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Grant Wehrli

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

City Council Discusses Amusement Fees, Sportsman's Park Clean-up

Council members ask if fees for recreation like bowling alleys, pool halls is needed.

  • GOVERNMENT
  • Ben Gross
  • Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Most of the Naperville City Council was unamused by amendments to the city's amusement municipal code. The code, which was first passed in 1964, allows Naperville to collect fees on bowling alleys, pool halls and mechanical amusement devices. The city does an initial inspection of these items, but collects yearly fees. The city said it collected $24,100 in fees last year. But city staff said Naperville was the third lowest out of 12 cities it examined in terms of fees for this type of amusement. The amendments to the current code would raise pool hall fees to $50 from $25 per table; bowling alleys to $20 from $10 per lane; and simplify mechanical amusement devices to a flat fee of $100 per device. The amendments also would allow the city …

Eunoia

12:03 am on Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Look for more ways to reduce government costs.......... ! Stop New Taxes   more ›

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Viewfinder: Mayoral, City Council Inauguration

In our weekly feature we document what's happening around Naperville

  • THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
  • Jeff Cagle
  • Thursday, May 5, 2011

Every week we will highlight happenings in Naperville or nearby, sharing photos of the people and the place. This week we spent part of Sunday afternoon at the Naperville Municipal Center to see Mayor George Pradel sworn in for his fifth term as the city's mayor, as well as the inaugurations of returning city councilman Grant Wehrli along with newcomers Joe McElroy and Steve Chirico. Have an event that would be perfect for this column? Contact editors Mary Ann Lopez at maryl@patch.com and Carrie Frillman at carrie@patch.com.

In this Article:

City of Naperville

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

City Taps Homeowners' Wallets to Pay for Increased Water Costs

The Naperville City Council approved a plan Tuesday that will lead to an increase in your monthly water bill.

Having water on tap will soon come at a higher price for Naperville homeowners. City council members voted 5-4 Tuesday to approve a staff-recommended motion that will increase water bills by about 29 percent. Effective June 1, the boost is to be followed by 3 percent annual increases and will translate to an average $78 monthly bill for the next five years, said the city's Public Utilities Director of Water Jim Holzapfel. "Part of the new jump is playing a little bit of catch-up in our rates," Holzapfel said, adding that the department hopes to battle a potential $8.6 million deficit. "… What I would like to note is that we are coming from a very low monthly bill." Residents now pay about $48.89 a month for 8,000 gallons of water, …

In this Article:

City of Naperville

Monday, May 2, 2011

Mayor, Council Sworn In During Special Meeting

George Pradel was sworn in for his fifth term as Naperville's mayor. While the Council swears in three of four members.

It’s official; Naperville has a new city council. George Pradel was sworn in for the fifth time as the city’s mayor. Grant Wehrli, Steve Chirico and Joe McElroy all took the oath for Naperville’s city council members. Wherli is serving his second term. Chirico and McElroy were sworn into their first term. The three councilmen took their oath on Wehrli’s great-grandfather’s bible from 1886. Councilmen Bob Fieseler, who was re-elected, was unable to attend the special meeting because he was visiting a sick family member. Fieseler will be sworn in for his second term before Tuesday’s council meeting. Bill Young, 67, of Naperville said he was happy to attend the inauguration ceremony. Young worked on Pradel’s re-election campaign. He also said…

In this Article:

Naperville Says Farewell to 2 Councilmen, Makes Way for Newcomers

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Three More Police Officers Get Their Jobs Back

The Naperville City Council gave the go-ahead Tuesday to rehire three more of the six officers who were laid off last year.

Three more officers will be making their way back to the Naperville Police Department, thanks to a 6-2 vote Tuesday evening by the city council. The trio brings the tally to four call-backs so far of the six officers who were laid off late last year. The first—and before Tuesday, the only—of the group who has returned to work was given the go-ahead Feb. 15. Councilman Richard Furstenau, who voted against calling back the first officer who was described as an “asset to the department,” also opposed Tuesday’s motion. Councilmen Grant Wehrli cast the second “no” vote. The layoffs were a cost-cutting move finalized at a Dec. 7, 2010, meeting. They included six of the department’s patrol division officers. A seventh vacant position was not …

In this Article:

City of Naperville Police Department, City Council Sets Police Layoffs in Stone, Council Calls Back One of Six Laid Off Cops, and 1 more ›

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Carillon Debt to be Paid Using SECA Funds

The Naperville City Council approved Wednesday using Special Events and Community Amenities grant money to pay off the carillon.

