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2020 Fall Newsletter WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 OAK BROOK OAK BROOK Quarterly Newsletter | Volume 94 - Fall 2020 news President Gopal Lalmalani, M.D., M.B.A Clerk Charlotte K. Pruss | Trustee John Baar Trustee Philip Cuevas Trustee Michael Manzo Trustee Moin Saiyed Trustee Edward Tiesenga Trustee Asif Yusuf 2 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 OAK BROOK news 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Message from Dr. Gopal Lalmalani 4 From The Manager’s Desk Message from Rick Ginex 3 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Dear Friends & Neighbors, Gopal G. Lalmalani, M.D., M.B.A. Village President 630.368.5026 glalmalani@oak-brook.org President’s Message By Dr. Gopal Lalmalani 4 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Dear friends and residents; How do you describe this summer? It was defi- nitely not like anything else we have ever experi- enced. We were unable to open our Bath and Tennis Facility, held all our Village Board Meet- ings via Zoom, opened our Village Hall back for business, prepared for the civil unrest that was occurring in Chicago so it did not impact Oak Brook, and made sure our families and employ- ees stayed healthy. During the summer, the Oak Brook Mall did re- open with visitors clamoring back to the shops and the restaurants. When the Governor allowed out-door dining to resume, the Village worked closely with the restaurants in town to make sure they had whatever space they needed and al- lowed them to expand their outdoor dining areas in a safe manner through an accelerated approval process. Needless to say, visitors have been flocking to the out-door dining at our restaurants and they all have waiting lists to get in! Now we are in the process of working with our restaurants to allow them to utilize tents for the colder weather we will have through the end of the year. Our seven hotels were drastically impacted by the pandemic. They were virtually vacant for a number of months and are just gaining some in- crease in occupancy, mostly from people coming to spend weekends in Oak Brook to shop and eat. The Village Board assisted them by rebating over $69,000 from our Hotel/Motel 1% Tax Fund for tax paid from January 1, 2020 through May 31, 2020. Additionally, the Village Board worked with our Hotels and Restaurants to pro- vide over $70,000 in Liquor License Fee reduc- tions. As I stated earlier, we were unable to open our pool this year due to the COVID 19 pandemic. The Health Department of the State of Illinois closed for all business. They did not re-open for business to release any type of work permits until the middle of summer. The major renovation work of our pools will be done through the fall so we are ready to open and have an incredible sea- son in 2021. The Village has been working with the DuPage Mayors and Manager’s Conference and the Du- Page County Board to apply for funding reim- bursement under the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.” In a coop- erative effort with the DuPage Mayors and Man- gers Conference and the DuPage County Board, the Village of Oak Brook has worked to come to an agreement regarding funding available to mu- nicipalities from the County’s $161 million CARES Act allocation. The Intergovernmental Agreement is based on a per capita reimburse- ment which equaled $51.84 for all municipalities in DuPage County. The County has indicated that Oak Brook will have access to $415,549.44 based on a population of 8,061 available for COVID-19 expense reimbursement. The Board approved this Intergovernmental Agreement at their July 14th Village Board meeting and we are presently final- izing our reimbursement submission to the Coun- ty. Finally, the Village staff has begun to work on the 2021 Annual Budget. The public is invited to at- tend budget discussions which will be held in No- vember. Since the Village is on a calendar year budget, the 2021 budget will be adopted at the December Village Board meeting. Riccardo F. Ginex Village Manager 630.368.5026 villagemanager@oak-brook.org From the Manager’s Desk By Riccardo F. Ginex 5 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 I would like to first offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to all of the residents and corporate residents for their display of support for the men and women of the Oak Brook Police Department. As I look back at the past several months, I saw that I wrote my last newsletter article early May. What a difference a few months makes. We were spending our time working on pandemic mitiga- tion, keeping our staff and the community safe, and developing new ways to communicate, hold meet- ings, and stay connected with the community. Then events involving law enforcement began to surface in parts of the country that spawned public protest that evolved to social unrest that further de- graded to criminal activity. We have been very fortunate, albeit not left to chance, but due to the hard work and dedication of our staff. We saw little to no property damage, demonstrations or anything approaching civil un- rest even though communities around us did have some of those experiences. We have however be- gun to see an uptick in some property crimes. We continue to ask all of our residents to be diligent in our crime prevention efforts to keep vehicles locked, remove key fobs, and set residential alarms any time you leave home. We ask all of our resi- dents to register on Nextdoor as a social media platform that verifies addresses so that we can communicate with our residents exclusively rather than throughout the World Wide Web. On August 25th at 1:00 PM, the department held a virtual town hall meeting to discuss current crime trends and crime prevention tips. The video of that meeting is still available on the Village’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/IoYJob9YYuk . During the meeting we provided data on ruse burglaries, burglary to motor vehicles, and vehicle thefts that have occurred in our residential neighborhoods. We also broke down some of that data by day of the week and which particular subdivisions were more likely to