Dear Members:
The Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry will join forces with the United States Chamber of Commerce in supporting Small Business Saturday on November 30.
Since its founding by American Express in 2010 on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to purchase gifts and dine at locally-owned and –operated businesses in their community. Consumers spent an estimated $5.5 billion in 2012 on the day after Black Friday.
Small Chamber businesses can participate by logging in at the Shop Small website.
Health Care Exchange Updates
In addition to the State of Illinois’ public health care exchange for individuals, families and small businesses in compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Illinois Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Flexible Benefit Service Corporation (Flex), which exclusively offers InsureXSolutions®, to develop a private exchange to provide small employers and their employees, as well as individual consumers, with the most appropriate and affordable health insurance plan.
The Illinois Chamber will conduct an informational webinar on the private exchange on Thursday, November 7, at 10 a.m. Click HERE to register.
2014 City Operating Budget
The Elmhurst City Council will conduct a Committee of the Whole meeting at Elmhurst City Hall tonight at 7 p.m. to review the City’s proposed Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2014, with a public hearing scheduled at the regular City Council meeting to follow.
As proposed, the General Fund, which is the City’s major operating fund, has $55.5 million in revenues versus $54.9M in expenses. The $630K in excess is projected to increase the General Fund balance to $16.3M by year’s end.
Total revenues for 2014 are projected at $120.9M, with $44.7M, or 37%, generated from taxes (property, sales and utility). Sales tax revenue is expected to raise $10.3M, with food and beverage taxes adding $1.15M.
Elgin O’Hare Western Access
Elmhurst Chamber members joined Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Illinois Tollway Authority leaders and DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin in Itasca for the October 29 groundbreaking of the $3.4 billion Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project.
Formerly known as the Elgin O’Hare Expressway and now designated as Illinois Route 390, the soon-to-be-reconstructed 17 miles of new toll roads and 15 new or improved interchanges will extend east along Thorndale Avenue to O’Hare International Airport.
Part of the 15-year, $12B “Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future” capital campaign, the project is expected to relieve congestion, reduce travel times, expand access to O’Hare and generate 65,000 jobs between now and 2024.
Hahn Street Redevelopment Project
The Elmhurst City Council’s plan to consider three final developers for the long-delayed Hahn Street Redevelopment Project in downtown Elmhurst hit a bit of a snag when one the developers, Banner Apartments, decided not to take the next step in the process, leaving Morningside Group and Lincoln Property Group to fight it out.
Based on Aldermen’s scores in eight categories made public at the City Council’s September 23 Committee of the Whole meeting, Lincoln Property Group (79.16 points) ranked No. 1 overall and in applicant qualifications/financial capacity/experience (15.51) and economic impacts to community (15.64), while Morningside Group (75.60) led in parking solutions (7.26), quality architecture (13.60) and site layout/land use (8.31).
Mobile Web Page
The Chamber’s new mobile web page via ChamberMaster is now live and can be accessed at www.m.elmhurstchamber.org. Thanks to Jennifer Speaker of SMB Advantage Group for her work in upgrading the landing page graphics, including the addition of hyperlinks for contact telephone and e-mail.
Happy Anniversary
Four members are celebrating Chamber anniversaries in November, as follows: 20 years—Chicago Tribune Media Group; 15 years—Lexington Square of Elmhurst; 10 years—Chicagoland Group; and 5 years—Metro Self Storage.
New Members
The Chamber welcomed two new members in October, as follows (in alphabetical order): Chick-fil-A and Soule, Bradke and Lambert.
Reactivated Members
The following business reactivated as Chamber members in October: Charter One Bank – City Centre Branch.
No Longer Members
The Chamber said goodbye to the following five members in October: Imagetec L.P., Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, Oak Brook Dental Center, Power Mart Corporation and Robert J. Michael Homes.