Fox Valley Mayors look back on 2016, ahead to 2017
From wastewater treatment to new hotels and development, Fox Valley area mayors cite their biggest accomplishments this past year and what they are looking forward to in 2017. Here's what your town's leader says:
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Algonquin Village President John Schmitt
Algonquin received the second “Local Transformer Award” from a statewide panel of civic organizations and research institutions dedicated to local government efficiency efforts in Illinois. Taxpayer advocates selected Algonquin as a model for how to make Illinois government more efficient. We provide services through sharing staff and pooling resources with neighboring communities to lower costs. The continued construction of Longmeadow Parkway will provide transportation relief to our residents. Combined with the installation of a high-speed fiber optic network in the Algonquin Corporate Campus business park, there is strong momentum for economic growth resulting in high-paying local jobs and property tax revenue for our schools.
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Carpentersville Village President Ed Ritter
Our greatest accomplishment this year has been our commitment to upgrade our major parks, as well as our riverfront. Carpenter Park is in the middle of a $1 million renovation adding walking paths, additional landscaping, an improved baseball field, restrooms, shelters, an exercise path, historical signage, gardens, basketball courts, disc (Frisbee) golf, and other amenities. Keith Andres Park has received major improvements through the joint efforts of the Chicago Area Mountain Bikers, the Carpentersville public works department, and a financial commitment from the village of $71,000 to improve the main entryway on Sacramento Drive with an entry sign, landscaping and informational signage. We are starting major landscaping projects on both banks of the Fox River. I am looking forward to major road reconstruction to Main Street and Huntley Road from Lincoln Avenue to Sleepy Hollow Road, which will add much needed new driving lanes and turn lanes along the entire route.
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Elburn Village President David Anderson
This past year we, from a visual and operative standpoint, finished the $9.6 million wastewater treatment facility update, slightly under budget and on time. This coming year we are hoping to update the village's stormwater system, which will allow us to construct and rehab with curb and gutter the streets in the older sections of the village.
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Elgin Mayor David Kaptain
Elgin's greatest accomplishment in 2016 was the series of community conversations conducted on policing and race relations by our faith-based organizations, Human Relations Commission and the Elgin Police Department. This diverse city has led the way in showing how to discuss sensitive issues while being proactive in problem-solving. Elgin's challenge in 2017 will be to maintain our vision of the future while navigating the uncertainties occurring at state and federal levels. We will need to work very hard to keep taxes in check while meeting our obligations to provide quality core services and mandated pension requirements.
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Fox River Grove Village President Robert Nunamaker
2016 was another year of significant progress for Fox River Grove. Two new and key business came into town - The Avant banquet halls on Route 14 and Truckstops.com. Truckstops.com is bringing 100 high-tech jobs to the village, and Avant is a high-end special events complex. The world-renowned Norge ski jump has been chosen as the only site of the Junior National completion, hosting competitors from far and wide and will take place next spring. The village's new streets and parks garage is now complete and functioning, thus allowing room for the wastewater plant expansion. Finally, the village has been able to hold the line on residential property taxes, so that there will be no increase in tax bills, even though many unfunded obligations are placed on the community. Looking forward to 2017, our significant goals are beginning the large redevelopment of the old downtown train station area, and the start of a multiunit housing development near the south town border consisting of high-end duplex houses. The next phase of the planned road construction will begin. This more than $1 million investment will continue to bring Fox River Grove roads up to the high standards called for by the trustees.
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Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns
New business openings, expanded industrial development, improvements in public infrastructure, protection of revenue sources from the state of Illinois, comprehensive rewrite of the city's Historic Preservation Ordinance allowing greater flexibility for homeowners who want to improve their property, and seamless transition of professional leadership all contributed to a positive 2016. Geneva's prospects for 2017 are equally exciting - reconstruction of the East State Street corridor, redevelopment of the Cetron Property, industrial development along the southeast corridor, redevelopment of the Mill Race Inn site, and the advance of yet another balanced budget yielding a reduction in property taxes for residents and businesses.
