Village Manager's Message

Today we met for another version of the Leadership Book Club, which I always enjoy tremendously. We also had a lively discussion on the core values of the organization with the goal of developing vision and mission statements for the staff. Looking to wrap this up in January.

This morning many employees gathered for an in-person presentation about our health insurance benefits. It was another chance for me to address the staff about the future and vision for the team and also a chance for them to ask questions and learn about their robust healthcare package. We have made several improvements this year for just over a two percent increase. Among the improvements are increased life insurance and a better short term disability option. This is part of our goal to become an employer of choice in DuPage County.

On Wednesday I attended the ILCMA Leadership Institute at the NIU Naperville Campus. The best part of it was meeting more local government management professionals. The program was geared toward first time managers, but it contained many excellent reminders of best practices. The speakers were all experienced village managers from the area who made available new resources.

Later that night I attended the Economic Development Commission meeting. They were reviewing their purpose, powers and duties. Currently they are doing some retention visits and discussed a recent visit with Lunar Brewing. The original function of the Commission was to make recommendations on special business districts, and there has been little call for that recently. They will continue their discussion on how to be the most value to the Village at their next meeting.

I received a call this afternoon from Senator Glowiak Hilton’s office confirming six different allocations from State Bond Legislation, these will enhance public safety and other Village projects. This provides a little more relief to the annual budget process. This also demonstrates the importance of cooperation from our State Legislators.

Speaking of the budget, we will hold the Public Hearing for the Annu-al Budget on Monday, November 27th at 6:45 p.m. at Village Hall. Copies of the draft budget are available online, at the Public Library, and in Village Hall.

There will not be a Weekly Report next Friday, as the office is closed.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Matt Harline

Village Manager

To access the full manager's report, click here

To access last week's managers' report, click here

Joyful Traditions 

Kick off the holiday season with some extra cheer on Saturday, December 2nd from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Ruggard Gazebo located on the Prairie Path. 

Featured events include: 

Free event no admission or registration required

Free photo with Santa courtesy of JW Reedy

Character photo-ops (Mickey and the Grinch)

Petting zoo & pony rides

Food trucks: 

Tickle My Tamale, My Funnel Truck, Spoon Burger and Heavenly Hotdog

Trolley with stops at St Nick's Mart (library) & the historical museum

All lines will be cut off at 6:45, please plan accordingly.

New Recreation Software 

We will be launching NEW registration software, Civic Rec on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. The Civic Rec website is in conjunction with the Village of Villa Park’s website by Civic Plus. With a user-friendly interface and simple navigation, VILLA PARK • Parks & Recreation looks forward to bringing the new web-based software to the community!

Beginning December 5, in addition to program enrollments, Civic Rec will be used for facility and pool rental inquiries, pass memberships, and viewing programs for the Winter-Spring 2024 season. Forgot your password? No worries! You will be able to select ‘forgot password’ right on the website; then just follow the prompts!

Look for the email on November 20 for more software information and account verification or to create your own account!

Important Information:

Monday, November 20, 2023

• Introduction to Civic Rec letter will be emailed.
• Create your Civic Rec Account! Follow the link and instructions in the email.
• Once your account is created, you will receive an email directly from Civic Rec to verify your account.

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The Online Winter Spring 2024 Catalog / Program Events Guide will be ready to view.

• Begin registering for the Winter / Spring 2024 Season, January 2-May 31, 2024, at 8:30 am.

Please note, Rec Trac will still be available until December 31, 2023, for Fall Winter registrations for the following programs:

• Winter Youth Camp
• Little Learners Club in December
• Mini Adventure Camp and Afternoon Fun

Happy Thanksgiving

Attention Villa Park residents! Please be informed that the Village of Villa Park will be closed this Thursday (11/23) and Friday (11/24) for Thanksgiving. We wish you a happy and safe Holiday weekend! 

Free Leaf Collection 

The Village of Villa Park will once again offer a free leaf collection service for 7 weeks of the year. This year's collection dates will be from October 23, 2023, through December 8th, 2023. Residents may dispose of an unlimited number of yard waste paper bags of leaves without the need for waste disposal stickers. However, leaves must be containerized in landscape paper bags or containers under 35 gallons.