Glenview’s Village Board wandered into discussion of stormwater management this week and emerged three hours later, muddy and confused. The debate began with a simple question: Should the village pay more than 25 percent of the cost to install storm sewers in neighborhoods that want but don’t have them.

There are 16 such areas, including the largest – Glen Oak Acres. Residents there say they don’t want conventional storm sewers that would require construction of wider streets with curbs and gutters and might kill many old trees. Instead, they hope to preserve the rural feel of their area with a network of man-made ditches, culverts, swales and some underground sewers.

Trustee Mike Guinane, president of the Glen Oak Acres Homeowners’ Association, argued his neighborhood would not require the expensive road work that other neighborhoods might want. Simple resurfacing of the relatively narrow lanes would do, he said, and the savings could allow the village to foot a larger share of the cost for stormwater management.

Trustee Jeff Lerner disagreed, arguing that the short-term approach to road maintenance might mean more frequent resurfacing and fewer cost savings in the long run.

But before a vote could come on how much the village should pay, Trustee Donna Pappo made an observation: "If the community were better informed that this conversation was going on tonight, this place would be packed, and somehow we didn’t get the word out that this very important policy issue is being discussed. . .I think we should do some advertising."

The other trustees agreed, but President Carlson noted it was too late to get an announcement into September’s village newsletter, so the board decided to postpone discussion until October when the trustees – and the public – will review Glenview’s budget for 2002.

Even if Glenview wants to pay a bigger share of the cost to install storm sewers, Trustee John Crawford said the money is not there. Should the village impose a special tax to pay for storm- water management? Should property taxes be raised or a sales tax imposed?

Certainly not, said Trustee Guinane. Let’s use money that was supposed to be set aside from land sales at The Glen.

Not so fast, said Village Manager McCarthy. "That $40 million has been loaned to The Glen project to seriously reduce the interest costs that the TIF would otherwise have to pay."

And if the trustees decided not to use the pot of gold for debt retirement, Village President Larry Carlson thought there were lots of other ways the village might use that money.

John Crawford recalled that some board members had proposed spending the land sale proceeds on open space, and others wanted to keep it in case money ran short at The Glen.

Given the apparent impasse, the board decided it would also defer the question of where to find funding for stormwater management until October.

Finally, the trustees were asked to approve a bid for stormwater improvements in two parts of Glen Oak Acres, where residents are willing to pay 75 percent of the cost for flood water control. The village plan is to channel water into the forest preserve near the east end of Pleasant Lane, but three families who live there are worried that a solution upstream will become a problem for them. They hired a civil engineer who said a well-defined ditch should be created to speed the water past their homes, on village land, to a section of the Chicago River that runs through the forest preserve. He estimated the project would cost $5,000.

The three families also hired a lawyer, who has threatened court action, but so far village engineers are saying it’s not necessary to dig a special trench. They showed a video shot in July. Water flowed peacefully past the homes in question, but one resident said Glenview had missed the real action. Last February, after a thaw and a rain storm, she had called the office of Development Director Mary Bak and left a message.

"I said I think this is a good time for you to come out and take a look at what’s going on here." she recalled. " My bathroom window overlooks a creek. . .The water rushes down that creek, spreading to the north and south. I got a message back from her saying they were very busy and would not be able to come out."

President Carlson proposed that the village do nothing, and if serious flooding problems occur, then Glenview could fix them. The residents, including prominent Glenview architect Larry Basil, didn’t want to risk damaging floods, and some trustees took his side. "This is a small amount of money, and I don’t think it’s worth the heartache of litigation," said Donna Pappo. "I think it would give a lot of peace of mind to these homeowners." A compromise was proposed – that the village pay for 25 percent of the ditch and residents pay the balance, but the residents refused.

