Vil lageNewslet ter

Vil lageNewslet ter

Vil lageNewslet ter

W I N T E R 2 0 1 1

N a m e d O n e o f M o n e y M a g a z i n e ’ s 2 0 0 7T O P 2 0 “ B E S T P L A C E S T O L I V E ” I N A M E R I C A

Changing of the Chiefs

InsideFrom the Mayor... 2PrairieWalk Pond opened 2Green by Choice pluses 2Excerpts from Mayor’s State

of the Village Address 3Navistar will come to Lisle 3Old Village Hall Site 3Finance: adjusting to a new

economy 3Popular Recycling Programs 3Pillar Awards 4Two new recycling opportunities 4Buy dog tags now 4

the Department’s Deputy Chiefsince 2002, and has been ActingChief since Damico’s retirement.

Kosatka is a 31–year veteran ofthe Lisle Police Department. He hasprogressed through the Departmentas a police officer, patrol sergeant,and detective sergeant, prior toassuming his role as deputy chief.He received a BA degree in Busi-ness Management from BenedictineUniversity in 2007.

Mayor Broda expressed hissatisfaction with the appointment.“I had no question that the Depart-ment had the talent for this ap-pointment to come from within,” hesaid. “Lisle has a great PoliceDepartment in place, and JimKosatka has played a significantrole in making it that way. Arecurring theme in the recruitmentprocess over the past several weekshas been the important mentoringthat he has provided throughout theDepartment throughout his career.”

Police Chief Mike Damicoretired at the end of November after37 years with the Village of Lisle,the last 15 of which he served asChief. He has served the Depart-ment and the Village faithfully,with integrity and devotion topublic safety. Best wishes as hebegins a new chapter in his life!

Named as new Police Chief isJames E. Kosatka, who served as

Lisle’s Downtown Ice Rink returnsthis year bigger and better, at theNE corner of Burlington and Main.Weather permitting, the rink isopen every day from 8:00A–10:00P.Recreational ice skating only;please no hockey. Children under 12must be accompanied by an adult.

SunCoke Energychooses Lisle for new

headquartersSunCoke Energy, a subsidiary

of Sunoco, Inc. is investing $6.6M torelocate its corporate headquartersfrom Knoxville, TN to ArboretumLakes in Lisle. The State is provid-ing a $4.8M business investmentpackage to support the project,bringing 105 professional jobs.

The company first evaluated 8large metropolitan areas, thennarrowed its search to the Chicagoregion and DuPage County. Lislewas chosen due to its desirableoffice space, proximity to airports,strong workforce, central locationand competitive business climate.SunCoke’s relocation will helpsupport local economic growth in anumber of ways, including hotel taxrevenues and families who buyhomes and generate sales taxes.

For over 45 years, SunCoke hasfurnished high quality metallurgiccoke to steelmakers, supplying 25%of total U.S. production. One of thecompany’s manufacturing facilitiesis in Granite City, IL and employs110 people.

Retired Police Chief Mike Damicoand new Chief Jim Kosatka

2

24-hourInfo Line

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VVIILLLLAAGGEE BBOOAARRDD OOFF TTRRUUSSTTEEEESSJoseph Broda, Mayor

Mark Boyle Ken ModaffCatheryn Cawiezel Joseph SchmittLee LaFond Ed Young

Tim Seeden,Village ClerkGerald Sprecher, Village Manager

Meetings held 1st and 3rd Mondays,Workshops held 2nd Mondays,

each month at 7:00 p.m.

VVIILLLLAAGGEE OOFFFFIICCEESSMonday through Friday

Business Office: 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Public Works: 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Other offices: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

PPOOLLIICCEE DDEEPPAARRTTMMEENNTT2244 hhoouurr sseerrvviiccee

Police Response 9-1-1Police Administration 630-271-4200Public Works 630-271-4180Community Development 630-271-4150Economic Development 630-271-4148Business Office/Other 630-271-4100General Email Lisle@villageof lisle.org

© 2011 Village of Lisle

www.villageof lisle.orgLisle Village Newsletter, Winter 2011

Green by Choice plusesLaunched in March, the Sus-

tainable Lisle Business Program istranslating into economic develop-ment. Results are increasedeconomic vitality—

70+ retail businesses involved

Using ‘green’ to attract business

Hotels booking green meetings

Business to business sales

Attracting new businesses

Strong community partnerships

From theMayor...Happy New Year,Lisle! I hope youand your familyenjoyed a safe andhappy holidayseason. Holiday

decorations may be removed, butbefore winter departs, please enjoyskating on the Village’s enlargeddowntown outdoor ice rink.

I am pleased to report that twomajor corporations have decided tomake Lisle their headquarters.Navistar and SunCoke will be re-locating to the Village’s corporatecorridor in 2011.

