Monday, February 27, 2012
7:30 a.m.
Chicago Marriott Naperville Hotel
1801 N. Naper Blvd.
Join Mayor A. George Pradel as he presents his annual State of the City address at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, February 27 at the new Chicago Marriott Naperville Hotel, 1801 N. Naper Blvd. Tickets are available for this breakfast event from the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and are $30 for Chamber members and $40 for nonmembers.
To purchase tickets or for more information, call (630) 355-4141 or visit www.naperville.net.
State of the City Address 2011
January 24, 2011
Mayor A. George Pradel
Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you for attending today’s State of the City speech for which I have had the honor and privilege to deliver for the last fifteen years.
We are trying something different this year by hosting a breakfast instead of a lunch. This is for two main reasons.
Number one is the Holiday Inn of Naperville closed its doors and we had planned to use its banquet hall. The second reason is that it’s somewhat inconvenient for all of you to have a large lunch and then go back to work when you would rather take a nap after a long speech!!
I would like to thank John Schmitt, President and CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and his staff for arranging this beautiful location with plenty of parking and very tasty food. Did you enjoy the breakfast? And thank you for continuing the tradition of inviting the Mayor to provide the State of the City address to its members.
Heartfelt thanks from all of us to Tellabs for allowing us to use their castle. A special thank you goes out to Michael Birck, Tellabs Chairman and Co-Founder, Don Varisco and Dennis Chase of the Global Facilities Services department for assisting with the details of this special event. And I see my good friend Doug Stanley – thanks for having us here, Doug!
I am happy to recognize my dear wife Pat here with me today. She has been by my side for more than half a century! I am so proud to say that we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on August 20 last year!
And joining my wife Pat is my favorite son Gary!! I am only saying that because my other favorite son George wasn’t able to join me this morning. And my favorite (and only) daughter Carol also could not be here, unfortunately.
On November 22, Pat and I reached another milestone together when we were blessed with our first great grandbaby, Natalya Pradel. She’s a happy, healthy girl who brings us joy and smiles – and that is really what life is all about, isn’t it?
And it’s so very important that we appreciate our good fortune and not take it for granted. Perhaps you may have heard about my great grand nephew “Manny the Manster” who went home from the hospital for the first time last week after six months and seven surgeries!
He was born 15 weeks early and weighed a mere one pound, four ounces. He also had a rare condition where his stomach, liver and intestines were outside of his body!
Manny is such a fighter! His doctors gave him a zero percent chance of survival, and it is truly a miracle that he is alive and well today!
And I just have to say that the doctors at Edward Hospital, especially those that cared for Manny while he was in the newborn intensive care unit, are truly miracle workers!
We are very fortunate to have such an outstanding health care facility right here in Naperville! Edward Hospital and Health Services is without equal in the medical industry!
And for all of you that came out today, thank you for braving the cold and for starting your week with me!
At this time, I’d like to acknowledge and thank two former mayors that are still active and contributing leaders in our community.
Mayor Chester Rybicki, who served from 1975 to 1983, and Mayor Margaret (Peg) Price. She served from 1983 to 1991.
We’re so happy that both Mayors still live in the community and are very active in supporting the quality of life we enjoy. Mayor Price continues to hold the title of the only Lady Mayor to serve Naperville! Both encourage others and give back to the community, and we are blessed to have them in our city family. Thank you for your service.
I have served under six mayors since I first joined the Naperville police force back in 1966.
William Zaininger Milton Stauffer G. Kenneth Small Chester Rybicki Peg Price and Sam Macrane
The City Council members devote many hours serving the residents of Naperville, making the tough decisions that must be made to ensure the survival of our way of life. Our Council is committed to making Naperville a world class city! But most importantly, the City Council acts as a team. We deal with every issue as a team and we make our decisions that way And it always comes back to the values that we all hold so dear.
Please stand and be recognized as I call your name, Council members. Audience, I ask that you please hold your applause until all the council has been recognized.
Jim Boyajian Judy Brodhead Bob Fieseler Dick Furstenau Paul Hinterlong Doug Krause Kenn Miller Grant Wehrli
Ladies and gentleman, let’s have a round of applause for our elected leaders.
