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February Village Board meeting recordings released

Posted in 220, Audio Recordings, BACOG, Building Department, Cook, County, Cuba Rd Bridge, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, McHenry, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Public Safety, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, School Districts, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on March 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Audio recordings from the February 22nd meeting of the Board of Trustees have been posted to the Village website for review.  The entire meeting lasted just over an hour, and once again there were no public comments.

The Roads & Bridges report reiterated the “utility conflicts” that were discussed in the committee’s February meeting regarding the Cuba Road Bridge project, however it was disclosed that even ComEd and Nicor’s corrected utility locations were still in conflict with the bridge location and had to be moved again.  Those interested in the bridge replacement status can listen here.

The deteriorating condition of Brinker Road was also discussed as it relates to Cook County’s inaction to repair, or even schedule repairs or resurfacing, was also discussed.  That discussion can be heard here.

Unfortunately, since Brinker is a county road, neither the Village, nor Cuba Township which repairs our Village roads, can take any interim measures to improve conditions on Brinker.

Approval of the 2016 Zoning Map was tabled due to changes to commercial horse boarding codes and the fact the trustees did not have the opportunity to review recordings or the transcript from the February ZBA meeting.  That discussion can and vote can be heard here.

Trustee Gohl’s Health, Environment, Buildings and Grounds report was, to say the least, interesting.

He expressed his concerns that the Heritage and Environs Committee (the “ad hoc committee” as he initially referred to them) was getting the “horse, or the cart ahead of the horse” by putting sample paint “splatches” around Village Hall for suggestions of new interior paint colors to improve the appearance.  Gohl was anxious about the costs of repainting the interior, among other improvements to the look of Village Hall.

This topic has been on the public agendas of this committee for six months now.  Even though Gohl (who is the designated board liaison to the Heritage and Environs Committee) hasn’t attended one of their meetings since October, this planned facelift of Village Hall should have come as no surprise to anyone.  The recording of Gohl’s report can be heard here.

During the Administration report, lifesaving awards were presented to police officers Gary Deutschle and Sabas Parada by President McLaughlin and Chief Richard Semelsberger.  The officers were recognized for their quick action in January responding to a 911 call for a woman who overdosed on heroin (see Barrington Hills police use Narcan to prevent overdose death).

The board also voted to appoint Peggy Hirsch, a resident of Barrington Hills, to fill the vacant position of Village Treasurer.  Ms. Hirsch has extensive accounting experience and is a CPA, and she will be working on a part time basis.

The menu of edited recordings by agenda topics for the entire meeting can be accessed here.

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January Village Board meeting recordings released

Posted in 220, Audio Recordings, BCFPD, Building Department, Cuba Rd Bridge, Finance Committee, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Land Disconnection, Land Use, Longmeadow Parkway, Pension Funding, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Public Safety, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, School Districts, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on February 10, 2016| 6 Comments »

Audio recordings from the January 25th regular monthly meeting of the Village Board have been posted to the Village website.  President Pro-Tem Colleen Konicek Hannigan chaired most of the two-hour meeting which, for the second month in a row, had no comments from the public.

Trustee Bryan Croll’s finance report was the longest of those covered, and his item regarding pension obligation bonds was deferred until later in the meeting so that President McLaughlin could be present for the discussion.

During the Bills For Approval report, Trustee Gohl had a list of rather obscure questions on certain invoices, which Village Clerk Anna Paul addressed quite well.  At one point, he asked even the police chief for an explanation of a bill related to a zoning inspection.

We must compliment Ms. Paul, since she seemed to be extremely prepared to provide answers regarding Bills For Approval, as well as detailed background for most other items on the agenda that evening.  This is a refreshing change since Bob Kosin, Village Administrator, seems to always need to be coaxed so speak up on such matters.

Trustee Croll also reviewed expenses for 2015, compared to those of the prior fiscal year, and mentioned reductions in many areas.  It should be noted that many of these cost reductions can be attributed to measures taken by the Board prior to his election, but his summary can be heard here.

