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Barrington Hills Park District (RCBH) “Efficiency Act” & Board Meeting tonight

Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, Big Brother, BraveHearts, Cell Towers, Clown Car, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Elections, Financial Statements, FPDCC, FRVPC, FUBAR, Fundraisers, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Disconnection, Lighting Ordinance, Mad Cows, Mówimy po polsku, Open Meetings Act, Perjury, Politics, Privacy, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, Taxes, The Other Half, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD, Well Water Quality, Your Barrington Hills on October 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District/Riding Club of Barrington Hills will be holding an Efficiency Act Meeting beginning at  6:00 PM followed by the Park Board Meeting (though only one agenda is posted?). Some topics on their agenda include:

  • Efficiency Report Review (not posted)
  • Approval of the September 2024 Park Board Meeting Minutes (not posted)
  • Approval of the September 2024 Park District Financials (not posted)
  • Advisory Committee Report (not posted)
  • Winter Indoor Riding Schedule (not posted)
  • Security Considerations for the Riding Center, IAPD Grant (not posted)
  • Project Requests* (not posted)
  • Administrator’s Report (you guessed it, not posted)

A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.

* “The Barrington Hills Park District is taking requests”

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Village Board of Trustees meet tonight

Posted in Agendas, Aunt Fat Ass, BACOG, Clown Car, Conflict of interest, Dumb and Dumber, Elections, ePacket Agendas, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Mac's Property Management, Minutes, Open Meetings Act, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Roads & Bridges Committee, The Chicago Way, Topics Of Interest, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village Government, Village President, Village Treasurer, Yabba Dabba Doo, Zoning Board on September 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

A copy of their agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

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Special Roads & Bridges Committee meeting today

Posted in Agenda, Audio Recordings, Aunt Fat Ass, Clown Car, Dumb and Dumber, Ethics, New Normal?, Politics, Roads & Bridges Committee, The Chicago Way, Transparency, Village Board, Village Engineer, Village Government, Village President, Village Treasurer on September 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The Roads & Bridges Committee will meet (publicly) today at 4:00 PM. Topics on their “agenda” include:

  • Snow Plowing Program Bid Results
  • Road Program 2024 Review
  • Road Program 2025 Discussion

A copy of the “agenda” can be viewed here. However, it is sorely lacking information, namely the, “Snow Plowing Program Bid Results,” as there ARE NO RESULTS disclosed.

Many in our community mistrust the Roads & Bridges Committee, and for good reason given their repeated lack of transparency as the case here. It is disheartening to witness how much the Cecola Administration seemingly has adopted, “The Chicago Way,” of doing business in less than four years.

Related: “A matter of trust,” “What message is the Cecola administration sending residents?,” “The most viewed stories of 2022”

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Detroit and Chicago: Trading places

Posted in Clown Car, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Politics, Preckwinkle's Rules of Order, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Taxes, Unions, Wirepoints on September 16, 2024| Leave a Comment »

By Ted Dabrowski | Wirepoints

Back in March there was good news for Detroit that was bad news of sorts for Chicago, but it seems the entire Illinois media missed it. They may want to finally take notice of that moment now that both the city of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools are once again struggling with potential billion dollar deficits.

The good news in March was that Detroit’s credit rating was upgraded two notches by Moody’s, finally returning the city to investment grade after more than a decade in bankruptcy. Detroit could cheer – it had finally gotten rid of its junk-rated status. For years, the Motor City had the worst credit rating among the nation’s biggest cities.

In getting its upgrade, however, Detroit jumped over Chicago, leaving the Windy City with the embarrassing title as the worst-rated major city in America. Chicago had pulled out of its own junk rating in Nov. 2022 thanks to the benefit of all the federal covid aid, but only a few months later Detroit leapfrogged Chicago.

Detroit’s upgrade is the latest example of how Chicago and Detroit appear to be trading places. Detroit has come a long way since its bankruptcy restructuring, now with a good vibe as a resurgence in its downtown has taken hold.

