Tuesday 31 May 2016

Memorial Day Service Pictures



Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend.


 Below are some pictures from the Memorial Day Service. Thank you to all those that participated in the service but most importantly Thank You to the all men and women currently serving, our veterans and those that gave all so we could have the freedoms we have today.

Mayor David A. Hanks















This Day In History - May 31st

1988
Three U.S. Presidents Close Chapters On Cold War


On this day in history, three U.S. presidents in three different years take significant steps toward ending the Cold War.


Beginning on May 28, 1988, President Ronald Reagan met Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev for a four-day summit in Russia. Upon his election in 1980, Reagan had abandoned Nixon, Ford and Carter’s attempts to diffuse political tensions between the two superpowers and instead instigated an enormous build-up of arms and rhetoric against the Soviet Union. The Soviets could not keep up with the U.S.’s massive defense spending and this, along with Gorbachev’s policy of granting increasing freedom to Soviet citizens (glasnost), helped to erode hard-line communism within Russia. In a remarkable and symbolic address to a group of Moscow University students on May 31, Reagan stood in front of an enormous bust of Lenin and spoke openly about freedom, technology, creativity and his desire to see the Berlin Wall torn down. He told the students your generation is living in one of the most exciting, hopeful times in Soviet historywhen the first breath of freedom stirs the air and the heart beats to the accelerated rhythm of hope, when the accumulated spiritual energies of a long silence yearn to break free.


Two years to the day after Reagan’s 1988 visit, and just about a year after the 1989 demolition of the Berlin Wall, Reagan’s successor George H. W. Bush met with Gorbachev in the United States to discuss the reunification of East and West Germany. Bush and Gorbachev outlined a plan that would unite the separate communist and democratic spheres into one nation not seen since World War II. In 1991, after an aborted communist coup against Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin became president and the Soviet Union was officially declared over, dismantled and re-named Russia. Most of the former Soviet satellite territories were granted their independence. Russia then initiated tentative steps toward a capitalist economic system.


On this day in 1994, President Bill Clinton pledged continued cooperation with Russia in a New World Order, declaring that the U.S. would no longer point nuclear missiles at Russia, ending the antagonism and fear of mutually assured destruction that characterized the half-century-long Cold War between the two superpowers.

THis Day In History - May 30th


History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Over two dozen cities and towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.

Regardless of the exact date or location of its origins, one thing is clear – Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor the dead. It was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11.

“The 30th of May, 1868, was designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).

It is now observed in almost every state on the last Monday in May with Congressional passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363). This helped ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19th in Texas; April 26th in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10th in South Carolina; and June 3rd (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

 

Sauk Village Public Works Report - May 24, 2016








Sauk Village Public Works Report



by; Director Kevin Weller





: PUBLIC GROUNDS & BUILDINGS – Due to the rain season staff has been doing its best to catch-up. P.W has 49 village locations to maintain from parks, open spaces, ball fields, parkways retention and detention ponds. AS OF 5/10 STAFF HAS MADE 34 CUTS AT VERIOUS LOCATION.



:  STREET LIGHTS – 1st underground fault will be at 21445 Peterson, next 1601 215pl. Work will start soon.    The street light at 223st/Peachtree will need new wire damaged underground cant repair so we will string it overhead and have Com Ed hook it up. Work hasn’t started due to manpower needs.



: DAY TO DAY REGULAR OPERATIONS AND EMERGINCIES -  All job direction changes, dept. ordering ,special seasonal  event prep setup, vender calling  work with all departments and public complaints AND LAST MINUTE CHANGES.       



:  BUILDINGS – Staff is finishing up the install of a new door at the P.W. MAIN GARAGE. Spring Hvac cleaning and filter change out will start soon at all buildings.



: POTHOLES/Asphalt – Pothole work will be on going once the vender releases the account. 



:  WATER - Day to day schedules & EME CALLS. Completing all tests required by IEPA per month. 2 Extra staff members started the south side shut off list last week, not completed.



: GARBAGE – Day to day cleanup. IF YOU SEE ILLIGAL DUMPING PLEASE CALL POLICE, HELP KEEP OUR TOWN CLEAN. All regular trash pickup will be completed as regular mowing and summer upkeep resumes. I will as code to ticket resident who dump garbage or grass debris from there parkway into the street. This is the main cause of storm sewer backup and flooded streets.



