Just three days after heavy rains hit the village, filling streets, basements and detention ponds, Village Hall was flooded with people anxious to talk about storm water management. Most of those who came to the village board meeting were from Glen Oak Acres, a wooded area that has no storm sewers, curbs or gutters. Instead, narrow lanes wind through the neighborhood, and residents complain that those lanes are in terrible condition after years of village neglect. Village officials contend that standing water causes roads to deteriorate, and they're reluctant to replace the old roads until a solution is found to the flooding. Making matters worse, many teardowns in Glen Oak Acres are being replaced with large homes that cover more ground, sending more water into the streets or into their neighbors' yards.

In an effort to persuade residents to install storm sewers or a less intrusive drainage system of ditches, culverts and swales, the village has offered to pay 25 percent of the cost. Trustee Mike Guinane proposed an increase in that amount, and the board agreed to a public hearing on the subject.

Some folks in areas lacking storm sewers said they were willing to accept the village offer of a 25 percent subsidy, but many seniors said they couldn't afford to pay the other 75 percent. Carolyn Filipovic considered petitioning the village for sewers along Juniper Street, but many of those who live nearby are on fixed incomes. "When I started getting some figures of how much it would cost and what their percentage would be, I could not do that to the neighbors," she says.

In response to that common complaint, Acres resident Wayne Bechtoldt proposed that seniors be allowed to defer payment until they sell their homes. Several trustees liked the idea and suggested it be studied.

Another group thought Glenview should pay more than 25 percent because the village has provided few repairs to roads over the years. They argued their roads were "being held hostage" by a village that would make no substantial improvements until they agreed to install sewers. Trustee Donna Pappo read from a letter one Pleasant Lane resident received from Village Hall: "Since less than one half of the homeowners [on your street] decided to include the storm sewer component," it said, public works will provide "a patching of the damaged areas and not a complete resurfacing of the street."

Acres resident Tom Sexton claimed Public Works Director Bill Porter once threatened that, "my street would become gravel before we got repaved because we have voted ‘no' for storm sewers." Noting that he had paid taxes for eight years, Sexton concluded, "That's ridiculous!"

Ed Teske was vastly outnumbered by folks who wanted a village subsidy for sewers, but the 47-year resident of Glenview would not be silenced. Noting that most village residents paid the full price for their sewers when they purchased their homes, Teske didn't see "the fairness of asking 80 or 90 percent of us to pay for improving private property. . .If it's fair, then all of us who have paid for our improvements are entitled to a refund."

If tax dollars were used for storm sewers in other parts of town, Teske thought the village should cut his sewer taxes. "I've got an attorney here," he warned, "and we could have a nice class action suit."

He added that Trustee Guinane, who lives in Glen Oak Acres, ought not to vote on the matter. As President of the Glen Oak Acres Homeowners' Association and a resident of the area, he thought Guinane had a clear conflict of interest.

"I represent all of Glenview, all 42,000 residents of this community," said Guinane indignantly. He had discussed the matter with village attorney Jeff Randall some months ago, and Randall saw no conflict.

"I determined that he had no particular interest which was adverse or any different than any other, than any of the other thousands of people that are affected by this issue in Glenview," Randall added. "And based on that, I determined that he had no conflict and that he could continue to sit and to consider this issue."

From the moment he declared his candidacy for Village Board, Guinane has carried the ball on this issue – suggesting he would fix the storm water problem for his neighbors. Now, in the red zone, he fumbled. "I'd like to propose a motion that the village increase its share for the residents that do want to put in storm sewers," he said – neglecting to mention how much of an increase he wanted – "and start repaving the roads, not just throwing cold patch in areas that don't want storm sewers."

Trustee John Crawford said he could support the road work and suggested the motion be split. Guinane agreed, and the trustees voted unanimously that road work in Glen Oak Acres should be done regardless of how residents voted on sewers.

Then it was back to the village subsidy. Guinane waited for someone to suggest a number, and – at last – said he thought 50 percent would be fair. Not a single trustee would second his motion, and several opposed any increase.

"The documentation that has been supplied to the trustees on this issue does not indicate that anyone has been held hostage," said Trustee Denefe, and with regard to an increased subsidy for sewers, "I don’t know what an additional 5 or 10 percent is going to do for most of the residents in this area. . .I just can’t see moving off the 25 percent."

