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September Village Board meeting recordings available

Posted in Audio Recordings, Barrington Hills Farm, Building Department, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Legal Expenses, OMA, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Roads & Bridges Committee, Roads and Bridges, VBHPD, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on October 10, 2016| 6 Comments »

Audio recordings from the September 26th Village Board of Trustees regular monthly meeting are available for review on the Village website.  To access the menu of edited recordings by agenda topic, click here.

One resident made remarks during public comment regarding the condition of a property at the corner of Braeburn and Spring Creek Roads, which can be heard here.

The board then spent roughly twenty minutes reviewing the minutes from their prior meeting.  Most of the discussion related to how detailed the minutes should be, since audio recordings are kept in perpetuity as backup for details of what transpired in any given meeting, but it seems some (or one board member) prefers their statements be as detailed as possible in the minutes as can be heard here.

Moving on to Finance and approval of the monthly bills, discussion revealed legal and managerial expenses related to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests were high again.  Oakwood Farm, LLC and Barrington Hills Farm contributed to the increased expenditures again last month coming in well over $9,000.

Additionally, a former member of the board also added to the legal financial burden with his requests for Open Meetings Act (OMA) investigations filed with the Illinois Attorney General’s office.  When the response to his first request did not meet with his satisfaction, he apparently filed an appeal, further adding to our legal expenses.

Citing this and other instances, attorney Patrick Bond was then asked by Trustee Konicek at what point the requestor might be required to pay for the expense rather than the taxpayer being saddled with the outlay.  Konicek’s questions and Bond’s responses can be heard here.

Later in the meeting the board took up a recommendation for amended codes from the Heritage & Environs Committee (HEC) pertaining to how trash must be contained in their “Refuse Lid Ordinance (RLO).”  Their recommendation would require all refuse to be placed in containers with hinged lids. Failure to comply will result in a fine of $50.

The intention of the HEC proposal was to alleviate trash being strewn along Village roads when plastic garbage bags either fail or animals tear into them before pickup.  A copy of their proposal can be viewed here.

Trustee Gohl motioned to approve the proposed HEC ordinance.  When asked how it would be enforced, Gohl stated, “Well, you have obviously the trash Nazi running up and down the road,” as can be heard here.

After some discussion, board members decided to survey residents prior to moving forward, and they tabled the proposal to a later meeting.  The recording of the full discussion of the HEC proposal can be heard here.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 24th.

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September Village Board meeting agenda posted

Posted in Agendas, Board of Health, Building Department, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Roads and Bridges, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on September 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The Village Board of Trustees meets Monday evening at 6:30 PM.  A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.

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August Village Board meeting recordings released

Posted in Audio Recordings, Barrington Hills Farm, Building Department, Commercial Horse Boarding, Conflict of interest, Ethics, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Horse Boarding, Land Use, Legal Expenses, Longmeadow Parkway, OP/Ed, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Politics, Public Safety, Road construction, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on September 9, 2016| 5 Comments »

Audio recordings from the August 29th Village Board of Trustees meeting have been posted to the Village website.  To access the menu of edited recordings by agenda topic, click here.

Three residents made public comments at the beginning of the meeting.  The comments ranged from a complaint regarding an abandoned home at Braeburn and Spring Creek Roads (heard here), to the Village Tree Ordinance (heard here), and the upcoming hearing on the environmental study of the Longmeadow Parkway project (heard here).

Alice Runvik was then presented an award for 25 years of service to the Barrington Hills Police Department, and the presentation can be heard here.  Alice was unable to attend the previous month’s meeting when awards were presented, and we congratulate her on her milestone of service to our community.

Unfortunately, after this high note of recognition and applause, Trustee Mike Harrington found it necessary to interrupt the proceedings with a point of order regarding the evening’s agenda.  It seems he and Trustee Gohl (or more likely their handlers outside of the boardroom) had requested the agenda to include, “a discussion and vote on whether we should have a public hearing to consider removing Jan Goss from the ZBA.”  He cited a petition including only 102 signatures as the basis for their request.

In the thirteen-minute discussion that ensued, Harrington’s best efforts to create more of the political theater residents are weary of fell flat.

President McLaughlin had asked Gohl (who made the first request) if he had contacted the chairman of the Zoning Board to discuss the matter, and Gohl had not.  McLaughlin explained that it is the Zoning Board chairman’s position to bring forth any issues, and since neither Gohl nor Harrington had afforded the chair the courtesy of input, rather than usurp the chair’s authority, McLaughlin decided not to place the matter on the agenda.

Attorney Patrick Bond then explained it is within the president’s authority to set the agendas of the Board of Trustee meetings per our Village Code, but he also told Harrington he could make a motion to discuss, but not vote on, the matter if he wished.  Harrington declined take advantage of this opportunity for discussion (since Gohl was absent from yet another meeting), instead choosing to protest and waste taxpayer’s money by demanding a written opinion from Bond.

What was not discussed is the fact that Village employee personnel matters are never discussed in public session.  They are always conducted in executive session.  Yet Harrington and Gohl did not want to afford a private citizen the same courtesy, clearly looking to grill a volunteer resident in their proposed public forum.  We find this disgraceful and ill-considered —  no matter whose idea it was.

