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Archive for the ‘Guest Essay’ Category

Jewel Park residents share their concerns regarding the U.S. Route 14/CN Underpass project

Posted in 220, BACOG, Barrington Area Library, Bicyclists, EJ&E/Canadian National, Going green, Guest Essay, IDOT, Land Use, OP/Ed, Organizations, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Road construction, School Districts, Topics Of Interest, TRAC, Traffic, Transparency, Unions on March 1, 2024| 2 Comments »

As you may have seen in the recent News You Can Use communication from the Village of Barrington (seen here) the U.S. Route 14/CN Underpass project is expected to begin this spring.

The Village plans to begin clear-cutting approximately 10 acres of old-growth trees on 8 empty lots in the Jewel Park subdivision as well as along Route 14, Lake Zurich Rd., and next to the Barrington Area Library. The Village has marked the areas where the old-growth trees will be removed with orange stakes and orange tree bands.

A group of concerned Jewel Park residents has been actively discussing the project with the Village of Barrington, IDOT, and Civil Tech over the last several years.

We met with the Village again on Friday, February 9th to discuss the start of the project. We raised additional questions/concerns about the status on funding, realistic start and completion dates, safety issues, and early removal of old-growth trees.

Our focus has been to confirm that all funding sources listed in the following website are in place and available. In addition, the Contractors have been selected and have agreed to the cost and timeline estimates, and the project is completed in the quickest, safest, and most efficient manner with the least amount of disruption to Jewel Park and the surrounding areas.

Please note the excerpt from the February 2020 Village of Barrington newsletter below which projected the project would be completed in 2024.

“4. And Finally – The Route 14 Underpass Of course the biggest traffic-reduction project of all is now moving forward with the recent award of $48 million for the Route 14 underpass near Lake Zurich Road. The underpass will have the largest impact on traffic and safety in our community by providing a free-flowing, train-free passage around town once it is complete in approximately 2024. Phase II engineering work is being coordinated, with the construction phase expected to begin as early as fall 2022. You’ll undoubtedly be hearing more about this important project in the months to come.”

In our meeting we raised several questions/concerns and learned additional information which we have highlighted below:

  • What is the status on all the funding sources? (See the funding sources listed on Barrington’s website: https://www.barrington-il.gov/underpass). The Village informed us during the meeting that the Surface Transportation Program (STP) for $48,000,000 is set to expire in April 2024. An extension will need to be granted before April 2024 and is currently an open item and is yet to be confirmed. The STP has allocated $2,000,000 to the project in 2024.
  • The Shared Surface Transportation Grant Program is funded by the Highway Trust Fund which has been running at a deficit since 2008 and is currently funded through the Treasury’s general fund due to funding shortfalls. A Congressional subcommittee is studying how the Highway Trust Fund will be funded after the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act expires in 2026.
  • The “Letting” process to select a General Contractor has been delayed for the 4th time in the last year and is projected to start June 14, 2024. The “Letting” process typically takes 90 days to complete and could be impacted by the competitive environment for Contractors due to the large number of Illinois construction projects.
  • A new Culvert must be built under Route 59 before Flint Creek can be moved and a temporary Route 14 detour can be built in Jewel Park and around the curve to the Library.
  • In addition, a temporary Shoo Fly Rail Track must also be built with crossings before the temporary Route 14 can be built. The Village informed us that the CN has not provided any information on when they will begin construction of the temporary Shoo Fly Rail Track.
  • The Village informed us that Commonwealth Edison will temporarily relocate utilities to run along Elm Rd and will move them back along Route 14 once the project is complete. They also stated that the utilities will need to be moved in 2024 to prepare for the project.
  • The Village has stated the current estimated completion time for the project is 18-24 months. There is a very similar underpass project in Washougal, Washington which is also building an underpass under the CN railroad track crossing which averages 45 trains per day. The project is significantly less complex than the Route 14 Underpass, estimated to cost $50,000,000 and the construction timeline estimate is 36-54 months.
  • The residents of Jewel Park have raised several questions regarding the project which we have listed below:
    • When will the Surface Transportation Grant be extended and will there be enough funding for the project long-term based on funding for the US Highway Trust Fund is set to expire in 2026?
    • Will the “Letting “ process be delayed again and will a General Contractor agree to the estimated project cost and timeline?
    • When will actual construction work begin -10/2024 or later?
    • If a significant amount of work needs to be completed on a Route 59 culvert to move Flint Creek and CN Shoo Fly Rail Track before Route 14 can be moved why start tree removal in 3/2024?
    • Why do utilities need to be moved in 2024 if the earliest that construction will start on a temporary Route 14 will be in 2025?
    • Why would the Washougal, Washington project take 18-30 months longer than the Route 14 Underpass?

