Posted in Aunt Blabby, Barrington High School, Community Alerts, Entertainment, Equestrian Commission, Lighting Ordinance, Politics, Public Safety, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Transparency, VBHPD on July 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“The Barrington Hills Police Department would like to inform you that a Permit for a professional Fireworks Display has been issued for July 4th starting at 9:30pm at Barrington High School. Please remember that it is illegal to use or explode unpermitted fireworks. Please celebrate this Holiday safely. Thank you Thank you, Village of Barrington Hills.”
Sent via email a second time 24 hours after the first. Apparently they are trying to avoid as many complaints as they can.
Posted in Aunt Blabby, Barrington High School, Community Alerts, Entertainment, Equestrian Commission, Lighting Ordinance, Politics, Public Safety, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD on July 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“The Barrington Hills Police Department would like to inform you that a Permit for a professional Fireworks Display has been issued for July 4th starting at 9:30pm at Barrington High School. Please remember that it is illegal to use or explode unpermitted fireworks. Please celebrate this Holiday safely. Thank you Thank you, Village of Barrington Hills.”
Sent via email.
Posted in 220, AI, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Conflict of interest, Data Center, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, Illinois Federation of Teachers, League of Women Voters, OMA, Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Video Recordings, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on July 1, 2026| 3 Comments »
At their special meeting Monday, the 220 Board of Education voted on approving the, “Written Decision Regarding Uniform Grievance Procedure Complaint Concerning a Board Member,” and the, “Public Release of the June 10, 2026, Uniform Grievance Procedure Investigation Report and Findings.” Here’s how that went:
“Ficke-Bradford: The next motion, I’d like to invite Aris Talianas, the Board attorney, to come to the table in case the Board has any questions.
And I just want to do a little preamble on this one just to make sure it’s very clear.
After the receipt of a Complaint regarding alleged violations of Board Policy, an outside investigator was appointed to investigate the Complaint and the investigator issued a written report pursuant to the Board’s Uniform Grievance Procedure. The outside investigator’s report includes recommended findings that Board Member Ding violated Board Policy 2:80 relating to the Board Member Code of Conduct concerning the appearance of impropriety and the use of social media. According to the Board’s Uniform Grievance Procedure, the Board is required to issue a written decision following the issuance of the investigator’s report reaching its own conclusions, the Board’s own conclusions. Therefore, I am requesting a motion to approve the Board’s decision on the Complaint filed against Board Member Ding consistent with the following, and Board Members, you have a copy of this in front of you. I’m going to read through the bullets:
Do I have such a motion?
Collister-Lazari: So moved.
Srivastava: Second.
Ficke Bradford: All right. Any questions or comments from the Board?
All right, let’s do roll call.
Steve Wang? Yes.
Sandra Bradford? Yes.
Harathi Srivastava? Yes.
Diana Clopton? Yes.
Leah Collister Lazari? Yes.
Ficke Bradford: All right, motion passes. The next motion. Do we have a motion to approve the public release of the June 10, 2026, Uniform Grievance Procedure Investigation Report and finding?
Collister Lazari: So moved.
Clopton: Second.
Ficke Bradford: All right, so just to be very clear, this is the official report that we just took the former action on. So we… It’s marked as confidential. So the Board must take an action to waive that confidentiality. So that is what we are doing with this action. Any questions from the Board?
All right, let’s do a roll call, please.
Harathi Srivastava? Yes.
Sandra Bradford? Yes.
Steve Wang? Yes.
Leah Collister Lazari? Yes.
Diana Clapton? Yes.”
To view to the YouTube video queued to the start of the discussion, click here.
A copy of the June 10, 2026, Uniform Grievance Procedure Investigation Report and Finding can be viewed and downloaded here.
Related: “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
Posted in AI, Daily Herald, Data Center, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Land Use, Plum Farm development, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Sears, South Barrington, Taxes, Transparency on June 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »
By Eric Peterson | Daily Herald
A request to the Illinois Attorney General for a review of alleged Open Meetings Act violations is among the artillery being used by opponents of a potential rezoning of 186 acres in Hoffman Estates for a possible data center.
Barrington Hills resident Amanda Pollard filed the request Monday, asking that any finding of a violation be used to challenge the village board’s possible rezoning of the northwest corner of Higgins Road and Route 72 to manufacturing use at Monday’s board meeting.
She cited documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act as proof plans for a data center are more specific than the landowner or village officials have said aloud.