Dan Gilbert is reported to have put in $2.5 billion into the city and is now building Detroit’s second-tallest skyscraper. Ford is spending more than $900 million to redevelop Michigan Central, the abandoned rail station. Developer Stephen Ross is investing in a $1.5 billion downtown development. It’s going so well that Detroit’s showing it’s possible to reverse the real-estate doom loop.

What perhaps best encapsulates the turn around is that for the first time in 66 years, Detroit grew in population, according to Census estimates for 2023.

Going in the opposite direction is Chicago, stuck with a growing budget mess, already-high taxes, a massive debt burden and a shrinking population – all presided over by an unprofessional class of activists and operators more interested in equity and grievance politics that’s eroding Chicago’s world class status.

The city budget is short some $200 million for 2024 – Chicago has spent more than $350 million on illegal immigrants – and Mayor Brandon Johnson expects a shortfall of $982 million in 2025. Johnson has no real plan for how to cover those deficits and will likely have to resort to property tax hikes – breaking his original promise to avoid raising those taxes. That in turn could spur more flight from a city already struggling with people and business departures.

Chicago Public Schools – a separate government entity from the city – is in an even more dire position. It projects a $1 billion deficit for next year and is already junk rated by Moody’s.

CPS is funded largely by property taxes, so if it wants more money, it too will want its own tax hikes. The district, despite spending more than $30,000 per student, has been bleeding students, with enrollment collapsing by more than 110,000 since 2000 – about a 25% drop. Just 1 in 4 CPS students could read at grade level in 2023. In math, it was just 1 in 5.

Read more here.

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Shampoo bottles, telehealth, property taxes in over 275 new Illinois laws

Posted in Clown Car, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Going green, Illinois Policy Institute, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Topics Of Interest, Unions on September 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed over 275 bills into law recently. Here is what you need to know about changes to taxes, hotel shampoo, light bulbs and virtual health care.

By Joe Tabor | Illinois Policy Institute

llinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker just signed over 275 bills into law on subjects ranging from occupational licensing to taxes to hotel shampoo bottles.

Here’s what you should know about some of the bills signed into law during August.

Taxes

Pritzker signed a bill that would eliminate the grocery tax, two property tax bills that fail to promise real relief and one bill that expands sales taxes to out-of-state business shipping products to Illinois.

House Bill 3144 ends the statewide 1% grocery tax, joining the 37 states that do not impose a tax on groceries. However, municipalities will be able to impose a local grocery tax by ordinance without first asking voters. Some cities are already doing so.

Senate Bill 2936 would allow municipal governments to reduce property taxes for newly remodeled single-family residences up to the value of the alteration.

Senate Bill 3455 commissions the Illinois Department of Revenue to study the entire property tax system in the state, including a comprehensive review of assessments, collections, exemptions and the tax levies themselves.

Neither SB 2936 nor SB 3455 would actually reduce the overall property tax burden. Neither deals with the No. 1 driver of property taxes: overpromised public pensions.

Senate Bill 3362 expands the reach of local retail taxes by requiring businesses outside of Illinois that ship tangible personal property to customers in Illinois to collect the local sales tax in addition to the state tax.

Employment

Pritzker signed two bills addressing jobs programs in the state.

Senate Bill 2907 requires the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to publish a report on all state and federally funded job training and workforce development programs to “identify successful programs, areas for improvement, and potential areas of duplication or overlap in order to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of State and federally funded job training and workforce development efforts.”

Senate Bill 3155 gives DCEO discretion not to require businesses that failed to maintain the minimum employment numbers from March 2020 to the beginning of 2024 to repay tax credits. This bill is likely meant to allow some latitude to employers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but giving the final decision to DCEO means the department will be picking the winners and losers.

Read more here.

