Village Chronicles

Some would say deficit spending is not a good thing, but unlike most communities, Warrenville’s financial reserves were built up intentionally to meet the shortfalls in these two fiscal years. A few years ago, financial projections indicated such deficits prior to the expiration of TIF #1. To manage the two challenging years, sales tax and food and beverage taxes were raised, creating a reserve fund of over $7 million, right where Finance Director Kevin Dahlstrand projected it would be.

So when is bad news good? This may be it.

Included in the mayor’s comments was this list of accomplishments in what others might assume was a bad, unproductive year. Through planning, aggressive budgeting and sticking to those plans, the city exited a challenging year in good shape.

Specific accomplishments cited by the Mayor include:

-Phase three of Warrenville Road reconstruction was finished on time, and on budget ($1.9 million), completing a four-year project involving a major investment in the local environment, traffic calming and aesthetic enhancement of the community.

-Hubble Middle School is now a part of the community, a LEEDS certified project brought in on time and on budget ($58 million).

-Central DuPage Hospital’s Procure Proton Therapy Treatment Facility was built in Cantera and is scheduling its first patients for January 2011.

-CDH’s Oncology Center construction in Cantera, the opening of which is slated for July 2010.

-Construction of two new hotels in Cantera, on schedule for opening in April 2010.

-Forest Preserve District will implement in 2010 its plans for the Cenacle property. Included are razing existing buildings on the property, developing and realign a multiuse trail from Rockwell St. at Batavia Rd. to connect to the regional trail in Blackwell Forest Preserve, all to be finished in July 2010.

-Forest Preserve hopes to complete its new Urban Stream Research Center to be located adjacent to the northern edge of Cenacle in Blackwell. The center will draw national attention from people interested in management and restoration practices for rivers and streams; it is scheduled for completion in November 2010.

-Another Forest Preserve project adjacent to the Cenacle property is a new archery range to accommodate amateur to Olympic level archers. Scheduled completion is late fall of this year.

-Flood management consulting project was completed with mixed results; but efforts continue to improve as other government agencies pursue detailed studies of their own.

-Thorium cleanup project for DuPage River West Branch was halted with bankruptcy of Tronox Corporation. Alternative funding resources are being pursued to finish the project by year-end 2011.

-Significant infrastructure repairs and upgrades were accomplished in 2009 by the City, including water and sewer extensions in the Landon Rd. neighborhood ($1.3 mil), replace roadway and curbs throughout Winchester Circle ($.495 mil), final phase of curb/sidewalk replacement in Edgebrook ($.325 mil), additional parking at VFW ballpark

extension of sidewalk from Rockwell to the Prairie Path, installation of iron filtration system at well #2 ($.9 mil), construction of sidewalk on Galusha Rd. from Winfield to Herrick Rds. ($.65 mil), installation of sanitary sewer from Emerald Green Drive to Route. 56 on Batavia Rd., use of federal stimulus funds to resurface Batavia Rd. from Route 59 to Route 56 this summer, Butterfield Rd. widening project has been funded by the state and will hopefully open to traffic in fall 2011.

The Police Department continued to increase training opportunities for all officers, initiating new efficiencies to manage critical computerized data, emergency preparedness exercises, coordination with other departments, support for better student safety, and improved internal communication efficiencies with command staff reorganization.

An agreement with Canadian National Railroad provides $1.2 mil to the city for sound mitigation for homeowners along the former EJ&E tracks.

The city’s Finance Department received its 16th consecutive Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association.

The FY 2010 budget was adopted with more than $137,000 in staff-led budget reductions.

TIF #1 in Cantera ended on December 31, 2009. The success of this TIF enlarged EAV by more than $170 million, 64 times more than the value of the preceding Elmhurst/Chicago Stone Quarry.

Budget preparations for FY 2011 are underway. Deficits for 2011 and 2010 combined are approximately $2 million and will be covered by operating reserves of $9.2 million; year-end FY 2011 will show reserve balances of $7.2  million.

FY 2012 will experience an inflow of tax revenues from what had been the TIF #1 area amounting to about $2 million

Art Works ‘09 was a very successful events sponsored by the new Warrenville Arts Council. Their plans for 2010 and 2011 include a repeat of the event plus an ambitious schedule of new cultural events.

St. Irene’s School succeeded in staying open in spite of a diocesan proposal to close the school.

In a year when Winfield ran out of money to maintain its roads, and Pewaukee WI abolished its police force, Mayor Brummel was able to paint a rosy picture for Warrenville. He and all those who are responsible deserve a warm round of applause.