: HYDRANT & VALVE REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT - The next 3 hydrants to be worked on are located on Merrill, 22420,22225,2005 223st. all dig operations are behind due to equipment issues    



: VEHICELS/ EQU-   Public works staff is doing their best to keep all vehicles within the department running safe. We are also trying to help each department with their repairs to keep moving forward. We started working on PD, PW, ESDA, ADMIN vehicles to put back into service.



: SANITARY SEWER COMPLAINTS – P.W. received 0 sewer complaints and inspected 2 cleanout installs. While cutting staff found and took care of a backed up main located on Jeffery Ave 21800 block.



: BRANCH PICKUP – 1st pickup is completed all pile left out may receive tickets. All special or storm pickups will be posted if needed.



: PARKS – Staff started working on several parks. Upcoming repairs and maintenance will consist of woodchips; removal of old damaged equipment, fence work, weed control and mowing.



:  LANDSCAPE WORK – Work started at 394 welcome sign, Lincoln meadows entrance. Staff will also landscape last year’s digs from b box, main breaks, and any other digs. Residents will have to wait for concrete work to complete final dirt work. Funding is slow going.  
  

News From Village Clerk Debbie Williams

From the Desk Of Village Clerk Debbie Williams

There is no Village Board Meeting on Tuesday, May 31st. The board does not meet the 5th Tuesday of the month unless a special meeting is called.

Community Flea Market/ Craft Show
Saturday, June 4th
9am -3pm
Paesel Community Center - Behind the Police Department
21701 S. Torrence Ave.
Vendors and shoppers needed.
Spaces are available at a non-refundable cost of $10.00. Bring your own table. A limited number of tables are available for rental at a cost of $3.00 each.
Contact the Beautification Committee at 708/758-3330.

Please encourage others to register for  OFFICIAL Sauk Village
email alerts at www.saukvillage.org

Sunday 29 May 2016

This Day In History - May 29th



1917
John F. Kennedy Born


One of America’s best-loved presidents, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, is born into a politically and socially prominent family in Brookline, Massachusetts, on this day in 1917. He was the first American president to be born in the 20th century.


In 1935, Kennedy enrolled at Harvard University and received a degree in international affairs with honors in 1940. While there, he suffered a debilitating back injury that would have life-long repercussions. After college, Kennedy served on a Navy PT boat in World War II. In 1952, he won a seat in the House of Representatives and then served in the Senate for seven years beginning in 1953. Also in 1953, he married the lovely Jacqueline Bouvier. In subsequent years, Kennedy underwent several dangerous spinal operations; it was during his recuperation from one such operation that he wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning history Profiles in Courage. Unfortunately, the operations never succeeded in curing his persistent back pain and, for the rest of his life, Kennedy took a powerful combination of pain killers, muscle relaxants and sleeping pills, a fact he successfully hid from the public. The pain, however, did not prevent him from becoming a rising Democratic star in the Senate; he ran for the presidency in 1960.


Kennedy’s support for liberal economic and social policies, such as civil rights and increased funding for education and public housing, in addition to his strong anti-communist stance, appealed to a broad cross-section of Americans during the presidential campaign. In addition to his political philosophy, Kennedy capitalized on his handsome features and charismatic personality to beat Republican candidate Richard Nixon to become the nation’s 35th president. In a televised debate, the well-groomed and relaxed Kennedy had appeared more presidential than a haggard-looking, unshaven, visibly nervous Nixon. Many observers believed this debate was critical to his success.


President Kennedy was the youngest man ever elected to the office. His youth, intelligence and worldliness—along with his beautiful, stylish and much-admired wife–charmed Americans and Europeans alike. His children, Caroline and John Jr., were often photographed cavorting around the White House grounds with their pets or playing under their father’s desk in the Oval Office. Kennedy’s brother, Bobby, also young and enthusiastic, served as his attorney general and closest advisor. The American public increasingly saw the Kennedy family as a kind of American royalty and the press portrayed Kennedy’s administration as a sort of modern-day Camelot, with the president himself as King Arthur presiding over an ideal society.