"If we’re going to bear the brunt of the cost," an angry Basil told the board, "we’d just as soon do the work ourselves. We really don’t want the village involved at that point. The engineers have a predisposition to do as little as possible. . .We’ve already spent over $10,000 on attorneys’ and engineers’ fees just to try to address this, and we’ve been butting heads with village staff about an issue that shouldn’t have been our issue to begin with. So we’ll take care of it. Thank you very much."

Carlson tried to patch things up, saying he didn’t think this was the responsibility of three families – that the bill should be shared by all of the residents in the area. Trustee Guinane disagreed, arguing the village should pay, and Trustee Lerner returned to the fact that village staff didn’t feel anything needed to be done.

With a lack of consensus, the board left the unhappy families to proceed on their own but agreed to ask staff for a report on who will be liable for any damage that might be associated with residents digging their own trenches to deal with community stormwater problems.

About 10 percent of Watch readers responded to a survey on whether Park District commissioners, former commissioners and their families should get free golf and fitness club memberships and other recreational services. We asked:

1) Should Park Board members have free privileges at all recreational facilities?

40% answered yes — 60% said no.

2) Should the families of Park Board members enjoy free privileges?

30% said yes — 70% said no

3) Should past members of the Park Board have free use of Park District facilities?

20% thought they should — 80% did not

4) Should a member of their family enjoy those same privileges?

5% said yes — 95% said no

5) Should non-resident teachers in area schools, Glenview policemen and firemen be granted resident rates if they wish to use Glenview Park facilities.

55% answered yes — 45% said no

Several participants also chose to send comments on the subject. RC doesn’t mind giving Park District members free services, "particularly when there is not an incremental cost to the park district for such participation."

BH wrote, "Freebies may not add to the district’s costs, but they are subtracting from the revenues – substantially – and therefore add to the general burden on taxpayers." She was all for giving non-resident firemen and police a price break but saw no reason to include teachers in a discount deal. CF agrees.

Paul Hill does not think it’s a good idea "to provide special privileges for a select group of people. Every Glenview resident should be treated the same."

AH doesn’t think anyone should get freebies but would approve of a senior discount.

DS is okay with freebies for Park Board members but says the real reward of the job should be "the satisfaction of having served one’s community."

PM thought a 50 percent discount should be extended to Park Board members and their immediate family members with the aggregate value "not to exceed $2,500. Of course the value of the discounts should be reported as taxable income." He strongly disagreed with the idea of giving a break to police, firemen and teachers: "You’re kidding, right? Why would non-residents get resident privileges? Are they donating their services?"

JC also raises the question of income tax: "Give them the benefits they so cherish and wish to preserve, but send them an IRS 1099. These services are income. A legal opinion on the issue should be sought immediately from the Illinois Attorney General. Likewise, let’s find out any other benefits provided by local governing boards. Does the village have any freebies not accounted for?"

The Watch replies: Assistant Village Manager Joe Wade can think of none, save the free fax machines and phone lines that have been installed in trustees’ homes. Members of the Boosters’ Club at GBS get two free tickets to the Variety Show as do school board members who also enjoy reserve seating at graduation. Library Board members get free videos and do not have to pay fines on overdue books.

Twice now voters in District 34 have told their school board they don’t want to pay higher taxes, but if there’s a shortage of money for operations, what does the public want the board to do? That’s what members hope to find out through a $21,000 telephone poll of more than 500 taxpayers and a follow up analysis. Board President Anastasia Usher and member Bob Campe voted against the survey, but a majority on the board agreed with Superintendent Dot Weber, who thought it was okay to spend interest from the emergency cash fund to get this information.

Wednesday was the first day of school for District 34 kids, and all went well this week for most students, but kids at Westbrook got an early break, thanks to heavy rains on Wednesday night. The downpour resulted in a water main break, and while village crews worked overnight to repair it, the pipe burst again when water was turned on Thursday forcing cancellation of classes.

High school students go back to Glenbrook South on Monday, and Principal David Smith says there will be a record number of kids – 2,476. There’s a rumor that they will have to wear hard hats with all the construction underway, but Smith says that’s not the case. While work on the building will continue through the year, students and teachers will have the space and facilities they need, including a new gym and locker rooms completed over the summer.

