ANOTHER SNOW JOB AT VILLAGE HALL?

Glenview’s public works director Bill Porter has issued a surprising call for help this winter. In a memo addressed to all department heads, including the chiefs of police and fire, Porter asks for volunteers to leave their posts and drive village snow plows this winter.

“Due to the reduction of staffing in the public work’s department over the last twenty-four months, it is no longer possible for the department to staff all plow routes as previously done. This is true, even if all employees are dedicated to plowing. While the village has contracted out parking lots and approximately 16 percent of our street and cul de sac mileage, it is likely that additional staff will be required to man all routes, and to provide a pool of plow operators, should a blizzard or long duration storm hit Glenview,” Porter explains.

“I am asking if you would make available the attached form to your employees so that they could express their interest in helping us out over this coming winter. If an employee is interested, our goal would be to select them for plowing based on seniority and past experience.

“However, each first-time plowing employee would need to be available to attend our annual pre-winter training meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for Friday, November 2, 2007 at 7 a.m. in the Public Works Phase 3 lunch room. All first-time employees wishing to be ‘on the list’ will receive on the job training by public work’s staff during initial storms, before being asked to ‘go it alone.’

“If an employee does express an interest, I am asking that their form be countersigned by their respective department head so that everyone is aware that an employee may not be available in their department during a snow storm. I hope this information is helpful, and we do appreciate everyone’s assistance. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.”

Editor’s note: Can you imagine people trained in economic development, municipal finance, human resources and administration behind the wheel of a five-ton snow plow? Yet another reason to stay off the streets when Glenview gets snow. And if every employee of public works is pitching in to clear snow, what happens when a water main breaks?  That’s not uncommon during the winter. Maybe it’s time for the village to back away from some of its gravy expenses to pay for meat and potatoes. What good is an economic development director if we can’t keep the streets clear?

Glenview is not alone in searching for cost-effective ways to plow its streets and parking lots. In 2001, a Virginia-based consulting firm issued a detailed report on the subject. It concluded that in many communities maintenance budgets are under funded, forcing local governments to outsource the work. Unfortunately, the consultants said, these governments have little experience choosing companies to plow, since they’ve historically done the work themselves.

At the same time, the private sector is scrambling to find people with the skill and experience needed. Equipment operators who work in the spring, summer and fall on road construction are a logical choice, but those people usually have lots of overtime pay and may also be eligible for unemployment benefits though the winter.  Few are willing to get up early or stay up late plowing snow. If you’d like to learn more, check out the full report at: http://www.vmsom.com/images/pdf/Best%20Practices%20Outsourcing%20Winter%20Maintenance%20Services.PDF

GLENVIEW POLICEWOMAN FIGHTS DISMISSAL

Glenview’s police chief is charging Officer Melanie Meyer with theft – saying she put in for $500 in overtime to go to court when, in fact, there were no cases involving her.  

Her lawyer claims officers routinely show up for monthly court dates, because they don't always know when tickets they've issued will be heard. Officer Tony Nitti, who’s been on the force for 18 years, testified that the court clerk’s office does not always send an accurate list of cases.

Meyer says she’s been singled out for refusing to go along with a recent order that officers who patrol at night make at least two arrests per month for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Deputy Police Chief Mike Redmond told The Watch that shift commanders may independently offer guidelines, but the department does not have any quotas for issuing tickets.  Nevertheless, DUI arrests have increased.  For the first four months of this year, the police department cited 59 drivers, up from 33 tickets at that time last year.  

Two other female officers have testified that they have larger workloads than their male counterparts, making it more difficult for them to meet ticketing guidelines. They say officers are making DUI arrests with little or no probable cause in order to meet department ticketing goals.  

The case is being heard by Glenview’s Police and Fire Commission – a three-man board appointed by the village president and confirmed by the board. All three members are lawyers, and two have also served as judges. Should they agree with the decision to dismiss Meyer, she could then file suit against the village. The last time a cop was fired in Glenview, nearly twenty years ago, the case went all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court and cost the village about $100,000.  That officer was accused of beating an area resident.

VILLAGE, SCHOOLS, PARKS PLAN NEW MUNICIPAL CENTER

Money’s tight in the public sector, but village, park and school district officials are moving ahead with plans for a new municipal center they hope to open in 2009.

