Vol. 21, No. 1 - Jan 1999Deerfield. TALES
January 1999 - VOL. 21 NO. 1
Happy New Year
..............
'TOVVNM�1'TCNG
REDUCTION IN TAX LEVY
On December 7th, the Village Board passed the
Real Estate Tax Levy for 1998. For the seventh
year in a row, the amount levied is less than the
previous year.
However, as we continue to remind you, the Village
receives less than 7% of the total property taxes
9 ld, so our decrease may not have an appreciable
fect on your next bill. In any event, we're pleased
to announce this reduction even though, as a Home
Rule community,. there are no limits on the amount
the Village can levy.
CITIZENS HONORED
At this year's Thanksgiving Interfaith Service, Mary
Connor and Marilyn Sanner were presented with 1998
Human Relations Awards. We extend our sincere
congratulations to these two residents who give so
much of their time to help others.
CHRISTMAS TREE PICK-UP
The Village's scavenger service contractor will pick up
Christmas trees and other organic holiday decorations
on TUESDAY, JANUARY 5TH AND TUESDAY,
JANUARY 12TH. Trees and other organic greenery
will be picked up at your curb IF all bags, metal
(including tinsel) and other decorations are removed.
SCAVENGER SERVICE
Due to the January 1st holiday, regular Friday
scavenger service pick-up will be on Saturday,
JANUARY 2ND.
COMMUNITY EMERGENCY FUND
The Deerfield Community Emergency Fund is a
community -based program created to help meet the
needs of area residents who are experiencing financial
crisis resulting from loss of work, family problems,
and other circumstances. Our community spirit is what
sets Deerfield apart! Please consider donating to the
fund that helps our own neighbors when they face hard
times. If you need further information, contact West
Deerfield Township Supervisor Julie Morrison at 945-
0614.
Donations can be sent to: Deerfield Village Hall, 850
Waukegan Road, Deerfield, IL 60015 or West
Deerfield Township, 858 Waukegan Road, Deerfield,
IL 60015
POWER OUTAGES
In early December, a Commonwealth Edison representative was invited to a Village Board meeting to respond
to complaints from residents on electrical power reliability and overall customer service. Dissatisfied with their:
answers, the Village has joined with several other municipalities in a concerted effort to deal with Corn E
through the Illinois Commerce Commission to secure more dependable service.
However, we need your help. Although we have heard from many of you, information is needed on the trouble
spots in Deerfield where electrical power outages occur repeatedly, even during good weather. The Village
intends to keep the pressure on Corn Ed to make infrastructure improvements in the areas most needed.
If you experience chronic power outages, please complete the following information and return it to the
Village Hall at 850 Waukegan Road.
Name:
Address:
Number of Outages in an Average Year: Average Length of Outages
Comments:
•
REMEMBER: Inquiries during power outages should be directed to Commonwealth Edison's power failuare
hotline at 1-800-EDISONI (1-800-334-7661•). This automated telephone answering system matches a resident's
telephone number to their street address and reports the outage. During widespread outages, residents may
experience difficulty in reaching the hotline, but it is important to keep trying so that your outage is recorded.
Residents should dial 911 to report downed electrical wires or electrical fires.
THANKS AGAIN!
This year's weekly Farmers Markets were once again
a huge success due to the hard work of Pat and Tom
Jester, Joan and Brian Reed, and Julie Sherman. We
extend our sincere appreciation to them.
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT LENDING CLOSET
The Deerfield Nurses' Association provides a
lending closet which includes medical equipment
such as wheelchairs, crutches and walkers for those
who have need of such items.
The equipment can be checked out at no cost on a
short-term basis. The telephone number for this
service is (847) 604-2233.
NEWSPAPERS NEEDED
Orphans of the Storm in Riverwoods is in need of
newspapers during the winter months. They are
open seven days a week from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M.
DID YOU KNOW?
> Parking is free in all of the commuter
parking lots after 10 A.M. on weekdays and
all day on weekends.
> Important community information can be
found on Cable Channel 10 - The Info
Channel. 91
> It is a violation to park your vehicle across
sidewalks. Please respect the rights of
pedestrians.
SNOW REMOVAL
WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
0
•
0
It's a matter of pride with the
Public Works Department to
reach their goal of clearing
all 70 miles of Village streets
within 12 hours after the
snowfall stops. However, in
order for them to do this,
they need your cooperation.
