We Are Glad Happy Excited Thrilled Intrigued You're Here!
Dear Resident:
We would like to welcome you to the “FRIENDLY VILLAGE OF CRETE.” As a new resident it is important to know what services are offered by the Village, what regulations are in place to keep Crete the great place it is to live and who to contact if you need help on a particular issue or problem. This publication is supplied to new residents to help them get acquainted with the Village operations and perhaps answer a few initial questions related to living here. We have tried to make this publication as complete as possible regarding village operations and services. If we have omitted anything of interest to you, please do not hesitate to call the Village Hall at (708) 672-5431. We will be happy to assist you.
The Crete Village Hall is located at 524 W. Exchange Street (one block west of Main Street, at the corner of Benton Street and Exchange Street). Our office hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Our Village Board meetings are held at the Crete Village Hall Council Chambers at 7:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month. You are invited to attend.
Crete is in Will County and Crete Township. The Crete Township Office is located at 1367 Wood Street, approximately one-half block south of Exchange Street. For Township information call (708) 672-8279.
We are here to represent, serve and work for you and hope you find this information helpful. What we ask in return is that you take pride in your Village and your property by maintaining our neighborhoods and surroundings to enhance that overall value of our town and your property. If you have a problem, suggestion or comment of any nature, and you wish to discuss it with us, please feel free to call at any time. Working together we can make Crete an even better place to live and call home.
AGAIN! WELCOME TO OUR FRIENDLY VILLAGE.
Michael Einhorn
Village President
meinhorn@villageofcrete.org
(708) 672-5431
Vehicle Stickers
Any passenger vehicle, including buses, motor homes, and recreational vehicles, or commercial vehicle which is licensed by the State of Illinois is required by the Crete Municipal Code to have a Village sticker. Motorcycles and antique vehicles licensed with antique plates are exempt.
The cost of the sticker is $50.00 per year. Senior citizens aged 65 as of June 1 of the current year will receive a discount of $25 (one senior rate per household) and must provide proof of age. Stickers go on sale May 1 of each year. Stickers are considered delinquent and subject to citation if not purchased and properly displayed by June 1. The revenue from the sale of stickers is used entirely to operate the street department.
Vehicle stickers may be purchased several different ways. You can purchase a sticker at Village Hall in person or drop the invoice and payment in the locked drop box at the village hall and the sticker will be mailed to you. You can also purchase a sticker by mail to: Village of Crete 524 W. Exchange St. Crete, IL 60417.
New residents – are required to purchase vehicle stickers within 30 days after establishing residency in the Village. Proof of residency is required (signed closing papers or signed lease).
New vehicles – stickers must be purchased within 30 days of the purchase date. Proof of purchase must be presented to the Village Hall. If a vehicle is replaced, the replacement sticker is $3. Proof of trade-in or sale of replaced vehicle must be presented to the Village Hall.
The cost of vehicle stickers for anyone not in compliance will increase 100 percent on July 1 of the current year.
$50.00 stickers will increase to $100.00
$25.00 stickers will increase to $50.00
Unlicensed Motor Vehicles
It is unlawful to operate a motor vehicle, which cannot be licensed, on or upon the parkway, street, highway, sidewalks or public places of the Village of Crete. Examples of the above referenced vehicles are: scooters, snowmobiles, go-carts, dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles. Designated streets have been established as snowmobile routes to allow snowmobiles to exit the village limits. Please contact the Village Hall for more information.
Truck, Camper & R/V Parking
Pursuant to the current Crete Village code, it is unlawful to park a truck with an Illinois license plate classification higher than “B” (or out of state equivalent) or of a height of 90” or more on any residential street. No vehicles, including but not limited to, recreational type vehicles such as camping trucks, recreation trailers or boats may be parked in any front yard or on a residential street.
No recreational vehicles may be stored or parked on private property within a residentially zoned area unless such vehicle is wholly located within the lot lines of the private property and at such location and on a parking surface composed of an asphalt or concrete pad wholly encompassing the area underneath the vehicle and located in compliance with applicable zoning code provisions.
Dog & Cat Licenses
Village ordinance allows for no more than 3 dogs or 3 cats per household, and each animal must be licensed. A current certificate of vaccination must be provided to obtain an animal license. The license fee is $10.00 and all animal licenses expire on May 31st of the current year. License and vaccination may be obtained at this time or can be purchased at the Village Hall. All dogs and cats must be confined or on a leash. Dogs or cats running at large will be picked up by the Animal Control Officer and owners are subject to a fine. If you lose a pet, call Crete Animal Control at (708) 672-0911.
