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Vol. 10, No. 2 - May 1989KISSING ZONE May,1989 Vol.10 No. 2 WATCH FOR THE MAIL... Sometime in May, you'll receive the computer card or cards for your Village stickers. Mayor Forrest's budget message, reprinted in this issue, explains the increase of $5.00 per car - making car stickers $30.00 this year. They will be due by or before July 1st and will be valid until June 30, 1990. We know you know all about this, but here's the information just in case(you don't have to read this - it's for new residents and people who've forgotten since last year . - As soon as you receive the computer cards, gather them all together. Write a check for the total amount ($30.00 per car), and mail the whole shebang to the Village Hall. We'll process your applications and send you your stickers. - In case you have a vehicle other than a passenger car, look on the back of the form for the correct amount. • - If you're a Senior Citizen, you need pay only $1.00 for the first car... additional cars are $30.00. Incidentally, Seniors are those over 65 by July 1st. - If you've applied for State plates but haven't received them, you can still get your stickers on time. Just call us with the plate numbers when you do get them. - If you change cars during the sticker license year, we'll sell you a transfer for $1.00. All you need do is fill out another application with the new information. - If you fail to purchase and display the new sticker by July 1st, the price per sticker is increased by 50%...or $45.00. - PLEASE send us ALL of your sticker applications, together with the correct amount, at one time. This enables us to process all of your applications in one operation. Since many people leave on vacation when school is out for the summer, we urge you to take care of this as soon as you get the computer cards. We don't like to charge the extra 50% but that's'an ordinance requirement for late purchasers. If you have any questions which we've missed, please call the Village Hall - 945-5000. SPRING TIME CLEANING Once again, the Mayor and Board of Trustees are asking for your cooperation in sprucing up the Village. SATURDAY, MAY 20th, is the day when Public Works crews will be cleaning up all public areas. We're asking you to join in this effort -by cleaning up your yard or painting outside areas where needed. This doesn't include cleaning basements and garages... there's no special scavenger pick-up, so don't get carried away. All we have in mind is a general face lift after the long winter. THIS AND THAT Every so often we accumulate helpful reminders for you - here are a few things for you to ponder: ABOUT MAIL BOXES: Placing flyers or other non -mail items in mail boxes is a Federal offense. If you wish to distribute such material door-to-door, call the Village Hall to get information on what you can and can not do. There are strict limitations which are established by the handbill ordinance. YOU MAY NOT PUT THEM IN MAIL BOXES ... postal authorities take a very dim view of this practice! HOUSE NUMBERS The Municipal Code requires that you have your house number plainly visible from the street. For older houses, 2" high letters are acceptable but all new construction requires letters not less than 3" high. We strongly re- commend that yours be at least 3"!!! The Fire and Police Departments also recommend this. Use figures, not script, in a color which contrasts to the place they are mounted, which is on the side of the house closest to and parallel with the street. This is "for your own good", as Mother used to say! DOGS ... AGAIN! Clean up after your dog and/or your cat!. It's illegal to permit your pet to use public or private (other than your own) property as a bathroom. And you may not permit him or her to run loose. MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 29th Scavenger service will be delayed one day duri nq this week .... so mark these dates: Wednesday, May 31st and Saturday, June 3rd. BLOOD DRIVE Can you spare a half hour of your time on Sunday, June 4th? If so, call 298-9660 to make an appointment to donate a pint of blood at the Jewett Park Community Center. They'll also take you without an appoint- ment ... and welcome you with open arms! FIRE AWAY! If you'll call 945-4066, the Fire Depart- ment will arrange a home safety inspection for you - another free service for the pro- tection of you and your family. How about smoke detectors? They can also help you with this most necessary warning device. PARTIES! PROMS! PARENTS... PROBLEMS!!! WE NEED YOU - DESPERATELY! • Volunteers are sorely needed to help with the annual Deerfield Family Days. Most people have no idea of the amount of time and work required to make this celebration so great. Y 0 U can help ease the burden by donating your services... there's a job to suit your talents. Won't you volunteer? Call Jim King, President, at 945-8550 or Bob York at the Chamber of Commerce office, 945-4660. Please? This year the festivities at the High School, including fireworks, will be on Monday, Julv 3 and the parade and Jewett Park activities will be held on Tuesday, July 4th. Do it now ..... call 945-8550 or 945-4660..... it's a community project you can be proud of! This is a wonderful time of year for our young people (otherwise referred to as "minors".) It can be a devastating time for parents, though. The "Parental Responsibility" ordinance