Preliminary plans call for a 78,000-square-foot building of two, three or four stories, depending on the site chosen. Design consultant Ruck Pate proposed four possible locations. The first, the Village Hall site on Waukegan Road, was deemed difficult, since crews would have to demolish and build in phases while the village continued to do business. What’s more, the architect predicted 260 parking spaces would be needed, requiring 2.5 acres of land. The Village Hall site is only 3.5 acres, so after paving there would be little space left for a building and greenery.   

A second scenario would put the building at the far north end of the current police department site, on what is now the detention area.  Vacant office, meeting and parking space at the police station could be put to good use, but critics disliked the idea of running back and forth between the two buildings and argued the new center would be too close to pricey homes at The Glen.

The third scenario involved land to the west of the police station – facing Lake Avenue. This location would make it difficult for police cars to get to underground parking.

The final site, which school, park and village leaders preferred, puts the building directly north of the police station facing Shermer Road. The architect suggests an overhead pedestrian bridge or a covered walkway linking the two facilities. This location is also close to excess public works parking across Shermer Road.

The village hopes to have building plans ready by 2009. Officials will meet again on November 29 at the police station’s public meeting room to consider financing and other issues. Some cash is expected to come from the sale of the current Village Hall site.

Editor’s note: Did the village shoot itself in the foot by agreeing to purchase the Dominick's site down the street for $6.5 million?  The Village Hall site is 3.5 acres.  The former Dominick's site is 3.09.  Can the village really expect to get more than $6.5 million?.  

VILLAGE MAY COURT MILWAUKEE GROCERY CHAIN

When Dominick’s closed its downtown Glenview store, many residents wondered what other grocery chain might consider opening at the site. Whole Foods and Jewel have stores about a mile north on Waukegan Road, Dominick’s does business a mile west at Lake and Patriot, and Sunset Foods has shown no interest in a Glenview store.

Roundy's, a Milwaukee-based chain run by former Dominick’s CEO Robert Mariano, plans to open a dozen grocery stores in Chicago over the next three years, including one in the West Loop at Madison and Halsted.  That development sounds like a larger version of what Glenview’s village board would like to have on Waukegan Road – a mixed use development with additional retail space and a residential tower.

The site’s developer says the development, anchored by a grocery store, will be a “gateway to the West Loop.”  Glenview officials hope for a similar effect when something is built at the old Dominick’s site.

Roundy’s Mariano is not deterred by the competition – a Dominick’s right across the street.  He describes that store as “vanilla,” and says the people at Roundy’s are “entrepreneurial merchants.”

Glenview officials have made a note of that.  No word on whether they’ve made any long distance calls to Milwaukee.

On a related note, the Watch requested information about proposals for development of the Dominick’s site – proposals that Village President Kerry Cummings said were so dreadful that public money had to be used to purchase the property.

Deputy Manager Chris Clark consulted his boss Todd Hileman and Village President Kerry Cummings about sharing those plans, then told The Watch, "We don't have to.”

HILEMAN THREATENS LOCAL BUILDER

"If this trend continues for another 30 days, I'm not going to mess around with your client at that point," Hileman told the builders’ attorney. "I will recommend to the village board to revoke the contractor's license. This has been an abuse of staff time, this has been an abuse of the neighbors' patience, this has been an abuse of the neighbors'      rights,” he said.                                                                                                                                                            

Since January, village inspectors have spent about 500 hours dealing with the developer and issued nearly 100 tickets. The developer’s lawyer blamed communication problems, saying his clients were from Poland, but a village lawyer scoffed at that claim.

Editor’s note: Is it a sign of how overwhelmed Village Hall is that it took so long to deal with this situation? Any other abandoned construction sites out there?                                                                                                                                                                            

OFFICIALS SEEK TREES’ ATTACKER

The village and the park district say they had nothing to do with the clearing of a dozen mature trees near a footbridge at Central Parkway and the river.  Public Works Director Bill Porter thought maybe the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District did the deed, but the development department now says it suspects the adjacent property owner, who's planning to replace a teardown.  Director Mary Bak says the trees were very close to the property line -- on the village side -- and were not valuable species. 

Glenview lost about a thousand trees to high winds or micro-bursts on August 23, including one at the newly logged location.  Meanwhile, residents have been asking if the village plans to replace more than 200 parkway trees that came down during the storm.  Porter is requesting $130,000 in next year’s budget to plant replacements.

