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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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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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.

Village Tavern Event

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One of the benefits of having an upcoming election is getting the chance to mix and mingle with residents at campaign events. Last night the Village Tavern hosted a fun and well-attended community night to meet several of the candidates, and ask them questions about the issues the Village faces. It was a great opportunity to meet up with merchants, neighbors, and friends in a casual setting. I am gratified to see so many residents really engaged in the current topics, and the collective desire that I saw last night to all work together towards the common goal of making our Village more vibrant was heartwarming. With Trustee Joe Barry retiring, we are guaranteed to have at least one new face on our Village Board later this Spring. A contested election is always a bit stressful on a community, but what I saw last night was a community really pulling together to empower some positive momentum.

 

Sharing in the Sacrifice

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openpurseIn his inaugural speech on January 12th, Governor Bruce Rauner stated that, “Each person here today and all those throughout the state will be called upon to share in the sacrifice,” in reference to fixing our current state financial woes. On February 18th, we learned of his proposal for Long Grove (as well as every other municipality in Illinois) to share in the sacrifice. This proposal, if passed into the next Illinois budget by both the Senate and House would take effect on July 1st, 2015. And it would cut in half the state income taxes that Springfield hands down to its municipalities. To Long Grove, this means a loss of about $400,000, out of an operating budget of less than $3 million. Long Grove has never charged a property tax, and this state income revenue is our second-largest source of funding, behind only sales tax.

At our Village Board meeting last Tuesday, we discussed this proposal and the effects that it may have on our next fiscal budget, which is set to be approved in April. The Village Board will be adopting a resolution at our next meeting opposing the proposed reduction of distributive revenues by the State of Illinois. I have written letters to Governor Rauner and our state representatives expressing our opposition to this loss of revenue. In Long Grove, we have been forced to make tough decisions to keep our budget balanced every year, and now it seems we are asked to dig a little deeper into the reserves for the sake of the State of Illinois. I hope this is one sacrifice we will not have to make.

Comfy & Cozy on a Cold Winter’s Night

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Chatterbox owner Steve Besbeas welcomes me at the door.

Chatterbox owner Steve Besbeas welcomes me at the door.

Faced with another night of sub-zero temps, my husband and I set out to find some comfort food and companionship this evening in Long Grove. Our first stop was the Chatterbox, where we discovered that not only was the parking lot packed, but the restaurant was doing a capacity business. Not a problem, as we continued on down the street to the Village Tavern to snag one of their last remaining tables. We had the added benefit of being entertained with music while we warmed ourselves with good food and atmosphere. On the way back to the car, we stopped by the Chatterbox for the ultimate comfort food on a cold night–the warm and gooey skillet cookie! An extra bonus was running into two couples from Neighbors and Newcomers club who were also out for a night in our hometown to escape the cold. I can’t tell you how great it was to see our restaurants in town doing a healthy business in the dead of winter. Chatterbox owner Steve Besbeas and I talked tonight about the possibility of another Long Grove location opening soon where locals can come together and socialize in our historic downtown. I know that it is hard to be patient, but the tide is turning in our Village. I share the vision of many other residents that we will see a real revitalization in the next few years in our hometown. In the midst of this cold, bitter weather, I see the sparks of hope growing steadily. The next time you are in the mood to socialize, look no further than our own Long Grove establishments. Help us keep the fires burning!

Standing Strong

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L to R: Dr. Cristina Cortesi, me, and Jamie Epstein of the Stand Strong Coalition

One nice side-benefit of being Village President is also being an honorary member of the Long Grove, Kildeer & Hawthorn Woods Rotary club. Being married to a Rotarian makes it even sweeter! While I don’t have time to make it to most of the weekly breakfast meetings, I did make it a priority to attend the meeting this morning. Our speakers were Jamie Epstein and Dr. Cristina Cortesi of the Stand Strong Coalition, of which I am also a member.

Formed just this past summer, Stand Strong is a community coalition dedicated to preventing underage drinking and drug abuse among youth in our Stevenson High School community. The group serves to help educate parents and teens on the health risks associated with alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drug abuse in young adults, without being judgmental. The purpose of the coalition is to begin to change cultural norms by getting the community engaged in strategies for change. Members of Stand Strong include concerned parents, SHS coaches, counselors, staff and administrators, police officers, elected officials, healthcare professionals, religious leaders, business professionals, representatives from social service agencies, experts in the area of teen addiction and substance abuse, and more.

