Long Grove Village Government

And The Survey Says…

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Richard Dawson, host of TV's "Family Feud"

Richard Dawson, host of TV’s “Family Feud”

In my younger days, staying home from school on a sick day meant catching up on the daytime game shows that I never had a chance to watch. Wow, I’m really dating myself here, because this was even before we could record shows on the Betamax! Well anyway, my favorite game show was “Family Feud,” hosted by TV star Richard Dawson (who remembers “Hogan’s Heroes”?) I loved the idea that they could survey groups of people on various questions, and make a game about guessing the most popular answers. Anyone who uses social media today knows that surveys are still popular, and we’ve probably all had our email inbox invaded by a “survey monkey” at one time or another. The Village hopes that your enthusiasm for participating in surveys is not a thing of the past, because we are getting ready to mail out an important set of questions in the next week. As much fun as it was on the show to watch contestants guess the answers, the Village Board would prefer to KNOW your opinions on current issues in Long Grove.

This summer, the Trustees will be making some very significant decisions and I hope that you will add your voice to the process. We have just finalized a resident survey that will be sent to all Long Grove households. The goal of this survey is to help inform the Board of the feelings of the residents regarding various aspects of community character and values that will be reflected in the update of our Long Grove Comprehensive Plan. This plan is similar to a “blueprint” and helps guide staff and elected officials in the ongoing shaping of our Village, especially in regards to zoning, open space, commercial development, infrastructure maintenance and capital improvements. The Village Board would like to know your thoughts on these important topics, so please take the time to fill out and return the survey when you receive it.  While we won’t have the excitement of a TV host dramatically revealing the answers to us…”And the Survey Says….”we will have a valuable prize instead–community participation.

 

Liquor Commissioner 101

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Learning our lessons about liquor with (far left) Linda Soto, Mayor of Hainesville and (middle) Beverly Sussman, Village President of Buffalo Grove.

Learning our lessons about liquor with (far left) Linda Soto, Mayor of Hainesville and (middle) Beverly Sussman, Village President of Buffalo Grove.

Many people will be surprised to learn that being Village President also includes serving as the local Liquor Commissioner. While this might seem like a dream job to some (no, I do not get free drinks at our local bars!) it comes with some very real and serious responsibilities. To help me and my fellow mayors get a better understanding of this, Lake County recently held a seminar entitled “Liquor Commissioner 101.”  On a Saturday morning in May, we went back to school at the College of Lake County and learned the finer points of the regulation of consumption and sale of alcohol in our communities. As the local ruling authority, the responsibility falls to me (with assistance from the Board of Trustees) to grant approval of new liquor and video gaming licenses, and to ensure that the current license holders are operating within the confines of the law. We were welcomed to the seminar by Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, who shared with us the sobering statistic that if a youth starts drinking before age 14, they have a 47% chance of becoming addicted later in life. State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim relayed to us that almost every arrest in Lake County the previous night was alcohol related. Student members of the Lake County Underage Drinking & Drug Prevention Task Force gave a presentation on the importance of compliance checks. Local liquor commissioners have the authority to initiate unannounced checkups at retail outlets and restaurants to see if proper measures are being followed to ensure that alcohol is not being made available to underage youth. I got to participate in a mock liquor commission hearing by playing the part of “Larry Liquor,” who turned out to be the Mayor, so it was a stretch! A staff member from the Health Department explained to us the training available to bartenders, clerks and wait staff through Lake County to encourage responsible and legal alcohol sales and service. Failure to do so can result in the Liquor Commissioner being able to issue fines, temporary or permanent loss of a liquor (and gaming) license, or possible conviction of selling to a minor. All of this is very heavy stuff, and makes me realize that this “bonus” job is not one to be taken lightly. I must say also, that the students are making me think seriously about some compliance checks sometime in the not too distant future. Fair warning…ditch those fake ID’s now, because this Liquor Commissioner is loaded…with knowledge!

 

Oath of Office

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Congratulating Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer on her new term of office.

Congratulating Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer on her new term of office.

Many smiles were in evidence at our Village Board meeting this week as we welcomed some new and returning elected officials. Continuing for another term are Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer and Trustee Stan Borys. Trustees taking the Oath of Office for the first time were Bill Jacob and Michael Sarlitto. Swearing in ceremonies are by nature joyful and optimistic events, and this one was no exception. Our first meeting with the new team in place went smoothly and we tackled some important issues such as adoption of the updated fire code, revisions of the upcoming resident survey, and a presentation of financing options for infrastructure repairs and expansion. Plenty of work lies ahead for our new Board as we meet the challenges of revitalizing our downtown and our infrastructure, while continuing a high quality of life for our residents in Long Grove. The Village Board is at the beginning of the next leg of our journey, and so far, we are off to a great start!