The only big inconvenience involves parking. Only faculty members, staff and seniors will find a place for their cars. Desperate underclassmen are reportedly looking for other options, but neighborhoods around the school – Glen Lake Estates and LaFontaine – have banned student cars from their streets. A few lucky kids will, however, find a parking place in the nearby Pioneer Press lot where a limited number of stalls are for rent at $500 for the year.

Donald Reed, who left Marie Murphy School in Wilmette last spring as a man, returns this fall as a woman. The school’s principal will have a new name to go with the new look – Deanna Reed. Letters went out last week to inform parents of students who live in Glenview, Wilmette, Northfield and Winnetka. Superintendent John Sloan said the sex change is a personal matter that will not be discussed with the kids – sixth, seventh and eighth graders. "It is the expectation of the school, as always, that everyone will behave with civility and respect for others," he said.

The Wilmette Life reports that Reed is a highly-regarded administrator who has tenure and served as an assistant superintendent for 12 years.

Plans for a regional public safety training academy at The Glen are on track, according to Village Manager Paul McCarthy. Eighteen communities have now agreed to share preliminary costs for the facility, and the federal government has provided $750,000. In exchange for leasing land and providing start-up money, Glenview will receive free training services for its police, firemen and paramedics.

Meanwhile, work continues on Glenview’s new fire communications center, but a split from the Regional Emergency Dispatch service has been delayed until December. RED Center reports it has now signed Deerfield and hopes to add another suburb to its list of eight members soon. By working together, those communities believe they can purchase more state-of-the-art equipment and provide faster, less expensive dispatching for this area. Glenview officials wanted greater control over operations and contend they can provide better service at a lower price by teaming up with Wheeling.

Northbrook trustees held a rare Saturday session to figure out how that community might compensate for a serious shortfall in tax revenues. With the Autohaus on Edens heading for Glencoe next spring and sales tax revenues dropping at Northbrook Court, the village budget could be $2 million in the red next year. The board members seemed to be leaning toward $500,000 in budget cuts and the imposition of a local sales tax to raise needed revenues. They’re expected to vote on a course of action next month and could impose a sales tax in January or July

Last week, we published a series of village bills that begged questions. We did not intend to criticize those expenditures but wanted to know more about them. This week, Village Hall provides answers:

Gloves from Boston Medical are used by our police force for searches, handling of evidence and helping accident victims who may be bleeding. Gloves from Continental Business Credit are used by firemen for utility/rope rescues. The helmets listed were for our fire department. Ten of them cost $1,919.

Frank’s Creative Landscaping had charged more than $12,000 for trimming, pruning and lawn maintenance at Village Hall and the police station, the library, commuter lots, train stations, the Public Works Service Center and detention basins around town.

Aerial photos of The Glen are being used for "marketing purposes and will provide a historical record" of the redevelopment. A $125 kit was needed to "test the public pools in Glenview." While the Park District does its own hourly testing at Flick and Roosevelt pools, the village also tests a couple of times each month.

We asked about something called "Night Eyes" and a bill for $89.95. Village Hall says this is a computer light for the keyboard in police squad cars and allows officers to read the screens of older computers that are not back lit.

The $4,900 faunal study looked at wildlife in and around the Air Station Prairie and Lake Glenview. The scientist hired to do this job used special techniques to search for Kirtland snakes, which are threatened species in Illinois and could be living in the area. So far, none has been found.

Finally, we thought the price for a publication called Healthstyle seemed high. It turns out the $191.60 expenditure provided copies of that health-related newsletter to all village employees.

Readers who enjoy the HBO series "Six Feet Under" may be interested to learn that the William Scott Funeral Home on Waukegan Road is for sale. Its family-owned competitor up the street – N.H. Scott – is thriving, but William Scott is owned by Service Corporation International – one of several large firms that has been buying up America’s funeral homes. SCI has 3,611 locations, 569 cemeteries and 200 crematoria in 18 countries. It’s traded on the New York Stock Exchange and earned $1.3 billion in the first half of this year.

