Our Barrington Hills Park District Board of Commissioners meets this evening at 7:00 PM at the district Riding Center located at 361 Bateman Road. A copy of their agenda can be viewed here.
Archive for the ‘OMA’ Category
June Village Board meeting agenda posted
Posted in Accidents, Agendas, Building Department, Crime, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, OMA, Roads and Bridges, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on June 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »
The Village Board of Trustees will be holding their regular monthly meeting Monday, June 27th, at 6:30 PM. A copy of the meeting agenda can be viewed here.
Tonight’s Village Board meeting ePacket agenda posted
Posted in 220, Algonquin Rd, Building Department, County, ePacket Agendas, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Longmeadow Parkway, McHenry, OMA, Pension Funding, Public Safety, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, School Districts, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on January 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »
The ePacket agenda containing links to most documents to be discussed during this evening’s Village Board meeting has been posted. To access the ePacket link, click here.
Park District Board public hearing and regular meeting agendas released
Posted in Agendas, Barrington Hills Park District, BH Polo Club, Ethics, FRVPC, OMA, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes on January 11, 2016| 1 Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board of Commissioners meets this evening at 7:00 PM at the district Riding Center located at 361 Bateman Road. There are two agendas posted to the district website to be covered tonight.
The first is a public hearing notice to hear comments from taxpayers regarding a “Combined Budget & Appropriations Ordinance.” Unfortunately, a copy of the proposed ordinance is not available via the website for residents to review in advance of the meeting to prepare their remarks. We assume copies will be made available at the meeting.
A copy of the public hearing agenda can be viewed here.
The commissioners will then hold their regularly scheduled monthly meeting to discuss other district business. A copy of that agenda can be viewed here.
2015 Shining Star Awards
Posted in BACOG, Elections 2013, Ethics, Fundraisers, Heritage Fest, Legal Expenses, Longmeadow Parkway, OMA, OP/Ed, Resident Spotlights, Road construction, Sears, Taxes, VBHPD, Village Board, Village Government on December 22, 2015| 4 Comments »
It’s said that the best gift you can give someone is your time, because you’re giving them something you can never get back. Though many forget to recognize this often enough, two residents have provided more than their share of their valuable time for the benefit of everyone in Barrington Hills, and that’s why we are naming both of them as 2015 Shining Stars.
Nearly three years ago, Colleen Konicek Hannigan and Martin McLaughlin made a choice to run for office at a time when Barrington Hills politics was highly charged. They counted on the integrity they knew was inherent in most residents in their straightforward campaign, and now we can look back on the results of their efforts since they were elected.
Overall spending by the Village has decreased, particularly as it relates to legal fees. This is due in no small part to their push for the appointment of new Village counsel with practical expertise in municipal and zoning laws — at nearly half the hourly rate of the former law firm. Ending the protracted eighteen-year Sears lawsuit against our Village and South Barrington has had a significant effect as well.
For the second year in a row when they had input, the annual Village budget has decreased. Even with these decreases, last year’s spending was nearly three quarters of a million dollars less than the 2014 budget.
The 2014 audit report best summarizes the fruit of their hard work by stating, “The reduction in spending can be attributed to reduced legal fees, and sound management practice, and reduced administrative expenses.”
In addition to the Sears lawsuit, Colleen and Martin have also resolved other major legacy issues. Two new labor agreements with our sworn Village police officers have been secured with the help of another accomplished new attorney which they engaged since our police unionized nearly six years ago in 2009 under the former administration.
Village road resurfacing now seems to be back on track after an all-time low of only 1.5 miles of roads maintained in 2009. Additionally, with the assistance of Trustee Brian Cecola, new avenues for improving county and state roads in the Village should result in improved maintenance of vital thoroughfares such as Brinker Road.
And they shined a light on the controversial proposed Longmeadow Parkway project and brought it out of the shadows for residents in its path, as well as those who will be affected by it, with public meetings and updates from Kane County.
They’ve also done their share to bring our widely dispersed community together. Three successful annual “Hills are Alive Heritage Fests”, at no cost to taxpayers, have been held since they were elected, and they have demonstrated that our residents welcome the opportunity to unite for an event to meet their neighbors, to learn about many community organizations and to share some family fun.