With Sincere Thanks

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cwretires

Tuesday night’s Village Board meeting marked the retirement of yet another long-standing volunteer, Trustee Charlie Wachs.  Having grown up in Long Grove, Charlie can tell stories of riding a pony to Kildeer school, and remembers our Village when it only had 500 residents and everyone knew each other.  He has raised his family here, and been a supporter of many community activities including serving on the Board of Trustees for eight years, from 2007-2015.  Charlie has put in countless hours as the head of our Infrastructure and Public Works committees.  He has also been a long-term member of the Pathways committee, which is where I first became acquainted with Charlie.  Scouting out potential path connections, no trail or mud-filled underpass could be too rough for Charlie!  He has been instrumental in many of the positive changes in recent years that have set the stage for the revitalization of our downtown and our infrastructure.  Under his  guidance our TIF district was established, along with Sunset Grove, the renovated Archer parking lot and building pads, the Village water plant, and many other improvements.  With gratitude, Charlie was thanked for his gift of time, expertise, and caring, to make his hometown a better place for us all.

Building Bridges

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The Long Grove Covered Bridge, photographed in March, 2015

The Long Grove Covered Bridge, photographed in March, 2015

Our Village faces a number of challenges in the months ahead, and two of them involve building bridges.  In the literal sense, we are weighing options and facts regarding the decision to either replace our iconic covered bridge as is, or expand it to two lanes.  Metaphorically speaking, our Village needs to heal and find a way to work together after the arguments and accusations of the recent contentious election.  Both challenges are going to require a lot of work, a lot of patience and listening to others, a lot of putting aside of ego to do what is in the best interest of all the residents, and a lot of trust.

Trust needs a firm foundation on which to be built, as does a bridge.  And in the case of trust, that foundation starts with respect.  It takes a big person to put aside divisive rhetoric, forgive, and in turn respect someone who has criticized you publicly.  Every member of the Village Board is going to have to be that person.

In the case of our covered bridge repairs, the Board will need to keep listening to our Village engineers as they evaluate costs and details, particularly as they relate to the use of federal funds.  But more importantly, we need to seek a better understanding from our residents on what they truly value.  A member of the Historical Society told me recently that she loves the one-lane aspect of the bridge because visitors crossing into our town, “get a moment to pause, take a breath, and realize that they are entering someplace special.”  Is monetary cost the only consideration?

I have confidence that with thoughtful input from our residents and engineers, the new Board will be able to realize the best direction to take on the re-building of our covered bridge.  I also believe that it is possible to reconcile, collaborate, and support one another as members of a team who solve problems, get things accomplished, and respect one another.  Being born and raised in a small, mid-western farming town means that I am not afraid of a challenge, adversity, or hard work.  This spring and summer, I am planning to roll up my sleeves and build some bridges.  And I truly hope that the residents of Long Grove will be right there, too.

Someone To Look Up To

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IMG_8311-Edit

I had been dreading last night’s Village Board meeting for months, because my favorite Trustee was retiring after 25 years of public service.  But then I realized yesterday, I had actually been given a gift.  Because out of the four different Village Presidents that Joe Barry has served under, I was the one who got the privilege of honoring him.

Joe started his Long Grove service as a member of the Ecology subcommittee of the Plan Commission in 1987.  He then moved on to serve as a Plan Commissioner, Village Clerk, and Trustee, an office he has held since 1995.  Joe has been instrumental in establishing so many great things in our Village over the years:  our Tree Preservation Ordinance, many new subdivisions (including my neighborhood, Stonehaven), the Menards development, and Sunset Plaza just to name a few.  But his real passion is for environmental concerns, with a special interest in seeing our Village Pathway system expanded.  I first met Joe over 10 years ago when I joined the Pathways committee, and he relentlessly recruited me to join the Village Board.  He has become my “elder statesman” not because of his age, but because of his wisdom and experience in all Long Grove matters.  Whenever I need advice, I know that Joe is always willing to hit a local trail to walk and talk it out with me.