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Festivals Sept. 13-19: The Hills Are Alive Fall Fest, West Dundee Heritage Fest, Des Plaines Fall Fest and more

Posted in Clown Car, Elections, Entertainment, Politics, Resident Spotlights, Topics Of Interest on September 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »

West Dundee’s Heritage Fest features a variety of food and drinks Friday through Sunday, Sept. 13-15. | Courtesy of the Village of West Dundee

Friday, Sept. 13

Heritage Fest: 6-11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, in downtown West Dundee. Annual festival with fireworks show at 8 p.m. Friday; Dundee Lions 5K and 1.75-mile walk at 8 a.m. Saturday; arts and crafts fair from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; car show from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; business expo; and community breakfast from 8-11 a.m. Sunday. Music from One of the Boyzz at 6:30 p.m. and ARRA at 9 p.m. Friday; Dundee Scottish Pipe Band at 10 a.m., Doc Diamond at noon, Bishop Super Band at 1:30 p.m., Brandon Reisdorf Quartet at 3 p.m., Controlled Burn at 4:30 p.m., Chris Moreno Band at 6:30 p.m., and Modern Day Romeos at 9 p.m. Saturday; and Starlites from 8-10 a.m., Crossover from 10-11 a.m., and The Lennys! from 3-5 p.m. Sunday. Free. wdundeeheritagefest.org.

Alzheimer’s Fundraising Pancake Breakfast: 8-10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at Rakow Center’s Adult Activities Center, 665 Barrington Ave., Carpentersville. In honor of World Alzheimer’s Day Sept. 21, the park district is partnering with the Carpentersville Police Department and the Carpentersville Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 4790 for a pancake breakfast, with all proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Association. All-you-can-eat break­fast with pancakes, sausage and refreshments. $5 (cash only). dtpd.org.

La Fiesta de Elgin: 3-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, in downtown Elgin, and 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Festival Park, 132 S. Grove Ave., Elgin. A Mexican Independence Day celebration brings together community partners including the Gail Borden Public Library, Centro de Informaçion, Elgin Hispanic Network and Friends of the Masons. On Friday, events include cultural performances, a car show and a retail vendor market. Saturday features the return of the Hispanic Heritage caravan at noon, interactive props, food and drink vendors, and fireworks, as well as live music from DJ Eddy-P, Banda Peñasco de Zacatecas, Los Sementales de Nuevo Leon, La Potencia de La Musica Norteña and Banda La Sinaloense. elginil.gov/2525/La-Fiesta-de-Elgin.

The Des Plaines Fall Fest features rides and more Friday through Sunday, Sept. 13-15, at Lake Park in Des Plaines. | Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com, 2021

Des Plaines Fall Fest: 6-11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14; and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at Lake Park, 2200 Lee St., Des Plaines. Live music, carnival rides and games, family entertainment, KidsZone from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and History Center Tent from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Car show on Sunday in the Lakeview Center parking lot, 1177 Howard Ave. Free. fallfestdesplaines.com.

Fridays Rock! and Roll in the Meadows: 6-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at Kimball Hill Park, 3266 Kirchoff Road, Rolling Meadows. Performance by The All My Brothers Band and Mike & Joe. Free. cityrm.org.

Star Party: 6-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at Pleasant Valley Conservation Area, 13119 Pleasant Valley Road, Woodstock. Northwest Suburban Astronomers point out highlights in the night sky as they aim their telescopes at globular and open star clusters in the Milky Way, as well as at planetary nebulae and the Andromeda Galaxy. nsaclub.org.

Saturday, Sept. 14

Kiwanis Kite Fly: 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Margreth Riemer Reservoir Park, 745 W. Wood St., Palatine. Free kites for the first 200 kids, who must be present to receive a kite. Sponsored by the Palatine Kiwanis Club. Free. palatineparks.org/event/kiwanis-kite-fly.

Kids can ride on a barrel train during Fall on the Farm at Lambs Farm in Libertyville on Saturday, Sept. 14. | Courtesy of Lambs Farm

Fall on the Farm: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Lambs Farm, 14245 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville. Family-friendly event with barrel train rides, rope making and touch-a-tractor, a live remote with 102.3 Free Country’s Hannah B, festive crafts, games, autumn sweets and more. $8 for adults, $15 for kids. lambsfarm.org/.