Despite this highly abridged summary of their contributions to their constituency thus far, it seems these two have not curtailed their other contributions to the community, nor their devotion to their full-time professional careers in their legal and financial practices.
Colleen continues to be an anchor planner, coordinator and participant in the Barrington Honor Ride and Run for wounded veterans, as well as participating in numerous other community and philanthropic events throughout the year.
Martin recently accepted the chairman’s role in BACOG and continues to serve in the Barrington Lions Club, in addition to being a father of five daughters.
We’re pleased to recognize Colleen Konicek Hannigan and Martin McLaughlin as the 2015 Shining Star award recipients. Their time and dedication to the betterment of Barrington Hills, as well as their devotion to all in the surrounding community, cannot be overstated, nor can our appreciation for their hard work.
–The Observer
December Village Board meeting agenda posted
Posted in Agendas, BACOG, Board of Health, Building Department, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Insurance Committee, Minutes, OMA, Plan Commission, Public Safety, Road construction, Roads and Bridges, Taxes, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Zoning Board on December 16, 2015| Leave a Comment »
The Village Board will hold their regular monthly meeting Thursday, December 17th. The agenda for the meeting can be viewed here.
Park District Board meeting agenda released
Posted in Agendas, Barrington Hills Park District, BH Polo Club, FRVPC, OMA, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes on December 14, 2015| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board of Commissioners will meet at 7:00 PM this evening at the district Riding Center located at 361 Bateman Rd. A copy of their agenda has just been posted to the BHPD website, and it can be viewed here.
November Village Board meeting agenda posted
Posted in 220, Accidents, Board of Health, Building Department, Crime, Cuba Rd Bridge, Finance Committee, Financial Reports, Insurance Committee, OMA, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Reports, Public Safety, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, School Districts, Taxes, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on November 18, 2015| Leave a Comment »
The Village Board will hold their regular monthly meeting tomorrow evening at 6:30 PM. Some of the topics for discussion on the agenda include:
- [Vote] Authorizing the Acceptance of a Financial Advisory Agreement with William Blair & Company, L.L.C. Res. 15- [Police Pension Obligation Bond]
- [Vote] Approving a Collective Bargaining Agreement between VBH and the Metropolitan Alliance of Police, Chapter #576, 2015 to 2017 Res 15 –
- [Vote] Repeal Vehicle Registration Ordinance Title 9 Chapter 6 (Vehicle Sticker Program) Ord. 15 –
A copy of the November 19th Village Board meeting agenda can be viewed here.
October 26th Village Board meeting recordings released
Posted in 220, Accidents, Audio Recordings, BH Polo Club, Building Department, Commercial Horse Boarding, Conflict of interest, Crime, Cuba Rd Bridge, Ethics, Finance Committee, FRVPC, Heritage and Environs Committee, Horse Boarding, Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Legal Expenses, OMA, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Politics, Public Safety, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, School Districts, Taxes, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on November 6, 2015| 2 Comments »
The Village has posted the audio recordings from the October 26th Board of Trustees meeting. The entire public portion of the meeting lasted just under two and a half hours.
A total of ten people spoke during Public Comment, and the two topics on most people’s minds were the discussion of the Police Pension Obligation Bond, and a vote on the issuance of a special use permit to shift an existing artificial lake located on a Plum Tree Road property (by a factor of about half an acre).
The former Village President spoke fourth, and once again, asked questions of the chair, as though public comment was his opportunity for debate with board members. When his questions weren’t answered, he went on to actually claim “We never had a non-dialogue, ah, rule issue. This board, I’d always expected Trustees to be able to respond to questions, including, um, during the regular part of the meeting, which, those of you who have been here would have known that.” Those comments can be heard here.
The very next speaker provided his recollection of how public comment was actually changed by the previous president’s administration and how new stringent rules were instituted in 2011, and his comments can be heard here. In fact, in October of 2011, public comment was moved to the end of what were then very lengthy Village Board meetings, as readers may recall from our editorial at that time (seen here).
Regarding the special use permit vote for the existing artificial lake off Plum Tree Road, four opponents spoke, but none of their objections seemed related to the alteration of the lake itself, but other issues they apparently had with the property owner.