Pollard was particularly suspicious of requests for meetings with trustees or the mayor in correspondence between landowner Karis Critical and village staff.
Village Manager Eric Palm said the documents don’t chronicle potential Open Meetings Act violations and Mayor Bill McLeod said none have occurred.
Hoffman Estates officials are considering a proposal to rezone the 186-acre Plum Farms property at the northwest corner of routes 59 and 72 to manufacturing use, potentially enabling development of a data center. This view looks north along Old Sutton Road, just north of Higgins Road. | Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com, 2019
“No, we don’t do that,” McLeod added. “That doesn’t happen.”
At the June 3 plan commission meeting, attorney Matt Norton representing Karis characterized the rezoning request as simply a way to boost the Plum Farms site’s marketing potential for various industrial uses.
But a May 19 email from Hoffman Estates Director of Development Services Jennifer Horn to Karis officials speaks of a less generalized goal.
Article continues here.
Related: “Proposed data center in Hoffman Estates sparks resident outrage,” “HOFFMAN ESTATES NOTICE OF (PLUM FARMS) PUBLIC HEARING JULY 6,” “‘Wrong project, wrong place’: Critics push back on rezoning plan for potential Hoffman Estates data center,” “Change.org Petition: ‘Deny Rezoning of Plum Farms In Hoffman Estates’,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie shares an update on Hoffman Estates/Plum Farms Plan Commission meeting,” “Hoffman Estates plan commission rejects rezoning request for possible data center,” “Hoffman Estates Plan Commission rejects zoning change for new data center project,” “Hoffman Estates Plum Farm June 3rd Plan Commission Meeting Essentials,” “After being rejected in Naperville, company could build data center in Hoffman Estates,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie posts information regarding June 3 Hoffman Estates (Plum Farms) Plan Commission meeting,” “(Plum Farms) NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 3,” “Hoffman Estates could see third data center campus with sale of Plum Farms property,” “Hoffman Estates approves sewer, water for development of 185 acres west of The Arboretum,” “Hoffman Estates approves tax incentive at routes 59, 72,” “District 220 lawsuit against Hoffman Estates, Plum Farms developers dismissed,” “South Barrington residents sue over Hoffman Estates development,” “Editorial: Listen to agencies that would feel consequences of Hoffman Estates development”
Posted in 220, AI, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Conflict of interest, Data Center, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, Goat Rodeo, Illinois Federation of Teachers, League of Women Voters, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Transparency, Unions, Video Recordings, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on June 30, 2026| 1 Comment »
Erin Chan Ding
Monday morning at 7:30 AM, the District 220 Board met at a special agreed upon time to address the ongoing issues relating to current board member, Erin Chan Ding. Here is a transcribed portion of the discussion, which included blunt comments from a former CUSD 220 board member:
“Ficke-Bradford: And as I also mentioned at our last Board meeting, we needed to have another meeting, which is why we’re here today. We need to have this meeting to address a few Board action items. We did plan this date and this time around the availability of Erin Chan Ding that Erin did provide to me when she would be available. Unfortunately, Dr. Altshuler was not available at this, at this time. And, unfortunately, yesterday, just after 4pm, Erin Chan Ding communicated that she would not be in attendance today.
I just want to make sure it’s clear to the community that we did plan. We’re not trying to have any action items without Erin Chan Ding being present. And last, for my little Be Real segment, I just want to remind the Board and community that on November 18, the Board of Education issued its written decision on a Complaint directed at the Board Member Erin Chan Ding, alleging violations of Board Policy. And at its decision, Ms. Ding completed training on policy 2:105 on Ethics and Gift Ban in early December.
Today, the Board will consider a second written decision. To be clear and to remind the community, per school code, the Board does not have the authority to remove Ms. Ding from the Board. Only the Lake County Regional Superintendent has such authority.
And Eric, since you’re here, you can affirm that as well, right?
Attorney: That is accurate. Yes.
Ficke Bradford: So I just wanted to make sure that everyone was well.
OK. So with that, let us move on to public comment. I think we have one public commenter.
Public Comment – Angela Wilcox: It’s not as fun sitting over here. I am so sorry I have to do this.
The first affirmation in the Illinois School Board Member Swearing an Oath is “I shall respect taxpayer interests by serving as a faithful protector of the school district’s assets.” Erin’s actions on this Board have repeatedly violated this oath to the community and have also forced all of you other Members to have to violate it as well.
