|
|
The
Glenview Watch |
|
Next year's budget for the Village of Glenview contains nifty gifts for the village manager and the village attorney – gifts that came as a big surprise to the public who paid for them. The informational packet placed at the library said nothing about raises for Paul McCarthy or Jeff Randall, but as part of the budget package, both were approved.
McCarthy will get $14,440 more, bringing his total annual compensation to $153,000. That puts him at the top of a list of 20 suburban village managers. Skokie pays its chief $152,250, Palatine $145,900, Highland Park $145,000, Lake Forest $137,429, Northbrook $134,600, Evanston $123,700 and Des Plaines $116,257.
Randall won an increase of $10,300 in his annual retainer which is now $84,000. In making the recommendation for that raise, Trustees John Patton and John Crawford pointed out that there had been no increase since 1995. What they failed to say is that the village attorney's compensation for hourly work not covered by the retainer has skyrocketed . Pay for work related to The Glen rose from $70,767 in 1996 to $147,314 in 1999, and outside litigation netted $69,890 in 1996 and $113,478 in 1999. As a result, his total compensation has jumped from $242,282 to $354,516.
VILLAGE TAXES GOING DOWN
The trustees were pleased to note that with a growing tax base in Glenview led by the
addition of retail on Willow and Milwaukee roads, village taxes will actually go down by about 2 percent next year. "This budget takes care of all the village services that the residents find very important," said Trustee John Patton Jr., "and we can still look forward to a decrease in the property tax rate."
Trustee John Crawford then added a sobering footnote. "Don't forget," he said, "that the village portion of your property tax is 8 or 9 percent, so if you get an increase in your property tax bill next year, don't blame it on us."
Editor's note: If our public schools increase taxes to educate more children, who can we blame? Hasn't the current management of Glenview been central to development of The Glen -- which will bring at least 4,000 new people to town? Didn't four of the trustees champion tax increment financing – a scheme that diverts all property taxes from the Glen to the village, then shares some but not all of the money that would normally go to the schools?
We also expect a substantial increase in revenue from the village's 5 percent utility tax. Prices for natural gas are already up substantially this winter, and with them, Glenview's tax take.
DISTRICT 34 VOTES TO BUILD
Despite the fact that voters said they would not pay to staff and supply a new school, the District 34 School Board has voted to proceed with construction of a new middle school at The Glen. Only one board member, Bob Campe, objected.
Many voters have questioned the need for operating funds so far in advance. The school is not supposed to open until fall 2003, but Finance Director Pat Siegel says there's a 1-2 year delay from the time voters approve a levy until it can be collected. What's more, she says the increase is needed because enrollment from all over the district is increasing.
Opponents of the referendum to hike taxes also wonder if growth in Glenview's tax base could cover rising costs for public education, but Siegel says it can't. "That's where the tax cap kicks in. The tax base could grow by 10 percent a year, but we can only access 1.6 percent of that growth. That's what the tax cap has done."
The District 34 School Board will go back to the voters with a referendum this spring. Specifics will be discussed in January, but Siegel said the new referendum might provide for a gradual increase to lessen the burden on taxpayers.
DEVELOPER GETS PERSONAL
As the trustees considered changing our zoning law to make it more difficult for
self-storage facilities to locate in business districts, the real estate director for a firm called Extra Space stepped to the microphone. Jeff Bates' company has been planning to build on Milwaukee Avenue at the current site of the shuttered Joe-N-Guiseppe's Italian Restaurant. Bates said Extra Space had spent $90,000 on the project so far and argued his company should be exempt from any change in the law. In a lengthy, impassioned speech, he said a change in zoning would be "the death knell of our project."
"Put yourself in my shoes or think about this happening to someone who is near and dear to you, and I would find it hard to believe that any of you could look me squarely in the eye and with a healthy mental and spiritual grounding say that it's fundamentally fair that we've been relying on a relationship with the village since June and now the rules are being changed."
