The agenda for Monday's City Council meeting includes the potential for a final vote on whether to demolish the Pure Oil building.
Property owner's rights versus historic preservation. Once again, that's at issue Monday night, as the Geneva City Council revisits a decision on what to do with the Pure Oil building. The property in question is at 502-514 W. State St. Plans call for demolition of the building, which is one of the remaining examples of the Pure Oil gas-station architecture made popular in the 1920s an '30s. Plans call for a St. Charles Bank & Trust drive-through at 502 W. State St. The drive-through would attach to the building to the west owned by Joe Stanton, where the bank branch would be located. In February, the Historic Preservation Commission voted 5-1 against the demolition of the former Pure Oil building, which is presently the home of the Pure …
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I could get used to this kind of governance!
I gotta tell ya, I absolutely love this kind of thinking. Give me proactivity or give me death! Well … maybe not death. Perhaps a severe headache? In any event, I think the citizens of Geneva could really get used to this! First, they hold the line on a proposed property tax levy increase and now a group of four alderman just called a special March 14 council meeting at the Urban Grille just to listen to the concerns of downtown business owners. So despite having to expose my follicly challenged head, my hat’s off to those downtown aldermen, Chuck Brown, Sam Hill, Ralph Dantino, and Craig Maladra who were smart enough to remind the rest of us what representative government is really all about. “A couple of us were having a discussion over …
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9:19 am on Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Editor's note: For the record and for clarity, the user "Tim M." in this thread is not School Board member Tim Moran. Tim M. and others: Please log in using your full name. more ›
I'm still waiting for a reasonable response to the recent credit card theft revelations.
Almost immediately after the news broke, some friends called to say something along the lines of, “I bet you’re laughing out loud over this one!” You see, long before the thought of putting my thoughts in print had even occurred to me, former Geneva Streets Superintendent Steve LeMaire and I did not get along. The specific details are unimportant. Suffice it to say, I’m not always easy to get along with, and I’ve never been a big fan of an entitlement mentality. But despite that precipitating bad blood, there was no triumphant rush when I saw LeMaire’s mug shot. In fact, I was overwhelmed with a sense of despair for him and his family. This isn’t something I’d wish on my worst enemy. For just $250 a month—that’s what stealing $24,000 from …
8:10 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Ward doesn't like the school district held to the same standard as the city government. Gee, I wonder why? more ›
Foolish consistency is a tragic flaw, so it's good to see the City Council and School Board marking fiscal progress.
As it is with anything in this life, our best trait, if not administered with the appropriate foresight, can quickly become our tragic flaw and eventual downfall. As the Zen folks like to point out, the Universe demands balance. Even a prized characteristic like consistency can quickly turn into one of those double-edged swords. Most of us value leaders who remain consistent to a specific set of values and ideals. When Mitt Romney proclaims he’s “severely conservative” in one breath and then the pundits play a clip where he calls himself “progressive,” that lack of consistency will doom his presidential aspirations. The moral is, it pays to be consistent when cameras follow you everywhere. But then there’s the kind of constancy that can …
10:26 am on Friday, February 17, 2012
Hello Mr. Ward, I was hoping you might join us last evening per my invitation, as I respect your point of view. I did recap the discussion here for you, and for anyone else interested. http://www.genevataxfacts.org/forum/4-geneva-school-district-304/65-my-long-comments-on-jeff-ward-geneva-school-board (scroll down) Regards, Steve Sheehan more ›
Geneva hasn't made one single budget cut!
This time, in an effort to keep our relationship fresh, I’m going to start off with the irony instead of saving it till the end. On page 12 of the Jan. 31 Kane County Chronicle, a letter-to-the-editor writer lauded Mayor Burns for understanding “the necessity of smaller government” and that during his tenure, “Geneva has reduced its spending significantly.” Ah! But if you turn just one page of that Chronicle edition, a below-the-fold headline reads “Geneva considers fees to help budget.” The news story goes on to enumerate the “revenue enhancements” (another new name for taxes) City Manager Mary McKittrick presented to the City Council to help make up for plummeting business district property tax assessments. And those lovely new taxes …
3:40 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Oh Mr. Ward if you only knew. Thanks for this. more ›
The Geneva City Council adjourned to executive session Tuesday night to discuss an unknown employee situation.