experience some of this activity. While we see some increase in the area of vehicle burglaries, 21 this year as compared to 8 for all of 2019, our vehicle thefts have increased from one in 2019 to three this year. All of the vehicle stolen or entered illegally were left unlocked by the owner. I urge you to view the video for the specifics. I would again like to thank all of you for your gen- erosity. There was a three week period in early June where the department received prepared food for lunch and dinner for the entire staff almost daily. As Chief I always relay to our staff the wonderful comments you all send me or express in person of your support for the police department, but the thoughtfulness of you all was tremendously appre- ciative and spoke louder than I can ever give it jus- tice. We work very hard at maintaining that high level of professionalism that you as residents come to ex- pect and that we portray to everyone we come in contact with, regardless of zip code. We hope we live up to that commitment and serve as an example of what true bias-free policing looks like. During this time we also had our virtual “on-site” with CALEA for our quadrennial assessment. We hope to hear soon on our re-accreditation efforts and will participate in a virtual CALEA conference this Fall. Police News By James Kruger James Kruger Police Chief 630.368.8710 jkruger@oak-rook.org Citizen Police Academy 2020 6 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 IN ALL INSTANCES WHERE A FIRE HAS ERUPTED, DON’T HESITATE AND IMMEDI- ATELY CALL 9-1-1 BEFORE TAKING ANY EXTINGUISHMENT ACTION Fire National Fire Prevention Week By Barry Liss Barry Liss Fire Chief 630.368.5200 bliss@oak-brook.org The National Fire Protection Association’s theme for Fire Prevention Week 2020 is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.” Statistically, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Use the week of October 4-10 to become familiar with the hazards and the dangers of unattended cooking, and precautions you can take to prevent cooking-related fires. Cooking safely and avoiding kitchen fires is critically important. Ensuring a few simple safety re- minders will go a long way in preventing such mishaps. STAY focused on the food. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boil- ing, grilling, or boiling food. Turn off the burner if you leave the kitchen – even for a short period of time. If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly and stay in the home. Use a timer to remind you that you are cook- ing, or carry around a wooden spoon as a reminder. If you are sleepy, have consumed alcohol, or have taken medication that makes you drowsy, don’t cook. Place a delivery or- der instead! KEEP cooking areas clear. Clear away clut- ter and give cooking appliances space to lessen the chance of a fire. Keep anything that can catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers, towels, curtains – away from the stovetop. Loose clothing can hang down onto the stove burners. Wear short, close-fitting, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Have a “kid free zone” of at least 3’ around the stove or areas where hot food or drink is prepared. Keep pets off cooking surfaces and nearby countertops. Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetop. PUT a lid on it – you can take simple steps to keep a small kitchen fire from getting out of con- trol. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire occurs, slide the lid over the pot or pan and turn off the burner. Leave the pot or pan covered until it has cooled. Never use water or discharge a portable fire extinguisher into a grease fire – it will spread the flames. In case of an oven or microwave fire, turn the appliance off and keep the door closed until they have cooled. After the fire, have the appliance serviced before using it again. PREVENT scalds and burns. Hot liquids and steam from the stove or oven can cause devas- tating injuries. Turn pot handles away from the stove’s edge. Keep hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges. Keep your face away from the oven door when checking or removing food. Open microwaved food slowly, away from your face. 7 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Public Works -Leaf Pick up By Doug Patchin As the seasons change and the weather starts to cool, Public Works is preparing for Fall and Winter activities. Leaf pickup season will soon be upon us, followed by snow. Staff has begun to service our leaf equipment and prepare plow trucks for snow. I know that with the current warm weather it sounds and feels too early to mention snow, but with quick changing seasons we need to have our plow equip- ment ready to go at the first drop of a snow flake. Before we get into winter let’s slow down and dis- cuss autumn leaf pickup. We recommend you mulch your leaves and return this beneficial material back to your lawn or land- scape. If you are going to utilize the Village’s leaf pickup, please follow the Autumn Leaf Schedule on this page. If you employ a landscape contractor please schedule their leaf clean up with our sched- uled pickup dates. The leaf pickup equipment we utilize has a large vacuum unit which picks up leaves on the right side (the passenger side of the unit). The vacuum equipment works best with the pickup straight out to the side. Any leaf piles placed in the street limits our ability to efficiently pick up leaves because our trucks must drive on the oppo- site side of the road into oncoming traffic lanes. This is only one reason it’s important for leaves to be placed behind the curb and not in the street. Sec- ondly, when leaves are placed in the street, and if it rains, leaves can block street drains and cause streets/yards to flood. Most importantly, when leaves are placed on the street pavement, leaf piles can cause a dangerous situation for pedestrians and vehicles. Where leaves are piled on both sides of the street, the street may become impassable for one vehicle. In order to have an efficient, effective, and safe leaf pickup program, we need your coop- eration in adhering to the following procedures. DO NOT pile leaves on the street, leaves are to be placed behind