Happy Times Pumpkinfest at Didier Farms: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays, from Saturday, Sept. 14, to Sunday, Oct. 27, at Didier Farms, 16678 Aptakisic Road, Lincolnshire. Family activities and attractions for all ages, including amusement rides, shows, fall merchandise, pumpkin sales, and fall treats such as apple cider doughnuts, fudge and more. Free entry; rides/attractions ticketed. happytimespumpkinfest.com.

Touch-A-Truck: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Pioneer Park, 500 S. Fernandez Ave., Arlington Heights. Kids can interact with vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Sensory-friendly from 10-10:45 a.m., with no lights or horns. Free. ahpd.org.

Worldwide Day of Play: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Century Park Pavilion, 1400 Indianwood Drive, Vernon Hills. A day of play featuring backyard games and contests. Free. vhparkdistrict.org.

Ikebana Exhibition: Noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Burnstein Hall, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. The Sogetsu School of Illinois show features 50 Ikebana (Japanese floral arrangements) on display. $12.95-$20.95. chicagobotanic.org.

Yappy Hour: 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Bridges Beer Garden, 1400 Poplar Creek Drive, Hoffman Estates. Therapy dogs, mini horses, raffles and more. Benefits Soul Harbour Ranch. Free. heparks.org/event/yappy-hour.

Hops & Props: 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Schaumburg Regional Airport, 905 W. Irving Park Road, Schaumburg. Vintage aircraft, live music, food trucks, and vendors selling beer, wine and nonalcoholic beverages will be in the Schaumburg Airport hangar and ramp. 21 and older. Free admission. villageofschaumburg.com.

Rock the Block: 5-11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, on Main Street in Lake Zurich. Annual block party with music, food and activities. Free. lakezurich.org.

15th Annual Bourbon & Beer Fest: 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at The Vine, 101 Center St., Grayslake. Live bands, food vendors, cigars, and over 20 breweries with more than 40 beers and 80 types of whiskeys to try. VIP entry is at 6 p.m.; general admission is at 7 p.m. $50, $80 for VIP, $25 for designated driver. beerfests.com.

Sunday, Sept. 15

Barrington Hills’ The Hills Are Alive Fall Heritage Fest: Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at Barrington Hills Park District Riding Center, 361 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills. Food, drinks, attractions, live music and more. Rain or shine. Free admission. barringtonhills-il.gov/fall-fest.

Señorita Mariposa Story Walk: 9 a.m. to sunset daily from Sunday, Sept. 15, to Oct. 31, at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. A family-friendly outdoor exhibition featuring the Spanish-English bilingual book by Mister G. on the migration of a monarch butterfly from Canada to Mexico. The book’s illustrated pages will be displayed on large-scale panels along Meadow Lake Trail. $12-$17. mortonarb.org.

Fall Caboose Days: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Fox River Trolley Museum, off Route 31, South Elgin. Ride with the conductor in the Big Red Caboose or with the engineer in the locomotive. $5-$8. foxtrolley.org.

Summer Concerts at Phil’s Beach: 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at Phil’s Beach, 328 N. Main St., Wauconda. Better With Bacon will perform. Free. waucondaparks.com.

Mexican Independence Day Celebration: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, in historic Woodstock Square, 121 W. Van Buren St., Woodstock. Hispanic Connections hosts its eighth annual event with music, dance and food. Free. woodstockilchamber.com.

Monday, Sept. 16

Motor Monday Cruise Night: 5 p.m. to dusk Monday, Sept. 16, at The Depot, 319 N. River St., East Dundee. The village and Midwest Racing Preservation Association host cars of all different makes and models. Free. eastdundee.net.

Fall Color Festival: 9 a.m. to sunset daily from Monday, Sept. 16, to Oct. 29 at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Themed events throughout the fall. $12-$17. mortonarb.org.

