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Archive for the ‘WTF’ Category

Special Closed Session Meeting of the Barrington Hills Park District Board Monday, June 22nd

Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Brother, Big Red, Cellular Service, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Financial Statements, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Disconnection, Massbach Hounds, Open Meetings Act, Organizations, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, School Districts, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, WTF on June 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold a closed session meeting Monday at 6:00 PM. The sole topic on their agenda is:

  • To discuss the purchase or lease of real property for the use of the public body, including meetings held for the purpose of discussing whether a particular parcel should be acquired pursuant to 2(c)(5) of the Open Meetings Act; and to discuss the setting of a price for sale or lease of property owned by the public body pursuant to 2(c)(6) of the Open Meetings Act

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.

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Village Board once again tests our tolerance for fabrications (BS)

Posted in AI, Clown Car, Data Center, Deception, Ethics, FUBAR, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lennie, Politics, Property Taxes, Village Board, Village Director of Administration, Village Government, Village President, WTF on June 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The following was posted late this afternoon to the Village Facebook page:

“UPDATE: HOFFMAN ESTATES PLUM FARMS REZONING REQUEST

On June 3, 2026, the Hoffman Estates Plan Commission held a public hearing regarding a request to rezone the Plum Farms property from TN Traditional Neighborhood and C-MU Commercial Mixed Use to M-2 Manufacturing. The property is located north of Higgins Road between the Canadian National Railway and New Sutton Road.

President Brian D. Cecola submitted written public comment on behalf of the Village of Barrington Hills, expressing concern that a broad industrial zoning classification at this location would not be appropriate. While no specific development plan was before the Plan Commission, M-2 zoning would allow a range of industrial uses, including, among other uses, a data center. Director of Administration Anna Paul attended the meeting on behalf of the Village.

There were nearly three hours of public testimony; all speakers who provided testimony spoke in opposition to the proposed rezoning. Following public comment and discussion, the Plan Commission voted 2-4 on the recommendation, meaning the motion to recommend approval did not pass.

The Village of Barrington Hills hopes the Hoffman Estates Village Board will accept the Plan Commission’s recommendation and not approve the proposed rezoning to M-2.

The date for Hoffman Estates Village Board consideration of the rezoning request has not yet been determined. At the meeting, Hoffman Estates officials stated that the item was not anticipated to appear on the June 15 agenda. The next regular Village Board meeting after that is scheduled for July 6, with the agenda required to be posted no later than 48 hours before the meeting.

The Village of Barrington Hills will continue to monitor this matter and provide updates as additional information becomes available.

TO READ PRESIDENT CECOLA’S WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT, FOLLOW THE LINK”

We’ll be posting our comments on this “update”  very soon.

Related: “Do you trust our Board of Trustees? We don’t. But you decide for yourself once we have finished. (Follow-up),” “Do you trust our Board of Trustees? We don’t. But you decide for yourself once we have finished. (Part 3),” “Do you trust our Board of Trustees? We don’t. But you decide for yourself once we have finished. (Part 2),” “Do you trust our Board of Trustees? We don’t. But you decide for yourself once we have finished. (Part 1),” “7 things to know about Illinois data centers,” “Data Center group concerned over pause,” “110 Acre AI data center campus pitched to Village Board”

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Noticed a surprise inside your property tax bill?

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, BOHICA, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Illinois Federation of Teachers, OP/Ed, Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, WTF on May 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

In case you missed it and are curious about the increases in the D220 property taxes on your recent tax bills, the Board of Education discussion during the November 18, 2025, Board of Education Meeting provides some insight.

You may recall the 2024 $64 million referendum voted on by residents was widely publicized by District 220 in its “Transform 220” campaign. The District formed a community advisory committee and hosted public information forums to educate voters on what the $64 million bond would fund. They also promoted the initiative across their official website and social media channels, highlighting how the funds would be used.

In contrast, the expenditures quietly voted on by the Board at its December 2, 2025, to issue up to $5.4 million in Working Cash Fund bonds (DSEB), specifically for District capital projects, was barely mentioned prior to the Board’s vote and was done so without any buy in from the taxpayers.

Why weren’t these expenditures included in the November 2024 Referendum? We don’t know, especially since they were previously identified in the failed 2019 Referendum for $185 million in the Blueprint 220 Master Facility Plan.