the curb or at the edge of the pavement. DO NOT bag your leaves if you want the Village to pick them up. The equip- ment we use can only pick up piles of loose leaves. Rake ONLY LEAVES into the pile. NO shrub clippings, sticks or other debris are permitted as these other ma- terials will clog our equipment. Please place your leaves a day or two prior to the scheduled pick up dates. Any leaves placed afterwards will not be collected until the next scheduled pickup date. Below is the 2020 Autumn Leaf Schedule. Inquir- ies regarding the leaf pick up program and sched- ule may be directed to the Public Works Depart- ment at (630) 368-5270. A map depicting the pickup areas and schedule dates is also available on the Village website (www.oak-brook.org). Zone 1, Yorkshire Woods, Steeplechase, Woodside Es- tates Monday October 19, Tuesday October 27, Monday November 16, Friday December 11. Zone 2, Forest Glen, York Woods Tuesday October 20, Wednesday October 28, Tuesday November 17, Monday December 14. Zone 3, Timber Trails, Merry Lane Wednesday October 21, Friday October 30, Friday November 20, Tuesday December 15. Zone 4, South of 31st Street and east of Route 83, includ- ing Lincoln, Grant, and Coolidge Thursday October 22, Tuesday November 3, Wednesday November 25, Wednesday Dec 16. Zone 5, Brook Forest, Briarwood, and Trinity Lakes Friday October 23, Thursday November 5, Wednesday December 2, Thursday December 17. Zone 6, Ginger Creek, Saddle Brook, Heritage Oaks, White Oak, and Avenue Loire Monday October 26, Tuesday November 10, Tuesday December 8, Friday December 18. Fall is also a good time to schedule preventive maintenance around your house. Cleaning your gutters, downspouts, and yard drains of leaves and debris will help to avoid water damage during the winter freeze/thaw cycles. Your home heating sys- tem and filters should also be cleaned and checked; irrigation systems should be serviced and winterized. 8 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Public Works-Storm Sewer Doug Pacthin Director , Public Works 630.368.5272 dpatchin@oak-brook.org The Storm Sewer’s Impact Did you ever wonder where the water goes when you pour it down the drain? Water discarded through household drains flows through the sani- tary sewer system to a wastewater treatment plant. Storm drains on the other hand, flow directly to re- ceiving waters such as lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks or wetland areas. In the Village of Oak Brook, stormwater flows through pipes, drains, and ditches to places like Salt, Ginger, and Lacey Creeks or other wetlands. Each of these support their own habitat and wildlife, which is why it is greatly im- portant to be cautious about what is introduced into the stormwater system. How the Village Helps – The proper maintenance of the stormwater system is one of many priorities for the Public Works Department. Storm pipes and drains are cleaned regularly of debris and trash. Street sweeping efforts are routinely conducted to keep roads safe for motorists, but also to prevent foreign objects from flowing into the stormwater system. In addition, snow plow trucks have control systems that automatically adjust the quantity of de -icing material which allows for a more consistent application rate resulting in reduced chloride levels. How You can Help – There are a number of things you can do to help maintain and preserve natural waters and wetlands for years to come: Pickup litter. Litter and debris often clog storm pipes and drains preventing water from reaching its destination. Worse yet, litter travels throughout the stormwater system to collector streams or waters and has a significant impact on the natu- ral habitat. Use cleaning chemicals that are more en- vironmentally friendly when cleaning your car in the driveway. Commer- cial car washes dispose of their used wa- ter into the sanitary sewer, but residents who wash their cars in the driveway of- ten let the dirty soapy water flow down the storm sewer. Cleanup after pets. Not only is it just a neighborly courtesy, but when it rains animal waste is washed to the storm- water system and ultimately finds its way to natural waters or wetlands where it contaminates the habitat. Properly dispose of chemicals. When working on your car, cleaning up from home improvement projects, or dispos- ing of household chemicals, keep these from being disposed of in the storm- water system. Instead contact your lo- cal recycling facilities, auto shop, or even hardware stores to see if they ac- cept old or unused chemicals. Definite- ly don’t pour them into your yard or wash them down storm drains. Let your pool water sit. When it ’s time to drain your pool, stop adding chemi- cals to your pool to allow the chlorine and other chemicals to break down and the pH to neutralize. Slowly release the water into your yard and let it soak in the ground. If that’s not an option, drain the water down storm sewer drain only after it is chemical free and pH neutralized. The entire stormwater system is important to the quality of life that the Oak Brook community en- joys. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the impacts of our actions are not felt downstream. For more information on storm sewers and what you can do to help maintain waterways and wet- lands, visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s website at https://www.epa.gov/npdes or contact the Village at 630-368-5000. 