Media “Black Out” On Carpentersville

It looks as though we are now going to see a media “black-out” on news from Carpentersville’s Village board meetings.

This is all part of the plan of course. For the previous four years you couldn’t pick up either the Daily Herald or the Courier-News the day or two after the Village board meetings without reading something about what took place at that meeting. If Carpentersville’s Village board is not making news, they must not be doing anything. I would think that the news media would cover actions or non-actions taken by ALL the Village’s. Didn’t Carpentersville take any action at the last meeting? East Dundee made the news for “not taking action.” Dundee Township made the news for denying a request to use Raceway Woods.  

It was conspicuous by it’s absence that there was nothing written by the local media about the Carpentersville Village board meeting of May 19, 2009.

The news instead focused on East Dundee not filling the Village Clerk’s position. There was another non-story about Dundee Township not allowing an event at Raceway Woods.

Is this what the people of Carpentersville should expect in the future? No reports on what the Village board has done or not done.

Sometimes Being Right Is Not Good Enough

Some post election thoughts. As I look back at these past four years, I realize that being right is not always good enough in politics.

As I look back at my own behavior and the behavior of others, I realize that on the issues, I was right.

When I said, right from the beginning of the talk about illegal immigration, that it is up to the federal government to decide what legally can be done with this problem, I was right. But it was not the answer some people wanted to hear. Some wanted the Village to do whatever it took to crack down on illegal immigrant’s who may have been in our Village. There WAS nothing, there IS nothing, that local government can legally do about this issue, but people believed that it was up to local government to take care of the problem. Sometimes telling the truth is just not good enough to satisfy some people. They are looking for someone to tell them what they want to hear, regardless if it’s true or not. My position on this issue saved the Village a lot of money on legal bills. It was the responsible thing to do.

On the matter of Paul Humpfer being convicted of four counts of domestic battery and his not living in Carpentersville for several months. My reaction was to get legal advice as to how to handle this situation. I asked our Village Attorney and I made a few phone calls to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. I also sought legal help from both the AG and the Kane County State’s Attorney to get a legal opinion on this situation. I did my duty as Village President in seeking to get an answer to whether or not Paul Humpfer was entitled to remain in office. I did what was right. But again, being right is not what some people are looking for. With politics some people ONLY are looking at the politics and not the facts.

The matter of the illegal meetings that were being held by two of the trustees and their supporters at one of the Village owned Fire Stations was wrong. The intent of those illegal meetings was to disrupt our Village board meetings. I brought this matter to the attention of the Village Manager and he stopped those meetings from continuing to be held at the Fire Station. Once again, I was right to point this infraction of our policy out to the Village Manager and when asked by a reporter from the Courier-News if this was a violation of the Open Meetings Act the Illinois Attorney General’s Office responded by sending a letter to the Village board informing the board that what they had been doing was a violation “of the spirit of the Open Meetings Act”. Once again, I was on the right side of this issue.

The media’s role in all of this? I was very disappointed in the media’s coverage of these matters.

The media instead of presenting the facts and the truth they seemed to be working from their own agenda.

Instead of pointing out to the public that illegal immigration is a federal government matter and does not come under the jurisdiction of local government they instead were critical of me for not doing something. Even though they had been briefed by the feds that there is NOTHING local government CAN DO about illegal immigration.  After the election in 2007, the media backed away from the issue of illegal immigration as an issue in Carpentersville. They never held those who had campaigned on this issue accountable for their actions.

The media instead of siding with me in wanting to know if Paul Humpfer should be removed from office after being found guilty of four counts of domestic battery, they took a different approach. They criticized ME for “playing politics” with the matter. An unusual move by the media.

This coming from the very same media that couldn’t wait to get Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich out of office before he had even been officially charged with a crime, and to this day, has NOT been found guilty of anything.

The media seemed to want to blame me for the problems created by a couple of Trustees on the board. Even though I was the one person who was doing the right things on all of these matters.

Had the media  taken a more responsible position in these important matters I can’t help but think that the election results would have been much different. Some people like to think the media is “liberal” when in fact the media has always had a right-wing bias. This is especially true of the local media.

It’s difficult to counter the things written by the media on a daily basis. I did my best to be available to the reporters. I didn’t duck their calls or questions. I was very accessible to them throughout my term as Village President. I openly and honestly responded to all of their questions. I told the truth. That’s the best I could do for the Village and for them. How they wrote the stories was up to them.

New Village President Is Sworn In

Carpentersville – Tuesday, May 5, 2009, two new Village trustees and a new Village president were administered the oath of office by Village Clerk, Teresa Wilde.

The two new trustees are Patricia Schultz and Bradford McFeggan. Also taking the oath was Edward Ritter as the new Village president and Kay Teeter who was reelected trustee for a second term.

