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Archive for the ‘Intergovernmental agreements (IGA)’ Category

District 220 Board of Education meets tonight

Posted in 220, Agendas, Animal Welfare, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Clown Car, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Snowflake Effect, The New Normal?, Transparency, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on August 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

CUSD 220 Board members Barry “Dr. No” Altshuler and Leah “Honey Bunny” Collister-Lazzari were found to have violated board policies last month in their 2023 campaigns for their board seats. Earlier this year, the Board also twice determined member Erin Chan Ding violated board policies as a result of her 2025 campaign. Who’s next?

The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • FOIA Reports
  • Personnel Report
  • Consideration to Approve Second Reading of Board Policy: 2:260 Uniform Grievance Procedure
  • Consideration to Approve BSEO Contract
  • Consideration to Approve the Release of Confidentiality of Closed Session Minutes: July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025
  • Consideration to Approve the Destruction of Verbatim Recordings: January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2023
  • Consideration to Approve Terms of IGA for Proposed Village of South Barrington Higgins Corridor TIF District
  • Intentional Use of Technology
  • 2026-27 Tentative Budget
  • First Reading of Board Policy
    • 2:105 Ethics and Gift Ban
    • 8:25 Advertising and Distributing Materials in Schools Provided by Non-School Related Entities
  • Proposed Village of South Barrington Higgins Corridor TIF District

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live streamed on the district YouTube channel.

Related: “District 220 board members violated campaign policies, investigation finds,” “Proposed Policy Change Would Strip Anonymous Formal Grievances in Barrington District 220,” “Reminder: CUSD 220 Board of Education meeting tonight,” “CUSD 220 Board delivers second (slappier) slap on the wrist to member Erin Chan Ding,” “CUSD 220 Board of Education public comments we applaud,” “Special District 220 Board of Education meeting Monday,” “Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job,” “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency” and “Change.org Petition: ‘For the Resignation of Erin Chan Ding ~ D220 Resources are Not for Political Campaigns’”

 

 

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Forest Preserves of Cook County Will Remain Open During Union Strike, Continue Negotiations

Posted in Barrington Hills Park District, Cook, County, Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC, Horizon Farm, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Pension Funding, Politics, Press Release, Taxes, Unions on August 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Forest Preserves of Cook County will remain open and operational during a strike of members of Teamsters Local 700, allowing the public opportunities to continue to enjoy the many amenities the Preserves offers, including trails, picnic groves, nature centers, campgrounds, golf courses, fishing lakes and more. The Forest Preserves has worked to avoid a strike with offers that include a total of 8% in raises over two years and a one-time payment—part of a pattern that would increase the starting salaries of Local 700 members by 33% in just six years.

“All the employees of the Forest Preserves are critical to our success, and that certainly is the case for the members of Local 700. We recognize and appreciate the work they do every day all year long to keep the Preserves a place that is a gem in Cook County. Working within our current and long-term fiscal restrictions, the Forest Preserves has made offers to the union that continue to provide a compensation package that is at and above what is competitive in the labor market. We are confident that we can negotiate with the union to find a solution within our confines,” said General Superintendent Adam Bianchi.

In 2025, the Forest Preserves of Cook County made a fair and reasonable proposal to extend the existing contract between Local 700 and the Forest Preserves for two years: a 2% raise in January 2026, another 2% in July 2026 and a 4% raise in July 2027, plus a $2,500 one-time payment for full-time employees. More recently, after ongoing discussions with union leadership, the Forest Preserves added to its offer, including a paid lunch, which effectively shortens the workday for Local 700 members by half an hour, broader overtime pay rules and a $1,250 one-time payment for seasonal staff.

Six unions at the Forest Preserves have accepted the exact or similar terms as the original offer as a contract extension last year. Other unions, including nearly 50 locals that are in Cook County, also accepted exact or similar pay scales and one-time payment structure.