9 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 By Tony Budzikowski Community Rating System (CRS) Outreach The best time to prepare for a flood is before it hap- pens. Village of Oak Brook residents have experi- enced flooding from creeks and sewer backups in the past. As homeowners, there are a few things that you should know about flood safety, preventing flood damage, flood plain regulation, and insurance. Flood Safety A number of precautions should be taken in the event of a flood. Electricity and gas should be turned off if your home is being flooded. Walking through flood water should be avoided especially if the flood water is moving rapidly as drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths, mostly during flash floods. Currents can be deceptive; six inches of moving water can knock you off of your feet. If you walk in standing water, use a pole or stick to ensure that the ground is still there. Do not drive through a flooded area as more people drown in their cars than anywhere else. Don’t drive around road barriers; the road or bridge may be washed- out. After exposure to flood water, residents are advised to contact their health practitioner regarding a tetanus shot if they have not received one in a while. Preventing Flood Damage The Village provides advice and will make site vis- its to assess and provide suggestions on how to retrofit buildings to prevent flood damage. There are generally five approaches to retrofitting: eleva- tion, barriers, dry flood proofing, wet flood proof- ing and basement protection. Other property pro- tection measures include grading, ditch cleaning, moving furniture and sandbagging. The Village has adopted the DuPage County Stormwater Ordinance. As such, all changes in impermeable surfaces with- in the village, i.e. driveways, patios, sports courts, slabs, sidewalks, etc. require the approval of a building permit to ensure compliance with applica- ble ordinance requirements. For information on these and other flood protection issues, please con- tact the Village Engineer at 630-368-5144. Flood Plain Development Development in or near a flood plain is allowed only upon application and issuance of the appro- priate Village permits. Flood plain map infor- mation is available through the Development Services Department. If you are planning to add, remodel, build, fill, or otherwise develop in a flood plain or if you witness what you believe to be illegal flood plain construction, please contact the Village Engineer at 630-368-5144. Village code states that existing structures shall not be enlarged, replaced or structurally altered unless the changes meet the applicable code re- quirements. If the changes constitute substantial improvement to a building in a flood plain, then the entire building will need to meet these re- quirements. Substantial improvement is when the cost of reconstruction, rehabilitation, addi- tion, or other improvements to a building equals or exceeds 50% of the market value. Substantial- ly damaged buildings must also be brought up to the same standards. Enforcement of this require- ment is achieved through the permitting process. Flood Insurance The Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 helps to ensure that you will be protected from finan- cial loss caused by flooding. Backed by the Fed- eral Government, flood insurance is available to residents across the country that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It provides coverage that most homeowners insur- ance does not (e.g. coverage for damage to struc- tures and contents from flooding, flood-related erosion, etc.). In all of these communities, you can purchase flood insurance from any licensed property or casualty insurance agent, broker or company. You must have flood insurance to get secured financing to buy, build or improve structures in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA’s). Lending institutions that are federally regulated and in- sured must determine if the building is in a SFHA and require flood insurance on conven- Development Services National Flood Insurance Program 10 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Development Services Continued By Tony Budzikowski tional home mortgage loans, FHA loans, VA loans, second mortgages, home equity loans, home improve- ment loans, construction loans and commercial loans. Flood insurance coverage is an asset to you as a borrower. It reimburses you for financial losses from flood damage. The law protects you from being uninsured and having to rely on a costly federal disaster loan af- ter a flood. This loan is the same as another mortgage that must be paid back with interest. Flood insurance protects your most important investment. It is considerably less expensive than federal dis- aster loans and is 100% backed by the federal government. Call the National Flood Insurance Program at 1- 800-427-4661 for specific questions related to flood insurance. Protect Natural Flood Plain Functions Refrain from dumping foreign chemicals and substances such as herbicides, oils, greases, etc. into storm sewers or roadside ditches. Storm sewers and ditches eventually discharge to our creeks and will have ad- verse impacts on natural wildlife habitat. If you see broken silt fences or significant volumes of mud tracked off of construction sites, please call the Development Services Department at 630-368-5101 to re- port. These materials will end up in our creeks and can reduce flood storage. For More Information If you have questions about the information in this article, please con- tact the Village’s CRS Coordinator at 630-368-5101. In addition, the Village maintains a selection of publications pertaining to the National Flood Insurance Program at the Oak Brook Library. Please take ad- vantage of these resources by visiting the Oak Brook Library at 600 Oak Brook Road. Finally, you may also visit the Federal Emergency Management Agencies website at www.FEMA.gov for additional flood related information. Tony Budzikowski Development Services Director 630.368.5104 tbudzikowski@oak-brook.org Salt Barn 11 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Information Technology Services By Jim Fox Jim Fox Director of Information Technology Services 630.368.5174 jfox@oak-brook.org Geographic Information System (GIS) Update The Village’s Geographic Information System (GIS) is a framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing data. Rooted in the science of geography, GIS integrates many types of data. It analyzes spatial location and organizes layers of information into visualizations using maps and 3D scenes. With this unique capability, GIS reveals deeper insights into data, such as patterns, relationships, and situations—helping the Village make smarter decisions. What happens when a resident calls the Village to ask for the zoning, school district, or other questions related to their property? What about when a water main breaks in the middle of