Trustees caught tanked in public

Two members of the Buffalo Grove Village Board were observed -- if not encouraged by Buffalo Grove Police -- to be tanked in public,

But all for a good cause.

Trustees Jeff Berman and Andrew Stein participated in a dunk tank sponsored by the Buffalo Grove Police at  Buffalo Grove Days as a fund raiser for Special Olympics.

Each trustee spent hour in the attraction as attendees at Buffalo Grove Days had the chance to toss one ball for $2 or three balls for $5 in an effort to tank the trustees.

The event drew the attention of adults as well as younger children who received a helping hand from Buffalo Grove's top cop, Steve Casstevens.


(Now you see Trustee Jeff Berman...)

(....and now you don't)

(Trustee Andrew Stein gets ready to get tanked)


















Ideas for next year? 

Contact a member of the Buffalo Grove Days Committee or join the committee.  Details are on the village's web site, www.vbg.org.

Hamilton coming to Buffalo Grove. Well, sort of.

The Village Board is hardly the Continental Congress, nor is it likely to be focus of a Broadway hit, ala Hamilton.

Casting a Buffalo Grove version of Hamilton would be, at best, a challenge, let alone humorous.

However, there may be one a similarity between the two, ala Act II.

There is a scene called “The Room Where It Happens,” and focuses on a seemingly closed-door meeting between Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson long before the days of the Open Meetings Act.

We’re not talking the Jeffrey Braiman Council Chambers because that may be the room where not much of anything happens.

But a meeting coming up tonight may be one of the most cantankerous meetings of the Sussman regime.  That’s because the full Board will meet to interview the six finalists for the vacancy on the Board left by the recent resignation of Steve Trilling, who has moved out of the village.

Given an apparent escalation in tension among Board members, this is not likely to be a meeting where the Hamiltonian mantra of “talk less, smile more”. What will hopefully happen is that everyone will listen more will hold true.

The meeting will be closed in accordance to the Illinois Open Meetings Act under a provision which allows meetings to be closed for “…The selection of a person to fill a public office, as defined in this Act, including a vacancy in a public office, when the public body is given power to appoint under law or ordinance, or the discipline, performance or removal of the occupant of a public office…”

What is not kept from the public eye, however, is the list of candidates. I (as did Steve Zalusky of the Daily Herald) used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to get names and applications of the 12 residents who applied for Trilling’s spot. The dozen included Adam Moodhe, Allen Bojes, David Krivo, Edward Baker, Eric Smith, Frank Cesario, Ira Shapiro Jeff Braiman, Jim Driscoll, Kevin Richards, Lalit Jagtap, Paulette Greenberg.

Of that list, the Board will be interviewing Moodhe, Smith, Shapiro, Braiman, Cesario and Greenberg will be interviewed by the Board. Village Board President Beverly Sussman said by email that the focus for a replacement for Trilling is two-fold.

Sussman noted that in the original post for the Trustee vacancy, criteria included:

• experience in community affairs

• experience in business administration

• experience in organizational leadership

• experience in community development

• prior VB (sic) experience

Sussman added that “We are looking for a well-rounded individual who has a great deal to offer the Village/Board, including:

• their background and experience with the Village 

• their overall knowledge 

• how good they are at making decisions

• experience being a leader 

Sussman was emphatic in noting that “we will be asking each candidate a number of questions-the same questions for each candidate. We can also ask any additional questions that we feel are appropriate for a given candidate.”

It is surprising, albeit somewhat encouraging, to see a dozen residents apply for the vacancy, especially since May’s election for Village Board members was uncontested.

The six finalists, to no surprise, have varied backgrounds and reasons for applying for the Board spot.

Moodhe is often talked about in village circles since he ran in 2015. A longtime figure at Village Board meetings, he said in his application that among the reasons he applied include “I believe that my tenure on the Planning and Zoning Commission since 2015 will show an independent thinker that places the Village needs above personal feelings. Someone that will listen to all sides of an issue and always give weight to the greater good of the future of Buffalo Grove.”

Greenberg cited her longtime involvement with the Buffalo Grove Days Committee, the village’s 50^th anniversary celebration and starting the farmers market in 1999 and restarting it in 2009.  She was the Rotary Club’s 2009 Person of the Year.

Smith looks to make a second appearance as a Board appointee, serving briefly from December 2011 through May 2011.  A 29-year resident of the village, Smith is a member of the Lake-Cook Corridor Planning Group since 2016. He has also been on the Planning and Zoning Commission since 2014.

