September October Newsletter 2020

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September-October City of Elgin 2020 Newsletter Did You Know? City Code Ensures Safety and Strengthens Neighborhoods Elgin’s muncipal code provides regulations to address life safety concerns as well as regulations for things like property maintenance, accessibility, public health and sanitation, animal welfare, vehicles and parking, and plumbing, mechanical and building standards. The Code Compliance Division of Elgin’s Neighborhood Services Department brings together technology, managed discretion and neighborhood collaboration to promote a healthy and safe community. One of the goals of the division is to acheive compliance through education, rather than enforcement. By collaborating and educating, the division can often resolve code violations without any citations or formal enforcement actions. How to Report Violations Contact Elgin 311 Call 311 (or 847-931-6001), email elgin311@cityofelgin.org or submit a request on the Elgin 311 mobile app (available in the App Store and Google Play). The more detailed information, the better. Make sure to take note of your 311 case number—that way if you have followup questions, our bilingual citizen advocates can better assist you. You can remain anonymous when reporting a potential code violation. What You Should Know Some issues do not get resolved immediately, for various reasons. Officers first educate and offer empathetic interactions and collaboration to resolve issues. Extenuating circumstances can be a factor in the time it takes to resolve an issue. Violations which require police response, such as a loose dog or a noise complaint, need to be reported when the situation is in progress. Those types of issues should be reported to the Elgin Police Department non-emergency line: 847-289-2700. Birds Common Code Violations Bagged top soil Sharing Tall plants Grass from and other Weeds states Wild bird Grass seed may not exceed 8 inches; all noxious weeds are prohibited. Storage of Junk If solid material, like discarded furniture, tires or other debris is found anywhere on a property, homeowners are given two days to the remove items. If, after notice, items remain, the City may enter remove the items at the cost of the property owner. Dead or Dangerous Trees Trees on private property determined to be dead or dangerous must be pruned or removed within 30 days. Deposits on Street, Sidewalk or Alley It is unlawful to deposit on any street, sidewalk, or alley, any dirt, mud, clay, cement, concrete, gravel, stones, plant matter (grass clippings), snow or garbage. This goes for homeowners and construction companies. Home Improvements without a Permit Most interior and exterior work to a home or business requires a permit. Before you begin a project, see if you need one by visiting cityofelgin.org/permits or calling 311 if you’re not sure. Selling Food without Permit All establishments or individuals that sell food must be permitted and inspected by the Elgin Health Department. No Open Fires/Burning Any fire outside, which is not contained within a grill being used to cook food, is prohibited. Motor Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles and Trailers It is unlawful to park inoperable vehicles, unlicenced vehicles, commercial vehicles and trailers at residences. In addition, vehicles must be parked on paved surfaces only. Garbage Containers Garbage and recycling carts are to be stored out of public view. Carts may be at the curb after 5 p.m. the day prior to collection, but no later than midnight the day of collection. Draining Pool into Storm Sewer Pool water can only be drained into the storm sewer if water has been dechlorinated and pH neutralized. Rental Properties without Licenses A property may not be rented without a City-issued rental license which requires passing an inspection. Exterior Work on Home in Historic District without COA permit Prior to performing any exterior work on a home located in one of Elgin’s Historic Districts, a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) permit must be obtained. C CITYOFELGIN.ORG | 311 (OR 847-931-6001) GAILBORDEN.INFO C
September-October City of Elgin 2020 Newsletter Save Water. Save Money. Don’t Let Your Money Go Down the Drain Water infrastructure needs to be maintained by both your utility (the City’s water department) and you. The City can check for leaks in pipes on the way to your home, and you can check for leaks in your home. Both actions prevent water waste and improve the reliability of your water supply. Do you feel like you have a high water bill? Most high bills are due to leaks. The best method for determining whether or not a leak exists is to take actual water meter readings. This method checks the entire internal plumbing for water leaks. Take a water meter reading just before going to bed, or when no one will use any water for several hours. Take another meter reading in the morning before any water is used, or after a few hours of non-usage. In theory, the two readings should be the same. If they are not, and you cannot account for use by a humidifier, ice cube maker, toilet flush or water softener, you have a leak and further investigation is recommended. Conserve Water at Home Lawn Care More than 50% of commercial and residential irrigation water use goes to waste due to overwatering, evaporation and runoff. Consider watering your lawn no more than twice a week before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Indoors Use WaterSense® labeled toilets, sink faucets and showerheads. They are inexpensive, easy to install and can save hundreds of gallons per month. Check the Consortium for Energy Effciency website (cee1.org) to compare water use between models of appliances, like a washing machine. Energy Star models can save up to 20 gallons of water per load. When waiting for hot water, collect running water and use it to water plants. Match the water level of laundry machine to the size of the load. Wash dark clothes in cold water, saving water and energy and helping clothes retain their color. Reuse your towels. Take a shorter shower (try for under 5 minutes). And take a short shower over a bath—a full bathtub requires up to 70 gallons of water! Teach children to turn off faucets tightly after each use. Designate one glass for drinking water each day, or refill a water bottle. Don’t thaw food with running water, use the refrigerator. Find more ways to conserve water and lower your water bill at wateruseitwisely.com. The Most Common Water Waster: Toilet Leaks The toilet is the most common water wasters. To determine if your toilet is leaking, look at the toilet bowl after the tank has stopped filling. If water is still running into the bowl, or if water can be heard running, your toilet is leaking. Most toilet leaks occur at the overflow pipe or at the plunger ball inside the tank. To locate a toilet leak, take the tank lid off and flush. The water level should come up to about a half inch or so below the overflow pipe. Adjust the float level control screw, if necessary, so the valve shuts off the water at that level. If the valve itself is leaking, you may need a plumber to fix it. Although water may not be seen or heard running, your toilet may have a silent leak. To test for a silent leak, drop a little food coloring into the tank. Do not flush. Wait for about 10 minutes. If the food coloring appears in the toilet bowl, your toilet has a silent leak. It is probably located in or around the plunger ball or flapper valve at the bottom of the tank. These leaks are easy to fix with inexpensive parts from your local hardware or home store. If no leaks were found, the next step would be a thorough inspection of your pipes, lines, connections and valves under your home or in your basement. Your hot water tank could have a hole rusted in the bottom or the drain valve may be leaking. You may also check faucets, showerheads, appliances and outside taps for leaking water. By following these simple steps, you should be successful in finding accurate results that could save you money. Flush Valve Fill Valve There are two main toilet tank parts: The toilet flush valve, which lets water gush into the bowl during the flush, and the fill valve, which lets water refill the tank after the flush. When a toilet runs constantly or intermittently, one of these valves is usually at fault. The three most common toilet tank part setups are shown above. GAILBORDEN.INFO D CITYOFELGIN.ORG | 311 (OR 847-931-6001) D
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