MEGA ADMINISTRATION BUILDING MAY RISE IN GLENVIEW

 

The village says it’s holding talks with the park district and School District 34 to construct a building they could share.  Village Hall says it needs more office space.  The park district complains that its historic administration building on Prairie Street needs costly repairs, and the school district wants to move a pre-school program out of Westbrook School where more classrooms are needed.

 

The super-structure could be built next to the new police station at Lake and Shermer or at the current Village Hall site on Waukegan Road.  Each of the three jurisdictions has come up with $12,700 to pay for a consultant to assess space needs and help plan the facility. In 3-4 months, village administrator Don Owen says he’ll be back to share details with the village board. 

 

Editor’s note:  We’re astonished that no mention was made of this before Owen unveiled the program.  Shouldn’t the public have been allowed to weigh-in?  After all, the preliminary expense of over $37,000 is being paid with public dollars.

 

 

ELLEN DOES GLENVIEW – A CHEERLEADER’S REWARD?

 

When Glenview began planning redevelopment of its downtown, consultant S.B. Friedman suggested using tax increment financing to promote new construction.  Many residents thought that was an awful idea, since it helps developers at the expense of schools.  As the tax value of new property rises, cash flows to the village rather than to classrooms. 

 

Fortunately for Friedman, one resident came forward in passionate support of TIF – Ellen Dean of Swainwood.  In her testimony, Dean did not disclose that she had served as the director of development in Downers Grove when S.B. Friedman helped that community plan its new downtown.

 

She was subsequently appointed to Glenview’s Appearance Commission and this week won a part-time job as the economic development coordinator at Village Hall, earning $55,000 per year.  Her appointment was not mentioned during a press briefing one day before the village board meeting, nor was information about Dean included in a packet of material shared with the trustees and posted online beforehand.

 

Adding to the perception that this was an “inside” job, the position was not advertised in any newspapers or shared with any head hunters.  Instead, it was posted to the village website.

 

Glenview now has over 400 municipal employees to serve some 45,000 residents.  That’s one staffer for every 112 people.  By contrast, Niles has one person for each 120 people.  In Northbrook the ratio is one to 123; in Morton Grove one to134, and in Wilmette one to 136. Maybe this is Todd Hileman’s secret plan for economic development in Glenview – hiring lots of high-level people who report directly to him.

 

 

JUST SAY NO – TO DEVELOPERS

 

Surveys show Glenview residents’ biggest gripe is traffic, and local leaders claim they want to do something about it, but time after time they lack the will to just say No. 

 

At the northwest corner of Willow and Pfingsten, an intersection that barely functions in the late afternoon, Glenview recently approved plans for a Fresh Farms grocery store, even though the community and Northbrook had long agreed the area should be residential.  

 

Traffic consultant Todd Fagan, who studied the intersection in 2005, said some customers would come in off Willow Road, and the store would pay for a left-turn lane off Pfingsten, so northbound customers could access the site. 

 

Trustee Debby Karton, who frequents the Glenbrook Market, a shopping center on the northeast corner anchored by LaSalle Bank and Walgreens, worried that people leaving that center to go south on Pfingsten could run headlong into the northbound drivers going to Fresh Farms. 

 

“You’re the expert,” she told the traffic consultant. “I try to be sometimes. I drive that all the time at rush hour, because that’s where my bank is.  What’s going to happen is, you’re going to have the left hand turn going south, stacked all the way back up to the Fresh Farms entrance, and now you’re going to introduce people going north.”

 

“There might be times of the day when it’s busy southbound on Pfingsten, but you don’t have peak rush hour all the time,” Fagan replied.  “We know things are tight at this intersection, but the Illinois Department of Transportation has plans to improve it – to create three lanes on Willow in each direction, so someday you’ll come out of that situation.”

 

Cummings said she was more concerned about Pfingsten.

 

Editor’s note: This development is neither wise nor necessary.  There’s a Jewel and a Korean grocery already doing business at the intersection of Willow and Pfingsten, a Whole Foods about to open at Willow and Waukegan and a second Jewel less than a miles south of there.  How many grocery stores do we need?  When will the trustees learn to just say no?

 

Some years ago, Glenview purchased commercial land at the corner of  Waukegan and Lake, holding onto it until a safe way was found to develop it. This northwestside property should also have been acquired with a view toward preventing disaster.  Instead, on June 12, the trustees of Glenview and Northbrook met and gave speedy approval – rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the fees and tax revenues they will be able to spend while their constituents sit in traffic.

