|
|
The
Glenview Watch March 5, 2000 |
|
"WHERE'S MY BLANKIE?" MANAGER McCARTHY
What does it take to cure the insecure? Ask Village Manager Paul
McCarthy.
When voters put three Glenview First Trustees into office in 1999,
McCarthy fretted about his future as the Village's Major Domo, a position
he has held for 17 years. His worries are a matter of public record
in a contract unanimously approved by the Village Board last December.
"McCarthy has sought assurances concerning the character of his
performance and his continued security," the contract states, adding,
"... the Village Board is cognizant of McCarthy's concerns relating
to his future employment."
Here are the terms of McCarthy's contract:
In the event, McCarthy is terminated or suspended as
village manager, the Village will employ him as a special advisor to the
Board until May 4, 2003, when he turns 60.
His salary as special advisor will in no event be
less than his salary as Village Manager, which this year is $130,000, and
for that salary, the Village may employ McCarthy as a consultant for
only12 hours per week.
He is required to be available for consultation and
advice with the Village President via computer or telephone on regular
Village business days between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. but is not
required to be at Village Hall or even in Illinois.
As a special advisor, he will be entitled to 25
vacation days and five personal days. He can also pursue any other
full or part-time employment.
The Village agrees to pay McCarthy for all
non-personal expenses and advisory expenses, including travel, lodging,
other subsistence expenses, computer and telephone/data line expenses as
an advisor.
If the Village or McCarthy take legal action
to enforce his contract, the Village will pay his attorneys' fees and all
costs. Why? His contract recognizes an "extreme economic
disparity exists between the village and McCarthy, and that McCarthy does
not have the economic advantage or financial wherewithal that the Village
has if it becomes necessary to litigate. . ."
Note that if you, as a citizen, were to sue the Village and lose, the
Village of Glenview would sue you to recover its legal fees.
QUAKER FEELS ITS OATS
Talk was that Quaker Oats had been eyeing land at the Glen to build its
new headquarters. But in typical corporate fashion, the company
played one government body against another to leverage as many
taxpayer-supported benefits as it could.
Chicago Mayor Daley offered Quaker $9.75 million to keep the company and
its 1,000 employees in the city. Given the tight finances at the Glen,
Glenview couldn't afford that level of corporate welfare.
FOOTNOTE: The state of Illinois last week gave nearly $1 million in job
training funds to keep a Quaker Oats' plant in downstate Danville.
The community also will provide Quaker a 75 percent abatement on property
taxes for more than 10 years. Studies have shown that tax breaks are
good deals for corporations and politicians, but not for taxpayers.
PRAIRIE BRIEFING SO MUCH HOT AIR
Last week's special prairie briefing at Village Hall was a bust.
Officials who had promised details on the prairie's future spent most of
their time reviewing history pointing to color maps from our
engineering consultants and talking about plant surveys done in 1990, 1994
and 1995. Only when pressed by the public did they concede that:
No wildlife survey was ever done on the Northern
Triangle.
No one has specifically documented the butterflies,
reptiles and amphibians that live on the prairie and surrounding
grasslands.
No public hearing is scheduled to discuss
enforcement of Glenview's Environmentally Significant Areas Ordinance, and
in any event, Glenview's Planning Director Mary Bak, considers that law
"optional."
BAD NEWS FOR BIRDS
Planning Director Bak argued birds could not be used as a basis for
preserving land because birds fly over many places in Glenview. Her
misguided remark said it all. Laymen, like Bak, Paul McCarthy and
members of the Village Board, are ill-equipped to make decisions about
environmentally sensitive land.
That's why, 10 years ago, the Trustees passed the ESA ordinance. It
called for a committee of experts to oversee development around precious
natural lands, making sure that new construction did not damage nearby
habitat or hydrology. That team could tell Ms. Bak what birds nest
on and around the prairie and which ones feed on grasslands at the
Base.
As developer Catellus prepares to start construction on its industrial
park, 800 feet from the prairie, it's clear that the Village does not
intend to extend ESA protection to the prairie. Bak says they're just not
ready.
She declined to comment on the fact that members of the public have been
asking for ESA enforcement for nearly three years, and Trustee Kent
Fuller, who considers himself a champion of the environment, declined to
leave his back row seat to explain the inexcusable delay.
Officials did promise, however, to do a wildlife survey sometime this
spring. By then, of course, many birds and small mammals which
had been seen on or near the prairie could be gone driven away by new
construction.
PEACE OVER THE PRAIRIE?
On a brighter note, Village Officials say they are consulting with
Glenview Park District's experts on prairie protection. Despite
earlier reports of a rift between the Village and Park District,
Redevelopment Chief Don Owen says, "We're meeting weekly on a variety
of issues."
Owen also talked about projected costs for maintaining natural lands
$2.4 million next year alone. Glenview Watch believes most of
that money will be used to create man-made wetlands, which would not have
been necessary if the Village had opted to preserve natural wetlands on
the Northern Triangle.
LEAPIN' LIZARDS AND REMARKABLE RAPTORS
The Glenview Park District will offer special classes for kids this
spring, extolling the wonders of snakes, turtles, frogs and salamanders on
March 18, then focusing on those great birds of prey hawks and owls
on March 25. What's the lesson for our kids when
this community celebrates creatures at The Grove and destroys habitat at
the Glen?
BLOOD PRESSURES RISING IN NORTHWEST GLENVIEW
Glenbrook Hospital plans a $41 million expansion at its site near
Pfingsten and Lake. The medical center will add 114 beds and four
more surgical suites, expanding into a new four-story tower and a
one-story addition.
The news came as a surprise to School District 225, which faced massive
traffic jams this fall when the hospital closed its road to school traffic
each morning. Area residents, who already find it difficult to
access Pfingsten Road at rush hour, were also ill-informed.
Glenview Watch hopes the Village will provide citizens with details on
anticipated traffic impact, STAT. Months after Trustees
elected by the Glenview First party promised to improve communication with
Village residents, the Village Report continues to tell us what has been
done and to remind us that it's important to wear bicycle helmets.
HIGH DENSITY HOUSING COMING TO A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU
Have you read your legal notices today? That may be the only way to
find out who's building what in your neighborhood.
Folks who live near 916 Glenshire Rd. should know that the owner has asked
to rezone the land from R-4, which allows construction of four homes per
acre, to R18 (18 units per acre). The Plan Commission holds a public
hearing on the matter at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 14 in the Village Hall
Board Room.
GLENVIEW WATCH WHAT WE'RE ABOUT
This is our tenth issue, and interest is growing. Every week, new
people are added to our e-mailing list.
Only one person has asked to have her name taken off the list. After
reading about the sorry state of Village affairs, she said she felt like
leaving town. Because that was not practical, she decided, instead,
to stop reading the Glenview Watch. We hope you'll stay with us, and
share our newsletter with your friends and neighbors. If they want
their own copy, just send us e-mail addresses.
Glenview Watch does not believe in subtle, clandestine, closed-door
discourse that cuts the public out of the discussion and decision-making
on public issues that affect our lives.
Glenview Watch wants to promote up-front public debate the
kind that changes minds and changes votes on the Village Board.
Glenview Village government could be better, and Glenview Watch is doing
its part to promote change.
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.