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Archive for the ‘Audio Recordings’ Category

January 9th Roads & Bridges Special Meeting recordings posted

Posted in Audio Recordings, Barrington Hills Farm, HARPS, Kane, Land Use, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Traffic, Uncategorized on January 13, 2017| 1 Comment »

 

 Audio recordings from the January 9th Special Meeting of the Roads & Bridges Committee have been posted to the Village website.  To access the main menu of recordings edited by agenda topic, click here.

 Representatives from Enbridge and their contractors attended the meeting and answered questions involving an upcoming petroleum pipeline maintenance project in Fox River Grove, which will begin the week of January 16th.   The project will take place along Algonquin River Road (between Church and Braeburn Roads) on the northern border of the village.  Expected to last several months, construction will impact local traffic and motorists will likely encounter prolonged lane closures on River Road during the height of the work. 

Directly impacted residents should receive notification about the project from Enbridge, and the Village also expects to send out community alerts as needed.  Click here to listen to the Enbridge discussion.  

The committee was also updated on the Longmeadow Parkway (LMP). Kane County has started tree removal in conjunction with the project, with the Barrington Hills portion included in the early phases. However, the Village had notified Kane County that Autumn Trail is a private road, and not a village road and had suggested that Kane’s Resolution to assume maintenance responsibility of the portion of Autumn Trail affected by LMP be revised to clarify this. Review of the approved resolution showed that no changes had been made by Kane County to reflect the inaccuracy.

The last agenda item was an unnecessarily protracted discussion of the terms for the dedication of an easement to the Village for landscape, drainage and/or utilities on the western edge of the proposed HARPS facility located at the corner of Church and Chapel Roads in unincorporated McHenry County.  Nearly 45 minutes of the meeting was devoted to the topic, with several tedious questions by Trustee Gohl.  He questioned why the Village would have to grant the landowner any permitted easement at all.  He was informed by the village engineer that this same access permit process would be required of any property owner wishing to create a roadway entry point for anything more than a typical single family residential use (e.g. a new subdivision or an accessory driveway), due to the increased impact to the road, the multiple access points, wider required access points, etc.

And once again, the father of the former village president, who is also a representative of Barrington Hills Farm, once again attempted to insinuate that the village was intentionally dragging its feet in approving the easement, thus delaying the start of construction of the entire project.  However, he did admit that it was the trust’s own decision not to proceed with the other aspects of the project.

The Board of Trustees is expected to approve the agreement at their next meeting on Monday January 23rd.  The full discussion of the easement matter can be found here.

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October Roads & Bridges meeting recordings posted

Posted in Algonquin Rd, Audio Recordings, Longmeadow Parkway, Roads & Bridges Committee on November 18, 2016| 1 Comment »

Audio recordings from the October 20th meeting of the Roads & Bridges Committee have been posted to the Village website.  To access the main menu of recordings edited by agenda topic, click here.

One person made public comments, however he was with a firm that will be submitting a bid to provide engineering services to Barrington Hills.

The 2017 road resurfacing program was discussed, and, for the second year in a row, Committee Chair Brian Cecola suggested that resurfacing of the Village Hall parking lot should be postponed in favor of further catching up on residential road maintenance.  The village engineer stated he would look into which roads may be brought forward from the 2018 work schedule that would fit into the budget, if the parking lot resurfacing be postponed.

Drainage issues along a portion of Oak Knoll Road were discussed at the suggestion of Trustee Konicek, and that conversation can be heard here.

A Longmeadow Parkway update was provided that should be of interest to Autumn Trail residents.  It seems Kane County was unaware this road is private and that homeowners own the right of ways, not the Village, as can be heard here.

This discussion later expanded to the ramifications of the Longmeadow Parkway project from already congested traffic on Algonquin Road/Route 62 and proactive efforts by Village officials to mitigate safety issues for residents should that roadway ever be expanded to four lanes.  Intersections at Bateman and Old Sutton Roads, as well as horse trail crossings, are among the biggest concerns expressed during the meeting.

The next Roads & Bridges meeting is scheduled for December 15th.

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September Roads & Bridges meeting recordings released

Posted in Audio Recordings, Commercial Horse Boarding, County, HARPS, McHenry, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee on October 6, 2016| 3 Comments »

Audio recordings from the September 22nd Roads & Bridges Committee meeting are available for review on the Village website.  To access the menu of edited recordings by agenda topic, click here.

Trustee Gohl managed to make an appearance for the second month in a row, after over a year of consistent absences.  Perhaps the fact that he’s up for re-election next April has motivated him to fulfill his responsibility as a voting member of the committee.

