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Quotes and letters from Mettawa residents
Letter to current board from resident Denis Bohm:
March 5, 2009
Dear Trustee Falbe:
I hardly know where to start with my response to your letter of 2/2802009 and Mayor MacLean's of 2/11/2009.
I would like you to know why I will NOT be voting for you or for any of the candidates put forth by the "new" Open Space Fiscal Responsibility Party.
Firstly, the way Mayor MacLean selects candidates for his Board of Trustees is neither transparent nor democratic. Each election cycle he sets up a "new" political party so that he does not have to hold a party caucus. This allows him to dictate who he personally selects to run with him and govern as his village board. The residents do not have any opportunity to question him or his handpicked candidates about their vision for the village, their ideas on how to improve the village, what problems they see, etc. In most people's view this is a non-democratic procedure and it gives the impression of an administration which has things to hide. Mayor MacLean handpicks his candidates, gets them elected since there is usually no opposition and voter apathy, sets the village agendas and runs the Village as his personal fiefdom with you and others being complicitous. The result is a board of "Yes, Mr. Mayor" members.
One member spends the board meeting time doing needlework.
Another is unfortunately physically ailing and may not be able to contribute.
A third seems to operate as the village manager and reviews permits, awards contracts, selects vendors and submits invoices for payment - all without much if any supervision.
All but one seem to always vote as the Mayor desires and meaningful discussion of meaningful issues seem to be limited.
Secondly, although fiscal responsibility is always mentioned, actions seem to be limited to trying to get additional tax revenues from businesses. Current expenses seen to be uncontrolled and unquestioned. Here are some examples:
One trustee acts as village manager awarding and overseeing contracts, selecting vendors, submitting invoices for payment, etc. Are contracts put out for bids? Who selected the vendor which cleared the trees at the proposed Costco site? Does he have the legal authority to commit the Village to these services?
The Village spent $66,000 for snow removal for December and January! Am I the only one shocked and appalled at this outrageous cost? We could buy our own plow and hire a full time driver for less cost. How many hours were worked? What company did the plowing? Is the contract ever put out for bid? What streets were plowed? Were any trustee's driveways plowed? Payment was approved with very little discussion.
Your advisory park committee spends money with the current village planning consultants instead of using village residents with similar skills who would do it for nothing. This is an advisory committee whose recommendations are just that - recommendations and which are not legally binding. Why was the village attorney's presence required and what did he charge? Again an advisory committee not a legally binding committee. And the Village doesn't even own the property.
As I understand it the Village finances were not audited for 3 years. Why not? Isn't there a legal requirement for an annual audit? Wouldn't a fiscally responsible board require an annual audit?
Why are there never any periodic review of contracts for village services such as legal services, engineering services, etc.? I have never heard any alternatives discussed at board meetings. There may not be a need to change but good management principles would seem to dictate a periodic review of other firms and services providers.
Many municipalities have submitted and applied for funds from the recently approved Federal Economic Stimulus Bill. Did the board investigate or even consider submitting a request? Repaving Bradley Road would seem to be a perfect project. Is having properly audited finances a requirement?
Recently I observed a two man work crew patching potholes on Bradley Road. The company was a general contractor not our village engineer's company. So I guess our village engineer subcontracts this to another company. We then pay the village engineer who makes a profit and he pays the subcontractor who also makes a profit. Shouldn't we go directly to the general contractor and save money? Shouldn't this be bid? Was it? Maybe our full time snow removal employee could fill pot holes in the Spring.
When Costco was looking at sites in Lake Forest, Mettawa negotiated to cede the property that Costco wanted to Lake Forest in exchange for a portion of the tax receipts. When Costco decided to go elsewhere Lake Forest built their new municipal garage on the property. Did Mettawa receive any financial benefits in return?
Our legal costs are obviously very high for a village our size. Higher per capita than our neighboring communities. Why?
Have you ever questioned or investigated any of these items?
Thirdly, up until recently communications with the residents was an annual letter from the Mayor usually no more than two pages. Several years ago I attended a board meeting where attendees complained about the archaic posting of Village notices on two telephone poles and in a newspaper few residents receive. When attendees asked why the Village couldn't setup a web site for notices, minutes, etc. Mayor MacLean deferred as always to the Village attorney, Mr. Zimmerman, who went on and on about the legal ramifications and requirements such as probably needing a full time employee as a web master, having to keep it current, etc. So the matter was dropped. Then the Mettawa Transparency Party was formed and suddenly the Village was able to have a web site. Amazingly the legal obstacles disappeared! Suddenly we're getting letters from both you and Mayor MacLean extolling your beliefs and virtues.
Fourthly, both of the letters mention a proven record of resisting commercial development in the Village. Let me review the major commercial developments and the results:
Granger was fought and lost. Granger deannexed from Mettawa and a major source of sales tax revenue was lost. with nothing to show but legal bills..
The Hamilton Partners development was fought and lost. Still we do get some tax revenues. But we now have several office buildings and hotels at that corner.
I believe the Village is now required to provide a sewer connection for the Millennium project off Bradley Road. This will cost just over 1 million dollars. Will more development want to connect to this sewer?
As I see it the current administration has lost every battle regarding development and then turns around and sells property that many of us were told would be a park or open lands to Costco for a commercial development!
Fifthly, let me point out a few Costco related items:
One parcel was purchased secretly several years ago without any mention to the residents. The acquisition and financing may not have been done legally. We haven't penetrated the veil of secrecy surrounding it. We think a board member purchased it and later sold it to the Village.
The threat of Eminent Domain was used to force two families including an elderly woman to sell their property to the Village. Many of us were told at the time it was necessary to prevent commercial development and the land would be used as a park or as a preserve. How ethic is it to use threats to force residents to sell their homes? The commercial development threat turned out to be Banner Day Camp using a pond!
The zoning was then quietly and sneakily changed to commercial and negotiations secretly begun with Costco.
So much for fighting commercial development -- by a Village Board which has to use secrecy and threats against its residents. Are you proud of those successes?
I'm voting for a party that has selected candidates in an open forum, will bring responsibility and control to Village finances, will fight commercial development, will include the residents in the decision making process and will be transparent and forthcoming -The METTAWA
TRANSPARENCY PARTY candidates will get my vote to help ensure they have a majority vote.
And I will urge my neighbors and friends to join me in voting to bring real change to Mettawa.
Denis M. Bohm
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