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The
Glenview Watch February 6, 2000 |
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ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE. . .
Larry Carlson, the heating/cooling/electric man, won a hot seat on the
Village Board of Trustees last week by saying, "My biggest
qualification is that I love Glenview." After about 15 minutes
of Board chit chat, Carlson got the okay from all five voting Trustees.
Look for Carlson's smiling face in the chair vacated by Trustee Joyce
Schmidt, who went bye-bye in December for you know what.
The Trustees apparently decided that Carlson's love of village was deeper
than James Patterson's. He professed his own devotion, but
could not win the seat last month – despite President Nancy Firfer's
effusive praise and Patterson's frequent use of the word
"soccer." (Carlson didn't mention soccer once in his
remarks.)
Patterson lost out, in part, because he lacked financial expertise.
Enter Carlson, who has served 14 years on Glenview's Plan Commission and
before that on the Appearance Commission – neither of which handle
village budget and fiscal matters. How much does he know about
municipal finance and real estate deals? That question wasn't even
raised during public debate by the Board.
Nor did the trustees object to the way President Firfer nominated Carlson.
There was no public notice given – not even a resume included in the
packet of background material left at the library each weekend before
Board Meetings.
Trustee Rachel Cook did call for a two-week delay on the vote so the
public could consider and comment on the nominee. Alas, colleagues
Donna Pappo and John Crawford – who also campaigned on a promise of open
government – saw no need to hear from citizens before casting their
votes.
COSMIC CARLSON ON THE ISSUES
DEVELOPMENT: " I think you have development which is a natural
course. . .where we live was once trees and forest. The wise
development of a town is very important and for the most part that has
happened. Then you have over development where a developer wants to
put in wall-to-wall asphalt and buildings as high as he can possibly get
them. Some development is inevitable, but we have to make sure
we know the difference between development as a natural course and over
development."
TRAFFIC: "I wish I had a magical wand to make about half
of it go away. I was pleased to see what has happened on Glenview
Road where traffic was deliberately constricted. Over the last year
or two, I've see a lessening of that congestion as those people from other
towns that used Glenview Road as a cut through have gone to Lake or Golf
and that has helped the downtown traffic. I don't like increased
traffic any more than anyone else."
OPEN SPACE: "I've seen a sea change in people's thoughts
on open land. . .When something's gone it's gone, and it's never coming
back. . .What we have to figure out is what we want and how we're going to
pay for it." (How convenient to consider costs when talking
about open space, but to play fast and free with the money when building a
great park.)
WAGNER FARM: "Frankly, I was surprised. I didn't
think that it was going to pass. I didn't think people were willing
to pay out of their pockets to have extra land and a bit of our heritage
maintained. But I am glad that they did, and I think that shows a
part of the change in opinion that people feel about open space. "
MACRO OR MICRO PHONY
The sound from President Firfer's microphone was simply awful for those at
Village Hall and people watching on cable tv. This time it was the
equipment. Her microphone had apparently been vandalized prior to
the meeting, and the tv crew couldn't fix it.
There was also trouble over a microphone on the public podium. When
debate got hot over school impact fees, President Firfer refused to permit
former District 225 Board Member Art Wulf to speak a second time.
She ignored a motion by Trustee Pappo to give Wulf five more minutes and
poured gasoline on the already overheated situation by claiming that
District 225 doesn't even have a public comment time. Wulf responded
by calling Firfer a liar.
By now, as so often happens, President Firfer had lost control of
the meeting. Police had been called to the Board room, and in a
desperate effort to silence "public enemy" Wulf, staffer
Don Owen marched to the podium and snatched the microphone away for
safekeeping. Trustee John Patton Jr., said everyone had heard
enough of Wulf. Crawford and Cook, who campaigned on a promise of
responsive, respectful government, said nothing.
Firfer should chill-out and let the public speak, or she'll be drawing
fans from the World Wrestling Federation and The Jerry Springer Show.
SCHOOL DAZE
Are you still trying to make sense of school funding scheme linked to Tax
Increment Financing at the Glen? A group of concerned citizens wants
to meet with Village Manager McCarthy to learn more. Look to the
Glenview Watch to let you know the meeting date and location.
GLENVIEW'S BOOK IN THE BLACK?
Good ol' boys Brian Boyd, Paul Thomas and Jim Smirles were beaming as they
handed leather-bound copies of their taxpayer subsidized book, Glenview:
The First Centennial, to the trustees last Tuesday. The ever smiling
Smirles says the book is at the break-even point and may even show a
"modest profit." We can't wait to see the bottom line and
the accounting to go with it. Get your calculator ready,
Trustee Crawford.
THE OWLS COME HOME TO ROOST
The Glenview Prairie Preservation Project is asking the Village to
consider environmental protection for the Northern Triangle – a section
of the Glen just north of Willow Road. A top Chicago law firm
which represents the group says our Environmentally Significant Areas
Ordinance clearly applies. Ten of the 41 acres are wetlands,
and the Triangle provides habitat for rare birds and butterflies.
Trustee Kent Fuller may feel otherwise, but he must admit to the facts.
It was Fuller who spotted a Great Horned Owl on the Triangle just last
year.
UPDATE
Village Manager Paul McCarthy will host a special meeting next Monday,
February 14th at 7 pm in the lower level conference room of his office
(next to the Board room at Village Hall). Everyone is invited to
come and ask questions or express concerns about funding of our schools.
If you're confused about how tax increment financing will impact our
classrooms, worried about overcrowding, concerned about impact fees on and
off the base, this is your chance. Bring a number two lead pencil
and be sure to eat a good breakfast. For more information, call
Manager McCarthy's office: 724-1700.
YOUR TURN
What's on your mind? Drop us a line by e-mail at GlenviewWatch@aol.com or the old-fashioned way. We're at 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Thanks for reading. Dean Schott and Sandy Hausman, Co-Editors of The Watch.