State Representatives Darlene Senger and Mike Connelly are with us this morning. Please stand at this time so we can recognize you and thank you for your service. We had a great legislative roundtable last week, and we are fortunate to have both of you fighting for our rights in Springfield. You do such a great job representing our community and each resident has a voice through you.
As I begin my 16th State of the City speech, some critical questions come to my mind:
What does it take to run this city? What sets Naperville apart from other communities? What attracts people to live, work and play in Naperville? How can we get the best bang for our buck? What is the value our taxpayers receive from their investment in Naperville?
We have had a tough few years, and we still face continued challenges moving in to 2011. But my trust is in the future of Naperville and in the leadership of our city. Naperville certainly didn’t become the city it is today by accident - Our success and prosperity is the result of a long history of Councils, community leaders and involved and caring citizens like all of you, whose vision for the future has become our reality.
What does it take to run this city?
How does the city’s budget work? What are the city’s major revenue sources, and how are funds allocated for designated projects and expenditures? And who is better than our City Manager Doug Krieger to answer these questions?
Doug has been our leader since December 2008 and is City Council’s only employee! Before that, he served as the city’s Finance Director for more than five years. A dedicated public servant, Doug also served as an officer in the submarine service of the U.S. Navy. We’re certainly happy to have him as the captain of our ship. Doug, please join me on stage. Even after being Mayor for so many years, I could still use a refresher course on the city’s budget!
[City Manager Doug Krieger]
Thank you Mr. Mayor. Boy that is one good looking fella on the screen. But enough about him, I am honored that the Mayor has asked me to participate in this morning’s talk. This will be a Quickee City Government One-oh-one.
Before I go into detail, I just want to express how thrilling and exciting this topic is.I am certain that everyone in this room will find this topic every bit as stimulating as I do. It’s just plain riveting and fascinating stuff.
And not only is this topic interesting and fascinating, it is actually very important. Including all funds we have at the city, we have total revenues and expenditures in excess of $300 million each year.
Like any municipality, we provide standard services like police and fire protection, road maintenance, and at least this month, salting and plowing. This is only one piece of what we do at the city. I’ll get back to this topic, and how we pay for these services, a little later on.
Like most municipalities in Illinois, we also provide water and wastewater service for all of our residents. We run this operation as a separate entity, as a public utility. We set our rates as low as possible, eliminating any profit, because our customers are the same people as our shareholders – the residents of Naperville.
Now, unlike most municipalities, we also operate our own Electric Utility. Similar to our water utility, we don’t run this utility to make any money. Zero profit. Same reason, our customers are the same as our shareholders. If you don’t think this makes any difference, just compare your electric bill to someone who has Com Ed as a service provider.
We were also extremely fortunate last year to have been successful in receiving an 11 million dollar federal grant to complete our infrastructure build-out for Smart Grid. The only thing better than paying low electric bills is having someone else, in this case the federal government, help pay for part of your bill.
Just a quick fun fact for you – the logo that you see on the screen was created by resident Jim Paradowski and the tagline came from resident Dave Johnson. They were both part of a group of more than 100 people who submitted logo designs to be considered to be the official Smart Grid Initiative logo!
Now getting back to the standard services we, as a city, provide. We are fortunate to have a very diverse revenue base for government operations here in Naperville. What this means is that we are not overly reliant on a single revenue source to pay for our services. This revenue diversity has been particularly important during the tough economic times we have just gone through.
Our single biggest source for revenues is our sales tax. We get one percent of every purchase made within the city. While this may seem like just a sliver, you people buy a lot of stuff! As a matter of fact, we expect Naperville sales to be more than two point six billion this year, resulting in sales tax revenue of 26 million for the city. As you can see from the graph, we are continuing to experience a significant improvement in this revenue category over last year, a significant sign that the economy is improving.
Close on the heels of sales tax is property tax, at slightly less than 26 million. This is the part where everybody boos and hisses.
BUT WAIT, did you know that for every property tax dollar a resident pays, the city only receives approximately 12 cents? That’s right, as the chart indicates; the city represents only about 12% of your total property tax bill. The majority of your property tax dollar, approximately 75 cents, goes to your school district. The Park District receives a little less than 4 cents and the remainder goes to other small government agencies.
The City Council has worked very hard to maintain a very low property tax rate, one of the lowest rates in the area.
