Dear Members:
I am sending my President’s Message for September out a few days early, in hopes that it will not get lost in the hustle and bustle of your Labor Day weekend.
Chamber Week in Elmhurst
Elmhurst Mayor Peter DiCianni has declared September 10-14 as Chamber of Commerce Week in Elmhurst and our Chamber will be celebrating in several ways.
On Wednesday, September 12, we will host a Membership Breakfast and Open House at the Chamber office, thanks to the sponsorship of AT&T. The Membership Breakfast will run from 8 to 9 a.m. and the Open House from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Complimentary food and beverages will be provided throughout the day. Stop in and say “Hi.”
Our Chamber also will conduct a membership recruitment promotion all of this month, offering 16 months of benefits for the annual fee. Businesses joining in September will not need to renew their membership until January of 2014.
TIF 4 Ordinances on Tap
Due to Labor Day on Monday, the Elmhurst City Council will vote on ordinances establishing a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District along North York Street (TIF 4) and a $1.25M TIF 4 Redevelopment Agreement with Mariano’s Fresh Market at its rescheduled regular meeting at Elmhurst City Hall on Tuesday, September 4, at 7:30 p.m.
Elmhurst is forecasting to recoup its Mariano’s investment in the first 10 years of the TIF’s 23-year lifespan based on property tax only and in only three years based on the combination of property tax and retail sales tax.
The City Council at its August 20 meeting approved by a 12-1 vote (one absent) the Development, Planning and Zoning (DPZ) report recommending the North York Street TIF 4. A Finance, Council Affairs and Administrative Services Committee (F,CA & AS) report recommending the Mariano’s Redevelopment Agreement also was approved.
City officials have been negotiating with the impacted taxing bodies, in hopes of “making them whole” in regards to new TIF-generated property tax dollars. For example, the City has offered School District 205 up to $6 million for capital improvements at Churchville Middle School and Conrad Fischer Elementary School, both of which are in TIF 4, $1 million in cash reserves to be released from TIF 2, and 10% of the property tax increment generated in TIF 4 after the first 10 years.
The DPZ Committee at its August 13 meeting decided by concensus to delay reviews of the proposed TIF Districts for York and Vallette streets (TIF 6), and Riverside Drive (TIF 5) until after the new calendar year.
The Mayoral Race
On August 23, Elmhurst City Council Seventh Ward Alderman Mark Mulliner of School Technology Services declared his candidacy for Mayor of Elmhurst in the April 9, 2013, Consolidated Election, with Mayor DiCianni seeking one of three District 2 seats on the DuPage County Board in the November 6 General Election.
Several other Alderman are expected to jump into the Mayoral race, including former ECCI Board Chair Scott Levin of Howard & Howard, who represents the Fifth Ward.
Happy Anniversary
Ten members are celebrating Chamber anniversaries in August, as follows: 40 years—Elmhurst Jaycees; 25 years—DeVries Animal Hospital; 20 years—Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, River Forest Country Club and Russell Chiropractic Care; 15 years—Wells Fargo Advisors; 10 years—Steve May Landscaping and Vesco; and 5 years—Jordan Daily Money Management and Merlak Tax Advisory Group.
New Members
The Chamber welcomed nine new members during August, as follows (in alphabetical order): Blissed Out LLC, Durabuilt Home Improvements, Choice Office Equipment and Supplies, Cocomero, Garelli, Grogan, Hesse & Hauert, LaSalle St. Securities LLC, N 2 Publishing, State Farm Insurance (Julie Cornwell), and The Daily Method.
Reactivated Members
The Chamber welcomed back three reactivated members during August, as follows: Faith Evangelical United Methodist Church, Helping Hands Cleaning Service and Mostardi-Platt.
Members No More
The Chamber said goodbye in August to the following two businesses: Action Wellness and The Management Association of Illinois.
Congratulations to…
Illinois State Representative Patti Bellock (R-Hinsdale), whose newly-remapped District will include Elmhurst, on her selection as “Legislator of the Year” by the American Legislative Exchange Council for her work on Medicaid reform.
Ken Bartels of Community Bank of Elmhurst and Ken Bartels Consulting on his selection as a public member of the new Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, a 501(c)(3) public charity established in 2010 to raise and administer funds in support of the District’s mission of conservation, education and recreation.
Bill Shanklin of Champion Container Corporation and Elmhurst American Legion THB Post 187 on his selection for the Elmhurst College Bluejay Backers’ Community Service Award, to be presented at the September 8 home football game at Langhorst Field.
Staci Boris of the Elmhurst Art Museum on her new position as Chief Curator.