Here's where you come in:
Don't park on the street or in public parking
lots after a 3" or more snowfall.
When you shovel your driveway, put the
snow on the reside of your drive as you
face the street..... then the plows won't push
as much snow back into your driveway.
3. Don't shovel or blow snow into the street
4. If a contractor plows your driveway, the
snow must be stored on your property, not
your neighbor's.
How about adopting a fire hydrant? You can
keep the one closest to your home free of
snow .... just in case of an emergency.
6. Maintain a safe distance (100') when
traveling behind a snow plowing truck.
CENSUS SURVEY
Approximately 1/3 of Deerfield homeowners will be
receiving by mail a lengthy questionnaire from the
U.S. Department of Commerce as part of the 2000
Census. The survey asks for detailed information
about education, employment, income and housing.
It also requests more personal information such as
the cost of utility bills, loan payments and
commuting time to and from work.
According to the Bureau of Census, the survey is
"intended to provide a timely, accurate pool of facts
about your community. Schools, hospitals,
businesses, community services, banks and other
local organizations will be able to use this
information to pinpoint specific community needs....
and know what action may need to be taken to
address them". All of the responses are to be kept
strictly confidential. The Bureau advises that
recipients are required by law to complete the
survey. Census workers will be dispatched to
homes which fail to respond.
We are informing you of the above because the
police department has received some calls
expressing concern that it may be a scam. It is a
legitimate survey and is being taken very seriously
by the Federal Government.
In early December, the Village Board accepted a
report from its consulting engineer on the Deerfield
Water System. The consultant had been retained to:
1) identify current and future demands and 2)
develop planning and design recommendations for
specific improvements. Recommended is a new
water connection from the City of Highland Park,
which supplies all of Deerfield's water. The
connection would be in the area of the high school.
Also needed is additional storage capacity,
preferably on the west side of the Village.
A study of potential reservoir sites resulted in a
recommendation to construct a new 2 million gallon
underground storage reservoir in Mitchell Park at
Hazel Avenue and Wilmot Road. There is an
existing 3 million gallon reservoir under the tennis
courts at that location. A new pumping station is
also needed. This location is ideal for providing
water to customers on the west side of town,
including the Village of Riverwoods which buys
water from Deerfield. Water from the new Highland
Park connection point would be conveyed through
a new transmission main in northwest Deerfield.
The route of that main will be selected so as to take
advantage of other Village planned improvements
such as street work and water main replacements in
that area. The Village has already sold a 5 million
dollar General Obligation Bond Issue to fund the
water system expansion. However, before any work
proceeds, a public hearing will be held by the Plan
Commission on the improvements proposed at
Mitchell Park. Further information on these plans
will be in future issues of D-Tales.
TAX INCREMENT FINANCING
Here is some more good news about property taxes!
On December 21st, the Village Board passed a
resolution reallocating $6,771,257 from the Lake
Cook Road Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District.
For the ninth consecutive year, the Village has
distributed funds to various local governments in
Lake And Cook Counties. The major allocations in
Lake County were:
School District #109 -
$1,031,438
School District $113 -
$
829,204
Fire District -
$
234,838
Village -
$
203,115
Lake County -
$
233,957
Park District -
$
185,932
Library -
$
86,798
The Lake Cook Road TIF District has been a huge
success story with all local taxing bodies sharing in
the benefits. Once again, the Village used its
allocation to reduce our annual tax levy. This is the
seventh successive year we've decreased our
portion of the property tax bill.
Deerfield has always had the good fortune of having many residents
willing to volunteer their time and talents to serve the community.
We would like to take this opportunty to thank the following people who served during 1998:
Appearance Review
Electrical Commission
Commission
James Brown, Ted Galvani,
Police Pension Board
Richard Coen, Ch.
Richard R. Osman, James
Mark Anfenson, Robert
Jules Beskin, Michael Hull,
Quinn, Michael Rouse
Davenport
James Landaker, Philip
Rosborough
Energy Advisory & Resource
Recovery Commission
Safety Council
Robin Stone, Ch.
Sheila Stanger, Ch.
Board of Building Appeals
Donald Anderson, Marc Brown,
Alan Bromberg, Rick
Ted Galvani, Patrick Gattari,
Teresa Pew, Laurence Ratner,
Cervarich, Thomas Elliott, Roy
Walter Hallford, Richard R.
