VILLAGE FACES $9 MILLION SHORTFALL

Village planners have studied expected revenues and expenses for road, sewer and water-related projects over the next five years and believe Glenview will fall $5.6 million short, even with a 20 percent increase in property taxes phased in over five years.  

Capital Projects Director Don Owen suggested Glenview might realize some savings by adopting new technologies such as relining water mains rather than replacing them.  Canada has used that approach for several years, and Naperville recently completed a pilot project. 

Owen said Glenview could also scale back its recently accelerated program of street resurfacing and replacement.  Sixty-five percent of the capital improvements budget goes to rebuilding roads, while 17 percent is spent on resurfacing.  Glenview tries to resurface roads every 15 years and rebuilds them every 60 years.  Sewer work is also included in those projects.

WHY MONEY’S TIGHT

Because people are increasingly relying on cell phones to meet their telecommunications needs, the village is getting fewer dollars from a telecommunications tax imposed on home and office lines.  The bean counters at Village Hall figure we’ll get about $600,000 less in 2008. 

Building fees are expected to drop 35-45 percent, with less vacant land at The Glen and housing starts off nationwide.  Tax caps make it impossible for us to charge more for fire protection in special service areas.

But the big hit may come from sales taxes. Glenview gets two-thirds of its money from sales taxes.  The biggest contributors: car dealers and Abt Electronics.  Under a special development agreement signed in 2000, the village gets no sales tax revenue until Abt has sold $100 million, and one-half of one percent after that time.  But Abt is selling about $1 million in merchandise each day, providing the village with $1.325 million a year.

That revenue stream could be threatened as the state embarks on a major construction project, rebuilding bridges along the tollway from Dempster to Willow.  The railroad overpass just north of Glenview Road at Milwaukee must also be replaced, and that work is set to start next spring and run through the summer, reducing traffic to one lane in each direction.

How much will such construction projects hurt business?  No one can say, but Abt is clearly worried. The store has agreed to paid $5,000 per day, up to $150,000 as an incentive to the company rebuilding the Milwaukee Avenue Bridge to finish early.                                                                                                                                    

And the village is so concerned that it’s asking the park district for permission to route traffic through Community Park West to Abt (and Aon) during the construction period.  The trustees will meet with the park district at Village Hall at 7:30 p.m. October 2 to explore that option.

Also in jeopardy – hotel-motel taxes dollars from five properties along Milwaukee Avenue.

Meanwhile, village costs for health insurance, pensions and operating  (including gasoline for Glenview’s fleet) keep rising.   
 

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Officials are also keeping a nervous eye on Springfield where lawmakers are considering a change in the way sales taxes are collected and distributed.  The issue:  Internet sales.  States have been losing millions of dollars as companies in other states ship merchandise without paying sales tax. 

To get into that growing market, 15 states have signed on to what’s called the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax agreement, and seven more states will join in January. That agreement calls for sales taxes to be assessed in the place where merchandise is delivered.   

That would mean merchandise purchased at Abt would no longer yield revenue to Glenview.  Instead, the money would be paid to the community where the consumer lives.

Tax expert Kevin Wolfberg admits the change would be unfair to communities like Glenview that have “invested heavily in the infrastructure needed to have these retail establishments and that have gone out of their way to create an environment that’s friendly toward business and commercial enterprise. . .to communities with a lot of buying power, but no retail.”  Trustee Paul Detlefs referred to these as “the Winnetkas of the world.”

Wolfburg said lawmakers in Springfield might adopt an amendment to the   
 

VILLAGE MAY NO LONGER PLOW PUBLIC STREETS 

At Tuesday’s meeting, the trustees plan to consider awarding a three-year contract for snow plowing services, handing the work off to a Wheeling company that has offered to clear 15 public parking lots for half the cost now paid to village staff and to plow neighborhood streets and cul de sacs.  Snow Systems, Inc. of Wheeling will collect $173,356 for the work.