As you can see on the screen, property taxes in 1995, when the Mayor delivered his first State of the City, were much higher than they are today.
Our next three largest revenue sources are Utility Tax, Income Tax and Real Estate Transfer Tax. Income Tax is significantly impacted by the level of unemployment, which as you can see from the slide, is trending nicely downward.
Now in addition to running and operating our city, we’ve also got over a billion dollars worth of assets owned by the city. Maintaining these assets, whether it’s a road or Fire Station or underground pipe, are funded through our Capital Improvement Program, which is our long-term funding source. This was the funding source used in the purchase of the DuPage Children’s Museum property, which was purchased for half of the appraised value.
Purchases for new capital items are typically funded by issuing debt. Now, that may raise the question of what kind of interest rate we pay. Well, I am proud to say that our last issuance, in March of last year was at the low, low rate of 2.6%.
So…why did we get such a great interest rate? Besides that fact that interest rates are at historically low levels, we also have the best bond rating available from both Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s. This is based on a number of factors, community wealth, low total debt, solid financial management, and strong financial policies, especially when it comes to reserve funds. It had been suggested last year that we dip into these reserve funds to balance the budget. We believe that using this rainy day fund is a short-term solution for what may be a continuing problem.
Well, that’s the end of City government one-oh one. I’ll be hanging around later for questions. Mr. Mayor, I’ll hand it back to you now. These people certainly didn’t pay to hear me talk this morning!
[Mayor A. George Pradel]
Thank you so much for the Budget 101 lesson, Doug. Doug’s leadership is one reason that Naperville is such a special place.
And what is it that sets Naperville apart from other communities?
The core family values and the value that residents and businesses receive for their tax dollars are two key factors that set Naperville apart from other communities. We are visited by municipalities from across the nation as well as from other countries that seek to know HOW it is that we run such a world class, thriving, bustling city. We give people the most bang for their buck.
What attracts people to live, work and play in Naperville?
As you can see from this video produced by Naperville Community Television, there are so many reasons that people choose to call Naperville their home.
Naperville is a place where people raise their children, start businesses and retire. Many families have settled here for generations!
Much like Dave Letterman, I have my own top 10 list to share with you today! These are the top reasons that I think Naperville is a world class city!
NUMBER 10
Public Safety - When people come to Naperville, it’s because they know it’s a safe community. Thanks to our police and fire personnel, our community has the lowest crime rate in the nation of any city with more than 100,000 people! Our Fire Department is now rated 2 by the ISO, an improvement which has a direct impact on people who live here and how much they pay on insurance rates.
NUMBER 9
Nationally acclaimed schools – We are fortunate to have not one but two exceptional school districts in town – and our schools are rated number one in the area!
NUMBER 8
The Naperville Park District –We have 138 parks on more than 2,500 acres that provide residents of all ages with the chance to exercise, relax and connect as a family. The award winning Park District is a separate entity from the city and has its own police force that patrols the parks.
NUMBER 7
We are fortunate to enjoy our thriving, bustling downtown with some of the best restaurants and shops right in our own backyard!
NUMBER 6
Home of Olympic Gold and Silver! Our community provides opportunities for our children to explore their interests, be it dance, martial arts, soccer, skating and more. Right now, there could be a future Evan Lysacek or Molly Schaus training at one of our city’s facilities!
NUMBER 5
Our public transportation system features the two busiest commuter lines in the Chicagoland area, transporting a total of 10,000 commuters to and from downtown Chicago each day! You can catch a train and be in Chicago in about half an hour.
NUMBER 4
Involved citizens who give back to their community. We have more than 350 volunteers serving on the city’s boards and commissions. People have their best say by becoming part of the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation or one of our many service organizations in town!
NUMBER 3
Museums – We have two, count them, two museums in town! Naper Settlement allows us to visit our past and the DuPage Children’s Museum shapes our future leaders!
NUMBER 2
Naperville Public Library –Our library has been ranked as the number one library in the nation for an unprecedented tenth year in a row!
And what is the Number One Reason that Naperville is the BEST city in the world?
Community spirit!! Our residents and businesses love this city and love to take part in improving our quality of life. Together, we are building a great life for ourselves and for future generations.
Because of all of YOU – we are a strong and prosperous community! Judge Win Knoch said it best: “Any town worth living in is worth doing something for.”