The Preserves’ offer is the latest step in a steady pattern of increased compensation for the union. In the last five years, Local 700 members at the Forest Preserves have received six raises and three one-time payments. With the offer of three more raises this year and next, the starting salary for a member of Local 700 will have increased fully by a third since June 2021. A person who joined the Preserves in the position of laborer in June 2021 will have their salary jump from $47,278 to $65,045—a 38% increase—and also received payments totaling an additional $6,500.

At the same time, the Forest Preserves can’t increase revenue except by raising fees to the public, cutting services and restoration work, or raising property taxes with a referendum. That means the Preserves must consider the immediate and extended impact of major changes to key expenses such as employee compensation.

During a strike, the Forest Preserves will remain open and any changes in operations will prioritize the health and safety of the public, the ecological health of the lands in our care and minimizing impact to the public. The Forest Preserves will not lock out any employees and members of Local 700 are not prohibited from working throughout a strike. As always, visitors to the Forest Preserves can visit fpdcc.com for updates on our news page, for the status of planned events, and for alerts about trail access and other information by location.

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About the Forest Preserves of Cook County
Don’t you sometimes just want to escape? Explore the natural beauty of Cook County for an hour, a day or even a night. When you’re surrounded by 70,000 acres of wild and wonderful there’s no better place to feel free.

 

 

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Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District Board might be meeting tonight

Posted in Agendas, BCFPD, Elections, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Jewel-Osco, Open Meetings Act, Pension Funding, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Resident Spotlights, Taxes, The New Normal?, Unions, WTF on August 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BCFPD) Board of Trustees should be meeting tonight at 6:30 PM at 22222 N. Pepper Road in Lake Barrington according to their website which  states, “Meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of the month.”

No agenda is posted for the August meeting, and the last published agenda is for June. Furthermore, the last time they published an agenda in advance of their monthly meeting was back in April, so that’s four (4) Open Meetings Act violations (so far) this year.

For more information, the district website can be found here or call 224-848-4800.

Related: “Website posting requirements for local governments in Illinois”

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Barrington Hills Park District (Riding Cult) meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Countryside Elementary School, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, Transparency, Unions on August 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:

  • Donation by Jenny Drecol Kalaway Cup to replace the BHPD bleachers
  • Conservation Gathering with Trail Ride, Oct. 24

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

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PJM’s big new data center plan: Make the states figure it out

Posted in AI, Capitol News Illinois, Data Center, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Politics, Property Taxes, Unions on August 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

A data center owned by Amazon Web Services, front right, is under construction next to the Susquahanna nuclear power plan in Berwick, PA on Jan. 14, 2025. | AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey

By Jeff St. John and Canary Media | Capitol News Illinois

PJM Interconnection, the biggest grid operator in the U.S., has finally settled on a plan to prevent data centers from causing other customers’ utility bills to soar further in its 13-state territory.

That plan relies heavily on states themselves, and the utilities they regulate, to force data centers to secure their own power supplies — or face the possibility of getting their power cut off during grid emergencies.

Last week, PJM’s board of managers sent proposals along these lines to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which must grant the grid operator permission before it can implement the new plan for its system, which serves about 67 million people from Virginia to Illinois. The multipart plan is PJM’s attempt to quiet down months of mounting pressure from state governors and the Trump administration to contain skyrocketing costs while staying within its regulatory limits.

“Historically, PJM has been very nervous to step into what it considered — or what are legally — the states’ rights,” said Julia Hoos, who leads coverage of Eastern U.S. power markets for Aurora Energy Research. But with its new proposals, PJM is “making a definitive request to the states to accomplish what it needs.”

PJM forecasts that data centers and other “large loads” will add 30 gigawatts to 34 gigawatts of new demand by the early 2030s and as much as 70 GW by 2038. Building enough new energy resources to meet that demand would push enormous costs onto utility customers.