Alas, poor Bates discovered that he was neither near nor dear to the board. The trustees voted unanimously against his proposition, making self storage a conditional use in B-2 zones.
LET THEM EAT SUSHI
The Plaza del Prado shopping center at the corner of Willow and Pfingsten is about to have a new tenant, filling the space left in our hearts and stomachs when Max and Benny went to Northbrook. A Japanese restaurant called Ichiban will specialize in sushi and daring tabletop displays of Japanese stir fry techniques. Management hopes to be open by February 1.
AND BURRITOS
Chipotle Grill, a casual Mexican restaurant featuring gourmet burritos and tacos, will open for business on January 15 in the Willow Road shopping center anchored by Target and Kohl's, but before it welcomes the general public, Chipotle (pronounced chip-OAT-lay) will host a fundraiser. That way the staff can practice rolling burritos while raising money for a worthy cause. On Saturday, January 13, from 5 - 8 p.m., guests will pay $5 per person for dinner (kids under 8 are free), and proceeds will benefit the Glenview Prairie Preservation Project's educational programs. Seating is limited, so RSVP to glenviewwatch@aol.com or call Rob at 729-3487.
SHERMER ROAD IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED
The trustees have signed an agreement to work with the state on improvements to Shermer Road in 2003 and with the county to improve Lake between Waukegan and Milwaukee in 2002. The village manager said residents along Shermer would be invited to Village Hall for informal discussions of what to expect with the rebuilding of that road. Trustee Kent Fuller has asked that a safety island be installed at Shermer and Lake. A growing number of pedestrians are expected to use the intersection en route to stores, parks, the recreation center and school at The Glen.
CLEAN UP SPARKS BREAK DOWN AT VILLAGE HALL
The village and the Navy plan to clean an old dump site at The Glen next year, and no one is sure what crews will find once they start digging. The Navy's preliminary sampling found no signs of toxic waste and believes the dump was filled with left-over construction materials, but the village will spend $100,000 on insurance to cover extra costs of clean-up in case hazardous substances are found.
The board voted to hire a Rockford firm, Stiles Environmental, to remove the waste. It's is a small company approved by Glenview's environmental consultant and recommended by customers like the state of Wisconsin, which hired Stiles to remove tanks from 18 different sites in the southern part of that state.
It seemed a simple matter, but Trustee John Crawford fought a passionate and mysterious battle against Stiles. Noting that the second and third bids came from local firms -- Environmental Field Services (EFS) and DiPaolo -- which have both done work at The Glen, Crawford said he would feel more comfortable using firms we knew.
The environmental consultant outlined a number of reasons why Stiles was right for the job, but Crawford wouldn't budge. Staff said the EPA, the Navy and Glenview's consultant would keep an eye on the operation, but Crawford was still not swayed.
Trustee Larry Carlson expressed support for Crawford's view, but he noted the job had been bid, and Stiles was the low bidder, offering to do the work for just over $1 million. Crawford proposed to throw the bids out or at least delay a vote so more research could be done.
Visibly irked by the one-man crusade, Trustee Patton called for an end to debate.
"To call the question requires a three-fifths vote," said Crawford.
President Nancy Firfer asked that the roll be called. Everyone but Crawford voted "yes."
"The motion does pass," said Firfer.
"Wait a while," said Crawford. "WAIT A WHILE! I'd like to have somebody check Robert's Rules of Order. We have to have a vote on whether or not to call the question. You don't have a vote as soon as somebody calls the question. There can be further debate."
"In the interest of not wasting any further time," said Patton, "I called the question. The motion to call the question passed. Now let's make the motion to approve this."
"Did I hear a vote on the motion to call the question?" said Crawford.
"We're gonna' go back to square one," said Firfer. "Can I have a motion to see if we want to call the question? Would you like to make that motion?"
"So moved," said Crawford.