As president, Kennedy combined a fervent stance against communism with a liberal domestic agenda. He was a strong proponent of civil rights as well as a Cold War hawk. He authorized covert operations to remove Fidel Castro from power and, in 1962, challenged the Soviet Union to remove nuclear missiles installed on Cuba. The resulting Cuban Missile Crisis was a frighteningly tense showdown between JFK and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev that brought the two nuclear superpowers to the brink of war. JFK also sought peaceful means of fighting communism—he established the Peace Corps and funded scientific research programs to fight poverty and illness and provide aid to developing nations. By encouraging American youth to donate their time and energy to international aid, JFK hoped to provide positive democratic role models to developing nations. In a 1961 speech, Kennedy advocated for a vigorous U.S. space program and vowed to send an American to the moon by the close of the 1960s.


In 1963, Kennedy was assassinated while driving through Dallas, Texas, in a convertible. Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy in the head from the second story of a book depository. Texas Governor John Connally and Jackie Kennedy were also in the car. Connally was hit in the back, chest, wrist and thigh, but eventually made a full recovery. Jackie was uninjured.


A bystander named Abraham Zapruder happened to capture the shooting on his 8mm home-movie camera. Zapruder’s film provided graphic visuals of JFK’s death and has been endlessly analyzed for evidence of a potential conspiracy. In 1964, the federally appointed Warren Commission investigated the assassination and concluded that Oswald acted alone. Some scholars, investigators and amateur sleuths, however, still insist Kennedy’s death was a coup d’etat committed by hard-line U.S. anti-communists who feared Kennedy would pull out the U.S. advisors he had sent to Vietnam in 1962 and act soft on the communist threat from the USSR. Another conspiracy theory involves a concerted effort by organized crime, the Pentagon, and the CIA to murder the president; this view was adapted by Oliver Stone into the 1991 film JFK.

Sauk Village Fire Department Report - May 24, 2016






Sauk Village Fire Department Report
by Fire Chief Al Stoffregen


May 24, 2016

Over the past 2 weeks, the fire department responded to 22 calls.

  •  1 - Vehicle accidents
  • 9 - Fire alarms
  • 1 - Medical assist
  • 1 - Eelectrical fire
  • 3 - Assist other agency
  • 2 - CO alarms
  • 2 - Gas leaks
  • 1 - Box alarm
  • 1 - Wash down
  • 1 - Odor investigation.


 
Mayor & Board,


I would also like to inform you that the Fire Department raised $1,600 for the kids at burn camp. I want to say a big thank you to all the people who participated and all of the people who donated. This was a great success and I’m sure they will be very appreciative to the donation.


 

This Day In History - May 28th


1957

Baseball Owners Allow Dodgers & Giants Move

On May 28, 1957, National League owners vote unanimously to allow the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers to move to San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively, at the mid-season owner’s meeting in Chicago, Illinois.


There were, however, conditions attached to the owners’ decision. First, either both teams had to move or neither could, which meant that if one team reconsidered, the other would have to change their plans as well. Second, both teams had to announce their plans before October 1, 1957. In the end, both teams did move: The Giants hosted a farewell party at a game on September 29, and the Dodgers formally announced their move on October 8. West Coast baseball fans were overjoyed, and the people of New York City were heartbroken.


In 1957, the Dodgers were in the midst of an impressive run; they had won five pennants and one World Championship in eight years. The team was profitable, and regularly packed all 32,000 seats at Ebbets Field. They were also splitting a massive radio and television pie with their rival Giants and the hated Yankees, who had beaten them in the World Series six times in seven tries. However, their owner, Brooklyn lawyer Walter O’Malley, still wanted to move his team west, where the city of Los Angeles had agreed to build him the new stadium that Brooklyn would not.


The Giants were an up-and-down team leading up to 1957, both fiscally and on the field. In spite of winning World Championships in 1951 and 1954, the team could not draw fans as consistently as their Brooklyn rivals did. Owner Horace Stoneman thought the relocation to San Francisco would revitalize the team, but they continued to suffer from inconsistent play and attendance even after the move. On their final day at the Polo Grounds in Coogan’s Bluff, after fans stormed the field, former baseball writer and the Giants PR man Garry Schumacher chided, “If all the people who will claim in the future that they were here today had actually turned out, we wouldn’t have to be moving in the first place.”