The recording of this discussion can be heard here, and for the record, we’re told Mr. Goss was in attendance at the meeting.  It’s unknown if any political “handlers” made an appearance, however, but we doubt it.

When the business before the board resumed, the meeting became more productive.

The Village Treasurer reported during the finance report that expenditures are below budget.  She also reported that building permit revenue is “way up” from last year, perhaps indicating the slow housing economy that has dogged Barrington Hills is finally showing some promise.

On the downside, however, she stated Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) expenses are “way over” budget for this year, to the tune of 140%, including $23,000 for the prior month alone in legal fees. 

When asked for some explanation during the review of the bills for the expense increase, Patrick Bond reported, “We have received a number of FOIA’s and voluminous requests from Barrington Hills Farm, ah, J.R. Davis was the requestor (see “Barrington Hills Farm”) and also from, ah, Dr. LeCompte (Oakwood Farm).”  That recording can be heard here.

Later in the meeting, the board approved amended and restated code related to the Tree Preservation Ordinance as proposed by the Plan Commission after nearly a year’s worth of work by that body.  The new code has not yet been posted to the Village website, but those interested can check back at a later date by accessing this link.

During the Administration report, trustees were informed that the necessary updates to Village Hall, such as paint, carpeting and bringing bathrooms up to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards is estimated to cost approximately $68,000.  After some discussion, the board voted to begin “refreshing” the interior of Village Hall.

The next meeting of the Village Board is scheduled for September 26th.

Editor’s Note:  This review of these recordings marks the 2,000th article published in the Barrington Hills Observer.  We would like to express our thanks to our readers for their continued support, and look forward to providing timely news services to the residents of Barrington Hills in the future.

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July Village Board meeting recordings released

Posted in Accidents, Audio Recordings, Building Department, Crime, Cuba Rd Bridge, Finance Committee, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Newsletter, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Zoning Board on August 5, 2016| 8 Comments »

Audio recordings from the July 21st meeting of the Board of Trustees were recently posted to the Village website for review.  To access the main menu of recordings edited by agenda topic, click here.

The meeting began with awards presentations to members of the Barrington Hills Police Department for their length of service to our community.  JoAnne Gumprecht was recognized for 20 years of service, Alice Runvik for 25 years, and Dominic Caputo for 30 years.  Their awards are pictured below, and the recording of the presentations can be heard here.

VBHPD Awards

Five residents made remarks during public comment, three of which pertained to a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.  One person spoke about Barrington Hills Farm, and the last person referenced what we assume is a suggestion for the renaming of the Cuba Road Bridge.

The forty-five minute Finance report included the approval of the 2015 fiscal year audit.  A summary of the results will likely be communicated in the next newsletter, however it’s worth noting the Village general fund increased eight percent in 2015 primarily due to decreased expenses, even with one-time charges associated with migrating the Village 911 service to QuadCom.

During the Roads & Bridges report, Village Engineer Dan Strahan reported that the latest forecast for reopening the Cuba Road Bridge is August 13th.  We didn’t notice anyone working at the job site yesterday morning, but we’ll be guardedly optimistic that the bridge will be opening sometime soon.

The Plan Commission will be voting on a final draft of the amended Tree Preservation Ordinance on August 9th.  The agenda packet for this special meeting has been released and can be viewed here.

The Administration report included a recommendation from the Heritage & Environs Committee for updates to the overall décor of Village Hall, which has not been touched in decades, including painting, updating the public restrooms to adhere to ADA requirements and replacing worn carpeting and the quarry tile in the front entrance. 

Since the total estimated amounts for all that needs to be done is substantial, the board was asked to prioritize what should be done first and come up with a capital expenditure amount for this year not to be exceeded to allow work to begin.  After nearly twenty minutes of discussion, the matter was tabled to the August meeting.

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Village Board meeting Thursday

Posted in Agendas, Building Department, County, Finance Committee, Financial Reports, HARPS, Heritage and Environs Committee, McHenry, Minutes, OMA, Plan Commission, Police Reports, Roads and Bridges, Special Use Permits, VBHPD, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on July 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The Village Board of Trustees will hold their monthly meeting tomorrow night at 6:30 PM.  A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.  

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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.

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May Village Board meeting recordings released

Posted in Accidents, Audio Recordings, Building Department, Commercial Horse Boarding, Crime, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Horse Boarding, Legal Expenses, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Politics, Public Safety, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Roads and Bridges, Taxes, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on June 7, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Audio recordings from the May 23rd monthly meeting of the Village Board of Trustees are available for review on the Village website.  To access the menu of edited recordings by agenda topic, click here.

Two residents made public comments at the beginning of the two hour and fifteen minute meeting.  Both comments were related to the board’s agenda item to discuss the Target Shooting Ordinance, and those can be heard here.

The Finance report lasted over half an hour, with few noteworthy actions or revelations to report.  Most of the banter seemed to be from some members of the board who like to hear themselves talk.  A perfect example of this was Trustee Gohl’s questioning of a legal bill for ten (10) dollars.