As one of the founders of the group, Jamie gave an informative talk on some of the successes so far, such as the “Not My Kid” event held at Stevenson this past September. Social hosting laws in our communities have been highlighted and strengthened, and work is underway to make prescription lock boxes more available and disposal of prescription medicines easier. Cristina, who serves as a Prevention Counselor at SHS helped us understand the effects of alcohol abuse and binge drinking on young adults, and the dangerous and permanent changes that can occur to adolescent brains when exposed to marijuana. Upcoming events include an 8th Grade Parent Talk on April 15th at Noah’s of Lincolnshire, and a drug and alcohol free Post-Prom celebration at Great America on May 16th. Local law enforcement officers will be working side-by-side with student volunteers this spring on a “Your Actions Matter” campaign in our area liquor stores and drinking establishments.

I am proud to support this new organization and have been impressed with the enthusiasm it has generated among the members. As the Stand Strong Coalition gains momentum, I feel that it has the potential to provide a tremendous asset to all the families in our community. Best wishes for continued success!

Small Plates of the Small Town Mayor

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One of the less embarrassing shots... taken in Ronda , Spain

One of the less embarrassing shots… taken in Ronda , Spain

Those of us who are parents know that our children’s attitude towards us changes as they go through the stages of growing up.  As small children, their love for us is unrestrained.  In the elementary years they depend on us, and as middle school approaches we embarrass them.  We are ignored when they reach high school, and suddenly intelligent once college is over and they are living on their own.

Then, they mock us.

I have recently found out that this new blog I’ve started is not my first.  Apparently, one of my children (who shall remain nameless) created a blog some time ago featuring me.  You see, my husband Aaron and I like to travel, and are “foodies” so we eat at some interesting places.  My husband has been known to take pictures of especially memorable dishes, of which I sometimes show up in, and these get emailed to our “foodie” child.  Who has secretly created a blog entitled, “Small Plates of the Small Town Mayor.”   Yes, I know you are intrigued to see this, but I will NOT be providing a link as most of the pictures are, shall we say, not flattering.  I could be annoyed at my husband for forwarding all those photos unbeknownst to me; I could be angry at my children for making fun of me.  Luckily I grew up with two younger brothers who teased me relentlessly so I have a pretty good sense of humor.  And let me just close with this thought…I am in possession of some pretty embarrassing photos of naked babes in the bathtub and awkward middle school fashion statements.  And I now have my own blog.

Loving Government, Hating Politics

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wings
Earlier this month I participated in a meeting with a group of inspiring women, and it put me in a good mood for the entire rest of the day. I’m a new member of WINGS, a bipartisan network of empowerment for women of Lake County, Illinois who have been elected to, appointed to, or are interested in government at any level. Because let’s face it, we all know that our country needs more women leaders in higher office. And those of us in public office need regular support to counteract the negative. There is nothing like spending time with the brave ladies who blazed the trail for us many years ago, to remind me of the many good reasons for doing this job. Our speaker, a former mayor of Leon Valley, Texas, shared with us her wisdom and wit regarding “Loving Government, Hating Politics.” Women bring so many valuable qualities to elected positions; our ability to listen, put egos aside, and work with others towards a compromise for starters. But the politics of putting yourself out there for public scrutiny can be daunting. We have an election on April 7th here in Long Grove, and we will get to select three Trustees out of the six men running for office. I am hopeful that the two amazing women that I’ve just appointed to Village commissions will be inspired to one day step up to serve on the Board, or other elected positions in public service. Ladies, we just need to look to each other for the strength. The high school orator who gave a moving speech on “The Importance of Voting,” told me that she aspires to be a Village President someday, like me. Okay, fuel tank properly filled again!

BACC Economic Summit

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Barrington Economic Summit
I had the opportunity to speak last week at an event sponsored by the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce. Mayors and Village Presidents representing 8 different towns in the area participated in a breakfast panel to discuss economic development in each of our communities. It is always great when I get to interact with my peers, and even better when I get to hear what they are doing in their municipalities. Since the start of 2015, Long Grove has initiated two additional ways to help our local business community. We have hired a Chicago-area expert in the field of economic development to consult with the Village on an ongoing monthly basis, to work on targeting locations within our borders for new business development. She will also head up an Economic Development Task Force, made up of representatives of the Village Board, Plan Commission, property owners, business owners, residents, and the downtown LGBCP. This committee will meet monthly to brainstorm and share ideas and connections that can help attract and retain the types of businesses, restaurants, and entertainment that will enhance our community. Many of the old buildings on Fountain Square are in the process of being updated, and we at the Village are looking forward to working with the new property owners to get businesses up and running in the renovated spaces.