The meeting began with a general discussion of the plowing services to be provided by Cuba Township for the upcoming winter season for Village roads.  Randy Marks, Highway Commissioner for the township, provided an overview of how the township deploys plows based on varying forecasts and weather conditions.

Marks reviewed with the committee the township’s policy of replacing mailboxes that may be damaged by plowing, especially if the post is not properly set in the ground, or the mailbox is not properly secured.  If a mailbox is damaged on a Village maintained road, residents can contact the Township Roads Department (website link here), and they will come out and replace it with a basic post, mailbox, or both as a part of their services free of charge.

Final detail work on the Veterans’ Crossing Bridge is nearly complete, and another ceremony is planned next month on Veteran’s Day at the bridge site.  The committee discussed concerns expressed by residents regarding line of sight at the bridge intersections and plan to address them, including clearing plant growth obstructing views at stop signs.

The 2016 road resurfacing projects have been completed, and two additional roads (Hawthorne Lane and River Road) which were not scheduled until next year for resurfacing were included in this year’s program.  Despite the addition of future projects, this year’s roads maintenance expenses still came in slightly under budget.

Chapel, Church and the northern portion of Haegers Bend Roads are scheduled for resurfacing in 2017. However, since this year’s program was so productive, the committee will be reviewing the overall long-term plan to evaluate future resurfacing projects than may be brought forward while asphalt prices are still reasonable.

The last discussion item was a right of way dedication along Church Road in preparation for Barrington Hills Farm’s planned development of a new HARPS facility – a topic Trustee Cecola has apparently received a number of questions about, specifically as to why approval is taking “so long.”  The recording of the process necessary to make this happen can be heard here, and it involves more Village bodies than simply the Roads & Bridges Committee.

It’s unclear if any political hay is being made over any perceived delay, but the recordings bear out the fact that the time needed for approval involved plans submitted by the developer of the property to the county (not Barrington Hills), and the fact that the proposed development is not in Barrington Hills.  It was mentioned that the Village requested to be involved when the HARPS plans were being considered by McHenry County, but county officials declined.

The next meeting of the Roads & Bridges Committee is scheduled for October 20th.

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August Roads & Bridges Committee meeting recordings available

Posted in Algonquin Rd, Audio Recordings, Cuba Rd Bridge, Equestrian Commission, Longmeadow Parkway, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Well Water Quality on September 7, 2016| 2 Comments »

Audio recordings from the August 25th meeting of the Roads & Bridges Committee meeting are available for review on the Village website.  There was no public comment during a fairly routine meeting, however, we are pleased to report Trustee Gohl, who is assigned to the committee, attended the meeting for the first time in well over a year.

Finishing touches are being completed on Veteran’s Crossing (formerly the Cuba Road Bridge), including trash cleanup and seeding and grading where grass was disturbed.  Dan Strahan, Village Engineer, also reiterated that the Village will receive a discount off of the final invoice for the bridge reconstruction due the Contractor’s delay in the completion of the bridge.

Spring Creek Road west of Haegers Bend Road will be closed until December due to road work.  This is primarily due to work Algonquin is performing on Highland Avenue, however, Barrington Hills is paying for a small portion of the work to resurface the road within our border.

It was reported that the 2016 roads and drainage projects as well as engineering fees are coming in at or below budget even with the addition earlier this year of resurfacing a portion of River Road which was scheduled for 2017.

IDOT issued a transportation bulletin which included a request for proposal for “Phase I” engineering feasibility study in 2017 for the widening of Algonquin Road (IL 62) to four lanes in Barrington Hills in anticipation of the Longmeadow Parkway Project going through.  Strahan noted this planning project was specified as a 48-month task, so even this first step would likely take over four years.

Trustee Cecola mentioned that in a prior meeting with an IDOT official on the matter it was agreed that some form of crossing to allow horseback riders would be considered over the widened roadway in the form of a bridge or an underpass to prevent the disconnection of trails.  That full IDOT discussion can be heard here.

To access the menu of edited recordings by agenda topic, click here.

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June Roads & Bridges Committee meeting recordings released

Posted in Animal Welfare, Audio Recordings, Cuba Rd Bridge, Equestrian Commission, HARPS, Politics, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Springfield, VBHPD on June 27, 2016| 6 Comments »

Audio recordings from the June 16th Roads & Bridges meeting have been posted to the Village website.  To access the menu of edited recordings by agenda topic, click here.

Two residents made public comments on a variety of topics, and their remarks to the committee can be heard here.