win- ter, and the Village’s Public Works crews head out into the field to stop the flow and repair the damage? What if the weather forecast calls for severe storms that is expected to cause exten- sive flooding? How can emergency personnel prepare? Before we can answer questions like these to, repair damage, or develop a plan, Vil- lage staff needs a source for accurate infor- mation like the Village’s GIS database. GIS is how the Village of Oak Brook maintains data that has a geographic component; that is, a location. This includes information like parcel boundaries, addresses, utilities, bike paths, trees, zoning, and so much more. Once this in- formation is added to the GIS database, it can be used to create maps, charts, and tables and for analysis to help support the Village in serv- ing its residents and businesses. The Village maintains this GIS database by partnering with the GIS Consortium, an organization comprised of 38 communities who share GIS resources and staffing to maximize the benefits of GIS in their community while saving time and money. In 2020, the GIS Consortium introduced a new mapping platform called myGIS, which gives Village staff direct access to their GIS data. With myGIS, staff are empowered to view, cus- tomize, and analyze the Village’s GIS data to efficiently and accurately answer questions, solve problems, and make informed decisions. When a realtor calls, a staff member can pull up information on zoning, homeowners’ associa- tions, school districts, and even polling places in a matter of seconds. Public Works employees can look up the size, material, and configuration of water mains around a break to determine which valves to close to stop the flow of water. If the valves are buried in snow, they can even view photographs of the valves' locations to help locate them more quickly out in the field. And when a storm rolls in, Public Safety offi- cials can access FEMA flood zone information, terrain maps, and aerial imagery to plan re- sponses that target the area’s most susceptible to damage. It takes a lot to keep a community running healthy and strong, and the Village’s profes- sional staff works hard every day in pursuit of that goal. With the help of myGIS to support Village staff in their daily workflows, staff can provide more efficient service to residents and businesses, saving taxpayer dollars and improv- ing the experiences of those who – by day or by night – call the Village of Oak Brook home. Would you like to see the Village’s GIS data in action? Please visit the Village’s maps page at: https://www.oak-brook.org/93/Maps 12 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Library - Library Notes By Jacob Post Jacob Post Head Librarian 630.368.7706 jpost@oak-brook.org As the ongoing pandemic lingers, the Oak Brook Public Library will continue its commitment to provide safe and effective services to the community. In doing so, the Library has adjusted many procedures. When creating these procedures the recommendations of various health, li- brary, and municipal organizations were taken into account. Below is a highlight of what the Library is doing to keep everyone a little safer: Curbside Pickup If the item you want is available, we will bring it out to your car. This limits the amount of person-to-person interaction. Isolating Returned Items In order to reduce the potential of transferring germs, all returned materials are isolated from circulation for 7 days. Enhanced Electronic Resources We continue to expand the amount of downloadable materials available to patrons and have acquired new online databases to bring you valuable information. Protective Barriers In addition to the requirement that both staff and patrons wear masks, each public service desk has a plastic barrier to minimize the spread of the virus. Social Distancing of Furniture and Resources Furniture and resources will be spread out or removed to give everyone a little more space. Hand Sanitizer Hand sanitizer stations have been strategically placed throughout the Library for everyone’s use in maintaining cleanliness. Adjusted Hours Library hours have temporarily changed to help reduce the transmission of COVID -19 to the public. Virtual Programing In order to comply with social distancing regulations, the Library is starting to offer both Adult and Youth programs via the internet. They include craft tutorials (supplies provided by the Library), story times, and other educational and entertaining offerings. Check the Library’s website for details. While we all continue to adjust to a new normal, the Library strives to carry on the services you know and love. For the latest information, including programing updates and schedules, visit the Library’s website. Thank you for your support and patience as we all navigate these unprec- edented times. 13 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Village Clerk— Elections By Charlotte Pruss GENERAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 3, 2020 The General Election, which includes the Presidential Election is on November 3, 2020. If you are not registered to vote or have recently moved, you can register at the Butler Government Center, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and at the Oak Brook Library, please call 630.368.7700 for registration hours. The last day for registration of voters or transfer of registration within the offices of the election authority, mu- nicipal/township clerks and deputy registrars is October 06, 2020 for the November 3, 2020 election. There will be a grace period from September 24th through November 2nd to register and vote at the DuPage County Election Of- fices. Starting October 19th, there will be several Early Voting sites throughout DuPage County that will offer registra- tion and early voting as well. You will also be able to register and vote at your local precinct on Election Day in Du- Page County. Contact DuPage County Election Office at 630-407-5600 for their hours of operation and location. Vote by mail and early voting at the Election Commission office began on September 24, 2020. Early voting outside the Election Commission office will begin October 19th and end on November 02, 2020. Early Voting