The Village of Berkeley’s Summer Music Celebration could not have been possible without the generous donations of so many local businesses and organizations. Music in the Park would like to thank the Berkeley Park District, Berkeley Neighborhood Watch and Police Department, Berkeley Public Library, Hillside/Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, Bellwood Lions Club, and Republic Bank for providing Berkeley residents the opportunity to enjoy good food, good fun and great music this summer.

The General Fund supports administration, public works, police, fire, and building operations for the Village. The total FY 2011-2012 General Fund Budget for the Village is $4,451,125, down more than 9% from the budget approved two years ago. The budget was tightened substantially over the last two years to respond to declining sales, income, replacement, and use taxes as well as building permit fees.

As you know, the State of Illinois recently passed a significant income tax increase. All of the additional taxes received as a result of this increase will be kept by the State and not be distributed to the Village or any other municipalities. Moreover, the State is currently threatening to withhold 30% of the income tax that the Village typically receives. This action would result in an annual loss of approximately $120,000. Therefore, the Village will continue to seek out ways to decrease annual operating expenditures supported by the General Fund.

As you recall, in April 2010, the Village increased the fees for water and sewer service. This year, the Village has approved an overall increase of 1% to the water and sewer rates. The proposed rate changes represents an increase of $.08 per 1,000 gallons of water used. The existing water and sewer rate structure will ensure that the Village will continue to reserve funding for major water and sewer infrastructure improvements. For more information, see the water and sewer rate article located within this issue of Berkeley Matters.

The primary capital project contained within the FY 2011-2012 Budget is the renovation of the combined Village Hall/Police Station originally constructed in 1938. The goals of the renovation are to correct handicapped accessibility issues, address security/safety concerns, and utilize the existing garage space vacated by the Public Works Department in 2009. The renovation includes the incorporation of an elevator into the two-story structure. The elevator is being funded through Federal Community Development Block Grant funding. In the near future, the Village will bid the renovation project and will proceed if the bids are deemed to be favorable and accepted by the Village Board.

The Village will also continue to invest in the tax increment financing (TIF) district along St. Charles Road through the TIF Assistance Program. The TIF Assistance program allows current and potential businesses and property owners the opportunity to apply for set aside TIF funds for renovation and redevelopment of buildings located within the district. By investing in this major commercial corridor, the Village hopes to improve sales tax and decrease the Village’s overall reliance on property taxes.

The Village understands and sympathizes with residents who continue to struggle through these tough economic times. The Village’s top priority when preparing the FY 2011-2012 Budget was to keep operating expenditures down while investing in the community through set-aside Capital Projects and TIF funds. The Village knows that investments to the community will help to bolster the quality of life that we all enjoy in the Village and allow the Village to make progress even during the most challenging of economic times. Until the economy begins to recover, the Village Board thanks you for your patience and support.

The rate changes will go into effect May 1, 2011 and will first appear on your bill received in June 2011. As a result of these changes, the actual combined increase is 1%, or $0.08 per 1,000 of water used. For example, for a monthly minimum bill of 2,000 gallon usage, the increase will be $0.16. If you use, for example, 6,000 gallons, the increase to your bill would be $0.48. The fixed charge for water and sewer as well as the senior discount will not change.

Effective August 1st, the refuse/recycling rate will also increase by $1.25. During the months of August 2010 - July 2011, increases in recycling costs were offset by a grant from Union Pacific Foundation. Although the Village must pass on an increase for refuse/recycling services beginning this August, the Village is pleased to report that recyclable material collected by the recycling cart program is more than double than what was collected through the recycling bag program. Increasing recycling helps to stabilize the long-term collection costs charged to the Village and passed onto its residents.

For more information regarding the changes to the water and sewer rates, please contact the Village Hall at (708) 449-8840.

During 2010, the Village also continued its Coffee and Conversations program that provides residents with the opportunity to meet and talk with members of the Village Board. For 2011, the Village is planning a series of seminars to inform residents about property maintenance, lawn care, tax assessment, mold remediation, etc. Look for the dates of these seminars in upcoming issues of Berkeley Matters.

In an effort to promote redevelopment within the Village’s tax increment financing (TIF) district located along St. Charles Road, the Village purchased and demolished the commercial building located at 5544 St. Charles Road. The Village also purchased new light poles that were installed east of Wolf Road along St. Charles Road as well as winter "Shop Berkeley" banners to line this commercial corridor and draw attention to our many Berkeley businesses.

The Village also continued to invest in the TIF district along St. Charles Road by providing funding assistance to property owners and businesses. During 2010, the Village provided funding to Westerling China, Republic Bank, and Berkeley Finer Foods for property improvements. By investing in this major commercial corridor, the Village hopes to improve sales tax and decrease the Village’s overall reliance on property taxes.

materials. Under the container program, the average tonnage of recyclables collected has increased more than 120%. Increasing the amount of recycling collected not only benefits the environment but helps to keep overall refuse costs down. A grant provided by the Union Pacific Foundation also helped to reduce the cost of the recycling program during 2010.

In December, the Village also initiated an electronic recycling program in conjunction with the Village of Hillside and the West Cook County Solid Waste Agency. This program enables residents to drop off electronic items including cell phones, televisions, and computers at the Berkeley Village Hall and Public Library. This program allows for the reuse and recycling of these items and assists in keeping hazardous and toxic chemicals out of landfills.