What is the value that our taxpayers receive from investing in the Naperville community?
City Council and staff have been working on our upcoming budget for several months now, and in fact, we will be meeting at 5 p.m. this afternoon for a Council workshop discussing Total Compensation.
We have had some difficult discussions about city revenue and service levels recently. We’ve eliminated more than 10 percent of our workforce over the past couple of years. The value that we stretch from every dollar and the values that exist at the core of our organization have sustained us through these lean times.
Up on the screen, you can see the core values that City Council has identified as our benchmarks when making policy decisions. Our focus continues to be to provide our residents and businesses with the highest value for their dollars. We realize we are merely stewards of your tax dollars, working to make sure we get the best bang for the buck for all of you!
We expect our government to be fiscally responsible, accountable and transparent to our taxpayers. And now, more than ever before, we must continue to make the decisions that will stand the test of time and make certain our values endure.
Hard-working people with a can-do spirit built Naperville into what it is today. Our forefathers rose to the challenge and so shall we! While the past few years have been difficult, we continue to focus on our future and to identify new ways to serve our residents.
The city’s success would not be possible without the support of this community, whether through our newly launched municipal volunteer program or the SECA fund supporting so many unique and worthwhile community projects and organizations. Naperville is a rich and unique tapestry comprised of cultural and ethnic diversity.
The city is fortunate to have wonderful support from several intergovernmental partners in the community. While there are far too many organizations in town to name each one individually, rest assured these organizations and the people who work and volunteer for them are “everyday heroes.”
Let’s pause a moment and clap for all of our partner organizations shown on the screen. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you contribute to our community!!
2010 was a busy year for local commerce– there were 39 ribbon cuttings to welcome the newest members of our business community!
Naperville values its business community, and we strive to create policy to encourage and stimulate economic growth.
One example is the city’s Greener Business Program, which provides grants and no-interest loans to Naperville businesses for energy efficient improvements. The funding jump-starts projects employing local vendors and helps our businesses lower their energy costs.
One business that has taken advantage of this FREE money is Potter’s Place, a popular downtown establishment. They will be saving $10,000 every year on their gas and electric bills because of their new white Energy Star rated roof and insulation. And they received $10,000 of free, matching funds for this project through the city’s Greener Business Program! Not only are they saving money, but they are also lessening their impact on the environment!
Many other businesses in town have taken advantage of these economic stimulus funds, and we are still accepting applications for grants. In fact, we have a table set up out front for more information, and I really encourage all of you to learn more about the Greener Business Program. Maybe next year I will be up here talking about YOUR business and how you were able to lower overhead costs and keep the local economy moving!
Whenever I think about our local economy, I feel so thankful for the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Naperville Alliance! They continue to attract shoppers and visitors to our city, even during slower economic times. As I mentioned earlier, it is certainly no accident that Naperville has fared better than many communities over the past couple of years.
And thanks to Christine Jeffries and the Naperville Development Partnership, we continue to attract new businesses to Naperville despite a period of stagnant growth. Some of our development success stories of 2010 include:
NAVISTAR keeping its headquarters in Illinois and moving forward with plans to expand operations in the state. The truck and diesel engine company plans to move its headquarters from Warrenville to Lisle.
We project that this will create and retain 3,000 permanent jobs and 600 construction jobs over the next several years. At this time, I would like to ask Jeff Bowen, Vice President of Navistar to stand and be recognized. Thank you, Jeff, and we look forward to working with you!
The JANKO GROUP has purchased the former Holiday Inn Select, and with an investment of more than $30 million, will re-open in March 2012 as a high-end full-service Marriott Hotel! And joining us here today is Gary Janko, President of the Janko Group.
LASER TECHNOLOGIES is moving its precision laser cutting operations into 160,000 square feet on Frontenac Road. This project will bring with it 120 jobs. Let’s give a Naperville welcome to the president, Keri Foster.
NICOR NATIONAL has moved its 220 person call center to the newly renovated East-West Tech Center at Diehl Road and Route 59. The call center will soon be followed by Nicor National’s headquarters bringing about 330 employees with them. Here with us today is the President of Nicor National Dan Dodge – you may recognize him from the video that we played earlier!
