The 2004 budget raises village spending to $80 million – a 4 percent increase over this year.  New expenses include hiring a consultant to assess daily and monthly charges for parking in Metra lots and $200,000 in consulting fees for improvements to downtown.

Fire department spending is up slightly, but Chief Dan Bonkowski stressed that was not due to the opening of two new fire stations at The Glen and in east Glenview. He said crews now housed at other fire stations would be moved to the new facilities. Those stations will not have ambulances, but Bonkowski said high-level paramedic services would be provided by men arriving on a fire truck.  As the emergency medical technicians are stabilizing their patients, one of three ambulances from another station would be en route to transport sick or injured individuals if necessary.  “Anything can happen,” Bonkowski said, “but there is usually no wait for transportation.”

Bonkowski said there would be three new hires in 2004, in part because so many men are off the job after suffering long-term injuries. Because so many firefighters were out, Glenview spent $300,000 more than expected this year for overtime pay. The village will also buy three new thermal imagers to help locate victims in the event of a fire, purchase a car for the new deputy chief, add aerial capacity to one of its trucks and spend an additional $7,000 to improve labor relations. After last year’s narrow vote not to unionize, village officials may see a need to make nice with rank and file firemen.

While it’s not part of next year’s budget, officials suggested it will soon be necessary to replace a deteriorating station on Glenview Road opposite Flick Park.  Next year’s capital improvements budget suggests that fire station be built once a new police station and village hall are complete. Bonkowski said the village will also have to replace one of the department’s fire engines soon.

Police department spending is up just 2 percent. No new officers will be hired, but two will be reassigned to the traffic unit. More than 22 percent of calls to the department are traffic related, a number far higher than is seen in other suburban communities.

The village also plans construction of a $500,000 storage facility for the Department of Public Works’ equipment.  That money will come from the TIF fund, created to cover expenses of development at The Glen.

WHY TAXES MUST RISE

The village manager insisted proposed tax hikes had nothing to do with The Glen.  “We have frozen our property tax levy for 5 years,” McCarthy said.  “That’s one hell of an accomplishment.”  Now, however, much more of our revenue comes from sales tax.  Nearly a third of Glenview’s public dollars flow from retail activity while 19.5 percent comes from property taxes.

That makes a rating service like Moody’s a little nervous, McCarthy said.  Sales taxes are subject to great volatility, rising and falling with the economy.  On the other hand, property taxes are a constant source of public dollars.

Village reserves are large – totaling about a third of our annual expenditures.  “We have millions of dollars sitting in funds,” McCarthy said.  Many communities keep smaller reserves.  They’re comfortable with about a quarter of the annual budget, but the manager warned that spending reserves could also make Moody’s uneasy.

Glenview’s AAA bond rating is critical to a village heavily in debt to build The Glen and anticipating the sale of future bonds. Dropping to a AA rating could cost millions in interest payments on borrowed money.

THE TRUSTEES TALK BACK

Trustee Mike Guinane seemed willing to target reserves next year and opposed any tax hikes.  He argued new revenues from The Glen Town Center, Abt, Home Depot, Costco and other retailers were bound to bring significant new tax revenue.  Kerry Cummings, Jeff Lerner and Mary Beth Denefe joined him in expressing opposition to a property tax increase.  Jim Patterson and Larry Carlson were for it, while Kim Woodrow was not sure.  All but Guinane and Lerner said they would support an increase in Glenview’s sales tax, and some favored upping the proposed increase to a full percent. Trustee Woodrow said he needed five-year projections on village spending before making a decision. He wondered how many capital projects were “hanging out there.”

SEEING THE HEARING

The public hearing to explain next year’s spending drew just three members of the public to Village Hall on Wednesday – two of them from Glenview Watch and one from a local tax watchdog group.  Saturday’s turn-out was a little better -- six residents came to listen. If savvy members of the public don’t learn more about village plans and express their views early in the process, decisions will fall to trustees who have limited knowledge of municipal finance. Jim Patterson, for example, asked the manager whether unincorporated areas pay taxes to the village.

