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Naperville
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Real News – What does a Township do?

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Maybe one of the most unknown, yet essential entities that impacts Naperville is the Naperville Township Road District. Living within the city limits, in one of the other Townships that serves Naperville, I myself rarely think about Naperville Township, let alone the Naperville Township Road District.

Naperville Township, one of five that serves Naperville, covers 36 square miles and is a standard size for nine most similar Townships in DuPage County. Naperville Township was founded in 1849, and most townships in Illinois were formed before cities were established. Originally designed to deliver people a form of government, townships today still deliver some the same services here in Naperville, in far reaching counties and in rural Illinois, they act as the only form of government to its residents.

One of the Naperville Township divisions is the Naperville Township Road District. The Road District provides essential services, like maintaining approximately 49 “lane” miles of road or just under 20 miles, building and maintenance of those roads (including snow and ice removal), maintenance and car for 1,000 trees in parkways. It also maintains all the storm drains in unincorporated parts of the township, which benefits everyone in the city, keeping the entire system working. The Road district is also involved in mosquito abatement, maintaining right of way in parkways, and issues building permits in unincorporated parts of the Township (keeping a cohesive building landscape in the county).

Currently, it has eight vehicles in its fleet. The Road district also from time to time responds to emergency situations, once pulling a car from a flooded underpass with a front end loader, I learned.

Stan Wojtasiak, has been the Highway Commissioner for the District for 13 years. Stan said, “Best part of the job is contact with the public.”

Stan has been a Naperville resident since 1977 and believes that although, “it is getting bigger all the time since he moved into Naperville, it maintains its small town atmosphere.”

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Paul DeKruiff
Paul DeKruiff
Paul DeKruiff is married, father of three daughters and a 17-year resident of Naperville. Contact him at pauldekruiff@comcast.net or (630) 446-0049.

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