Click to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

During the Attorney’s Report, it was learned that Barrington District 220 is seeking amendments to zoning restrictions set forth in an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) from 2004 for their recently acquired property in Barrington Hills, between Hart and Old Hart Roads (a map can be viewed here).  This, despite the fact that the district was aware of the zoning limits when they acquired the property, and they have no near-term plans for its use.

According to Village Attorney Patrick Bond’s report, the district wishes to have the ability to use the property for, “school purposes and elementary and high school use, related facilities. Elementary, middle and high school parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, athletic facilities, school related parking for school uses (not to include the storage of busses, trucks, maintenance vehicles or commercial vehicles) and administrative offices.”

Bond went on to say that such changes to the IGA would require changes to our existing Village Code, and that the district asked if Barrington Hills would consider the annexation of the property into the Village of Barrington.  As one might expect, our board members were not receptive to any changes to the IGA without any input first from adjacent property owners on Old Hart Road.

The link to the full District 220 land use discussion recording can be accessed here.

President McLaughlin joined the meeting shortly after the attorney’s report, and discussion began on the deferred topic of the Police Pension Obligation Bond (PPOB) from the finance section of the meeting. 

(It should be noted that last year the PPOB initiative was all but dismissed as an option, due to rising interest rates, but Trustee Croll had requested it be included on the January agenda so that he could make a statement on the matter.)

Croll began the discussion by reading a long prepared statement (heard here) that included the word “I” dozens of times, thus underscoring the fact he is the only member of the Finance Committee he was reporting on.  Given the considerable number of financial professionals we have living in the Village, perhaps this committee should be expanded to three members in the future in order to provide discussion and consensus. 

Additionally, his statement included many references to detailed financials, and was somewhat difficult to follow without a copy, which was not provided to his fellow board members for review in advance, nor even distributed before he read it at the meeting.

When, at one point during his discourse, President McLaughlin courteously asked him to repeat a statement, Croll indignantly retorted, “It can wait.”  Thinking better of it, Croll repeated the sentence.  When he was finished, McLaughlin thanked Croll for his accommodation, explaining he didn’t have a copy of the report to follow along with, to which Croll responded, “You can take notes.”

McLaughlin then provided a very candid perspective on the missed opportunity for residents to fully fund pensions for our police officers over two years ago at extremely favorable bond rates, as can be heard here.  The Board then unanimously voted down pursuing bonds to fund the police pension. 

Later, during the administration report, McLaughlin reviewed some of the recent activities of other taxing bodies, including the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District which is looking at switching its 911 dispatch services and possibly considering a third fire station.  McLaughlin encouraged residents to get involved in these issues, or at least stay informed on developments, as can be heard here.

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

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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.

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January 25th Village meting agendas released

Posted in Accidents, Agendas, Building Department, Crime, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Pension Funding, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Roads and Bridges, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Zoning Board on January 22, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Three meetings will take place at Village Hall on Monday, January 25th.

The Police Pension Board meets at 7:30 AM.  A copy of their agenda can be viewed here.

The Heritage & Environs meets mid-morning at 10:00 AM, and a copy of the agenda can be viewed here.

The Village Board will then be holding their regular monthly meeting beginning at 6:30 PM.  The agenda for the meeting can be viewed here.

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December 17th Village Board meeting recordings available

Posted in Accidents, Audio Recordings, Board of Health, Building Department, Crime, Cuba Rd Bridge, Financial Reports, Insurance Committee, Police Reports, Public Safety, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Roads and Bridges, Taxes, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Zoning Board on December 30, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Audio recordings from the regular December meeting of the Board of Trustees are posted to the Village website for review.

There were no comments from the public, and the meeting lasted only about an hour.  It appears from listening to the full unedited recording that the Levy Ordinance draft was being finalized as the trustees were meeting, since it was voted on toward the end of the session. 

Perhaps this last-minute preparation is due to the recent change in the treasurer position and this caused a special December 22nd meeting to approve an amended levy.  We’ll know more when those recordings are released.

To access the menu of edited recording segments based on the agenda items, click here.

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December 8th Village Board meeting recordings posted

Posted in Audio Recordings, Financial Reports, Taxes, Village Board on December 18, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Recordings from the December 8th special meeting of the Board of Trustees have been posted to the Village website.