Editor’s note: People who live in an incorporated area pay taxes to the village and receive village services.  Those in unincorporated areas do not. That’s a fundamental distinction that any trustee should understand before taking office. We wonder what else Patterson does not know, and we fear for the future of a village that elected him. Wouldn’t it be nice if more of Glenview’s financially astute residents showed up when a public hearing is held on the budget?  The next one is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 29 at Village Hall, and a final board vote will come at the regular village board meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 2.

MCCARTHY TO RETIRE

In an emotional speech to the trustees, Village Manager Paul McCarthy announced that he will retire on July 30, 2004 after 22 years in the job.  Noting the average length of service for city managers is about five years, McCarthy gave credit to his wife, his son and his administration.  “The secret of success is to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are,” he explained.

During his tenure, McCarthy has worked with four village presidents and 31 trustees. He also served as the chief planner and cheerleader for The Glen, but he told the trustees he should not be remembered for that. “The Glen is just a project.  It was a big, hairy, expensive, risky and ultimately successful project, but a project is an episode.  It is not the full story.”

Village President Carlson said he was saddened by McCarthy’s decision to retire, saying he was the man who “got the job done.”  Chief among those jobs, Carlson said, was maintenance of a AAA bond rating, saving the village millions of dollars in interest.  He also cited Patten House and Depot Square, senior housing built during McCarthy’s years in Glenview.  His voice trembling, Carlson credited McCarthy with his leadership in developing The Glen and building two new fire stations.

GOING AWAY GOODIES

McCarthy is now paid $156,844 per year plus benefits. His contract gave the village manager 25 days of vacation and five days of personal leave per year.  “Because of the uniqueness of McCarthy’s position, the village agrees that McCarthy shall not be required to take more than one-half of his vacation days each year,” the agreement states. The village manager now has five months of accrued time for which he will be paid.

He will also get a bonus of more than $60,000 plus enough delayed compensation to put his  earnings over $200,000 in 2003 and 2004.  Because his pension is based on what he made during his final years on the job, the bonus money, vacation pay and delayed comp will mean significant long-term benefits for the manager.

When he hits the highway in July, headed for his new villa in Florida, McCarthy may also be driving a vehicle leased for him by the village.  While his counterpart in Northbrook drives a Ford Taurus, McCarthy requested a Chevy Suburban. The manager’s contract has allowed him to pay $600 per year toward the purchase of that vehicle at its wholesale price. If he’s taken advantage of that provision for the last 11 years,  McCarthy will pay less than $15,000 for a car that costs nearly $40,000 new.

ALL HAIL MCCARTHY

Speeches in tribute to McCarthy were short and sweet.  “I’m not going to give a eulogy,” said the manager’s assistant Joe Wade.  Praising his boss for energy, enthusiasm and passion Wade concluded, “I just want to thank you as a friend and co-worker and wish you all the best.”

Former Village President Tom Smith said he was the one who hired McCarthy.  “God, how can he retire so young?” said the elder statesman.

Then came warm words from the village attorney.  Jeff Randall said he had worked with McCarthy since 1986, the two had become friends as had their families.  “He’s going to be missed.”

WHY SOME FOLKS CRITICIZE THE GLEN

In a recent speech to the Rotary-Sunrise club, Manager McCarthy gave a surprising description of  redevelopment at the former Glenview Naval Air Station.  “It’s sort of like a terrorist that kicks the door in.  He’s got a ski mask, and he’s got an Uzi in his hand, and he says, ‘I’m here!  I’m the ultimate only child!  My needs come first, and this community is going to have to invest time paying attention to me.’”

Fortunately, he said, that domination is coming to an end, but many residents remain critical of the project.  Why?  McCarthy feels many upscale communities like Glenview suffer from a social ill that’s “like a low-grade fever.”  Its symptoms: “alienation and problems of marginalization felt by people who aren’t at the cocktail party, people who – for whatever reason, whether it’s economics, whether it’s social status, whether it’s age, whether it’s any one of a host of things, do not see themselves as players in this game that we call Glenview.”