In summary, we wanted to be sure that you were aware of the Village of Barrington’s current plans, the status of the funding and “Letting“ process, etc., and the fact that the tree removal process has been moved to before a General Contractor is selected. As a result, the residents of Jewel Park and others in Barrington have requested that the Village delay the removal of the old-growth trees until a Contractor is confirmed and ready to move forward, funding is 100% certain and the pre-construction work is ready to begin on the project.

Concerned Residents of Jewel Park

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Jim Nowlan: It is true. There are people who don’t want to work anymore

Posted in Guest Essay, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on November 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

help-wanted-sign

By Jim Nowlan | Chicago Tribune

The new Dollar General store in my rural Illinois hometown couldn’t open for the longest time because it couldn’t find workers. Apples rotted on the ground at Arends Orchard nearby because the 50-year proprietor couldn’t find help — for the first time in his long history of providing apples and cider to our area.

How many times have you heard this lament from small business owners? “People just don’t want to work anymore.”

Labor force participation as a percentage of possible workers has been trending down in recent decades. One factor out of several possible explanations for workforce reduction? Among the able-bodied in my childhood post-World War II, work was required to eat. Today, it isn’t. Many people, young and not so, have apparently developed lifestyles that support them adequately — to their minds anyway — with no, or minimal, work “on the books,” that is, in a regular job.

I am fascinated, for example, by a family that lives on the edge of my hometown. For at least two decades, the nine members of this “family” have been existing largely to play video games, it seems, and laze around the two-bedroom ranch home that is deteriorating around them, not so slowly. One of the three men in this family has fathered three children by three mothers, some of whom live in the home.

(This account is based on an interview with the father of the 50-ish “patriarch” of the family. My source lets his son and clan live there rent-free, though his patience has reached its end. The source lives elsewhere. Two social worker friends in the area tell me this type of family is far from unique in rural Illinois.)

How does the family support itself? Two of the women are certified nursing assistants and work a few hours a month each at nursing homes. Two of the men are skilled at digital technology. Infrequently, they work off the books, repairing computers. The two seemingly able-bodied men are also on disability, for mental health and physical reasons, respectively.

Read more here.

Jim Nowlan is a former Illinois legislator, state agency director, professor and newspaper columnist. He is co-author, with Melissa Mouritsen and Kent Redfield, of a new edition of “Illinois Politics: A Citizen’s Guide to Power, Politics, and Government” to be released by University of Illinois Press in early 2024.

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Why the South Barrington Park District has halted land sale to church, (Part 2)

Posted in Barrington United Methodist Church, Deception, Guest Essay, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Organizations, Politics, Real Estate, South Barrington on August 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

SD Aug 30

South Barrington resident Ashley Hosette voices her opposition Wednesday to a proposed land deal awaiting approval by the South Barrington Park District board. (Russell Lissau | Staff Photographer)

By Russell Lissau – Daily Herald

The South Barrington Park District’s sale of undeveloped land to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has been halted amid community opposition and legal action.

About 40 protesters, including some kids, waved signs and repeated chants including “Stop the sale” and “No PBCC” for a TV news helicopter that briefly hovered far overhead and for journalists on the ground. Their enthusiasm waned after the cameras left but returned shortly before the board meeting started.

The land deal wasn’t on the agenda, but officials moved the session to a gymnasium in anticipation of a large crowd.

About 100 people comprised the audience, and a dozen or so stood before the board to talk against the plan near the start of the meeting. Speakers included Michael Gentile, who complained about a lack of transparency, and Ashley Hosette, who said she was “extremely disappointed” by how the pending deal unfolded.

Before they spoke, the board approved a motion from Commissioner Shelby Elias to prevent any board discussion on items brought up by the audience. Elias cited the pending legal action for her maneuver.

Later, the board went into closed session to discuss unspecified litigation.

South Barrington voters in April approved a plan to sell the site at auction — but the buyer wasn’t determined at that time. When the auction was held in May, the church was the only bidder.

Read the full Daily Herald story here.