To improve productivity during future financial discussions, it was suggested that trustees provide questions on specific invoices via email to the village treasurer in advance of the meetings so that immediate answers can be provided regarding the nature of specific invoices.  The recording of the full finance report can be heard here.

The Roads & Bridges report revealed that the Cuba Road Bridge reconstruction project is not only delayed, but it is now over budget.  Dan Strahan, Village Engineer, of Gewalt Hamilton introduced an amendment to the original resolution for the cost overrun, but when asked how much it was going to be, Strahan did not have an immediate answer for the trustees he sought approval from. 

When asked what caused the increase in costs, Strahan stated it was due to the improper relocation of utility lines that led to the delays in construction (which we’ve reported on previously).  Strahan was questioned, primarily by Trustee Konicek-Hannigan, as to who was responsible for the misplaced utility lines. 

The engineer indicated that AT&T, Comcast, ComEd and Nicor determine the location of the new lines based on the plans for the new bridge.  However it brings into question why Gewalt Hamilton did not inspect that the work was properly done last fall before Cuba Road was closed and the existing bridge removed.   It also makes one wonder how all four utilities followed the engineering plans and somehow put their lines in the wrong place.

It was only with the assistance of the village clerk and others present was it was then determined that Village’s share of the bridge cost overrun will be over $23,000 (IDOT is funding 80% of the costs of the bridge reconstruction).  Given little choice, considering the bridge must be completed, the board approved the resolution, with only Trustee Gohl voting no, and Trustee Harrington abstaining.  The recording of this discussion can be heard here.

Trustees then approved the 2016 Roads Program (heard here) with the addition of a portion of River Road slated for next year, as a result of lower asphalt prices available this year.

 Also, a draft of a request for proposal for engineering services (seen here) was distributed by President McLaughlin for review by the board.  Once comments and changes have been submitted, it will be sent out for bid later this year.  Considering we may be facing another bridge issue on Old Hart Road, perhaps emphasis on bridge projects related to utility relocation expertise should be placed as a high qualification.

The discussion of the Target Shooting Ordinance revealed there are a total of five permits currently active in the Village.  One is held by the Barrington Hills Country Club for limited skeet shooting and four have been issued to private residences — one of which seems to have become a problem with some neighbors.  That discussion can be heard here.

The Building & Zoning report revealed that a new proposed text amendment to horse boarding codes was submitted in May.  President McLaughlin described what he hoped the process would be for review by various Village bodies as can be heard here.

Attorney Patrick Bond informed the board that the Cook County State’s Attorney determined that their budget process did not violate the Open Meetings Act as a member of the prior administration had alleged.  Bond’s comments can be heard here, and he indicated that another complaint, presumably from the same source, was forthcoming.

The meeting ended with President McLaughlin making re-appointments to the Heritage & Environs Committee, and an update on improving the Village’s website using outside professional resources.  The administration report can be heard here.

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May 23rd Village Board meeting agenda released

Posted in Agendas, Building Department, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Reports, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Special Use Permits, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on May 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The Village Board will hold their regular monthly meeting Monday evening at 6:30 PM.  A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.

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April Village Board meeting recordings available

Posted in Audio Recordings, Building Department, Equestrian Commission, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Land Use, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Road construction, Special Use Permits, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on May 13, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The April 25th meeting of the Board of Trustees took place with a minimum quorum of four members present.  Pro-Tem Hannigan was out of the country, and trustees Harrington and Gohl were absent, which seems to have become a pattern since Village records indicate Harrington and Gohl have each missed seven regular or special board meetings in the last twelve months.

Four people took part in public comments at the beginning of the meeting.  The first two comments were about horses or horse boarding, and the last two were regarding a septic system.  All four comments can be heard by clicking here.

Board members later affirmed decisions made by the Zoning Board of Appeals by unanimously approving a basketball court and new signage at Countryside School and a small addition to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

During the Plan Commission report, a member of Citizens for Conservation weighed in on whether or not to treat trees infested with Emerald Ash Borers.  Her comments can be heard here, however President McLaughlin made it clear more than once that the Village has never taken a position on whether or not to treat infested trees as the speaker implied.

At the end of the meeting, President McLaughlin made reappointments to the Zoning Board, Board of Health, Plan Commission and Equestrian Commission with the unanimous support of those present.  McLaughlin also appointed Village Clerk, Anna Paul, to become the new Village Open Meetings Act Officer.  Recordings of these appointments can be heard here.

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

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March 30th Village Board meeting agenda posted

Posted in Agendas, Building Department, Cuba Rd Bridge, Financial Reports, Lighting Ordinance, Pension Funding, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Public Safety, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Special Use Permits, Taxes, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on March 28, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The Board of Trustees will hold their monthly meeting this Wednesday evening beginning at 6:30 PM.

The meeting will begin with a public hearing regarding the proposed 2016 Appropriation Ordinance.  Appropriations amounts are set higher than the budget figures already approved for 2016, and represent the maximum dollars the board may spend in a given year.   A copy of the ordinance can be viewed and downloaded here.

The agenda for the regular meeting beginning immediately following the hearing can be viewed here.

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