Although the Giants and Dodgers continued to face each other some 20 times each season, for many the storied rivalry just wasn’t the same. Once just a subway ride away, the teams were now separated by 382 miles. Meanwhile, back in New York, fans consoled themselves by following the National League’s Mets, added as an expansion team in 1962. The Yankees and Mets did not face each other as the Giants and Dodgers had until inter-league play began in 1997. In 2000, the two teams faced off in the World Series, the first “subway series” since the Dodgers and the Yankees met in 1956. The Yankees prevailed, four games to one.

Friday 27 May 2016

This Day In History - May 27th



1941
Bismarck Sunk by Royal Navy


On May 27, 1941, the British navy sinks the German battleship Bismarck in the North Atlantic near France. The German death toll was more than 2,000.


On February 14, 1939, the 823-foot Bismarck was launched at Hamburg. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler hoped that the state-of-the-art battleship would herald the rebirth of the German surface battle fleet. However, after the outbreak of war, Britain closely guarded ocean routes from Germany to the Atlantic Ocean, and only U-boats moved freely through the war zone.


In May 1941, the order was given for the Bismarck to break out into the Atlantic. Once in the safety of the open ocean, the battleship would be almost impossible to track down, all the while wreaking havoc on Allied convoys to Britain. Learning of its movement, Britain sent almost the entire British Home Fleet in pursuit. On May 24, the British battle cruiser Hood and battleship Prince of Wales intercepted it near Iceland. In a ferocious battle, the Hood exploded and sank, and all but three of the 1,421 crewmen were killed. The Bismarck escaped, but because it was leaking fuel it fled for occupied France. On May 26, it was sighted and crippled by British aircraft, and on May 27 three British warships descended on the Bismarck and finished it off.

Sauk Village Beautification Committee Report - May 24, 2016






Sauk Village Beautification Committee Report


May 24, 2016




The Beautification Committee would like to thank all the volunteers that came out on Saturday, May 21 for our Clean Up.. A small dent was made on the garbage that collects in all locations of town.  The beautification committee would like to see an ordinance put in place for the businesses that have dumpsters... The lids must be closed at all times and they  need to clean up around their dumpster if there is garbage that has accumulated around it.... If they fail to abide by this ordinance then a ticket should be issued.  The committee will follow up for the property that is between Walgreens and the daycare center... The company that owns that property claims it will be cleaned up by May 30th. 

Our committee will also be hosting the community flea market/craft show on June 4 from 9 AM till 3 PM at the community center.  We have applications out in the hallway of the Village Hall.  Any questions please leave a message at the Village Hall (758-3330). 

Again we are always looking for volunteers and new members. 

This ends my report.

Linda Todd
Chairperson

This Day In History - May 26th


1864

Montana Territory Created


Anxious to create new free territories during the Civil War, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs an act establishing the Montana Territory. However, as Montana was on the unstable frontier, it did little to add to the integrity of the Union, and Sidney Edgerton, the territory’s first governor, fled after suffering through several months of Indian raids.

Among those Indians known to have inhabited Montana in the 19th century were the Sioux, the Blackfoot, the Shoshone, the Arapaho, the Cheyenne, the Kutenai, and the Flathead. The vast area of what we now call Montana became a U.S. possession in 1803 under the terms of the Louisiana Purchase. Two years later, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark became the first known explorers of European origin to explore the region on their journey to the Pacific Ocean.

Significant U.S. settlement did not begin in Montana until the 1850s, when the discovery of gold brought people to mining camps such as those at Bannack and Virginia City. In 1864, Montana was deemed worthy of territorial status and 25 years later entered the Union as the 41st state.

Wednesday 25 May 2016

“UCR” Criminal Activity in Sauk Village!!


“UCR” Criminal Activity in Sauk Village!!


By Mayor David Hanks

The UCR (Uniform Crime Reporting) is a voluntary assessment of crime in a community that is reported to the Federal Government to evaluate crime across America.

UCR has eight major crime categories: Murder, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft and Arson. In Sauk Village these crime categories and their sub categories are/were historically entered into the Sauk Village Police Department’s computer system to aid the Police in gauging criminal activity in the Village and to generate a monthly UCR report to the State Police. They in turn send an annual report to the FBI who oversees the UCR program.