We all wish Joe the best in his retirement, and realize that he has left us with some very big shoes to fill.  I know that I can count on seeing him around our open spaces for years to come, sporting his teasel backpack, spraying invasive species.  Joe Barry is one of those special people who just enriches your life by being a part of it.  And we are so grateful that he has chosen to enrich the lives of everyone in Long Grove for the past 25 years!

The Best Part of My Job

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Having a chat with Barbara Turner

Having a chat with Barbara Turner

It has been suggested that I write about a typical day in my job as Village President. I have been mulling this over for some time now, because truthfully, no day in this job is typical. Many of my activities are exactly what you would expect: attending meetings, interacting with staff and county officials, dealing with resident complaints. But this past December, I had a day in which I was reminded three times over of the very best part of my job. Meeting with residents one-on-one, getting to know them, and working together with them to solve problems or implement new ideas is what I truly love. Whether old or young or in-between, our residents never fail to inspire me, to remind me of the reasons to persevere, and to give me hope for the future.

INSPIRATION

My day started out by paying a visit to one of my favorite long-time residents, Barbara Turner. Barbara is familiar to most of us as the namesake of Reed-Turner Woodland, and the force behind the ongoing stewardship of this treasure, as part of the Long Grove Park District. Over coffee and cookies, I had a chance to learn a little bit more about Barbara’s background, and her thoughts on some current challenges.

In addition to her environmental work, Barbara has always been interested in history and books. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Art History, and a Masters in Library Science from Rosary College in River Forest. For her independent project to qualify for her Masters, Barbara did a multi-media study in Long Grove history, parts of which were incorporated into the book “Long Grove Lore and Legend,” which she co-wrote with Virginia Park. Barbara worked for many years as a librarian at Kildeer School, and served as the curator of the Long Grove Historical Society along with Dorie Hoyne.

Our conversation also included some of the recent changes in Long Grove, and those coming in the near future. Barbara has been mindful of the upcoming widening planned for the downtown crossroads, and is grateful that none of the historic buildings will be lost on this “unique country corner.” Her love for the character of our Village is apparent.

Even though Barbara is in her 90’s now, she still makes it a priority to keep up with current events in Long Grove, and mentioned to me that she misses not being able to attend Village Board meetings as she had in the past. I, for one, can say that Barbara is always present, as an inspiration to me.

Wearing my pink hard-hat, courtesy of Darren Boundy and ComEd.

Wearing my pink hard-hat, courtesy of Darren Boundy and ComEd.

PURPOSE

My day continued on to a lunch meeting at Smokin’ T’s with our municipal representative from Com Ed, Darren Boundy. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Darren and his family live right here in Long Grove, and that he grew up in Central Illinois in a farming town not far from my own hometown. After discussing ways in which our two agencies can work even more efficiently together, Darren had one more surprise for me–a pink hard hat! Worn by the Com Ed crews in October, these hats showed support and solidarity with all those affected by breast cancer. A meaningful memento, to be sure.

 

HOPE

To round out the day, I had the honor of presiding over a special Village Board meeting that afternoon, at Reed-Turner Nature Center. Eight students from the University of Illinois drove up from Champaign to give a final presentation on a semester-long project. Some background on this….Sam Quinn, a resident who is a Senior at U of I contacted me over the summer with an idea. He is a member of Illinois Business Consulting (IBC), a student consulting organization which undertakes projects for Fortune 500 companies, middle market, and non-profit clients. Sam wanted to know if he could do something to help revitalize our historic downtown, and if the Village would be willing to participate in a project with his student organization to explore some ways to do this. During the Fall semester, a series of meetings and weekly conference calls resulted in an area-wide survey. An analysis of the results was done to understand the market demand and potential, with final recommendations to the Village on actions to increase our business district appeal.

Working with these students was a joy. But more importantly, it gives me hope. Not just for the future of our downtown shops & restaurants, which of course I want to see flourish. But for our community. Because if young adults like Sam have enough passion and concern about our Village that they are willing to get involved, in whichever way they can, then how can we not be optimistic about the years to come?