After much debate, the Naperville City Council agreed to pay off a $1.8 million debt created by the Naperville Carillon. And that money—specifically, three annual payments of $600,000—will come from the city's Special Events and Community Amenities, or SECA, fund. ”We are using a tax for its purpose of supporting a cultural amenity,” Councilman Grant Wehrli said. “You may not like the Carillon and you may not like the music it plays, but it is a cultural amenity.” After a lengthy discussion, the council approved the motion with a 5-4 vote. The council had given the go-ahead in March to divvy up about $1.9 million in SECA grants after it received requests from nearly 100 local organizations. Those totaled around $3.6 million, council …

In this Article:

Millennium Carillon in Moser Tower

Petunia Patel

5:07 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012

This Millennium Carillon should not be so expensive. People think it is so great because it is what... 10ft taller than the Statue of Liberty- but it will never compare, not even to the Sears Tower. it is very stinky, i climbed to the top and it was stinky! Those bells smell very stinky!!!!!! clean please   more ›

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Incumbents and Newbies Split Four Seats on City Council

Voters elected Councilmen Grant Wehrli and Robert Fieseler Tuesday, as well as candidates Steve Chirico and Joe McElroy.

While one three-term councilman was ousted Tuesday, two incumbents and two newcomers split the race for Naperville City Council. Earning 4,596 votes in Will and DuPage counties, Councilman Dick Furstenau lost in the municipal election. Councilmen Grant Wehrli and Robert Fieseler secured two of the four, four-year seats and newbies Steve Chirico and Joe McElroy snagged the others. Wehrli led the group with 11,003 votes and Chirico, Fieseler and McElroy followed, in that order. The race between McElroy and Gustin was neck and neck throughout the evening, but he ultimately beat her with 5,607 votes to her 5,134. "It was a very tight race," Gustin said, graciously, during a 10:30 p.m. phone interview. "Joe had run two years ago when I ran, so …

In this Article:

2011 Election: Richard “Dick” Furstenau, 2011 Election: Grant Wehrli, 2011 Election: Bob Fieseler, and 6 more ›

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Signs of Honor for North Central College

Portion of Chicago Avenue will salute school during 150th anniversary celebration.

The North Central College community will soon have a long-lasting public display of pride. The Naperville City Council approved a $250 request earlier this week to designate a portion of Chicago Avenue—the drag between Washington and Julian streets—as North Central College Avenue. The commemorative parkway will be part of the school's 14-month long sesquicentennial celebration that begins in May. Activities to honor North Central's historical feats will end in June 2012 but include fine arts sessions, special performances, a documentary and more. The college relocated to Naperville in 1870, according to council documents. "Since then it has played an instrumental role in the growth and fabric of the community," documents said. "Its …

In this Article:

North Central College and City of Naperville

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Council Isn't Sold on Idea of Springbrook Prairie Cell Tower

The council rejected a proposal to build a cellular tower near the intersection of Plainfield-Naperville Road and 87th Street.

Springbrook Prairie forest preserve will remain a bird-friendly flatland after a Tuesday night 8-0 decision by the city council that denied a motion to build a tower there. The vote mirrored an earlier one by the City of Naperville Plan Commission, which said "no" to a petition for a telecommunication tower on the city-owned property at 2191 Plainfield-Naperville Road. Mayor George Pradel was absent from Tuesday's meeting because he is visiting with legislators in Washington, D.C., said Councilman Grant Wehrli, who filled the seat in his absence. The proposed radio tower was 154 feet tall. Valued at $75,000, it would have been built by a cellular service provider and signed over to Naperville at no cost to the city, according to council …

In this Article:

Springbrook Prairie and City of Naperville

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Legislators Lend Ears to Council

The city council outlined its 2011 priorities Tuesday during a legislative roundtable workshop.

Changing the interest arbitration process, reforming pension for public safety employees and extending the Emergency Telephone Safety Act were issues presented as Naperville City Council priorities during Tuesday’s legislative roundtable workshop. Sen. Tom Johnson (R-48th) and state reps. Mike Connelly (R-Lisle), Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) and Darlene Senger (R-Naperville) sat in on the session, when the council announced issues it will pursue through lobbying. A spokesperson from the office of Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) also was present. The group listened quietly for most of the hour-and-a-half long workshop, but occasionally weighed in on the issues. Dan DiSanto, assistant to the city manager, presented the ideas. He said prior to the…

In this Article:

2011 City Council Special Workshop Schedule and City of Naperville

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