As Mayor, I have been extremely and deeply concerned about reported crime in Sauk Village. Like you, I viewed the annual UCR report to the Federal Government, as factual. I did not understand how Sauk Village had so much crime and our neighboring Villages so much less.

In August of 2015, I hired Robert Kowalski, a former Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI, as Chief of Police. Shortly after Chief Kowalski came on board he reviewed the Village’s past UCR reports. His expertise and years of service with the FBI immediately identified the crime problem in Sauk Village. OVER REPORTING! (Chart1) The Sauk Village Police Department was over reporting criminal activity. Whether the mistake was due to a lack of training or not understanding the how to properly report UCR crime, the issue of excessive crime in Sauk Village is now solved! For that I thank Chief Kowalski and his years of experience with the FBI.

On behalf of Sauk Village, Chief Kowalski was able to file an adjusted 2014 UCR report (the 2014 monthly UCR’s filed by the Police Department were 41% over reported) (Chart 2). The adjusted UCR reports will be made public by the FBI later this year (only one prior year is allowed to be adjusted).

I am not naïve, crime does exists is Sauk Village as it exist everywhere in America. But Sauk Village is not nor has it been an exception to the norm. Chief Kowalski and the Officers of his Department are dedicated first responders; through their efforts and now through factual reporting, crime in 2016 has been reduced by 57% over the same period last year (Chart 3).  Finally, crime should be a concern for everyone not just the Police. Chief Kowalski is accessible; he is there to help us with whatever problem we have. When a problem arises call him!!

           (Chart 1)






          (Chart 2)






         (Chart 3)






Trustees Vote Against 4th of July Fireworks


While fireworks are included in the 2016/2017 budget Trustees still voted last night against an American and Sauk Village family tradition. The Mad Bomber contract before the board consisted of a fireworks display for $6000.00.
For years former Trustees over Parks and Recs would fundraise for the fireworks which reduced the burden on the budget however, current Parks and Recs Chair Trustee Jones refused to fundraise and even made statements in past meetings that he wouldn’t stand on any corner collecting money.
Trustee Tates said residents could go to other communities and enjoy their fireworks at their (other communities) expense.
The cost may be $6000.00 to the village budget however, what will be missed is increased sales at local business as families would stop at Family Dollar, Dollar General, Walgreens or Fairway to purchase something prior to heading to the park for a family picnic or grabbing a bite to eat with the family prior to the fireworks display at Popeyes, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds or Hometown.
What will also be missed are the looks on the faces from the youngest to oldest and the oohs & aahs throughout the park as the rockets explode in the air but mostly the sounds of families, neighbors and a village coming together.
In the end…….it’s a small cost that gives back to the entire community.
If you disagree with the decision not to have 4th of July fireworks fill free to contact trustees by calling the village hall at 708 758-3330  and ask to be transferred or call their direct lines below and leave a message.

Trustee Burgess            708 753-5127
Trustee Jones                708 753-5125
Trustee Myers               708 753-5126
Trustee Tates                 708 753-5129
Trustee Washington      708 753-5130
Trustee Williams           708 753-5128



Good Bye to a Family Tradition


This Day In History - May 25th



1979
Worst Air Crash in U.S. History


On Friday afternoon, Memorial Day weekend, American Airlines Flight 191, a Los Angeles-bound DC-10, takes off at 3:03 p.m. from Chicago-O’Hare International airport with 271 aboard. As Flight 191 raised its nose during the initial stage of the takeoff, an engine under the left wing broke off with its pylon assembly and fell to the runway.

The aircraft climbed to about 350 feet above the ground and then began to spin to the left, continuing its leftward roll until the wings were past the vertical position, with the nose pitched down below the horizon. Moments later, the aircraft crashed into an open field about a half-mile from its takeoff point, killing all 271 people aboard and two others in a nearby trailer park. It was the worst domestic air crash in U.S. history.

Tuesday 24 May 2016

Sauk Village 2016/2017 Budget Update



Tonight the village board has before them the approval of the 2016 /2017 budget and appropriations ordinance. The proposed 2016/2017 budget is a working, living, breathing document and is a guide which provides departments heads with a goal.

This year's budget has gone through more scrutiny and provided more opportunity for public input than any year prior.

