That Was the Year That Was!

At the first board meeting of each calendar year, I present our village trustees with a list of significant accomplishments completed during the previous year. It is a excellent way to communicate and reflect on our progress as a village. It also helps us determine how well we are performing as a municipal government. Since 2004 is the first full year to end since the inception of this web log, I thought it would be interesting to publish the same list here. So here we go. The following projects, not in any special order, were completed by the Village of Elburn in 2004:

1. Completed, Filled and Placed the Blackberry Creek Water Tower Online.
2. Installed 2 Critical Water Pressure Reducing Stations Immediately South of UP Tracks.
3. Acquired Final Piece of Johnson Avenue Right of Way.
4. Completed Comprehensive Sidewalk Study and Awarded Bid for Phase I Repairs.
5. Approved PUD with American Bank and Trust That Will Break Ground in January.
6. Approved Kane County Road Improvement Impact Fee Ordinance.
7. Annexed Patten Industries Caterpillar Dealer on South Main Street.
8. Approved Plans and Annexed 12-Unit Welch Creek Industrial Business Center.
9. Installed New Digital Phone System with Enhanced Voice Mail and E-Mail Features.
10. Acquired and Installed Homeland Security Terminal at Police Department.
11. Hired Full-Time Public Works Employee Jenna Hunter.
12. Installed Fourth Community Tornado Siren in Blackberry Creek Subdivision.
13. Hired Full-Time Police Officer Jeff Herra.
14. Approved Special Use Permit for a 5-Building Prairie Valley North Commercial Center.
15. Approved 8-Unit Prairie Valley North Townhome Project.
16. Completed Comprehensive Traffic Study with Developer Contributions.
17. Negotiated Lease and Installed Cellular Arrays on Prairie Valley North Water Tower.
18. Executed Lease Documents with WRT for Zeolite Radium Removal Solution.
19. Prepared Bid Documents and Opened Bids for Radium Removal Construction Project.
20. Set Money Aside Required for Radium Removal Project in Dedicated Fund.
21. Received and Implemented ICC Railroad Safety Grant with Emphasis on Education.
22. Landscaped Police Firing Range with Eagle Scout Project.
23. Added Enhanced Bench Features to Veterans Memorial with Eagle Scout Project.
24. Equipped and Established Police Bicycle Patrol Program.
25. Hired Part-Time Police Clerk Allison Harding.
26. Researched Similar Communities with "End of the Line" Metra Responsibilities.
27. Approved IGA between Elburn, Kane County and Metra Regarding Anderson Road.
28. Sponsored ULI, CSG, MPC Technical Assistance Panel and Expert Planning Event.
29. Completed 2004 Motor Fuel Tax Funded Street and Sidewalk Repair Project.
30. Razed Small Building to Create Community Park and Garden Opportunity.
31. Added Looped Water Main to Southwest Side through Developer Off-Site Contribution.
32. Authorized Burbach Aquatics to Begin Feasibility Study for Possible Community Pool.
33. Approved Zoning Change and Plans for Amazing Grace Antique Store.
34. Enacted Updated Kaneland School District Impact Fee Model.
35. Held Hearing and Amended Blackberry Creek Annexation Agreement.
36. Sponsored Mars 2000 Aerator Pilot Project in Williams Ridge Retention Pond.
37. Purchased and Stocked Blackberry Creek Subdivision Pond with Hybrid Sunfish.
38. Created "Key to the City" Plaques to Welcome New Businesses to Elburn.
39. Recognized Margaret Ritchie as IHC Studs Terkel Humanitarian.
40. Updated Residential and Commercial Building Codes.
41. Approved Tot Lot on Liberty Street in Blackberry Creek Subdivision.
42. Held Annual Arbor Day Ceremony and Tree Planting at Prairie Park.
43. Worked with Chamber of Commerce to Change Annual Craft Show Format and Location.
44. Repaired First Street Water Tower after Developing Significant Leaks.
45. Installed Waste Water Plant Inflow Meter as Required by IEPA.
46. Approved Downtown Fascade Grant Program and Distributed Promotional Material.
47. Approved Wetland Planting and Restoration of Tributary "D" of Blackberry Creek.
48. Worked with Hughes Creek Homeowners to Accept Streets after Resurfacing Project.
49. Awarded Tree City USA Recognition for Fifth Consecutive Year.
50. Sponsored Second Annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony at Our Tank Memorial.
51. Changed Utility Billing System to Full Sheet Mailings Per Resident Input.
52. Enhanced Village Web Site with New Look, Added Updated Information and Mayor's Blog.