Garage Sales
Four, two (2) consecutive day sales are allowed during each calendar year. A permit and $5.00 fee is required. Permits must be obtained from the Village Hall at least 5 days prior to the date of the sale.
Garbage Service
Scavenger service is provided exclusively by Republic Waste Services. Residential refuse will be picked up once a week at the curb. The cost of garbage removal is added to your water/sewer bill. Republic will provide all homeowners with a 96 gallon toter for trash pick-up (free of charge).
Additional toters will be provided if necessary. Smaller toters and toters for yard waste will also be available upon request (free of charge). Contact Republic at (708)-385-8252 for details. The ownership, delivery and the maintenance/replacement of the toters will be the responsibility of Republic.
By ordinance no trash containers may be placed out for collection prior to 7:00 p.m. the evening prior to your designated pick-up day, and must be out prior to 6:00 a.m. on your scheduled day of collection. Bulky items (furniture, appliance, etc.) will be picked up at no extra charge, although Republic does request a courtesy call when these items will be disposed of. Republic Waste can be reached at (708) 385- 8252 (ask for Residential Dispatch).
If disposing of carpet, they ask it be cut into no longer than 4’ sections, rolled and bound. Please remember when disposing of refrigerators or freezers to remove the doors as a precautionary measure. All electronics must be recycled.
DO NOT put electronics in with your garbage or to the curb.
Recycling
Starting January 1, 2017, the additional service of curbside recycling was added to the services that the village residents receive from Republic Waste Services. Residents are provided with one 95 gallon (1) RECYCLE Cart at no additional charge. The recycling will only be collected every other week but will coincide with your normal garbage pick-up day. Contact Republic at (708) 385-8252 for any additional information or questions.
The holidays that affect your trash pick-up are as follows: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. If the holiday falls on Saturday there is no change to the pick-up schedule. If the holiday falls on a Sunday it is observed on Monday and all pick-up will be 1 day later for the week. If the holiday falls on a weekday, that day is taken off and the remainder of the week following the holiday will be 1 day later.
Items they do recycle:
- Glass bottles – Rinse bottles and remove the lids. Separate colors and place each color in cardboard box or bag, 30 lbs or less.
- Plastic containers – Any plastic #1 – 7, rinse containers & remove lids
- Steel (Tin) Cans – Rinse all food containers, place them in a cardboard box or bag, 30 lbs or less.
- Paper – Separate bundles for each item.
- Newspaper – place in paper bags or tie with string-no plastic bags please, 30 lbs or
- Magazines – place in cardboard box or double paper bags, 30 lbs or less
- Stationery or Shredded – place in paper bags or plastic bags
- Computer Paper – place in cardboard box, 30 lbs or less
- Junk Paper
- Aluminum – (Pop, Beer, Food Trays); Rinse all aluminum containers. Place in cardboard box or plastic bags.
- Cardboard food containers – (Juice, Milk, Pet Food) – Rinse all food containers.
- Cardboard – Place in cardboard box or tie with string. No loose cardboard and please keep it dry.
- Steel, Copper, Brass & Aluminum Scrap
Items they do NOT recycle:
Hard cover books, plastic bags, Styrofoam, any motor oil containers, green glass, dishes etc., window glass, medical bottles, bottle lids.
Yard Waste
State legislation has been enacted which states that effective July 1, 1990, “NO PERSON MAY KNOWINGLY MIX LANDSCAPE WASTE WITH REGULAR GARBAGE THAT IS INTENDED FOR DISPOSAL IN A LANDFILL.” This legislation was adopted with the intention of recycling the volume of yard waste entering landfills. Yard waste pick up is included in your monthly fee. To provide village residents with a fair and equitable alternative for compliance with this legislation, each resident of Crete will have the following options:
- Mow your yard frequently and do not collect yard waste for disposal.
- Collect the yard waste and create a compost pile on your property to be used as mulch for flowers, trees, or gardens.
- Place all yard waste in 30-gallon brown paper bio-degradable bags. No stickers are required. Yard waste bags can be found at local hardware and grocery stores.