 

 

AND ANOTHER THING

 

Less than a mile south, developer Opus North plans a four-story office building on the southeast corner of Willow and Patriot Boulevard.  It will be similar to one on the southwest corner, with proposed parking for 520 cars. Only 434 spaces are required by village code, and the plan commission pushed for less pavement, but the developer pushed back – claiming the building needed more parking to attract tenants.

Ignoring the fact that there’s a Metra station nearby, the fact that gasoline prices keep going up, and the fact that global warming – fuelled by cars and trucks – puts us all in peril, Glenview’s trustees gave preliminary approval to the project and to the extra traffic it will generate.

 

 

ADMINISTRATIVE MAYHEM STRIKES AGAIN

 

At around 5:30 p.m. on the night of the June 5 board meeting, Village Attorney Jeff Randall e-mailed a note to the trustees explaining last-minute changes to documents pertaining to developments being overseen by both Glenview and Northbrook: the Fresh Farms store and a mixed-use project at Willow and Sanders.

 

Trustee Phil White apparently missed the e-mail and was puzzled when he received 50-60 pages of what appeared to be new material.

 

Village President Kerry Cummings said the documents were very similar to what had been provided to the trustees a few days earlier.

 

 “I’m confused,” said Trustee Karton.  “In the e-mail that attorney Randall sent us, the annexation fee was discussed.  I’m looking over the amendment tonight, and I don’t see the annexation fee.”

 

“It’s in section three,” said Randall.

 

“Section three,” Cummings echoed.

 

“It’s on page three, right there under section three,” Randall added.

 

“Unfortunately,” said a dismayed Cummings, “we did not receive page three.”

 

“Oh, shoot,” said Randall.

 

“My packet has one, two, five,” said Cummings. “There are two of us who have missing pages.”

 

“I apologize,” said Randall.  “My page is missing also.”

 

Deputy Village Manager Chris Clark was dispatched to make copies of the missing pages.

 

“Are there any changes to the disconnection ordinance we saw on Friday?”  Cummings asked Randall. 

 

“Yes,” the lawyer replied.

 

“All right!  Walk us through those changes,” said Cummings.

 

Randall shuffled through a pile of papers, then replied, “I’m sorry.  There’s no change.  My mistake.”

 

Editor’s note:  Since the village manager believes in competitive bidding and periodic review of government services, maybe it’s time to see what other lawyers would charge to provide legal counsel to the village.  Surely we could get sloppy, last-minute documents and advice for less.

 

 

A FAREWELL TO WOODROW

 

Former Trustee Kim Woodrow took a bow and left a check at his last village board meeting.  Before retiring, he tallied the token payments he had received for four years of service, deducted his expenses and announced that he would donate $1,000 to Glenview/Northbrook Youth Services.

 

During his time on the board, Woodrow served as chairman of the downtown redevelopment commission and a moderating influence on trustees who are sometimes inclined to micromanage.  He was replaced by another political moderate – former District 34 school board member Scott Britton.

 

 

DISTRICT 225 CHOOSES NEW SUPERINTENDENT

 

Glenview’s high school board of education has chosen an inside guy to lead the district when David Hales, who’s been superintendent for the last decade, steps down.  Michael Riggle, the principal at Glenbrook North, will take over in July 2008. 

 

In a press release, the board described Riggle as “an educator of outstanding intellect and character, an administrator with high standards, and a strong leader with a human touch.” 

No mention was made of Riggle’s disastrous handling of an off-campus hazing incident in 2003.  The annual powder puff football game turned ugly when beer-drinking seniors at Chipilly Woods attacked a group of juniors – smearing them with paint, urine, feces and animal guts. Several participants required medical attention, and the mayhem was caught on video tape, then shared with the media

At first, Riggle condemned the incident but said students could not be suspended or expelled because their behavior did not involve a school-sanctioned activity and did not occur on school property. After further consultation, Riggle and Hales changed their thinking and called for the expulsion of 31 students, prompting a series of lawsuits from seniors who would not be able to graduate.

To spare the district further embarrassment, Hales and Riggle agreed to mail the kids their diplomas if they’d drop their cases and agree not to get involved in book deals or movies about the incident.

Editor’s note:  The entire matter could and should have been left to police who investigated and filed charges against 15 students for assault and battery.  Unfortunately, Hales and Riggle couldn’t keep their mitts off, and the entire district was dragged into the mud. Now, the dynamic duo will have a full year to congratulate one another on surviving the controversy before Hales steps down and Riggle steps up.

