City Swears in New Councilmen

Wheaton City Council swears in new and returning members for the 2013-17 term.

Five Wheaton City Council members on Monday took the oath to serve the city for a four-year term.  W. Thoreson Saline will replace Mouhelis in the East District seat. Councilmen John Rutledge, Todd Scalzo and Phil Suess will continue to serve in the South, West and North district seats, respectively. John Prendiville will return to serve on the Council as Councilman At-Large. While City Council seats in all four of Wheaton's districts and one at-large seat were up for election this year, the only contested race was in the city's North District. Councilman Phil Suess defeated Alberta Adamson, JT del Alcazar and Ted Rodgers, winning the election by more than 300 votes. John Prendiville is a former at-large City Councilman who left the …

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As Tom Mouhelis Retires, 5 New Council Members Have Big Shoes to Fill

Tom Mouhelis, a Wheaton City Councilman for 12 years and veteran of the U.S. Air Force, retires from more than 40 years in public service.

As Tom Mouhelis Retires, 5 New Council Members Have Big Shoes to Fill

Tom Mouhelis, a Wheaton City Councilman for 12 years and veteran of the U.S. Air Force, retires from more than 40 years in public service.

When the Wheaton City Council swears in five new members Monday, they'll be saying goodbye to one who has given over 40 years—two-thirds—of his life to public service.  He's attended almost 600 City Council meetings over his 12 years as a councilman, and served for 30 years in the U.S. Air Force.  City, police and fire officials last month said a teary goodbye to Tom Mouhelis at his last official meeting. They thanked him not only for his service to the city and the country, but for his work to recognize and appreciate others who serve, as well as their families. He said when he announced he wouldn't run for re-election last fall that he's just tired, and ready to take some time for himself and his family. Mouhelis proudly recalled the …

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City Clears Way for STARS Group Care Home

City Council approves city code amendment to allow construction of two buildings for a STARS group care home for adults with developmental disabilities.

Wheaton City Council members on Monday approved new wording for the city's definition of "Group Care Home" to allow a STARS Family Services to build its proposed group home at the corner of Cross Street and Union Avenue in Wheaton. The city in November approved the organization's plan to build a 15-resident group care home for developmentally disabled adults. STARS proposed, and now plans, to build two buildings that would share a yard and driveway, but to do so, the city needed to make changes to its zoning ordinance.  STARS attorney David Bay addressed the amendment during public comment Monday. He said the amendment would allow for no more than two residential dwellings occupied by special needs individuals on the same zoning lot, …

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City Council to Discuss Vision for Downtown Wheaton at Jan. 28 Meeting

Wheaton City Council will discuss plans for a strategic vision of downtown Wheaton at a Jan. 28 planning session.

What should the vision for Downtown Wheaton be? As the City of Wheaton works to develop a new strategic plan and streetscape plan for the downtown district, the City Council will be meeting to review community input from the September 2012 community visioning session, MindMixer results, and reports on traffic, infrastructure and a market study (available for review on the City’s website: www.wheaton.il.us/DowntownPlan/) and discuss an agreed-upon vision for the Downtown. The discussion will take place during the City Council’s Planning Session at 7 p.m. Jan. 28 in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St. To accomplish the City Council’s goal of enhancing economic development in the downtown area, the City contracted with …

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Proposed 2012 Tax Levy 'Relatively the Same' as 2011 Levy

City Council reviews proposed tax levy for 2012, and an abatement ordinance reducing the city's debt service levy.

Wheaton City Council Monday had its first reading of the proposed 2012 tax levy of about $23 million.  The passing of a tax levy abatement ordinance would reduce the overall levy to about $18.7 million, down about .1 percent from last year's levy, costing taxpayers 98 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation (EAV). The amount due for a resident with a $400,000 house would be $1,307, the amount due for a resident with a $300,000 would be $980 and the amount due for a resident with a $200,000 house would be $653. About $15.3 million is levied for general purposes and $7.7 million for debt services. The proposed ordinance would abate $4.2 million of the debt service levy, reducing the debt service levy from $7.7 million to $3.4 million…

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Jeanne Ives Resigns From City Council

Jeanne Ives steps down from seat on Wheaton City Council as she prepares to take office as representative in the 42nd Illinois House District.

Jeanne Ives Monday resigned from her at-large position on Wheaton City Council, opening the seat for re-election in the April 2013 consolidated election. Ives was elected Nov. 6 to the vacant 42nd Illinois House District seat and will take office next year. Petitions for Ives' two-year position are available at City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St., Wheaton, according to a release from the city of Wheaton. The last day Ives could resign would have been Nov. 30 to allow time for an election to the seat. She said last month, "If elected as a state representative, I intend to resign in time so that the voters can decided who will fill the rest of my term on Wheaton City Council—that is the right thing to do in my opinion. I have made such remarks to …

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Former Councilman, Mayoral Candidate Seeks to Return to City Council in 2013

Former Councilman and mayoral candidate John Prendiville will run for election to Jeanne Ives' seat on City Council in the 2013 municipal election.

Former Wheaton City Councilman and Mayoral candidate John Prendiville wants back in on local government. Prendiville will run for his former seat as Councilman At-Large, which will open as Jeanne Ives takes office as state representative in the 42nd district. “I enjoy being on (the) Council (and) have a lot to offer,” Prendiville said. “I think we need it—I think we need some strong leadership on (the) council.” Prendiville lost in the 2011 mayoral race to Mike Gresk, forfeiting his seat on the Council.  Prendiville was vocal about the proposal to build senior housing at Courthouse Square, and introduced the idea of building a public recreational center at the former Hubble school when plans for the site were still unclear. Let Patch save …

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Wheaton Water Rates Could Rise on January 2013 Bill

Proposed water rate changes would begin January 2013.

The City of Wheaton in coming months will consider changes to its water rates after a consultant's study concluded the city's current rate will not generate enough revenue to cover the service, according to a message from the city of Wheaton. Keep up with local news: Sign up for our free daily newsletter. Then, like us on Facebook! Consultants recommended the city needs to increase the amount it charges water customers ane change the way monthly water bills are calculated. Wheaton City Council approved a 30 percent rate increase in January, increasing rates from $2.65 to $3.45 per 100 cubic feet of water, or about $9.60 per month for the average Wheaton customer. The DuPage Water Commission (DWC) will significantly increase the amount it …

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Wheaton Mourns Former Councilman Who "Cared"

Robert Mork, a former City Councilman and legal counsel to the DuPage Forest Preserve District died Tuesday, May 29, the Daily Herald reports.

Wheaton officials will remember the service and work of a former Councilman who, in his service to the city, always had Wheaton’s best interest at heart. Robert Mork, longtime Wheaton City Councilman and legal counsel to the DuPage Forest Preserve District died Tuesday, May 29, after a battle with cancer, the Daily Herald reported Tuesday. He was 58. “It’s a loss for the city,” Gresk said at a Council meeting Tuesday. “I worked with Bob. We didn’t always agree on things—in fact, rarely did we—but he always, always had the best interest of the City of Wheaton at heart.” “He cared,” said Councilman Tom Mouhelis.  According to the Herald, funeral arrangements are private. In lieu of flowers, Donations may be sent to Wheaton Bible Church, …

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