Cuba Road east of Rte. 14 is plowed by Cuba Township
Cuba Road west of Rte. 14 in our village is currently plowed by Mac’s
For nearly fifteen years, our Village benefitted from the snow plowing services provided by the Cuba Township Road District. Inexplicably, in September of last year, Trustees Ekstrom, Croll, Riff and Strauss awarded our snow plowing services contract to Mac’s Property Management Services of Wauconda. The results have been abysmal.
The images above best illustrate the new service experienced by our residents this Winter. After a recent snow event, Cuba Township plowed Cuba Road east of Route 14 Lake Barrington, and the photo at top shows the results of their work. A photo was then taken of Cuba Road in our Village within minutes of the first photo capture, and it was plowed by Mac’s. The difference is significant and concerning.
At best, Mac’s snow plowing services have been consistently shoddy, with slow (or sometimes no) service being the experience of many residents. Lack of deicing is an oft heard complaint, and as recent as Friday’s afternoon snowfall, many witnessed their own driveways being plowed before Mac’s employees bothered to show up.
We cannot allow substandard service on our Village roads. The modest decrease in expense does not justify the liability our Board of Trustees has exposed our residents to.
Our Village does have an “out” clause with Mac’s, but Roads & Bridges Chair, Laura Ekstrom, couldn’t recall if it was 30 or 60 days. The point is moot, however, since by the time our Village Attorney sorts it out, Mac’s will be mowing lawns.
The decision to discontinue Cuba Township’s services has been a huge error in judgement, and we’re being generous in that assessment. We’re just fortunate we don’t have to call it a tragic one (yet).
With so many candidates running for various offices, we’d like to remind readers of the candidates The Barrington Hills Observer wholeheartedly endorses:
Two experienced, knowledgeable candidates are vying for the opportunity to serve Barrington Hills as village president in the April 6 election, and voters face a difficult time choosing between them.
Brian Cecola, a self-employed business owner, is a village trustee with a long record of service in the area, including leadership of the Barrington Lions Club and serving as a firefighter and board member for the Barrington Fire Department, On the Barrington Hills village board, he heads the Bridges and Public Safety Department, which accounts for a large portion of the town’s budget.
He emphasizes goals of fiscal restraint — citing the village’s record of six-straight years of levy reduction — and sees himself as a relationship builder who can work constructively with other leaders.
Our preference leans toward Cecola, whose direct experience with the village board gives him more direct insight into the workings of village government and would seem to give him a head start in working with village board members to address issues facing the community. He gets our endorsement.
The pandemic that created so many hardships in 2020 is far from behind us, but with vaccines already being distributed to millions and the calendar turning to a new year, there’s reason for optimism as we begin 2021. We asked mayors and village presidents in the Northwest suburbs what they hope to see their communities accomplish in the year ahead.
Barrington Hills, Martin McLaughlin
The village is currently testing the use of cameras to create a “virtual gated community,” which if approved, will be implemented in 2021.
Barrington, Karen Darch
Next year, we are looking forward to leading the community “back to normal” after the pandemic and beginning work on our Route 14 Metra access project as well as engineering work on the Route 14 underpass.*
South Barrington, Paula McCombie
In 2021, we are looking forward to working on an increase in development and new business, as well as the completion of our serenity garden in our Village Conservancy.
The plans of Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Lake Barrington and others can be viewedhere.
The first (and only) podcast was inFebruary, and we think she should reactivate it given current events (District 220, for example), since the first one was so stimulating!
It was long considered illegal to leave your horse unattended on the streets of Arlington Heights without having it securely fastened somewhere.
How long ago? Until this week.
The village’s lawyer found the antiquated rule on unattended equines and other “draft animals” when she went to update village code about negligent and distracted driving, a far more common occurrence in 21st-century suburbia than horses running loose through the streets.
“I think this may be the last vestige of something that’s truly, truly, truly old,” said Robin Ward, the village’s in-house counsel.
Ward was surprised when she found the old section of municipal code because much of it had been cleaned up during a re-codification in 1995. Before that, the code was updated in the 1960s. But the horse rule likely predates that, into the 1920s, Ward said.
Barrington Hills officials are exploring whether changes are needed in the village’s open burning regulations after hearing from residents on several sides of the issue.
Resident Nina Chandel recently told the village’s public safety committee the ordinance for residential property needs a definition for habitat restoration open burning. She also suggested a modification for approved habitat restoration open burning days to be available based on wind speed and the air quality index.