State lawmakers and environmental and consumer advocates have been demanding that PJM instead require that new data centers get cut off from the grid when electricity demand is especially high, unless those facilities can pay for and build the resources required to keep them online.

But states, not PJM, are in charge of deciding which customers can connect to the grids operated by state-regulated utilities. That constraint played a role in PJM backing off last year’s proposal to create a “non-capacity-backed load” program to force new large loads to submit to being cut off during grid emergencies. Data center industry groups and other stakeholders warned that the plan could face legal challenges.

PJM’s new proposal, dubbed the Interim Resource Adequacy Service, or IRAS, largely re-creates that structure, only with states and utilities as the primary responsible parties, said Tom Rutigliano, senior advocate for climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council. In that sense, “it’s almost like they got to not too far off from where they started,” he said.

Article continues here.

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Record Number for a Historic Year, and We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You!

Posted in Contests, Cuba Township, Fundraisers, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Resident Spotlights, The Land We Love Run, VBHPD on August 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Cuba Township Supervisor Chris Karam, Land We Love Run organizer Colleen Konicek and Brian Cecola present a record-breaking $22,006.99 donation to Bill Schey (second from left), who accepted the check on behalf of Folds of Honor Chicago.

“America celebrated its 250th birthday this year, and in honor of that celebration, the Land We Love Run was fondly renamed Land We Love Run America250, hosted by the Village of Barrington Hills and Cuba Township.  This year’s 5K/10K or 2-Mile Walk charity event continued its annual tradition of raising funds benefiting Folds of Honor-Chicago and collecting much-needed wish-list items for the Cuba Township Food Pantry.

The celebratory morning kicked off with Barrington Hills’ own Ron Hawking, a Grammy-nominated, award-winning entertainer, delivering a patriotic performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, our national anthem. Anyone who heard it couldn’t help but feel inspired and proud.

Thanks to the generosity of our runners, sponsors, donors, and volunteers, this milestone event raised a record-breaking $22,006.99 for Folds of Honor—the greatest amount raised in this event’s history!

With these funds, Folds of Honor, a non-profit organization, will be awarding life-changing educational scholarships to the families of America’s fallen or disabled military service members and first responders.

Additionally, the Cuba Township Food Pantry received an amazing 100+ pounds of much-needed wish-list pantry items to stock their shelves for our area food-insecure residents.

This year’s charity event welcomed 138 registrants from near and far. Among them was experienced marathon runner and first-time Land We Love Run participant, Uncha Kim, who placed 3rd in her 10K category.

‘It has a lot of hills; I wasn’t expecting that,’ Uncha said with a laugh. ‘I know now for next year.’

The air was filled with excitement as runners competed for first, second, and third place medals across eight age categories in both the 5K and 10K races. Additional awards recognized Best Costume and Most Food Pantry Donations, with the latter presented to 52nd District State Representative Martin McLaughlin for his outstanding support of the food drive. To view the race results, follow the link: Land We Love America250 Race Results.

While many participants challenged themselves in the 5K or 10K races, others enjoyed the 2-Mile Walk at a more leisurely pace.  The Land We Love Run isn’t just about the ‘race’ but about a community coming together.  Walkers of all ages participated: friends walked side by side, families pushed strollers, and even some four-legged companions joined the walk!

Together with Cuba Township, we thank every runner, sponsor, donor, volunteer, and supporter for making this year’s event our most successful yet!

We especially want to extend our sincerest appreciation to the Konicek Family for their invaluable partnership in organizing the Land We Love Run since its inception. Their extraordinary spirit of service, generosity, and dedication to giving back to the community serves as an inspiration to us all, and we are truly grateful for all they do!

We look forward to setting new records, creating new memories, and welcoming you back to next year’s Land We Love Run on July 3, 2027!”

Source: Village of Barrington Hills website posting

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Proposed East Dundee annexation deal would allow future data center

Posted in AI, Data Center, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, News Media, Real Estate on August 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Gloria Casas | The Courier-News/Chicago Tribune/Daily Herald

A proposed agreement under which 74 acres of property would be annexed into East Dundee includes a provision that would allow a data center to be among its future development options.

