Our Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting beginning this evening at 6:30 PM. A copy of the agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.
Archive for the ‘LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment’ Category
Well THAT didn’t take long, did it?
Posted in Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BOHICA, Building Department, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cook, County, Deception, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, Horse Boarding, Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Nostalgia, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Unions, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Village Government, Zoning Board on May 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The Daily Herald recently reported, “After 8-year fight, judge says Barrington Hills horse boarding law is constitutional.” We’ve learned before that article was published, another commercial horse boarding related suit was filed in Cook County on April 25th, and it can be found here.
Ordinance 16-22, referred to in the filing, can be found here. Audio recordings of the Trustee’s discussions prior to approving that ordinance can be heard here.
Related: “After 8-year fight, judge says Barrington Hills horse boarding law is constitutional”
After 8-year fight, judge says Barrington Hills horse boarding law is constitutional
Posted in Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, FRVPC, Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Politics, Public Safety, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, Unions, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Village President, Your Barrington Hills, Zoning Board on April 28, 2023| 1 Comment »
A Cook County judge has ruled a Barrington Hills ordinance allowing commercial horse boarding at Oakwood Farms and other places to be constitutional, rejecting arguments that conspiracy and corruption were the basis of its adoption. (Daily Herald file photo, 2011)
A Cook County judge has called constitutional a Barrington Hills ordinance permitting commercial horse boarding as a home-occupation business in the historically equestrian-friendly village, rejecting claims of corruption.
The 8-year-old litigation that resulted in a 21-day trial was born of a neighbor dispute that dominated local politics in Barrington Hills for a time about a dozen years ago.
“I believe it vindicates a number of people,” said attorney James Kelly, who represented a party of intervenors in plaintiff Jim Drury’s lawsuit against the village. “I think it was a good decision.”
Drury — who lives next door to Benjamin and Cathleen LeCompte’s Oakwood Farms, where a 60-horse commercial boarding operation existed — argued the facility’s imposition on his residential peace and quiet clearly was forbidden by existing village code regulating home-occupation businesses in 2011.
Drury tried through lawsuits, newspaper advertisements and official testimony to suggest village officials at that time were refusing to acknowledge this and instead were pandering to the Riding Club of Barrington Hills and other equestrian interests.
While Drury conceded the LeComptes had the right to keep 60 of their own horses on the 130-acre property, he said the number of employees and clients that visited his residential neighborhood most days clearly marked Oakwood Farms as a commercial enterprise.
In claiming political motivations in the village, Drury pointed to $5,000 donations LeCompte made to each of the trustee candidates then-Village President Robert Abboud supported in the 2011 election — Joe Messer, Karen Selman and Patty Meroni.
That money was returned to LeCompte when the State Board of Elections determined he had not been properly identified by the candidates as the original source of the funding.
Read more here.
BH Park District Public Hearing this evening
Posted in Agendas, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Brother, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FRVPC, Fundraisers, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Lighting Ordinance, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Transparency, Unions on February 8, 2023| 1 Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District will hold a public hearing this evening at 6:45 PM regarding their, “Combined Budget & Appropriations Ordinance 02-08-2023-01.” As has been the case in previous annual hearings of this type, no, “Budget & Appropriations,” documentation has been provided by the District for taxpayers to review and comment on prior to the hearing.
Since it’s likely some members of the Riding Club and Trainers played a significant role in the drafting of the ordinance, they’ll have copies, and some might even share with those requesting a one (for a nominal fee, of course).
To view what little the District has posted in advance of the hearing, click here.
Barrington Hills Park District Board meets tonight
Posted in Agendas, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BH Polo Club, BraveHearts, Countryside Elementary School, Elections, Entertainment, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, FUBAR, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Lighting Ordinance, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, School Districts, Unions on January 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board will hold their regular monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 7:00 PM. Their agenda reads as follows:
- Call To Order
- Recognition Of Commissioners
- Recognition Of Visitors
- Approval Of The December 2022 Park Board Meeting Minutes
- Approval Of The December 2022 Treasurer’s Report
- Advisory Committee Report
- Facility Rental Requests
- Trainer Registrations
- Facility Maintenance
- Action To Be Taken On Discussed Items
- Old/New Business
- Adjournment
In other words, pure boilerplate. Not even a heads up on the public hearing scheduled next month. However, the way they operate, practically anything can be discussed and voted upon tonight.