Related: “Why South Barrington Park District has halted land sale to church,” “South Barrington Park District proposed property sale updates include request for support,” “Hearing on controversial church plan canceled in South Barrington, but opponents still have their say,” “Why some South Barrington residents oppose plan for new church, school,”  “Nearby South Barrington Park District property sale concerns neighbors”

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South Barrington Park District proposed property sale updates include request for support

Posted in Barrington United Methodist Church, Deception, Ethics, Guest Essay, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Politics, Real Estate, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest on August 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

image0 (1)

“Update on sale of 34 acre land, Area N at 59 & Penny: https://www.change.org/p/development-on-bartlett-road-and-route-59 (https://www.change.org/p/development-on-bartlett-road-and-route-59)

One day before a scheduled SBPD (South Barrington Park District) meeting where concerned residents would have had a chance to voice their opposition to the sale, the SBPD tried to close on the sale of the land with the PBCC TODAY at 2pm.

Official complaints have been filed with the Cook County Circuit Court which has STOPPED the sale for now.

We need your help to keep up the momentum.

Rally to oppose the sale will be held: 3 Tennis Club Lane on WEDS 8/30 at 5pm onwards

ABC 7 Chicago will be filming so we need a HUGE turnout!  Spread the word!”

Related: “Hearing on controversial church plan canceled in South Barrington, but opponents still have their say,” “Why some South Barrington residents oppose plan for new church, school,”  “Nearby South Barrington Park District property sale concerns neighbors”

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Nearby South Barrington Park District property sale concerns neighbors

Posted in Barrington United Methodist Church, Guest Essay, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Politics, Property Taxes, South Barrington, Topics Of Interest on August 4, 2023| 3 Comments »

sb-auction

Dear Barrington Hills Observer Editor,

In response to a previous article in this publication from 2020, we would like to provide an update to the public regarding the sale of Parcel N located on the corner of Bartlett Road and IL 59, by the South Barrington Park District . Considering the proximity to Barrington Hills, we would like to urge the residents of Barrington Hills for their involvement in stopping the sale of this beautiful land to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

Based on our attendance at Village of South Barrington board meetings and South Barrington Park District Meetings, we have the following information:

A) The South Barrington Park District district used taxpayer money to purchase this land for $3M and are now selling it at a loss for $1.75 million. This is a mishandling of our contributions and the original poor purchase decision has resulted in a lack of maintenance and upkeep for our community parks and facilities in addition to a lack of regard for the greater South Barrington communities.

B) The village’s comprehensive plan, dated April 2023, has this area currently designated for parks and future use for single family detached homes. However, the Village is attempting to re-zone the area in an unconstitutional fashion which is not how our elected officials should be upholding municipal code.

C) The proposed buyer (Plymouth Brethren Christian Church) is proposing to build a 17,000 sq ft Church, 20,000 sq ft School, and a parking lot for 281 cars. They will have a pre-school as a part of this school as well as yearly national events held in both facilities.

D) The proposed buyer (Plymouth Brethren Christian Church) does not have members from its congregation residing in the South Barrington or Barrington area, yet they are trying to purchase 32 acres of our community land to build a massive parking lot and a facility that won’t be of any significance to our community. They would also not be paying taxes towards the betterment of our community – any additional police presence, emergency services, etc would be paid for by the citizens of South Barrington.

E) The buyer in question is being asked to leave from their current establishment and location. Historical data and media on the group alludes to issues within this group that we do not want to integrate within our South Barrington or even extended Barrington and Barrington Hills communities.

F) The proposed buyer is also proposing one access point into the residential neighborhood that is located adjacent to Area N

Area N (1)

Exhibit 1: Area/Parcel N (corner of Bartlett Rd and IL Route 59

Church Map

Exhibit 2: Proposed land development by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church

Our goal as a community is not to litigate this matter. However, depending on how this matter continues to develop, we will be forced to pursue legal remedies. This has the potential to delay the matter for a significant amount of time and will not be beneficial for any party.

We urge everyone to do their own research. We included a couple links below to assist the research process. The final public hearing on this matter is being held on August 17, 2023 at the South Barrington Village Hall. If there are further questions, please email us at sbarringtonresidents@gmail.com.

Plymouth Brethren Christian Church Wiki

Plymouth Brethren Christian Church Documentary

Please email us with any questions. In the meantime, please sign our petition against this development.

