s notebook . 2 Water Quality Report . 5 Clerk’s corner . 9 p2 p5 Advance fee scheme . 2 Free advice on solving Growing to Greenness! . 10 Community briefs . 3 drainage concerns . 8 Save money on A message from Health and Human your electric bills . 10 Mayor McLeod . 3 Services news . 9 May calendar . .11 Historian’s Advance fee notebook By Pat Barch, Hoffman Estates Village Historian scheme The beautiful new Police De- Originally, there were only The force was up to 32 men in An advance fee scheme occurs partment building on Higgins 10 men on the force. Mark A. 1972, and the new police facili- when a victim pays money to some- Road and Spring Mill Drive will Orlick was the fi rst police chief. ties could handle nearly 90 men one in anticipation of receiving something of open this July. It’s only six or sev- Gray and navy were the fi rst and women. Soon, the current greater value, such as a loan, contract, invest- en blocks from its original home uniform colors. Over the years, Police Department building will ment or gift, and then receives little or nothing on Illinois Boulevard. That fi rst black shoes have been the only be empty. in return. station was in the old Gieseke/ consistent part of the uniform, Hammerstein farmhouse, which as it changed in the 1960s, 1980s The new, modern facility on The variety of advance fee schemes is limited is now the Children’s Advocacy and again in 1999. Higgins Road and Spring Mill only by the imagination of the con artist who Center. In 1959, the Hoffman Drive will be “green,” further- offers them. They may involve the sale of prod- Estates Homeowners Associa- The fi rst squad car was navy ing the Village’s commitment ucts or services, the offering of investments, tion turned the property over to blue. Squad car colors have to sustainability, effi ciency, lottery winnings, “found money,” or many the newly incorporated Village changed more than the offi cers’ conservation and innovation. other “opportunities.” Clever con artists will of Hoffman Estates, and the uniforms. We’ve had light blue, The building’s architects are offer to fi nd fi nancing arrangements for their 100-year-old building became dark green, two-tone light green seeking the LEED (Leadership clients who pay a fi nder’s fee in advance. They the fi rst Village Hall and Police and white, navy blue again, all in Energy and Environmen- require their clients to sign contracts in which Department. They had only one white, and now black, white tal Design) gold certifi cation they agree to pay the fee when they are intro- makeshift jail cell in the back of and silver. The top red bubble from the U.S. Green Building duced to the fi nancing source. Victims often the building. The old farmhouse light has gone to the more Council. With solar shades, learn that they are ineligible for fi nancing only had creaking fl oors and spiders streamlined light-emitting diode UV ray-blocking glass, recycled after they have paid the fee. Such agreements in the basement. (LED) emergency light, which fl ooring and carpet, and a green may be legal unless it can be shown that the is brighter and more energy roof with maintenance-free grass “fi nder” never had the intention or the ability Police offi cers didn’t have radio effi cient. and plants, we hope that this to provide fi nancing for the victims. contact with one another or with will become another historic the staff back at the station. The A new Village Hall was needed building in our community. Tips to avoid the advanced fee scheme only way they knew that a call after more than a decade in • If the offer of an “opportunity” appears too good had come in was to regularly the Gieseke/Hammerstein farm- Over the past 50 years, we’ve to be true, it probably is. Follow common busi- drive past the farmhouse and house. On June 25, 1972, a new moved from window shades to ness practice. For example, legitimate business look at the front window. If 31,000-square-foot building laptop computers, from spiders is rarely conducted in cash on the street. the window shade was up, they was dedicated on the corner of in the basement to grass on the • Know who you are dealing with. If you have not could continue on their rounds. Gannon Drive and Golf Road. It roof! heard of a person or company that you intend If the window shade was pulled was the fi rst municipal building to do business with, learn more about them. down, however, they’d better in Illinois that was completely E-mail Pat Barch at Depending on the amount of money that you stop in to see who needed them. accessible to the handicapped. [email protected] intend to spend, you may want to visit the busi- They didn’t have car radios It must have been a wonderful ness location, check with the Better Business installed until 1967. change from that old farmhouse. Bureau or consult with your bank, an attorney or the police. • Make sure you fully understand any business Considering a backyard pool? agreement that you enter into. If the terms are complex, have them reviewed by a competent With warm weather on the way, you might be considering installing a new swimming attorney. pool on your property. Here are a few of the basic requirements to keep in mind while • Be wary of businesses that operate out of post you are making your decision: offi ce boxes or mail drops and do not have a street address, or of dealing with persons who • A building permit is required for swimming pools 24 inches or more in depth, or those that do not have a direct telephone line, who are hold 1,000 gallons or more of water. All building permit applications require submission of never “in” when you call, but always return your your property plat of survey. You will be asked to indicate the location and size of the swim- call later. ming pool. • Don’t conduct business deals that require you • Safety/access protection will be reviewed to determine if a fence will be required. to sign nondisclosure or noncircumvention • Location of the swimming pool will be verifi ed by an onsite inspection by the Village electrical agreements that are designed to prevent you inspector to ensure that setback requirements are met, that electrical lines do not pose a from independently verifying the bona fi des of safety threat and to check on existing fences to verify that they meet Village requirements. the people with whom you intend to do business. Con artists often use noncircumvention agree- An informational brochure highlighting the requirements of installing a swimming pool is ments to threaten their victims with a civil suit if available through the Code Enforcement Division, and inspectors are available to answer they report their losses to law enforcement. your questions. Contact Code Enforcement at 847-781-2631. The CITIZEN is published monthly by the Village of Hoffman Estates as a public information service for residents and businesses. Editor: Doug Schultz Previous editions are available online at www.hoffmanestates.org/citizen. This publication may not be reprinted or reproduced as Telephone: 847-781-2609 2 a whole or in part without written permission from the Hoffman Estates Village Manager. © 2010. All rights reserved. [email protected] Community briefs May is National Bike Month The Village encourages you to participate in National Bike Month, as well as explore ways to reduce your car com- mute trips and improve your health by biking to work. The League of American Bicyclists is promoting Bike-to-Work Week 2010 from May 17 to May 21, and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 21. For more A message from Mayor McLeod information, e-mail [email protected], or visit Spring has defi nitely sprung throughout our Village, with www.hoffmanestates.org/bikes. fl owers and trees in full bloom. While many of us are using this opportunity to appreciate nature and the beautiful green spaces in our Village, it is also a great opportunity to remember and thank some of our heroes. Mother’s Day at the beginning of May is a wonderful time to remember and appreciate our greatest unsung heroes: our mothers. The Village does not have anything planned on Sunday, May 9, so that you can spend the day appreciat- ing your moms.