 

 

VILLAGE HALL CONSOLIDATES INSPECTIONS – ABANDONS TRAILER

 

Village Manager Todd Hileman has announced plans to consolidate inspection services now housed by the department of building and zoning, engineering, the health department and fire department in a single location – on the first floor of the police station on Lake Avenue.  The change will allow Village Hall to get rid of an aging trailer that sat behind Village Hall, providing office space for some inspectors.  After more than 20 years, the unit needed a new roof and ceiling, new carpet and other repairs.  Facilities manager Steve Peterson described the trailer as an “eyesore” and concluded, “It needs more work than the new police station.”

 

 

DOG OWNERS WANT A CENTRAL PLACE TO PLAY

 

A new group called Dog Owners of Glenview is taking its search for a centrally-located play area to Village Hall.  Group co-chair Mary Even recently wrote to the trustees:

 

“Recognizing that about 8,000 households in this community have dogs, we
urged the park district to set aside land where healthy, well-behaved canines could exercise and socialize without a leash. The district responded with plans for a facility west of Milwaukee Avenue.  Unfortunately, that park will not open until September 2009 at the earliest, and it will be a long distance from residents who live in east or central Glenview. Since the village is the third largest land holder in Glenview - behind the park district and local schools - we ask that you consider setting aside space for a second dog-friendly area at The Glen: several acres of former Navy land that is soon to be developed or a small parcel on the northeast corner of Gallery Park, adjacent to Lehigh Road and industrial property.

”We understand that the planners of Gallery Park envisioned a place for passive recreation and believe most dog owners would agree: there is no finer form of passive recreation than playing in the park with a dog. Indeed, many owners find the temptation so great that they let their pets run free in Gallery Park in violation of local ordinance.
By meeting the needs of these residents and their dogs, the village would effectively discourage such behavior.      

 

“We understand that both of these properties may, eventually, be turned over to the park district.  If that is to happen soon, we ask that you recommend designation of one site at The Glen for a dog park. If a hand-off is years away, however, we hope you will
recognize the unmet needs of thousands of local families by establishing Glenview's first dog park in a central location available for use this fall.”

 

 

BUSINESS WATCH

 

-- Dominick’s lease on its former Waukegan Road site doesn’t expire until 2013, and Village Hall confirms the parent company, Safeway, is looking for a new tenant.  CVS has been trying to acquire a site in Glenview, and Village Manager Todd Hileman appeared to confirm that the drug chain could replace the downtown Dominick’s if Safeway signs off.

 

-- A new bakery has opened at the Glenbrook Market at the corner of Willow and Pfingsten roads – the first suburban location for Gladstone, which has been doing business in the 57-hundred block of Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago for more than 70 years.  Best-known for its cakes, Gladstone also offers tortes, pastries, cheesecake and brownies on a stick.

 

 

BLOMQUIST BATTLES FOR BUGS

 

Glenview resident and award-winning science teacher Rob Blomquist was dismayed when he saw a recent ad for the Kohl Children’s Museum in the Glenview Announcements.  In touting its new Habitat Park, the museum boasted there were “No Cicadas.”  Blomquist thought that showed a basic lack of respect for nature, implying the 17-year cicada was a nuisance, so he wrote to Kohl to complain.

 “Cicadas are harmless,” Blomquiest explained.  “They do not sting, bite or pass diseases, but the museum’s ad characterizes them as something to escape from.”

“Teachable moments are all around us,” he continued. “The 17-year cicada’s life cycle is a unique opportunity to teach kids about nature.”

Blomquist and his wife Gayle Nelson have watched as their 4-year-old daughter delighted in the arrival of the cicadas.

“She’s too young to have been indoctrinated by messages like the museum’s -- that bugs are bad,” Blomquist said.

Dave Judy, Communications Manager at Kohl Children’s Museum, phoned Blomquist to respond.  He said the museum had decided to pull and rewrite its ad. “We pride ourselves on providing a place where all children and their families can learn about the natural environment,” Judy said. “We often do insect hunts and other insect exploration activities in the Habitat Park area. When cicadas began emerging in late May, and we found none in the exhibit (or indeed in The Glen as a whole), we thought it made sense to advertise an outdoor environment for our guests to explore who may be weary of cicadas.  We now realize that the advertisements may be misleading, and indeed may run counter to our message of encouraging children to explore all aspects of nature.”