charges parents with the responsibility for the acts committed by minors, if those acts endanger the peace and safety of the residents of the Village. Before your minors plan a party, we suggest you call the Police Department to see what this entails. It could happen to you ... a small party for a few friends can escalate into a brawl for over a hundred. —And, as parents, you're the ones held responsible! BUDGET MESSAGE Each new fiscal year provides us with an opportunity to review the past and, at the same time, look forward to the future. By doing so, we are able to learn from our experience as we plan for the challenges ahead. Indeed, we are fortunate in Deerfield to have a reputation as a community that has balanced the relationship between strong heritage and inevitable change. The Village remains committed to maintain that tradition as we approve a financial plan for the next fiscal year. lahe combined total budget for 1989-90 is $13,239,542. This amount, which includes all funds, is the result of an extensive udget review process that began in January and ends with tonight's public hearing and final action by the Board. As is our practice, the operating budget is planned over a three year period, and the capital budget consists of a five year planning schedule. I am pleased that, as promised last year, the Village has eliminated the General Fund Property Tax Levy. Unfortunately, this will not represent a significant change in local tax bills, since Deerfield receives only 10% of the total real estate taxes paid. Nevertheless, it reflects the expanded tax base in Deerfield and the results of our efforts to find alternative revenue sources. With the exception of the Library tax rate (which, by law, must levy through the Village), all Village tax rates are below the limits established by the State of Illinois for non -Home Rule municipalities. In short, we have been very prudent in exercising our Home Rule taxing authority. With the exception of debt service related to our street and sewer rehabilitation programs and substantial State mandated pension increases, the Village has maintained a constant tax levy over the past ten years. In fact, the nondebt service levy has increased at a rate of less than 3% a year since 1981, far below the rate of inflation for that period. In approving this budget, the Village will convert a part-time planner to a full-time position in the Department of Community Development and add clerical personnel in both the police and public works departments. To remain competitive in the municipal market, there will be a 6% increase in the employee salary plan. The 1989-90 budget will continue, at increased levels, the Senior Subsidy Program and also the joint effort with the Deerfield Park District to provide seniors with basic services essential to their needs. Also continued are the 50/50 sidewalk, curb and tree programs which encourage a shared responsibility for infrastructure improvements that benefit both the Village and individual property owners. It should be noted that this budget provides for a unique application of the 50/50 tree program involving the cooperation of the North Central Deerfield Homeowners Association in a beautification program along the Milwaukee Road railroad tracks. Two major items impacting the new budget are pension and health insurance costs. Funding requirements, established by the State Department of Insurance for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, offer no alternative to municipal governments but to pass on increased pension costs to the taxpayers. As for health insurance, significant premium increases throughout the marketplace are being experienced in Deerfield as well. Even with cost -saving amendments to our health and hospitalization plan, Insurance premiums represent a sizable portion of our total budget. Consistent with our objective to both improve and maintain our sanitary sewer system, it will be necessary to increase the sewer rate from $1.05 to $1.15 per hundred cubic feet. Based on average usage, this will amount to approximately a $12.00 Increase per year for each homeowner. There will be no change in the water rates. AWxpenditures in the Street Fund continue to escalate while revenue sources remain relatively constant. More than any other und, street operations include varied services such as: patching, sweeping, plowing, forestry work, traffic marking, and drainage improvements, to name a few. To continue these necessary programs, the price of vehicle stickers will be increased from $25 to $30. By raising this user fee, last increased in January 1982, those who benefit most will pay for these services. Senior Citizens will continue to pay only $1 for one car. As we adopt this budget, final plans are being made to implement a residential recycling program in Deerfield. Exact details of the program and their corresponding costs are not known at this time. However, scavenger service rates must be adjusted in anticipation of recycling (soon to be mandated by the Illinois General Assembly) as well as annual adjustments agreed to by contract. The Village's plan is to provide curbside recycling opportunities to its residents without diminishing the refuse service as we now know it. Although several major capital projects were completed this year, others are planned for fiscal '89-'90. These include: approximately 1.5 miles of resurfacing under the