Shapiro has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission from 2014-2016 and the Zoning Board of Appeals in 2014. He was chairman of the School District 96 from 2006-2007. He is an Information Technology professional.

Cesario, a certified public accountant, has been on the Planning and Zoning Commission since 2011. In his application letter, he noted that he wants to serve because “I have enjoyed my role in planning and zoning during the past six years-having been a small part of making things happen has made our community a richer place for me personally”, adding that “I take pride in how our Village has conducted itself, and would enjoy making an even more direct contribution.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the application of, and selection to the finalists, of Braiman whom Sussman defeated in 2015. Braiman has considerable experience in village’s government and noted in his application letter that “…I am corresponding to you as the result of the loss of the knowledge and experience from the Board by Steve's resignation. As you all fully are aware, while it may look easy to some, the process of becoming familiar and knowledgeable with Village processes and procedures can be time consuming and difficult.”

Braiman also noted that after serving the village for nearly 30 years, “I have no intent to run for trustee or any other elected position in the future,” putting to rest rumors that he would run for another terms as Village President in 2019 when Sussman’s term ends.

What lies ahead for the Village Board is to try and put personal agendas aside and select the resident who will best meet the needs of the village. Issues facing the village extend far beyond the mass hysteria posted by wags on social media.

The Board needs to take a fervent approach during tonight’s interviews and ensuing discussions. Many issues from the 2015 election have ebbed or are no longer a factor – like development of the infamous downtown plan, proposed by Deerfield-based CRM Properties.

While transparency and public access remain a staple, new challenges mean new ideas, not refried beans.

Even though the Board is replacing a single member, discussion in “The Room Where It Happens”  tonight needs to be bipartisan and benefit the entire village.

This might be one case where “talk less, smile more” is not good advice.

Sorry, Aaron.

Much ado about nothing? Hardly

At first glance, it may have appeared to be much ado about nothing. A trustee wanted a clarification about the use of a village policy by the Village Board President.

Yawn.

But last week’s exchange between Village Board President Beverly Sussman and Trustee Jeff Berman went beyond a mere discussion of the village’s communications policy. It raised questions about the level of leadership and interaction by Village Board members.

This isn’t breaking news. 

The issue was brought to light by a seemingly frustrated Berman, the senior member on the Board.

As I have noted before, more interaction from Board members during meetings would be a welcome addition. And, from listening to Berman at the Aug. 7 Committee of the Whole meeting, there’s a need for more communication among board members and from Sussman as Village President.

Berman chided Sussman for her support via the village’s website of two events sponsored by the Mazurdance, a Buffalo Grove dance school. The evens were the “Big Show of Jewish Dances” on Saturday, Aug. 5 and the “International Festival of Dance” on Sunday, Aug. 6, an event so big, as touted by Mazurdance, it happens only once every 10 years.

The fact that Mazurdance was looking for support is no big deal. However, the fact that it was done on the village web site, is what Berman took exception to.

But let’s leave Berman on the back burner for now, something some people may see as a challenge.

What needs to be done, is divorce the message from the messenger. Many wags on social media, most of whom were not at the meeting, took the approach that the mean Mr. Berman was unfairly attacking the poor Mrs. Sussman. In the words of the late Howard Cosell, Berman was just “telling it like it is” in his own inimitable style.

A reality of public service is that the microscope is constantly in the on position. In other words, transparency is front and center.

As the late Robin Williams once said in an episode of “Mork and Mindy” – Reality; what a concept.

There was not a clear reason given by Sussman for the promotion of a business on the village’s web site, except for the fact that it was “…an international celebration – a very major event,” which, she added, attracted “dignitaries and people from around the world.” 

            I’m all for diversity, but the reality is this – it was two days of dance performances, and not the G8 summit. 

Sussman added that she wanted to welcome participants “to the United States of America and Buffalo Grove.” Dance détente, how nice. Maybe the village will want to host Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.

Sussman’s manipulation of a village policy opens a can of worms and set a difficult precedent because, quite simply, how do you handle requests from other organizations, especially businesses that want free advertising? 

Adding gas to the fire, was the back page of the program from the weekend events featured a thank-you from Mazurdance to “Mrs. Beverly Sussman, the Buffalo Grove Village President, for support to (sic) the Cultural Event.”