MAJOR EVANSTON EMPLOYER WILL BUILD IN GLENVIEW

The Methodist Pension Board has decided to move its headquarters from Evanston to Glenview, buying and building on 25-acres along Chestnut Road between the Metra tracks and the Tall Trees subdivision.  The organization, which employs about 300 people, currently sits at the southwest corner of Ridge Avenue and Davis Street in Evanston. The pension board hopes to break ground on the former Scott Foresman property in 2008 and open for business in Glenview 18 months later.

PARK DISTRICT NEWS AND NOTES

-- The park district hosts Spooktacular for kids ages 2-12 from 6-8:30 p.m. Friday, October 26 at Park Center, 2400 Chestnut Avenue. Festivities include a haunted house, giant slide, moonwalk and other spooky inflatables in the gym, ghoulish games and creepy crafts, fortune tellers, face painting, tattooing, and mystifying entertainment in the Lakeview Room. Hot dogs, nachos and other snack foods will be available for purchase. Costumes are optional. The cost is $6 per child. Parents are free and must accompany their children. Call 847-724-5670 for details.

-- The ice rink hosts Friday Night Meltdown  from 8-10 p.m. Friday, October 26 with public skating to top dance hits. Admission is $7. Skate rental is $4. Call 847-724-2800 for information.

-- Book dramatist Barbara Rinella performs at 11 a.m. Friday, November 2 at the Glenview Senior Center. Tickets are $7 and should be purchased in advance at the Senior Center Desk.

-- Build your own menorah for Hanukah celebrations at one of two workshops offered in November at Park Center, 2400 Chestnut Ave. Ceramics Instructor Brenda Ewing will oversee glazing and firing of nine-inch ceramic menorahs made by kids 7 and up between 5:30-6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7. An adult-child workshop will be held 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18. Call 847-724-5670 for more information. Register at Park Center or online at www.glenviewparks.org.

-- The annual Candy Cane Holiday Bazaar sponsored by the Glenview Senior Center takes place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, and 9 a.m.-noon Friday, Nov. 9 at Park Center, featuring handmade gifts, art work, children's items and baked goods. Lunch is available on Thursday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Call the Glenview Senior Center at 847-724-4793 for more information.

-- A 10-week session of Junior Titan wrestling begins Thursday, November 15 for boys in grades 2-8. An informational meeting for parents and wrestlers will be held on Tuesday, November 13 at the high school. Register at Park Center or online at glenviewparks.org. For more information contact Craig Swenson at (312) 793-8550.

-- Win a Thanksgiving Turkey at the Glenview Park District’s annual Parent-Child Turkey Shoot, Saturday, November 17 at Park Center. This basketball free throw competition is for kids ages 4-13 and a parent. The registration deadline is November 12 at 7 p.m. The fee is $5 per parent/child resident pair and $6.25 for nonresident pairs. For more information, call 847-724-5670.

-- Dinner dates are available for A Taste of Yesterday at historic Wagner Farm, Nov. 18, 29 and 30. Adults are invited to enjoy a family-style meal served by people in costumes, take a tour of the house and barnyard, visit the farm animals and listen to the sounds of an old Victrola. There are two historic menus to choose from, and the cost is $50 per person. Reservations and a deposit are required at least one week prior to the program date. Please call Wagner Farm at 847-657-1506 for times and to reserve a spot.

-- The Grove offers a free trail walk at 2 p.m. Saturday, October 27.  Guides will focus on trees, seeds and discovering how nature prepares for winter. Families and individuals will meet at the Interpretive Center, 1421 Milwaukee Ave. Call (847) 299-6096 for more information.

-- The Grove will also provide evening hayrides October 27 and 28 followed by marshmallow roasting and popcorn over a campfire. Recommended for ages 2-adult. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The fee is $6.50 per person for park district residents and $8.13 per person for nonresidents. Call 847-724-5670 for specific times.

-- The Grove holds its old-fashioned holiday craft faire from November 1-4 and November 8-11 with more than 75 juried artisans from the Midwest displaying a selection of handcrafted items for Christmas, Hanukkah and fall. Admission is $5 per visit for adults, $1 for children 12 and under. For more information, call The Grove at 847-299-6096.

SAVE THE DATE

-- Learn about the history of your house when the Glenview Public Library presents genealogist Grace DuMelle  at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 25.  She’ll show residents how to find out when their home was built, what changes have been made and who’s lived there over the years. Call 847-729-7500  x112 or x113 to register.

