Next Monday evening’s monthly Plan Commission meeting has been canceled. Ordinarily, we would not publish non-events. But this is the fourth cancellation of a Plan Commission meeting in a row, making it noteworthy. Review of Village records shows the Plan Commission met only seven times in all of 2012. More meetings have been canceled in the last sixteen months than have been held.
Two candidates running for trustee positions on the “Save 5 Acres” slate have included their “Plan Commission experience“ in their candidate biographies. Based on absences from scheduled meetings in 2012, Mr. Harrington could attend only five of seven meetings, and Ms. Mazeski managed to make six. No doubt, this is voluntary service to the residents of Barrington Hills. But these candidates cannot be considered seasoned commission members, especially given their votes to approve the error riddled Spring Creek Watershed Plan.
Of course, Bob Abboud must consider this light attendance at Plan Commission meetings to be political currency, since he appears to be behind the Save 5 Acres campaign and platform. We know that Abboud is coordinating campaign meetings and filing financial reports to the Illinois State Board of Elections for candidates Gohl and Mazeski (see ISBOE A-1 Filings).
If Plan Commission experience is the measurement for qualification, then David Stieper should be Abboud’s eye-on endorsement. From 2003-2010, Stieper served or chaired over sixty-one Plan Commission meetings, including the time-intensive updating of our Village Comprehensive Plan.
Perhaps if David’s experienced commission guidance had been allowed to continue after 2010, our Village would not be in the precarious position we now face over the planned Insurance Auto Auction facility at our border. We’ll never know the answer, but clearly our current Plan Commission cannot be vigilant about future threats if they are not meeting with any regularity.
– The Observer
Oh, come on now. Mazeski has plenty of experience – in liberal Democratic politics. According to a Dem Leadership training website, “For two years she worked at the Chicago headquarters of the 2008 Obama For America campaign… She also assisted former Congresswoman Melissa Bean as Outreach Coordinator on her campaign staff. ”
BH voters: if you think she’s going to be fiscally responsible and dedicated to reducing your taxes, think again.
Frankly, I don’t know where to start, but let me share my experience on the Plan Commission, I was appointed by Jim Kempe, and have served under at least 5 Chairmen and a number of Commissioners, all with varying backgrounds and interests. It needs to be clarified that the Plan Commissiion is an ADVISORY body. Now, please let me address recent references to the Commisison and its members. First, David Stieper was one of the most diligent and well informed Plan Commission Chairmen. Second, contrary to a recent mailing sent by Save 5 Acres candidates stating “Here are the facts: Stieper wrote the original, unpopular lighting ordinance…” , Daviid Stieper DID NOT WRITE THE ORDINANCE. Chairman Stieper and Plan Commissiners were directed by the President and Board of Trustees to work with Village staff, consultants and resource people to develop a draft lighting ordinance to present for public hearing and ultimately to the Pres and Board of Trustees for a final decision. It wasn’t an easy process and, it soon became obvious that the proposal was generally unpopular. The Commision continued their work, as directed. The Plan Commission was neither FOR or AGAINST the draft ordinance. Unfortunately, but, perhaps, predictablly, when lighting regulations became controversial, the blame for the lighting ordindance fell on the Plan Commission, not on the person, or persons, who develop the agenda for the Commission, and other “committees” i.e., the Pres and Board of Trustees. There is a saying that “committees (and commissions) are formed to spread the blame for unpopular decisions.”
There was a time when the Plan Commision was a service to the Village residents. It has been a privilege to serve on the Commission with so many well intended, dedicated people,
As an afterthought, Village Trustee Steve Knoop was the Board liaison during the drafting of the latest lighting ordinance; He attended Commission meetings regularly, and with much enthusiasm, interjected the Dark Sky proposal. If the Pres and Board of Trustees were so much AGAINST a liighting ordinance, why, then, did the Village vehicle sticker during that period suddenly display Barrington Hills as a “Dark Sky Community”?
Thank you for your years of service and insight, Lou Anne. It’s appreciated!
A lot of us wish Jim Kempe was still around. At least he managed to get along with people unlike our current leader. It’s sad that so many people Jim appointed have had their terms of appointment lapse not by their choice only to be replaced by Abboud disciples.
I hope you can hang in there as long you can or wish to.
Simply shameful that Bob Abboud and Fritz Gohl have spent thousands of campaign $’s trying to pin the lighting ordinance problems onto Candidate Stieper. Are they suggesting we are such uninformed voters as to not remember who drove “dark skies”? If candidates wanted to discuss positions and reinforce the facts of accusations made, why did Abboud and Save5Acres refuse to appear in an Open Forum with Candidate Stieper?
In the public record from BOT meeting minutes, Bob Abboud asked why don’t more residents want to participate in commissions and participate in BH? Perhaps, the answer is clear – do what your told or else, and if it doesn’t work out, then you’ll be thrown under the bus. Management styles clearly emerge in the face of adversity.
Please candidates, discuss facts. The basic belief of every candidate is to preserve our rural and equestrian community. No one wants more trains, No one wants commercialism. Everyone wants 5 acre protection. Everyone wants safe water. The differences are around who can coalesce the community to best implement actions to resolve our challenges and manage the Village with fiscal responsibility.
We are all grateful to all residents who serve public office and on committees. It’s just that we don’t want a Village with candidates that want this to be their full time job meddling for personal ego.
Jim Kempe…..We miss you!