The ad included Sussman’s official village portrait, which apparently was taken off the village’s web site without permission.  For the record, the infamous communications policy requires permission for use of any image from the village website.

The ad does not separate Sussman from her role with the village. If the village was supporting the event, support should have been approved by the entire Board, not just on a whim by the Village President.

“The Village President does not unilaterally create, or countermand, policy. That is the prerogative of the Board. So, I was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear absolutely nothing from the Village President. I received no explanation or any suggested rationalization for her usurpation of the authority of this Board by directing staff to act in a manner forbidden by the established policy,” Berman said.

Sussman, however, doesn’t seem to see it that way. As part of her defense she said, “My name is Beverly Sussman and I am president of Buffalo Grove.”

Thank you for that clarification Mrs. Haig, but that does not give you, or any public official, the right to usurp policies or protocol.

In remarks directed toward Berman, Sussman resented Berman emailing her, saying he should have just called her. “Nothing was done on purpose,” she said, adding that she would have preferred a phone call from Berman. “You sought to embarrass me. I did not mean to do anything wrong,” she said.

Perhaps the most telling part of what Sussman say was that “nothing was done on purpose.” However, what apparently was done on purpose was not communicating with anyone on the Board. And why did she want Berman to email her? Probably so there would not have been a public discussion and she would not, despite what she said, have been embarrassed.

But wait, wasn’t transparency a big issue when she ran for Village Board President? All public officials, elected or not, need to be transparent and open with their constituents, a point that Berman’s statement dwelled on.

Only Trustee Andrew Stein, in his apparently new role as teacher’s pet, thought it should have been up to the Village Manager’s office to guide Sussman, a comment that seemed to make Village Manager Dane Bragg bristle, and justifiably so.

The spotlight is on public officials, perhaps now more than ever, as is the need for transparency. It comes with the territory. 

If it is that difficult of a concept to grasp, then maybe the village should hire a dermatological consult who can offer skin transplants from onion to something tougher.

Annual summer event another summer success

As summer wanes, much, as to be expected, has been written about the usual annual rights of summer – Major League Baseball’s All-Star game, the Taste of Chicago, not to mention the Buffalo Grove Farmers’ Market.

One event, however, appears to have slipped under the radar.  Buffalo Grove’s 2018 Relay for Life.  Held June 2 and 3, the Relay this year was held at Twin Groves Middle School. Previously held on a rotating basis at Buffalo Grove and Stevenson high schools, the move to Twin Groves was needed after both schools withdrew from hosting.

Assistant Village Manager Jennifer Maltas, who coordinates the village’s involvement in the Relay said the event went “really well” at Twin Grove. She said being able to set up in the infield of Twin Grove’s track gave the Relay more of a “community feel.”

More important than the community feel, the Relay for Life has raised more than $60,000 for the fight against cancer. Maltas, whose mother was a cancer victim, said the cooperation between School District 96 (Twin Groves is a D-96 school) and the Buffalo Grove Park District was “amazing”. 

Based on the success of this year’s event and new venue, Maltas says she’s hoping the 2018 Relay for Life will be at Twin Groves.

If there is a “down side” to the move to Twin Groves it’s the reason it was selected as the host site.  Both Stevenson and Buffalo Grove High Schools, as previously noted, dropped out of the event, not because of concern for their facilities, but because there just didn’t seem to be a lot of student interest, which is unfortunate because both schools have active community service initiatives for students.

While the past efforts by Buffalo Grove and Stevenson students have been admirable, Maltas says having it at Twin Groves seemed to change the Relay “from a student event to community event”.

With the field in plain sight of the both Half Day and Buffalo Grove roads, Maltas noted that “some people drove up and donated and offered to help for next year”.

Which, given that the 2018 event is almost a year away, is a great start and reflects a job well done.

You can still donate to Buffalo Grove’s Relay for Life by going to BG Relay for Life

Economic development focus of tonight's open house

While Facebook posts about the Wild Buffalo, the new restaurant at the Buffalo Grove Golf Course seem to dominate, if not captivate, many people, it’s not the most significant event in the village.

While it is a welcome addition to the village’s restaurant scene, Buffalo Grove officials continue to examine future retail development.

Which is why tonight’s open house on the Lake Cook Corridor Market Study and Plan is an important event. It will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Community Arts Center, 255 McHenry Road.

