President Obama signed a disaster declaration for Cook and DuPage counties and other parts of Illinois that were damaged by severe storms and flooding in late July and early August, according to a news release from the White House. The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals to supplement state and local recovery efforts in Carroll, Cook, DuPage, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties, according to the release.  According to the release, "assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster."
 
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance Friday by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired, according to the release. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.   For additional information, please view the FEMA Factsheet or refer to the www.protectdupage.org website for future updates.  (Source: www.protectdupage.org website).

The Village’s contractor Clarke Environmental conducted a Village-wide mosquito truck spray for adult mosquitoes at night on August 18, 2010.  The treatment was aimed at reducing adult mosquito populations and was coordinated with similar sprays in Downers Grove and several nearby communities.

This is the typical time of the year when West Nile virus starts to be found and the DuPage County Department of Public Health has advised that it has been identified in mosquito traps across the county and twenty five counties in Illinois.  There have not been any human cases in the State according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The Village and Clarke Environmental will be continuing with the integrated pest management approach that includes surveillance, larviciding, education, and adulticiding when needed, to in order to help reduce and control the mosquito population.  Additional information about West Nile virus can be found on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Web site at www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/wnv.htm or people can call the West Nile Virus Hotline at 866-369-9710 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Appellate Court issued its long awaited ruling on Community High School District 99’s appeal related to the eminent domain action on the 45-acre property in Woodridge Town Centre.  The Appellate Court affirmed the Trial Court rulings on all of the matters appealed by District 99.  A copy of the opinion is posted on the Village website here. 
 
The Trial Court ruled in 2007 that the Village of Woodridge had the authority to acquire the land through the eminent domain process.  A jury established the value of the property to be $14,200,000 at the 2008 condemnation trial.  At that time possession and control of the property was transferred to Woodridge.

The County of DuPage adopted a resolution on August 11, 2009 designating the County as a Recovery Zone in accordance with The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).  As a Recovery Zone, ARRA allows DuPage County to allocate volume cap of $69 million in Recovery Zone Facility Bonds (RZFB) to private industry for development projects.  Recovery Zone Facility Bonds must be issued prior to January 1, 2011.  The bonds can be used for the construction of new or expanded buildings and for the purchase of equipment used in the trade or business.  Certain restrictions on the use of funds may apply to the rehabilitation or improvement of existing buildings.  The benefit to the private sector is a lower cost of financing compared to conventional methods.

The applicant must meet criteria including but not limited to demonstration of job creation, experience of the applicant, support of the local municipality in which the project is to be developed, evidence of financial commitment, and demonstration that the project is “shovel ready”.  The County has $39 million in capacity remaining and is seeking projects.

The Appellate Court has issued its long awaited ruling on Community High School District 99’s appeal related to the eminent domain action on the 45-acre property in Woodridge Town Centre.  The Appellate Court has now affirmed the Trial Court rulings on all of the matters appealed by District 99.  A copy of the opinion is posted on the Village website here. 
 
The Trial Court ruled in 2007 that the Village of Woodridge had the authority to acquire the land through the eminent domain process.  A jury established the value of the property to be $14,200,000 at the 2008 condemnation trial.  At that time possession and control of the property was transferred to Woodridge. 

District 99 is entitled to the proceeds from the trial court’s judgment on the verdict which includes the $14,200,000 award and approximately $550,000 in accumulated interest.

The Village and Woodridge Park District, as full partners in purchasing the property, will preserve the property for public use.  With the hopeful conclusion of this case the Village and the School District will have the opportunity to move forward in a positive fashion to accomplish their respective organizational missions. 

The Village of Woodridge recently completed a survey on the annual Fourth of July firework show.  The objective of the survey was to gather input from observers of the show so that their input may be considered in the upcoming FY2011/2012 Village of Woodridge budget.  A total of 118 individuals participated in the survey, with over 74% of the respondents indicating that they would like the Village to continue to offer the firework show again in 2011.

Over 78% of the respondents indicated that the quality of the show justified its cost, with approximately 75% indicating that the firework show was a good use of funding that is reserved for special events.  Further, 68% of the respondents ranked the quality of the fireworks as either good or excellent. 

The survey also provided respondents with the opportunity to comment about the show.  A remarkably low number of respondents, 1.3%, indicated that they were disappointed with the show while 71.5% of respondents responded favorably to the show continuing.    Many residents provided insightful suggestions as to how the show could be improved.
 

The Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Village of Woodridge and Woodridge Park District have previously complete gypsy moth spraying in various areas of the community to try and slow the spread of the gypsy moth.  The Illinois Department of Agriculture has advised that this year's higher than normal amounts of precipitation has resulted in elevated levels of a naturally occurring bacteria which is poisonous to the gypsy moth, thus killing them off. Nonetheless, residents should be on the lookout for gypsy moth caterpillars which have distinctive markings consisting of five pairs of blue dots followed by six pairs of red dots down the length of its back.  If an active gypsy moth infestation is suspected, or if dead gypsy moth caterpillars are found, residents should contact the Public Works Department at (630) 719-4753 or the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Gypsy Moth Hotline at 866-296-6684.

A recent survey undertaken on the amount of commercial retail space available in Woodridge revealed a 6.36% vacancy rate – a rate well below the current 11.8% shopping center vacancy rate for the Chicago area and a decrease from the Village’s rate in December 2009.  The survey was conducted by the Village of Woodridge’s Community Development Department surveying retail shopping center buildings located in the Village of Woodridge. 
 
The survey revealed that Woodridge has retained existing businesses and has even experienced continued growth despite the current economic conditions.

The Mayor and Board of Trustees have passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010/2011 Budget for the Village of Woodridge.  The roughly $41 million budget maintains the Mayor and Board of Trustees’ goals of decreasing the Village’s portion of the property tax rate for the 24th consecutive year while at the same time significantly reduces expenses.  The approved budget takes effect May 1st and represents a decrease of approximately $6 million, or 13%, from the FY2009/2010 budget.

“Despite the challenges posed by our economy,” said Mayor Murphy, “Woodridge continues to prioritize providing our residents with quality services and programs while being fiscally responsible with tax payer dollars.”  The budget is part of a 5 year strategic management plan that includes cost reductions of $12 million for the fiscal years 2010-2014.

For the fifth year in a row, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has awarded the Village of Woodridge a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR).  The report consists of information related to the village’s financial position, and is generated in response to local ordinances and state statutes.

The CAFR is judged by an impartial review panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate individuals to read the report. 

The Illinois Tollway Authority has planned resurfacing work on sections of I-355 starting in April. This includes work in Woodridge between I-55 and 71st Street and additional work further north. Anticipated to begin on April 5, the work will include patching, resurfacing, replacing guardrails and signage, along with some work on the 75th Street ramps. There will be some minor bridge repairs on 75th Street and 71st Street that may require lane closures. Substantial completion is expected by October 15, 2010. Click here for detailed information on the project or visit the Tollway website at www.illinoistollway.com to submit questions, comments or complaints about the Tollway construction work. 

On Monday, March 15th, the Village of Woodridge was honored by receiving first place in the City Cultural Diversity Awards program held by the National League of Cities. The award recognized the many people that came together in creating the Woodridge Diversity Quilt, which was proudly displayed throughout the community during the course of 2009.  Winning cities were selected from a pool of applicants and were grouped according to population.  Woodridge won first place for the 25,001- 100,000 population range.

This spring, the entire nation will undergo the 2010 Decennial U.S. Census.  An accurate Census count of Woodridge residents is vital for a number of reasons, including the amount of state shared revenues the Village receives.  These dollars are generated by our own residents and businesses.  A complete count makes sure that we capture back a portion of what Woodridge taxpayers have paid in taxes.  Currently the Village receives over $4,000,000 in state shared revenues.  In these tough economic times, the Village Board has made it a priority not to put any additional financial burden on our residents.  In order to accomplish this, it is especially important that our community not lose out on money that is due.  Undercounting could lead to a reduction in those revenues making it increasingly more difficult for the Village to support vital community services such as roadway maintenance and public safety. 

Late last year, the PACE Board of Directors considered proposed service cuts to address a projected $6.5 million deficit in their 2010 budget. Due to the large public and municipal response to the proposed 51 route eliminations and service reductions, PACE decided to trim back the proposed service reductions to impact only 24 routes. While two of Woodridge's three (821 and 822) fixed bus routes were initially proposed for elimination, the PACE Board of Directors voted to combine the two routes, thereby preserving much of the fixed-route service to the community. The new route 821 and scheduling details can be found here. The new route will go into effect on February 7th.

On Thursday, December 17th, Officers Daniel McIntyre and Andy Rusticus were presented the Award of Valor at a Village of Woodridge Board Meeting. The Award of Valor is given to employees who have demonstrated heroism in hazardous circumstances. In order to be considered, an employee must exhibit bravery in the performance of duty while risking their own life. This is the department’s highest award.