Below is the timeline since the start of the budget process

  • February 2016 – Work began on 2016/2017 Budget
    • Review of prior year’s budget and expenditures
    • Projecting remainder of 2015/2016 budget
    • Requesting department heads needs
    • Review, Changes, Review etc.
    • Meetings with department heads. Some multiple meetings
    • Confirming and reconfirming figures
    • Presenting to finance committee
  • April 2016Finance Committee budget review prior to be presented to village board.

  • April 2016 – Review after Finance Committee review
    • Meeting with Finance committee (one committee member at a time) to answering questions/explaining figures
    • Meeting with department heads over potential changes 
    • Final updates and overview of budget prior to presenting to village board

  • April 20-22, 2016 - Village board budget review. The village board had three nights of budget review where residents were able to hear the corporate authorities review the budget with department heads (line by line) and on the last night there was an opportunity for public questions and comments

  • Updates from modifications made by village board during budget review
    • Overview and reconfirm figures (macros and formulas) to verify only the changes during the village budget review were made

  • April 25, 2016 to present - Proposed budget available for public to view at the village hall, library, and village website. Public had opportunity to ask questions at village hall during business hours or submit questions or comments in writing. In addition, the proposed budget was made available for the public approximately two and half to three times longer than required.

  • April  22, 2016 - Public notice sent out to local newspapers, posted on village website and posted at village hall and Sauk Village Public Library

  • May 14, 2016 - Public had opportunity to ask questions or comments at the Meet the Mayor event

  • May 17, 2016Public Hearing. Public had opportunity to ask questions or comments. Note: There were no questions or open issues from the Trustees concerning the budget at the public hearing.

  • May 18-24, 2016 - Public had opportunity to request a meeting with Finance Director, Village Administrator or Mayor to help clear up any open questions they may have or submit questions or comments in writing. Note: There have been no questions or comments from the public or the board of trustees as of noon on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 and after the budget being available or almost 30 days to the public and longer for the board of trustees.

  • May 24, 2016 - Schedule for approval. Public will again have an opportunity to ask questions or comments prior to the corporate authorities voting.
  •  

Municipal Budget Explained

 A public budget is a plan of expected incomes and expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year, which is a twelve-month period that may or may not correspond to the calendar year. The budget is generally composed of an operating budget, which shows expenditures for the current period, and a capital budget, which shows the financial plans for long-term capital improvements, facilities, and equipment. The two budgets may be consolidated in order to indicate the amount of total estimated revenues available for the current period and the amount of new debt to be incurred for projects in the capital budget.

Although the details of the budget process vary significantly from city to city, there are four main sequential stages in the lifecycle of a public budget:

  1. Preparation: the budget involves the development of expenditure estimates for departments in light of available revenues.
  2. Approval: budget estimates are then submitted to a city council or board for review and modification, public meetings. The budget is then legally approved and adopted.
  3. Implementation: the budget is then implemented by municipal departments throughout the year.
  4. Evaluation/Audit: the performance of all governmental units is monitored and measured throughout the fiscal year. Those indicators are evaluated at the year's end to inform the budget process for the following year.
The entity that prepares the budget may be a mayor with independent authority to develop and make recommendations for the budget to the city council. In other cases, a city manager may initiate the process then the mayor may review and comment on the budget for the council. In all cases, the council is solely responsible for approving the budget. Once the proposed budget is approved through a budget ordinance, the newly adopted plan becomes a legally binding document for the mayor or city manager to administer. After the fiscal year has been completed, most state laws and municipal charters require an independent financial audit which is made public. 

 
Click on the following link if you haven't had the time to review Sauk Village's 2016/2017 proposed budget http://www.saukvillage.org/Financials/2016/2016_2017_SV_ProposedBudget.pdf

Environment

Hazardous Waste



Each south suburban resident throws out an average of 4.4 pounds of garbage per day, which adds up to 900 million pounds per year for our region. Much of this mountain of trash could be recycled or remanufactured for future use, and toxic materials must be disposed of carefully to prevent contamination to the environment. This guide provides recycling and disposal information for many household items. However, the information provided is not exhaustive.