It’s the second opportunity for residents to learn about plans for development of the Lake Corridor.  The first, held in February, was a SRO event during which residents had the chance to hear from village staff about economic development in Buffalo Grove.

What’s different about tonight’s meeting is that there will not be formal presentations.  Instead, residents will have the opportunity to ask village staff about the current status of economic development plans and what lies ahead.

Make a note – you probably won’t learn about what’s going into the old Dominick’s at Arlington Heights and Lake-Cook roads, nor will you get a definitive answer about the future of the concrete open space known as Town Center.  That’s because the village does not control those sites, nor is it in the leasing business.

Like so many other people, village officials can only hope there will be some movement on both fronts.

Tonight’s soiree focuses on future development. Lake-Cook Road takes front and center because in many ways it is the heart of the village. That does not diminish the importance of other areas, including the Dundee Road corridor or Milwaukee Avenue. Both are on the village’s radar for economic development. Information on the Lake Cook Corridor Market Study and other economic development information can be found at Lake Cook Corridor Market Study.

It’s also important to realize that economic development extends beyond retail. Buffalo Grove has one of the highest rates of industrial and office usage in Lake County. In fact, an estimated 20,000 people work in Buffalo Grove. A goal, say village economic development staff members, is to capture some of those 20,000 so they shop and eat in the village.

Needless to say, it’s an ongoing challenge, and one which will not be developed and/or resolved overnight.

Which is why input from residents at events like tonight is so important.

Trilling's departure should send message to trustees -- and residents

Last week’s announcement that longtime Board Member Steve Trilling was stepping down did more than signal an end of more than a decade of service, it should send a message to some members of the Village Board.

That message is simple – use Trilling as an example.

Trilling, who spent seven years on the Plan Commission, two on the Appearance Commission and 15 years as a member of the Village Board, handled each position with outstanding "...class, distinction and honor…" That’s not to diminish the efforts done by others who have, or are serving on the Board, but Trilling did so without a personal agenda and without a need to showcase – something other Board Members, both past and present have not done.

Trilling’s input was well thought out and reflected his expertise as an industrial engineer. His approach to issues that did not connect to engineering were equally well presented.

While the well-deserved accolades for Trilling have taken front and center, it’s important to look at what may lie ahead because one thing is certain – Trilling’s depth and insight will be missed.

With Trilling leaving the Board, that leaves only Trustee Jeff Berman as the most vocal Board Member. Like Trilling, Berman’s remarks reflect considerable, some may say excessive, insight and research. Agree or not, it is apparent that Berman and Trilling know one thing -- the status quo just won’t do.

And it shouldn’t.

Buffalo Grove residents, as should residents of any school board, park board, municipality, county or state, should see transparency from their elected officials. Items that may have significant impact need to be discussed and clarified and not buried in the consent agenda.

Berman aside, discussion by most trustees is limited and generally does not reflect a lot of insight into village operations. You could argue that the village staff is doing its job so well that there’s no reason to raise questions. And while the village is well run, it’s not, as the late Al McGuire would say, all seashell and balloons.

You could also say that things are going so well that there is no need for discussion by trustees. The keyword here is could.

Aside from questions and occasional challenges, mostly from Berman, meetings have turned into a series of supportive comments for the village staff. This is not to dilute the quality of services and operations provided by the village because, in general, they are excellent.

Residents, however, should hear more from their elected officials.

What raises the ire of many residents is snow removal, Buffalo Grove Days parking and anything that impacts their neighborhood. Budget time brings out various wags who show up to insult the work done by the Finance Department and then crawl back into their holes for another year.

Outside of that, it’s the same collection of folks who attend Board meetings who watch the same routine meeting-to-meeting.

Part of the problem, so it seems, is preparation, or lack of, prior to meetings especially Committee of the Whole meetings when items are presented by staff for discussion. While staff does an adequate job presenting highlights via PowerPoint, it’s not unusual for some Board members to ask inane questions that, had they read the materials prior to the meeting, would not need to be asked.

But no, their lack of preparation does little more than give them an opportunity to grandstand and sound engaged in the discussion when in actuality they’re clueless.

Village Clerk Janet Sirabian bemoans the pitiful turnout for village elections. She’s right. The lack of civic engagement at the local level is weak. But it takes two to tango. How can residents be engaged when many board members aren’t?

Regular Village Board meetings don’t foster civic engagement and Committee of the Whole meetings are often exercises in futility.