Sincerely,

Concerned South Barrington Residents

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Illinois needs a business climate change

Posted in Guest Essay, Politics, Resident Spotlights, Springfield, Unions on May 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

MM State House

Martin McLaughlin, 52nd House District State Representative

By State Rep. Martin McLaughlin
Daily Herald guest columnist

Illinois may be located in the Midwest, but it is home to a surprising and alarming number of deserts. At least that is what the Democrats like to tell us.

Healthcare deserts. Housing deserts. Education deserts. Food deserts. Hospital deserts. Infrastructure deserts. Pharmacy deserts. Transportation deserts. For every problem facing our state, there is an accompanying “desert” associated with it.

And right on queue, there is a measure (SB 850) being considered in the legislature to allow the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create a Grocery Initiative and to study food deserts in Illinois and provide money to underserved areas. In other words, more government spending

The so-called remedy to these “deserts” is not the cure but is instead the underlying problem. Democrats have had total control of the state for a long time, and at no point has the thought occurred to them that just maybe the aggravating factors contributing to all of these “deserts” is the policies they have implemented. The left loves to talk about systemic problems and yet they ignore the systemic problems their policies have created.

Illinois has “deserts” because there is a climate crisis in our state. No, not global warming. A business climate crisis.

The business climate in our state has been ignored for far too long. The Tax Foundation’s 2023 State Business Tax Climate rankings rank Illinois 36th in the nation for the state’s business tax climate, which is down seven spots from the 2018 rankings.

For those naysayers who point to the fact that this survey should be disregarded because it is from a conservative leaning think tank; consider that Chief Executive Magazine ranks Illinois as the third worst state in the nation for doing business. In other words, the policy wonks at the Tax Foundation have a better view of Illinois’ economy than the people making real world decisions on where to locate a business.

And the facts bear this out. In just the last couple of years, Illinois has lost Caterpillar, Boeing, Citadel, and Tyson just to name a few major corporations no longer headquartered in Illinois.

Our state is located in the center of the United States. Illinois is second only to Texas with the most miles of railroad tracks. Only Texas and California have more miles of Interstate highways than Illinois. We also have access to numerous rivers, and Chicago is home to one of the busiest airports in the nation. Illinois should be a destination for companies not a place these businesses are looking to leave.

These companies are leaving not just because of the bad policies in Illinois but also because our state’s leaders continue to refuse to do anything to address our state’s poor business climate. Business leaders have long pointed out the need for a reduced regulatory environment in Illinois. They have also pointed out the need for workers’ compensation reform and to at a minimum stop making concessions every legislative session to the trial bar.

The message our state’s leaders send to businesses is if you locate here, Illinois is going to regulate you to death, tax every aspect of your business and make it easier for your business to be sued out of existence. And we wonder why businesses leave.

What we need is a real climate change in Illinois. We have the second highest property taxes in the nation, and the second highest gas taxes in the nation. The Kim Foxx, Lori Lightfoot, and JB Pritzker soft-on-crime approach is also taking a toll on our business climate. The combination of poor business policies and the alarming rise in crime is the recipe for economic disaster.

We could stop the growing “deserts” in Illinois if we simply made business climate change a priority. Instead, we are making the problems worse by doubling down on the policies that have created these “deserts” in the first place. More jobs and more economic activity will stop Illinois from becoming Death Valley for Illinois businesses.

It is time for real business climate change in Illinois.

Source

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Parents at top-rated school expose pornographic books in IL school library (DISCRETION ADVISED)

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Barrington High School, Board of Education, Community Alerts, Elections, Ethics, Guest Essay, His Master's Voice, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, Video Recordings, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 7, 2023| 1 Comment »

Barry

“We’ve all heard about woke curriculum. However, the Barrington, IL District 220 is setting the woke bar to a new standard. Graphic sexually explicit content has been placed in the school libraries, and most of the school board is fully on board with it.”

Watch the enlightening and disturbing ten-minute video here.

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Guest columnist Tom Roeser: Don’t overlook problems other than guns

Posted in Guest Essay, OP/Ed on July 10, 2022| 3 Comments »

TR

Tom Roeser

Updated 7/10/2022 8:58 AM

The Daily Herald Editorial Board regularly seeks opinions and reflections on issues we expect to comment on from a Sounding Board formed as a diverse group of independent suburban voices. In the aftermath of the July 4 shootings in Highland Park, we have struggled to find words to respond to unspeakable crimes with the depth and range of ideas such a tragedy demands. So we decided to hold our own voice for a day and instead turn over the editorial space directly to individuals on the Sounding Board. We asked members who felt comfortable doing so to provide in a few sentences their reactions to the mass shooting and offer their ideas about solutions. This is one essay from that project.