The Cuba Road Bridge reconstruction project update followed and brought news of further delays.  Dan Strahan, Village Engineer, reported that the contractor on the project requested the deadline for completion of the bridge be extended due to an error on their part with “shop drawings” and a change in steel support materials. 

Both IDOT and the Village refused an extension, and depending on how far beyond the original final date for completion it takes to reopen the bridge, IDOT and the Village will likely get monies back in the form of penalties deducted from the final invoice.  The contractual deadline for completion is August 7th.

When Strahan concluded his report, Chairman Cecola remarked that he expected he would be receiving calls from residents regarding what seem like undue further delays.  The discussion of the further Cuba Road Bridge SNAFU’s can be heard here.

Updates on the 2016 road programs, including pavement markings for some roads, patching of Ridge Road, drainage issues and the planned roadwork on Helm, Healy, River and Woodcreek Roads, as well as Lakeview, Hawthorne and Tamarack Lanes were then discussed.

Trustee Cecola, who also oversees public safety, concluded the meeting with some comments on recent vehicular accidents in the Village, including one involving one of our officers, and his praise of how our officers have responded to these unfortunate occurrences.  His remarks can be heard by clicking here.

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May Roads & Bridges Committee meeting recordings released

Posted in Audio Recordings, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cook, County, Cuba Rd Bridge, HARPS, Kane, Longmeadow Parkway, McHenry, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Well Water Quality on June 2, 2016| 1 Comment »

Village Hall staff recently released recordings from the May 19th meeting of the Roads & Bridges Committee meeting.  The link to the menu of edited recordings by agenda item can be accessed here.

The meeting lasted just over an hour and began with two residents making public comments.  The first was concerned about “pooling” water on a property on Old Hart Road due to possible culvert issues.  The second resident spoke of numerous topics including private property drainage projects leading to water on Village roads, delays on the Cuba Road Bridge project, “cut-through” commuter traffic littering our Village roads and how the Longmeadow Parkway Project will exacerbate this problem.    

Both of their comments can be heard here.

Bids for the 2016 roads program brought some good news, since the costs of asphalt is significantly lower than in previous years due to the decline in petroleum prices.  As a result, the costs to resurface roads planned for this year will be about $100,000 less than originally budgeted.

Dan Strahan of Gewalt Hamilton then suggested resurfacing the parking lots at Village Hall with the surplus budget money available.  This project was originally slated for next year according to a plan recommended by Strahan, but Chairman Cecola repeatedly instructed Strahan to seek other future Village road projects to move forward to this year that will be more beneficial to residents.

It’s perplexing to us why Strahan would make such a recommendation considering he authored a report on the significant backlog of road resurfacing projects in 2014 (as we previously reported here), and he proposed restriping the Village Hall parking lots just last year, which was performed at a lower price than the original bidder Strahan presented after Cecola requested a new proposal.

The discussion of the 2016 road projects can be heard here.

It was reported that Chapel Road is once again flooding in an area near where the new HARPS facility is planned.  At times water heights are high enough that the road must be closed.  The committee plans to address this issue, and road repair, possibly including raising the roadway, will take place in 2017.     

The resurfacing of Spring Creek Road will take place sometime towards the fall now since Algonquin wishes to keep highland Avenue open for summer baseball league play according to the recordings.  Also, Cook County officials apparently told some Brinker Road residents who inquired that Brinker will be resurfaced sometime next year, however this has not been confirmed by Village officials.

The Cuba Road Bridge is now tentatively scheduled to open before the July 4th holiday.  Work around the bridge, such as cleanup and landscaping, will continue throughout July.  The recording of that project update can be heard here.

Under “New Business,” President McLaughlin distributed a rough draft of a request for proposal for providing engineering services to Barrington Hills.  He explained this is not a reflection on the services Gewalt Hamilton has been providing, but an effort to make sure the Village is receiving competitive rates.  That recording can be accessed by clicking here.

Trustee Cecola closed the meeting with some comments on the Longmeadow Parkway Project as a result of contact he’s had with residents.  He reiterated the fact that the Village Board passed a resolution in 2015 opposing the construction of roadway (see “Resolution of Opposition to Construction of the Longmeadow Parkway (Bolz Road) Bridge”), and that the board also declined  to approve the latest McHenry County Transportation Plan as drafted due to its specific support of the Longmeadow project.  His comments can be heard here.

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April Roads & Bridges meeting recordings released

Posted in Audio Recordings, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee on May 10, 2016| 1 Comment »

Audio recordings from the April 21st Roads & Bridges Committee meeting have been posted to the Village website for residents to review.  Those interested in the status of the Cuba Road Bridge reconstruction project should pay particular attention to the public comments recording, since the bridge reopening might be delayed until as late as early July due to utilities not being properly relocated before construction began.  

