VILLAGE OF CHATHAM
Frequently Asked Questions

You must have a building permit for most structure, structural change, or fence.  You must call J.U.L.I.E. to have your utilities located before doing any digging.  J.U.L.I.E. is a free locator service and can be reached at 1-800-892-0123 or the easy to remember 8-1-1.?

There is a leash law.  Domesticated animals, including but not limited to dogs, shall not run at large within the village limits.  The village has a contract with Sangamon County Animal Control to pick up dogs and some other animals at large.  If your animal is picked up, there will be a fine to retrieve it.

The village burning ordinance bans all burning other that bare twigs generated from the trees on your property.  The fires must be on the open ground on your property and properly attended, and may only be between sunrise and sunset on Wednesdays through Saturdays only.  There is no burning allowed on holidays or when the wind speed is over 12 mph.

Landscaping can be done around meters.  HOWEVER, NO  landscaping or coverage of meters may be done which blocks the view or access or your water or electric meters.  All landscaping must be kept pruned at all times.  All landscaping is subject to removal for maintenance on the meters.

The following conditions must be met to be granted a Zero Lot Line Duplex in the Village of Chatham

• Three copies of a Tract Survey must be submitted to the Village of Chatham Plat Officer. This survey must show:
  
  • The duplex structure is bisected by the lot line, and each dwelling unit is located exclusively on one lot, except for a party wall which is bisected by the lot line.
    
  • Each one of these lots must have at least 35 feet of frontage and a minimum lot area of 5,000 sq.ft. in R-2 Duplex or 3500sq.ft in R-3 Multi-Family zoning districts.
    
  • A Party Wall agreement or other appropriate Covenant, perpetual in duration and running with the land which provides for the perpetual maintenance of the party wall and reconstruction of the duplex structure in event of fire or casualty must be provided to and approved by the Plat Officer of the Village of Chatham.
    
  • The duplex structure, and any subdivision of an existing lot into two lots, must not be otherwise prohibited by law or ordinance or by any existing subdivision covenant.
    
  • The Tract Survey must include on its face the recording information for the Party Wall Agreement and other Covenants.
    
  • A lot can only be divided one time by a Party Wall Agreement.
    
• Once all conditions in section 1 are met and approved by the Village of Chatham Plat Officer, the Tract Survey with the Party Wall Agreement or other appropriate Covenant needs to be recorded with the Sangamon County Recorder of Deeds. Then one of the recorded copies shall be returned to the Village of Chatham Plat Officer.

Pick-Up all limbs and branchs that are shorter than 6 feet in length and smaller in diameter than 8 inches. If the branch is longer than 6 feet in length or larger than 8 inches in diameter it will not be picked up. This includes all Residents, Apartment Buildings Trailer Parks, Commercial Businesses, Village Parks, Village Drop Off Area. Bidder will go thru the town once per month (12 months of the year) and provide a collection map of area scheduled for pickup. The low bidder will be responsible for collection and disposal of all collected material. 

For curbside pickup, all branches and limbs shall be placed near the street in front of the residential unit. It shall be the responsibility of each resident to see the branches and limbs are placed curbside or as close as practicable to collection vehicle routes by 6:00 a.m. on the Monday of the first full week of each month. Curbside refers to that portion of the right-of-way adjacent to paved or traveled roadways.

Area to be Served- The area to receive the service is the area within the corporate boundaries of the Village of Chatham, Illinois.

Hours of Collection- Normal hours of collection are to be from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. In the case of missed collections due to emergencies, inclement weather and or holidays collections may be performed on Saturdays, 6:00 am. to 6:00 p.m. Exceptions may be made only when the Contractor has reasonably determined that an exception is necessary to complete collection of an existing route due to unusual circumstances.

Missed Collections

In the event that a regularly scheduled collection is missed and a complaint received by the Contractor, and where no fault can be found on the generator's part, a special collection will be required of the Contractor within twenty-four (24) hours. Contractor shall provide a phone number (217) 585-1488, which will be answered between the hours of 7AM and 4PM weekdays and that a message maybe left after hours.