 

 

READERS WRITE

 

ML was not impressed by the crusade that brought a scantily clad fashion model down from a prominent Glenview billboard: “In my opinion, Regina Thibeau has way too much time on her hands. Good thing she didn't ask me to sign her petition. I drive Willow Rd. frequently, and I didn't even notice the billboard until she pointed it out. She gave the owner exactly what he wanted - publicity, and a lot of it - all free. Sure the sign was taken down, after the mentions in the Pioneer Press, Chicago Tribune, and NPR, the shop probably had more business than it could handle. The ad was prominently reproduced in the Pioneer Press and the Tribune, so many people who don't drive on Willow got to see it as well. 

“Ms. Thibeau may have been offended by the message that beauty depends on cosmetic treatments, but it isn't just that one shop that put up that billboard, it's an entire multi-billion dollar cosmetic and plastic-surgery industry that promotes that message. Personally, I happen to agree with Ms. Thibeau on that one point, but killing one billboard isn't about to put even the tiniest dent in that industry.

  

“Hey, now that I think about it, perhaps Ms. Thibeau is surreptitiously working for the owner of the billboard. That would have been one great publicity stunt!”

 

Patrick Grage shares a couple of quotes before commenting on the movement that brought down Pascale’s billboard:

 

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”  -- Beatrice Hall, 1906

 

“People have the inalienable right to choose to be jerks.”  Patrick Grage, 2007

 

“Instead of picketing this misogynist’s establishment and asking the public to avoid patronizing Pascale’s, Ms. Thibeau saw fit to silence him directly via Clear Channel. The first amendment has no value if it is subject to the interpretations of the very people it was designed to serve. While I find the owner of the salon a cretin, I find Thibeau’s actions infinitely more heretic to the spirit and practice of liberty. Enjoy your celebration, for you have successfully chipped away at a basic liberty we all used to enjoy. Since you are looking for meaningful follow-up activities, please consider publishing a list of billboard standards that meet with your approval, so that prospective community advertisers might avoid offending your sensibilities in the future.”

 

Mary responds to a reader’s complaint about kids hanging out at The Glen Town Center: “It's not just a few unruly teens at The Glen.  There are gangs that are starting to hang out. If you don't catch them in front of the movie theater, then visit the upper level parking lot where you can possibly catch a glimpse or whiff of the pot smoking or a fight. And why isn't anyone talking about the infiltration of gangs into Glenview? There's graffiti on the building across from Kraft and various others around town. And what about the boys that were beat up by the gang behind Attea. Parents are spreading the news like wild fire, and they are being very cautious about bringing their kids to The Glen. What's being done, and what can we do to let them know they're not welcome? “

 

JLo shares another reader’s concern about Glenview’s propensity for bigger and better. “Boy, has Green Hornet stung the bulls-eye!  The powers that be have no concern about what the average citizen thinks except when it gets in the way of their concrete-loving agenda. The idea of approving more building at The Glen by throwing the bone of plantings in the parking lot is just another example of the village's total disregard of Mother Nature's gift of open land.  Once covered, never reclaimed.  Does no one even consider the vital role of open space in filtering our groundwater?  What about the problems of flooding when everything is paved over?  Does someone in power own a concrete supply?  I hesitate to even suggest it, but wouldn't the newly-acquired land from the Navy be a GREAT place for a dog park?  I could see a landscaped area where dogs and their owners could enjoy what little open land is left in the village, closer and more accessible to the largest number of village residents.  Oh, wait--no concrete, no profit, no good. On another subject, does anyone else think that the cicada invasion is less overwhelming than 17 years ago?  I seem to remember more bombers and much more noise.  Is the lower number a sign of a weakened environment?  Not a big surprise in the concrete jungle.”

 

Walter Hurtowy writes about plans for a commercial development next to Triumvera at Milwaukee and Central: “I can sympathize with the concerns of Triumvera's residents in regard to the proposed shopping center on their southern border. They already have a 35-year-old, crime ridden and unsightly 40-building apartment complex on their northern border called Michael Todd Terrace. It's my understanding that the same developers are proposing a two-year annexation study and a redesign of the Michael Todd Terrace homes. I also understand that the developer would like a connecting road running from the shopping center through Michael Todd Terrace. 