While the District maintains that the overall 2024 referendum impact is consistent with their total budget projections, individual tax bills have spiked. The May 2026 property tax bills for Barrington CUSD 220 residents reflect the significant cumulative impact of both the $64 million referendum and the $5.4 million DSEB issuance approved by the Board in December 2025.

The full transcript of the November 18, 2025, discussion on DSEB is available here. We will follow up with some additional insight in future reports.

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Legislator presses forward with facial recognition ban even after it helped solve Loyola student murder case in her district

Posted in Crime, CWB Chicago, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb Bunny, Politics, Springfield, Who Cuts Your Hair?, WTF on March 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Jose Medina (Facebook, Dept. of Homeland Security)

By Tim Hecke | CWB Chicago

A bill that would bar Illinois law enforcement agencies from using facial recognition databases to help identify crime suspects is scheduled for a second day of legislative hearings, days after the technology helped Chicago police identify the man accused of murdering a Loyola University freshman in the bill’s sponsor’s own district.

House Bill 5521 is sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who represents the 14th District, which includes Rogers Park. Cassidy introduced the measure last Wednesday, hours before 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed at the Loyola Beach pier. Chicago police have since charged Jose Gregoria Medina Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan citizen, with Gorman’s murder.

An arrest report obtained by CWB Chicago describes how detectives worked to identify Medina as the shooter. Among the investigative steps, an officer wrote that video images of the gunman were sent to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which “returned matching candidate Jose Gregoria Medina Medina.”

If passed, HB5521 would prohibit Illinois law enforcement agencies from obtaining, retaining, possessing, accessing, requesting, using, or entering into agreements with third parties, state or local government agencies, or federal agencies to use certain biometric identification systems, including facial recognition.

It also bars the Secretary of State from providing facial recognition search services except when issuing a mobile driver’s license or identification card. That facial recognition database is the most commonly used within CPD.

On Sunday, CWB Chicago published a report detailing dozens of violent crimes — including murders, robberies, and sex offenses — that Chicago Police Department detectives have solved with the assistance of facial recognition. The technology has proven particularly useful in cases involving the CTA, where offenders are often anonymous, crimes can be random, and the transit system’s high-definition cameras provide broad coverage.

Article continues here.

Related: “Facial recognition helps cops solve some of Chicago’s most heinous crimes. This state legislator wants to shut it down,” “Hundreds of police departments use camera company (seen below) accused of breaking state law”

Automated license plate readers such as this one are installed throughout Barrington Hills.

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Roads & Bridges Committee meets this afternoon

Posted in Aunt Blabby, Deception, ePacket Agendas, Ethics, One Barrington Hills, Open Meetings Act, Overhead, Property Taxes, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Robert’s Rules of Order, Simple Minds, Taxes, Transparency, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village Government, WTF on March 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Village Roads & Bridges Committee meets this afternoon at 4 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • [Vote] Road Program 2026 Recommendation (Left blank)
  • River/Algonquin Road Curve

A copy of the full posted agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

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McLaughlin and Local Mayors to Discuss Pritzker’s Zoning Proposals Coming to Local Government Thursday

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Dinky, Land Use, Lennie, Plan Commission, Politics, Press Release, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, South Barrington, Springfield, Taxes, Village Code, Village President, WTF, Zoning Board on February 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Who: State Representatives Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills), Mayors and Administration from communities of South Barrington, North Barrington, & Lake Barrington (Not Barrington Hills??).

What: This press conference will address Governor Pritzker’s recently proposed efforts to drastically change zoning authority at the municipal level. The Representative and Mayors will discuss how these proposals directly impact the ability of municipalities to govern and plan for your communities.

When: Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 2PM

Where: Village of South Barrington Village Hall | 30 Barrington Rd., South Barrington, IL 60010

With questions, please call Mark Revis at 815-557-0252

Related: “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control”

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“The Architects of AI Are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year” – Time Magazine

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Education, Time Magazine, WTF on December 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Image credit: Scott Stantis / Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency

Read the Time article here.