1200 WARRENVILLE ROAD is taking on a whole new look. In one of the largest office transactions of 2010, the 330,000 square foot Warrenville Road building is being fully renovated and re-introduced into the market through a joint venture of Bill Krug, Dan Murphy and Wanxiang.
Let’s clap for Dan Murphy, of Dan Murphy Real Estate and Larry Krueger of Wanxiang Real Estate!
Delta Dental of Illinois moved into its new custom designed 80,000 square foot headquarters on Shuman Boulevard last year. The new building currently houses 165 Delta Dental employees. In fact, the city provides its employees dental benefits through Delta Dental! And joining us today is Stacey Bonn, Chief Administrative Officer.
We are so pleased to partner with our large corporate residents that provide so many jobs to our economy, and we are proud that they choose to operate their businesses here.
Just as important to our local economy are the small businesses that make Naperville their home! According to the U.S. Business Administration, small businesses create two of every three new jobs in the country.
Not only are small businesses referred to as the backbone of our economy, but they also contribute to the unique charm and character of our city while providing personalized attention and service to their customers.
Recent events remind us that we have plenty of work ahead. As we move forward, we will continue to be respectful of the recovering economic climate. We will work to meet our financial obligations in a way that stimulates economic growth and encourages the creation and retention of jobs.
Working hand in hand, the city and its partners continue to provide a high quality of life in Naperville. We value our relationships with both of our school districts, the Park District and the public library. By the way, Park Board President Mike Reilly asked me to remind you that the State of the Park District will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday, February 12 at the Alfred E. Rubin Center.
And we also work so closely with our state legislators and other elected officials. Together, we can overcome any challenges.
Our 2010 legislative agenda had only one priority - pension reform. As members of the Pension Fairness for Illinois Communities, we applauded the signing of the pension reform bill on April 14 and the public safety pension reform bill on December 30. We worked closely with the Chamber in our lobbying efforts to see meaningful legislation of this issue.
As part of the Steeple Run Watershed project, the Park District gave Old Plank Park to the city in exchange for open land. These changes to the Springhill neighborhood will improve the overall appearance of the area and make the play lot usable even during wet periods. By the city and the park district sharing resources, our residents get increased value for their tax dollars.
Last May, Naperville entered into a partnership with the Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District to jointly staff an ambulance that serves residents from both areas. This cost-neutral agreement has helped enhance the safety of our residents as well as those in the Lisle/Woodridge district.
Hosted by the Naperville Development Partnership, Lunches with the Mayor connect the business community with city leaders to foster two way communications and identify ways the city can better support business growth. We were able to reach out to more than 40 local businesses through two luncheon events last year.
I want to take this opportunity to say that our city employees provide exceptional service to Naperville. They continually give 110 percent effort every day. They are committed to our community and the people who live and work here.
At this time, I want to introduce our department directors. Their hard work and dedication ensures the health, safety and comfort of our community. Please stand when I call your name and remain standing, and I ask the audience to please hold your applause to the end.
Assistant City Manager Bob Marshall – Bob first joined the police department in 1978 and has been our assistant city manager since 2005. That is 33 years of service to the Naperville community.
Mark Curran, Department of Public Utilities – Electric has been with the city since1991. He will be celebrating 20 years of service with the city this year!
Finance Director Karen DeAngelis recently joined the city in 2009.
Police Chief David Dial has been with the city since 1990, and we recently celebrated his 20 years of service.
City Attorney Margo Ely became our corporation counsel in 2004.
Jim Holzapfel, Department of Public Utilities – Water has been part of the city team since 1986. 2011 marks his 25th year!
Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis has only been working for the city since 2008, but he has already made his mark here!
Transportation, Engineering and Development Director Marcie Schatz has been with the city since 1995 – she was recently recognized for her 15 years of service. She must have been about 15 years old when she began her career here!
Public Works Director Dave Van Vooren has been keeping our streets safe since 1945!! Oooops, I’m sorry, Dave I meant to say 2005!! And I do want to add that my drive here this morning was wonderful because our streets were clean and clear of snow!
Ok, now, all together, let’s have a round of applause for our department heads!!!
Council continues to challenge city staff to get more done with less and get the most bang for the city’s bucks. Recently Council discussed the idea of combining the Zoning Board of Appeals with the Plan Commission. This idea saves money for the city by reducing staffing and gives residents and businesses more opportunities to petition the proposed new Planning and Zoning Commission.
