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.

President Sarto Helps To Bring Funding To Village

Geneva -President Bill Sarto who is a member of the Kane County Community Development Block Grant Commission brought good news back home from the CDBG meeting  yesterday. www.jfuller@dailyherald.com

The CDBG gave their recommendations for the upcoming year. Carpentersville stands to receive a total of $413, 340.00. I wish to thank our staff for putting together these requests and applications for funding. These are the type of things we need to be aware of and it is gratifying to know that we were on top of this.

The funding for two projects that will cost millions of dollars will be helped by this CDBG grant money. The first grant worth $263,478 will help with the cost of the Hazard Road, Monroe Avenue and Golfview Lane reconstruction project. The project includes  reconstruct of the sanitary sewers, water mains, water services, carriage walk, sidewalk and roadway and to create storm sewers, widen turn lanes and install new streetlights and traffic signals. The $263,478 was about 25% of the $1.6 million the commission had to award.

Carpentersville was also recommended for an additional $149,952 for 2010/2011. This funding will go toward the infrastructure improvements on the Hickory Drive, Hickory Court and Ash Street project that will be part of the 2010/2011 program. 

The recommendations from the CDBG are subject to final approval by the Kane County Board.

My being a member of the CDBG is important to our community. Being at the table during these discussions and being an active member of this commission is vital to us getting our fair share of funding, Said President Sarto.

I invite ALL to visit my campaign website at www.billsarto.com you will find more information on what I have done over the past 4 years and news of upcoming events. Please check it out. Pass the word to your friends who live in Carpentersville. Thank You.

Board Votes Down “Ride-In-Kane” Funding

Carpentersville - The Village Board of Carpentersville voted down funding to continue the Ride-In-Kane bus service. This service may be better known as  Dial-A-Ride. Village President Bill Sarto supported the funding of this vital program. He argued that this was a service that many senior citizens and others rely on for affordable transportation to and from the doctor and to do their grocery shopping.

The total amount being asked for from Carpentersville was a mere $13,000. There was money in the budget to continue to provide this service. However, some board members were misrepresenting the facts on the issue. Trustee Paul Humpfer was leading the charge to NOT fund the program. He argued that it was up to the Township to provide this service. That is a fallacy that he has been promoting since before the Township Republican Party Primary Election. Humpfer was supporting Don Rage for Township Supervisor. Rage was easily defeated in the primary by the incumbent Sue Harney.

The Ride-In-Kane program is partially funded by grant dollars and is provided by Pace. Each Village in the Township has been asked to make a contribution to support the program. The size of that contribution is based on a formula of both population and ridership. This overall program is directed by Kane County.

Politics was still being played with the lives of our seniors and others who qualify for the Ride-In-Kane program. Most if not all of these riders need this program. Some use it as their only means of transportation to and from work.

It is a disgrace that a Village the size of Carpentersville does not have better representation on the Village board. Petty politics influences far too many decisions in the Village.

The reason so many have a negative feeling about their Village government is that some trustees only play politics. That was again the case on this important vote.