Colleen Konicek-Hannigan
After experiencing some political turbulence in the transition to a new administration in 2013, government in the village of Barrington Hills is beginning to settle back into a sense of stability, if not yet absolute calm. While the village has put a decades-old lawsuit behind it, reduced expenses and revised some of its communications systems, some residents remain concerned that more needs to be done — and that some of the things that have been done have moved the village in the wrong direction.
In that climate, seven people have filed to seek three available positions on the village board. Readers can see the entire Daily Herald article by clicking on this link.
Why is Ramesh portraying herself as an incumbent? She’s not.
And how weird for the Daily Herald to group Elaine with Colleen Konicek as offering thoughtful and engaged management? Did the DH talk to her in person? Doubt it. Disengaged is more like it. Colleen is the real deal. Colleen actually uses her legal skills, whereas Elaine… well, yeah…
And Zubak? Sincere, eh? Lump him in with Louie Louie — vague complainer, no solutions.
Goooo Colleen a competent and generous leader! Thank you for willingness to serve!
For those interested – Stop Longmeadow is having a Rally Tomorrow from 10 am until 1pm near the intersection of Randall Road and Longmeadow Parkway (the existing 2 lane road). Drive east from Randall on LMP and you will see the crowd. Perhaps some of the Politicians running for Offices will wish to come and show their support or opposition, ask questions or just hob-nob with the citizens? Pretty sure some press will be there as well – they were last week!
By endorsing the “Silent One” based upon experience does the Daily Herald mean a former VBH BOT who:
(1) Admittedly represented VBH on the LMP and Kane County 2040 Plan but failed to disclose to residents its impact or put forth a plan of action to try and prevent this superhighway coming into VBH dissecting it into North and South Side along Algonquin Road via in part by condemnation of private VBH residential property;
(2) Was part of VBH BOT who approved record Budget Amounts and Actual Expenditures including annual attorney fee expenditures almost equivalent to the City of Elgin with over 20,000 residents;
(3) Authorized expenditure of legal fees to Burke-Warren by VBH in the approximate amount of $164,000 to initiate court proceedings at both the trial and appellate court level closing down commercial horse boarding operations at Oakwood Farm;
(4) Once the Appellate Court Order was entered directing commercial horse boarding operations be closed down at Oakwood Farm, the Silent One through acquiescence endorsed the Illegal .50 Cent Schuman Letter issued by former Village President keeping, albeit illegally, Oakwood Farm boarding operations open. You think the Silent One would have approved this 50 cent letter first before authorizing expenditure of these taxpayer funds;
(5) Never advocated for immediate investigation into the activities surrounding issuance of the “Illegal Schuman Letter” issued 30 days after a secret $15,000 campaign donation from Oakwood Farm to the Silent One’s “Save 5 Acres” political teammates of Messer, Meroni and Selman. Never advocated for investigation into another substantial campaign donor of “Save 5 Acres” political team who received $10,678.00 of free engineering and surveying services from Gewalt Hamilton courtesy of the VBH taxpayers. (I was informed by VBH as part of a FOIA request that these services were part of a Google mapping project. Funny thing is, on follow-up FOIA request, VBH under the watchful eye of the Silent One et al answered that this parcel was the only one in VBH which was being mapped by Google);
(6) Never disclosed to VBH residents that Sears was suing VBH for 18 Million Dollars for in what amounted to be “spite litigation” by VBH (which I will explain fully on a later Blog comment) which if not settled by VBH Pres. McLaughlin within 8 months of his taking office could have bankrupted VBH. (Citizens for Stieper discovered this information through a routine court record search of pending lawsuits involving VBH and divulged this information to Village residents during the election and on PBH);
(7) VBH expenditure of approximately 2 Million Dollars in legal fees on the Sears lawsuit. In order to keep South Barrington in the lawsuit, VBH agreed to pay South Barrington’s portion of legal fees by having Burke-Warren perform all of the substantive legal work on the case at VBH taxpayer expense which ostensibly benefited both municipalities;
(8) Never disclosing to VBH residents that a portion of taxpayer funds budgeted for VBH roads on 10 year road plan were being used to pay VBH legal fee overruns;
(9) A member of VBH BOT who allowed VBH reserve funds on hand to be reduced from in excess of 4 Million Dollars to less than 1 Million Dollars. (Through McLaughlin, Konicek and Unite Barrington Hills Board members, VBH reserves have been increased to the 4 Million Dollar level through less taxation of VBH residents)
(10) A member of VBH BOT who allowed record loss of VBH land via lost disconnection lawsuits (one of which was the parcel along route 72 on VBH’s Southern border with current proposed development of 1000 homes under the jurisdiction of Hoffman Estates but in District 220 and VBH Park District) rather than engaging in common sense transitional zoning strategies (“Feathering”) which the owner of this tract of land was willing to discuss at the time;
(11) Voted against our military veterans in her non-support of Barrington Honor Ride annual charity on VBH roads as being too invasive to VBH’s peace and tranquility but supported the 2000 attendees at Oakwood annual Farm Polo event;
(12) Failed to adhere to VBH Code on staggered appointments of ZBA, Plan Commission and other commission members which ultimately paved the way for President McLaughlin to make 38 new appointments and re-engage the staggered appointment formula;
(13) Allowed annual pension contribution to almost double during her tenure without any discussion or proposed solutions like bonding over annual contributions through record low interest rates like many municipalities have done which would have saved VBH taxpayers millions of dollars in future contributions over time;
(14) Never demanded that open contract bidding process be instituted by VBH when it came to vendor contracts like insurance, engineering, legal services, grounds and even 911 system.
(15) Approved of Village Ex-President compensating Attorney James Kelly (Kelly was attorney for Ex-Presidents Campaign Committee when he ran for Village office) as his “Special Counsel”, costing the Village hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary expense.
By experience does Daily Herald mean prior participation and support of “Waste”, “Mismanagement” and Corruption” of recent years in VBH government. The reality is, the Silent One is such a flawed candidate that even current SOS candidate running for Village President and his two SOS slate of trustees would not allow the Silent One to join them.
VBH Residents must again reject former Village President in this election by rejecting the Silent One. We owe it not only to the “rule of law” but also our “pocket books”. In my informed opinion, neither former Village President nor the Silent One should ever hold public office again where decisions on levying and expenditure of taxpayer funds are involved or the ethics of decisions on matters need to be considered.
All this woman cares about is her ability to help her horsey club and herself!