- Apply a “Yard Waste” sticker to your own 35- gallon container (with handles). The stickers are available at Crete Village Hall at 524 W Exchange or by calling Republic Waste Services at (708) 385-8252. These stickers are used to identify yard waste containers and are available at no charge.
- Contacting Republic Waste Services for a 96-gallon yard waste container (no charge).
Yard waste service is provided from April 1st thru November 30th on your regular garbage pick-up day. Yard waste in plastic bags is not acceptable and will not be picked up. There is also a NO BURNING ordinance prohibiting the burning of leaves.
As an added convenience the Department of Public Works provides a branch chipper truck during the summer months. Tree branches will be picked up from the parkways weekly. Please put the cut end of the branch toward the street. The chipper truck can take branches up to 8” in diameter in 4-6 foot lengths. In the fall (on or around October 15) the chipper is replaced by the leaf vacuum machine. Please rake your leaves onto the edge of the parkway for pick up (not the street). If the leaf piles are raked into the street, you may by subject to a fine, as they can block storm drains. The leaf machine operates weekly to pick up the leaves, weather permitting, until most of the leaves are collected or until snow prohibits its use.
Water Services
Each water and/or sewer user is billed quarterly and bills are mailed the first of every three month period. Crete Village water and sewer is billed at the rate of $6.05 per 1000 gallons plus a flat fee of $3.00 per month for each water account. The charge for sewer processing done by Thorn Creek Basin Sanitary District is $2.451 per 1000 gallons plus a $1.90 quarterly flat rate fee. These charges are calculated based on water usage as determined by reading your water meter. Additional charges that appear on the quarterly water bill include fees for garbage services, sewer rehabilitation, animal control and mosquito abatement. There is also a $12.00 quarterly charge to pay for the installation of iron removal equipment for the water system. These amounts are subject to change by board action if payment is not made within 15 days. A 10% penalty is imposed on sewer and 5% penalty on all other services A reminder to old and new residents: Please contact the Village Hall to notify us when service is to be started or discontinued.
For your convenience you may now make payments on-line by visiting the Village website at: www.villageofcrete.org. Register through the PSN link.
Checking for Leaks
After each three month billing period, the water department receives many phone calls regarding high water consumption from water users.
It is the responsibility of each and every water user to make sure they do not have any leaks in their own water system. The main cause of water leaks are faucets dripping, toilet tanks running and water softeners not operating properly.
There is a simple way of checking for leaks in your home water system. By checking the position of the sweep hand on the clock-like detector of your water meter. Do not use any water and wait a period of time, then re-check the position of the sweep hand. If it has moved and no water has been used, you have a leak somewhere in your system which should be corrected immediately. Each complete rotation of the sweep hand is equal to ten gallons.
Remember, a dripping faucet, a toilet tank running or a water softener not operating properly can increase your water consumption greatly over a three month period.
Hydrant Flushing
The Village currently is flushing hydrants twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Signs will be posted at the entrances to town to announce the dates flushing will be done. Please note that you may experience some rusty water during this time period.
Water Bans
During drought-like conditions the Village of Crete Board of Trustees may pass a resolution instituting a water ban in any of three stages to restrict the use of nonessential outdoor use of water. A Stage I water ban allows for usage based on your residential address and day of the month. If you have an even number address you may water on even number days and in you have an odd number address you may water on odd days. Stage II adds to Stage I, to the extent that you may only water before 9:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. on your designated day. Stage III, the most severe, prohibits outdoor water usage completely. Contact the Village Hall or check the Village website at www.villageofcrete.org, to check the status of water bans.
Code Enforcement
The Crete Village Board has determined that maintaining property values is essential to the health of the community for obvious reasons. As such, additional emphasis and attention is being spent on property maintenance issues and a proactive approach has been adopted with compliance as the foremost goal. Generally, the Village of Crete Property Maintenance Code requires the following: All property and premises shall be maintained in an orderly, clean and safe condition.
- Outdoor storage is prohibited in front or side yards in residential districts.
- Weeds and grass shall not exceed heights of 8 inches and all noxious weeds are prohibited.
- All accessory structures, including garages, fences and walls shall be maintained structurally sound and in good repair.
- All exterior walls, doors, windows and frames shall be free of holes, breaks, loose or rotting materials; peeling, flaking or chipped paint shall be eliminated and surfaces re-painted.
- Swimming pools shall be maintained in good repair and in a clean, clear and sanitary condition.