"What is the motion?" asked Trustee Kent Fuller.
"To call the question," said Firfer.
"Second," said Trustee Rachel Cook.
The roll was called, and only Crawford voted "no."
"You can't vote ‘no' against your own motion," Trustee Donna Pappo told Crawford.
"I'm voting ‘no,'" said Crawford.
"I renew the motion to award the contract to Stiles," said Pappo.
"And for the third time, I'll second the motion," said Patton.
The motion passed with all but Crawford voting in its favor.
FIRE STATION FOLLIES
Responding to a simple suggestion and some heavy pressure from folks who live near the intersection of Lake and Wagner roads, the village is pursuing a possible land swap. Rather than building a new fire station south and east of the intersection along Lake, subjecting the neighbors to additional noise and traffic, Glenview could build on a parcel behind St. Peter and Paul's Church, just west of the Chicago River. That property is owned by the Cook County Forest Preserve, which also owns land adjacent to the property where Glenview had first proposed to build the fire station.
Cook County Commissioner Greg Goslin says he'll go to bat for the trade, which could produce a win for both parties. Glenview would get its fire station without annoying the neighbors, and the Forest Preserve would add contiguous wooded land to its holdings in Glenview.
CATELLUS PLEDGES PROTECTION FOR PRAIRIE
The developer of an office park at The Glen has signed a special agreement to protect the prairie next door and says the legal covenants will not damage efforts to market the land.
In negotiations with Trustees Fuller and Cook, Catellus agreed to a 200-foot buffer zone along the western boundary of the prairie. "That's most important for the nesting of grassland birds," said Glen Redevelopment Director Don Owen. "We don't want to have buildings any closer than 200 feet." The buffer would grow to 300 feet if Catellus chooses to build a three-story building and to 400 feet if its building rises four stories.
Owen said the covenants might make it impossible for Catellus to build on some land for which it had agreed to pay, so the village will not charge for that acreage or for roads in areas not purchased by the developer.
The agreement also dictates the use of prairie plants on Catellus property, banning shrubs within 150 feet of the no-build zone and trees within 200 feet. Hawks and owls perched in trees or tall bushes can easily prey on rare grassland birds that nest on the ground.
Parking lot lighting will shine downward rather than outward to the prairie, and rainwater will be channeled from rooftops onto the prairie, providing a relatively clean source of water. Finally, Catellus will allow pedestrian paths from other neighborhoods in The Glen so residents and workers can visit the prairie by bike or on foot.
Trustee Patton, who has been critical of delays caused by negotiation of the protective covenants, invited Catellus to complain. Sighting the need for real estate developers to move quickly in times of prosperity, he asked, "Now that this is approved, do you feel confident that you can attract the tenants that have been part of your plans?"
"Yes," said a Catellus spokesman. "I'm happy to say we've had some great activity so far. We've talked with users, and all of their feedback has been very positive. We have confidence that the. . .prairie corporate campus within The Glen is going to be very successful."
Editor's note: Three years ago, leaders of the Glenview Prairie Preservation Project asked repeatedly for a meeting with Village Manager Paul McCarthy to discuss the idea of permitting taller office buildings in exchange for preservation of more open space. McCarthy never responded to that request. Other ideas included in the covenants come from public hearings held by Glenview's Environmental Review Committee.
On the other hand, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has provided little guidance to the village, despite a state law requiring that it consult with local governments planning work that could impact land on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI). The prairie was placed on that list five years ago.
On January 11th, Cook County Circuit Court will hear the case brought by the Prairie Project and six Glenview residents, including Watch Co-Editor Sandy Hausman, contending that the state isn't doing the consultation required by law to protect the prairie. Plaintiffs hope that an on-going discussion with state experts on plants and wildlife will mean additional ideas and actions to safeguard the prairie.
IN OTHER NEWS FROM THE GLEN ...