Now, that is quite a list. It represents a significant item of importance being accomplished each and every week at Village Hall. The list also represents a record of community achievement of which we can all be proud. The credit for all of this work belongs to many individuals. It belongs to everyone in Elburn who work together for the benefit of the common good. People working with people to make this community "Better, and not just Bigger." I believe that is what living in Elburn is all about.

Just Say No!

I freely admit that attempting to manage growth in western Kane County is a real challenge. But, when I meet with officials from towns like Sugar Grove, I get worried about our future together. It seems that we have met the enemy in our planning efforts, and he is us. Here is another of the unusual pronouncements made to me at a recent meeting about a boundary agreement between Village of Elburn and Sugar Grove.

An official from Sugar Grove said that someday Main Street Road is going to be just like Randall Road, and when that happens, Sugar Grove wants to be sure they get "half of the action."

Now that's an absolutely mind-boggling statement to make, and one that illuminates Sugar Grove's agenda for dramatic expansion and growth regardless of the consequences.

In the past, officials from Sugar Grove have expressed a concern to me about of their lack of a downtown, and their difficulties attracting the retail development that they desire. And yet, here they are negotiating the spoils from the potential commercialization of a rural road six miles from the center of their village. It's just my opinion, but if Sugar Grove officials keep planning like this, their chances to build the downtown they say they want are highly unlikely.

I believe that Main Street Road should be preserved by Kane County as a rural road. We need to use this road to create an open space buffer between Elburn and Sugar Grove for the foreseeable future. Further, we need to concentrate business development back into our respective town centers, not create opportunities to disperse business investment to our perimeters.

I feel that the commercialization of Main Street Road would represent a complete and total failure of both Elburn and Sugar Grove to address our growth related issues. It would be a sign that all we had left behind for our children were the ugliest manifestations of suburban sprawl.

Our legacy must be something more than acres of disconnected subdivisions, crowded underfunded schools, and traffic jams. Surely we can work together to be smarter and more sensible than this.

"Just Say No!" to the commercialization of Main Street Road.

"It's a Wonderful Elburn"

Director Frank Capra considered the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" to be his favorite movie. Movie critics say that the images of Bedford Falls, the town brought to life in the movie, are "Capraesque." The community images portrayed represent an All-American city fictionalized to its quintessential best.

Interestingly enough, we can find elements of Capra's idyllic images present right here in contemporary Elburn.

For example, we know from the movie that Bedford Falls had a sled hill and a skating pond. George Bailey saved his brother from drowning after sledding onto a chilly pond. In Elburn, kids can sled at Sharp's Hill and Johnson's Mound, and they can skate on the ice field at Prairie Park.

We also know that Bedford Falls had a bustling downtown business district. The main street depicted in the movie had at least two banks and a variety of shops and store fronts. In Elburn, we have three banks and many fine businesses located on our own active Main Street.

The older neighborhoods of Bedford Falls consisted of large Victorian homes with front porches, picket fences and sidewalks. George and Mary Bailey spent a rainy honeymoon in an abandoned home located at 320 Sycamore Street. In Elburn, a home and a street just like those in the movie can be found in the older sections of our town.

And yes, there was even new growth and development in Bedford Falls. In the movie, families were building their new homes in a section of town called Bailey Park. We continue to build new homes in Elburn, and just as the movie depicts, home ownership remains an integral part of the reason people choose to move here.

In Bedford Falls the police were friendly, and military veterans, like George's brother Harry, were honored. Both of these characteristics are present in Elburn today. Chief Jim Linane continues to lead our excellent police department, and our Veterans Memorial attracts Eagle Scout projects that improve its appeal.

