lagMatterse 1914 – 2015 il 20 S.VVillage Ardmore Avenue • Villa Park • Illinois • 60181 • 630.834.8500 • TDD 630.834.8589 Fall 2015 Find us on the web at www.invillapark.com From Pot Holes to Smooth Pavement Bids have been opened and construction will soon begin for the fi rst projects included in the voter-approved bond referendum road improvements. The Village also opened bids and anticipates construction work to begin shortly for work on streets using non- referendum funds. The street improvements will consist of a variety of diff erent rehabilitation methods, including reconstruction, resurfacing, and patching. Construction work was completed in multiple Village-owned parking lots in late spring as part of the 2014 Village Parking Lots Contract A & B. As part of this work the Village resurfaced four parking lots. After the resurfacing work was completed the Village used its recently purchased striping machine to paint the new parking stalls. In addition to these street and parking lot improvements, the Village has also completed its fi rst Inside This Issue pavement maintenance eff ort for 2015. The 2015 Street Maintenance Program, which included hot-mix asphalt patching on several streets throughout the Village was completed in early summer. The work completed as part of the 2015 Street Maintenance Program was year 2 of a multi-year joint bid eff ort. Message From Other maintenance projects including the 2015 Crack Sealing Program and 2015 Asphalt Rejuvenation Program are planned to be completed this fall. These two programs will help extend the life of the Village President pavement by fi lling cracks in the pavement and restoring the fl exibility to the pavement, respectively. Deborah Bullwinkel ..............2 All of these maintenance programs are performed in an eff ort to extend the life expectancy of the Village streets. Public Works .......................3 For more information on these and other construction projects please visit: http://www.invillapark.com/302/Construction-Projects or call (630) 834-8500. Parks and Recreation ........4-5 We thank the residents, businesses and commuters of Villa Park in advance for their cooperation and their patience during the 2015 construction season. Police Department ...............6 Fire Department ...............7-8 Villa Park’s New Engine 81 School District 88 ................ 9 Makes Debut at July 4th Parade The Villa Park Fire Department debuted the School District 45 .............. 10 brand new Fire Engine 81 during the annual 4th of July Parade sponsored by the Villa School District 48 .............. 10 Park VFW. The custom-made Pierce Impel engine Odds & Ends ......................11 sports energy efficient LED lights, a 1,500-gallon-per-minute pump and 750 gallon tank. Most importantly, the Library ........................12-13 new engine is completely National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) certified and will offer enhanced safety for firefighters. Forward Economic facing seats and air bags will benefit firefighter-paramedics responding to emergencies. Development .....................14 A $432,000 FEMA grant, which Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth as well as other legislators helped Villa Park secure, allowed the Village to purchase the much-needed new engine. Community Events .............15 Community Engagement..... 16 A Message From... Village President Deborah Bullwinkel Dear Residents of the Village of Villa Park: Summer is upon us and even though this is the time for barbeques with friends and family, vacations in far-away places and lazy afternoons in the sun, there’s little rest for the weary because the Village of Villa Park is on the move! Amongst the top priorities keeping Villa Park hopping is an unprecedented number of street improvements occurring throughout the Village. These projects are covered by road referendum funds that were approved by the residents (THANK YOU!) in November 2014 and non-referendum funds that the Village budgeted for completion in Fiscal Year 2015/2016. Road construction that will break ground shortly includes nine streets and one alley affiliated with the 2015 Street Resurfacing Plan. This is in addition to 11 streets that are being completed as a part of the Twin Lakes Area Street Improvement Project and the 2015 Concrete Street Improvement Program. Other road projects are forthcoming once engineering design is finalized. To track these projects and their progress, as well as many other construction projects happening throughout the Village, go to www.invillapark.com/302/Construction-Projects or call Village Hall at (630) 592 – 6052. We truly appreciate your patience as we work hard to improve YOUR Village! Another really big change coming to Villa Park is an aesthetic transformation of the North Ardmore Avenue corridor near the commuter train station, which is expected to commence by early fall. The highly-anticipated Ardmore Streetscape project will include the installation of new decorative pedestrian lighting, new and widened sidewalks, new benches, directional