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This meeting is free and open to the public. At this first meeting, we want to hear what you think Chicago Heights’ comprehensive plan should address. The first and most important step in planning for your community’s future is your participation. July 24 is your first opportunity to do so. To RSVP, contact Kendra Smith at ksmith@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8774.  For additional information, visit the project web page at http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/lta/chicago-heights. To download the flyers click:  ChicagoHeights_72413PUBLIC MEETING_11X17  or ChicagoHeights_7 24 13PUBLIC MEETING_11X17_SPANISH.

The Illinois Supporting All Veterans Equally (I-SAVE) Foundation, US Department of Veterans Affairs, State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and World Sport Chicago are collaborating to provide 10,000 military service members, veterans and their families of the Midwest Region an opportunity to connect with benefits, education, employment, housing, legal, disabilities, mental health, family & children services and faith based organizational opportunities. Over 275 organizations will be present and working together to unite the community and deliver programs and services to veterans efficiently. Additionally, World Sport Chicago is providing an opportunity for 150 injured, ill, or wounded veterans to compete in various sporting event competitions known as the Valor Games Midwest – For more information or to register and compete, please visit http://www.valorgamesmidwest.org. For more information or to register/donate/volunteer, click here.

Clerk Orr announcesTIF data will be on tax bills, new TIF video Orr urges city to declare TIF surplues Cook County Clerk David Orr on Thursday released the 2012 TIF revenue report, which shows $723 million was collected in the 435 active tax increment financing (TIF) districts in Chicago and suburban Cook County. Chicago will collect $457 million in TIF revenue for the 2012 tax year. Chicago’s 2012 TIF revenue represents an increase of $3.3 million or 0.74 percent over 2011. The slight growth follows two years of TIF revenue declines – an 11 percent drop in 2011 and a 2 percent dip in 2010. Since 1986, $5.5 billion has been collected from Chicago TIFs. “The city is making some headway by cancelling nine TIF districts, not adding any to the books, and posting more TIF information online,” Orr said. “But there is a lot of room for improvement in accountability and equity, especially when so many taxpayer dollars are diverted into the Loop.” Please click here to read more, or here to read a related story in Gapers Block.

“The mayor experienced persistent shortness of breath while driving his daughter to O’Hare Airport, so 911 was called and he was taken to the hospital,” said Village Administrator Clem Balanoff in a news release on Monday. Rogers is resting comfortably at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and is expected to be released soon. Please click here to read the rest of the story in the Times.

Homewood trustees voted Tuesday night to prohibit assault weapons in the village, taking advantage of a provision in Illinois’ new concealed-carry law that allows towns to ban the powerful guns within 10 days of the law going into effect…. …Under the ordinance, approved by a 5-0 vote, anyone in the village with an assault rifle has 90 days to either remove it from the village limits, alter the weapon to make it permanently inoperable or turn it over to police for disposal. Anyone who violates the ordinance faces a fine of from $100 to $750. Also Tuesday night, Hazel Crest trustees passed a similar ordinance against assault weapons. Read Casey Toner’s full story here in the Southtown Star. Please click here to read a related story by  Lauren Traut in the Patch or  here to view another story on WGN news.

The Center for Public Safety and Justice at the University of Illinois has partnered with the Hawthorne California Police Department to launch a national, Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)-sponsored initiative to spread an important community policing project called Coffee with a Cop across the nation. Coffee with a Cop events are a simple way to break down traditional barriers and connect with community members in an open, relaxed setting. It’s a simple concept. Police and community members come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships, and drink coffee. In over 100 cities and towns in 24 states, Coffee with a Cop has done wonders for community trust, police legitimacy and partnership building. Community members participate in Coffee with a Cop for a variety of reasons, but no matter why they come to the event, they are likely to leave with a more positive impression of the police. One of the keys to Coffee with a Cop’s success is that is removes the physical barriers that routinely exist between police officers and community members, allowing for the relaxed, one on-one interactions which are the necessary foundation of partnerships. Informal contact in a friendly atmosphere increases trust in police officers as individuals, and improves the image of police overall. This 4 hour-workshop will review the philosophy of community policing, explain how Coffee with a Cop aids in problem solving and relationship building, and provide helpful tools and strategies for implementing a successful Coffee with a Cop program. BRING COFFEE WITH A COP TO YOUR COMMUNITY!