He went on to suggest that critics of The Glen resent the wealth that new neighborhood represents. “Fancy-shmancy is fancy-shmancy no matter where it is,” he told the Rotarians.  “A fancy-shmancy house on a golf course at The Glen is just as gagging to someone who feels alienated or unable to participate or locked out of that as a fancy-shmancy house sitting in the middle of Glen Ayre Park.  I think that’s a perspective that we shouldn’t lose.”

With 96 percent of the land sold, McCarthy said “even the most pessimistic person filled with a vat of venom will be forced to concede that by most rational yardsticks The Glen is a wildly successful project.” 

Editor’s note:  We do not concede, and it’s ridiculous for McCarthy to suggest that such an assessment can be made so early in the game.   If the Town Center is not a hit, Glenview’s public school system will be in deep trouble.  Taxes are already rising, and some would say that’s the result of debt acquired by the village to redevelop GNAS.  The full traffic impact will only be felt when the Prairie Glen Corporate Campus is complete, and long-term costs for Glen maintenance could be far greater than anticipated.  Next year alone, the village will pay the Mid-America Co. $300,000 to take care of parking garages at the Town Center. The budget contains $475,000 for Glen grounds plus $123,000 for professional services at Gallery Park which has cost $23.5 million to date. Lake management will run about $20,000 in 2004, and we’re expecting to spend $50,000 on something called a “stormceptor,” that will intercept trash from sewers before it flows into the lake.

As for fancy-shmancy homes, we dare say it’s a lot easier to get angry when your tax dollars have subsidized their construction and sale.  Finally, we have to wonder if our village manager has attended a few too many cocktail parties. Is he saying that people who prefer not to join Glenview’s inner circle are psychologically impaired?  Does he think our senior citizens are incapable of straight thinking when it comes to new developments in town? Or perhaps he fails to see why many intelligent, civic-minded folks who were excluded from Glenview’s multi-million dollar party in Larry Carlson’s big tent now feel angry.

LIBRARY POLL PICKS GLEN SITE FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION

A telephone survey of 399 village residents found that, all things being equal, 61 percent of residents prefer a downtown location for a new library if one is built, and only 27 percent want it at The Glen. When they were informed that land would not be available downtown for 2-4 years, 52 percent still cast a vote for the downtown location with 40 percent favoring The Glen. But when pollsters explained that the average taxpayer would have to shell out up to $130 a year if construction were done downtown while The Glen would cost just $80 a year, 49 percent preferred a Glen location and just 38 percent thought downtown would be better.

Twelve percent of those surveyed said they hadn’t been to the library in the past year.  Of those, 38 percent live in North/Northwest Glenview and 24 percent are in the Southeast part of town.  Seventeen percent of non-users said they didn’t need a library, 12 percent said they used a different library and 8 percent said they were too busy for libraries.  Only 6 percent cited lack of parking as a consideration.

Editor’s note: The only surprise from this survey was how large and steadfast the constituency for a downtown library is.  When the deck was stacked with guesstimates about cost differences, however, we could have told you how the public would respond and saved the board $20,000.  On the other hand, village officials may have seen this poll as the price of a political fig leaf – allowing them to do what they had already concluded was best for Glenview.

HISTORY GETS A HELPING HAND

The Glenview Announcements, which usually favors new development and supports the political establishment, came down firmly on the side of historic preservation last week. In an editorial, the newspaper blasted village trustees who voted to change the historic preservation ordinance so only property owners could nominate a building for landmark status.  As a result, the paper said, “Glenview will be powerless to preserve landmarks from owners who don’t care or don’t know about local history. The ordinance will be pointless.”

Under the original ordinance, the editor points out that Glenview’s village board can reject landmark status. She urged the trustees to reconsider, saying the board should “let non-owners, including the historic preservation commission, nominate buildings, so portions of Glenview’s legacy have a chance to be protected from buyers uninterested in local architecture and history. . .True landmarks need the community’s protection because they are more than private property; they are part of the community’s legacy.”

HOW CLEAN IS THAT WATER IN THE BOTTLE?