Tuesday, Sept. 17

Wauconda Cruise Nights: 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Route 176 and West Mill Street, Wauconda. Cars on display and family-friendly activities. Free to cruisers and spectators. waucondacruisenight.com.

Wednesday, Sept. 18

Car Fun on 21: 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, on Church and Cook streets, Libertyville. Classic car show featuring cars, trucks and motorcycles 25 years and older, music and food from Rosati’s Pizza. mainstreetlibertyville.org.

Thursday, Sept. 19

The Hanover Township Fall Food Truck Festival runs from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, in Bartlett. | Courtesy of Hanover Township

Hanover Township Fall Food Truck Festival: 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at Hanover Township, 250 S. Route 59, Bartlett. Food, live music, beverage tent and carnival games. Free admission and parking. fallfoodtruckfest.com.

Movie in the Park: 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at Meineke Park, 220 E. Weathersfield Way, Schaumburg. Watch “Hocus Pocus” on the lawn. Bring a blanket or chair. Popcorn and snacks for purchase. Free. parkfun.com.

Find more here.

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Barrington Hills Park District Board (RCBH) meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barbarian Migrants in Busses at the Gate, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Brother, Clown Car, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Elections, Entertainment, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, SOS Party, Taxes, Transparency, Unions on September 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Club of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 7:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:

  • Efficiency Report Review
  • Advisory Committee Report
  • Administrator’s Report (Insurance Statement of Values, Tractor Service Charge, Video cameras and IAPD Grant, Advisory Committee Members Compliance with Open Meetings Act)

A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.

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August Board of Trustees meeting recording released

Posted in Animal Welfare, Audio Recordings, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Building Department, Clown Car, Conflict of interest, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Goat Rodeo, Land Use, OMA, One Barrington Hills, Open Meetings Act, Organizations, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, Riding Club Commission, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Taxes, TMI, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village Government, Village President, Village Treasurer, Zoning Board on September 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The recording of the August 26th Board of Trustees meeting has been released. The link can be found here.

Public comments begin at the 9:50-minute mark. Village Board comments and vote begin at the 1:01:35-minute mark on topic of, “Agritourism as a Special Use.”

Related: “Village Board votes down ‘Agritourism as a Special Use’,” “Village Board of Trustees meet Monday,” “Sitting ducks,” “Special Zoning Board of Appeals meeting scheduled Tuesday”

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Cheif?

Posted in Clown Car, Dumb and Dumber, Mad Cows, Mówimy po polsku, One Barrington Hills, OP/Ed, Politics, Public Safety, SNAFU, VBHPD, Village Board, Village Government, Village President, WTF, Yabba Dabba Doo on August 28, 2024| 2 Comments »

All one must do is read Trustee (and sadly, Pro Tem) David Riff’s comment in this Facebook post to grasp why he and President Cecola get along just like peas and carrots.

Source

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Village Board votes down “Agritourism as a Special Use”

Posted in Board of Elections, Building Department, Clown Car, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Land Use, Mad Cows, OMA, Open Meetings Act, Plan Commission, Police Reports, Politics, Property Taxes, Roads & Bridges Committee, Special Use Permits, Topics Of Interest, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Engineer, Village Government, Village President, Village Treasurer, Zoning Board on August 27, 2024| 8 Comments »

Attendees of last night’s Board of Trustees were treated to a very rare experience: all seven (7) members of the current Barrington Hills Board of Trustees were in attendance up close and personal.  The last time a sighting like this occurred was the May 8, 2023, BOT meeting to certify results of the April 4, 2023 Consolidated Election (a photo of the event captured above).

Last night, the board unanimously voted to approve Kyle Murphy as the next Chief of Police for the Village of Barrington Hills. The board also voted 6-0 against a proposed ordinance amendment to a allow Agritourism as a special use. President Cecola did not cast a vote.

Recordings of the meeting will be posted when they become available.

Related: “Village Board of Trustees meet Monday,” “Sitting ducks,” “Special Zoning Board of Appeals meeting scheduled Tuesday”

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