Without informing the public in advance and suspending the usual requirement that they take another vote on the matter in two weeks, Glenview’s trustees agreed to give $2 million in TIF money to a company planning to move its corporate headquarters to The Glen. Anixter, a Skokie-based wire and cable firm, reported net income of more than $30 million in 2001.

Glen Redevelopment Director Don Owen explained that the market for office real estate in Cook County is weak and added, "In order to make this location financially feasible for their organization, Anixter requested that the village consider an incentive." The idea was presented to Glen real estate consultant Mesirow-Stein, which argued competition for a company like Anixter could be stiff. Noting that the firm would generate about $7.5 million in property taxes over a 15-year period, Stein recommended Glenview pay the company $2 million in incentives over 15 years.

Owen argued that the arrival of Anixter might create momentum for additional development at the Prairie Glen Corporate Campus while building and diversifying Glenview’s tax base.

Trustee Jeff Lerner praised developer Catellus for creating "a first-class business project out there," and said "any help we can give them to get this project moving, to allow a Fortune 500 company to move their world headquarters to the village," should have the board’s support. Trustee John Crawford saw this as "a good deal – a good investment, and we’ve got a good tenant to get things started on the corporate campus."

Informed sources questioned the decision, noting that a $2 million incentive may not have been necessary. "We’ve heard the argument about the Cook County real estate market before, but the reality is that lots of corporations want to be in Cook County," said one. Others noted that development had been proceeding well without incentives at The Glen and the neighboring North Shore Corporate Park.

The new, two-story, 165,000-square-foot building will be located near the corner of Compass Road and Patriot Boulevard. Anixter said ground would be broken next month, and the building should be completed next summer. About 570 people are expected to work there.

Editor’s note: We are disturbed by the lack of public discussion that preceded this decision to provide corporate welfare to a viable North Shore company. Because there has been no real debate, no effort to explore the issues with voters, we are not convinced that this deal was necessary. We wonder how much tough negotiating took place behind the scenes with Mesirow-Stein and Catellus calling the shots. These companies are developers, committed first and foremost to their own profits. They have no vested interest in the welfare of our schools which must now wait longer for retirement of the TIF to benefit fully from development at The Glen. Our trustees have said they want better communications with the public – fair and open government, but their actions speak louder than words, and it’s business as usual at Village Hall.

Two weeks after voting to charge all groups that hold large gatherings for village services – police, paramedics and public works – the trustees changed their minds. Their original vote had offended members of Glenview’s largest Catholic parish – Our Lady of Perpetual Help – which hosts a fun run each spring, and it may have angered the Chamber of Commerce which receives free services during its annual street sale. It also worried groups like the American Legion which operate on a shoestring budget.

"We had not really given enough consideration to the matter," said Trustee John Crawford in proposing that the village change the policy again. He, Cook, Denefe and Guinane are members of OLPH. President Carlson used to head the Chamber of Commerce.

Crawford said the village spent $43,000 on public service to private events in 2001. He cited the street sale, Fourth of July parade, Memorial Day services by the American Legion and the OLPH fun run as sources of civic pride and said the village could afford to support such events. Crawford also thought events sponsored by the school and park districts should get village support but proposed that private clubs and commercial enterprises be required to pay.

Trustee Jeff Lerner suggested a delay – staying with the old policy, exempting some groups but not others, until a thorough study of the situation could be made. Crawford and the rest of the board agreed.

Editor’s note: How many lawyers does it take to get this policy right? Glenview has a full-time attorney to advise the board and five of the seven trustees are lawyers, but no one has mentioned a 1992 Supreme Court ruling that suggests local governments may not be entitled to assess charges for these services since doing so could have a chilling effect on the constitutional right to freedom of assembly.

Meetings of the Glenview Park District and the Glenview Plan Commission promise interesting debate this week. The park district will convene in the Lake View Room of Park Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 to hear from the public and decide how to manage animals at Wagner Farm. Bart the Bull, a steer and three cows have been slated for slaughter, but 468 people have expressed opposition by petition, mail and e-mail. Executive Director Tom Richardson notes more than 250 of those were not residents of Glenview, and he was particularly skeptical about 19 letters that appeared to come from a class of kids in Evanston – all opposed to moving the animals. "They were on similar stationary, printed with the same ink," he says. Just 19 of the letters and e-mail were written in support of a staff recommendation to sell unneeded animals.