As the year neared its end, the Village also continued to offer its sidewalk snow removal program. Under this program, the Public Works Department clears snow from sidewalks along the St. Charles Road corridor to ensure a clear path to schools, bus stops, and businesses. After the roads are clear and the initial run of sidewalks along St. Charles Road are passable, Public Works then turns its attention to residential areas of the Village and clears these sidewalks as time permits.

FLOOD RESPONSE

During the July 23-24, 2010 flood, Berkeley received an estimated 193 million gallons of rainwater that caused flash flooding throughout the Village as well as the rest of Chicagoland. Over 60 billion gallons of total rainwater fell causing seven counties, including Cook County, to be proclaimed disaster areas. Village officials and staff worked relentlessly in the weeks following the flood to clean and repair damage from the flood and assist residents with recovery. The Village used every means necessary to keep residents informed of recovery efforts and aid opportunities including phone messages, mailings, the Village’s website and electronic signs, and information postings at the Village Hall. The Village met with neighboring communities, government officials, and government relief agencies to fight for aid for Berkeley residents. Cook County was awarded federal disaster relief, and residents affected by the flood were able to apply for assistance from FEMA. As a result of this flood, the Village is currently reviewing several areas of the storm sewer and drainage system to determine potential improvements. However, no improvements will be sufficient to handle the amount of rain that fell during the July 23-24 floods.

VILLAGE FINANCES AND UPCOMING CHALLENGES

During 2010, the Village took all steps possible to remain fiscally responsible even in the most difficult of economic times. The Village’s FY 2010-2011 Budget (May 1, 2010 - April 30, 2011) featured a balanced General Fund Budget, a 25% General Fund operating reserve, professional services for major capital improvement projects, and limited debt service obligations. The adopted General Fund Budget which funds all Village operations was decreased by nearly 10% from the prior year and was tightened to respond to declining sales, income, replacement, and use taxes as well as building permit fees.

Unfortunately, in order to present balanced budgets for the water and sewer system, the Village was forced to increase water and sewer rates in 2010. As of April 2010, the Village had used all of its water reserves to absorb fee increases from the City of Chicago and the Village of Melrose Park that had been passed onto the Village over a four-year period. These fee increases, as well as the implementation of a fixed charge, have allowed the Village to slowly rebuild the reserve necessary for water and sewer capital improvements including relining a large portion of the Village’s sanitary sewer system. The relining of the sewer system is a top priority for the Village in the upcoming year.

Another priority for the Village is to focus on handicapped-accessibility and public safety improvements at the Village’s municipal complex that includes the Village Hall, Police Department, and Fire Station. The Village has secured funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the installation of an elevator and is seeking additional funding through energy efficiency and public safety grant opportunities to assist in making the necessary improvements to the building.

The Village has already begun to prepare for the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 Budget (May 1, 2011 - April 30, 2012). In December, the Village approved the lowest property tax increase since 2000. At 3%, this limited increase should allow the Village to continue to provide and improve services while responding to increasing costs and declining revenues. At the same time, this increase should prevent the Village’s portion of the tax rate from increasing.

Although 2010 was a trying year for the Village of Berkeley, the Village, including residents, businesses, the Village Board and staff rose to the challenges presented. For 2011, we will continue to manage the development and growth of our community and will face each challenge head on. The Village requests your patience and support during this time and wishes our residents and businesses the best in the upcoming year.

   On April 22, 2010 (Earth Day), the Village of Berkeley began a new recycling program with Roy Strom Company. Under the new program, each residence was supplied with a new “blue lid” recycling cart to be used exclusively for recyclable materials. To keep the monthly cost to residents as low as possible, this cart is collected every other week.

   Since the new recycling cart program began, the tonnage of recycling collected has increased substantially. The average tonnage collected on a monthly basis under the previous “recycling bag” program was just over 10 tons. Under the new program, a quarterly report issued by Roy Strom indicates that 22.45 tons (6.79 pounds per home) of recyclables were collected this May and 28.76 tons (8.7 pounds per home) were collected in June. According to Roy Strom, the current trend indicates that recycling collected on a monthly basis may rise as high as 15 pounds per home.

   The increased tonnage of recycling has also caused the amount of refuse collected to decrease. Under the old collection system, recycling bags were included in the regular refuse container. Much of the recycling collected under the old system was contaminated and therefore disposed of as refuse. Under the new program, recycling is far less likely to be contaminated and residents are now able to use their entire refuse container for garbage.

   As the new recycling program progresses, residents are becoming more comfortable with the new bi-weekly pickup schedule and are setting recyclables out on the correct schedule. The Village of Berkeley aims to continue to increase resident participation by continuing to promote the program and assisting residents with questions and concerns about the program.

   In response to resident concerns, the Village of Berkeley is pleased to announce a new recycling program to replace the current “recycling bag/co-collection” program. As you are aware, the “recycling bag/co-collection” program required residents to place a recycling bag into their 105-gallon refuse container.

   Effective May 1, 2010, the monthly refuse rate will increase by $2.22 – from $18.33 to $20.55. This increase will be used to pay for the recycling containers and the separate truck required to implement the new program. Refuse sticker prices at $1.00 and the unlimited yard waste program will remain unchanged.

   For your convenience, a recycling guide will be located within each recycling container. Residents are urged to keep this guide to use as a reference. As with the “recycling bag/co-collection” program, recyclable items that will be accepted are as follows: rinsed aluminum containers, rinsed glass containers, rinsed bimetal- tin containers, newsprint, chipboard/corrugated boxes, mixed paper, and any plastic container containing the numbers 1-7.

   The Village of Berkeley appreciates your efforts to improve recycling. For more information, please contact the Village Hall at (708) 449-8840.