Kids caught red-handed doing good deeds in the community may find themselves cold-handed as a result, holding a free Slurpee(R) drink. Thousands of uniformed police officers across the country will hand out free Slurpee coupons this summer through Operation Chill(TM), 7-Eleven(R) stores’ popular community service program. Big-city police departments and small-town forces alike receive the coupons, redeemable for a free small Slurpee drink at participating 7-Eleven stores. This year, the convenience retailer will distribute coupons to more than 600 agencies across the U.S. as part if this as part of the award-winning community service program introduced 18 years ago in Philadelphia before launching nationally the following the year. Since then, police officers have given away millions of Slurpee drinks to reward children and youth for “good behavior.” This year’s participating agencies are listed below. “Uniformed police officers sometimes need a positive reason to interact with children and youth, and giving kids free Slurpee coupons for doing good is a great way to build a relationship,” said Mark Stinde, 7-Eleven’s vice president of asset protection. “Recognizing kids with a favorite summertime treat can reinforce good conduct, which might have a long-lasting impact.” Through Operation Chill, law enforcement officers from participating local police and sheriff’s departments “ticket” youngsters who are caught in random acts of kindness, good deeds or positive community activities with free Slurpee coupons. Appropriate “offenses” might include helping another person, wearing a bicycle helmet while riding or skateboarding, deterring crime or participating in a police athletic league…. Please click here to read more in the Wall Street Journal. Participating Law Enforcement Agencies: Blue Island Police Department Blue Island IL Broadview Police Department Broadview IL Brookfield Police Department Brookfield IL Burbank Police Department Burbank IL Country Club Hills Police Department Country Club Hills IL East Hazel Crest Police Department East Hazel Crest IL Evergreen Park Police Department Evergreen Park IL Hazel Crest Police Department Hazel Crest IL Homewood Police Department Homewood IL Lyons Police Department Lyons IL New Lennox Police Department New Lennox IL Oak Lawn Police Department Oak Lawn IL Orland Hills Police Department Orland Hills IL Orland Park Police Department Orland Park IL Park Forest Police Department Park Forest IL Richton Park Police Department Richton Park IL Sauk Village Police Department Sauk Village IL Steger Police Department Steger IL Summit Police Department Summit IL Tinely Park Police Department Tinley Park IL

From Pace Suburban Bus’ Government Affairs Office: Passengers take an express ride from Northwest Transportation Center (NWTC) in Schaumburg or the CTA’s Rosemont Station (for a connection to the CTA O’Hare Blue Line) direct to Six Flags Great America in Gurnee. Try Pace’s Express Service to Popular Destinations Looking for an easy way to get to your favorite sporting event or concert? Pace offers convenient and affordable express bus service to popular destinations throughout Chicagoland! Pace’s Express Service to Popular Destinations (ESPD) provides a great alternative to the hassles of event traffic and expensive parking. Routes depart from transit centers or free Pace Park-n-Rides and drop off passengers at or near the main entrance of the stadium or event center. Destinations include Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Wrigley Field, U.S. Cellular Field, Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Six Flags Great America, Soldier Field, Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, and Northwestern University’s Ryan Field. Fares and departure points vary, so visit PaceBus.com or call Pace’s Popular Destinations Line at (847) 228-2416 for more details including schedules and events served. Pace Offers Options to Passengers with Disabilities Pace offers ADA Paratransit that provides transportation services for persons with disabilities, but the regular Pace fixed-route-buses are as disability-friendly as the ADA Paratransit vehicles. Traditional fixed route buses are fully equipped to handle all forms of disabilities. All buses on the road are equipped with ramps so that passengers in wheel chairs are able to easily board and exit the bus. Once the passenger is on the bus, every bus has safety restraints for wheelchairs. All Pace drivers are trained in fastening and releasing the restraints so that the process goes as smoothly as possible. Priority seating area is designated at the front of the bus for seniors and riders with disabilities. A designated seating area is also available on the bus for wheelchair users. If other passengers are using these seats, please let the operator know and the operator will politely ask them to move. Pace buses announce each stop as the bus approaches to aid passengers who are visually impaired while displaying the next stop on an LED screen for hearing impaired riders. Persons with disabilities who use service animals are allowed to board with their service animals. Pace Bus drivers also are able to assist passengers with boarding and exiting the bus, using a lift or ramp, securing wheelchairs and scooters, or helping put fares in the fare box when asked. For passengers who have reservations about making the switch from ADA Paratransit to fixed route, Travel Training is available. Training is provided by professional instructors at no cost, and all training is tailored to the individual customer’s particular needs and desires. With Travel Training instruction, some customers with disabilities may be able to learn how to use fixed route buses and trains. Please call the RTA at (312) 663-HELP (4357 voice) or (312) 913-3122 (TTY) for more information about Travel Training. For more information regarding riding fixed routes with a disability, please visit http://www.pacebus.com or contact Jessica Mitchell at (847) 372-2077 or at Jessica.Mitchell@pacebus.com.