Plote Properties has no immediate plans to build on the site, located west of Beverly Road and south of Route 72, officials said. The annexation agreement is “still in negotiations,” Village President Dan Pearson said.

The land is part of a larger 253-acre parcel owned by East Dundee-based Plote, a portion of which was annexed into the village in January 2025 and zoned for manufacturing so that Plote could continue its mining operations and have space for truck parking.

Under the proposed annexation agreement, the village would agree to create a tax increment financing (TIF) district for the area.

The agreement for the eastern portion of the land is similar to the one for the western portion approved in 2025 — with a few additional provisions, Assistant Village Attorney Stew Weiss said at a public hearing for the deal held as part of a recent village board meeting.

One provision would require the village to provide financial incentives for the development of the full 253 acres, Weiss said. A “qualifying development,” or any development of 100,000 square feet or larger, could receive a 25% reimbursement for TIF-eligible expenses, an electricity tax rebate of 25% and an electricity tax freeze for a 20-year term, according to the agreement under discussion.

The agreement will detail the scope and nature of the proposed development incentives, lay out how a “qualifying development” is defined, and establish development performance standards for future uses, including data centers.

The proposed M-1 zoning designation would allow for several permitted “future uses” and “would require no additional zoning relief” if Plote wants to use it for a data center, electrical substation, accessory use facility or high-voltage transmission line at a height of 300 feet. Data centers are allowed in M-1 districts.

Read more here.

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PUBLIC NOTICE: Election for Park District (Riding Club) Commissioner-Candidate Filing Information

Posted in Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Red, Clown Car, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cook, Countryside Elementary School, County, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Elections, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lake, Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Massbach Hounds, McHenry, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, SOS Party, Taxes, The Other Half, Unions, Your Barrington Hills on August 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

PUBLIC NOTICE

Consolidated Election to be held April 6, 2027

To The Residents of The Barrington Hills Park District Cook, Lake and McHenry Counties, Illinois

Elections will be held to fill the following office:  Park District Commissioner

Number of positions: Three (3)  

All positions are for a four-year term

The candidate services provided here will assist prospective candidates locate the information and forms required to run for office.

Information contained within this section is for informational purposes only. Candidates are advised to seek appropriate legal counsel for any campaign issues. 

Candidates must file their certificates of nomination with the Barrington Hills Park District designated representative.

Petition Circulation Period: August 25, 2026 – November 23, 2026. Petitions may NOT be circulated prior to August 25, 2026

The filing of nomination petitions will be accepted at 361 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills IL 60010, in the Riding Center’s Meeting Room, November 16, 2026 through Monday November 23, 2026.  Office Hours will be posted here and on the online calendar.

Petitions may be filed in person by the candidate, a representative, or by mail to: Barrington Hills Park District, 364 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills, IL 60010. Nomination papers received in the mail before the first day of filing period will be returned to the sender as not filed.

Candidate’s Guide

Petition Documents:

Nonpartisan Petition Form (Petitions may NOT be circulated prior to August 25, 2026)
Statement of Candidacy: Nonpartisan
Loyalty Oath (optional):
Statement of Economic Interests: Filed with the Cook County Clerk. See page 22 in the Candidate’s Guide regarding filing the receipt.
Fair Campaign Practices Act (voluntary): Filed with the State Board of Elections.,

Source

 

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Village Board of Trustees meet tonight

Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Big Red, Board of Health, Building Department, Clown Car, Conflict of interest, Deception, Dumb and Dumber, ePacket agendas, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Finance Committee, Folds of Honor, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lennie, OMA, One Barrington Hills, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Plum Farm development, Police Pension Board, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, 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 July 27, 2026| 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:

  • [Vote] Accept the Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2025 – Eccezion
  • [Vote] Resolution Approving the 2026 Stormwater Management Program Plan (SMPP) and Authorizing its use for the Collection of Data Necessary to Prepare the Village’s Annual Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System(MS4) Report Resolution 26 –
  • Land We Love Run America250 5K/10K or 2-Mile Walk Summary

A copy of their agenda, including info on listening to the meeting, can be viewed and downloaded here.