Plaza del Prado will come before the Plan Commission at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 in the board room of Village Hall. The shopping center wants to build two new restaurants near Bank One. Ironically, the Plaza was once home to one of the most successful eateries on the North Shore. Max and Benny’s moved its popular deli to Northbrook, citing disagreements with Plaza management. Other long-time tenants, including Kaden’s Shoes and the Breadsmith, blame the Plaza for driving them out of business.

Also on the commission’s agenda, an appearance by developers of Haverford – a residential community planned for the southwest corner of Willow and Waukegan roads – a site formerly owned by the Missionary Sisters.

Glenview’s trustees have voted to make it cheaper for residents of areas that have no sewers to build them. Until now, village policy required areas wanting stormwater improvements to pay 75 percent of the cost. Now, however, Glenview will pay for the larger trunk and collection sewers leading to neighborhoods. Residents would pay only for their local sewers – about a third of the total cost for a sewer system.

Trustee Mike Guinane, a resident of Glen Oak Acres – Glenview’s largest area without sewers – led the fight. He thought lower costs would jump start the process of building more efficient flood controls. "That’s been the stumbling block for the past 20 years. People have been reluctant to come up with 75 percent of the cost for storm sewers," he said.

Public Works Director Bill Porter thought Guinane might be right. Under the old system, he pointed out that homeowners might be looking at an average payment of $1,200 per year. Under the new formula, he said, "that number would be substantially reduced." As work is completed in various areas, he added, more people might see the advantage to making this investment.

Trustee Lerner was skeptical. "I don’t think changing the math is going to solve the problem," he said. "There are many people who like their little corner of earth without any changes because they don’t get the water. It has nothing to do with finances. They don’t want it because they don’t need it."

Manager McCarthy saw Lerner’s point but said the current system was not working. He called the problem of funding storm water management "a damnable issue," but asked the board "to give us a new opportunity to fail." McCarthy expressed hope that the new formula might, in fact, succeed.

For months now, three families who live at the end of a cul de sac in Glen Oak Acres have been asking the village to clear and dig out a trench that carries storm water through their yards into the adjacent forest preserve. Because Glenview had recently built a pipe to carry storm water from an adjacent neighborhood into this area, the residents feared serious flooding problems this spring and summer.

A consultant told the village that cleaning the drainage ditch would cost about $13,000 and dredging would add another $4,000 to the bill. Because the area lies in a flood plain, he didn’t think either action would be terribly effective, noting that the neighbors would have some problems with standing water no matter what was done.

Dredging would also require paperwork from Cook County and the Army Corps of Engineers – a prospect much feared by President Carlson and Trustee Lerner. The board initially voted to go with the cheaper option – cleaning the ditch – and to use village staff for much of the work, reducing out-of-pocket expenses.

Last week, however, several trustees changed their vote. Trustee John Crawford had visited the area and was alarmed by the ugly pipe now carrying stormwater into the community. "Frankly, it looked like an industrial area," he said.

"I realize that we’re not talking about a whole lot of money here," said President Carlson. "On the other hand, if it’s $4,000 or $5,000, it’s $4,000 or $5,000."

Trustee Lerner didn’t think money was the big issue, but worried that in requesting permits from the county and the Army Corps, Glenview would be permanently obligated to maintain the property. "Why would the village want to assume that responsibility?" he asked, adding that the community was not to blame for water problems in a flood plain.

"We did create this problem," said Guinane. "We did put a 36-inch storm sewer pipe in these homeowners backyards. We should be committed to cleaning out that ditch."

"That pipe was put there at the request of the homeowners," said Lerner.

Trustees Pappo and Guinane explained that it was a different group of homeowners who requested the pipe to relieve their neighborhood of stormwater that is now flowing into the aggrieved area.

Having heard from her political allies, Trustee Mary Beth Denefe said she "had to chime in. I would concur with the remarks made by Trustee Lerner as well as President Carlson. I too am concerned about the dollars. Noting that a consultant was hired to advise the board, that permit fees would now be needed, she predicted the job could end up costing $25,000 and lamented, "We haven’t even dug one shovel full of dirt."

In the end, Guinane, Cook, Crawford and Pappo prevailed in their wish to provide the cleaning and dredging services originally requested by the homeowners.

Editor’s note: The trustees discussed this subject at length, agonizing over the extra $4,000 – this after giving a major corporation $2 million with not a word of debate.

