Wednesday, March 6, 2013
By nixing the "General Corporate Purposes" portion of the property tax assessment, the Village is able to save residents a few bucks come tax season.
Darien residents will see a reduction in their 2013 property taxes after the city has abated about $500,000 in "General Corporate Purposes," which will drop the amount locals will pay in the 3 to 5 percent of their overall property taxes collected by the city. According to a press release on the Darien website, the reductions will save resident nearly .02 percent of their home value, with a $400,000 home seeing a reduction of $75, and a $300,000 home's taxes reduced $56. "The City of Darien is proud of its strong track record of delivering exceptional services while keeping low property tax rates when compared with other communities,” the paper quoted Mayor Kathleen Weaver said in the release. “This reduction of the Darien property tax is …
Monday, February 18, 2013
Local bar and grill owner hopes city council will overturn ban to help him compete with neighboring businesses that offer video gaming to their customers.
In recent years, a weak economy has dealt a pretty lousy hand to businesses owners across the country, who often struggle to attract customers amid fierce competition. But local businessman Robert Taft is hoping the Darien City Council will improve his chances by reversing its 2009 decision to ban video gaming in the city. Taft, the owner of Q Bar and Grill at 8109 S. Cass Ave. in Darien, came before the city council Feb. 4 to ask aldermen to review Darien’s ordinance prohibiting video gaming. He thinks the addition of video poker machines to his bar and grill -- which currently features pool and Foosball tables, dartboards, bean bags and video arcade games -- will help him to better compete with area establishments in municipalities …
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Marchese was named Citizen of the Year in Darien for her endless and diverse service, including the Darien Historical Society, Women's Club, DarienFest, a recycling committee and lots more.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
-
Thursday, January 24
Through years of service in a diverse array of community groups, Cathlyn Marchese has made Darien live up to its motto, "A Nice Place to Live." On Thursday it was announced that Marchese was named Darien's 2013 Citizen of the Year. Nominations for Citizen of the Year were judged by a committee after the deadline of Jan. 7. The winner must be a resident of Darien and cannot currently be an elected official. The committee asked people to consider diversity of activities, length of service, degree of involvement and impact to the City of Darien. "Our choice for the 2013 nomination has truly made this city a much nicer place to live since moving here 26 years ago," said Kathy Lyons, chairwoman of the Citizen of the Year committee. "We feel …
Monday, January 7, 2013
Nominations for the 2013 Citizen of the Year in Darien are being accepted through Jan. 7.
Darien's Citizens of the Year in 2012, Robert and Charleen Vuillaume, were honored for the difference they make through The Gift of Carl Foundation, which provides awareness and educational opportunities in the fields of theater, literacy, music and environmental education. Carl was the Vuillaume's son who drowned when he was 16. Their work in the community was truly deserving of the honor, and they'll be a hard act to follow. Now it's time to nominate the next Citizen of the Year in Darien. The Citizen of the Year Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2013 Citizen of the Year. "If you know of a person who goes above and beyond the call of duty ... is always there when someone needs a hand ... and who has contributed to make …
Saturday, December 8, 2012
While the tax rate may increase slightly, property owners will pay the same total amount they paid last year.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
City offers free brush pickup for residents Aug. 27 through 31.
Whether residents are trimming trees, snipping shrubs or pruning privets, they need a way to dispose of the piles of brush that result from all that activity. The City of Darien offers free brush pickup several times during the year for all residents who live within the city limits – and the next scheduled dates are Aug. 27 through 31. At Monday’s city council meeting, Municipal Services Director Dan Gombac urged residents to wait until the weekend before the scheduled pickup week before placing brush out at the curb. “Keep it on the property until the pickup week,” Gombac said. He added that violation notices could be handed out to residents who place brush on or too close to the street before that time. According to the city’s website, …
Deal for parcel at 75th Street and Cass Avenue has been in the works since February 2011.
The City of Darien is scheduled to close Friday on the sale of a parcel of property at 75th Street and Cass Avenue to Chase Bank. The city council approved the $1.95 million deal last November. Since the vacant property was the former site of a gas station, environmental testing was required before construction of the bank could begin. According to Assistant City Administrator Scott Coren, the property is “nearly finished with an environmental remediation project.” He added that the parcel has already acquired a “No Further Remediation” letter from the Environmental Protection Agency. Coren said that as part of the project, an access road will be constructed connecting the parcel to the strip mall and property at Plainfield Road and Cass…
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
City Council approves new stone signs at eight locations.
The city council gave a green light Monday to a proposed new entrance sign project, which will welcome visitors and residents to Darien at eight separate locations with the words, “City of Darien – a Nice Place to Live.” Council members authorized city staff to proceed with the project at a cost not to exceed $85,600. Municipal Services Director Dan Gombac estimated that including engineering costs and city workers’ labor, the total cost of the sign project will be about $103,600. The original budgeted amount was $108,000 for only five signs. But with the city acting as general contractor and by subcontracting out portions of the project to separate contractors, the municipality can add three entrance signs and still remain under the …
Increased police presence a result of new initiative at Darien Community Park
Darien Community Park at Plainfield and Clarendon Hills roads offers plenty of amenities for all ages to enjoy. At nearly 20 acres, the park features two picnic pavilions, four tennis courts, two basketball courts, two sand volleyball courts, a soccer field, baseball fields, two playgrounds and restroom facilities. But the park is of little use to residents if they don’t feel safe there – whether they have heard rumors about crimes being committed at the park or simply perceive that the park may not be a place they can comfortably enjoy with their families. In response to those perceptions, the City of Darien and Darien Park District have begun taking a stance against those who may disrupt the enjoyment of other park-goers. Through the new…
Thursday, July 26, 2012
City mulls options for dealing with the pest, which could destroy all its ash trees if left untreated.
Darien officials have a big decision to make over the next few months – either cut down and replace some of the city’s nearly 2,600 ash trees in the city’s parkways or commit to a six-year treatment plan to try to eradicate a pest that could ultimately destroy them. Municipal Services Director Dan Gombac said the city has determined that 12 of its ash trees have already been affected by the Emerald Ash Borer. But since the insidious creature is virtually undetectable until it’s already done its damage, there could be more of them lurking out there. “You can’t identify the bug until it’s visible, once the tree starts to lose its canopy,” said Gombac at a municipal services committee meeting Monday night. “There are no other visible signs.” …
Darien Resident
10:29 am on Thursday, March 7, 2013
Way to go! Love it! Thank you! more ›