Glenn Schwartz, Andrew
Lipner, Herbert Nicholson,
Osman, Berton Ring, Steven
Warren
Lance Weiss
Welch
Emergency Services & Disaster
Stan Rundell, Coordinator
Sister City Committee
Board of Police Commissioners
David Arnold, John Chaput,
William Sause, Ch.
Athur Rollin, Ch.
Kalman Kahn, Gregory Lapin,
Edward Bohrer, Else Kuerten,
James Marovitz, James Warren
Tim McQuire
Kenneth Nylund, Ruth Schiffels
Fine Arts Commission
Board of Zoning
Maer Davis, Ch.
Stormwater Management
Bob Speckmann, Ch.
Jill Burstein, Dorothy
Bill Davis, Ch.
Leonard Adams, Herbert
FiedlerJames Golding, Connie
Thomas Jester, Franklin
Kessel, Theodore Kuczek,
Kieffer, Sharon Laney, Jeffrey
Kulhanek, Lee S. Rose
Michael Lewitz, Bruce
Marks
Robbins, Karen Scott
Human Relations Commission
Village Center Development
John Grage, Ch.
Michael LeToumeau, Ch.
Cable & Telecommunications
Thelma LeVeaux, Charles Ray,
Oscar Adler, Kevin Forrest,
Commission
Douglas Sullivan,
Alan H. Garfield, Joanne
Jesse L. Rotman, Ch.
Leslie, Joan Reed, Julie
•
Neil Charak, Paul Diambri,
Manpower Commission
Sherman, Barbara Struthers,
Phillip Elbling, Joseph Kayne,
Richard Strauss, Ch.
Jannes Zobus
Jeremiah Madden, Steven
Jules Crystal, Robert
Robinson, John Sanner
Fredrickson, Julie Morrison,
Jean Reuther
Youth Council
Patricia Bornor, Ch.
Cemetery Association
Plan Commission
Ida Greenfield, Phillip
John Willman, Ch.
Robert Benton, Ch.
Mankoff, Jeffrey Marks
Maynard Grossman, Laura
Martin Becker, James Feldman,
Thomas Moses, John Palen,
Kempf
Gail Gussis, Bruce Heitzinger,
Barbara Reich, Jeffrey Rivlin,
David Marks, Joseph Pugliese
Lawrence Tracey
VILLAGE OF DEERFIELD
850 Waukegan Road
Deerfield, Illinois 60015
Fire Department..............................911
Fire Department Non -Emergency .............945-4066
Police Department.............................911
Police Department Non -Emergency ............945-8636
Village Hall.............................945-5000
Public Works............................317-7245
Web Page.......................www.deerfield-il.org
BERNARD FORREST, Mayor
TRUSTEES
Marvin W. Ehlers John H. Heuberger Harriet Rosenthal
Edwin B. Seidman Vernon E. Swanson Michael Swartz
Robert D. Franz, Village Manager
Printed on Recycled Paper
Printed at SPS, The Printing Company, Inc. (847) 498-6126
Bulk Rate
U.S.POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 1
Deerfield, Illinois
CAR/PRE-SORT
POSTAL CUSTOMER
DEERFIELD, ILLINOIS 60015
Police Beat
December 1998
ABANDONED 9-1-1 CALLS
DON'T HANG UP
Calling 9-1-1 is the quickest and
most reliable method to report
police, fire, or medical emergen-
cies. But some 9-1-1 callers are
hanging up before Deerfield's
emergency telecommunicators
receive the call. 9-1-1 calls re-
quire additional time, referred to
as Call Setup, before a connec-
tion is completed. This delay,
between 7 and 12 seconds, is as-
sociated with the distance the call
has to travel and the electronic
data it must carry. 9-1-1 calls
travel out of state accessing a
data base that provides the Emer-
gency Dispatch Center with your
phone number and address.
When calling from the work
place, your 9-1-1 call must also
work its way through your pri-
vate phone system.
Although this delay is frustrating
and seems like minutes instead of
seconds, we can best serve you if
you stay on the line. Incoming
calls connect to the 9-1-1
telephone switch before you hear
your phone ringing. If you aban-
don your call, it is Deerfield's
policy to call you to determine if
an emergency exists. If no an-
swer is received, an officer is dis-
patched to your home to check
on your well being. This call
back activity is time consuming
and takes us away from the emer-
gency at hand.
