NEW RESIDENTS

Welcome to your new home in Arlington Heights! It is our hope that this on line informational guide to the Village will improve citizens' access to information as well as encourage visitors and businesses to make our community their new home.

Arlington Heights is a long-standing community proud of its heritage and optimistic about its future. Our Village was founded in 1836 when a Yankee stonecutter, Asa Dunton, was the first to stake claim here. Soon afterward, railroad tracks were laid through the town's center and businesses began developing. Arlington Heights remains today the thriving residential and business community it was then.  Arlington Heights derives its vibrant and comfortable personality from the energy and dreams of its citizenry and business community. Our residents should be proud of the strong community we are today and anyone looking for a new home - whether residential or business - will be impressed with the quality of life we have to offer. I encourage our citizens to take advantage of the informational opportunities contained here. We invite residents and future visitors to explore our community through this online guide.

Our community has so much to offer. Beyond its many amenities, our community has a strong hometown appeal that will make you proud of living in Arlington Heights.  Your Village government is here to work for you and to provide services that will enhance your quality of life. We believe the following checklist will be of benefit in acclimating you to your new hometown.

NEW RESIDENT CHECKLIST:

• Village Ordinance requires that you purchase a new Village vehicle sticker for $30. The stickers can be purchased at the front counter of the Finance Department in Village Hall, 33 S. Arlington Heights Road, until early 2008.  Once a sticker is purchased you will be able to purchase annual stickers through a mail-in order form that will be sent to you from the Finance Department.

• The Village has twice-a-week refuse collection per the contract with Groot Waste Services. Single family residences south of Oakton will have a Tuesday/Friday pick-up collection, with yardwaste being collected on Tuesdays, recycling picked up on Fridays, and refuse collected both days.

• Single-family residences north of Oakton will have a Monday/Thursday pick-up schedule, with yardwaste collected on Mondays, recycling on Thursdays, and refuse collected both days. Yardwaste is collected from April through November only. For twice-a-week curbside refuse collection, residents are charged $22.28 per month. Groot bills residents every two months for the service. To establish service, new residents should call Groot at 800-244-1977. If you choose to dispose of yardwaste, it must be placed into a 30-gallon paper bag and have a $1.60 Arlington Heights yardwaste sticker affixed. The Village's yardwaste system is a pay-per-bag system instead of charging a flat rate to all homeowners for yardwaste service. These yardwaste bags and stickers are sold at local grocery and hardware stores

• While yardwaste is placed in paper bags, refuse should be placed in thick, black garbage bags. Village ordinance prohibits the use of garbage cans at the curb to eliminate problems with cans blowing away on windy days or to eliminate problems with residents leaving their empty cans at the curb for a period of time.

• Effective April 1, 2006, Groot will begin offering an Unlimited Yard Waste Subscription Program. Yard waste will still need to be bagged or bundled as described in the yard waste section below, however no stickers are necessary. The cost of this program is $95.00 per season. Residents who wish to sign-up for the yard waste subscription should contact our Customer Service Department at (800) 244-1977.

• Use the 9-1-1 Enhanced System for all police and fire services. 9-1-1 does not have to be called only for emergencies.

• Overnight parking is prohibited unless the Police Department gives prior permission. If you or your guests plan to park overnight, call the Police Department at 368-5300.

• If the sewer line of your home is not functioning, please call the Public Works Department at 847-368-5800 on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. A Village employee will inspect the sewer main to determine whether the problem is the Village's responsibility. After hours, or on weekends, call the Police Desk at 847-368-5300. If the problem is the resident's service line, a licensed and bonded plumbing company should be contacted at once to see that the sewer is properly rodded. A resident's service line runs from their home to the point of connection to the Village's sewer main.

UTILITIES:

• You must establish water service by calling the Water Billing Department at 847.368.5520. The rate charged for the Lake Michigan water and related sewer service is $4 per 1,000 gallons, and you will be billed once every two months for the service. When setting up your service, be sure to inquire about the Automatic Billing Payment program. The Village has converted to an electronic water meter reading system.  Only the inside meter attached to the water supply measures and records water consumption.  Outside registers should be disregarded and can be removed by the homeowner.

• Nicor gas service is established by calling 1-888.642.6748.

• Commonwealth Edison service is established by calling 1-800.334.7661.

• The Village has two cable service providers, Wide Open West (WOW) and Comcast. Wide Open West can be reached at 1-866-496-9669 and Comcast at 1-866.594.1234.