-- Glenview Community Church hosts a Quilt Auction and Craft Fair Saturday, November 3 at 1000 Elm Street. Doors open at 9 a.m. for previewing the quilts, with the auction beginning at 10 a.m. and concluding at 2 p.m.  In addition to more than 100 quilts of all sizes, the sale will include wooden arks, stained glass, Amish dolls, jewelry and Christmas items. Cost for a bidding card and program is $3.  For more information call 847-724-2259 or 847-724-1694.  Proceeds will go to Heifer International, which is committed to ending global hunger and poverty through gifts of livestock and training: www.Heifer.org

-- Hundreds of runners and walkers will gather in Glenview Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 22, for the 11th annual Tall Trees Turkey Trot, a 5-kilometer fun run/walk that benefits Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook. The race begins at 8:15 a.m. in Tall Trees Park, winding through a course certified by the U.S. Track and Field Association. Medals will be given to the top male and female finishers in a variety of age categories. The entry fee is $20 before November 10 and $25 on Nov. 10 or later. Family rates are $50, $70 and $90 for three, four or five people, increasing to $60, $80 and $100 on Nov. 10 or later. Long-sleeve t-shirts and goody bags will be provided to those who pre-register, and registration will close before race day, so sign up online at http://www.signmeup.com/58126 or go to Signmeupsports.com. For more information on the race, or to become a sponsor, e-mail Kraus@sw.com or call 312-701-9328.

-- The Harley-Davidson store will host a free Garage Party for women interested in learning to ride a motorcycle from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, November 28 at 2929 Patriot Boulevard (in the shopping center anchored by Costco). Refreshments will be served.

-- The Ladies Philoptochos Society of Saints Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox in Glenview will host its annual Holiday Boutique and Food Fest from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, November 15 at the church, 1401 Wagner Road at Lake Avenue. Greek food and homemade pastries will be available for dining in or carryout from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and from 5 to 7 p.m.. The coffee shop and bakery will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $2; children under 12 are free. For more information, call 847-729-4263.

READERS WRITE

A resident of Dearlove Cove Condominiums was not happy with the work of a company recently hired to plow many village streets and parking lots: “Snow Systems did our plowing one winter.  They were terrible.  They ruined our parking lot by dragging the plows and leaving permanent lines in the pavement.  They ruined curbs and grass. Bad decision.”

The Watch replies: Maybe they had a bad operator but are otherwise wonderful. Time will tell whether this was a good decision by the village board or a penny-wise, pound-foolish move.

EB is concerned about plans to buy the former Dominick’s site – a decision publicly opposed by Glenview resident John Brennan who claimed the village had a shaky record on real estate deals: “I was impressed by Mr. Brennan’s  knowledge of past village giveaways.  It might be interesting to go back a few years and look at the details of the land purchase at Waukegan and Lake. Why was that land really purchased?”  

The Watch replies: There has long been speculation that the land was purchased because a politically-connected businessman did not want competition from the shopping center that was supposed to go up there, but we have never been able to confirm that.

IB Watching was amazed to hear Trustee Britton claiming no tax dollars would be involved in the Dominick’s site purchase: “Wow! Glad to hear that, but please tell us, where did the money in the Permanent Fund that will be supplying the cash come from?”

The Watch replies: Technically, the permanent fund contains money from land sales at The Glen rather than tax revenue, but it can certainly be argued that the permanent fund is public money that could be used in lieu of tax dollars.  In other words, if the permanent fund was being used to pay on-going capital expenses, our taxes might not be going up.

JNA has been working his calculator over plans to raise money for a larger library: “By my calculations the $27.1 million to build the 87,000 square foot library works out to about $311 per square foot.  To add 5,000 square feet to the building, they are raising $3 million.  That’s $600 per sq. ft!  What are they putting in this additional 5,000-square-foot space that costs double the rest of the library? Does anyone else find that weird?”

Andy Sarkany, a former candidate for trustee, is still concerned about the loss of good people in village government and declining morale at Village Hall: “Many village employees have taken early retirement or quit. Some of those who remained saw their workloads growing and decided to leave for jobs with other municipalities. The massive reorganization of the various departments and transfer of staff with new responsibilities must be hurting service and productivity. Mechanics who take care of village vehicles are now facing the prospect of staying on with a privatized service, at reduced pay with no benefits and loss of participation in the Illinois municipal retirement system. This will, no doubt, prompt qualified mechanics to leave village service and open the door to lower paid and less qualified workers.”