sites and information is posted on the Village of Oak Brook website, www.oak-brook.org. Please remember to confirm your polling location prior to Election Day. This information can be found on the DuPage County Election Commission site www.dupageco.org/VoterLookup/ CONSOLIDTED ELECTION – APRIL 6, 2021 The following information is pertinent for the filing of nominating petitions of potential candidates seeking a position of municipal office. Candidates must be citizens of the United States, residents of the Village of Oak Brook for one year preceding the election and registered voters. TERMS OF OFFICE AND VACANCIES: TRUSTEE - Three (3) To Be Elected Four (4) Year Term CANDIDATE PACKETS: Candidate packets are available through the Village Clerk’s office at 1200 Oak Brook Road. They may be picked up Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. from the Village Clerk or the Deputy Clerk. They may also be obtained from DuPage County or the State Board of Elections or online from the State Board of Elections www.elections.state.il.us. (Petitions may be circulated beginning September 22, 2020) FILING OF NOMINATION PETITIONS: From 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday, December 14, 2020 through Friday, December 18, 2020 and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on Monday, December 21, 2020 The first day to file is December 14, 2020. The last day to file is December 21, 2020. Petitions are to be filed with the Village Clerk in the Clerk’s Office during regular office hours. Petitions will not be accepted before or after office hours or at any other location other than the Village Clerk’s Office. Place: Office of the Village Clerk Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Butler Government Center Monday through Friday 1200 Oak Brook Road Oak Brook, Illinois 14 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Village Clerk— Elections NOTE: All petitions filed by persons waiting in line at the Office of the Village Clerk as of 8:00 a.m. on the first day for filing shall be deemed SIMULTANEOUSLY FILED as of 8:00 a.m. Petitions filed by mail which are received in the Office of the Village Clerk in the FIRST MAIL DELIVERY or pickup on the First Day of Filing shall be deemed SIMULTANEOUSLY FILED as of 8:00 a.m. All petitions received thereafter shall be deemed filed in the order of actual receipt. Per P.A. 97-1044 (Effective January 1, 2013) and P.A. 98-115 (Effective July 29, 2013), 2 or more petitions filed within the last hour of the filing deadline (between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the last filing day) shall be deemed SIMULTANEOUSLY FILED and are included in the lottery drawing to determine the final bal- lot position. Whenever two or more petitions are simultaneously filed for the same office as of the opening hour of the filing period or within the last hour of the filing deadline, the Local Election Official (Village Clerk) shall break such ties by means of the lottery system as approved by the State Board of Elections, within nine (9) days after the last day of the petition filing period (December 21, 2020). Lottery for ballot placement will take place on Thursday, December 23, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at Village Hall in the Samuel Dean Board Room. The lottery is open to the public though candidates are not required to attend. The lottery system shall be: 1. Names in alphabetical order and then numbered. 2. Assigned numbers of candidates placed into container. 3. After thoroughly shaken and mixed, numbers are drawn and the first number drawn shall be certi- fied ahead of the other candidates listed on alphabetical list. All remaining numbers drawn shall be listed 2nd, 3rd, etc. SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS: For the Consolidated Election, not less than 5%, nor more than 8% of the number of persons who cast bal- lots at the last regular election or political subdivision voted as a unit for the election of officers to serve its respective territorial area (10 ILCS 5/10-3). Illinois statutes (10 ILCS 5/10-3) require a difference of 50 be- tween the minimum and maximum. April 2, 2019 – Ballots Casted – 3,012 - Minimum – 151 to Maximum - 240 Pursuant to the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act, all candidates must file Statements of Economic Interest with the County Clerk in the County in which the Principal Office of the Unit of Local Government with which the person is associated is located not later than the last day of the petition filing period, if they have not previously filed in that calendar year. All candidates must file receipts with the Village Clerk no later than the last day of the petition-filing period. (5 ILCS 420/4A-; 10 ILCS 5/7-12(8), 10-5) WATCHER CREDENTIALS: Each candidate may have one watcher in each polling place. Watchers must be registered voters. All Pollwatcher Credentials shall be issued by and under the facsimile signature of the election authority or the State Board of Elections (A COUNTY CLERK OR A BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSION) Office of the Cook County Clerk, 69 West Washington, Chicago IL or DuPage Election Commission, 421 North County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL. No electioneering or solicitation of votes shall be allowed in any polling place or within 100 FEET of any polling place, or, at the option of a church or private school, on any of the property of that church or private school that is a polling place (THIS INCLUDES SIGNS). Political campaign signs are prohibited within the public right-of-way by the Village Code. The public right-of-way is generally 15 feet from the back of the curb or shoulder of the road. 15 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Village Clerk— Elections Charlotte Pruss Village Clerk 630.368.5052 cpurss@oak-brook.org Ballots and Certificates of Results will be delivered to the Office of the Election Authority (COUNTY CLERK OR BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSION) upon completion of the tally. Provisional voting requires that the DuPage Election Commission and the Cook County Clerk ’s Office investigate and process provisional ballots up to 14 days after the April 6, 2021 Consolidated Election and from that time 7 days to canvass the election results. The certificate of results for each precinct will be available to the Local Election Official (Village Clerk ’s Office) once this process has been completed. Any candidates needing additional information please con- tact my office or the Office of the State Board of Elections. ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS: 1. A Statement of Candidacy must be attached to the petition when filed. 2. A Loyalty Oath is optional and may be attached to the petition. 3. A Receipt showing the candidate has filed a Statement of Economic Interest with the County Clerk. Petitions for Nomination must be submitted according to 10 ILCS 5/7-10. Every candidate for a local office must file a Statement of Economic Interest. The statement is available from and filed with the County Clerk in the County in which the principal office of the unit of local govern- ment with which the person is associated is located. The RECEIPT for the statement must be filed with the Election Official who receives the nominating petitions for the unit of government. The Statement must be filed during the CALENDAR YEAR in which the nominating petitions are filed. While the receipt need not accompany the nominating petitions at the time of filing, it must be filed no later than the last day to file the petitions. It is the responsibility of the candidate to review all of the documents to insure that the documents are cor- rect and/or are necessary for the office requested. It is the responsibility of the candidate to correctly pre- pare, circulate and submit to the Village Clerk the petition for candidacy. Objections can be filed between December 14, 2020 through December 30, 2020 during regular business hours of 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the office of the Village Clerk. Please note that the Village will be closed all day on Thursday, December 24, 2020 and Friday, December 25, 2020. Copies of Candidates Packets will be available for immediate distribution after 9:00 a.m. on Monday, De- cember 14, 2020. Neither the Village Clerk, Village Clerk’s Staff, Cook County Clerk nor the DuPage County Election Com- mission takes any responsibility or liability for the candidate’s action or lack of action. Should the candi- date have any questions regarding the elections, reference may be made to ILLINOIS COMPILED STAT- UES, CHAPTER 10: ELECTIONS (10 ILCS 5/1) or an Attorney should be consulted. Any information given by the Village Clerk, Village Clerk’s Staff or either County Election Official is to help the candidates, but those parties are not legal advisors to the candidate and cannot accept any liability for their statements. 16 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Golf By Sean Creed Sean Creed Golf Club Manager 630.368.6460 screed@oak-brook.org Despite a challenging start to the season, things quickly turned around as Oak Brook Golf Club became a diversion for those man- dated to stay at home and the Club experi- enced an extremely busy summer. The golf course, driving range, lessons and programs operated at capacity almost daily. The completion of the bar and restaurant en- hancements compliment the outdoor patio making the Club an exceptional place for res- idents and golf members to relax with a deli- cious meal or refreshing drink. The food and beverage operation greatly outperformed ex- pectations. Kudos to our Food & Beverage Manager Ramunas and his team for their dedication in providing excellent service. Their tireless efforts and exemplary work ethic have provided a standard that will en- sure continued success. Fall is the perfect time to take advantage of our outdoor patio. Come and enjoy the beautiful fall weather in our outdoor space, complete with comfortable seating and fire pits. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and spirits are available daily. And when the weather turns colder the party will move inside. The Bar & Restaurant will remain open through the off season. We’ve created a great venue for watching the game. All Chicago sports teams and premier sporting events will be featured daily. Even if you’re not a sports enthusiast come and enjoy the relaxed sur- roundings with family and friends. On behalf of the entire staff at Oak Brook Golf, thank you for contributing to our suc- cess by creating the inviting culture that makes us unique. 17 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Finance - 2021 Budget Process By Jason Paprocki The Village’s budget is a management plan that details how valuable resources will be allocated to address communi- ty priorities and organizational objectives for the Village of Oak Brook. The Village of Oak Brook’s budget process is underway for the next fiscal year (January 1 – December 31, 2021). Key steps along the way are outlined below: The 2021 budget process begins with the Village department directors submitting their funding requests to the Village Manager and Finance Director in late August. The Village Manager and Finance Director consider available revenues as the starting point to developing a draft budget. During September, there will be numerous meetings with key staff to discuss and evaluate depart- mental funding requests. Adjustments to budget requests are made to adhere to the level of projected reve- nues for the upcoming year. During October, a proposed 2021 budget and 5-year financial plan is prepared by the Finance Department. Cop- ies of the finalized draft documents will be posted online and available for viewing at the Village Hall and Library in late October. The Village Board will hold two budget workshop meetings in early November to discuss the 2021 proposed budget. Residents are invited to attend these meetings or submit comments on the proposed budget. The meetings will also be broadcast and available for viewing online. Please check the Village’s website for scheduled dates. At the December 8, 2020 regularly scheduled Village Board meeting, a public hearing will take place regarding the 2022 Budget. Residents may participate in the public hearing. Given the outcome of the public hearing, the adoption of the final 2022 budget may occur during the same Board meeting. In early 2021, the adopted budget will be sent to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for con- sideration for its Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. Oak Brook has previously won this award nine times. The budget is an ongoing process combining citizen input, Village Board vision and direction, and staff recommen- dations to meet community needs. The Village of Oak Brook strives to adopt a balanced budget that is open to citi- zen input and participation. Each resident can have a voice in deciding what the budget will be spent on and how it will be paid for before it is adopted. Budget comments and suggestions may be submitted in a number of ways:  Email Village Manager Rick Ginex (rginex@oak-brook.org) or Finance Director Jason Paprocki (jpaprocki@oak-brook.org).  