Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Wheaton Fire Chief Honored for Service to Community

At the June 20 City Council meeting, the City honored Fire Chief William Schultz, who is retiring after serving the Wheaton community for nearly 20 years. Among his many accomplishments are leading the City's fire & emergency medical response to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping keep our community safe from all types of hazards for the past two decades, and serving as the City's Building Director for the past two years. We express our appreciation for Chief Schultz's dedicated leadership and service to our community.

Proclamation Makes June 20-24 Pride Week in Wheaton

As part of the June 20 City Council meeting, the Council read a proclamation making June 20-24 Pride Week in the City of Wheaton. As stated in the proclamation, all members of our community and visitors should feel safe, welcome, valued and supported by their peers, other citizens, educators and community leaders. The City calls upon all residents to work together toward building a community based on respect for one another, honoring each other's beliefs and values. You can read the full proclamation on the City’s website.

Touch a Truck Event This Saturday

Join the Downtown Wheaton Association this Saturday for Touch a Truck! Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Liberty Drive between Main Street and Wheaton Avenue will feature many City vehicles, and you can check out some of your favorites up close. This event is free. We look forward to seeing you there.

Next Neighborhood Roll Call at Sandburg School

Neighbors near Sandburg School, it’s your turn for a Neighborhood Roll Call with Wheaton Police and District 200! The next event will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 28 at Sandburg School. Please attend to find out what’s happening in your area, learn important safety information and hear how District 200 and Wheaton Police are working together to keep our school communities safe. For more dates and locations, visit www.wheaton.il.us/rollcall.

City of Wheaton Honors the Life of Former Fire Chief Gregory Berk

The City of Wheaton is honoring the life of former Wheaton Fire Chief Gregory Berk, who passed away on June 18, 2022. Beginning in 2003, he served the Wheaton community as Fire Chief and led our city’s fire and emergency medical services before retiring in 2013.

Prior to leading Wheaton’s Fire Department, Chief Berk served as a volunteer firefighter from 1967-1978 for the Flossmoor Fire Department, where he then became the Village’s first full-time Fire Chief, serving 25 years in this capacity. He also served as an adjunct faculty member with Southern Illinois University and participated in numerous local and regional organizations.

We share our condolences with Chief Berk’s family and friends and express our appreciation for his service to our community.

Job Opportunities with the City of Wheaton

The City of Wheaton has several full-time and part-time opportunities for employment with the City in a variety of departments. Current opportunities include:

Public Relations Coordinator
Maintenance Worker – Water Division
Management Analyst
Director of Building & Code Enforcement
Finance Analyst
Part-Time Customer Services Representative – Building Department
Part-Time Media Assistant
Administrative Secretary – Water Division
Part-Time Customer Services Representative – Utility Billing
Part-Time Property Maintenance Inspector
Lateral Police Officer

To find out more about these positions and how to apply, visit www.wheaton.il.us/jobs.

Gypsy Moth Spraying Planned for June 27

Weather permitting, on Monday, June 27, the Illinois Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service will be spraying an aerial treatment in part of Wheaton to help stop the spread of gypsy moths, now known as spongy moths (lymantria dispar). These moths are one of the most damaging forest and tree pests in the U.S., responsible for millions of acres of defoliation annually.

To prevent the spread of these moths, a product will be applied by planes that will fly at a low altitude over part of our community as they spray an aerial application. The product used is a non-toxic mating disruption pheromone that does not harm humans or other living things; rather, the pheromone makes it difficult for male spongy moths to find female moths, thereby disrupting mating and preventing their spread. The City is helping the Illinois Department of Agriculture share information about this program so that residents are not alarmed to see planes flying lower than usual in our area.

Public Hearing on Alley Vacation is June 27

The City Council will host two public hearings at 7 p.m. Monday, June 27 in the Council Chambers of City Hall:

One will be a continuation of the June 13 public hearing regarding a proposed apartment complex on the block bounded by Liberty, Hale, Willow and Wheaton Avenue.
The other hearing is also related to this project, and it will consider a proposed alley & easement vacation that would be necessary for the proposed apartment development.

You can read the notice for the alley and easement vacation on the City's website. You may attend these hearings in person or on Zoom. The link to join by Zoom will be posted along with the City Council Planning Session agenda on Friday.

Mark Your Calendar: Fourth of July Activities

Join the Wheaton Park District in celebrating Independence Day with fireworks and Wheaton’s annual parade! Activities and fireworks will take place starting at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 3 at Graf Park, with fireworks at dusk (approximately 9 p.m.). Then, celebrate with Wheaton’s annual parade at 10 a.m. Monday, July 4. For more information, visit the Wheaton Park District’s website.

In addition, the Wheaton Park District and VFW Post 8081 will be hosting the Wheaton Field of Honor, a display of 2,000 American flags, June 29-July 4. The event is a tribute to honor individuals serving in active-duty military, fallen servicemen & servicewomen, first responders, heroes in all our lives, veterans and hometown heroes. Each flag will represent an individual and tell a story. For more information, visit the Park District’s website.

Wheaton Mosquito Abatement District Trustee Vacancy

The Wheaton Mosquito Abatement District is seeking a candidate to serve in an unpaid position as Trustee to fill a vacancy through December 1, 2024. The District welcomes candidates who have a strong background in public health or entomology. The candidate must reside within the boundaries of the District which primarily include the City of Wheaton and portions of neighboring communities. Learn more here.

For more than 60 years the Wheaton Mosquito Abatement District has provided mosquito control services which include surveillance, trap monitoring, site inspection, larvaciding, aerial and nighttime spraying. The Trustees oversee a budget of $530,000 and work closely with a mosquito abatement vendor. The District is actively involved in research projects that have included a model for predicting Mosquito Infection Rate, Trap Effectiveness and Resistance Testing. New research opportunities are a focus of the District.

Persons who are interested in serving as Trustee must apply to the Chairman of DuPage County who submits the name of a finalist for approval by the County Board. Trustees serve without compensation. The Trustees meet the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Wheaton City Hall. Interested candidates may apply online at https://www.dupageco.org/CountyBoard/SelfNomination.aspx.

Deadline Approaching for Citizens Police Academy

If you’re interested in a hands-on experience to learn about the inner workings of police operations and practices, consider applying for the Citizens Police Academy. This 10-week series with the Wheaton Police Department will be on Tuesday evenings, Sept. 6 through Nov. 8. The deadline to apply is June 30. Find out more and apply on the City’s website.

City of Wheaton Videos

Upcoming Meetings

City Council Public Hearings & Planning Session

Monday, June 27, 7 p.m.
Wheaton City Hall
303 W. Wesley St.

Fine & Cultural Arts Commission Meeting

Tuesday, June 28, 6 p.m.
Wheaton City Hall
303 W. Wesley St.

Environmental Improvement Commission Meeting

Tuesday, June 28, 7:30 p.m.
Wheaton City Hall
303 W. Wesley St.

Contact Us

To contact us, please send an email to:
communications@wheaton.il.us.