It’s not unusual for agendas to feature resolutions and presentations on a variety of inane causes. The Village Board does, however, recognize residents for significant accomplishments. Not only do they get recognized, but it gives Board President Beverly Sussman the unique opportunity to present highly coveted plastic buffalo pins.

But what about issues facing the village? Village Manager Dane Bragg regularly updates the Board on issues, especially those emulating from Springfield. But outside of those updates, there’s little said. Some items are tossed onto the consent agenda which is generally rubber stamped. Bragg told me that some items placed on the consent agenda by village staff because they are routine. Others, however, could be of interest to residents, especially those items relating to intergovernmental agreements or mandates, such as the Cook County mandate regarding minimum wage.

But, in general, it doesn’t happen, and if past performance is an indication, things are not likely to change unless some trustees step up.

Trustees Joanne Johnson and Lester Ottenheimer III have provided some insights and challenges in the past, but not to the degree that Trilling did or Berman does. In his first two-years, trustee Dave Weidenfeld has raised some points, but as someone who ran on the “Save Buffalo Grove” ticket two years ago, he has not raised questions that indicate the village needs saving.

And then there’s Trustee Andrew Stein who is probably gloating over the fact that with Trilling’s departure he will move over a seat because he has the second longest tenure on the Board (seating on the dais is based on length of service with the most senior trustee sitting on the right as you face the dais).

The length of tenure, however, doesn’t reflect the nature of impact. Stein, who often, so it seems, takes a cue from Dr. Seuss with an attitude of “…Look at me!, Look at me!, Look at me NOW!” by grandstanding with incessant rambling about the Farmers Market and recitation of successes at Stevenson and Buffalo Grove high schools that does little than take up time and give him face time. For example, at the June meeting Stein wore a Boy Scout uniform as part of the village’s tribute to several Buffalo Grove scouts being honored for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. It’s an impressive accomplishment for the young men, but Stein stole some of the thunder by wearing the uniform. Had he wore shorts he may have been mistaken for someone auditioning for the Sound of Music.

What we need is for all trustees to provide input and questions for staff. This not an indictment of the staff performance, but members of any public body need be involved in decisions that impact constituents and not just rubber stamp staff reports or recommendations.

Trustees, however, are not alone. Sussman too must be more vocal about agenda items and issues facing the village. More than two years ago she ran for Village President touting a need for transparency, which needs to extend beyond the reaches of staff reports. The Board must reflect the proverbial pulse of the community and not just bless and anoint staff actions.

In her campaign, Sussman’s campaign literature and signs touted that “experience is the best teacher.” My guess is she was referring to her experience serving the village. I get that.  However, I still don’t know who or what she is teaching.

If it is civics, then the best experience for residents is to hear dialogue and not just the thump of a rubber stamp.

Easy solution to prevent thefts...

It’s almost a lock that on every given week, the police reports will be riddled with reports of thefts from vehicles.

No surprise.

What is a surprise to not only mere mortals who check the reports, but also law enforcement officials, is the cause.

Unlocked vehicles.

Seriously.

This past week was no exception except for the fact that the number of reports was exceptional.  It appears that thieves targeted parts of the village and went from car to car looking for unlocked vehicles.  Most residents whose cars were broken into, reported that the thief, or thieves, ransacked the glove compartment and, in most cases, did not find or take anything of value.

As one cop who was investigating the thefts told me, one resident told me that one resident said she didn’t think she had to lock her car because this is, after all, Buffalo Grove. Reality, what a concept.

There were, of course, exceptions. It seems that some people leave laptops, iPads and other assorted valuables in an unlocked car.

There’s an easy solution. If you’re leaving your car outside, lock it.

The same holds true if you leave something in your vehicle while it’s parked in the garage.  And oh, by the way, if you’re going to leave your garage door open, lock the door to the house.  Needless to say, it’s a good idea to keep your garage door closed when you’re not around.

Even in Buffalo Grove.

For crime prevention tips, check out BG Crime Prevention Tips

Take a moment to remember….

The annual Memorial Day observance in the village will be at 11 a.m. at Knopf Cemetery on Arlington Heights Road just north of Checker Driver. Tributes will be made by local officials and members of various AMVETS and American Legion posts. Local Boy Scout troops hand flag ceremonies.  The annual tribute is sponsored by Kingswood Methodist Church.

Mark your calendar…

The Farmers’ Market opens Sunday, June 18.