Many Roselle residents and business owners recently received letters from Flood Brothers Disposal and Recycling regarding their proposal to provide refuse collection services to the community. Due to the confusion caused by these letters, the Village wants to provide important information related to upcoming changes to the refuse collection program. Most importantly, Flood Brothers will not be providing refuse collection for the Village. The Village will continue to be served by Republic Services (formerly Allied Waste) for all residential and commercial refuse and recycling collection.

The Village issued a formal request for refuse collection proposals this winter to increase price competition among vendors and to determine what the best overall collection program is for the Roselle community. In total, five vendors submitted proposals. These proposals went through a thorough comparison process that resulted in Republic Services providing the best overall proposal.

Additional details, including pricing, recycling cart options, and pickup schedules will be released once a contract with Republic Services is finalized. While the terms of a new five-year agreement will not be finalized by the Village Board until mid-March, the following details are known: commercial rates will not increase during the term of the contract, eligible seniors will continue to receive a 50% discount on residential rates, and yard waste stickers will remain $2.25 in 2010. Residential refuse and recycling rates are still being negotiated and will be finalized at an upcoming Village Board meeting.

It is important for the Roselle community to know that the Village instituted a thorough process in securing the best overall refuse collection and recycling program. This process included several public meetings where the specifics of each proposal were discussed. The decision to continue with Republic Services will result in the community receiving a high quality service at very competitive rates for the next five years. For more information, please contact the Village Administrator’s Office at 630-671-2804.

On April 1, 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau will issue a call to action for every resident of our nation: “Be Counted.” The 2010 Census is important. Each year, nearly $400 billion in federal funding for critical community services is distributed to state and local governments based on census data. In addition, census data guides local planning efforts, such as where to build new roads and schools and planning for future water and sewer utility improvements. Census data also helps determine how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Watch for Census questionnaires in the mail this spring. Questionnaires are only expected to take about 10 minutes to answer and can be returned by mail. Information submitted to the U.S. Census Bureau is confidential. For more information, visit the 2010 Census web site. U.S. Census

A number of new and redevelopment projects continue to move forward in the Village of Roselle. This is in contrast to many of the adjoining communities, where development activity has slowed or even ceased.

Follow the Development Update link below to learn about the status of new developments in Roselle, including Impecca restaurant, Strike Ten Lanes, RIM Logistics, the New Leaf Development, Sunny Side Up restaurant, the Gables townhouse development, and more! Development Updates

Do you have questions about what's happening in the Village of Roselle? Coffee with the Village Board is a great opportunity to meet and talk with the Mayor and Board of Trustees.

Unlike regular Village Board or Committee of the Whole meetings, this informal session provides residents and business owners an opportunity to discuss issues affecting them and the community.

Whether it be an update on the recent Main Street, Irving Park Road, or Lake Street/Gary Avenue redevelopment efforts, or a few questions about the Village's code enforcement regarding high weeds and grass, the Mayor, Trustees, and Village Staff will be prepared to assist you.

So come in and enjoy a cup of coffee and chat with your local elected officials.

As part of its commitment to community policing strategy, the Roselle Police Department provides information about Geographic Based Policing to its web site. With four policing zones identified within the Village, the web pages identify the Zone Sergeants, the officers assigned to each zone, contact information, and zone boundaries and maps.

Couple the Geographic Based Policing information with the police department's online crime mapping tool, CrimeReports.com, to get a comprehensive look at the wealth of data available to citizens. According to Roselle Police Chief James Kruger, our overall geographic policing strategy and customer service initiatives endeavor to get useful information into the hands of our citizens. "I am confident that the potential for crime prevention and enhancing the quality of life in our community is endless by the implementation of the geo-policing strategy," said Chief Kruger.

Visit the Roselle Police Department web page to access the Geographic Based Policing link and the CrimeReports.com link. Roselle Police Department

Recent budget reductions in the Village of Roselle will require employees to take unpaid furlough days. As a result, Village Hall will be closed the second Friday of every month until at least 2011.

All public safety services involving the police and fire departments will remain fully staffed and not be impacted by the closure of Village Hall. However, business activity for residents or business owners needing access to Village Hall will not be available on those designated Fridays.

The employee furlough day initiative is part of the Village's latest measure to offset projected budget revenue shortfalls. The Village's 2009 budget has been severely impacted by the general downturn in the economy, unfunded state mandates, and increasing pension obligations. Major revenue sources such as sales tax, state shared income tax, building permits, and hotel/motel taxes have declined at an unparalleled rate over the last 12 months. The Village's general operating fund will experience a projected $1,000,000 shortfall in revenue by the end of 2009.

Earlier this year, the Village Board implemented several other budget initiatives to address the revenue shortfalls and further reduce operational expenditures. Non-essential services such as the brush pick-up program and entertainment at special events were eliminated. Capital project programs such as improvements to streets and municipal buildings were delayed. Reorganization of several departments, along with the consolidation of the Village's emergency communications services to DUCOMM, reduced full-time authorized personnel levels from 116 to 104 employees.

The recently authorized unpaid furlough days and moratorium on 2010 cost of living increases for all non-union employees is designed to further address the revenue shortfall situation. Similar personnel expenditure reductions involving police, fire, and public works union employees will be sought through the collective bargaining process.

These reduced service days and other budget initiatives implemented throughout the year are designed to mitigate the short-term impact of the revenue shortfall. The Village Board and management team continue to explore more long-term solutions to ensure current municipal service levels are not jeopardized.