Editor’s note: Maybe Trustee Denefe doubted or slept through resident complaints about the lack of road work. In any event, we think she should make the cross-town trip from her home in Indian Ridge to study the actual condition of roads in Glen Oak Acres and talk with constituents there rather than rely solely on "documentation supplied to the trustees."

Trustee Guinane was apparently disappointed by the lack of support for an increase. "This board has missed a good opportunity here tonight to try to work toward improving basic services that the majority of this community enjoys," he said. "With all the new revenue coming from Abt appliances, Costco, the MURC – we're talking over $10 million in new tax revenue, and I would hope in the future that this board would take that information into consideration and start properly funding the storm water management program."

Editor's note: If Guinane is serious about a career in politics, he'll have to learn that leadership is more than rhetoric. A good trustee would have been working behind the scenes for months to line up support for a measure that was clearly central to his candidacy and important to his constituents. His hope that new village revenues will mean a windfall for Glen Oak Acres is slim. Costco and the MURC are not yet built, and while their sales tax revenues could be significant, their property tax revenues are already earmarked to pay for infrastructure at The Glen – not in the Acres.

One final current ran through public testimony – a sense that Village Hall is not as efficient as it could be. Acres resident Barbara Palmer said she had called four times to find out if back in June her neighborhood had voted to install storm sewers and by what margin. Eventually she got a letter stating that the area had said "yes" to sewers. Four calls later, Palmer learned that the vote was 14_10 in favor. Puzzled, she placed one more call to inform the village that there are 46 houses in her area. "This is new math," she told Development Director Mary Bak. "What happened?"

Palmer said Bak had no explanation but said another vote would be taken.

Others complained of poor patching by public works crews or information packets that were poorly copied. In the end, Palmer said village conduct had bred "hostility and distrust" of local government in the Acres.

The trustees did vote for the village to maintain overland alternatives to sewers – culverts, ditches and swales – if they're on the public right of way. Some of these waterways have apparently become clogged with leaves, branches and other debris, making flooding problems worse. If you have an area in need of attention, report it to public works at 657-3030.

Nine acres of land near the corner of Shermer and Golf may be developed despite community wishes for more open space. Nicor says it has sold the property to a limited partnership called 100 Shermer LLC but declined to give details. Some kind of clean up appears to be underway at the site, but sources at Village Hall say no building permits have been requested.

The parcel became a bone of public contention when a Texas-based company called Belmont Village proposed to buy and resell it for residential development. Belmont also asked to build an assisted-living center on six adjacent acres along Golf Road. Dozens of neighbors turned out at meetings of the Village Board to protest. In response, the trustees allowed Belmont to go forward with its senior residence but refused to change the industrial zoning on the nine remaining acres.

While many area residents thought the property should be turned into a park, Glenview's Park District said the neighborhood already had enough parks and, in any event, Nicor wanted too much money for the land. Some public officials also said they did not want Glenview paying for a park that might be used by nearby residents of Morton Grove.

If the new owner intends to build homes, town houses or apartments, new zoning would be needed, so the public will have another chance to speak. The area is not marked for residential development in Glenview's current comprehensive plan – a 10-year-old document showing how the community would like to develop.

Illinois law requires communities like Glenview to be careful when they develop around areas listed on the state's natural areas inventory. The Air Station Prairie is one such property, and by law the village should have submitted a detailed report to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources explaining what it would do to protect the land during construction. Within 60 days, the Department of Natural Resources would have to respond with a detailed biological opinion on whether Glenview was doing all the right things.

In a case that dragged on for more than a year, Glenview's Prairie Preservation Project, its president and Watch Editor Sandy Hausman and five village residents who did not belong to the prairie group, asked a court to enforce the law. Glenview and the state pointed to four boxes of documents and said they contained all the information that would have appeared in the "detailed agency action report" and "detailed biological opinion" required.

The plaintiffs insisted actual reports were needed so they could tell if the state and village were, in fact, protecting the prairie. Last week, a Cook County Circuit Court Judge agreed. Judge Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird said some arguments made by the defendants were "extreme" and "absurd." She had tried sifting through the boxes of papers herself in search of information, and that experience convinced her that reports were necessary.

Jim Vroman, Co-Chair of the Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources practice at Jenner and Block, a prominent Chicago law firm that handled the case pro bono, argued for the prairie group. Vroman said the Department of Natural Resources appeared to be doing more thorough work since the case was filed, and Judge Kinnaird's ruling could mean better protection for other natural areas around the state.