The need for engineering design and supervision of infrastructure at The Glen is winding down, but the village approved a $1.76 million contract Tuesday for Harza Engineering through 2003. The company, which has already collected about $11 million in fees from Glenview, has now decided that we are a good customer – eligible for a discount on services.

"As a good faith effort, in recognition of the long-term partnership we’ve had with them, Harza has agreed to decrease their profit or their fixed fee from 12 percent to 10 percent," Redevelopment Director Owen told the board. He also said more supervision would be done by three village employees, saving the community nearly $800,000.

Village management has revived an old tradition, swearing in new firefighters at evening meetings of the trustees. Two new men appeared Tuesday to take the oath and receive a round of applause from fellow firemen and members of the public. Village Manager Paul McCarthy said he was pleased to extend the ceremonial honor already accorded to police officers. "Years ago I think we used to do this [for firemen]. It’s nice to see a whole bunch of firefighters out there. Thanks for coming. I really appreciate it. This is good."

Editor’s note: Perhaps the Village Manager was simply struck with a burst of generosity and goodwill, but we skeptics wonder if this gesture was not the opening volley in an effort to keep local firemen from becoming a collective bargaining unit. In a preliminary vote this spring, the men overwhelmingly favored forming a union, but if village officials refuse to recognize them, the state will hold a second vote and order Glenview to honor the outcome.

Glenview has hired Russ Jensen of Schaumburg to be its new chief engineer. He replaces Steve Jacobson who has retired. Assistant Village Manager Joe Wade said Jensen had worked for the villages of Schaumburg and Hawthorn Woods and the Indiana Department of Transportation. Jensen was one of 45 people who applied for the job.

– District 34 has approved new attendance boundaries for Springman and Attea Middle Schools, sending roughly equal numbers of kids from Glen Grove, Hoffman and Pleasant Ridge intermediate schools to each. The solution proved remarkably popular. No parents spoke against it, and all board members voted for it.

– Former Springman Assistant Principal Heather Hopkins will take the top job at Glenview’s original middle school when Principal Charles Terry takes the helm at the Attea Middle School in July.

– District 34 teachers will get raises of about 3.5 percent next year as part of a one-year contract worked out by their union and the school board.

– Glenbrook South High School’s Cindy Lu has won a National Merit Scholarship. She plans to major in chemical engineering. More winners will be announced in May and July.

– 34Connect will meet again at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 in the Wildcat Commons of Springman Middle School to discuss special services, including English as a second language, gifted education, special education and early childhood programs. Those who attend will also discuss how the district meets the needs of a changing school population.

– C.O.W.S holds its annual meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25th in the board room at Village Hall. Refreshments will be provided at no charge by Trader Joe’s.

– The Three Russian Tenors make their debut alongside the new Glenview Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4 in the Christian Heritage Academy, 315 Waukegan Road, Northfield. The musicians will perform Italian and Russian compositions under the direction of conductor Philip Simmons. The tenors have performed on four continents, appearing with the Lyric and Metropolitan Operas, at the Marinsky and Bolshoi theaters and at La Scala in Milan. Tickets range from $25-$40 and are available at the Glenview State Bank or by calling 847-729-6001.

– Learn how to simplify your life at a seminar conducted by professional facilitator Karen Purves. She’ll explain how even the busiest person can slow down and enjoy life more. The program begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 23 in Glenview’s public library. Register with the information desk at 847-729-7500.

Howard Silver writes about charges for village services during privately sponsored events: "I am the founder and race director of the Rotary Run for Glenview, so the recent controversy regarding payment for police services was quite interesting to me. I was very surprised to find out that OLPH does not pay for its Phun_Run. The Rotary Run has been operating since 1998, and the Rotary Club of Glenview _ Sunrise has always paid the Village of Glenview. We have been quite pleased with the police department's help and have never questioned our bill or given it a second thought. It has always been part of our budget.

"I am not upset that OLPH has not paid in the past, but I am glad that the Village's Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to set up rules that are fair to all. I also encourage the trustees to continue the discussion regarding the funding of the street sale. The Chamber of Commerce is not a government entity but a trade association made up of private members. Its purpose is for the good of our community, but so are the Rotary Club, Optimists, Kiwanis, and the Phun-run. Therefore, if Rotary, OLPH and others are required to pay for its fundraising events, we should all be treated equally. P.S. I encourage everyone to participate in both the Phun-Run next week and the Rotary Run for Glenview on October 6. It is a great chance to have fun and support our town."