One Lesson at a Time

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Sharing a glass of wine with Past Village President Maria Rodriguez

Sharing a glass of wine with Past Village President Maria Rodriguez

I have often made the comment that I “learn something new every day” in this job as Village President.  Almost two years into it, and this observation still rings true.  It continues to amaze me that I have so much yet to understand about our Village, and about government, and about myself.  The lesson for today was about inner strength.  Last night’s Village Board meeting was a challenging one for a variety of reasons.  A controversial topic, Video Gaming, was back on the agenda, and I had to break not one, but two ties relating to this.  We have extended the trial period for another 120 days, but are holding off for now on sending it back to the Plan Commission and Zoning Board until we get more resident feedback.  A Village-wide survey is coming out in April, which will have questions related to the update of the Comprehensive Plan, and a few relating to video gaming.  Add a difficult conversation with a Trustee and campaign-related drama to the mix, and it made for a high-tension evening.  What got me through it was the advice I was wisely given the day before from two former Board members.  It centered around attitude and confidence, and came from a place of experience.  I am extremely lucky to have mentors to step in and support me when times get tough.  The lessons are still there every day waiting for me.  And so far, I am still eager to learn.

Conserving Our Open Spaces

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openSpace

The snow has finally melted here in Long Grove, and it won’t be long now until our beautiful open spaces look as green and inviting as the one pictured above.  I took this shot in early spring of 2014, on one of the Village Pathway segments that connect through Stonehaven subdivision.  I know many residents share my deep appreciation of the preservation efforts of those who came before us.  We are so very fortunate to be able to enjoy our natural areas in Long Grove because of the many parcels set aside and protected through special conservancy zoning.  To that end, our Village has a Conservancy and Scenic Corridor Commission, which works to help preserve prairies, wetlands, and woodlands as they come under development, and to help residents restore these precious landscapes and keep them healthy and thriving as time moves on.  I attended the recent meeting of the CSC Commission and it was great to see some renewed enthusiasm as we welcomed a new commissioner, Helen Wilson.  A wonderful presentation was given by representatives from Conserve Lake County, a local agency which shares our mission of preservation, restoration, and education.  The group talked about ways in which we could work together to partner resources in helping apply for grants, and in working with homeowners to educate them about the best ways to control invasive species.  In Long Grove, we want to encourage our residents to practice careful stewardship and practical ways to do this were discussed, such as offering seminars and training days, and reaching out directly to Homeowner Associations.  Even though the view from my office windows today is somewhat brown and drab, the Spring season is now officially upon us!  I cannot wait until our pathways dry out and my “Grove Trotter” walking group takes to the trails once again.  And I am thankful that these open spaces remain for us to enjoy, and lovingly maintain for the generations to come.

 

 

Democracy is Messy

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democracy

Teaching students the finer points of the spelling bee at Archer School

 

“Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made”–Otto von Bismark

 

Our current Village Board has been criticized recently for not being cohesive. The Trustees “cannot agree on issues and the Village President has had to break too many ties.” I don’t enjoy having to break ties. But it’s part of my job, and I will dutifully accept that responsibility when it comes my way.

It is true that the Village Board has been indecisive on major agenda items over the past year such as: covered bridge repair or replacement, video gambling, and long-term capital infrastructure funding and the policies guiding this. By nature, democracy is necessarily messy when dealing with issues that split public opinion. The Rt. 53 extension, and the fairness of funding public vs. private roads are but two more of the hot-button issues up for debate in the months and years ahead.

I’ll admit, it would be great and make my job a whole a lot easier if the Board was packed with people who all agreed on every issue. But the beauty of democracy is that differing opinions cause individuals to cooperate by working together to look at solving problems from a different angle; perhaps craft a compromise or come up with an entirely new solution. The power of the group is that consensus leads to a better decision than any individual can make.

Direction may seem obvious when looking at a single decision from one’s own personal perspective. However, the Village Board must take community greater good into account, and balance each judgement on how it fits into a multitude of others from the past and into the future.

Collaborative and representative decision making is a very different style than dictatorial. If you run your own business, you may have the authority to call all the shots. The process of democracy calls for putting egos aside. It has no place for someone who is arrogant and has all the answers. Those who practice it must be willing to trust and work with others.

Our current issues are not trivial, and part of making a good decision is to take the time needed to converse with fellow residents, take the pulse of the community, and seek public opinion. Long Grove is at a crossroads of change in many ways. Downtown ownership is going through a transition. Further economic development, and housing which may involve multi-family or mixed use will be a part of the discussions relating to the update of the comprehensive plan. Road improvements on Old McHenry, Aptakisic, Rt. 22 and even possibly Rt. 53 will affect the traffic in our Village and impact our lives on a daily basis.

Civil discussion and debate, careful consideration of facts, and resident input are all a part of the process leading up to a vote of majority opinion. And once a direction has been identified, support of the entire Board, respect for the individuals who sit upon it, and acceptance of the collective decision that has been made is essential for any democracy to succeed.