City of DeKalb

DeKalb’s mayor and the president of Northern Illinois University emphasized cooperation and economic development at a State of the City event Thursday.

Mayor Jerry Smith touted several successes, such as the arrival of Facebook and the Ferrara Candy Company to DeKalb. He also highlighted a joint effort with the University to help small businesses cope with COVID-19.

“From the get-go, a group got together to see what could be done to help these businesses, and DeKalb County UNITES was born.”

DeKalb Mayor Jerry Smith announced Thursday that he’s not seeking re-election next year. 

The soon-to-be 77-year-old said age is one factor.

“Given my age, given the fact that we’re in a position where we’re going to continue to make great progress, and given the fact that I know my wife is certainly supportive of this decision that we’ve made, now is the right time,” Smith said. 

He also says he feels confident in the city’s economic position. Smith said the arrival of Facebook and Ferrara will help with future tax revenue.

The Voluntary Action Center, a northern Illinois community service organization, lost its paratransit contract with the City of DeKalb.

The nonprofit normally offers transportation for needy residents, such as the elderly and disabled. But starting next year, the work in DeKalb will go to Transdev, a company that provides and operates buses for the city’s consolidated transport system. VAC Executive Director Ellen Rogers said the financial impact is significant.

Facebook is building an $800 million data center in DeKalb. City leaders have been working out the details for months under the secret project name “Ventus.”

DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas confirmed the project early Tuesday morning.

According to a news release, the facility will be the 12th Facebook data center in the United States -- and is being touted for its energy efficiency.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $3.6 million grant to the City of DeKalb for public transit.

The money is part of CARES Act funding and will go toward ensuring the smooth operation of the city’s public transit services.  DeKalb Transit Manager Marcus Cox said the extra money is important, particularly in a time of reduced municipal revenue. 

“We are operating a $9 million a year operation that if other funds are impacted, than this will help, but it’s not the end-all, be-all answer.” 

The DeKalb Police department has released video and audio footage of the arrest of Elonte McDowell. It comes roughly a week after the incident took place. 

A Facebook video of McDowell’s arrest has gained national attention and stoked allegations of excessive use of force by law enforcement involved. 

The City of DeKalb has been in debates over the position of city clerk. They recently held a city council vote that could've changed the job to appointed rather than elected. The council tabled the ordinance (2019-055) that would make the clerk appointed on Monday night. 

A fire broke out at 808 Ridge Drive in DeKalb on July 9 near 11 p.m. at an apartment complex owned by Hunter Properties. Police are investigating the incident as a case of arson. DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas calls it an "outrage" and says that it’s the worst incident he’s seen at a Hunter Property apartment in terms of number of injuries. 

“Last night we put together some emergency housing. Hunter [Properties] had some empty apartments and people were invited to stay,” said Nicklas. 

The Mayors of DeKalb and Rockford responded to the statewide minimum wage hike that was signed into law last week. The measure will raise the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025. 

DeKalb Mayor Jerry Smith worries about the effect this may have on small businesses. Smith says he would have preferred that the increase be done more incrementally. 

"I would have liked to have seen something that was written into law that mandated perhaps a one or two year step, and then let's take a look at it," he said. "You know, economies change."

When you take out your trash, you typically divide it into household waste and recyclables. But oftentimes, there's a third category: yard waste.

Yard waste can vary greatly, from lawn clippings to portions of trees. But the most common waste people gather up this time of year is piles of leaves. Municipalities have different schedules for picking up leaves. Andy Raih is DeKalb Interim Street Superintendent. He says they collect from the end of October through the end of November.

There’s no trash collection on a holiday, but a number of DeKalb residents likely have it on their minds. The city’s move to change waste haulers garnered a fair amount of attention in the community. And a recent vote by the DeKalb City Council on the matter proved to be anything but routine. 

More than 1,400 Illinois townships will hold their annual town meeting tonight.

More than 170,000 people live in Rockford Township, which is one of the largest townships in Illinois. 

Township Supervisor Jasper St. Angel says the typical number of residents that come to the town meetings is between 10 and 15. St. Angel says he’s not anticipating any controversial issues coming up during this year’s town meeting. He also says Rockford Township is one of the few local governments in the state without debt.

DeKalb is on track to have a better public Wi-Fi setup by early summer.

The City of DeKalb and Northern Illinois University approved an intergovernmental agreement in September to expand NIU’s free public Wi-Fi use for city visitors. The project will add more access points along DeKalb’s downtown area.

Marc Thorson heads the city’s information technology department. He says Digital Lobby, the company that would provide the access, has worked with other cities and companies before but never with a city and university combined.

Community input played a role in keeping the DeKalb Municipal Band operating at normal capacity for now.

The DeKalb City Council held a special meeting recently where they addressed potential budget cuts for the next year. That included the possibility of reduced funding for the DeKalb Municipal Band.

DeKalb Alderman David Jacobson says the band currently gets $60,000 annually when they usually only spend $50,000. He says the city agreed to cut just the $10,000 difference during the special meeting.

DeKalb planning officials are seeking residents' feedback on a proposed revitalization plan for a neighborhood in the northwest part of the city.    

A number of concerns have been raised about the neighborhood known as Annie Glidden North, including safety, exterior maintenance and quality of life issues. 

Aaron Stevens, a management analyst in the DeKalb City Manager’s office, said the problem is that the area adjacent to Northern Illinois University has evolved far from its original purpose, which was to provide affordable housing for NIU students.  

The DeKalb City Council approved a second downtown redevelopment project last night.

Council members voted 5-1 in favor of "Plaza DeKalb," which would create a four-story apartment complex and retail space approximately one block away from the "Cornerstone" project currently under development.

DeKalb’s City Council will consider a second project by developer John Pappas at its meeting tonight. 

He wants to build another four-story apartment building along 2nd Street and Lincoln Highway at a cost of approximately $6 million. The Daily Chronicle reports Pappas wants a tax increment financing contribution from the of about $1.9 million.