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Riding Club fenagles private summit with IDOT Route 62 Study officials Tuesday

Posted in Algonquin Rd, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, Big Red, Clown Car, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Equestrian Commission, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Longmeadow Parkway, Massbach Hounds, New Normal?, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, SOS Party, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, Village Engineer, WTF on December 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »

“The CAG is a collection of community representatives and serves as the focal point for the exchange of information between government entities and the local community. The CAG is made up of representatives of diverse community interests, local government officials, community representatives, property owners and residents, and stakeholders with technical expertise. The CAG assists IDOT in making better decisions on transportation related projects that benefit the community and environment. Members are invited based upon who they represent with the goal being an even distribution from each interest area.

The application window for the Community Advisory Group is now closed.

CAG Meeting #6 was held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 from 10am-12pm. Materials from CAG Meeting #6 are available below.

CAG Meeting #6

Exhibits

Presentation

Editorial notes: The reader who was kind enough to forward this tip noted: “Of considerable note are the currently proposed designs for the Bateman Road and Old Sutton Road intersections: non-signalized Right-In/Right-Out with a U-turn, as depicted (below):”

(Click on image to enlarge)

Also, to appease the Riding Clan, IDOT included a graphic of a, “Potential Pedestrian Underpass,” as seen below:

Last, it’s unclear if the current Village Roads & Bridges Chair (A.B.) was invited to the meeting. We highly doubt it (for obvious reasons).

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CUSD 220 proposing 7.32 percent tax levy increase

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Fools and their money, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Hearing, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, WTF on November 3, 2025| 4 Comments »

“I. A public hearing to approve a proposed property tax levy increase  for Barrington Community Unit School District Number 220, Lake, Cook, Kane, and McHenry Counties, Illinois, for 2025 will be held on December 2, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at Barrington CUSD 220’s Administrative enter, 515 West Main Street, Barrington, Illinois 60010.

Any person desiring to appear at the public hearing and present testimony to the taxing district may contact Sarah Lager, Asst. Superintendent of Business Services/CSBO, 515 West Main Street, Barrington, IL 60010, (847) 381-6300.

II. The corporate and special purpose property taxes extended or abated for 2024 were $156,153,482.

The proposed corporate and special purpose property taxes to be levied for 2025 are $163,300,000.  This represents a 4.58 percent increase over the previous year.

III. The property taxes extended for debt service and public building commission leases for 2024 were $9,000,073.

The estimated property taxes to be levied for debt service and public building commission leases for 2025 are $13,948,798. This represents a 54.99 percent increase from the previous year.

IV. The total property taxes extended or abated for 2024 were $165,153,554. The estimated total property taxes to be levied for 2025 are $177,248,798. This represents a 7.32 percent increase over the previous year.”

Source

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Lake in the Hills man found with gun after claiming he fell asleep, crashed Tesla in autopilot into South Barrington police squad

Posted in Accidents, Algonquin Rd, Lake & McHenry County Scanner, South Barrington, VBHPD, WTF on October 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

A South Barrington police squad sustained heavy rear-end damage in a crash at Route 62 and Penny Road on October 15 with a Tesla whose driver | Joseph Fresso, 43, of Lake in the Hills (inset) — claimed his vehicle was on autopilot and he had fallen asleep. Provided Photos

By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner

Police have identified a Lake in the Hills man, who was found with a gun, as the Tesla driver who claimed he fell asleep with his car in autopilot mode when it crashed into a stopped South Barrington squad car, injuring officers.

The Barrington Hills Police Department responded around 10:35 p.m. on October 15 to assist the South Barrington Police Department with a crash involving one of their police squads.

Barrington Hills Police Department Public Information Officer William Walsh said the crash occurred on Route 62 near Penny Road.

An investigation determined that two South Barrington police vehicles were stopped on Route 62 west of Penny Road with their emergency lights activated, Walsh said.

The officers were conducting a traffic investigation in the eastbound right lane.

A 2022 Tesla Model Y was traveling eastbound on Route 62 when it struck the rear of one of the police vehicles, Walsh said.

The impact pushed the squad into the Mack truck that had been stopped by officers.

Joseph Fresso, 43, of Lake in the Hills.

Walsh said the driver of the Tesla, Joseph Fresso, 43, of Lake in the Hills, told officers his vehicle was engaged in self-driving mode.

Fresso said that he had fallen asleep and woke up too late to avoid the crash.

Read more here.

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