– Glenview has extended its contract with consultant Mesirow-Stein for one year. Stein will provide marketing and financial advice, infrastructure oversight and developer coordination for The Glen. The most complicated job ahead is development of the mixed used retail center or MURC. Stein will be central in deciding what kinds of stores go in and how much the village spends on parking garages and improvements to Hangar One. The Home Depot site, the office park, Gallery Park construction and rebuilding of Lehigh Road are also on the agenda for 2001.
Trustees Pappo and Carlson joined Paul McCarthy, Don Owen, Jeff Randall and advisers on finance and real estate in the negotiation, agreeing to pay Mesirow Stein $370,000 -- down from the $1 million fee paid this year. Under the new contract, Stein staffers will be moving from The Glen's development office back to their desks in downtown Chicago.
READERS WRITE:
ABOUT HOLIDAY PARTIES AND POLITICS
In response to our report about village spending for the Chamber of Commerce dinner and our call on Larry Carlson to recuse himself from matters involving a lawyer who endorsed him at that soiree, SJ writes:
"There were ten people from the Village at the Chamber Holiday Party. At $40 apiece, that comes to $400. You were off by one thousand!
Will Donna Pappo be recusing herself from any subject that you or Mary Sacoff or Biff Thiele or Dick Feit or Grant Ireland comment on at Village Board meetings?
I think that Larry Carlson has voted "no" against that lawyer more than anyone else on the board. I would like to point out that the lawyer is a very good friend of John Crawford's, as they do lunch a lot. Does he have to recuse himself also?"
The Watch replies: No trustee need recuse himself or herself when a constituent asks for something. That's because there's a fundamental difference between residents who are concerned about the future quality of life in Glenview and lawyers who are paid to represent the financial interests of commercial clients.
When lawyers start publicly endorsing trustees or making campaign contributions, then come before the board to plead for zoning changes or other actions that will benefit their clients financially, there is an appearance of conflict of interest. Folks might think the trustee's vote is for sale, and businesses might think they have to work with politically-connected lawyers to get anything done in Glenview.
As a community, we need to do business openly, fairly and in the best interests of residents. That's why we found it disturbing that a prominent attorney who often appears before the board decided to publicly endorse Carlson, and that's why we urged Carlson to recuse himself from matters brought by his political pal.
As for the Chamber of Commerce dinner, our source was the village budget on file at the library. We were not invited to the dinner, so we couldn't count heads, but we did see an appropriation of $1,400 for the event. That amount was set aside on the assumption that 34 people – department heads and elected officials with a guest – would attend. Since a much smaller number actually went, about $1,000 will be retained in the general fund.
ABOUT CLEAN SIDEWALKS
Rick Nasello says: "I do a lot of walking around our neighborhood here in the Knollwood subdivision and can't help wondering why people don't shovel the walks in front of their homes. Just about everyone has a snowblower. Why can't people take the extra few minutes to run it down their front walk? We have a lot of senior citizens that walk these sidewalks everyday, and I'm sure they would appreciate a clean walk. It keeps them from having to walk in the street which can be very dangerous. Many of these households have teens that are capable of doing a small chore like this. Lets get their butts out there and do something to help. We all can't be that busy. One pass down your front walk will be appreciated by many, and who knows – it might catch on and everyone will spend the two or three minutes it takes to do this."
ABOUT THE LIBRARY'S POSSIBLE MOVE TO THE GLEN
PG says: "I can't agree more that people are giving up on downtown and placing all their marbles on the hope that The Glen (I hate the name) improbably turns out to be a wonderful destination rather than the pedestrian disaster/tract housing mecca it looks to be. Moving the library from its present site would be the death knell of downtown and would assure the library of being an automobile destination rather than the pedestrian-friendly site it is now for many people. In fact, that aspect of it's present site should be accentuated. We may need to expand and modernize the existing site, but why can't it be done incrementally and with more thought than appears to be going on now. Are the only options to tear it down and rebuild or to build at a new site while roamin' thru the gloamin?"