A short time later Clerk Wilde was reappointed to her position as Village Clerk and also reappointed as Treasurer was Finance Director, Lisa Happ.

The new Village President made some unusual moves upon taking office. Village President, Ed Ritter, decided to change the way things have been done in Carpentersville as far back as anyone can remember. He will NOT be voting on any issues that does not require his vote.

This in my opinion demonstrates a lack of will to LEAD by the new President of Carpentersville.

The Village President by statute is not allowed to make a motion or second a motion that has been made. Only trustees may make a motion or second a motion. Trustees are required to vote on ALL matters that come before the board, unless they have a conflict of interest in casting a vote on a specific item. Then, they are allowed/required to abstain from that particular vote.

There is a very good reason for elected public officials to cast votes on legislative bodies. It’s to allow the public to know their record of supporting or opposing important issues. To NOT vote is to NOT lead. The public has a right to know any elected public officials stand on any given issue. The votes cast by elected officials provides the public record for that office holder. That public record then is a guide for voters to determine who they will support in the next election. To duck that public voting record is a mistake by any public official. Government works best when it is transparent and open. President Ritter is showing his disdain for the public’s right to know beginning on day one of his administration. I would not consider that to be getting off to a very good start.

Another change will be that the President will no longer address the Trustee’s by their elected position title. He will instead address them by their first names. So, in recognizing a trustee the President will call on them as, Brad, Keith, Kay, Paul, Judy or Pat. This again shows a lack of respect by the President for his colleagues. In my view another early mistake by an inexperienced public official who does not fully understand how government works.

Both of these changes are troubling coming from a Village President who campaigned on a platform of showing “respect”. Right out of the box, President Ritter is demonstrating his lack of respect for the public and those who were elected to serve with him.

Moving Into The Final 10 Days

Carpentersville - As I move into my final 10 days as your Village President I find myself at peace. I’m satisfied with my legacy.

We are currently working on 12 million dollars of infrastructure projects. That may be unprecedented in Carpentersville’s history. If you take into consideration the fact that we are in the midst of a disastrous economic downturn, not seen since the Great Depression, that makes this even much more impressive.

These projects were planned during my administration. We continue  to provide this needed service and these long over due improvements to our community. This is your money being invested into your future. These projects are the results of good planning and foresight. We bonded for these projects and we have received grants on some of them. The bottom line is we continue to keep people working while improving the Village.

If you’ve been keeping up with the local news, I’m sure you have also noticed that Carpentersville is in relatively good financial condition as compared to our neighboring Villages. We have been able to pass a balanced budget without any layoffs or any tax increases. This is due to our dedicated staff and their forethought in making necessary cuts in their requests for this year. These cuts were across the board. But service has not been drastically cut.  I still hope that the Village board will decide to fund the Ride in Kane program. A cut in that service is unacceptable in my opinion.

I do plan on spending some time at the Tuesday, April 28th staff meeting to personally thank our staff for the fine efforts they have made to improve Carpentersville during my time in office.

I have made my own personal contribution to this effort, but the major credit is due to our staff.

I especially wish to thank our Village Manager, Craig Anderson for his ability to have put together a very good team. Not only did he hire some very good staff members, but he has been a stabilizing force on our overall workforce.

I don’t know when a Village Manager has lasted an intire term of a Village President. Prior to my election we had a revolving door of key staff changes. Manager Anderson has done a very good job of not only adding key positions but in retaining good people.

Our Village was known for its rapid turnover that lead to many problems with our finances and overall productivity. Our progress to a very large part is due to the fact that we have been able to maintain a steady team working well together.

I will continue to work up until May 5th. I have offered my public congratulations to President-elect Ed Ritter and to the other new members of the Village board. I’ve also offered my continued help to the Village if I’m asked.

The Election Is Over ~ It’s Time To Move On!

Carpentersville - This is the last week before the April 7, 2009, Consolidated Election. I want to begin by saying I’ve enjoyed my time as your Village President. Win or Lose on April 7th that will never change. It has been my unique honor to have served my community for these past four years. It’s a rare honor to have the opportunity to serve in public office and I want to thank the people of Carpentersville for this distinct privilege.

Most politicians wait until after the election to say thank you to the people they have worked with and to the voters. I feel it’s more appropriate to say Thank You now. I often read those thank you letters written by the winning and losing candidates after the election. Those letters have always struck me as being a bit too late. This is especially true of those who currently serve in public office. The time to say thank you to your colleagues and supporters is before the votes have been cast. Before the results have been finalized. Before there is a declared winner or loser.

No public official owns an elective office. Many have sat at my desk before me and many will follow me in that position. We are elected to serve the public’s best interest. I’m confident in saying that has been my only goal since taking the oath of office on May 3, 2005. I came into office to help improve Carpentersville and I feel that I’ve succeeded in doing that. What you can expect from me, up until my last day at my desk, whether that be later this year or some time in the future, is a full days work and a sincere effort to move our Village ahead. We are making progress.

