Posted in Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Cell Towers, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Look For The Union Label, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Transparency, Unions on July 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold a special meeting Monday at 6:30 PM. The sole topic on their agenda is:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here and the meeting will not be available via Zoom.
Related: “Special Closed Session Meeting of the Barrington Hills Park District Board Monday, June 22nd”
Posted in 220, Barrington Hills Park District, Board of Education, Conflict of interest, Deception, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois Policy Institute, Look For The Union Label, Politics, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Transparency, Unions, Village President on July 9, 2026| 1 Comment »
The indictment of state Rep. Carol Ammons is a reminder that Illinois still relies on the honor system in conflicts of interest.
By Joe Tabor | Illinois Policy Institute
The federal indictment this week of a state representative is a reminder that Illinois lawmakers are on the honor system when it comes to conflicts of interest.
Rep. Carol Ammons was indicted July 7 on charges of wire fraud, making false statements to a federal investigator and obstruction of justice in an alleged apparent scheme to divert state grant money to herself and her daughter.
Key to the case is the alleged conflict of interest of Ammons aiding in arranging appropriations for state grants to go to Hood Votes Neighborhood Transformation, where her daughter was program director.
Voting for appropriations that will go to pay a close family member is a clear conflict of interest, but in Illinois, lawmakers are on the honor system there. State law reads:
When a legislator must take official action on a legislative matter as to which he has a conflict situation created by a personal, family, or client legislative interest, he should consider the possibility of eliminating the interest creating the conflict situation. If that is not feasible, he should consider the possibility of abstaining from such official action. (Emphasis added.)
Most states require lawmakers to disclose any conflict of interest before a vote, to recuse themselves from voting on any legislation where they have a conflict of interest, or both.
In those states, lawmakers who violate the requirements can face stiff civil and criminal penalties.
With such a recusal provision in place, Ammons’ alleged corruption might have been caught earlier.
Report continues here.
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.
Posted in Agendas, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Countryside Elementary School, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Look For The Union Label, Open Meetings Act, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, The Other Half, Topics Of Interest, Unions, Village Government on June 10, 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:
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
*It’s actually, “Plum Farms.” It’s so cute when they try, though.
Posted in Agendas, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, Big Red, Commercial Horse Boarding, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), E-bikes, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, Horizon Farm, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Simple Minds, Unions, Village Director of Administration, Well Water Quality on June 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Equestrian Commission/Riding Club will be meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.
Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Commercial Horse Boarding, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Financial Statements, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Massbach Hounds, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, The Other Half, Transparency, Unions on May 13, 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:
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
Posted in Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Equestrian Commission, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Overhead, Property Taxes, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Unions, VBHPD on May 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Barrington Hills Park District, Chicago Tribune, New Normal?, OP/Ed, Politics, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes on April 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Tents sit near a burned section of ground in a homeless person encampment in Legion Park in the North Park neighborhood on March 4, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune
Homelessness is punishing in itself without the fear of being fined or arrested simply for surviving outdoors. On the other hand, abandoning public spaces — such as parks — to lawless tent encampments isn’t fair to residents, either.
That’s why we’re concerned about a bill making its way through the statehouse. While well intentioned, House Bill 1429 would restrict when governments can impose fines or criminal penalties on unhoused people for certain “life-sustaining activities” on public property — and in doing so may actually make it harder to address encampments in public parks.
Some Chicago neighbors who have been fighting to resolve sprawling tent cities compassionately view this seemingly well-intentioned legislation — House Bill 1429 — as another potential obstacle. The bill wouldn’t bar cities from clearing encampments or moving people, but it does prohibit ticketing or arresting unsheltered individuals for basic survival activities, broadly termed “life-sustaining activities” in the legislation.
It defines “life-sustaining activities” expansively to cover essentially all basic human behaviors required to survive outdoors, such as sleeping and eating. But it also goes beyond basic survival to include storing personal property, which in practice is how encampments form and persist, as well as “protecting oneself from the elements,” which is incredibly broad and could create ambiguity around enforcement of activities like using propane tanks or open flames in the parks.
The bill also would require advance notice (generally seven days) and outreach before enforcement, absent an emergency, creating “a system where action can only be taken after a problem occurs, instead of allowing communities to prevent issues before they escalate,” said Restore Gompers Park Coalition’s Lynn Burmeister, whose group has long advocated for housing and services for people living in the encampments in addition to safety for neighbors.
Meanwhile, the encampment problem on the Northwest Side has become unsafe, untenable and unchanging. When the city clears one encampment, another pops up, often nearby.
With these settlements come reports of unsanitary and dangerous conditions, including reports of public sex, drug and alcohol use, and fecal matter in the parks.
Editorial continues here.
Related: “Illinois bill would override local law to allow homeless living in all public parks”
Posted in Barrington Hills Park District, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), New Normal?, Politics, Property Taxes, Springfield, Wirepoints on April 14, 2026| 2 Comments »
Get ready to see homeless camps in parks across Illinois if a bill gaining traction in the Illinois House becomes law. It would override local restrictions to allow homeless encampments in all public parks. Local towns, park districts, cities, forest preserves and all other municipalities of any kind would have their home rule authority on the matter stripped away.
It’s House Bill 1429, the Local Regulation of Unsheltered Homelessness Act, which says local governments wouldn’t be able to establish or enforce a rule fining or criminally punishing homeless people for participating in “life sustaining activities.”
But “life sustaining activities,” under the bill’s definition, means most anything people routinely do. It would include, but not be limited to, “moving, resting, sitting, standing, lying down, sleeping, protecting oneself from the elements, eating, drinking 5(excluding alcohol), and storing personal property as needed to shelter oneself.”
It has 21 sponsors to date including House Speaker Chris Welch, and 872 homeless advocates and organizations have filed witness slips supporting the bill. An April 15 Housing Committee hearing is the next step.
Article continues here.
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BCFPD, Bicyclists, Big Red, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Ethics, Financial Statements, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Open Meetings Act, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, Simple Minds, SOS Party, Taxes, The Other Half, Transparency, Unions, Well Water Quality, Your Barrington Hills on April 8, 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:
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
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