Glenview must now file a report explaining how it will protect the prairie during construction of the new Lehigh Road along the northern boundary of the prairie. Construction could begin this spring.

The Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, a citizens’ group dedicated to preserving and celebrating historic buildings and places may do battle in Glenview to protect Hangar One, the building set to become home for a new shopping center at The Glen. Developer Oliver-McMillan wants to tear down one section of the building to meet the needs of a Von Maur department store, but the Landmarks Preservation Council says they can't do that. Citing an agreement between the U.S. Navy and the Village of Glenview pledging to preserve the building, the council’s executive director, David Bahlman, says the matter may end up in court.

He predicts the state's Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) would join in a legal battle to preserve the Hangar's facade. "It's going to come to that if the developers won't respect the agreement," Bahlman said. After months of unproductive negotiation, he claims the state is "furious with the developer."

Glenview's agreement with the Navy allows demolition of Hangar One if it is not "economically feasible" to save it. Bahlman points to village subsidies for the developer and for Von Maur as proof that the village could afford to keep Hangar One if it wanted to.

He says Glenview has hired a controversial Washington lawyer to make a case for taking down up to a third of the building. According to Bahlman, the lawyer calls himself a preservationist but has been criticized for selling his services to developers intent on changing historic buildings.

The Illinois Attorney General has filed suit against Joseph LaCassa, the former treasurer of Glenview Youth Baseball, alleging that he misappropriated more than $200,000 from the group since 1997. Lawyers hope to recover that money along with punitive damages.

Meanwhile, Youth Baseball officials say their program will continue with kids playing a full season beginning April 20, 2002. The group's board says vendors are cooperating, and new safeguards are in place to make sure money is not embezzled again.

CITIZENS PRESS FOR AN ORDINANCE TO LIMIT WINDOW SIGNS

Glenview's grand dame of politics, Norma Morrison, was back before the Village Board this month asking Glenview to join other suburbs that restrict the size and nature of window signs in stores. Morrison said voluntary efforts to eliminate tacky signage overseen by the Chamber of Commerce had not worked and argued that a law would actually help local businesses. "I think it's unfair for the store owners not to have that guidance," she said, adding that guidelines had been written for merchants at The Glen.

Chamber board president Leo Stec defended the group's effort to police local stores . He admitted "the ball was dropped," on writing a progress report for the trustees in July 2000, and admitted a few stores continue to cause trouble. Still, Stec said his group hadn't gotten any complaints for the past two years.

John Hedrick said that wasn't really the point. A member of Glenview's Appearance Commission and head of the local chapter of Scenic Illinois, a statewide group committed to better looking communities, Hedrick said people may not complain, but they do care about the appearance of their village and recognize that the overall image of a town impacts property values and its ability to attract new businesses. He lamented Glenview's lack of limits on window signs and said two-thirds of the communities in this state have them.

Morrison agreed, saying "ordinances are the necessary bones that support the body politic," but Board President Larry Carlson was in no rush to act. "As Mr. Stec said, this kind of fell through the cracks." Carlson thought maybe the village should have a more formal complaint process and proposed that the chamber try to educate local business owners. "I'm sure there's plenty of graphic designers around," he said. "Some of them might contribute a little time to educate [merchants] on the right way to advertise their business."

Trustee Mike Guinane asked the chamber to work with village staff and the board to establish guidelines – then give voluntary enforcement another year to work. "I think the businesses and the chamber deserve a second chance," he said. Trustee Pappo warned that any village standards must be objective and mandatory if they are to work. She said voluntary efforts had failed because store owners retain the right to do as they please.

Trustee Denefe echoed Guinane and Carlson. "Let's give the chamber a second chance. It seems like something fell between the cracks," she said. "We need to clean up these guidelines that we have now and proceed from there."

"Excuse me," said Pappo. "What guidelines are you referring to specifically?"

An embarrassed silence followed. The debate had clearly centered on the fact that Glenview has no guidelines. Then Trustee Guinane stepped in to save Denefe from further humiliation. "What I had suggested, Trustee Pappo, was that the chamber work with the village staff and this board to set up guidelines."

"I'd suggest we take the standards that Mrs. Morrison mentioned," said Trustee John Crawford referring to guidelines written for The Glen. "Let's ask the chamber to take those standards to its membership and ask why they can't live with those standards."