ABOUT CURVES AND LIGHTS ON LAKE AVENUE
RJ wonders: "Who's the planner that put a traffic light smack dab in the middle of
the "S" curve on Lake Avenue at the south end of the Glen? Everyone knows that braking and turning on a slick surface don't mix. I hope I'm not coming around the bend under icy or wet
conditions when that light turns yellow. Someone is going to slide into the right lane or off the road and cause a major pile-up."
The Watch replies: The curve in Lake used to be worse but was modified during the last round of roadwork. Village and county engineers reviewed the plans and felt it would be a safe stretch. As for the light – it's there to serve the Patriot Boulevard intersection. Patriot was built to carry north-south traffic that Glenview did not want to put on Shermer. Given the location of other north-south streets, officials say the current location was the only viable option for an intersection. You might want to drop a note to the traffic committee at Village Hall, share your concerns with them and suggest a warning sign be posted: "Prepare to Stop." That could help to prevent the accident you foresee.
ABOUT BLIGHT ON WAUKEGAN ROAD
Bill Janssens says: "There seems to be a lot of noise about the Metro Storage building on Waukegan. The real eye sore is the abondoned E-Z Go gas station down the road. I may have missed it in a previous issue of the Watch, but I sure would like to know what if anything is being done to remove this true piece of blight."
The Watch replies: The situation with E-Z Go is a messy one. The current owner wanted to sell the property, but village permission to operate a filling station at that site had expired. The Zoning Board of Appeals was prepared to extend permission, but the Village Board wanted the current owner to clean up environmental pollution there first. E-Z Go is unwilling to do that. As a result, redevelopment of the property is stalled.
ABOUT TREE PROTECTION HERE AND NEXT DOOR
GI writes: "I read with great interest the news that Northbrook has recently enacted a moratorium on removal of trees with a diameter of six inches or more.
"Glenview enacted a similar moratorium last January but at the smaller diameter of four inches. Eventually however, our village approved an ordinance that protects certain species of trees with diameters of 16 - 20 inches. For most oak varieties, that means a minimum of 80 to100 years of growth before it is protected. There is NO protection for smaller trees.
"If the snow ever melts, go measure the trees on your property and see how huge a 16 inch
diameter tree (with a circumference of 50 inches) actually is. You will be amazed! I hope Northbrook will set a good example and protect much smaller trees.
"For the record, Glenview trustees approved the current ordinance with only one, Larry Carlson, voting against it."
ABOUT HOLIDAY DECORATIONS
MLH welcomes the lights and a new shopping destination: "I love how Glenview Road looks with all the lights, particularly when approaching it east of Waukegan, and especially now with the snow twinkling. Do they re-use those lights? Or perhaps it's not cost effective to remove
them at the end of season, store them somewhere and then put them up again in November? $44,500 for holiday decorations in the 2001 budget seems like a lot of money to me. Maybe they can go shopping on December 26 and cut that amount in half!
"And speaking of shopping, how refreshing it is to see that a new company, Von Maur, will be opening at The Glen. I tire of seeing the same old franchises on just about every corner. There are times when I don't know what city I'm in because they start to look the same after a while. The packaging may differ but the contents are the same. I realize that's the object of franchises, but I believe we are becoming a country of monotony. I look forward to shopping at Von Maur."
SAM loves the lights: "I guess I appreciate knowing how much Glenview spends on the lights
during the holidays, but I sure hope that they don't consider not lighting them because if nothing else, Glenview's downtown is spectacular with all of the lights on the trees. Residents from other communities have commented to me on several occasions how they love to drive down
Glenview Rd. just to see our town aglow."
The Watch replies: You'll get no argument from us. The lights are nice, and it's great to see tax money spent downtown. Public Works Director Bill Porter says the lights are replaced as needed, and – yes – the village shops after Christmas to save money.