Below are general precautions the Village of Chatham recommends you take when a boil water order has been issued for your community.
General Precautions

• DISCARD any ice, juice, formula, stored water and uncooked foods that were prepared with tap water during the period of concern.
• USE BOILED OR BOTTLED WATER for drinking, food preparation, mixing baby formula, making ice, washing food, manual utensil and equipment washing, rinsing and sanitizing, brushing teeth or any other activity involving the consumption of water.
• CHILD CARE CENTERS AND SCHOOLS should use only bottled or boiled water for mixing infant formula, hand washing, and for mixing sanitizing solutions for diapering areas and surfaces such as tabletops and toys. Adult employees should use a hand sanitizer after washing hands with tap water and soap. Do not use drinking fountains and discontinue the use of water play tables. Follow all guidance provided by the Illinois Department of Education (DOE) and/or the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).
• RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS must follow the guidance of the local board of health and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).. Wholesale food manufacturers must follow the guidance of IDPH. Meat processing plants must follow the guidance of IDPH and the United States Department of Agriculture.
• SWIMMING POOLS, HOT TUBS, AND SPAS that are operated properly, including routine monitoring for adequate disinfection levels, may continue to operate.
• SHARE THIS INFORMATION with all other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received thsi notice directly (for example, visitors). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
• TRANSLATE THE PRECAUTIONS for anyone who does not understand English.

Tips for drinking water use during a boil order
There are two simple and effective methods you can use to treat drinking water for microbiological contaminants (bacteria).

• Boiling: Bring the water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute. Laboratory data show this is adequate to make the water safe for drinking.
• Disinfecting: Disinfectant tablets obtained from a wilderness store or pharmacy may be used. In an emergency, liquid chlorine bleach such as CloroxTM or PurexTM can be used at a dose of 8 drops (1/8 teaspoon) of bleach to each gallon of water. (Careful measurement with a clean dropper or other accurate measuring device is required when using liquid chlorine bleach.) Let stand for at least 30 minutes before use. Read the label to see that the bleach has 5-6% chlorine.

Washing Dishes
You may use a dishwasher if it has a sanitizing cycle. If it does not have a sanitizing cycle, or you are not sure if it does, you may hand wash dishes and utensils by following these steps:

• Wash the dishes as you normally would.
• As a final step, immerse the dishes for at least one minute in lukewarm water to which a teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water has been added.
• Allow the dishes to completely air dry.
• You may also used boiled and cooled water or bottled water.

Bathing and Showering - Young children should be given sponge baths rather than put in a bathtub where they might ingest the tap water. Adults or children should take care not to swallow water when showering.
Brushing your Teeth - Use only disinfected or boiled water for brushing your teeth.
Ice -Ice cubes are not safe unless made with disinfected or boiled water. The freezing process does not kill the bacteria or other microorganisms.
Washing Fruit and Vegetables - Use only disinfected or boiled water to wash fruits and vegetables that are to be eaten raw.
Hand Washing - You should wash your hands with soap and boiled water, or soap with bottled water. If only tap water is available, it is best to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer after you wash your hands. If neither is possible and your hands have been exposed to germs, such as after using the bathroom, washing with warm tap water and soap and thoroughly drying your hands is much better than not washing them at all. In these instances, try to keep your hands away from your mouth and use a hand sanitizer as soon as possible after you're done.
Cooking - Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute before adding food.
Infants - For infants use only prepared canned baby formula that is not condensed and does not require added water. Do not use powdered formulas prepared with contaminated water.
Houseplants and Gardens - Water can be used without treatment for watering household plants and garden plants. The exception would be things like strawberries or tomatoes where the water would contact the edible fruit.
House Pets - The same precautions taken to protect humans should be applied to pets. Aquatic organisms (e.g. fish) should not be exposed to water containing elevated levels of bacteria. If the organism's water needs to be refreshed use appropriately boiled or bottled water.
Flush All Taps When The Boil Water Order Is Lifted - When flushing it is important to carefully follow the instructions provided. Flush your household and building water lines including: interior and exterior faucets, showers, water/ice dispensers, water treatment units, etc. Water heaters may need to be flushed to remove any contaminated water. Some types of water treatment devices may need to be disinfected or replaced before being used. Check with the manufacturer for details.