But, it is interesting to note that Frank Capra's fictional Bedford Falls had three amenities that are not found in Elburn. Yet, that is!

Bedford Falls had a train station. George and Mary missed the train when there was a "run" on the Bailey Savings and Loan.

Bedford Falls had a bridge. George thought about jumping from the bridge to end his life, but instead he jumped in to save Clarence.

And, Bedford Falls had a swimming pool. George and Mary fell into the pool during a dance contest at the high school.

Think about it, a train station, a bridge, and a community pool. Is it just a coincidence that Elburn is working to bring all three of these amenities to our community today? Or, is there a "Capraesque" vision at work here in the minds of those of us who strive to make Elburn into a "Better and not just Bigger" village to live, work, worship, shop and play?

I believe it is the latter. It's a Wonderful Elburn!

Meeting in the Middle

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I did meet with officials from Sugar Grove last week. Here is is one of the many curious things they told me. They told me the Sugar Grove Trustees had taken a ruler to a map, and that they had determined that the "logical equidistant" point between Elburn and Sugar Grove was Main Street Road.

That just didn't make any sense to me, so I decided to grab a map and a ruler for myself. This is what I found out. The distance from the train tracks in Elburn to Main Street Road on my map was 55 millimeters. Then I checked the distance from Main Street to Cross Street in Sugar Grove. I measured that at 90 millimeters.

Still interested, I decided to take a ride and check it out in my car. This is what my odometer measured. Downtown Elburn is 3.5 miles from Main Street Road. Downtown Sugar Grove, which they say is someday going to be at the corner of Galena Blvd. and Route 47, is 5.3 miles from Main Street. Sugar Grove's "historic" downtown at Cross Street is a full 6 miles from Main Street Road. I'm sorry, but Main Street Road just doesn't check out as "equidistant" to me.

This is what I think is really going on.

Elburn is doing a good job controlling growth on our southern border. Part of this is good planning, and part of this is necessity. Our current waste water treatment plant is located near the corner of Keslinger and Thryselius. Because of this, all of the sanitary extensions south of Keslinger Road have to use lift stations and force mains to return to our plant. It's difficult for Elburn to grow south, so why should we rush?

The situation is different for Sugar Grove. Sugar Grove belongs to the "gargantuan" Fox Metro Sanitary District. For Sugar Grove to grow north, all they have to do is add pipe and hook up to Fox Metro. It's easier for Sugar Grove to grow north, so why shouldn't they rush to fill the "development void" buffering Elburn on the south?

The Sugar Grove officials I talked to last week perceive Elburn's desire to control growth a weakness for Sugar Grove to exploit. They said they are "not afraid" of Elburn, and that they don't think Elburn has the "ability or the desire" to counter their plans to cross the I-88 tollway.

Elburn is being conservative and rational about planning our community. We're trying to use the limitations of our sanitary system and our wetland borders to control our growth. But, because of our sensible efforts, it appears that Elburn stands to be encroached upon by the "go-go-growth" attitudes from Sugar Grove.

Officials from Sugar Grove drove to our meeting in Elburn. They know that Main Street Road isn't the "equidistant" point between Elburn and Sugar Grove. Until we figure out that we're all in this growth dilemma together, nothing good is going to come of this.

A Tale of Two Cities

It seems like every time I meet with officials from Sugar Grove I get a throbbing headache. I just can't understand how two communities so close to each other physically can be so diametrically opposed philosophically.

I'm talking about the subject of growth. In Elburn, the topic of growth is painful. We believe that growth is not paying it's own way. Why would we need all these referendums if it was? And, because of that, we're trying every tactic we can think of to "keep a lid" on the growth coming to Elburn.

In Sugar Grove, the attitude is exactly the opposite. Sugar Grove officials tell me they want the growth, and they want it now. They say things like, let's get it "kick-started." Let's get it "jump-started." Let's find "creative ways" to make our town grow faster.

They believe that the faster they build rooftops, the quicker they will achieve commercial success. And when the business prosperity arrives, then they will be able to afford all the services they need for the people that have moved there. It's a big bet on an uncertain future, and in spite of the faulty logic, I truly hope it works out for them.