signage and enhanced landscaping with trees and planters. This endeavor is separate from the planned (and also highly-anticipated!) Transit Oriented Development (TOD) project that is currently in the works. The Village received a federal grant from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) to help cover the costs of this mega-beautification project, which carries a price tag of more than $900,000. We ask for and greatly appreciate some additional patience from our residents as this project gets underway. There’s so much happening in Villa Park these days! Engage with the Village by attending a Village Board meeting, joining a Village Commission, or simply sending a note or giving us a call. I love hearing from you! Here’s to you, Villa Park! Deborah Bullwinkel Village President [email protected] (630) 592 – 6052 Village Mission Statement “The Village of Villa Park is committed to providing superior municipal services in a responsive, effective, and fiscally responsible manner while maintaining a good quality of life for our residents and businesses alike.” 2 PPublicublic WWorksorks Villa Park to Offer Fall Brush and Leaf Collection The Village will once again offer a fall leaf collection program. Residents will be allowed to dispose of an unlimited number of Kraft paper bags of leaves without affixing yard waste disposal stickers during a seven-week period beginning Monday, Oct. 19 and ending Friday, Dec. 4. Residents are reminded that brush must be tied in bundles no longer than four feet and not larger than eighteen inches in diameter. No limbs over four inches in diameter will be accepted. Yard waste stickers are not required for the disposal of brush bundles. Utility Billing Warm Weather Maintenance Reminders As a reminder, all bills will be In Villa Park, weeds and grasses may not exceed six inches in height. Residents are also mailed the last business day of asked to keep sidewalks clear from overgrown vegetation of bushes and other plants so that the month and are due three residents and visitors to the Village may easily travel the public way. weeks from that date. Residents Also, in warm weather, please remember to keep all trash cans covered and that items placed who are on direct debit, please at the curb for removal may only be placed out for pick up one day prior to the scheduled date. notice the new date that the amount due will be deducted Please assist the Village and emergency services by having address numbers attached to the from your account. front of the residence and easily readable from the public way. Please visit www.invillapark.com to sign up. You do not have to A New Look for Ardmore pay through the website in order The Ardmore Streetscape project will enhance the walkability, drivability and aesthetic to receive an electronic bill. quality of the North Ardmore Avenue corridor through the installation of new streetscape Please note that no late bills elements and enhancements. Proposed enhancements to Ardmore Avenue between Vermont or shutoff notices will be Street and the Union Pacific Railroad include decorative pedestrian lighting, new and mailed. You will only receive widened sidewalks, wayfinding signage and enhanced landscaping such as trees and landscape one bill monthly. planters. The remaining portion of the enhancements to Ardmore Avenue between Vermont Also, be aware Village Street and Schiller Street include decorative pedestrian lighting, wayfinding signage, and trees. This project includes improvements that were envisioned as part of the Village of Villa communication may be Park Station Area Plan. The federally-funded Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program distributed to residents in their (ITEP) will provide funding for up to 80% of the project costs. The Village anticipates monthly bills. construction starting in August with substantial completion this year. Rain Barrels Still New Stump Grinder, Chipper Improves Tree Removal Effi ciency In the past year, the Public Works Department purchased a new stump grinder and chipper in Available for order to increase tree removal efficiency. The new stump grinder grinds down stumps from recently removed trees as well as trees removed in previous years. This allows the Department Purchase to be self-sufficient, and not burden other municipalities by loaning their equipment to the Residents can still purchase Village. With the new stump grinder, Public Works staff has removed and restored (dirt and pick-up a rain barrel at and seed) 371 stumps throughout the Village. Public Works is now in the process of moving the Public Works building through the Village to grind down all stumps, whether they are from recently or previously located at 11 W. Home removed trees. Crews remove wood chips following tree and stump removal as quickly as Avenue for a cost of $75, possible. If wood chips are left in the parkway, the Village is aware and will be removing them Monday through Friday shortly. The Village also provides mulch free to residents. Free mulch can be picked up when between 7:30 a.m.