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
Barrington Hills Park District Board meets tonight
Posted in Agendas, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Elections, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Lighting Ordinance, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Unions, Well Water Quality on December 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Park District Advisory Committee meets tonight
Posted in Agendas, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Brother, Commercial Horse Boarding, Fox River Valley Hunt, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Lighting Ordinance, Mad Cow, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Transparency, Unions on December 6, 2022| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Advisory Committee meets this evening at 7PM. Some of the topics on their agenda include:
- Explore request fo motion activated flood lights around exterior of RC – suggestion for solar powered
- Explore Request for security camera outside: parking lot, tractor shed, stall aisles, outdoor arenas. mounted as high as possible. *Signs* that call out video surveillance could be a deterrent.
- Explore request for Panic alarm suggested: at either end of barn aisle, two in the arena. A phone with direct line to 911 would be an alternative, and
- Explore possibility of a better time for Riding Club on weekend
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for attending the meeting via Zoom can be found here
Happy Retro Thanksgiving!
Posted in Barrington Hills Park District, Bicyclists, Big Red, Building Department, Clown Car, Conflict of interest, Ethics, Horse Boarding, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Mac's Property Management, Mad Cow, One Barrington Hills, OP/Ed, Politics, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Roads & Bridges Committee, Transparency, Village Board, Village President, Your Barrington Hills on November 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »
“TV families are a lot like real families. They always come together for Thanksgiving. For the ultimate TV Thanksgiving, look no further than the 1968 episode of The (Barrington) Hillbillies, “The Thanksgiving Spirit.”
The crossover episode not only features the Clampetts, it features the cast members of Green Acres and Petticoat Junction. The episode culminates with a shared dinner that includes characters from the three shows.” (Source)
Editorial note: Many preferred to use the phrase, “Barrington Hillbillies,” when referring to the political antics of some in our “oasis of another time” Village, but that subsided until recently when the Cecola Administration took office. Now the popularity of that phrase is experiencing a resurgence.
Better (decades) late than never
Posted in Appointments, Better Government Association, Big Red, Board of Health, BOHICA, Building Department, Conflict of interest, Contests, Crain's Chicago Business, Cuba Township Road District, Deception, Elections, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Illinois State Board of Elections, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Mac's Property Management, OMA, One Barrington Hills, OP/Ed, Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, The New Normal, The Other Half, Transparency, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Village President, Village Treasurer on September 30, 2022| 1 Comment »
Last Winter, the Village of Lake Barrington published the following in their seasonal newsletter:
“Lake Barrington’s Ethics Commission
Did you know that the Village has an Ethics Commission? The independent commission adds to the overall transparency of our government and serves to investigate complaints alleging violations of the Ethics Chapter of the Village Code. We are proud to report that this 3-member Commission has never once had to meet regarding a violation!”
Their Municipal Code actually devotes a chapter to ethics, and the main page of their website contains a link to, “Report a Concern.”
As previously chronicled in this publication, if one searches our Village Code, keying in the word “ethics,” the result reads, “No Matches Found.”
Our Village needs an Ethics Commission. How else could parties involved in complaints present their respective cases to determine if ethics violations did, or did not, occur? Listed below are typical practices that might arise in our Village, and in our opinion, may warrant investigation, understanding that there are no implications as to guilt or innocence of any on the list:
- Should expensive legal battles, possibly precipitated by actions of elected and appointed Village officials, be investigated?
- Should the hiring and retention of Village paid staff positions by elected family members be investigated?
- Should contracts with vendors who maintain personal and professional relationships with elected Village officials and their families be investigated?
- Should the solicitations of funds and hand selection of vendors by family members or close friends of elected Village officials, absent oversight by appointed Village committees, be investigated?
For these and other reasons, our Village needs to appoint an Ethics Commission to act as ombudsmen, when any question of potential maladministration or ethics violations is considered or occurs.
Candidates for this proposed commission could come from existing appointed Village bodies, ones whose objectivity would be unquestioned.
The perfect candidates for this roll are the incumbent members of the Board of Heath. They are highly qualified, underutilized, and would prove to be an effective force in maintaining ethical governance of the Village of Barrington Hills.
Related: “Our predominantly pusillanimous Village Board (Part 1),” “Our predominantly pusillanimous Village Board (Part 2),” “Better Government Association Commends Passage of Chicago Ethics Ordinance–Sees More to Do,” “What happened to ethics reform in Illinois government? Why watchdogs have some hope,” “Meanwhile, One Barrington Hills makes amends, extinguishes website and turns the volume down,” “Learn from your (big) mistake, Laura, Bryan, Dave and Tom,” “Agreed”
The Barrington Hills Park District Board meets tonight
Posted in Agendas, Barrington Hills Park District, Commercial Horse Boarding, FPDCC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Politics, Property Taxes, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Transparency, Unions on September 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »
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