That being said, these differences in growth attitudes are well and good. That is, if Elburn and Sugar Grove weren't in the same school district. When it comes to schools, if Sugar Grove sneezes, Elburn gets a cold. Sugar Grove officials say the schools aren't their problem. They say Kaneland gets impact fees from Sugar Grove, and that should be enough. Obviously, it is not.

Our Kaneland School Board has just announced that if the next referendum doesn't pass, that will be the end of extracurriculars for the entire district. How big of an impact fee would you pay for a new home in a school district with no band, no choir, no arts, no sports and a grade school in mothballs? Oh, and did I mention that the rest of the schools will be over-crowded. Maybe that will finally affect the "go-go-growth" attitudes in Sugar Grove?

Community growth expert Eben Fodor made this observation years ago. Communities that grow too fast will see a reduction in services. Period.

In Elburn, we say "Better, not just Bigger." In Sugar Grove, what I hear the officials saying is "Bigger is Better and Faster is Best!" Who's right? Who's wrong? Who knows? But, one thing is certain.

The officials in Sugar Grove will not change their attitudes based on the advice of officials in Elburn. They will only change based on the political will of their own residents. I hope someone in Sugar Grove figures it out in time.

Come on In, the Water's Fine!

Roger Schamberger from Burbach Aquatics was at our village board meeting this week to discuss the "possibility" of building a family aquatic center here in Elburn. I was impressed with several interesting parts of Roger's presentation.

First, Roger showed us story boards that displayed aerial views of community pools that had been built in several towns of less than 3000 people. All of the examples were located in villages across Northern Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. These proactive communities had determined that a family pool complex was "the" amenity that they wanted, and they went out, and made it happen.

Second, Roger emphasized that all of these example pools were built through a variety of funding options, and not just through increased property taxes on local residents. Some communities had sold local bonds, some had conducted capital fund raising campaigns, and some had even benefited from charitable donations and matching grants. In Elburn's situation, there is a distinct possibility that developer contributions could be included as a part of a potential pool funding mix.

Finally, Roger expressed a confidence that a well-run pool, properly sized for the community, and one that incorporated a healthy mix of concessions, should in fact turn a yearly profit on operations.

All three of these important points are encouraging, and I believe it is worth taking a good hard look at them and their potential recreational benefit for our community.

The first phase required from Elburn is to simply approve a $1985 feasibility study that will take Burbach Aquatics approximately 4-6 months to complete. There is no further obligation on the part of the village to continue with Burbach Aquatics from there. We proceed only if we as a community are comfortable with continuing the pool planning process.

At some point in the future, the voters of Elburn will be included in this decision. I can accept our resident's ultimate decision regardless of the result. However, I feel that it is a smart move right now for the village board to proceed with this feasibilty study. Let's find out as much as we can about this "refreshing" issue, and make an conscientious informed decision to "jump in" when the time is right.

"Sound Your Horn!"

The late Ed Kelley, Elburn Police Chief during my first term, used to refer to the Kane County Chronicle's weekly "Sound Off" column as "Sound Your Horn." He said that "Sound Off" was more about making noise than solving problems.

Lately, an anonymous caller has been complaining to "Sound Off" about the general condition of Elburn's sidewalks. While I believe that everyone, including this caller, has a right to their own opinion. I do not believe that in this case the "facts" of the matter are being presented fairly.

Here are the "facts" about Elburn sidewalks. Last spring, at the specific request of the village board, our engineering firm surveyed the entire community to evaluate the general condition of our village sidewalks.

The engineering staff estimated that over $300,000 of sidewalk repairs were warranted. They also prioritized the recommended sidewalk repairs, and mapped these locations for future reference.

In August, our village board, realizing that this situation was going to take a multi-year effort to address, decided to commit $75,000 of general capital funds to begin the repairs. In September, one year's worth of repairs were bid out, and a low bid was accepted and awarded.