We now have a Capital Improvement Program underway that has repaved streets and replaced sidewalks. We have added new street lighting and new water mains and storm water sewers. We’ve rebuilt the Main Street Bridge. We’ve added necessary staff.

We have purchased new equipment to mill and resurface nearly 20 miles of streets in the past three years. We have been playing catch up for many years of neglect that have occurred over the past 30 to 40 years.

We have reduced crime by 24.2% in just the past year. Our police have taken down the heads of one of the most dangerous gangs in Carpentersville. We were recently notified by Congressman, Bill Foster that we will also be receiving $400,000 to help combat gang crime. Crime has been on the decrease over the past three years. I’m very proud of our staff. They have been doing an excellent job of finding solutions to problems in the Village.

We have also added new businesses and we will soon see a new Tractor Supply Company Store open where Big Lot’s formerly was located at the shopping center on Rt. 25. Those not familiar with Tractor Supply Outlets, they are somewhat like Farm & Fleet Stores. We have much more planned for that area of Carpentersville.

We created a Comprehensive Plan that will take us well into the future. We adopted new design standards. We’ve updated our codes. We have achieved much in these past four years.

We have added an Engineering Department. When I was elected we had no engineer. We had no Economic Development staff person we had no Village Planner. Now we have all of those vital positions filled. We are saving money on outside consultants by having our own in-house engineers doing the bulk of the work. All of this is new in the past four years.

[I] and I hate to use that word, but sometimes it’s appropriate to do so, have helped to secure over $800,000.00 for our Village in the past month to fix streets and neighborhoods and to fight gang crime. Once again I must use the word [I] when reporting that I received a call last Friday from Mark D. VanKerkhoff from Kane County asking me if I would be willing to serve on a five member committee to dole out the Neighborhood Stabilization Funds. These funds are from the Federal government and would go toward rehabbing some foreclosed homes and in some extreme cases demolishing houses that are beyond the point of saving. Having me serve on this committee would be a real benefit to Carpentersville. I was recommended to be asked to be a member of this committee by the Kane County Board Chairman, Karen McConnaughay.

Today, our Village Manager, Craig Anderson and our Economic Development Coordinator, Janice Murphy and myself met with our State Representative Keith Farnham to discuss what improvements  can be made on Rt. 25. We have applied for an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Project (ITEP) grant that would help us make some major improvements along Rt. 25. It was a very good meeting.

We have much left to do to get this Village where it ought to be. That’s why I decided to run for another term. I do have the experience and the know how to get things done. I also have the political associations to benefit our Village. I’m currently a member of the Kane County Community Development Block Grant Commission. By my involvement on this important commission, we were able to secure additional funding for street projects for this year and next. The total amount Carpentersville received was 25% of the total funding allocated by the CDBG for this year.

Once again, no matter how this election turns out next Tuesday, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity of serving the Village of Carpentersville. With my most heartfelt thanks, I remain…

Sincerely,

Bill Sarto – President

Voice Your Opinion About The Bridge

West Dundee - Thursday evening March 26, 2009, the Longmeadow Corridor Toll Bridge Task-force will hold a public hearing on the merits of building the bridge. 

The plan is to connect Rt. 62, east of Rt. 25 to Huntley Road, west of Randall Road.  This will most likely be the last chance for the public to be heard on this bridge issue before final approval is sought to move ahead on its construction.

This purposed bridge will have an impact on Carpentersville neighborhoods more so than any other community. It is being presented as a solution to traffic congestion on Rt. 62 and Rt. 72. Although traffic studies have indicated that this new toll bridge would have minimal effect on current traffic problems.

This will be an “open house” style forum where you will be allowed to make comments between the hours of 4 pm until 8 pm. This public hearing will be held at Randall Oaks Club House, located just west of Randall Road on Binnie Road. Please come out and be heard on this important topic. This is your chance to make your feelings known. Whether you support the bridge or oppose it, come and be heard. Anything this important must have public input.

Read my post from March 15th “A Bridge To Somewhere ~ But Who Will Use It?”

Come Welcome Our Chargers Back Home From Peoria

Carpentersville - It’s final our Dundee-Crown Boys Basketball team finished fourth in state. This is a wonderful achievement for the team and Dundee-Crown High School and District 300. It’s a proud time for all of  us in the Dundee-Crown family.

This was the first trip downstate for the Dundee-Crown Boys basketball team. I must say they did us all proud. They played well and never gave up.

The competition intensifies the further through the IHSA tournament that you go. Those “final four” teams are very high caliber and they are there because of their dedication, talent and their ability to play and win. Our young men played very well in both games.