I listened to the first complaint against her actions on this Board and her prepared response, which wasn’t truthful as to her true actions and wasn’t accurate as to her actions moving forward. She said that she didn’t understand she was violating policy.
However, I sat in the exact room where that policy was written with her for countless hours, looking at every word over and over. She said that she would take every action not to violate policies in the future. Yet I see on the agenda there’s yet another complaint that’s been filed against her.
I’m angry, and this is a time for you to be angry as well. Your time has been wasted over and over and over again. You took a duty to this community and you were forced to have to spend it doing something completely outside of what your duty is. I can’t imagine the amount of time that you have wasted in responding to emails, internal discussions and community responses at the grocery store regarding the violations of Board policies by a Board Member that you cannot control.
She has abused the 220 staff, especially Dr. Winkleman, by forcing them to add the defense of her political ambitions to their job descriptions on top of their actual job descriptions.
She has not respected taxpayer interests by serving as a faithful protector of the School District’s assets, but has used the lawyers employed by 220 as her own personal representatives to fulfill her political aspirations.
The last time she was confronted with this complaint, she received a dressing down and a response. But now it’s time to take firm action. I understand that you as a Board cannot remove her, but I ask that you do whatever you can to make sure that you…
Whatever it can be so that you don’t have to continue dealing with this in the future.
I feel bad for you. And I wish that there was something that this community could do to support you more. However, you do need to list the amount of money that taxpayers have had to pay to outside counsel to defend Erin’s political aspirations beyond 220. And there also needs to be a way to establish a means for this money to be re-paid to the public. I know there is no way to account for the amount of lost revenue and wages that you’ve had to spend internally and as you have as a Board. But to the extent that it can be quantified, I ask that you publish this because it is something that we should know as taxpayers.
Thank you.
Ficke Bradford: Thank you, Angela.”
And we thank you for your continued dedication to District 220, Angela.
To listen to the YouTube recording queued to the start of Ficke-Bradford’s comments, click here.
Related: “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
Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Building Department, Clown Car, Data Center, Dumb and Dumber, EJ&E/Canadian National, ePacket Agendas, Ethics, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, One Barrington Hills, Open Meetings Act, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Plum Farm development, Police Reports, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Roads & Bridges Committee, Sears, Simple Minds, South Barrington, Taxes, The Land We Love Run, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village President, Village Treasurer, Well Water Quality, Zoning Board on June 29, 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:
A copy of their agenda, including info on listening to the meeting, can be viewed and downloaded here.
*Ironically (and moronically), just six months ago President Cecola invited an unannounced guest to present their ideas on a 110-acre data center proposal adjacent to Pond Gate Farms that would have necessitated rezoning that acreage to Light Industrial in Barrington Hills at his December board meeting.
Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Open Meetings Act, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on June 28, 2026| 2 Comments »
The District 220 Board of Education meets Monday at 7:30 AM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live streamed on the district YouTube channel.
Related: “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”
Posted in AI, BACOG, Cook, County, Data Center, Deception, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, News Media, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, Well Water Quality, WGN9 on June 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »
By: Dana Rebik, Ethan Illers | WGN9
A proposed data center in the northwest suburbs is drawing residents to protest Wednesday evening.
Plum Farms, which stretches across 185 acres of land near Route 59 and Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates, could soon be home to the village’s third data center. It’s a project proposed by the company Karis Critical.
The possibility of the data center being built has area residents frustrated.
“It is incredibly close. My neighbors and I, we can walk down a hilly berm from some of their back yards,” South Barrington resident Dr. Laura Holmes said. “The people here have some idea that they’re closing us in.”
At a commission meeting held on June 3, residents said they were not given information about the scope of the project, so they filed a freedom of information request and said what they found was alarming.
“We feel like we’ve been totally ignored. The public hearings we’ve had are like political theater. It’s just a formality. They’ve already made up their mind,” Barrington Hills resident Amanda Pollard said. “They had all these plans up to 18 months ago even prior to the sale of the property. We found a letter from the village manager who basically guaranteed we can re-zone.”
According to a letter from Village Manager Eric Palm to Karis Critical Attorney Matthew Norton, in January of 2025, Palm said the village recognizes the benefits data centers provide for the community, saying the village will support zoning approvals and that staff will recommend its approval.
Residents said seeing this makes them feel left in the dark.
“It’s been very surreptitious,” Holmes said.
Residents also found detailed site plans on a Karis document, showing a five-building, 300 megawatt data center, ten times larger than the one Karis tried to build in Naperville, which was voted down earlier this year.
