Audio recordings from last month’s regular Village Board meeting are available for review.
The entire public session of the meeting lasted just over an hour, compared to recent meetings lasting nearly four times as long. We understand that attendance was lower than usual at the brief meeting as well, and only two residents voiced their public comments.
The first resident to speak also happens to chair the Heritage and Environs Committee. She expressed her gratitude to Trustees Meroni and Selman for their service to the Village, opined on the April election results, and voiced her expectations for decorum in future post-elections Board meetings. Her comments can be heard here.
The second person to speak chose to use her time at the podium to pay tribute to the recently departed Village Clerk, Dolores Trandel. Her personal comments can be heard here.
When it came time for the Board to discuss their agenda for the evening, the partisan bickering many have come to expect was noticeably lacking. Even the discussion leading to a vote to not pay a portion of the legal bills from Bond Dickson for yet another month was uncharacteristically subdued, but that may have been due to the presence of a reporter from the Daily Herald.
Trustee Meroni repeated the 2015 Village budgeted road improvement plans centered in the McHenry County portions of Barrington Hills during her Roads & Bridges report including:
- Meadow Hill Rd from Fox Hunt Lane to Spring Creek Rd
- Haegers Bend Rd from County Line to Chapel Rd, and
- Plum Tree Rd from Ridge Rd to the western Village limits
Once Meroni’s report was concluded, President McLaughlin asked Dan Strahan of Gewalt Hamilton to look into when Cook County plans to address significant road surface issues on Brinker Road. Trustee Gohl also asked Strahan to look into the status of Otis Road. Both roadways continue to be problematic for residents wishing to avoid recurring potholes, and the recording of that request for information can be heard here.
The Board continued their discussion of an extension of the current BACOG lease for terms of three to five years. Trustees appeared to have no issues with extending the lease, but an “out clause” for the extended lease being considered was mentioned.
During the Administration portion of the meeting, President McLaughlin proposed a resolution honoring the work of Dolores Trandel during her years of service to the Village. The motion passed unanimously followed by applause from attendees.
The link to the edited audio recording segment menu from the April meeting can be accessed here.
Anyone know why P. Denise didn’t thank Messer for his years on the board? Is their trouble in RCBH paradise and he’s on the outs, or is there some other cause for his omission of gratitude?
Just seems a little uncomfortable to me but then again, the whole board meeting rodeos have been awkward for 4 years now.
HEAR YE . . HEAR YE . . . HEAR YE!
SUGGESTED FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR THE NEW BOARD
The first order of business for the new board should be open dialogue before the public on the “origin” and VBH’s “rational” behind creation and issuance of the Schuman Letter”. . . . . Perhaps long-term BOT member Trustee Gohl can provide a historicle backdrop on former BOT’s motivation behind authenticating the Schuman Letter for the public, VBH President and new members of the BOT. . .
The fundamental questions Gohl needs to answer:
Why would VBH Board spend $182,000 in court litigating and then successfully obtaining an order to “close” horse boarding operations at Oakwood Farm then after obtaining this court ruling VBH Board issue a 40 cent (postage) letter in name of building inspector Don Schuman asserting these same boarding operations at Oakwood Farm were legal and can remain open?
Wouldn’t it have made more sense for VBH Board to issue the 40 cent letter first avoiding then having to spend $182,000 of hard earned VBH resident taxpayer money to Burke-Warren?
Why would ZBA and VBH Board first say Oakwood Farm horse boarding operations violated Home Occupation Ordinance (“HOO”) and get the trial and appellate court to agree and then the moment the injunctive order was obtained through the court VBH Board turn around and approve of the Schuman Letter saying Oakwood Farm is magically home occupation compliant?
When VBH Board was “against it” it cost VBH taxpayers $182,000; when VBH was “for it” it cost VBH taxpayers 40 cents. (the 40 cent letter which came 34 days after 3 secret campaign donations totaling $15,000 from Oakwood Farm to candidates, Messer, Meroni and Selman) . . . . . Hmmm.
What sayeth you, Trustee Gohl?
SUGGESTED SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR THE NEW BOARD
As a tribute and thank you to outgoing BOT member Messer for coinng the phrase, “Marty Party”, the second order of business of the new board should be to change the name of the annual “Hills R Alive Festival” to “Marty-Gras in the Hills” . . . . .
What sayeth you, VBH public?