I wish to CONGRATULATE the team on this year’s record finish. I want to encourage the community to join in the celebration. The team bus OFFICIAL ESCORT will begin at approximately 2 p.m. in the Village of Sleepy Hollow, winding through Dundee and Algonquin, then cutting through Old Town Carpentersville and around Carpenter Park before finally ending back at the school. Once back at the school there will be a rally at Dundee-Crown on Sunday, March 22 at roughly 3 p.m.

Come out and show how proud we are of our Boys Basketball Team. They certainly have earned our support, praise and respect. Go Chargers!

Congratulations To Our “Chargers”!

Carpentersville - I want to offer on behalf of our entire community my most sincere and heartfelt Congratulations to the Dundee-Crown boys basketball team. They are going down state! What a game they played Tuesday to get to this prestigious level of competition.  

Tuesday the D-C Chargers clinched a berth in the Illinois High School Athletic Association Class-4A boys basketball tournament finals to be held in Peoria. The next game is with Waukegan. After that WIN, it will be on to the state Championship game.  

Our boys basketball team have already accomplished a tremendous feat by upsetting some higher ranked teams in their division. We are all very proud of them. Go Chargers!!!

A Bridge To Somewhere ~ But Who Will Use It?

Carpentersville -For many years a new bridge has been discussed at the North end of Kane County. This past year a task-force was formed  to discuss how to make this often talked about bridge a reality. Kane County created this task-force to put together a plan for a Toll Bridge that would connect Rt. 62 to Randall Road. This toll bridge would be called the Longmeadow Parkway bridge corridor.

After several months of studies being done and extensive discussions with the State of Illinois on whether or not this bridge could be a toll bridge. It now seems more and more clear that this is a very bad idea. At first, I must say that I was in support of this plan. But after learning all the facts and details it is in my judgment a bad plan, that will not reach the goal that it was meant to achieve.

The bridge would be too costly and the return back from the tolls would not be able to cover the expense. What the studies have indicated is that it would cost $1.50 or more to cross the river. There comes a time when you have to just say it ~ This is a bad idea! It will not work. That $1.50+ per trip prices most people out of using the bridge. The price per trip is the deal breaker. If people are not going to use the bridge, then there really is no reason to build it. This bridge only makes sense if it would be used to relieve the pressure off of the other existing bridges in the area. This plan does not do that.

This would not help the economy of Carpentersville. I do not favor moving people out to Randall Road so that they can shop in other communities.

Don’t get me wrong, I do support more bridges in the Northern Kane/Southern McHenry County area, but this idea is not the solution to our problems. I no longer support this plan. This is not the fix it was sold to us to be. Trying as we would to make this “work” is not going to make it any better.

The traffic studies have shown that this will have little or no effect on the traffic currently using Rt. 62, Rt. 72 or our Main Street Bridge. The major reason is that the cost of the toll on the bridge would be too high. Those most likely to use this bridge would be those who drive gravel and cement trucks who get paid by the load. This would of course negatively impact Carpentersville. We would get the added pollution from this unwanted truck traffic and considerable traffic noise without gaining any benefits.

Therefore, I will be at the public hearing to oppose this bridge.  I support a local bridge and I also support us doing an extensive review of our traffic problems in the region and then decide where bridges should be added in Dundee Township.

I have spoken to our Congressman Bill Foster about this and he is in agreement that an over-all traffic study is needed to determine where bridges are needed in our area. We do need bridges that work for all of us.

Please attend the public hearing on the bridge. Those who are attempting to build this bridge deserve to know what you think. Whether you support or oppose this bridge this is your chance to speak up and be heard. This is an important decision that is going to be made. We need to hear from YOU!

The Public Hearing (Open House Format) will take place on:

• Date:       March 26, 2009
• Time:       4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.
• Place:      Randall Oaks Golf Club

All correspondence regarding this project should be sent to:

Kane County Division of Transportation

Attn.: Steve Coffinbargar

41W011 Burlington Road

St. Charles, IL 60175

Phone: (630) 584-1170 E-mail: planningstaff@co.kane.il.us

Carpentersville To Receive $400,000 To Combat Gangs

Batavia – Today we were notified by Congressman Bill Foster’s District Office that Carpentersville will receive $400,000 to help fund our Community Response Team. This is our gang crime unit that we have been trying for the past few years to get additional funding.

This money will come in handy. It will most likely help us hire additional police officers and equipment to help combat gang crime in Carpentersville. This additional money will be helpful.

This money is part of the Omnibus bill that was recently passed and was signed by President Barack Obama.

For those who think that ear marks are all “pork” projects, I would say to them that this money was an ear mark. I would challenge anyone to call this “pork”.  Helping to make our community safer is not pork.

Once again this is money we need and it will be put to very good use. This will benefit the entire region not only Carpentersville.

Just as a recap. In the past week we have realized $814,000.00 in funding from both the Kane County Community Block Grant program and now the Federal Government in an ear mark.

Stay tuned ~ more money is on it’s way to our Village.