Other bids came from companies in Elgin, Wilmette and Wauconda, Illinois – bids that were much higher than what Snow Systems figured it would cost.  To cover the neighborhoods for three years, for example, Wayne Endre of Wheeling wanted $416,000 and Tovar Snow Professionals in Elgin would do the job for $497,638.  Snow System said it could do the work for just $49,864. 

Likewise, the Elgin company wanted $492,092 for three years of clearing parking lots, and a Wauconda firm offered to do the work for over $1.6 million.  Snow Systems’ bid: $94,600. 

Staff acknowledged the enormous gap but said it had gotten fine reviews on Snow Systems from the company’s current customers:  Motorola, Avon, High School District 214 and C.B. Richard Ellis.

Editor’s note:  While it’s reassuring to know that Snow Systems’ current customers are pleased with the company’s work, we wonder if the firm is experienced enough to handle the entire village of Glenview.  It appears to have no municipal experience and may have underbid this job because it does not realize the magnitude of the job.  Making a three-year commitment to this company is a real gamble.  Should the village ask for more bids or commit to fewer than three years?  E-mail your trustees now:  cummingsvillage@ameritech.net, sbritton@brennerlawfirm.com, patcuisinier@hartiganlaw.com, paulvillage@comcast.net , debbyvillage@comcast.net,  jimpattersonjr@pattersonco.com, pwhitevillage@comcast.net

OTHER BOARD BUSINESS
 

THE CIVIC CIRCLE

-- At 7 p.m. Thursday, October 4 the trustees host a workshop on 2008 operating expenses. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the board room of Village Hall, 1225 Waukegan Road. Staff will present a tentative budget, respond to questions and comments from the board. The program will be cablecast on GVTV, channel 17 or 6 depending on your neighborhood.

-- At 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 3 the trustees will discuss a new approach to downtown development.  Instead of using traditional zoning rules as their guide in considering proposed construction, staff has written a form-based code which emphasizes a building’s appearance rather than its use.  You’ll find the proposed code at    , and you can e-mail your thoughts to carlas@glenview.il.us. This meeting will not be cablecast live, but it will be taped and shown the following week.

-- The village board will also host a reception at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 2 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Glenview Senior Center , founded in 1958.  The group began with 13 members. Today, more than 1,500 have joined.  Cake will be served at the Village Hall event, and the public is invited.   

STORM DAMAGE PROMPTS ADDITIONAL SPENDING 

With so many staffers diverted to storm clean-up in late August and early September, Public Works Director Bill Porter is worried.  Winter is coming, and Porter fears the village won’t be able to complete road improvements and other projects that must be done before cold weather hits.

He told the trustees Glenview has just one stump grinder to remove the remains of about 200 fallen trees and asked to solicit bids for assistance from outside contractors.  He also wanted $20,000 for outside help to replace damaged holiday lights downtown before Thanksgiving.

Trustee Phil White wondered why the tree stumps couldn’t wait until spring.  Porter said several residents had called Village Hall to complain about the appearance of their parkways, and he wanted to keep residents happy.

Porter said the village would delay installation of new street signs that were supposed to be up by 2009.  Now, he says, the final signs will be installed in 2010.

Editor’s note:  It’s worrisome that the trustees did not agree $20,000, because they wanted by allowing a few squeaky wheels to wait a while for stump removal from their parkways.  Given Glenview’s budget crunch, the trustees and staff must start saving whenever and wherever they can.     

WEAK MARKET MAY DELAY NAVY LAND DEVELOPMENT

Glenview’s trustees have approved a proposal for developing 41 acres of former Navy land at The Glen – a proposal that could bring 136 more row houses and 56 town homes to The Glen.  The 41-acre parcel, bounded by a cemetery, Shermer Road and a nine-hole golf course, would also be the site of a new District 34 school, Glenview-Northbrook Youth Services and a park.

Representatives from the village, park district, library and school boards voted unanimously for the plan, in part because a consultant indicated residential development would yield the most revenue.  The village hopes to recoup about $24 million it paid for the land.