Report and video can be found here.
Related: “HOFFMAN ESTATES NOTICE OF (PLUM FARMS) PUBLIC HEARING JULY 6,” “‘Wrong project, wrong place’: Critics push back on rezoning plan for potential Hoffman Estates data center,” “Change.org Petition: ‘Deny Rezoning of Plum Farms In Hoffman Estates’,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie shares an update on Hoffman Estates/Plum Farms Plan Commission meeting,” “Hoffman Estates plan commission rejects rezoning request for possible data center,” “Hoffman Estates Plan Commission rejects zoning change for new data center project,” “Hoffman Estates Plum Farm June 3rd Plan Commission Meeting Essentials,” “After being rejected in Naperville, company could build data center in Hoffman Estates,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie posts information regarding June 3 Hoffman Estates (Plum Farms) Plan Commission meeting,” “(Plum Farms) NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 3,” “Hoffman Estates could see third data center campus with sale of Plum Farms property,” “Hoffman Estates approves sewer, water for development of 185 acres west of The Arboretum,” “Hoffman Estates approves tax incentive at routes 59, 72,” “District 220 lawsuit against Hoffman Estates, Plum Farms developers dismissed,” “South Barrington residents sue over Hoffman Estates development,” “Editorial: Listen to agencies that would feel consequences of Hoffman Estates development”
Posted in AI, BACOG, Cook, County, Daily Herald, Data Center, Deception, EJ&E/Canadian National, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Mad Cows, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Sears, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions on June 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Residents of Hoffman Estates, Barrington Hills and South Barrington, including Christine Krzystofczyk of Hoffman Estates, protest the proposed rezoning of the 186-acre Plum Farms property at the corner of routes 59 and 72, immediately west of The Arboretum in South Barrington Wednesday. | John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
By Eric Peterson | Daily Herald
Residents of communities near the 186-acre Plum Farms property in Hoffman Estates Wednesday protested its proposed rezoning for industrial uses they consider a smoke screen for a data center.
Demonstrators from Hoffman Estates, Barrington Hills and South Barrington cited documents obtained through public records requests as evidence that inquiries about a plan for a data center at the northwest corner of routes 59 and 72 were shared with the village in early 2025
Hoffman Estates Deputy Village Manager Jon Pape confirmed landowner Karis Critical did submit such unsolicited concept plans last year. They were not reviewed by village staff as a formal development proposal would have been.
Doreen Gibrich, along with other residents of Hoffman Estates, Barrington Hills and South Barrington, protests the proposed rezoning of the 186-acre Plum Farms property on the corner of routes 59 and 72 Wednesday. | John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Mayor Bill McLeod emphasized the request before the village board at its meeting of Monday, July 6 is for a rezoning of the property without a detailed plan attached.
“A concept plan isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on,” McLeod said. “Formal plans are very involved. What’s on the table is rezoning.”
The village’s plan commission recommended against granting that request by a 4-2 vote on June 3. The village presidents of Barrington Hills and South Barrington have lent their voices to the opposition.
Article continues here.
Related: “HOFFMAN ESTATES NOTICE OF (PLUM FARMS) PUBLIC HEARING JULY 6,” “‘Wrong project, wrong place’: Critics push back on rezoning plan for potential Hoffman Estates data center,” “Change.org Petition: ‘Deny Rezoning of Plum Farms In Hoffman Estates’,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie shares an update on Hoffman Estates/Plum Farms Plan Commission meeting,” “Hoffman Estates plan commission rejects rezoning request for possible data center,” “Hoffman Estates Plan Commission rejects zoning change for new data center project,” “Hoffman Estates Plum Farm June 3rd Plan Commission Meeting Essentials,” “After being rejected in Naperville, company could build data center in Hoffman Estates,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie posts information regarding June 3 Hoffman Estates (Plum Farms) Plan Commission meeting,” “(Plum Farms) NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 3,” “Hoffman Estates could see third data center campus with sale of Plum Farms property,” “Hoffman Estates approves sewer, water for development of 185 acres west of The Arboretum,” “Hoffman Estates approves tax incentive at routes 59, 72,” “District 220 lawsuit against Hoffman Estates, Plum Farms developers dismissed,” “South Barrington residents sue over Hoffman Estates development,” “Editorial: Listen to agencies that would feel consequences of Hoffman Estates development”
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:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.
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