- No recreational vehicle may be stored or parked on private property within a residentially zoned area unless such vehicle is wholly located within the lot lines of the private property and on a parking surface composed of an asphalt or concrete pad wholly encompassing the area underneath the vehicle.
Building Permits
Village of Crete ordinance requires that a building permit be obtained for ALL new construction and remodeling. This includes but is not limited to: fences, decks, pools, garages and sheds, driveway or sidewalk replacement, repair or shingling a roof, residing, lawn irrigation systems and more. Permits must be posted in clear view so it can be seen by inspectors from the street. Contact the Building Department pertaining to questions regarding building permits.
All residents are asked to make sure that contractors they hire are insured and licensed by the Village even though they may be licensed by the state. All trades must be licensed by the Village for the protection of the residents.
When the Village issues a permit, it is considered legal permission to begin work. In some cases it may be necessary to get additional approvals before beginning work. These could include issues involving Zoning, Special Uses or Heritage Preservation. A building permit indicates that improvement plans are in accordance with Village building codes and zoning laws. The Village has the authority to impose fines on contractors or residents who do not follow regulations or obtain the proper permits for work requiring building permits. Please consult with the building inspector for all issues involving building, plumbing and electrical work.
Applications for a building permit are available at the Village Hall. All fees are paid at the same location. Any questions regarding permits, codes or whether a contractor is licensed in the village may be directed to the Building Department at 672-2731.
Grading
Property grades CANNOT BE CHANGED without the approval of the Superintendent of Public Works (672-7100).
Drainage
In order to prevent drainage problems, sump pumps and gutter drains should be directed away from the house and to the rear yards, as well as from neighboring properties. Drainage easements along the rear property line usually include a swale system that will carry excess water away. Only when there is no rear yard drainage system can sump pump and gutter drains be directed to the front yard. This should only be done in such a manner as to not cause icing to occur on sidewalks and streets in the winter.
House Numbers
The Village code requires all house numbers be affixed to each structure and located so they are visible and easily read from the street. Should the Police or Fire Department have to respond to an emergency situation, where every second counts, valuable time may be lost searching for your house. House numbers are given upon issuance of building permits.
Hunting and Fishing Licenses
On Target Archery in Steger, IL 708-758-4868
Voter Registration
Voters must be United States citizens, 18 years of age and have resided in the precinct for 30 days prior to the next election. To register you must provide two forms of identification, one of which must show current residence address of the applicant and provide proof of age (drivers license or State ID). You may register at the Crete Village Hall, 524 W Exchange St.-672- 5431, the Crete Township Office, 1367 Wood St.–672-8279 or the Crete Library, 1177 Main St.- 672- 8017.
Cable
Our cable company is Comcast. For more information please call (866) 594-1234.
Snow Removal
It is unlawful to park any vehicle on any public street in the Village at any time within twelve (12) hours of a snowfall of two (2) inches or more. It is against Village Code to push or shovel snow from a private drive or sidewalk into the street. Please help us speed snow removal by keeping your vehicles out of the street.
Commuter Service
Metra Electric provides train service from University Park to Chicago. (Train times and costs are subject to change.) For information call the Depot Master/Main Office at (312) 322-6777.
Emergency Management Agency (E.M.A.)
E.M.A. does regular siren testing at 10:00 a.m. on the first Tuesday of the month. PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENT to question the sirens meaning; they need their phone lines open for emergency calls. Sounding of the sirens at times other than the test period indicates the presence of an emergency situation. Take cover immediately and use a portable radio to monitor the emergency situation. Our EMA Coordinator can be reached at 672-2737 if you are interested in volunteering your time. Please give them a call; they are always looking for new members.
Fire Department
The Crete Fire Department consists full time contract, Paid-on-Call, and Part Time personnel. We provide Fire Protection and Advanced Life Support Emergency Medical Service to our community. We have two fire stations. Station #1 is located next to the Village Hall on Benton Street and Station #2 is located at the corner of Richton Road and Melanie Lane. The fire department is always searching for new members with community involvement in mind. We provide the necessary training to become a state certified fire fighter and paramedic. Anyone interested in becoming a paid-on-call firefighter/paramedic can contact the fire department staff at 708-672-2727.
Crete Lions Recycling Program
The Crete Lions Club runs a recycling facility at 1215 Douglas Lane. Recyclables may be dropped off at this facility Monday thru Friday 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and Saturday 7:00 a.m. to Noon. Labeled bins are placed in front of the building for your convenience when the recycling center is closed. For questions contact the hotline at (708) 672-4575.