Trustee Phil White suggested Glenview might be better off to “sit on the property,” given a weak residential real estate market, and Trustee Scott Britton, an attorney, told the board, “In my law practice I represent a number of contractors and developers.  There’s nothing being developed at the moment.  We may have no choice but to sit on this rather than compromise what could be a much more lucrative sale down the road.”

“If the market is not as strong as we believe it should be, we will certainly make that recommendation,” said Village Manager Todd Hileman.  “That’s always an option.”

Earlier in the day, the Illinois Association of Realtors reported a 20 percent drop in home sales -- the 17th straight monthly decline.

LOCAL REALTOR WORKING LATE

Hoping to spark excitement around Glenview real estate, Coldwell Banker has scheduled a twilight tour on October 4.  Home buyers can visit three dozen different houses around town from 5-7 p.m.  To see a map and learn more about the event go to http://www.glenviewtwilightopenhouse.com/
 

DOWN ON THE FARM 

-- From 5-8 p.m. Saturday, September 29 the farm will serve cider and s'mores as it kicks off the harvest season with a roaring bonfire. Admission is $3 per child. Adults are free when accompanied by a child. For more information call (847) 657-1506.

-- Build your own scarecrow between noon and 3 p.m. Saturday, October 13 at Wagner Farm.  Bring some old clothes and $5 for a pumpkin head and all the straw you’ll need. 

-- Wagner Farm is selling pumpkins, cornstalks, Indian corn, gourds and more. Sale hours are Mon.-Fri., 10 am-7 pm; Sat. 10 am-5 pm; and Sun. 10 am-3 pm. Call (847) 657-1506 for more information.

-- The weekly farmers’ market reports more than 10,000 people have come to buy fresh fruits and vegetables since moving to Wagner Farm.  The last two dates are October 6 & 13, 8 am-noon.

THE GREEN SCENE

-- The village appears to be raising its profile as a green community.  It’s the first stop on a tour sponsored by the Upper Des Plaines River Ecosystem Partnership on October 3.  Visitors will learn about Glenview's rain garden financing program, the Air Station Prairie and Tyner Nature Center's green features: solar panels, permeable pavement, a green roof planted with prairie grasses, and more. Robin Flakne, Glenview’s natural resources manager, and Judy Ksiazek, environmental education supervisor for the park district, will speak to the group before it heads on to Lake County.  For more information, contact Alison Cook at upperdesplainesriver@yahoo.com or 847-328-3457.

-- Residents can earn about prairie ecosystems and eco-friendly design on October 9 and 13 at the Air Station Prairie.  See how a sustainable building operates and  how you can incorporate energy-saving features at home.  For details, call 847-299-6096 or go to http://www.glenviewparks.org/sysEventsInfo.asp and scroll to October 9.

-- Susie and Claire Fisher write to report a wildlife sighting in Glenview: “Around 8:15 pm, my daughter and I were driving south on Lehigh, just past Chestnut, when we saw a large animal crossing the road. It was a coyote! It stopped on the other side of that split rail fence that divides the sidewalk from the pond, so we could see it clearly

-- the grey and black streaks on its tail and all. Needless to say we were both thrilled to have such an experience, and right in town. We drove into The Glen and tried to see where it was headed, but only saw a few rabbits. I rolled down my window and my daughter told the bunnies to be careful, because there was a set of big teeth nearby.
 
Editor’s note:  While coyotes generally live in harmony with people, this should serve as a cautionary tale for owners of small pets (under 30 pounds).  If you leave them outside, unattended, they can be killed by coyotes -- or cars.  While many cat owners feel their animals should be allowed to roam free, studies show they do serious harm to the population of rare grassland birds, so keeping felines inside is doubly important.

CLAYPOOL TAKES AIM AT STROGER AND COMPANY

“Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has slashed preventive care in county hospitals and clinics. Eight neighborhood clinics have been shuttered, along with a wing of the $551 million Stroger Hospital. Mammogram screenings have been eliminated, and specialty clinics devoted to treating high blood pressure and preventing heart disease and colon cancer have been shut down,” Claypool wrote.