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Proposed Policy Change Would Strip Anonymous Formal Grievances in Barrington District 220

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Look For The Union Label, New Normal?, Open Meetings Act, Pension Funding, Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on July 23, 2026| 2 Comments »

 

The Barrington CUSD 220 Board of Education is considering a key amendment to its Policy 2:260 (Uniform Grievance Procedure). The proposed revision would eliminate the ability for parents, staff, and community members to have anonymous reports processed through the formal Uniform Grievance Procedure—a move that directly impacts public oversight of elected Board members and District leadership.

Under current District rules, individuals can file anonymous complaints alleging policy, statutory, or constitutional violations. However, proposed edits to Policy 2:260 explicitly strike out standard formal grievance processing for anonymous claims, introducing strict new requirements recommended by the Policy Committee (highlighted in blue) and edited by the District’s Attorney (stricken in yellow highlights and added in pink highlights):

While the District notes it may still review anonymous reports “as appropriate,” stripped of the formal grievance mechanism, anonymous submissions will no longer trigger mandatory investigation reporting, formal Board findings, or structured appeal rights.

The proposed restriction on anonymous grievances follows two separate formal grievance investigations involving Board Member Erin Chan Ding, both of which resulted in official Board determinations that she violated Board policy:

  1. First Complaint (November 2025): Following an anonymous parent complaint regarding Chan Ding’s campaign for Illinois State Representative, an independent investigation by legal counsel found she had violated Policy 2:105 (Ethics and Gift Ban) and Policy 2:80 (Board Member Code of Conduct). The violations involved circulating campaign nominating petitions at District events and displaying District resources on campaign social media channels. The Board voted 6-1 to uphold the findings and required her to undergo remedial policy training.
  2.  Second Complaint (June/July 2026): A second formal grievance led to a Board decision on July 1, 2026, where the Board accepted investigator findings that Chan Ding again violated Policy 2:80. The Board cited her failure to recuse herself during the vote on her initial grievance—creating an appearance of impropriety—and her continued use of District achievements on active campaign platforms. The Board directed her to remove the content, requested a letter of apology, and asked her to seek independent ethics counseling

The effort to change the grievance policy also comes as the Board navigates additional formal complaints brought against other sitting Board members, including Board President Sandra Ficke-Bradford, Vice President Barry Altshuler, and Board Member Leah Collister-Lazzari.

Ending formal anonymous grievances creates a chilling effect on community members, parents, and District personnel who may fear professional or political retaliation if forced to attach their names to a complaint.

When complaints involve elected officials who wield significant authority over District personnel, policy, and budget decisions, anonymous grievance channels have historically served as a critical whistleblower mechanism. Stripping anonymous claims from formal procedure effectively raises the threshold for public scrutiny—at a time when Board members themselves are subject to active grievance findings.

The proposed edits to Policy 2:260 are currently undergoing Board review and are on the Agenda for discussion at today’s meeting, July 23, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., Item 6.01. Community members wishing to comment on the proposed changes to the Uniform Grievance Procedure or Board oversight standards can submit public comments or attend tonight’s District 220 Board of Education meeting.

Related: “Reminder: CUSD 220 Board of Education meeting tonight,” “CUSD 220 Board delivers second (slappier) slap on the wrist to member Erin Chan Ding,” “CUSD 220 Board of Education public comments we applaud,” “Special District 220 Board of Education meeting Monday,” “Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job,” “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency” and “Change.org Petition: ‘For the Resignation of Erin Chan Ding ~ D220 Resources are Not for Political Campaigns’”

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