On January 20, during my 10th

annual State of the Village Address,I had the opportunity to provide areview of the many Village suc-

cesses in 2010, and the challengesand direction for 2011. Thehighlight for me each year ispresenting the Community SpiritAward to one or more individual(s)whose efforts and actions makeLisle an even better place to liveand work. This year it was myprivilege to recognize Bob andBarbara Kelly, as well as MikeGonda and Chris Pecak.Congratulations!

Bob and Barbara Kelly, ownersof Robert Kelly Studio Photography,have faithfully captured communityspecial events in photos and/orvideos. From the Eyes to the SkiesFestival, Lights of Lisle, and Down-town Cruise Nights, the Kellysprofessionally document theseevents through photos, at no cost tothe Village. Their work can be seenon Comcast Cable Channel 10 andAT&T U–Verse Channel 99.

The Chicago Blackhawks have aZamboni to clear and maintaintheir ice, and Lisle has Mike Gondaand Chris Pecak. When it wasannounced that the Village wouldagain construct a bigger, outdoor icerink, Mike and Chris contacted theVillage to organize the effort to keepthe rink clear of snow.

Finally, congratulations are alsoin order to Lisle’s new Chief ofPolice James Kosatka and muchappreciation to retired ChiefMichael Damico.

PrairieWalk Pond openedPrairieWalk Pond was officially

opened on October 30th. The 4.5acre site features lighted walkingtrails, preserved wetlands, agazebo, color–lighted fountains andDragonFly Landing, a children’splay area. When DragonFlyLanding opens next spring theVillage will do a grand opening towelcome the completion of theentire project. The project, subsi-dized by a $400,000 OSLAD grant,adds recreational dimensions to adowntown storm water retentionpond with capacity for futuredowntown development.

Community Spirit Awards. MayorBroda (center) presented awards toBob & Barbara Kelly (l) and ChrisPecak & Mike Gonda (r) at theJanuary Chamber meeting (seeabove).

www.villageof lisle.org Lisle Village Newsletter, Winter 2011 3

Excerpts from Mayor’s State of the Village Address Popular Recycling Programs

Sustainable Saturday: April 30,2011 Drop–off Monthly Electronics &Battery RecyclingRxBox: Safe Medicine Disposal inbox at Police Dept. entryHoliday Lights RecyclingRecycling containers for cans/bottles and paper, downtown &at Commuter StationComing in 2012: recycling toters

Navistar will come to Lisle

Redevelopment Agreement:2800 jobsUse of local hotels andbusinessesTIF surplus to taxing bodiesCommitment to site as worldheadquarters$110M in improvements

Building Additions:15,900 SF Design Center4,270 SF Vehicle Review Area6,250 SF Expansion to Atriumplus interior renovations withinthe existing 1.2M SF

Campus Improvements:North parking lot improved w/landscape islands and newlightingNew campus signage—monument sign, wall sign onatrium and directional signageIntersection of Forbes & RingRoad reconfigured to improvetraffic flow

Trends of other major revenue sourcesFiscal Year (May 1-Apr 30) FY2007/08 FY2008/09 FY2009/10Sales tax 4,662,749 3,741,568 3,314,233State income tax 2,164,275 2,141,744 1,866,935Building permit fees 549,632 362,838 335,992Motor fuel tax 656,234 613,395 593,222Telecommunications tax 2,439,278 2,560,992 2,552,973Hotel/Motel tax* 1,564,531 1,303,412 1,034,792Totals 12,036,699 10,723,949 9,698,147*In calendar years (not FY, above), H/M showed a +$89,000 turn-around in 2010.

Downtown abloom!This was the first full year the

public could enjoy our beautifullyrenovated downtown.

Downtown vacancies decreasedwith new businesses such as Crèmede la Crème, Tailored Space Cabin-etry, Vini Restaurant, and Verizoncoming into town, as well as thereturn of John Dough Bakery/Cafe.

Old Village Hall SiteThe Village has terminated its

agreement with New EnglandBuilders. The Mayor noted theeconomics of the past few years arenot the developer’s doing and didnot fault them. Considering theeconomy, the Board is grateful notto have unfinished buildings orfoundation holes in the ground.

Any project moving forward willnot likely be the same one that wasenvisioned in the agreement. Thisaction guards the Village’s interestsfor future project proposals. TheBoard does not expect a project forthe site anytime soon, until theeconomy improves.

Finance: adjusting to a new economyLike other municipalities, Lisle

has been tightening its belt. Non-union employees have had no wageincreases for two years. All servicesand expenses are scrutinized. Therehave been no increases in operatingexpenses, and capital equipmentand projects have been deferred.

The Village’s 2009 Property TaxLevy is $4,127,462 and representsless than 6% of real estate taxesproperty owners paid. Almost 90%of Village share of Property Taxgoes to Police Department or PolicePension Fund. Obviously, otherrevenue sources play an importantrole in supporting Village services.(See chart.)