“I don't mean to suggest that Stroger is insensitive to cancer-sufferers. As a decent man and a victim of prostate cancer, I'm sure he cares deeply about fighting that disease. But his policies have consequences for tens of thousands of Cook County residents who rely on the county for preventive health care. Stroger's interim health chief, Dr. Robert Simon, admitted to the Cook County Board earlier this year that residents will suffer from less access to basic care, longer wait times, less preventive care and a potential increase in cancer deaths.

“That's the price poor patients pay for a hospital system dominated by politics. The county has been a patronage dumping ground for years. Incompetent management has cost the county hundreds of millions of dollars that were never collected from Medicare and insurance companies.

“With layoffs of doctors, nurses and medical technicians, it is increasingly difficult for professionals to care for their patients. The chief of internal medicine at Stroger Hospital, Dr. Avery Hart, warned in a July memo to Simon of an "impending collapse of general medicine at Stroger Hospital" due to the rapid loss of internists who were laid off or quit.

“We can save this unique public asset if we finally remove politics from medicine.
Last year, I joined a majority of the County Board to sponsor an alternative budget that would have averted health-care cuts by slicing redundant layers of management. But several sponsors of our measure switched sides, providing the margin of victory for Stroger's deep service cuts.

Editor’s note:  Among those who switched sides, Glenview Commissioner Gregg Goslin.  We hope we can count on him this time to do stand with Claypool in a fight for what’s right.
 

PARK DISTRICT NEWS AND NOTES

-- Woof: The park district may opt to build a dog park along Milwaukee Avenue at Community Park West using its own personnel rather than contracting with an outside firm.  Doing so would allow Glenview to move more quickly and make a temporary dog park unnecessary.  The board meets at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 25.  Canine owners can share their thoughts about that via Executive Director Chuck Balling: Chuck.Balling@glenviewparks.org

-- Golftoberfest will be celebratedOctober 15-31 at the Glenview Park Golf Club, 800 Shermer Road with $5 bratwurst, beer and chips lunch deals at the Cafe and end-of-the-season discounts on golf shop items.

-- Scarecrow Scramble is a 9-hole competition set for 8 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 21. It includes an Octoberfest-style buffet lunch (chili, brats, German potato salad and beer), for $25/person. Registration starts Oct. 1. Call the golf shop at (847) 724-0250 for details.

-- Grove Fest offers a chance to learn about local history, enjoy live folk music, square dancing, nature walks, pioneer craft demonstrations and storytelling from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, October 7.  Enjoy outdoor dining on old-fashioned American cuisine. Purchase handmade gift and craft items. Admission is $4 for adults, $1 for children 12 and under. Call (847) 299-6096 for information.

-- The Glenview Ice Center at 1851 Landwehr Road is offering seven-week mini sessions of its popular hockey development and ice skating lessons for girls and boys ages 3-8 starting the week of Nov. 1 and running through Dec. 22. Register in person at the Ice Center starting Oct. 8. Call (847) 724-2800 for detailed class dates and times or visit www.glenviewicecenter.org.

-- Sell your unwanted treasures or find a bargain at the Glenview Senior Center’s All Community Garage Sale, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, October 13 at Park Center. Admission is free, and sellers can reserve a table for $25. Stop by the front desk of the Senior Center to sign up or call 847-724-4793 if you need additional information.

SAVE THE DATE

-- The North Shore Professional Women’s Association will host networking dinners at 6 p.m. Tuesday, October 9 and November 13 at the Mission Hills Country Club, 1677 Mission Hills Road in Northbrook. This month’s topic: banking scams. Patricia Grimes, Vice President and David Kreiman, Senior Vice President from Glenview State Bank will discuss counterfeit bills, identity theft and how to protect yourself.  Next month’s topic – cocktails for the holiday season. Founder of Cocktail Concierge Martin Adamczyk will demonstrate gourmet cocktail preparation.  Non-alcoholic options will also be explored. The cover charge is $28 payable in advance at www.NSPWA.net or $35 at the door. For more information, call Rebecca Witek at 847-919-7962 by November 10, 2007.
 

YOUR TURN:  Write to glenviewwatch@aol.com or 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60026. 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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