 Sid K is curious: “Anything about the Costco gas station?  News, dates?  It’s been a long time coming.  Same question about the auto dealership in that same area?”  

The Watch replies: According to Village Hall, neither business has closed on the land being offered by the shopping center’s owner, but auto dealer Field’s is expected to close shortly and hopes to begin construction within the next year.

RS asks: “Why is gas cheaper by 10-15 cents per gallon in Northbrook? Check out the Citgo on Skokie Blvd and Dundee or the Marathon at Techny and Shermer.  Last week there was a big difference in prices. I guess the dealers in our town feel we have more money to spend, or maybe Glenview has a big tax on gasoline.”

The Watch replies: There is no local tax on fuel.

Nancy Chadwick writes about a dangerous ride through the forest preserve: “A section of the bike/walking path starting at the Lake Ave. overpass (in the forest preserve) going south to...not sure how far....was repaved a couple of months ago. Great! However, the new asphalt path was made with, looks like, anywhere from a 6 to 8 inch drop on either sides of it.  The asphalt just drops on the sides to some gravel, dirt, rocks.  Do we know if anything is going to be done to have a gradual leveling off of the sides of the path?  I ask because I find this to be hazardous should a little one on his or her bike lose control, off the path, and take a drop, falling off the bike and causing injury.  Or anyone else who may need to move over to one side, and not pay attention to notice one must step DOWN to move over.  This unfinished-looking piece of path, though smooth as can be, is a cause for accidents waiting to happen.”

Watch editor Dean Schott replies: “I have found this to be of concern along other bike paths that I've ridden. Once along Riverwoods, I slipped off the path, did an endo and landed in a drainage ditch covered in mud.  Let’s each give a call to Cook County Commissioner Gregg Goslin, since the county is responsible for forest preserves.”

Fritz was dismayed to learn the library board will sell naming rights to rooms or wings to raise more money for a bigger building: “After spending almost half a million dollars on design and planning, our delusional library board now wants to sell naming rights for our new library. We will never need a 93,000-square-foot building. We don’t even need a new building, since rehabbing the one we have would save money and serve us well. The new library should not compete with local coffee shops, or take money away from movie and game rental stores around town.  The library board should give more thought to what it will cost to maintain a grandiose building filled with services that don’t belong in a library and stop scheming to raise more money.” 

JC objects to our claim that Trustee Pat Cuisinier ran for Village Trustee at the behest of his church -- Our Lady of Perpetual Help. “That is not correct and is an insult to the many parishioners who do not care for the Unite Glenview party or for politics in general.  Several supporters of the Unite Glenview party used their positions in one of the parish's many organizations to promote several Catholic candidates on the UG ticket three years ago.  However, the illogical conclusion that the parish as a whole, or the pastor of the parish, requested Pat to run as a representative of the parish, is wrong. Many members of the parish are opposed to the UG party (not necessarily to Pat or other individual members), and the parish organizations as a whole do not endorse or support candidates, either sub rosa or openly.”

The Watch replies:  That’s correct, although Cuisinier himself said he decided to run after the OLPH men’s club openly solicited candidates to run for village board to represent the interests of the parish.   

GG reports problems with a couple of Glenview businesses. We’ve omitted their names, since we can’t confirm shady practices, but we feel a generic warning is in order: “When you bring your car to a certain garage in the village and request routine maintenance or repair of small things, the mechanics always find additional work that needs to be done.

“Following an oil change, for example, I was told I had a brake system leak and needed about $800 worth of work. I took the car down the street for a second opinion and was told no work was needed. I took another car in (manual transmission) to have a problem looked at, and they said I needed a whole new clutch assembly at a cost of nearly $2,000. My second opinion mechanic replaced the hydraulic clutch master cylinder for a little over $100.

”I took a leather jacket to be repaired by another local business and was quoted a very reasonable price to fix it, but when the time came to pick the jacket up, I was charged a much higher rate – told the zipper was more expensive than they thought, and it took more time than expected. Their original quote wasn't even close to the final cost. They got nasty when I balked and said other customers normally go for this and don't question them. My advice – buyers beware!”

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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