After every shooting tragedy, there is a cry for more gun control. Illinois has some of the tightest gun control regulations and red flag laws yet shootings continue.

One might reflect there are other important issues on which one should reflect. Have we taught that there is a reduced sanctity to life?

Abortion is supported up to birth. Madonna said to burn the White House. Our elected officials imply that a Supreme Court Justice might be expendable or to “get more confrontational.” Most video games are based upon gun violence. Should there be more video game regulations? This is teaching that life is not sacred.

Adding to that, there is the discourse that the most generous country in the world, which is viewed as exceptional by most of the world, is called a racist nation by influential celebrities, some of whom say that people should leave.

Does this discourse add to despair that motivates or justifies these tragedies?

Calls for more gun control may be an excuse for not addressing other causes.

Source

Tom Roeser, of Barrington Hills, is president of OTTO Engineering in Carpentersville. He is a former school board member at Barrington Unit District 220 and is active in numerous community projects, including Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.

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Just When You Thought It Couldn’t Get Worse. . .

Posted in Guest Essay, One Barrington Hills, OP/Ed, Politics on May 15, 2022| 1 Comment »

Scranton,,Pa,,Usa,-,August,15,,2016:,Vice,President,Joe

By Greg Ganske

May 15, 2022

Before I retired from reconstructive surgery, I cared for toddlers who bit into electrical cords and burned their lips. Maybe that is why I feel like I am bound in a chair, gagged, arms and legs tied, watching a two-year-old chewing through a plugged-in electrical cord when I watch the nightly news.

I see one Biden disaster after another on TV and feel as if I am helplessly waiting for the next to occur. Just when it seems it can’t get worse, something even more worrisome, and in some cases more absurd, happens on the national and international stage.

It starts with the failing mental acuity of President Biden. A year ago, I wrote a column for the Des Moines Register (Opinion: Joe Biden isn’t the person I knew in Congress. He should get cognitive testing, with the result made public.), on Biden’s failing cognition. Sadly, his gibberish has gotten worse.

Recently President Biden spoke about his administration’s request to Congress for additional Ukrainian aid. The president’s inability to even read his teleprompter causes the White House to alter the official transcripts of his word mishmashes.

Biden said the plan would “enhance our underlying effort to accommodate the Russian oligarchs. . .”   Accommodate! Then a weird laugh, “We’re gonna accommodate them.” Then he couldn’t pronounce kleptocrats, “Klep–the guys who are in the kleptocracies. Ha, ha, ha,” accenting the laughs.

The White House official version substituted “hold accountable” for “accommodate.”   Correcting these gaffes is a full-time job at the White House. Last month in talking about lower gas prices, Biden said solar, or heat pumps could “save you $500 per month.” This, too, had to be cleaned up in the official transcripts as it is false.

We watch President Biden with trepidation wondering when he’s next going to bite into the electrical cord.

Read more here.

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Some observations on tonight’s Appropriations public hearing

Posted in Commercial Horse Boarding, Finance Committee, FOIA, Fox River Valley Hunt, FRVPC, Guest Essay, Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Legal Expenses, Plan Commission, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Village Government on February 22, 2022| 2 Comments »

App Cap

Earlier today we published the agenda (seen here) for tonight’s Board of Trustees meeting.  We included links to both the approved 2021 Appropriations, and the proposed 2022 Appropriations, and a longtime subscriber shared the following:

“Of the total decrease in Legal Expense ($948,937), decrease in Litigation, Planning/Zoning and FOIA expense ($446,000) represents 56.3 % of the total decrease.

Unless one examines the budget items in detail, one might conclude that the current administration is doing a pretty good job of managing the finances of the Village.  That would be an incorrect assumption.  It hides other areas of the budget (such as Permit Administration) where improper management may be concluded.

It should also be noted that much of the huge legal expense incurred in recent years revolves around the desires of one resident to impose a huge commercial horse boarding operation on residents, in effect having residents subsidizing equestrian amenities and lifestyle to non-residents by giving access to the Equestrian Trail System.”

Related: “Village Board of Trustees meets tonight“

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