Street Rehabilitation Program; construction of the turning lane and streetscape plans at the southwest corner of Deerfield and Waukegan Roads; completion of phase II of the Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Program which involves extensive sewer work in the southwest quadrant; creek improvements in connection with the Lake Cook Road retention basin scheduled to begin construction next Fall; extensive streetscape projects on the old Marathon site, the Deerfield Road viaduct and entrances to the Village Center; construction of the Brickyards Park; completion of the new Public Works/Park District facility; and initial equipment purchases to implement emergency number 911, approved by the voters last November. The above projects, many of which were begun during the current budget period, represent a rather ambitious Capital Improvement Program for a community our size. The number and the extent of the projects are possible due to the Village leveraging its funds with grants, Tax Increment Financing and direct contributions of developers. A major objective in the next fiscal year is to undertake a redevelopment project within the Village Center that would include a public -private joint venture. Through Tax Increment Financing, we have established a funding mechanism for generating renovation projects in our downtown area. By acquiring key properties and completing phase I of the Robert York Avenue Improvement, we have begun the much needed program to reestablish the Village Center as the focal point of our community. The timing is right, therefore, for moving forward with our redevelopment plans. As always, however, we will proceed cautiously to assure that the results are in the best interests of the entire community. In summary, this budget is the work of many people, both elected and appointed to serve you, the residents of Deerfield. It represents a good balance between what are often times competing priorities: tradition and change; basic needs and expanded .programs; new services and available resources. We are indeed fortunate to be in a sound financial position, having lived within our resources for many years. Our objective will be to maintain that position, while continuing to provide the high quality of services our residents have come to expect and enjoy. BERNARD FORREST April 17, 1989 Mayor COUNTY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT RECYCLING Your 1989 tax bill contains a new line item for stormwater management. It amounts to eight -tenths of one cent for each $100 of assessed valuation, which translates to approximately $2.66 a year for a home with an assessed value of $100,000. The new County tax will be used to develop and promote tougher countywide regulations for stormwater and floodplain management. Currently, there are over 90 governmental bodies enforcing some form of stormwater regulations on an individual basis. The new plan will help bring these entities together to improve stormwater manage- ment countywide. A committee working on an Organization and Policy Plan hopes to submit their recommendations to the Lake County Board this Fall. MEMORIAL DAY Mark your calendar for 10:00 A.M., Monday, May 29th for the annual Memorial Day services in Jewett Park, followed by the parade to the Deerfield Cemetery. This is sponsored every year by the American Legion - Deerfield Post #738. VILLAGE OF DEERFIELD 850 Waukegan Road Deerfield, Illinois 60015 Fire Department..........................945-2121 Fire Department Non -Emergency ............945-4066 Police Department........................945-2131 Police Department Non -Emergency ..........945-8636 Village Hall..............................945-5000 BERNARD FORREST, Mayor TRUSTEES James L. Marovitz Edwin B. Seidman Cynthia J. Marty Vernon E. Swanson Harriet Rosenthal J. Robert York Robert D. Franz, Village Manager Marjorie Emery, D-Tales Editor The next issue of D-Tales hopefully will have specific information on a new resi- dential recycling program. On April 3rd, • the Mayor and Board of Trustees approved the recommendation of the Deerfield Energy Advisory and Resource Recovery Commission to implement curbside recycling this summer. In the meantime, you are encouraged to take your newspapers, glass and aluminum cans to the recycling center at Kates Road next to the water tower. MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC The annual Les Turner ALS (Amoytropic Lateral Sclerosis) Foundation fundraiser is scheduled for October 12 to 22. Any time between May 15th and September 30th, you can help by donating records, cassette tapes and video tapes, which can be dropped off at the Deerfield Fire Station at 839 Deerfield Road. If you have larger items you would like to donate (stereos or instruments), call the Foundation at 679-3311 to schedule a pick-up. POSTAL CUSTOMER DEERFIELD, ILLINOIS 60015 Bulk Rate U S.POSTAGE PAID Per mil No. 1 Deerfield. Illinois CAR/PRE-SORT • Printed at Standard Printing Service, Inc. (312) 498.6126 )Y4:)'n't)':)Y.:: �;`::s';)':;cs';)'::;s'r;':)';s':s'r,:;r:;:::r)'r::)'::r)"c �;r:r.::r:r:r:r:r:r:r:r:r:r:r:::r`„:r)'::.::.:.:::::rk4r:r�•;r)'.::•�•:, �:rs:::'.:"'';Cs�;.);)'':'•::s:`:r:r'::.)'Cs'rsY�.rS':sr`.rs'r May 1989 A Newsletter Presented By The Deerfield Police Department )'r )': fr )Y 4; d; ;c )': )': )': s:' 4; )'r � )'; :r )4 :; )': )': )': )° ;: 4 .::: )': �: )'::: )� s: >;-):' 4::: � .: )': )'c ::': )'::: )° )'::: )° :: �': )'r ::'.r)': ). )� 4 ;� � ;;. �, )� )� )� � )� � )� � )': s... ;::; :: �': s: sl• � )'; � �• )'; )'r :; 4; )': )':'; s� � When spring time arrives communities on the north shore experience an increase in fraudulent activity. In the April 1988 edition of "Police Beat" we brought to your attention a few common con games and frauds. Here's a reminder of a few of those, and a few more. MAIL FRAUD Mail fraud is a scheme to get money or anything of value from you by offering a product, service, or investment opportunity that does not live up to i.ts claims. Prosecutors must prove the claims were intentionally misrepresented and that the mails were used to carry out the scheme. Medical Fraud The snake oil merchant is still with us. But todays quacks are highly sophisticated salespeople who use widespread deceptive advertising to offer miracle cures like... Instant cures for arthritis! Lose weight overnight! Grow more hair! Look years younger! and many more. Most of the gadgets and gimmicks advertised are not tested by competent medical authorities, and some are downright dangerous. Protect your health and your pocketbook, before purchasing any cure-alls, check with your family doctor. Insurance Fraud There are some slick operators who run insurance policy schemes and try to sell you anything in the insurance line, regardless of your existing coverage or need. The premiums far exceed those charged by reputable insurance firms. These schemes have certain recognizable traits that can help you spot them. A request for cash payments. A request for a lump sum payment as far as a year in advance. An offer of last chance insurance bargains. A request that you sign a blank insurance form. , When purchasing insurance, be sure to read all the fine print on documents and purchase only the insurance coverage you need. Discuss the offer with a knowledgeable friend or relative or an attorney before signing any document. Ot.her examples of mail fraud are... Investment fraud, chain letters, lotteries, phony job opportunities, and vacation scams. 00 "Let the buyer beware" is the motto for people involved in fraud. Nobody would fall for a fraud if it: looked like a fraud. So most of the time it looks like something else - a good deal, a business opportunity, a gift., or a chance t:o make a quick buck. Check it out before you participate! Home Repair Fraud A serviceman comes to your door offering a free inspection of your homes heating unit, air conditioner, or water heater. If you are a new owner, he may say that he servi.ced the uni.t for the previous owner. He then goes down to the basement., or outside to do the inspection, and when you are not looki.ng, he squi.rts liquid on the unit t:o simulate a leak. He mi.ght even punch a hole in the unit: and tell you it needs to be replaced altogether. Luckily he says he can give you a great deal on a new unit. And if you gi.ve him a cash deposit immediately, he can install i.t the next. day. You either never see the serviceman again, or you end up with a high priced replacement that you didn't need i.n the first. place. Anot.her common ploy is for the person to come to your door and say he has been worki.ng down the street and happened to notice your roof or driveway needs repair. He just happens to have extra material left: over from the other job and the price he quotes you seems li.ke a real bargain. If. he works on a place that's hard to check like a roof, he may do no work at all, or he may use an i.nferior materi.al that washes away with the first rain. The con man might say to the home owner that the price he quoted was per container and demand a considerably larger sum of money. Ei.ther way residents should be cautious of people soli.cit:ing like this. CRIME PREVENTION TIPS A lock that isn't used i.s worthless! When we leave the house we remember to lock the front and back door, but what about the door from the garage to the house. It's often f.orgot.t:en by the home owner, but not by a thief! Keep bushes and trees around your home tri.mmed so they don't conceal criminal act:i.vity. Don't give a crook a chance to work undetected. How to tell a criminal you're NOT home. Leave a note on the front door telling a family member that you wi.11 be right back. Leave a newspaper laying in the driveway. Let uncollected mail accumulate. Keep lights off when you're gone. Leave dry cleaning that's been delivered hanging from your front door. 'IF**fr)Yirx�)Yx)Y�:)'t�fc�)Ykirsts:)':)Yi:;'r*'c;'t)',t.':a'-'.r):'•�;':;'.xk;':'.r::� -'c:':)';;�)':)°icy•�':;';:r:^:)':S:)':)Y:r�';':k)':)Y�-)';�)!')Y)':sr:::;;'r':::)�.;';-.',')';�)'c)�ak)Y.:s':;'c BIKE SAFETY - It's that time of the year to start thinking of bike safety. Motorists and bicyclists should exercise caution in or around intersections because that's where most accidents occur. Motorists sometimes focus their attention only on vehicle traffic -and overlook bicyclists. On the other hand bike riders, regardless of age, should remember that stop signs and traffic control devices apply to them also. Remember to drive defensively! ***it*�IcyFir�icyYic)kic)tiro*yFsc�rfcici'c)Y�kt�cit;'r�'rir;'car*)Y*fit;c:":)';icy)Y)Y�'r)Y�c*�i:��;'ric�c�it���c;'c�r�ic)tics;'rice'c�c�*4c;'c'k'.r;'c*�;ic)t�Cirir•kic� Published by: Deefield Police Department Chief of Police Richard Brandt 850 Waukegan Rd. Deerfield, I1. 60015 "Police Beat" edited by Officer Eric Lundahl