State Senator Susan Garrett will host a public hearing on the safety and regulation of bottled water from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, October 30 at the Northbrook Public Library, 1201 Cedar Lane.  Consumers may associate bottled water with purity, but lawsuits in six states including Illinois show little regulation to assure that what flows from “sparkling springs” is really pure.  One bottler admitted, under oath, that its product was neither “spring water” nor “pure” as claimed on the label.  Garrett’s hearing could lead to more extensive regulation of the industry by The Illinois Department of Public Health.

THE GREEN SCENE

– After spending thousands of dollars on weed-eating beetles, the village has given up and hired a landscaper to cut down purple loosestrife, an invasive, non-native plant that takes over almost any piece of land, killing off prairie species.  The plants were removed to limit the spread of their seeds which were dry and ready to blow into areas not yet infested.

– You can take a look at preliminary plans for a nature center at the prairie on Thursday, November 13 in the board room of Village Hall.

– About 30 people gathered big bluestem and other prairie plant seeds on Sunday morning.  Their harvest will be shared with other communities hoping to restore open space with native plants now found on less than one-tenth of one percent of land in the Prairie State.

THE JOB HUNT

Glenview’s public library reports that 75 percent of jobs are never advertised. Networking is the most important way to find that hidden job market. Join librarian Mindy Wallis at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 6 to learn how to use the net to network.  Call the Information desk at 847-729-7500 or register online at http://www.glenview.lib.il.us/programform.html .

A CORRECTION

Larry Miller, a District 34 watchdog and founder of Citizens Allied for Responsible Education, says a Watch report on excess capacity created by Attea Middle School, actually understated the problem.  “Our estimate would be that there are easily 800 excess seats, 400 between the two junior high schools and easily another 400 in the primary grades,” he says.  Miller and CARE’s John Ranz say the district may have to consolidate operations, closing a school to keep costs down.  The district says it needs the new capacity in part because special needs children require more space, but also because enrollment is likely to grow dramatically in the years to come.

READERS WRITE

The first letter in our e-mail box this week came from Joe Kearney who was angered by our coverage of a grand opening at The Glen Town Center: “As a 23-year Glenview resident and former intern with The Glen Redevelopment Office, I have been consistently dismayed by the rampant negativity championed by the editors of the Glenview Watch over the past several years. The successful grand opening at The Glen on Friday represented many years of labor and planning by a team of dedicated public servants and private citizens__ that you would sneer at this national model of base closure and realignment is truly unfortunate. Cynical comments by the Watch, however, cannot mask the true success of the project:  a current 40 percent occupancy rate

(with high_end retail tenants) only one year after groundbreaking, and a projected 90%  rate for the Spring of 2004. Clearly the three eating establishments were a hit if, as you put it, ‘Waits for food were long at times, and the restaurants ran out of some menu items.’ As editors of a community information source, you bear a certain responsibility to your constituency; fair and balanced reporting of community events and happenings. Despite your own image of role within the community, editorials and opinion should be represented as such, and not merely juxtaposed with factual information. This being said, you certainly are entitled to your views and, in a

democracy, can voice them in the political arena. Perhaps you should compile your thoughts into a platform and join the ranks of Glenview's government__ citizens like yourselves who care enough about the future to put in long hours for minimal  compensation. Negative reporting without suggestion of a viable alternative is destructive and leaves readers with a sense of disillusionment. Which is a shame, because the future of Glenview is bright, indeed.”

The Watch replies: We share your hope that The Glen Town Center will be a big success.  Indeed, we have mentioned in an earlier edition that a similar development in Columbus, Ohio is a huge hit.  On the other hand, we were struck by the large number of businesses not open for the grand opening, and it would have been journalistically irresponsible of us to ignore that obvious and disturbing fact.  Even the Announcements told readers that 30 of the 50 merchants were not ready for the big weekend.

F.S. disagrees with our suggestion that the denial of a liquor license for Mr. Lee (referred to by Village President Carlson as Mr. Kim) was not racist or unfair: “That license denial had nothing to do with the owner's ethnicity.  It was not an attempt to deny his American dream.  What about the American dreams of all the neighbors who signed the petition against a liquor store in our neighborhood.  Since when does the dream of one person supersede the dreams of a whole community? The people who own the cleaners and applied for the liquor store permit are very nice people.  This was nothing against them.  It was idea of a liquor store that the community opposed. I think you are way off base on this issue.”