"If there's no success at the end of six months with some people who have no taste and no respect for the opinions of our residents," Crawford added, "then we will do something."

President Carlson blessed Crawford's statement as "consensus" and asked the chamber to meet with village staff, then approach "habitual violators" using "the carrot and the stick."

It wasn't clear what carrots or sticks the chamber might use, but Village Manager Paul McCarthy and Development Director Mary Bak volunteered to help. "I realize sometimes it's difficult for business members to speak with the bluntness and directness that a bureaucrat can achieve," said McCarthy.

John Hedrick returned to the public podium with one last critical question: What deadline would the chamber have to achieve its goals?" He spoke for another minute on another matter, received a word of thanks from the chair but got no answer to his query.

Editor's note: The people of Glenview did not elect the Chamber of Commerce to enforce standards of good design, nor should we rely on graphic artists to volunteer their time in educating local merchants. This is a matter for the trustees to handle, and we can't understand their reluctance to act. From high school history you may recall a French term "laissez faire." It describes a philosophy of government where officials let people or businesses do as they like. In Glenview, we'd call it "lazy fare," and urge our trustees to stop passing the buck. If only a few merchants are causing problems, then the majority of businesses should not mind an ordinance similar to those on the books in Northbrook, Wilmette and other neighboring suburbs.

Rotary International, the oldest service club in the U.S., hopes to expand in Glenview and is looking for business and professional people interested in joining its morning and lunch clubs or being part of a new evening group. Rotary offers a chance to meet new people and to volunteer for a range of service projects. For more information, call Jack Neymark at 998_4688.

On Friday, October 26 the Park District will host its first Spooktacular at Park Center. The family-oriented evening will feature activities for children in grades 3-6 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. including special pool games, a puppet show, face painting and a magician. Seventh and eighth grade entertainment will be offered from 8:30 - 10 p.m.

While heavy rains forced the district to borrow pumps for removal of unplanned ponds at its main golf course, the new executive course drained quickly, and with many area courses closed, the 9's got lots of new golfers. The Park District is offering a special through the end of the year. Buy one round and get one for half off.

The Comprehensive Plan Commission turns its attention to Waukegan Road and downtown Glenview Thursday, October 25 with a public hearing at 6 p.m. in the board room of Village Hall. Residents are urged to attend and comment.

Last week's Watch incorrectly indicated that the referendum to build a new library would be on the ballot next April. In fact, the election is in March.

WG is steaming over new storm sewers on the East Side: "Last Tuesday's Village Board meeting revealed Trustee Mike Guinane's strategy to create a new front of political warfare in Glenview. Guinane attempted to mobilize the 4,000 people in Glenview he says are being held hostage and persecuted by the village because it won't pony up more money for their storm sewers. In effect, he declared war on all Glenview taxpayers who will not submit to his demands. The fact is, the village does not have the resources to meet the demands of his followers, and his declaration of war is immoderate. No one is holding Guinane or his purported followers hostage."

On the other hand, Rosanne Arciero thinks the village should pay a greater percentage of the cost for new storm sewers: "After last Tuesday's board meeting, I felt angry with the Board of Trustees for its decision to keep the village contribution at 25 percent for storm sewer development and angry with myself for not saying the right thing at the right time. If I had the opportunity, I would go back and say this to the board: There is a great division among neighbors in Glen Oak Acres over whether to reject or proceed with plans to develop storm sewers. The two main concerns among those who don't want the development are: It will change the country feel we all love, and it's too costly. There is one development plan option which would insure that our yards would not be changed. It is the one which proposes sewers and piping to be contained in the roads. Unfortunately, this is the most expensive of the plans. If the Village would contribute 50% toward the cost, and find ways to cut some of the remaining cost, I think that the great majority of the Glen Oak Acres residents would agree to proceed with this solution. If the entire area buys into it, we would be able to negotiate better with contractors and get costs reduced even further. We would end up with affordable flood control, re_paved streets that are not subject to future water damage, congenial neighbors and a beautiful environment.

"I would like to think that there will be another opportunity to try to persuade the board to contribute an amount substantial enough to make the storm sewer development acceptable and affordable. It may be, however, that no matter what is said the board will continue to hold to its 25 percent.

"With the exceptions of Guinane and Pappo, I felt no compassion from the board toward its concerned residents at the meeting. It was quite chilling, disconcerting, and perturbing to discover that even though funds were admittedly available for higher village contributions, they would not be made available for us."