Ron wonders why air traffic is so thick over Glenview: "Oh great information wizards, I have a question for you. When did Glenview become the major flight pattern for O'Hare arrivals? I live on Dewes and Shermer, and for the last two days a plane has flown over our house every 30 to 40 seconds, from 7:00 in the morning to 9:00 in the evening."

The Watch replies: There are 24 different ways that air traffic control can route planes coming into O’Hare. Flight paths are chosen based on wind, weather here and in other parts of the Midwest, and on the number of aircraft trying to land. Because the weather has been so nice lately – a rarity in this part of the world – and because of unusually strong winds from the south/southwest, the FAA selected a configuration that isn’t used very much – one that takes aircraft right over your house.

And Dave Carr is distraught over traffic on the ground: "Does the plan commission commute? Do those individuals see the misery of trying to get around the Glenview area and surrounding suburbs during a rush hour or on a Saturday afternoon? Milwaukee is brutal, Greenwood going south between Lake and Glenview can no longer safely handle the flow of traffic during rush hour, and the Chestnut-Lehigh train track intersection is a disaster waiting to happen. It flat out sucks! I am considering a move to LA just to get away from the congestion! The whole freakin' air base is high-density housing! There are miles and miles of townhomes, and we aren't even halfway through the development there. Let's just change the name of the town now so current residents know what’s coming and future residents will know what they are getting into. Let's call the village Glenzoo."

Amy Brossard says the village planned well for new businesses but not for new customers: "With summer-like temperatures in mid-Arpil, it was interesting to observe the new Oberweiss ice cream shop where groups of customers were trying to find a place outside to enjoy the weather and their treats. The sidewalks were so skinny, and there was no place to sit overlooking the river. The same goes for Caribou coffee where it would have been great to have a sidewalk café. Contrast that scene with the one over at the Dairy Bar. There is lots of outdoor room and ledges to perch on, Jackman Park next door and the place was brimming with customers.

"I think the planning gods should take a good look at the importance of adjoining outdoor spaces when trying to make a downtown business location attractive and profitable. For downtown Glenview, you can have plenty of liquor, curbside at the Glenview House, and certainly there is good seating for customers at Grandpas and the Noodle, but from there it is slim pickings. There are only a couple of tables at Viccino's Pizza and across the street at the library, and a couple of benches at the dairy bar and cigar store, if you like cigar aroma. Overall it’s not very inviting. Perhaps that was the plan. Encourage everyone to stay indoors or in their cars."

Stu Hamilton applauds plans for a wider Lake Avenue: "I could never understand why there were no left turn lanes at Wagner and Sunset Ridge. I have witnessed several serious accidents at both intersections over the years which clearly could have been prevented by the use of protected turn lanes. Yes, it is true that people use Lake Street because Willow Road is only two lanes in Northfield. Yes, it is true that some drivers will cut through residential areas to avoid traffic snarls. Yes, it is true that we are all suffering from the future catching up with us in the form of increased traffic demands from inadequate roads. However, just like the buggy whip manufacturers of old, we must all change as the future unfolds the reality of our economic success as a society. The old ways die, the quaint old roads turn into highways, and eventually, all those people living along Lake Street will also pass into the past. Like it or not, we must move forward for the betterment of all of us. We must all try being introspective enough to recognize that a larger society than our neighborhood exists, and we must all make our sacrifices so we can all live better and safer lives."

AR wonders why officials don’t widen Golf Road: "What road connects Evanston, Old Orchard and Golf Mill? What road has the least driveways entering onto it because of the large number of strip malls and forest preserves it passes? What road leads west to Northwest Highway/Route14 and Route12/Rand Road? What route is half way between the junctions of 94/294 at the Lake Cook Road to the north and around Lawrence to the south? What road is already straight and partially widened?"

Joe Warga challenges plans to banish Bart the Bull: "It's very aggravating to me that Bart (and all possible successors are being banished from Wagner Farm because of some untrue and exaggerated reasons, depriving all of us the chance to see a real live bull. There's been a bull in residence at Wagner Farm as long as any of us can remember. The bull pen approved in the Master Plan, to be patterned after those in use at the University of Illinois farm in Champaign, would allow Bart access to the outdoors and allow us to see him safely from Lake Avenue. At no time would he be outside without staff supervision, to prevent any unauthorized persons from getting anywhere near the pen. Bart would never be kept outside overnight. This was all thought out and considered carefully by those who wrote the master plan. The Young Farmers program brings youngsters into proximity of Bart, who is safely enclosed in his stall, without concern for the children’s safety because there is adequate supervision by the staff and volunteers.