Last year’s lagging economy provided the city with opportunities to stretch its dollar further by taking advantage of lowered construction costs. Many construction projects were completed under budget in 2010.
Fire Station Number 10 – This new station serves the southwest part of the city and was completed on time and under budget.
75th and Washington – After two years of construction, drivers now have an easier commute due to the additional traffic lanes, and pedestrians and cyclists can safely travel under 75th and Washington streets.
DuPage River Trail Segment 4 – In September, I was joined by several Park District preschoolers to cut the ribbon for the next segment of the DuPage River Trail. How wonderful that our families now have an additional two and a half miles of trails to enjoy!
Jefferson Avenue Bridge reconstruction – The brand new bridge opened in September and features two lanes wide enough for vehicles and bikes and protected sidewalks to ensure pedestrian safety. As part of the project, a new Brethren Peace Plaza, Riverwalk Gateway and Firemen’s Memorial were also dedicated.
Riverwalk rehabilitation – Our crown jewel got a facelift from Webster to Eagle Street featuring an improved walkway, beautiful new Youth Plaza, new landscaping and a rebuilt Millennium Wall.
Last year, Allan Poole retired after nearly 40 years of service to the city. Unfortunately, he is unable to join us this morning, but we all certainly thank him for his many years of service.
By far, the most exciting project that we are currently working on is The Naperville Smart Grid Initiative! We are at the forefront of exciting new technology that will empower our utility customers with more choices about how you use electricity, what you pay for it and how you can adapt it to fit your lifestyle!
I am proud to say that we are the only municipality in the entire State of Illinois to receive a federal grant from the Department of Energy to pay for 50% of the cost of upgrading our aging electric infrastructure, resulting in increased reliability, improved efficiencies and significant cost savings.
The electric utility’s cost will be $11 million and will generate a 300 percent return for the city. We will see a minimum, that’s right a minimum, of $34 million dollars in city savings over the next 15 years.
We are happy to report that this project continues to move forward, on time and within budget.
Later this year, the utility will install a new smart meter on your home or business, and you will have some choices to make once you get your new meter.
One, you can choose to do nothing, and the city will still save money on operational costs. Two, you can use new tools, like a home area network device or the customer e-portal to become more aware of your energy consumption patterns. And three, you can take this new information and use it to help you manage your electricity costs and lessen your carbon footprint, if you want to. It’s all about choice.
We will continue to provide you with additional updates on this exciting project through our standard communication channels, and of course, Council and staff are always available to hear your thoughts and answer your questions. Look for our new smart grid logo to help you identify any information regarding this project.
Now, let’s move on to our nationally accredited Police Department. My hat is off to Chief Dial and the brave men and women in uniform who remain diligent in the fight against crime, making Naperville one of the safest communities in the nation. It warms my heart to see the department continuing its tradition of excellence by serving and protecting our residents day in and day out.
The city worked with Aurora and other communities on our new interoperable radio system which, I’m happy to report, went live just before the end of last year. This new system ensures that our radios can communicate with those of other agencies in an emergency situation.
One of my most memorable days last year was when I was able to present the key to the city and declare March 26 as Evan Lysacek Day in Naperville! Evan’s triumphant homecoming was after he brought home the Olympic gold medal and was squeezed in between Dancing with the Stars rehearsals!
I was also so excited to present a key to the city and declare April 3rd as Molly Schaus Day in Naperville. Molly brought home the Silver for the United States Women’s Olympic Hockey Team!
Judging the Community Career Center’s Dancing with the Celebrities event was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make!
Competition was fierce among our local celebrities, including Councilmen Grant Wehrli and Kenn Miller, and our City Manager Doug Krieger and Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis. And I can’t forget to mention our two lovely ladies, State Representative Darlene Senger and Naperville Magazine Publisher Leah Rippe, who both gave spectacular performances!!
Let’s watch a quick video clip of that evening’s Grand Champion
On November 13, Naperville officially got its second sister city! I welcomed the Mayor and his delegation from Patzcuaro, Mexico as we gathered together for a flag raising ceremony and we also signed the Sister City agreement.
And I found out something interesting when they were here, the First Lady Maria shares the same birthday with Sister Cities Commissioner Bettye Wehrli and me, September 5!!