Plane Talk worries over the future of Hangar One: "It is understood the village leaders are about to spend more money on Hangar One to have this building removed from the list of the National Register of Historic Buildings. How many tax dollars is the village going to take this time from its citizens to destroy this national treasure?"

On receiving her survey from Glenview's consultant for the Comprehensive Plan, NL had this response: "We seem to have two towns here now: The Glen and traditional Glenview. As a long-time taxpayer who helped establish Glenview as a most desirable residential community, I am saddened at the outcome since The Glen. The Glen has a distinctly different ambiance __ one with which I do not want to be associated. Therefore, I urge a comprehensive plan that reflects the values of old Glenview."

DC asks a logical question about local security: "What security measures is Glenview taking in these dangerous times? Who is watching the water supply?"

The Watch replies: While public safety officials won't discuss specifics, Glenview Village Manager Paul McCarthy says local fire, police and public works personnel are ready. They've been "planning, coordinating, going through standing procedures," McCarthy told the Village Board. We've rethought everything from how we check the reservoir on the top of Rugen [water pumping] Center to how we distribute the mail in this building. . .The public should know that we have an emergency operations plan and a center that's equipped with back up frequencies for communications and power. Our fire department has a well-trained [team] for dealing with hazardous materials."

Even the Park District says it's prepared. Risk Manager Roy Jensen reports that "employees are being trained on their emergency response plans. The plan covers a variety of emergencies and provides. . .step by step actions each employee must complete. Practice drills will include building evacuation and response to a major medical emergency."

As public safety officials urge us to be alert and call them if something strange is going on, some folks get carried away – like the lady in Springfield who thought toilet paper on a bathroom floor might be anthrax-laced powder. Here in Glenview, Virginia Khamis of Suzy's Florist confides: "Just last week I called the fire department because a very strong smell filled our house long after the sun went down. In quick response two firemen came to check on the odor and discovered our neighbor using his backyard grill. I felt very embarrassed, but in the 12 years I've lived here, I've never seen my neighbor cooking out – and at night no less! In any event, I'm proud to have taken action and appreciate the prompt response from our firefighters."

Wally feels there's no point to redeveloping one block in downtown Glenview as proposed by Village President Larry Carlson. "I did call Larry about tearing down a block. Makes no sense. Downtown has no place to go. Just visit Highland Park and look what they did. One block means zip. I guess I was the one dissenting person he referred to in the Announcements."

WK is often at Park Center where he observes: "The leadership of the Park District is unwilling to provide a senior discount, yet it employs so many attendants in the fitness room that they seem to be in each other's way. Is it really necessary to have two or three behind the counter plus several on the floor – mostly idle?"

The Watch replies: We spokes with park district administrator Bob Quill who says only two people are assigned to the desk at any given time while two more are stationed on the floor to assist patrons and keep equipment clean. The others, who may appear to be standing around, are probably personal trainers waiting for their clients to arrive. They are paid by the clients and not by the park district.

Maggie writes about pledges and prayers: "I agree we must be careful to keep church and state separate, so I have a simple solution to those not wanting to say the words "under God." When it comes time to recite that part, those disbelieving in a divine entity should just not say those two words but continue on with the remainder of the pledge. If there is anyone who does not believe in pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, that is another matter. I think if you live in, work in, and enjoy the freedoms of this great land (other than paying taxes that I cannot enjoy!), you should certainly feel duty, if not pride, in paying honor to one of our greatest symbols of freedom!

"As for prayers at public meetings, I suppose we must placate the politically correct majority by not reciting them. I think a moment of silence allows the silent reciting of prayers by those who desire them. Personally, I would like to see a group of citizens meeting for governmental purposes pray together, briefly, to perhaps comfort troubled spirits in these extremely troubled times, but then that is what houses of worship are for."

GLNB can't understand why there was no help for Breadsmith, a local business that lost its lease at the Plaza del Prado: "I can't agree more with the suggestion of an economic development office at Village Hall. There is no reason why a profitable business should be shut down and thrown out, particularly when it is so difficult to start a small business. In addition, I don't understand why the village has moved so slowly on plans for an extended stay hotel at The Glen. These types of establishments have opened up in many places in the area serving the public and the community well. What is the hesitation in Glenview?"

What's on your mind? Drop us a line by e-mail 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.

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