DeKALB | Stand, clap, sit down. Stand, clap, sit down. The congratulatory pattern continues.

A group of about 75 residents, city council members and elected officials gathered at the Kishwaukee Country Club on Thursday to hear the mayor’s State of the City Address.

After personally greeting every patron at the banquet, Mayor Frank Van Buer gave his second annual address. His speech focused primarily on congratulating various commissions for their work in the past year and the discussion of successful past city ordinances.

The mayor gave the P.R.I.D.E — People Responsible for Improving DeKalb’s Environment — award to several local schools and organizations, including NIU, for environmentally-conscious decisions and buildings. The mayor said these organizations were vital in maintaining the city’s clean atmosphere.

Van Buer also discussed what he called the “success” of the recent smoking ban. The mayor read letters from local residents who were pleased with the new smoking ban because they said it enhanced their dining experience. In the letters, residents expressed their approval of the ban, saying they frequently favor DeKalb restaurants over the neighboring town of Sycamore’s because of the lack of smoke.

The mayor gave public recognition to various boards and commissions for their work in the past year. Some of these were the police pension board, the fire pension board and the zoning board of appeals. The mayor stressed the importance of volunteers in DeKalb.

“The hard-working volunteers of the city are really helping DeKalb move forward,” Van Buer said.

Recently, the liquor commission created a new deputy position in which the mayor expressed how pleased he was with the recent changes.

The liquor commission also changed their number of board members from five to seven. Van Buer was pleased with the change.

“This was a great idea because now we have a broader representation of the community,” Van Buer said,

Lastly, the mayor congratulated the achievements of temporary committees such as the downtown revitalization committee and the sesquicentennial celebration committee.

“These committees have greatly helped to improve the city of the DeKalb,” he said.