 

The Watch replies:  Inside sources tell us that redevelopment of Michael Todd Terrace is extremely unlikely, since the apartment buildings are separately owned and getting all the owners to sell at once would be a costly proposition.

 

Debby Rubenstein stands up for library employees who are wilting: “There have been issues with the air conditioning at the Glenview Public Library, and while patrons 

have the choice whether or not to utilize the library in sweltering conditions, the staff does not. It is the responsibility of the library administration to ensure that employees do not have to work in conditions that have the potential to cause ill health.

 

“Even if fans, water, and periodic breaks from work are provided, having people work under such conditions is at best inconsiderate. An employee of any kind of business should not need to demonstrate pre-existing health conditions in order to be excused from work conditions that are unhealthy or extremely uncomfortable.

 

“Glenview would not suffer irreparable damage if the library closed in the interests of protecting staffers’ health. Whatever inconvenience that would cause pales in comparison with the importance of providing respectable working conditions.

 

“There has been much discussion of Glenview's need for a "first class" library and what the definition of that actually is. The only true meaning of "first class" is found in how we treat others. While the staff has an obligation to do their jobs, the administration and patrons have an obligation to the staff to treat them with appreciation and courtesy. That includes making sure that they are working in no less than the same conditions that most of us want for ourselves.

 

“While our tax dollars fund the library, human sweat is what makes it actually work. Under the current conditions, human sweat has become too literal.

 

“Unless the core of any building contains a kind and respectful metaphysical heart, all the bells and whistles of a multi-million dollar new building would ultimately demonstrate that it is nothing more than an opulent cover for an interior that is abundant in material acquisitions but bereft of truly meaningful content.

 

“Whatever a situation may be, please make the needs of others a priority. Thank people for their hard work, and have a heart.”

 

The Watch replies:  Administrators say they’re waiting for repairs to the air conditioner, and the library has been forced to close on at least when occasion when temperatures got too high.

 

Henrietta Saunders offers advice to phone-call weary residents: “I have been assaulted lately with calls from a window cleaning company.  They seem to use an automatic dialer with a recording.  If you don't answer they keep calling.  If you do answer they call back with a real person on the line.  I asked her to stop calling me and she just hung up, so I am fed up. I found out that if you are on the DoNotCall list and they call anyway, you can file a complaint.  Other people may like to know about this. To get on the DoNotCall list, you can register your landline or cell phone at https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx You can also to there to file a complaint (as I did) if you are already on the list.”

 

Bob Sherman writes about five-way intersections along Patriot Boulevard at The Glen Town Center: “Community complaints might have been avoided if there had been adequate opportunity for public input in the planning process.  Unfortunately the meeting that was supposed to solicit public input was held after the plans had been finalized.”

 

“ABC (Anonymous But Credible) responds to a reader who thinks Glenview’s process for procuring goods and services sucks:“Glenview’s purchasing agent Bill Sarley is a true procurement professional. The problem is that he is under direct orders from Dan Wiersma (his boss), Village Manager Todd Hileman and Deputy Manager Chris Clark. Bill is waiting for the day when he can retire.  Maybe then he’ll blow the whistle on the corruption in village management.  

“Meanwhile, it seems there is a Hileman maneuver to buy out all of the tenured staff members so he can save money and get his puppets on board. It’s time for him to go back to Avondale – if they will have him.”

Nancy Bloom, Executive Director of Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook, writes in praise of the Village Treasure House in Glenview. “We have just received another grant. Through the hard work of the many volunteers who work there, the Village Treasure House has been able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the work of many agencies such as ours.

“Many of our programs are unique to our agency, and our approach is definitely unique. We use recreation as a therapeutic tool that engages kids and makes them willing participants, even when kids are resistant to help.

“While our services are open to every child and parent needing our help, 65% of our clients are classified as low income. That means that we cannot possibly continue to offer the array of services and the quality of services without the help of others. And the Village Treasure House has taken on that role. With their support we are able to offer some services free or at a very low cost with a sliding fee scale that enables us to serve our community without turning people away because of an inability to pay.

“Village Treasure House support of our Adventures Program enables us to serve lonely children who need to develop the social skills needed throughout their lives. Their support of our Therapeutic Mentoring Program enables us to serve children who need healthy role models who will both help them solve problems and spend time doing fun things. Their support of our Summer Fun Club allows us to provide low-income children grades 2-8 with outings and safe activities during the summer. Most of these children are at risk as their parents work 2 to 3 jobs to live in our neighborhoods.”