This included one very vocal individual who has spoken out at a number of meetings (who lives in her mother’s home according to public records) against the lake alteration. After that, the final speaker, an attorney for the property owner at the meeting, stated the following:
“Much of the objection regarding the uses is opposed by Ms. [Sharon] Meroni, we just wanted to point out that, uh, Defend the Vote, her charitable organization, also has a mailing address of [Surrey Lane] in Barrington Hills, and we have a letter from her requesting, ah, a $100,000 donation to her organization located at her house, and that I’d like the Board to consider. It’s pretty self-evident.”
It’s unclear how her frequent objections to the issuance of a special use permit for alteration of an artificial lake turned into a solicitation of a very large donation from the applicant, but the applicant’s attorney did preface his comments by submitting the correspondence he referenced to the Village Clerk. The recording of his comments can be heard here.
Once public comments concluded, the board then turned to the business before it, and a number of matters were discussed and decided upon.
The topic of the Police Pension Obligation Bond was tabled until the November meeting, but not without discussion. President McLaughlin provided some insight into the current status, including the fact that the Village has no direct say in who manages the police pension fund investment. Only the members of the police department make that choice, and it is up to them to determine if the performance of the investments is satisfactory, regardless of the future costs to Barrington Hills taxpayers.
In light of the ongoing “below median returns” of the current pension fund managers, this situation could result in a $43 million liability on the part of residents for the pension fund in the next 25 years. We encourage readers to listen to McLaughlin’s perspectives on the matter by clicking here.
The special use permit for the artificial lake was approved, with dissention on the parts of Trustees Gohl and Harrington. Despite the fact that Trustee Konicek explained the Zoning Board had thoroughly reviewed the application and had approved it unanimously at their August meeting, both trustees voted no.
Perhaps the fact that the vocal objector with “issues” with the property owner (that were unrelated to the alteration of the lake) is related to a former Trustee had some influence in their decision.
The other major issue weighing on most residents’ minds came after a break for executive session: the settlement of a lawsuit against the Village over the passage of the LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse Boarding Amendment earlier this year.
Before any discussion or vote occurred, the Village Attorney read a summary of the terms of the settlement into the public record which had been discussed at length during executive session. Click here to listen to the recording of the Village Attorney’s summary.
Trustees were then provided an opportunity to speak about their sentiments toward the settlement, the amendment, and in some cases, the process that let to its passage, as well as their disposition regarding settlement. Most readers will find opinions that they agree or disagree with, however we strongly encourage all readers to listen to these comments which can be heard by clicking here.
When the time came to vote, Trustees Gohl and Harrington voted no, Trustee Maison abstained, and Trustees Cecola, Croll and Konicek as well as President McLaughlin voted in favor of the resolution to settle.
The link to the menu of edited recordings for the full meeting, by topic, can be accessed by clicking here.
October 26th Village Board meeting agenda released
Posted in Accidents, Agendas, Board of Health, Building Department, Commercial Horse Boarding, Crime, Cuba Rd Bridge, Finance Committee, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Horse Boarding, Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Minutes, OMA, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Reports, Public Safety, Roads & Bridges Committee, Special Use Permits, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on October 23, 2015| Leave a Comment »
The Village has released the agenda for Monday evening’s Village Board meeting taking place at 6:30 PM at Village Hall. Some of the topics for discussion and vote include:
- [Vote] Authorizing the Acceptance of a Financial Advisory Agreement with William Blair & Company, L.L.C. Res. 15-
- [Vote] Adopt the Illinois Adopt-A-Highway Act and to Set Forth Village Requirements Allowing Local Groups to Adopt Village Highways Res. 15-
- [Vote] Granting a Special Use Permit Allowing for the Construction, Use and Maintenance of an Artificial Lake at 789 Plum Tree Rd Ord. 15 –
- [Vote] Authorizing the Settlement of the litigation entitled, James J. Drury, as agent of the Peggy D. Drury Declaration of Trust U/A/D 02/04/00, Jack E. Reich and James T. O’Donnell v. Village of Barrington Hills,Case No. 2015 CH 03461 and entry of an Agreed Dismissal Order Res. 15-
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.
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