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Gilberts Village President Rick Zirk
We installed a recycling system and other improvements to increase the efficiency and sustainability of the Town Center Splash Pool. Town Center Park improvements this year included a shelter pavilion, drinking fountain and picnic benches partially paid for by the Kane County Riverboat Grant. All of these features will be available in 2017. Budget permitting, we will improve the park with a planned football field. The village continued to develop the public/private partnership with Fosiva to create a fiber optic broadband network offering residential and commercial service to village residents and businesses. The partnership and economic development initiative was recognized with a Sparkler Award for Innovation given by Kane County. As part of a continuing economic development initiative, Wide Open West initiated construction of a fiber-based network to provide business class internet service to underserved areas in the Old Town business area, as well as the existing industrial district. Comcast has proposed installing fiber optics in the industrial parks and the village continues to discuss an intergovernmental partnership with Northern Illinois University. Eight new businesses opened in Gilberts in 2016. Prairie Business Park development continued at with plans for a new Shell gas station and Dunkin' Donuts opening in 2016. One lot remains open for construction of an industrial building and the village and Interstate Partners have been in discussions with a number of new businesses. We expect a deal and perhaps construction in 2017. The village issued 114 new home permits - in the Conservancy and Town Center Townhomes - for more than $9 million in construction value. CalAtlantic will complete townhouse construction in the spring. The Conservancy is approaching 100 homes built of the almost 1,000 planned. Construction and planning for new homes required planning for expansion of the water treatment plant and drilling two new water wells to meet the projected demand. These improvements will be constructed in 2017.
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Hampshire Village President Jeffrey Magnussen
The village of Hampshire along with our partner the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce will be focusing on economic development in the Interstate 90/Route 47 and I-90/Route 20 areas. We will work to retain the companies currently located in the village and continue to seek businesses to open new locations in the village. We expect continued development along Route 72.
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Huntley Village President Charles Sass
While we have accomplished many things during 2016, the one I'm most proud of was the opening of the new Centegra Hospital. This is the first new hospital built in Illinois in the last 30 years. A close second has been the revitalization of our downtown square and businesses, which will continue in 2017. Hopefully, we are able to secure a new location for the post office.
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North Aurora Village President Dale Berman
In 2016, the village's population grew 3 percent to more than 17,000 and it received a AA+ bond rating. As part of the village's branding - “Crossroads on the Fox” - new blue and white street signs have been installed, new welcome signs will be in place by year end, as well as banners on State Street. Three new restaurants - Hardware, Bruno's Cheesesteaks, and Taco Madre - opened in town. The village made gains in economic development with the approval of $2 million Gerald Auto expansion, Opus East's 452,000-square-foot building, a 300-unit “The Springs” apartment complex, and two hotels. More development of commercial, retail, restaurants, homes and apartments is slated for next year, as well as a new community sign and River Park development plans.
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South Elgin Village President Steve Ward
The village's greatest accomplishment for 2016 was the construction of our new public services facility on Bowes Road with no tax increases to our residents. This new facility shortens snow plowing time and will allow us to deliver better services for decades to come. In 2017, we are going to continue our enhanced neighborhood street program and tackle some of the oldest streets in town on our southeast side. We will be bringing these streets up to modern standards and improve another South Elgin neighborhood.
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St. Charles Mayor Ray Rogina
We continued to strengthen our positive relationships with local, regional, state and federal representatives and agencies. These collaborations facilitate communication, efficiencies and idea sharing, which benefit all involved. Maintaining economic growth as outlined in our updated strategic plan. We firmly believe the components of our mission - heritage, community, service opportunity - work together to make St. Charles a place where people and businesses want to be.
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Sugar Grove Village President Sean Michels
Sugar Grove was fortunate to see the opening of the Senior Apartments, the Shell station and other new businesses, the completion of the roundabout on Dugan Road and the improvements to Route 30. In 2017, we will see Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Auto Zone, BP and other retailers open. In May of 2017, Sugar Grove will be the host community for the NCAA Division 1 Women's and Men's Golf Championship tournament.
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West Dundee Mayor Christopher Nelson
West Dundee greatest accomplishment this year was the renovation and revitalization of Spring Hill Mall and the opening of the new eight-screen Cinemark Theater. It is our hope and expectation that the $40-million investment made by Rouse Properties at Spring Hill Mall will be a catalyst to rejuvenate West Dundee's largest commercial asset and the surrounding commercial corridor. It is our goal to continue to move forward and build momentum in regards to the successes that the community has achieved in the past year, including continuation of the Spring Hill Mall revitalization, the redevelopment of several downtown parcels, including 101 S. First St. (former bowling alley), 101 W. Main St. (Bamboozels), 92-96 W. Main St. (RocHaus), the initiation of additional redevelopment efforts in the downtown area, both public and private, as well as the recent new development at Oakview Corporate Park, specifically the construction of the North American headquarters for Renishaw and Oelheld.