A drop-off option for recycling is conducted under the direction of the Crete Lions Club. Information regarding their operation is contained later in this document.
Important Phone Numbers
Crete Police Department & Emergency Services (EM.A.)
1370 Benton Street
Non-Emergency – 672-0911
Emergency – 9-1-1
Crete Fire Department
Station #1
524 W. Exchange St.
Non-Emergency – 672-2727
Emergency – 9-1-1
Station #2
3740 Melanie
Non-Emergency – 672-2729
Emergency— 9-1-1
Crete Municipal Offices (website is www.villageofcrete.org)
524 W. Exchange St.
Administrative (Village Hall) 672-5431
Building Department 672-2731
Public Works Department 672-7100 1201
Douglas Lane Crete Area
Chamber of Commerce (info@cretechamber.com)
PO Box 263 Crete, Il 60417
672-9216
Crete Lions Club Recycle Center
1215 Douglas Lane
672-4575
Crete Library District – The library is a separate taxing body.
1177 Main St.
672-8017
Crete Park District – The park district is a separate taxing body.
737 W. Exchange St.
672-6969
Crete Post Office
515 Cass St.
672-8571
Crete Township Office
1367 Wood St.
672-8279
Crete Township Assessor
1367 Wood St.
672-8291
Schools (Public) Crete Monee School District 201-U – The school district is a separate taxing body.
Crete Monee School District Administration Center
1500 Sangamon Street. Crete, IL 60417 Crete
367-8300
Elementary School
435 North Street Crete, IL 60417
672-2647
Crete Monee Middle School
635 Olmsted University Park, IL 60484
672-2700
Balmoral Elementary
1124 New Monee Rd. Crete, IL 60417
672-2643
Coretta Scott King Magnet School
1009 Blackhawk Drive University Park, IL 60484
672-2651
Crete Monee High School
1515 W. Exchange St. Crete, IL 60417
672-8200
Schools (Private)
Illinois Lutheran School (Pre K—6th Grade)
448 Cass Street Crete, IL 60417
672-5969
Illinois Lutheran High School (7th—12th Grade)
1610 Main Street Crete, IL 60417
672-3262
Mother Theresa Catholic Academy
24201 S. Kings Road Crete, IL 60417
672-3093
Marian Catholic High School
700 Ashland Avenue Chicago Heights, IL 60411
755-7565
Local Hospitals (approximately 25 minutes within our area)
Franciscan Health Olympia Fields
20201 S. Crawford Ave. Olympia Fields, IL 60461
708-747-4000
Advocate South Suburban Hospital
17800 S. Kedzie Ave. Hazel Crest, IL 60429
708-799-8000
Franciscan Health Dyer
24 Joliet St. Dyer, IN 46311
219-865-2141
Ingalls Hospital
1 Ingalls Drive Harvey, IL 60426
708-333-2300
Additional important numbers:
Republic Services Scavenger Service
708-385-8252
Nicor Gas Co.
888-642-6748
Com Ed
800-334-7661
Comcast Cable
866-594-1234
AT&T
800-288-2020
J.U.L.I.E. (Call before digging)
800-892-0123 or 811
Will County Clerk
302 N Chicago St Joliet, IL 60432
815-740-4615 302
Additional important numbers:
Will County Courthouse
Joliet, IL 60432
815-727-8560
U.S. SENATOR – 6th District
Dick Durbin
230 S Dearborn Street Suite 3892
Chicago, IL 60604
312-353-4952
U.S. SENATOR – 8th District
Tammy Duckworth
230 S Dearborn Street Suite 3900
Chicago, IL 60604
312-868-3506
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE – 2nd District
Congresswoman Robin Kelly
600 Holiday Plaza Drive Suite 505
Matteson, IL 60443
708-679-0078
STATE SENATOR
17th District – Elgie R. Sims, Jr.
8729 South State Street
Chicago, Il 60619
773-783-8800
15th District – Napolean Harris III
369 E. 147th Street Unit H
Harvey, IL 60426
708-893-0552
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
29th District – Thaddeus Jones
1910 Sibley Blvd.
Calumet City, IL 60409
708-933-6018
34th District – Nick Smith 113 E. 95th Street Suite A
Chicago, Il 60619
773-783-8800