Probably the most interesting item on the City Council agenda Monday night was one that no one could talk about. Item No. 14 was a closed session in which the council was to discuss "the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of an employee of the public body." What that means or who the employee might be, no one could say, but it isn't a typical executive session topic—at least, not something we see very often on the Geneva City Council agenda. According to the Illinois Open Meetings Act, public bodies are allowed to discuss matters in closed session under certain conditions. In broad strokes, they are usually matters of litigation, land purchase or personnel. Mayor Kevin Burns said no action would be…
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Inside Geneva: After almost eight years on the City Council, 2nd Ward Alderman Bob Piper bids a fond farewell to public office. Among his contributions is a hard push to get Channel 10's TV coverage of Geneva City Council meetings.
After the meeting, I asked Bob Piper about his legacy. What was the thing that he was most proud of after almost eight years serving as alderman of the 2nd Ward. And his answer surprised me. "I worked hard with Mary (McKittrick) to get us on TV," he said. "I did. From Day One, that's what I thought. I knew we could bring this into everybody's home where people could watch it, people could see it. Because other communities had it, and they were watching. "Then (when it became reality) I'd go to the gym and see other people on the treadmill watching (the council meeting on Channel 10), and I'd just laugh to myself, thinking, 'People are really watching this!' And they do. People are fascinated by it. They read a part of it in the paper, they…
A Chamber of Commerce report on tourism, some rubber-stamp items and department reports are on the agenda for the Tuesday night City Council meeting.
The Geneva Chamber of Commerce will present a report on the state of tourism in Geneva when the City Council meets on Tuesday this week. Yes, we said Tuesday. City Council meetings usually fall on Monday night, but this was moved a day so that more elected officials could attend. You can find the full council packet in PDF form here at the city's website, www.geneva.il.us. Here's the agenda, most of which is earmarked for the consent agenda, meaning the motions previously have been talked about or reviewed, will get a unanimous vote and won't be discussed on Tuesday night. Tuesday, December 20, 2011 7:00 p.m. City Hall Council Chambers 109 James Street Geneva, IL 60134 1. CALL TO ORDER: ROLL CALL 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. SPECIAL ITEMS …
Constant yelling and screaming won't get you anywhere.
Whether it’s the political process or the national debate, the ability to employ subtlety is rapidly becoming a lost art. These generally overzealous folks who firmly believe the one who screams the loudest wins wouldn’t know nuance if it bit 'em in the butt. Please don’t confuse tact with guile. Though this point may be lost on most Illinois governors, the use of stealth to abridge the system and secure a result generally favorable to the bottom line is never acceptable. What we’re talking about here is the capacity to put the process and the outcome above the need to feed your ego. Already anticipating the comments from my adoring public, I understand a plea for subtlety from me is a lot like Michelle Bachman asking other people to make …
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10:54 am on Monday, December 19, 2011
The last 2 school board meetings show that taxFACTS isn't making the situation worse . The board realizes that what we have been saying for 3 years is true. The first e-mail sent on August 22, 2008, predicted that what has happened would happen. I have hope the board is ready to change because it must. Want a copy of the first e-mail? Send a request to: taxfacts@sbcglobal.net You might think we … more ›
The Geneva City Council bucked the staff-recommended levy total Monday night, passing an ordinance that asks for essentially the same levy number as last year.
In a lot of ways, Monday night's City Council vote to hold the line on the 2011 tax levy was as much symbolic as it was an indicator of how much cash you'll have in your wallet next year. When it comes down to it, the difference between the amount OK'd by the council and the amount previously recommended by staff translates to about $10 a year for the owner of a $300,000 home. For the city itself, it means about $72,000 less to play with in next year's budget. But for the aldermen who voted on the levy—and for a lot of residents feeling the pinch of a down economy—it meant much more. "Where I come from, ($72,000) is not a drop in the bucket," said Russell Lefevre, a Keim Circle resident who adressed the council Monday night. "Drip by drip…
7:18 pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Hi, Les! I explained some of that in a follow-up story. The city's general levy did go up a small fraction, but it's very close to last year's. The tax rate will go up because the city's EAV has gone down. So the owner of a $288,000 home will see about $38.40 increase for the city's part of the tax bill. Here's a link to the follow-up story. http://geneva.patch.com/articles/rick-nagel-politics-… more ›
Mike Bruno
9:23 am on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
To your question "Will the decision be final."; most likely for its present form. With the denial of demolition by the city council last night (actually a MORE supportive 8-2 vote for saving the building), it is unlikely that Mr. Stanton will resurrect any plan that involves demolition. He is, of course, free (and encouraged) to bring other plans before the HPC. more ›