July 2006 United City of Yorkville Newsletter
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July 2006 Highlights... Pages 2-3 From Mayor Art Prochaska Special census results City Moves Forward with Downtown TIF New club forms What’s the next step for the natural increase in value as is common City Hall holiday schedule downtown TIF district? throughout the city. The taxes paid on the base Street names approved Defined as Tax Increment EAV is then subtracted from the taxes paid on Pages 4-5 Financing, a TIF is a the new EAV, and that difference or increment special financial tool that is the amount that is available to be used as Coffee with the Mayor can generate money for revenue for approved TIF expenditures. At the Hometown Days festival economic development in a specific geographic end of the TIF period all of the taxing bodies and schedule district. With the passage and filing of the will again share in the total revenue, but at the Rolling on the River required ordinances, the TIF district becomes higher EAV. Also, it is important to point out National Night Out official. This means that as redevelopment that during the TIF Period the ordinance allows Page 6 begins to occur in the designated area, revenue taxing districts (school district, fire protection stream will be created for use only in that district, etc.) to be reimbursed for actual costs Music Under the Stars district to encourage, stimulate, and directly that are directly caused by the projects within Movies in the Park finance continued improvements. the TIF district. Annual Halloween Walk How is this revenue created? What are approved TIF expenditures? Yorkville Farmers Market During the initial creation of the TIF district, Generally, TIF funds may be used for Page 7 the base equalized assessed value (EAV) for infrastructure improvements such as streets, City Hall information each property is established at whatever the sidewalks, and water and sewer improvements. New employees value was at the time the base was created. They may be used to provide additional Taxes paid on that base will continue to be parking, purchase land, and provide for Pages 8-10 shared with all of the taxing bodies. As rede- additional items such as landscaping. What Public Works news velopment of a property occurs its EAV they cannot be used for is to construct office Page 11 increases to meet the new value of the proper- buildings such as a new city hall, except to More news for you! ty. Also, properties in the TIF district will have a (continued on page 3) News from Building and Construction on dam begins In phase one, the drop will be replaced with an “underwater staircase.” When completed, Safety The Illinois Department of Natural Resources the four-step spillway will provide a gradual Mailbox standards (IDNR) has begun construction on the Glen drop to make the area around the dam safer. Resident packets Palmer Dam in Yorkville. The project began a Also, phase one calls for the installation of a Soccer registration few days before the scheduled date of Tuesday, “fish ladder” which will allow fish that forge June 13. Pages 12-13 over the dam to swim back up stream. Community Services The reconstruction of the dam will occur in In phase two, a recreational bypass for canoes two phases and will address both safety and Paratransit 2006 survey and kayaks to safely bypass the dam will be environmental issues. Planned improvements Page 14 created. include a four-step spillway, a construction of a Community Development fish ladder and a canoe chute. The chute’s pri- “The city stands ready as always to cooperate News mary function will allow individuals in kayaks as it has throughout this project with IDNR to Page 15 and canoes to bypass the dam while traveling get these safety concerns addressed as quickly Passed ordinances downstream. as possible,” said Mayor Art Prochaska. News Watch—News you could use City receives special Optimists form new club in Yorkville census results Yorkville population over 11,000. Bringing out the best in KIDS! Each Optimist Club is chartered as a The official population of the United City Member of Optimist International. This of Yorkville according to a November special census conducted by the U.S. gives individual clubs the right to use Census Bureau is 11,204. The official tally the Optimist name and provides each was recently released to the City. A club with services and programs offered preliminary census that was released to by Optimist International. Local the City in March showed the city’s Optimist Clubs operate independently population at 11,179. from each other. They choose their own activities, elect their own officers and Yorkville’s last census (conducted in 2003) raise their own funds. A Club’s service resulted in a population count of 8,789. The United City of Yorkville’s first activities are based on the needs of the Before the final tabulation of the recent Optimist Club is currently seeking new community. census, it was predicted that the popula- members. Optimist Clubs are formed by tion would exceed 11,000 residents. For additional information or meeting people who want to reach out to help The city’s housing counts totaled 4,443. youth and the community. dates contact Connie or Jerry Emery at City officials approved the census last 630.554.0650 or [email protected]. The club’s primary focus is to provide a April. According to Yorkville’s Mayor Art positive approach, an upbeat outlook Prochaska the census was necessary. “It is and a commitment to creating a more City Hall holiday important for our community because a optimistic future for kids. schedule majority of the dollars that come from the state are population based,” Prochaska City Hall offices will be closed on From sponsoring youth athletic leagues, said. Tuesday, July 4 in observance of weatherizing the homes of the elderly, Independence The city is expected to gain approximate- to conducting oratorical contests for ly $100 in revenues for each additional young people—Optimist Clubs are Day and on resident. The revenue generated from the responding to the special needs of local Monday, census will help the city to maintain its communities throughout the United September 4 services to the community and hold the States and beyond. Making a difference in observance line on property tax bills. in the lives of others is the primary goal of Labor Day. of an Optimist Club. Members of an Additional County holds tire recycling Optimist Club usually live or work in information is the community. Members join together available by contacting City Hall at All tires, including automobile, semi, to serve others and to 630.553.4350. tractor, bicycle and motorcycle will be promote Optimism as a way of life. collected from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, August 11 and Saturday, August 12 City enforces Handicapped Parking laws at Yorkville High School, 797 Game Farm Road. Commercial businesses are not The United City of Yorkville will enforce the restricted handicapped parking laws. If allowed to participate. Information is a vehicle parks in a designated handicapped parking space and it does not have a available at 630.553.9100, ext. 8068. handicapped license plate or a current State of Illinois issued placard, the illegally parked vehicle will be issued a $250 ticket. Zero tolerance will be enforced. The United City of Yorkville City Hall: 800 Game Farm Road, Yorkville, IL 60560 • Hours—M-F, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 630.553.4350 • Fax: 630. 553.7575 • www.yorkville.il.us 2 News Watch—News you could use (TIF district continued from page one) always look out for the safety and wel- fare of our citizens and there are specific replace only those public offices definitions for “life safety” through case removed because of redevelopment. For law that limits its use. The resolution instance, if one or two offices are affect- passed earlier this year still allows for the ed, the funds can be used to provide for use of eminent domain for public pur- those offices only. poses, whereas this ordinance affirms The funds can also be used to help relo- that eminent domain will not be used for cate business or residents that are dis- any purpose except life safety issues. placed and for the purpose of attracting When will all of this happen? also allows for the redevelopment of the business into the area. TIF funds may be Redevelopment of the downtown will be center of our community. It will used for private development; however, done through a number of projects by encourage new businesses and existing that use is limited. Prior to any funds various property owners and developers businesses to expand in the area, create being given, there are issues that need to over the coming years. There are two unique residential and commercial be taken into account such as the rev- projects that have already begun the opportunities and recreate the downtown enue to be generated compared to the process. Both are for mixed use build- as a central gathering place for the peo- dollars requested and to determine if the ings. One is at the southwest corner of ple of Yorkville. I believe that the greatest expenditures of requested funds are South Main Street and Hydraulic Street, opportunity is for the revitalization of the allowable under our ordinance and the and the other is at the southwest corner heart of our community, which will TIF Act. The project must also be within of Bridge Street and Hydraulic. There has prove to be of great benefit to all of us.