Following are some of the articles published by The Observer for the month of July in recent years. These articles, gathered from various publications and editorials, are noteworthy for residents in that they remind us of where we’ve been as a community.
Village Board considering ZBA proposal on horse boarding – 2011
ZBA chair Judith Freeman presented a proposal to address horse boarding codes in the Village at the July BOT meeting. President Abboud deferred discussion/comment by the board of the ZBA proposal until the August BOT meeting to allow time for trustees to further consider the proposal.
The ZBA proposal calls for any property owner that boards ten (10) horses or more within the Village on R-1 properties to be classified as “Commercial” and residents boarding nine (9) or fewer horses would be allowed to conduct their businesses under the “Home Occupation Ordinance.”
Freeman’s letter to the board can be downloaded here.
Barrington Hills panel: Status quo on horse boarding – 2012
Barrington Hills’ zoning board Monday unanimously recommended disregarding proposed conditions for the allowance of commercial horse boarding as a home occupation business use.
The board’s recommendation was made on the basis that the conditions would only confuse current debate as to whether commercial horse boarding is permissible at all.
The Complete Daily Herald article can be read here.
Another blame game – 2012
Monday evening the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) discussed public comments on the commercial horse boarding amendment to the Home Occupation Ordinance (HOO).
During that meeting several members of the ZBA, most notably Chairperson Judith Freeman and Kurt Anderson, expressed their condescending opinions that residents who opposed the amendment failed to understand it. Anderson, quoted in the Daily Herald cited what he called “a campaign of both disinformation and misinformation.”
Read the original Observer editorial here.
AG’s office reviews ex-mayor’s Barrington Hills appointments – 2013
The Illinois attorney general’s Public Access Bureau is reviewing a complaint that former Barrington Hills Village President Robert Abboud’s 35 proposed committee appointments made after he lost the April 9 election were not adequately identified on a meeting agenda.
As such, the review is looking into whether the action constitutes a violation of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, spokeswoman Natalie Bauer said. She would not speculate on the time frame of the review or what action would be appropriate if it determined a violation had occurred.
Abboud said he was following the advice of the village attorney that sufficient notice on the agenda did not necessarily have to include names.
Read the Daily Herald story here.
Update: Since this story was published it was determined the appointments made at that time did in fact violate the Illinois Open Meetings Act. As a result, our Zoning Board only has six members, one of whom’s term expired in 2012.
– The Observer