Unfortunately, due to weather concerns, a decision was made to defer the actual start of construction until next spring. Interestingly enough, many of the initial repairs are in fact slated for the older southeast side of Elburn. And, that seems to be the area the "Sound Off" caller is concerned about.

I would also like to point out that all of this information was repeatedly reported in the local press before the sidewalk caller began to contact "Sound Off."

Which really makes me wonder? Why call "Sound Off" about something that is already being addressed? Why lash out at public officials that already agree with you, and are doing something about your problem?

It seems to me that it is just too easy to blame others in the newspaper. It is a much more challenging task to actually work together to find and implement solutions. I ask Elburn residents to be patient, and to give us a chance to start the phased repairs on our sidewalks.

The Wisdom of Salamon

One incredible book that sits on my desk at Village Hall to be read and reread is Professor Sonya Salamon's "Newcomers to Old Towns." Dr. Salamon is an anthropologist at the University of Illinois in Champaign. What Sonya has done is study six rural Illinois communities to evaluate what happens to them when they are impacted by growth.

She also looks to explain how these affected communities adapt and change under growth pressure. What works, and what doesn't? What's good about growth, and what's bad?

In each community, Professor Salamon analyzes four critical dimensions of growth. First, how is the community transformed in its creation and use of "public places and spaces?" Second, are there "interconnections" across the community that link residents together? Third, is there "equal access" to the community's social resources? And, finally, how does the community display "cross-aged relations" and value it's youth?

I believe these are extremely important observations that can and should be applied to Elburn. In fact, I believe that 20 years from now this is how we will be judged in relation to our handling of the growth headed Elburn's way.

Did we build public places? Did we promote interconnections? Did we provide equal access? What did we do for the kids?

Wow! That's a lot to take in. But, isn't it interesting that the possibility of building a family aquatic center in Elburn is a positive match with each of these critical questions? Now, that's the "Wisdom of Salamon!"

The Two Towers

Last year at this time we had our water tower at North First Street inspected and power washed. Our intention at that time was to have the same work completed at our Prairie Valley North water tower in the spring of this year.

Spring came, summer went and we were unable for various reasons to get the Prairie Valley North water tower scheduled for its cleaning.

This fall an attractive offer came Elburn's way as US Cellular offered to rent space on top of the PV North water tower for its cellular antenna array. This agreement will net the Village of Elburn approximately $24,000 per year in rental income. US Cellular also left extra space on their array for future antennas that could translate into additional rental fees for our village.

Well, it just so happened that our belated tower washing was scheduled right in the middle of the US Cellular antenna construction cycle. Graciously, US Cellular offered to pay for the tower cleaning that was delayed by their installation, and our tower cleaning contractors found a way to reschedule their work.

Elburn gets rental income now, potential rental income in the future, and our water tower cleaned at no cost to our taxpayers. Sometimes good things do happen to you when you wait.

The Elburn Planning "Trifecta"

When residents ask, I always tell them that the Village of Elburn has three distinctive planning attributes worth remembering.

First, our village is surrounded by the Blackberry and Welch Creek wetlands that determine a six square mile box of available village space. We tell developers all the time that we want to build our town inside that box first, and not sprawl off into the countryside. We believe that building a "tighter" town centered on an actual business corridor and a Metra facility will have many long term benefits for our future residents.

Second, as yet, Elburn is not terribly threatened by our neighbors. Our town benefits from a natural community separation that gives us more time to carefully think and plan for our future. Towns threatened by their neighbors make hasty planning decisions out of fear. Developers exploit these hasty decisions, and in doing so create unintended growth patterns that adversely affect these cities for years.

Finally, Elburn is fortunate to be wholly contained within the boundaries of the Kaneland School District. If someone set out to plan a "perfect" town, they would most certainly want all of the resident children to attend the same school district. When everyone attends the same schools, it promotes interconnections and fosters a cohesiveness that is difficult to achieve in divided communities.

So, that's the Elburn planning "trifecta." We have favorable geography. We're not rushing to meet threats. And, we have an opportunity to grow our community within the same school district now and into the foreseeable future.

Fortunately, building a community isn't a horse race. And, when we "run for the roses" the only prize worth winning is controlled sensible growth.