A resident asked Dan Strahan, of Gewalt Hamilton and Bob Kosin, Village Administrator, why they did not provide better oversight of the relocation of utility lines prior to the general contractor beginning their work.  The speaker pointed out this project has been discussed and planned for years, so this delay should have been avoided.

Not surprisingly, Strahan and Kosin stated it was the fault of the utility companies and not theirs.  However, recordings from the February Roads & Bridges show the utility companies involved (AT&T, ComEd and Comcast), had moved their lines “late last summer,” which provided more than ample time for inspection by Gewalt Hamilton and others to make sure they were properly relocated in order for the bridge work to proceed on schedule.   

The recording of the understandably frustrated resident’s questions can be accessed by clicking here.

The menu of edited recordings by agenda topic from the meeting can be accessed here.

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March Roads & Bridges Committee meeting recordings available

Posted in Audio Recordings, Cuba Rd Bridge, EJ&E/Canadian National, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Village Board on March 25, 2016| 1 Comment »

The Roads & Bridges Committee met on March 17th, and recordings from that meeting are now available on the Village website for review.

A representative from ComEd led the meeting off with his company’s plan to convert all the streetlights in Barrington Hills (there are 15) to LED lighting sometime this summer.  This energy saving conversion will come at no cost to the Village.

During the monthly update on the Cuba Road Bridge reconstruction project there was discussion of possibly renaming the new bridge to honor veterans when it is opened.  This idea was first discussed more than a year ago and will be taken up again at the March 30th Board of Trustees meeting.

Lower oil prices have caused a marked decrease in the price of asphalt according to preliminary estimates for the 2016 Village roads projects.  Costs per ton of asphalt have typically been in the $70-75 range for some time, but this year it’s approximately $50-55 per ton.

Based on this savings, consideration may be given to expanding this year’s road program to include roads scheduled for repaving in 2017.  This would allow the Village to get ahead of schedule in making up for the nearly five mile backlog of resurfacing projects created from 2006-2011.  Trustees will consider their options during their monthly meeting next week.

The menu of edited recordings from the meeting can be accessed here.

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February Roads & Bridges Committee meeting recordings available

Posted in Algonquin Rd, Audio Recordings, County, Cuba Rd Bridge, Going green, Kane, Longmeadow Parkway, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee on March 7, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Recordings from the February 18th Roads & Bridges Committee meeting are now available on the Village website for review.

One resident had a question regarding the Longmeadow Parkway project during the public comment session that led to about ten minutes of Q&A on the subject.  That recording can be heard here.

During the general discussion it was learned that utility companies were continuing to cause problems leading to delays to the Cuba Road Bridge project.  Committee chair Brian Cecola and others present met with representatives of ComEd to discuss the issues their crews had caused, particularly with misplaced newly installed utility poles.

Corrective action was expedited by ComEd, and a potentially significant delay in the completion of the bridge project was avoided.  Still, with the missteps made by all the utilities involved, there could be a two week delay in the bridge completion.

It was reported that ComEd would complete installation of Smart Meters by the end of February on homes where residents would allow them.  Also, one of the annual rites of spring, the lowering of vehicle weight limits on Village roadways, will take effect today, March 7th.  A 10 ton limit will apply, with the exception of vehicles delivering animal feed and refuse trucks.

The 2016 Village road resurfacing program will begin after the Cuba Bridge project is completed in early summer.  Requests for bids should be going out in late May.

Helm Road became the first Village road to be adopted for regular roadside cleanup by Countryside Pack 187 Cub Scouts under the new “Adopt-a-Road” program.  Congratulations to these young people for showing initiative to keep our Village clean.

Lack of communication between Kane County and IDOT ended the general discussion.  If or when the Longmeadow Parkway is completed, it seems Kane County officials could care less how the resulting increased traffic on Algonquin Road in Barrington Hills is dealt with.

The menu of edited recordings by agenda topic from the full meeting can be accessed here.

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January Roads & Bridges meeting recordings available

Posted in Audio Recordings, Cuba Rd Bridge, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee on January 29, 2016| 3 Comments »

Recordings from the January 21st Roads & Bridges Committee meeting are available for review on the Village website.

A representative of Cuba Township provided an overview of the snowplowing of Village roads so far for the 2015-2016 winter season.  His comments can be heard here. 

To access the menu of edited recordings by topic from the full half hour meeting, click here.

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