The Regional Household Hazardous Waste Facility is located in Naperville.  This is a drive through, free drop-off facility open to everyone Saturday and Sunday from 9a.m. – 2p.m. (except holidays).  For more information and a complete list of all accepted hazardous materials, visit the facility’s website click here  or call 630-420-6095 during week days.


For information about used paint disposal alternatives, click here.


Countywide waste tire collections are no longer available. However, for more information about used tire removal, click here or here.


Free television pick-up / recycling is not available, however Vet Tech offers low-cost community collection days (see locations and schedule below). See the brochure here. Please check www.vettech.us/recycling-services/earth-day-2016-schedule/  for updates on 2016 E-Waste locations and schedule.



One Day Free Summit for South Suburban Landlords



The South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association is working in partnership with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and Community Investment Corporation to hold a one-day summit for south suburban landlords at South Suburban College (15800 South State Street, South Holland, IL 60473) on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 from 8:30am to 3:00pm.  

This free event will feature presentations on the topics of property management, financing and energy efficiency resources to promote affordability and bottom line improvements to property operations and legal issues such as handling evictions and complying with fair housing laws.  

The goal is to offer informational resources to landlords and foster better relationships between municipalities and property owners.

This Day In History - May 24th



1883
Brooklyn Bridge Opens


After 14 years and 27 deaths while being constructed, the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River is opened, connecting the great cities of New York and Brooklyn for the first time in history. Thousands of residents of Brooklyn and Manhattan Island turned out to witness the dedication ceremony, which was presided over by President Chester A. Arthur and New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Designed by the late John A. Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge was the largest suspension bridge ever built to that date.


John Roebling, born in Germany in 1806, was a great pioneer in the design of steel suspension bridges. He studied industrial engineering in Berlin and at the age of 25 immigrated to western Pennsylvania, where he attempted, unsuccessfully, to make his living as a farmer. He later moved to the state capital in Harrisburg, where he found work as a civil engineer. He promoted the use of wire cable and established a successful wire-cable factory.


Meanwhile, he earned a reputation as a designer of suspension bridges, which at the time were widely used but known to fail under strong winds or heavy loads. Roebling is credited with a major breakthrough in suspension-bridge technology: a web truss added to either side of the bridge roadway that greatly stabilized the structure. Using this model, Roebling successfully bridged the Niagara Gorge at Niagara Falls, New York, and the Ohio River at Cincinnati, Ohio. On the basis of these achievements, New York State accepted Roebling’s design for a bridge connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan–with a span of 1,595 feet–and appointed him chief engineer. It was to be the world’s first steel suspension bridge.


Just before construction began in 1869, Roebling was fatally injured while taking a few final compass readings across the East River. A boat smashed the toes on one of his feet, and three weeks later he died of tetanus. He was the first of more than two dozen people who would die building his bridge. His 32-year-old son, Washington A. Roebling, took over as chief engineer. Roebling had worked with his father on several bridges and had helped design the Brooklyn Bridge.


The two granite foundations of the Brooklyn Bridge were built in timber caissons, or watertight chambers, sunk to depths of 44 feet on the Brooklyn side and 78 feet on the New York side. Compressed air pressurized the caissons, allowing underwater construction. At that time, little was known of the risks of working under such conditions, and more than a hundred workers suffered from cases of compression sickness. Compression sickness, or the “bends,” is caused by the appearance of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream that result from rapid decompression. Several died, and Washington Roebling himself became bedridden from the condition in 1872. Other workers died as a result of more conventional construction accidents, such as collapses and a fire.


Roebling continued to direct construction operations from his home, and his wife, Emily, carried his instructions to the workers. In 1877, Washington and Emily moved into a home with a view of the bridge. Roebling’s health gradually improved, but he remained partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. On May 24, 1883, Emily Roebling was given the first ride over the completed bridge, with a rooster, a symbol of victory, in her lap. Within 24 hours, an estimated 250,000 people walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, using a broad promenade above the roadway that John Roebling designed solely for the enjoyment of pedestrians.


The Brooklyn Bridge, with its unprecedented length and two stately towers, was dubbed the “eighth wonder of the world.” The connection it provided between the massive population centers of Brooklyn and Manhattan changed the course of New York City forever. In 1898, the city of Brooklyn formally merged with New York City, Staten Island, and a few farm towns, forming Greater New York.