On the positive side, Villagedebt is low with only two bondissues outstanding—Police Facilityand Sports Complex. The GeneralFund Reserve and bond rating ofAa2 by Moody’s Investors Servicehas been maintained. For a 7th year,Lisle was awarded a Certificate ofAchievement for FinancialReporting from the GovernmentFinance Officers Association.

Compared to our DuPageneighbors, only one communityimposes fewer taxes/fees; 24 imposemore than the Village of Lisle. Onlythree have a lower water rate (onlyone with Lake Michigan water).

Ogden Avenue PlanIn July, the Board approved the

plan, which provides vision for theOgden Corridor. Kudos to the manywho provided input! Implementationwill depend on the economy and onstrategic opportunities that arise.

One upcoming challenge: leveesTheir maintenance is not just

a neighborhood issue!

4 www.villageof lisle.orgLisle Village Newsletter, Winter 2011

Newsletter distributionThe Lisle Village Newsletter is

posted on the website with a limitednumber printed for residents to pickup at Village Hall, Lisle Library orLisle Park District.

To be notified via email when anew newsletter is posted, sign upfor e–Notify on the Village’swebsite. Click on the e–Notify boxon the homepage and followinstructions.

up volunteers to plan and plant thismother’s summer flower garden.For a local teacher who suddenlylost a sister, Narot arranged for amemorial tree planted on schoolgrounds. She organizes these effortsto make a difference because shedeeply cares for others.

Heather Nitzki –Citizenship (Student)

Heather organized collection ofJewel–Osco cookware stamps toearn a set of pots and pans to giveto the Sharing Connections, whichhelps those in need of householdbasics. It takes 710 reward stickersto earn a complete set of eightpieces. The Lisle Junior High 8th–grader has earned one set andcontinued to collect stamps for moresets.

Pillar Awards recognize citizens’ good deeds

Doug Cunningham & RobertMcCune – Citizenship (Adult)President and Treasurer,

respectively, of Friends of LisleLibrary, these two men devotecountless hours throughout the yearpreparing for the Semi–annualUsed Book Sales. Doug also sched-ules high quality programming,dealing with the contracts, plans,and promotion for music, lecturesand travelogues—all presented atno charge to the public.

Sheryl Fasone and the Green Team– Citizenship (Service Group)The team of volunteers began a

successful program last year toreduce, reuse, rethink and recycleon “No–waste Wednesdays” at TateWoods and Schiesher Elementary.

Adam Grego–Responsibility (Student)

Adam led the Lisle Juniorfootball team to follow the National

Football League’s efforts to supportNational Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth. He received permission tohave all 33 boys on his team wearpink socks to follow the NFL efforts.He and his mother dyed the socks,bringing recognition of BreastCancer Month home to Lisle in hisunique and unforgettable way.

Lanie Hedrick – Caring (Student)Lanie, age 9, set up a butterfly

nursery in her home, and dailycared for and carefully helpednurture 50 Monarch butterfliesfrom egg to adulthood, setting themfree to increase the butterfly popu-lation in Lisle.

Amy Narot – Caring (Adult)Amy organized a purple ribbon

campaign to support a 5th gradestudent who was undergoingchemotherapy. She arranged home-cooked meals for a Lisle motherwith breast cancer. She also lined

Lisle Community CharacterAlliance awards presented11/15/10 to Heather Nitzki,Adam Grego, LCCA’s JulieLaFond, Doug Cunningham,Mayor Broda, Lanie Hedrick(front), Sheryl Fasone & fourmembers of the Green Team,and Amy Narot.

Two new recycling opportunitiesployees from Creative Recycling willunload participants’ recyclables.

Holiday Lights Recyclinglight strands & extension cords

thru Feb 2011, M–F, 7:00A–5:00Pinside Village Hall Lobby

Lisle has partnered with ElginRecycling, who will strip the lightsand recycle both the copper andplastic materials. No parts will beshipped overseas. Any string ofholiday lights—incandescent orLED lights, and extension cords—accepted free of charge. No limit onnumber of strands.

Electronics & Battery RecyclingMonthly, 3rd Sat, 9:00A–Noon 4930 Lincoln Avenue (Rt. 53)Residents can drop off unwanted

electronics, such as computer moni-tors, printers, stereos, VCRs, cellphones, and TVs to be recycled.Small household appliances,including blenders, toasters andalarm clocks will also be collected.Also, household batteries (AA, AAA,D, 9–volt batteries, hearing aidbatteries, lithium batteries, andcamera batteries) as well asprinter/toner cartridges, are beingaccepted. Volunteers and em-

Buy dog tags nowAll dogs are required to wear a

Village of Lisle tag, in addition tothe DuPage County rabies tag. Buy2011 dog tags ($10) now at theVillage Hall Business Office. Bringan up–to–date veterinarian’scertificate of rabies vaccination.