The HBO drama has detailed the tactics of a fictitious corporation attempting to drive families out of the funeral business. A staffer at the family owned N.H. Scott declined to comment on the demise of SCI’s Glenview home, but he did have something to say about the tv show "Six Feet Under." "It doesn’t grab me the way the Sopranos does."

More than 600 residents of Glenview and neighboring communities toured Wagner Farm last weekend with many posing for pictures atop Pete Wagner’s newly-rebuilt antique tractor. Also on hand, a flock of chickens on loan from the Grove. They appeared to like the place – laying a couple of eggs during their visit.

Children were able to try some old-fashioned farming tools, including a butter churn and a device that stripped corn off the cob, but the biggest attraction was Bart the Bull, who remained a gentleman through the entire affair.

The cows, however, were not so considerate. As Park District Commissioner Cathy Crowley attempted to recognize volunteers who made the event possible, she was repeatedly interrupted by 11 members of the bovine audience, mooing across the fence. Crowley said she hoped they were not booing her.

COFFEE SHOP CONFIDENTIAL

Starbuck’s at the downtown Dominick’s has closed – unable to sell enough java to justify its existence. There were four other Starbuck’s and a brand new Caribou Coffee within a five-mile radius of the small, in-store shop.

On the other hand, the owner of a Glenview landmark is denying rumors that Carson’s – an old-fashioned diner built in 1946 – is closing. James Panos says business at 1320 Waukegan Road could be better if downtown Glenview had more parking, but he’s satisfied with the steady flow of customers.

Panos claims Carson’s, with its pink neon sign proclaiming ribs, beef burgers, ice cream and chicken, was the first drive through restaurant in America, and its unique architecture has attracted a number of tv commercial producers in search of "character." The eatery also draws local celebrities. Former Village President Jim Smirles, Former Plan Commissioner Dave McCreery, Village Manager Paul McCarthy, Trustee John Crawford and village critic Al McAndrew are all regulars.

Panos says his clientele is extremely loyal. "The only time I lose customers is when they die," he says. There are no plans to close the restaurant – good news for about a dozen employees, but Panos won’t rule out a sale in the future. "For the right price," he says, "everything’s for sale."

READERS WRITE:

A reader who signs herself "unnamed source" is really steamed over our report about an assault at the downtown fire station, labor problems in the department and our questions about certain village bills: "It has long been my feeling that articles containing information from unnamed sources (in this case, not one but two – wow! Such investigative journalism! Pulitzer here we come!) are equivalent to bogus B.S. – written with the sole intent of throwing fuel on a fire (excuse the pun; I can be cute, too!) that is barely an ember!

"Most importantly, however, it is apparent that your persistent effort to embarrass the ‘establishment’ takes sole precedence over discerning fact from fiction. If you had taken the time to really investigate the validity of your claim, via your ‘source,’ that ‘management has brow beat key people into opposing any organization – rewarding anti-union firemen with special assignments and overtime pay,’ you would have found this ludicrous statement to be an utter falsehood, totally unfounded and totally without validity. But then what would you have written? How would you incense the general public who read your rag and believe your rhetoric to be the truth? How would you be able to embarrass the Glenview Fire Department and the men who put their lives on the line for people like you?

"Firemen do wear helmets and, no, their gloves don’t have to match. And, yes, it is true! You guessed it! I am the wife of a fireman who has put his life in jeopardy for individuals, like you, on many, many occasions. Those people who you laugh at are the ones who will come to your rescue in a fire or medical emergency. Focus on that for a while.

"In conclusion, let me put it this way. In my estimation you are no different than those who you proclaim to be so disloyal to the village of Glenview. Why? Because you circumvent the truth – and in journalism, true investigative journalism, that is a crime and very, very dangerous."

