City Clerk

The Des Plaines City Clerk’s Office is a multi-faceted department serving the entire community, including residents and all municipal departments. In addition to specified duties, the City Clerk’s Office operates as the municipal public information and resource center of Des Plaines.

The City Clerk retains and administers the corporate seal, keeps all records, attends all meetings of the City Council and maintains a full record of its proceedings as specified in the City Code and the State Statute. The City Clerk is also responsible for coordinating the preparation of agendas for the City Council meetings, and compiling and distributing the bi-monthly City Council agenda packets. The State Statute also specifies that the City Clerk serves on the Board of Local Improvements, which meets when necessary, and the Firemen’s Pension Fund Board which meets quarterly.

In addition, the office is responsible for compiling, distributing and retaining meeting agendas and minutes; maintaining files of ordinances, resolutions, contracts, agreements, deeds, easements, annexations, vacations, legal documents, petitions and bonds; registering voters and carrying out election proceedings such as absentee voting; maintaining and distributing the City street key; developing and arranging for the publication of legal notices; codifying ordinances, and proofing and distributing supplements; administering oaths of office; advertising for, developing and recapping bid materials, as well as ensuring bid documents conform to legal requirements; updating a listing of those persons required to file Statements of Economic Interest for the Cook County Clerk’s Office along with maintaining a permanent file of Disclosure Statements for all elected officials and pertinent commission and board members as mandated by the City of Des Plaines Ethics Ordinance; updating and selling all code books; microfilming and computerizing records; processing and distributing Freedom of Information requests; and handling citizen inquiries and complaints.

Various requests directed to the City Clerk’s Office from the public and City Departments remain consistent throughout the year, with voter registrations and inquiries peaking in major election years. In 2003 the Department registered 120 voters; processed 359 Freedom of Information requests; updated and distributed two City Code supplements; and published 33 legal notices. In addition, the Office maintains a mailing list of approximately 1,500 vendors divided into specific categories for bidding purposes and a list of some 125 individuals and businesses that receive information regarding City meetings a minimum of twice a month.

In a public relations capacity, the City Clerk’s Office prepares informative publications such as the annual Community Clubs and Service Organizations booklet; A Guide to Des Plaines Government; the Des Plaines Dialer; the Directory of Officials and Offices of the City of Des Plaines; the Welcome to a Meeting of the Des Plaines City Council brochure; the quarterly City-wide newsletter, the Des Plaines Digest; and the quarterly employee newsletter, Civic Happenings. These publications, as well as other government related information, are compiled by the City Clerk’s Office into a "Welcome Packet" and are available to new residents. In addition, City news releases (often with accompanying photographs) are developed, composed and distributed from this office to the Chicagoland media, the City’s web site, local organizations, agencies, and other groups as needed such as churches, schools, senior citizen organizations, Neighborhood Watch Block Captains, etc. Other functions of the City Clerk’s Office include the development of other community related fliers and brochures, composing proposals and bid specifications related to public relations projects; composing and taping radio public service announcements; the scheduling of displays in the lobby; the organization of press conferences and ceremonial events such as ribbon cuttings and ground breakings; and the maintenance of newspaper clipping, photos, negatives and digital photograph files.

The City Clerk’s Office also provides a liaison, the public relations officer, to the Special Events Commission responsible for the planning, development and promotion of local events such as the Taste of Des Plaines, July 4th activities, New Year’s on the Plaza, the Pooch, Pet and Pedal Parade, the Socrates Rand Volunteer Awards Dinner, the Friday Night Live On The Plaza series, the Mitten Tree Project, and the Wine Tasting evening. The office is also active in the planning and promotion of other community events such as the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, the Holiday Lighting Ceremony, various veteran events, and the Mayor’s Health Committee activities, such as Cancer Awareness Day, the First Ladies Tea and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

In addition, public relations staff represent the office on a variety of committees such as the Maine West High School Community Relations Committee, consisting of representatives of various agencies from the community; the Northwest Municipal Conference Local Government Communicators Committee, representing local municipal public relations staff; and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), an accredited internationally recognized group of public/private public relations professionals.

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