One resident made remarks during public comment, and those can be heard here.

The balance of the hour-long meeting was devoted to discussing and approving the preliminary 2016 Village budget, which can be viewed here.  The recording of those discussions can be accessed here.

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

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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.

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November Village Board meeting recordings available

Posted in 220, Audio Recordings, BACOG, Board of Education, Board of Health, Building Department, Cook, County, Cuba Rd Bridge, Ethics, Finance Committee, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Insurance Committee, Land Disconnection, Land Use, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Politics, Public Safety, Road construction, Roads and Bridges, School Districts, Special Use Permits, Taxes, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on December 8, 2015| 4 Comments »

The Village has recently posted recordings from the November 19th meeting of the Board of Trustees. 

The entire public meeting lasted just under three and a half hours.  Those who attended the meeting or listen to the entire recordings will likely recognize the reason for the unnecessarily drawn-out discussions.

Six residents made public comments at the beginning of the meeting, with five of them speaking their minds on the topic of the Police Pension Obligation Bond that was on the agenda.  Unfortunately, they, and others in attendance, were in for an initial disappointment.

When the bond topic did come up on the agenda during Trustee Bryan Croll’s finance report, he refused to make a motion to consider it, stating he had no new information as can be heard here.  That seemed rather arrogant on Croll’s part considering other members of the board, including two who are full-time financial fund managers, have also been researching the topic and might have had information to add to the discussion. 

The Village Attorney was then asked if any member of the Board of Trustees could move for discussion of a topic, and not solely the Trustee assigned to the Finance Committee.  Attorney Mary Dickson began reviewing our codes, however it appears from the recordings, residents attending the meeting had already departed by the time a decision was made later during the evening. 

When it was confirmed that any board member could make the motion, Croll then decided he would make it after all, as can be heard here.

Forty-five minutes of discussion by the Trustees then followed, with Croll stating a number of times he had not been prepared to discuss the matter that evening, despite the fact that the issue has been before both the Finance Committee and the Board of Trustees for months.  Ultimately, yet another motion to table consideration of the issue was approved.

Unfortunately, the matter may be moot at this point since interest rates have inched up since the concept was first floated before the board nearly two years ago. 

Considering that the Federal Reserve Chairman is likely to announce an interest rate hike soon, this proposition is not nearly as financially beneficial as it once was, and it is a shame some board members dragged this out, due to what seems like political reasons  and foregoing the financial interests of the taxpayers who voted for them.

Later in the meeting, there were more productive discussions, and in most cases, votes were taken to decide various issues.

For example, by a unanimous vote, the Village Code which had required residents to purchase and display vehicle stickers was abolished.  That  discussion and vote can be heard here.  Also repealed was the very old code language requiring each homeowner to have landline telephone services. 

Though many readers may be scratching their heads over this one, landline service was actually required by the Village by code up until this vote.  In fact, in order to obtain an occupancy permit for a newly constructed home, proof of a landline telephone account was required.  That discussion and vote can be heard here.

Trustees also approved a new agreement with our unionized police force, which brings added benefits to the Village, as well as to sworn officers.  Chief Semelsberger seemed pleased with the new agreement, as can be heard here. 

Semelsberger also reported his satisfaction with the consolidation of 911 services to QuadCom which occurred over a month ago.  He can be heard expressing his experiences thus far by clicking here.

It was reported during the administration portion of the meeting that the Village of Barrington has expressed an interest in annexing the property recently purchased by District 220 off Hart Road which is currently located in Barrington Hills (Lot 5 as depicted in a map seen here).  We have some reservations on this matter, as do some of our Trustees it would seem, and the link to that discussion can be accessed here.

To access the menu of the complete recordings from the meeting, click here.

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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.

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Finance, Roads & Bridges Committees meet Thursday

Posted in Agendas, Cuba Rd Bridge, Finance Committee, Financial Reports, Pension Funding, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee on November 11, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Two meetings will take place tomorrow, November 12th, at Village Hall.

The Finance Committee meets at 12:30 PM.  A copy of their agenda can be viewed here.

The Roads & Bridges Committee meets at 3:30 PM, and a copy of the agenda can be viewed here.

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