As you may know, Deerfield's
9-1-1 Communications Center
accepts calls from hard wired
phones and cellular phones ser-
viced by Ameritech, Cellular 1,
and AT&T Wireless.
Cellular 9-1-1 calls do not yet
provide information about the
callers phone number or address.
When calling the Communica-
tions Center, be prepared to give
the telecommunicator your cell
phone number in case your call is
lost.
Deerfield and Bannockburn resi-
dents who have a desire to expe-
rience the delay or check their
9-1-1 connection may call the
Police Department by dialing
9-1-1. Callers must remain on
the line until the call is answered
and then advise the 9-1-1
telecommunicator that they are
testing their emergency service.
Our telecommunicator will verify
the 9-1-1 information to insure
its accuracy. Test calls should be
made during weekend, daytime
hours.
OVERNIGHT PARKING
In 1979, the Deerfield Village
Board enacted an ordinance pro-
hibiting parking on dedicated
streets between the hours of
2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Several
concerns were addressed by this
ordinance, the most important
being - Roadway Safety, Road-
way Maintenance, and Crime
Prevention.
Roadway Safety:
Parking a vehicle on a dark or
dimly lit street increases the risk
of a traffic collision. In addition
to drivers striking the rear or
side -swiping parked vehicles, the
police department has investi-
gated a number of collisions
where a homeowner, backing
from their own driveway, strikes
a neighbor's unseen vehicle. Fi-
nally, allowing vehicles to park
on the street narrows the road-
way, limiting access and delay-
ing the response by fire and am-
bulance equipment.
Q�
Page 2 Police Beat
•
Roadway Maintenance. -
Overnight parking not only in-
creases the problems associated
with snow removal but also hin-
ders garbage collection, leaf col-
lection and street repairs. While
these maintenance functions are
typically assigned to daylight
hours, communities with no
parking restriction have found
that their streets became parking
lots, where congestion dramati-
cally slows collection and main-
tenance functions.
Q�d
1 c n
Crime Prevention:
Restricting on -street parking dur-
ing the hours of 2:00 a.m. to
6:00 a.m. allows our police offi-
cers the opportunity to identify
and remove abandoned or unsafe
vehicles. Deerfield's low bur-
glary rate, to a large degree, is
due to the fact that thieves are
limited in their ability to hide
among legally parked cars, and,
crime prevention authorities tell
us that vehicles parked in
garages or on driveways are sig-
nificantly less likely to be bur-
glarized or targeted by vandals.
Although an inconvenience, the
2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. parking
09 ban helps the Village and each of
its departments deliver safe and
efficient services to Deerfield's
residences. Please make every
effort to store your vehicles in
your garage or driveway. When
impossible, call the Police De-
partment for parking permission.
TRUE NAME FRAUD
True name fraud is a growing fi-
nancial scam where an offender
uses a citizen's true name and so-
cial security number for the pur-
pose of establishing credit. In
this scam the victim's personal
information is obtained with the
theft of their wallet or purse. The
offender uses this information to
open bank accounts, including
instant credit accounts offered by
major chain stores. With true
name fraud, your credit record is
pulled, not the offenders. It may
take several months before you
realize that you have been vic-
timized. Although victims are
not held liable for fraudulent
charges, it can take months or
years to clear up your credit
record.
The Deerfield Police Department
recommends taking the following
steps to protect yourself from
true name fraud:
Keep your social security
card in a safe place, not in
your wallet.
Carry only those credit cards
that you regularly need.
Avoid giving your social se-
curity number over the phone
unless you initiated the call
or have verified the person to
whom you are speaking.
If your wallet is stolen, im-
mediately call your credit
card holder and all three
credit rating services. Re-
quest that a consumer fraud
statement be placed on your
credit reports. The credit rat-
ing services can be reached
at:
Trans Union - 1-800-680-7289
Equifax - 1-800-526-6285
Experian/TRW - 1-800-422-4879
Should you become a fraud vic-
tim and have cleared your credit
record, contact the credit service
after 90 days to insure that no
new fraud activity has occurred.
Remember, if you reach into
your pocket or purse and dis-
cover your wallet missing, notify
the police department immedi-
ately. Within minutes of a theft,
the thief can be spending your
money or charging items on your
credit cards.
***************************
L. Patrick Anderson
Chief of Police
Deputy Chief Tom Skrabala
Patrol, Investigations, Youth and
Social Services
Deputy Chief John Shozis
Administration