Century Walk brings public art to Naperville to add beauty, build community and bridge generations by honoring the city’s history. Throughout the years, Century Walk has incorporated a diverse collection of murals, mosaics, sculptures and other public arts to our cityscape.
In 2010, we joined with world famous artist Dick Locher to unveil a 9-foot tall sculpture of cartoon detective Dick Tracy on the Riverwalk, which is the 35th piece of our Century Walk collection.
Naperville Central students painted a mural on the fifth floor of the Van Buren Parking Deck, and plans to paint murals on all floors are in the works. Currently, our city’s love of parades is being showcased in a pair of Century Walk murals being painted in the downtown.
For the second year in a row, we celebrated India’s Independence Day on August 15 with a Flag Raising Ceremony at city hall. We had several hundred people show up for this great event! Including my good friend Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford!!
Honoring the rich history and values of Native Americans with the Midwest SOARRING’s annual Pow Wow at Naper Settlement is one of the most rich, colorful and exciting annual events in town!
Speaking of rich and colorful, I never miss the Chinese Lantern Festival normally held in April. Wow! What a beautiful ceremony and such vivid images and scenes!
In 2010 I participated in Think Global Arts Foundation’s fourth annual Celebration of Peace to help provide harmony in our community and promote peace and unity among all people.
And speaking of peace, Naperville residents from across all generations gathered at the base of Rotary Hill to participate in our annual holiday card photo shoot that was seen around the world! People as far away as Germany heard about the 500 people who gathered at the Carillon to literally create peace on earth on a freezing cold winter day.
In 2011, we stand hand-in-hand at the start of a new road – one that focuses on a brighter future and continued recovery. Our city and businesses are innovative and cutting-edge because we know investment, even in tough times, brings long-term gain.
So what does 2011 hold for Naperville?
North Central College is celebrating its Sesqui-centennial with special events, publications and displays planned on campus and off to remind alumni, students, faculty, friends and community members of the rich traditions that began with the founding of humble Plainfield College 150 years ago in 1861.
We are also looking forward to some exciting retail development this year!
The city will welcome a well-known name in the world of sports and fitness to the Springbrook Prairie Pavilion at the intersection of 75th Street and Route 59. Dick’s Sporting Goods has more than 300 stores, and now they’ll have one more in Naperville! The Council just approved this development last week, and we can’t wait to see them open their doors.
The newest addition to Freedom Commons is Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant. This is a unique place where people can relax and enjoy a menu that pairs perfectly with wines created in the full working on-site winery. A wine tasting room and retail gift store will make this so much more than just another restaurant.
Finally, a long-vacant corner of 75th Street and Wehrli Road will soon be home to a Walgreens store, giving our southeast area residents another convenient option for quick shopping trips.
As part of the Central Park Renovation Project, we will be replacing the current wooden benches with new, lighter weight benches this summer. The seating improvements will be funded through a $300,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and a grant from the Special Events and Cultural Amenities (SECA) Fund.
Since Central Park and the Naperville Municipal Band belong to the Naperville community, we invite you to help us select the bench design that will ultimately be installed in Central Park. There are three seating options currently on display in the main lobby of the Municipal Center through this Friday. Come test ride each bench and then share your thoughts with the city on which bench you’d most like to sit on during a summer concert.
Our road to recovery will not be smooth. We will undoubtedly hit bumps and setbacks, but our core values will continue to sustain us through trying times.
We must remember that by working together for the common good, we can accomplish anything. Reach out to your business associates, your friends and your neighbors and ask how you can help them with their challenges.
We are all part of a shared community with a vision of excellence. In the word community, there is “unity.” That unity is our greatest asset now and into the new decade.
Thank you to the Chamber for inviting me here today to give you an update on the city. I want to thank each of you, the businesses in this room for what you do every day.
Your hard work is what defines Naperville. You provide jobs and health insurance. You create the wealth that our community shares. We have achieved so much because of the personal investments you have made in your businesses and our community. Thank you and may 2011 bring you prosperity and success.
At this time, I would like to thank city staff, Naperville Development Partnership and Naperville Community television for working with me in the production of this year’s State of the City address.
God Bless You! God Bless America! And God Bless Naperville!!
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