The Watch replies: You may be right about the role of racism in this matter.  We were struck, however, by the fact that Village President Carlson called Mr. Lee "Mr. Kim."  We don't ever remember Carlson confusing the names of Anglos appearing before the board. As for the suggestion that Lee's American dream could not have co_existed with those of the neighbors, we disagree.  Having lived very near to Schaeffer's in Evanston for years, we can tell you that a "liquor store," which conjures some very negative possibilities, is not necessarily a problem __ especially if it caters to a high_end clientele.  Suppose Lee had described his proposed store as a gourmet food and wine shop?  Would the neighborhood still have risen up as it did to oppose the idea? The conflict was exacerbated by Village Hall's decision to write letters to the neighbors warning of a "liquor store," without giving Lee a chance to tell people what he planned.  If you listened to the guy, it sounded like the business he had in mind might have been a very positive addition to the neighborhood with its inviting interior, upscale merchandise and closing time of 8 p.m.  Sounds like a nice neighbor to us, but by the time Lee got to Village Hall, the mob had already made up its mind and launched the lynching party. Cap all this off with the fact that three liquor licenses were approved for The Glen without a word of debate.  If liquor is inherently bad, you have to wonder what the trustees were thinking.

RN has a different perspective on the Confederate flag flap: “The boys with the Confederate flag was unfortunate, but letting them stand on the roof of the truck was even worse.  What happened to safety first.  I also think that students should not be driving the cars/trucks during the parade.  They have other things on their minds than watching the road.  I hope we can have a safer parade next year.  Parents should demand that vehicles be driven by people over 21.”

Carol Freeman offers a natural and cost-effective solution to the goose problem: “Plant more native plants. It is a fact that geese don't like tall grasses where their predators can hide. By planting tall native grasses it will make the area much more interesting to look at, decrease the cost to maintain the area, (no mowing, fewer chemicals, less watering) encourage more wildlife

diversity and discourage the geese as well. You can visit sites like the Openlands Project for more information about converting plain grassy areas into vital natural areas: http://www.openlands.org/corporatelands.asp .”

And TSM corrects our reader’s use of the term “Canadian geese. Growing up in Maryland, a migratory flight path of the geese, I was always told that there are no such things as Canadian geese, they are properly called Canada geese.”

Henry Hill doesn’t like the look of Glenview’s new fire station: “When the suggestion of placing a fire station on Wagner Farm first arose, Paul McCarthy said the design of the structure would be compatible with a farm motif. Paul has kept his word. Although, thankfully a different location was found for the station on Lake Street, the main structure does look like a huge barn. The next question is, are they going to paint it red?”

Tom Murphy was surprised to read that Glenview has hired a communications person:  “Nothing against Glenview’s new communications czar Janet Spector Bishop, but how much will the village of Glenview be paying for a communications director? Shouldn't we have a village manager and president who can communicate effectively without hiring a professional to coach them? Why couldn't they at least find someone from among the thousands of taxpaying residents within the village of Glenview to hire, instead of hiring a Northbrook resident? Being in charge of marketing for an extremely popular, non_controversial charity is one thing, orchestrating communications for a controversial organization like the village of Glenview is another.”

The Watch replies: Our new communications director will earn $78,000 per year, and the 2004 budget contains $97,536 for a communications program.

Mr. T. is disturbed by the latest news about village spending: “Talk about hypocrisy!  The village board chastises non_profit, civic and cultural organizations like the Glenview Symphony for asking for a few thousand dollars in assistance while gleefully handing out no_bid design contracts worth millions of dollars.  If this is their idea of fiscal management, they should be ashamed.  Clearly, Adam Smith was right 200 years ago when he said, ‘I've never known much good done by those who affect to trade for the public good.’  The park district's arrogant, misguided decision to paint the barn red and the library board's desire to build a massive new, multi_million dollar building instead of adding on like Northbrook are perfect examples.  Apparently, our local boards are run by those who not only don't know but don't give a damn for those of us who have to pick up the tab.”

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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