Enhanced data collection by municipalities in the Chicago six county region will help the region address the problem of vacant buildings, a new report by Woodstock Institute found. The report, Deciphering Blight: Vacant Buildings Data Collection in the Chicago Six County Region, recommends several steps municipalities can take to improve and standardize data collection. The number of vacant homes has grown as a result of the foreclosure crisis, leaving the properties vulnerable to vandalism and blight. Vacant and abandoned buildings often depress surrounding property values and may attract crime to the area, particularly if the homes are not properly maintained. As of the end of 2012, nearly 70,000 properties in the Chicago region were vacant for more than two years. The report  documents the information local governments currently collect about vacant buildings and finds the data being collected varies widely among the municipalities, with significant gaps: The vast majority of the municipalities collected comprehensive data on contact information for parties responsible for vacant properties. More than half of municipalities collected information that could uniquely identify the property. Half of the municipalities did not collect information on the nature of the vacant property. Data collection on building code compliance varied widely among the municipalities. The report makes several recommendations on data collection practices that would allow the municipalities to better understand the scope of the vacant buildings problem in their communities, inform strategies for property redevelopment and reuse, and keep track of responsible parties for the vacant properties: Structure vacant buildings ordinances to promote data accuracy and regular updates. Include a unique identifier for each property within the database. Require collection of contact information for a responsible party for the property, whether it is an owner, agent, or servicer. Require updated information on compliance with municipal maintenance and fee requirements. Require collection of information on key components of the nature of the property and the vacancy. Store data in a machine-readable format. For more information, or to download the report, click here.

Please provide comments regarding the draft WMO by August 9, 2013. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods. By Email: WMOInbox@mwrd.org By Mail to: Catherine A. O’Connor Director of Engineering Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago 100 East Erie Street Chicago, Illinois 60611 In Person: At one of four public hearings (all meetings will be from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.) Wednesday, July 24, 2013 West Central Municipal Conference Northlake City Hall 55 E. North Ave, Northlake Monday, August 5, 2013 Southwest Conference of Mayors Chicago Ridge Village Hall 10455 S Ridgeland Ave, Chicago Ridge Wednesday, August 7, 2013 Northwest Municipal Conference Mount Prospect Village Hall 50 S. Emerson Street, Mount Prospect Thursday, August 8, 2013 South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association 1904 W. 174th Street, East Hazel Crest To download the media release, click: 13 0715_WMO Advisory_FINAL

Steve Buchtel, executive director of Trails for Illinois, rides the tiny length of the Cal-Sag bike trail that is currently paved, near Palos Heights. Photo by Lori Rackl / Sun-Times. Ten years ago, a group of people got together in the south suburbs, ordered pizza and talked about creating a bike trail along the banks of the Cal-Sag Channel. Many meetings and many pizzas later, that trail is about to be built. Wending its way along the water for 28 miles from Lemont to Burnham, the Cal-Sag Trail will connect 14 communities, giving cyclists and walkers direct access to half a dozen commuter train stations. Like a long, linear puzzle piece, it will hook up with other regional trails, making it possible for pedalers packing plenty of Power Bars to ride a nearly 100-mile loop on protected pathways in the Southland. “Usually trails this scale, through an area like this, are 20- and 30-year trails,” said Steve Buchtel, executive director of Trails for Illinois. “This trail breaks ground this October, 10 years after that first meeting. That’s pretty exciting.” Please click here to read Lori Rackl’s story in the Sun-Times.