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 Message from Mayor Goczkowski
As 2025 comes to a close, I hope you’re able to enjoy a joyful and peaceful holiday season surrounded by family and friends. It’s been a great year for Des Plaines, with road and sewer upgrades, improvements to City facilities, and many other community accomplishments.
It’s also been a wonderful season for our winter celebrations. Although it’s been several weeks since the Holiday Tree Lighting and Winter Fair, I’m still looking back on them with a smile. If you weren’t able to attend or want to relive some of the holiday magic, you can watch a Curbside Chatter video about the event here.
During those celebrations, hundreds of residents submitted ideas to the City’s annual Name a Snowplow contest. Seven finalists have been selected, and you can cast your vote to help choose the name that will appear on one of our snowplows. It’s a fun and easy way to participate in an important City service that keeps our streets safe during winter.
After the holidays, please do your part to keep Des Plaines green. The City offers several ways to recycle your holiday trees and lights, helping make the season both joyful and eco-friendly.
City offices will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. I wish you happy holidays and a great start to 2026. I hope to see you in the new year!
In the meantime, please share this e-news with your family, friends, and neighbors, and encourage them to subscribe. If I can be of assistance to you, please feel free to contact me at 847-391-5301 or agoczkowski@desplainesil.gov.
Yours in service,
Andrew Goczkowski
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Holiday Closures and Service Updates
Non-emergency City offices will be closed on Thursday, December 25, in observance of Christmas, and on Thursday, January 1, in observance of New Year’s Day. Police and fire services will continue to operate and respond to emergencies during the holiday closures.
Refuse collection will be delayed by one day for residents with Thursday and Friday pickups during the holiday weeks.
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Vote Now: Snowplow Naming Closes Soon!
Time is running out to cast your vote in the City’s annual Name a Snowplow contest. Participants of all ages submitted snowplow name ideas at the Holiday Tree Lighting and Winter Fair. We were snow-blown away by dozens of amazing entries and have narrowed it down to seven finalists: Snowy, Bob, Mr. Plow, Salt Squad, Cupcake Jr., Snow White, and Scoop Dogg.
Vote for your favorite, and the winning choice will be join Clearopatha, Harry Plowter, and Snowy McPlowface in the City of Des Plaines fleet. Voting closes on Friday, December 19 at 5 p.m.
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City Staff Support Salvation Army Angel Tree Program
Recently, staff from the City of Des Plaines participated in the annual Salvation Army Angel Tree Program, helping bring new clothing and toys to local children in need. Employees fulfilled gift wishes for 55 children, with the Police and Fire Departments delivering the gifts directly to the Salvation Army Des Plaines Corps Community Center.
We value our ongoing partnership with the Salvation Army and thank them for supporting local families through this program!
After the Holidays: Tree & Lights Recycling
in Des Plaines
Staff from City's Public Works and Engineering Department will be collecting holiday trees for recycling during the first full week of January, from Monday, January 5, through Friday, January 9, 2026 (weather permitting). Participating residents are asked to remove any decorative materials and place the bare trees at their curb before 7 a.m. on January 5.
If you miss this collection and are an LRS customer, trees will still be picked up by the refuse service through Friday, January 16, 2026 (also weather permitting). After that, bare holiday trees will need to be held until landscape waste collection resumes in April.
Throughout January and February, Des Plaines residents can also safely recycle their holiday lights through weekly collections at the City's Public Works facility. Lights can be dropped off on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1111 Joseph J. Schwab (Campground) Rd. We accept C7 and C9 lights, rope lights, mini-lights, LED lights, and extension cords. Please note that strands still attached to wreaths, garland, or other decorations will not be accepted.
Take the City-Sponsored Events Survey
We want to hear from you about the City events you’ve attended this year. Please take a short survey to share your thoughts on City-sponsored activities like the Holiday Tree Lighting, Winter Fair, and Harvest Hoot. Your input helps the Media Services team understand what’s working well and where improvements can be made, guiding future planning to make our events even more enjoyable for the community. Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your thoughts!
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Upcoming Meetings and Reminders
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12/25 - Christmas Day | City Offices Closed, One-Day Delay for Refuse Collection
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1/1 - New Year's Day | City Offices Closed, One-Day Delay for Refuse Collection
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1/5 - City Council Meeting | 7 p.m. at Des Plaines City Hall
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1/5 - Public Works Holiday Tree Collection Begins | Weather Permitting
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1/16 - Last Day for Refuse Service Tree Pick Up | Weather Permitting
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1/19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day | City Offices Closed, Regular Refuse Pickup
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1/20 - City Council Meeting | 7 p.m. at Des Plaines City Hall
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City of Des Plaines
Phone 847.391.5300 |
1420 Miner Street
Des Plaines, IL 60016 |
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