Reach out to the Village President and Board of Trustees.  Attend a Village Board meeting (second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 7 p.m., 1200 Oak Brook Rd.) and speak during the Public Comment portion.  Attend a Budget Workshop at Village Hall. GFOA Budget Award The Village of Oak Brook has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its 2020 Annual Budget from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). This award was created to encourage and assist state and local governments prepare high quality budget documents. In order to receive the award, a budget docu- ment must be rated as proficient or outstanding by at least two of the three independent reviewers in a number of categories. This marks the ninth time the Village has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The 2020 Annual Budget, as well as a condensed executive summary of the budget, can be found on the Village’s website at: https://www.oak- brook.org/304/Financial-Documents. Jason Paprocki Finance Director 630.368.5070 jpaprocki@oak-brook.org 18 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 Bath & Tennis Club By Marianne Long Great Things Come In Small Packages For years, we have subscribed to the theory that bigger is better when it comes to events and celebrations. A bigger space meant more guests. A bigger menu meant more people would be satisfied. A bigger varie- ty in entertainment meant more people would remember the party for years to come. The truth is, smaller, more intimate events have always provided a great experience for hosts and guests alike. COVID-19 may have put a halt on large gatherings, but it doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying the company of friends and family. How Can You Benefit Here at Oak Brook Bath & Tennis Club, we have the unique ability to provide a great experience for small events, and we’ve been doing it for years. We want to share with you some of the benefits of having smaller events and how we’re making those events safe in the midst of COVID-19. Save money without sacrificing quality. A smaller guest count is the easiest way to save money on an event without having to cut out food, beverages or en- tertainment. It also means less equipment, tables and chairs, which will save you money and give you more space at the venue. Focus on what matters. Smaller events allow people to spend more quality time with each other. The intimate setting provides an atmosphere that encourages meaningful connection. Increase effectiveness of meetings. More space and less “stuff” provide a tranquil setting for a meeting. Pair that with fewer disruptions and you’re bound to get more out of your meetings. How You Can Feel Safe While small events are possible, COVID-19 does provide some unique challenges when it comes to keep- ing guests safe. We have increased our safety and sani- tation procedures to be in line with local, state and feder- al guidelines. Our exclusive caterer, Tasty Catering, also has high sanitation and safety procedures in place, giving us the confidence that we’re providing you with a safe environment for an event. Here are a few of the ways we’re keeping you safe: Wear PPE. Our staff wears masks and gloves from set up to clean up, changing gloves frequently through- out the event. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. High -touch areas are sani- tized frequently and sanitation stations are set up at each entrance and exit. Limit interaction. We have Plexiglas shields at each bar and buffet items are served by a staff member. Kimia Photography 19 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020 How You Can Have Fun Perhaps one of the biggest concerns about small, socially distanced events is being able to offer the same ex- perience to guests. How can all loved ones experience your wedding? How can you have fun if you can ’t dance? The list of doubts is long, but rest assured, that a little creativity can solve most problems. Increase guest participation. Have your guests submit marriage advice or the MC run a “how well do you know the bride and groom” trivia session. It’s Time To Plan Your Next Event They may not be traditional, but small events and micro weddings offer lots of benefits to both you and your guests and can provide an equally amazing experience. Give us a call at 630.368.6440 or contact us online to learn more about how you can plan a safe event at Oak Brook Bath & Tennis Club. Bath & Tennis Club Marianne Long Marketing & Event Manager Office: 630.368.6442 | Fax: 630.368.6443 Website: OakBrookBathandTennis.com You can get creative with your décor. With the money you save having fewer guests, you can splurge and hire a professional design company and create a grand entry way with beautiful pipe and drapery, romantic patio string lights, see your name in lights with Gobo lighting, bring in oversized patio games, rent fun furniture or hang color- ful paper lanterns or twine bas- Take some of the money you’ve saved with lower guest counts and equipment and put it into guest gift bags that will help them re- member this day forever. Bring in different entertainment Dance floors may be closed, but you can bring in musicians or an MC to keep guests engaged and having fun. Give your guests something to go home with 20 WWW.OAK-BROOK.ORG | Fall 2020