Chandel said the current burning policy is hindering her ability to restore 4 acres of forest to natural health near her home.
“I now have masses of invasive brush on my residential property that cannot be removed or chipped or mulched,” Chandel said. “And it cannot reasonably be burned within the three-hour, five-foot single location limits that are in the current ordinance. Right now, this massive invasive brush presents health and safety hazards for the forest plants and wildlife and for us.”
Resident Justin Pawlik questioned Barrington Hills’ 10 p.m. cutoff time for a fire during the village board’s public safety committee last Thursday.
In what turned out to be a hard fought, oft times contentious campaign, some may have thought we were asking for a leap of faith from our readers, and we continue to appreciate the confidence bestowed upon us by our readers. Though this year’s campaign is the quietest we’ve witnessed in 10 years, the stakes are no less high than they were four years ago.
Five residents are running for three seats on our Board of Trustees. Two residents are incumbent Trustees, one is a current member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, the other two ran unsuccessfully for village positions in 2017. Here are our thoughts on these five candidates:
Louis Iacovelli: Louis seems like an affable guy in the computer software business. His campaign website is well done, though it would be more suitable to have photo of a location in the Village on the home page and not unincorporated McHenry County.
We cannot support Louis candidacy for the simple reason his wife, Gigi Iacovelli, is the treasurer of the Barrington Hills Park District. Currently a candidate for election on the park board herself, she derives at least part of her income by providing lessons at the district. While this is not a direct conflict of interest, the potential for lack of objectivity may cause concern in a trustee position.
Linda H. Cools: Linda ran as a write-in candidate for trustee 2 years ago, and after two recent Board of Election hearings, she is running for trustee on the April 2nd ballot.
The best thing one can say about Linda is she will do anything to get elected. This was evidenced by the fact that she (‘misspoke’) under oath multiple times to the Village President, President Pro-Tem and the Deputy Village clerk (seeTruth or consequences). We have no place in such a small village for unrepentant (misspeakers)!
Buettner
Debra Buettner: Debra had served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for nearly 4 years when President McLaughlin asked her to consider running for Trustee. When she asked if he needed her help, he replied “Yes.” And that’s why she’s running today.
Debra founded her law firm about the same time she moved to the village nearly thirty years ago. She is a graduate of Barrington High School, and she has her CPA as well as a law degree. Her confident attitude and her experience on the Zoning Board warrant our endorsement for Board of Trustees.
Cecola
Brian D. Cecola: Brian became a Trustee in 2015 and was given responsibility for Roads and Bridges as well as Public Safety. No one adequately prepared him for the conditions he would be inheriting, but as most residents now recognize, he was up for the challenge and then some.
Brian also graduated from Barrington High School and he also owns his own business. He and his wife, Stephanie, and their three children are active in the community, participating in the neighborhood clean up days and riding trail maintenance.
Brian is also very active in philanthropy, is President of the Lions Club, and helped found and run the Fourth of July tent and fireworks. Despite all this, when President McLaughlin asked him to serve another term, he agreed, and he has our wholehearted endorsement.
Bryan C. Croll: Bryan was also elected to the Board of Trustees in 2015. He has been in charge of monitoring the finances of the village with the day-to-day oversight Peggy Hirsch, Village Treasurer. He and Peggy also keep track of police pension fund performance.
Bryan and his wife Josie have three children and he manages his family business remotely in Arizona. He donates his spare time to causes such as Barrington Area Conservation Trust and the local riding club.
We had some concerns with Bryan’s willingness to work with others early on in his first term. We now are equally concerned with his motivations in seeking a second term, and this publication cannot in good conscience unreservedly endorse him.
Overall endorsements: The Daily Herald, Village President Martin McLaughlin and President Pro-Tem Colleen Konicek Hannigan have endorsed Bryan Croll, Brian Cecola and Debra Buettner for Trustees of Barrington Hills.
Cecola and Buettner have the unconditional support of The Barrington Hills Observer. Both have demonstrated a passion for our Village and willingness to serve our community. Both display the honesty, dedication and sound judgement that will represent the residents of Barrington Hills admirably for the next four years.
Early voting ends today, April 1. Election Day polls open tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM.
The Village Board will meet on tonight September 25th at 6:30 PM. The agenda and e-Packet can be found 