"Besides the safety factor, Bart's virility and physical condition have been criticized. He's been able to sire beautiful calves in the past few years, and is a handsome physical specimen to behold. If Bart's got to go, let him do so for reasons that are valid."

JAS says Free Bart!: "I am truly an animal lover. I have read and reread the controversy over Bart the Bull. My heart breaks for him because while everybody is focused on 'saving' Bart from slaughter, his current treatment is inhumane. He has been standing on a concrete floor in a basement for years. When was the last time this poor animal saw the light of day? I thought that was what a pasture was for. They say he can't be trusted. You couldn't trust me either if you were torturing me this way! He can't service the females because he hits his head on the rafters. What is happening to this poor, helpless animal is disgusting. Instead of saving Bart, I say help Bart!

"As far as widening roads and turning lanes and traffic being diverted to other streets, I only have one question. What were these roads built for, if not cars? The days of the horse and buggy are gone. Glenview continues to want to be an extremely dense village. More and more condos, townhomes on smaller and smaller pieces of land. Now every house has at least two vehicles. Go figure. Your roads are going to be used."

Biff Thiele says the park district has been misinformed about Bart and the other animals at Wagner Farm: "The park board is relying on expert opinions taken in a one-sided, flawed survey. One expert, Rick Finch of Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa wrote, ‘I have been asked to briefly speak to the rationale of not having bulls in the museum setting.’ That sent up some red flags. Never mind that the basement of the barn is no museum. It sounded like the experts were not given all the facts and not told that Bart is kept away from visitors. We called some of those experts and discovered they had been given the same criteria as Finch and nothing more.

"The experts were instructed by staff to validate a specific view to influence the park board's decision. The experts were not asked to consider the pros and cons. They were not told that bulls have been safely kept at Wagner Farm for 165 years. They were not told that further safety features are available and have already been discussed. The public was never told any of this either. We were supposed to assume that the process was fair and impartial. The fact is the park board still does not realize this process was flawed. They accepted the recommendations as justification for killing our livestock. In spite of public opposition, the park district appears eager to set a precedent for slaughtering healthy animals for which they have no further use. At the same time, they say they don't want to set a precedent to find farms that might have a need and desire to acquire them.

"The park district has begun to confirm our other contentions as well. Bart has not bred with all of the livestock. There are heifers and cows that can still breed with Bart. He is not sterile and is perfectly capable of breeding. According to his vet and park district staff, they stopped breeding Bart because he hits his head on the rafters when breeding in the basement. They say it would be too expensive to construct an outside pen for him to come out into the sunshine after five years in the basement, but fundraisers could take care of this. In an e-mail to me, Tom Richardson said it's not fair to Bart to keep him in such a small environment. The slaughterhouse being the park district's solution makes it clear that fairness to Bart was never part of the equation."

"Bart is not too old. The reality is Bart is healthy and 7 years old. He could live to be 25. The average is 17. Todd Price has confirmed this. Bart is not dangerous to staff. He is gentle now and if breeding is no longer desirable, he could be neutered and remain gentle for the rest of his life. Staff never has to get in the stall with him to attend to his needs.

"According to insurance people who deal with the park district and the farm, Bart is not an insurance liability . Bob Quill has now confirmed this. All it costs to house, feed and attend to Bart's veterinary needs, is $1,500 a year and that number might be somewhat inflated. But, fundraisers could take care of this.

"Finally, the park district says we don’t need a bull. Nevertheless, we have one that came with the farm. Bart is healthy, gentle, fertile, safe and happy right where he is. There's nothing to gain by killing him or the other animals, and you don't have to live in Glenview or be a vegetarian to care. The entire herd at Wagner Farm is healthy and happy. Isn't that what we wanted?"

YOUR TURN: Write to glenviewwatch@aol.com or 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. If you haven’t already done so, please consider making a contribution to support The Watch. Non-deductible checks should be payable to Glenview Watch. Thanks for your support and for reading. Dean Schott and Sandy Hausman, Co-Editors.

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