The Watch replies: We take exception to your claim that the Watch is a "rag" that "circumvents the truth." Before launching our hometown venture, Dean Schott was a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, the Associated Press and Ohio Scripps-Howard Newspapers. Sandy Hausman was a reporter for WBBM Radio, NBC Radio and American Public Radio. We have both been recognized for journalistic excellence and continue to strive for accuracy and fairness in reporting.

While we would like to name our sources, we respect their desire for anonymity. You obviously understand why some folks feel that need since you did not sign your name to this letter.

Our attempts to learn more about the incident that triggered this story have to date been thwarted by Village Hall. We were not allowed to view the official police report and are told that our Freedom of Information Act request for a copy will be denied. Fortunately, a number of reputable sources in the firefighting community have agreed to speak with us and confirmed the details of our report.

As for your contention that we are "laughing at" Glenview’s public safety personnel, nothing could be further from the truth. We have tremendous respect for our firemen. It pains us to think that they may be subject to poor management practices and that, unlike other communities, Glenview may be discouraging attempts to establish a professional organization, if that’s what our firemen want.

LB writes about the alleged assault: "After charges were filed against the Glenview Fire Department’s Deputy Chief, Village President Larry Carlson told the Tribune that there was an argument, and the Deputy Chief raised his hand. Actually, he grabbed the Lieutenant's arm, drew back his fist and said something about hitting him. . . If a fireman had done that, he would have been out of work. Sometimes there is a double standard. I read another news story last week about violence in the workplace and the large number of cases that are occurring. No matter who is the aggressor, it cannot be tolerated."

SC wonders why a burned-out apartment building is still standing on West Lake and Greenwood: "I live over by St. Catherine’s and last year the Greenwood Apartments had a devastating fire in one of the buildings, my question is why is that building still standing. If this happened anywhere else in Glenview (the east side) it would have been down already. It is a real eye sore and I can't believe nothing has been done with it yet."

The Watch replies: The building is finally under reconstruction. Perhaps the owner was waiting for insurance money to pay for the rehab. In any event, the village was not responsible since this property is unincorporated and regulated by the county.

JL can’t understand why the Park District hasn’t found a place for the dogs of Glenview to romp: "It seems to me that having a dog park in the neighborhood would be far less disruptive and offensive than having groups of skaters and skateboarders tearing around the area. Perhaps the powers_that_be could take a field trip to Wiggley Field, a dog park on Sheffield in the city and see how beautifully the dogs interact and what a great spot the dog park is for getting together and chatting with other pet owners. It's getting harder every day to find places to walk and play with our pets and certainly, with the demolition of Rugen, there could be a small section for this purpose."

The Watch replies: If you want this to happen, you’re going to have to get organized. The Park Board listens, but if you and other dog lovers aren’t talking, you can’t expect the commissioners to do something for you. We how passionate pooch owners can be and are surprised that they haven’t pressed harder for this amenity. You might also have to lobby neighbors – to persuade them that a dog park would not bring undue noise, odors or dangers.

PM comments on Ed Muldoon’s note about the "advantages" that accrue to Glenview taxpayers because of Loyola’s planned athletic complex. Muldoon argued that the cost of educating a single student at Glenbrook South High School was more than $11,000 per year, so when kids attended Loyola, Glenview saved money. Therefore, he felt the village was right to excuse Loyola from $40,000 in building fees: "Has anyone determined what percentage of student costs is variable and what percentage is fixed? Until Glenview South is able to reduce staff, utility bills and other fixed costs, there is no saving. I hope Loyola is not spreading this false logic in order to justify what is clearly a gift from the village. The whole arrangement with Loyola was fuzzy headed and typical of our village government."

YOUR TURN: Share your views on local issues and news. E-mail to glenviewwatch@aol.com or snail mail to 3537 Maple Leaf Dr., Glenview, IL 60025.  We look forward to hearing from you and consider readers' remarks an essential part of our newsletter. Thanks for reading!  – Sandy Hausman and Dean Schott

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