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GlenEllynite |
I was going to refrain from posting about this but, as usual, I cannot help myself. I don't know if any of you watched the Village Board meeting on Monday but something happened that was absolutely indicative of everything that is wrong with this Village. As a smart man said today, people are walking away from our Village meetings feeling worse about the Village after getting the guts up to speak.
This Monday, the PTA from Hadley got up and spoke about the icy sidewalk issue. While I agree with Fish that homeowners should not be legally required to shovel the sidewalk (which they do not own), there is a very real issue with people not shoveling their sidewalks in the ONE area where kids have to walk to get to Hadley. There is no option to cross to the other side...they have to walk there. The PTA representatives did a nice job and were very organized and respectful. When they were done, they were met with dozens of reasons why the Village CAN NOT help. Our Village President erratically cited issues of equality, budget, homeowners responsibility, neighborly behavior, etc. AT NO POINT, was it ever suggested that this was something that could EASILY be remedied with a little cooperation and dialog. Instead, as is becoming a trend, they received numerous reasons why NOT, rather than reasons WHY it CAN BE. Where is our Village Manager in all of this? Shouldn't this be a problem that could have been easily remedied prior to the meeting? [For instance, why doesn't the guy from Hadley who snow blows the front walk-way, just go a couple yards longer? Does he need help? Does he need permission? Can the Village help with that? Does he not have the right equipment? Can the Village help with that?] Just some cooperation...some dialog...some understanding. Instead, he sits there next to the President making up as many reasons as she can to NOT help, and nods approvingly. What is going on? Candidate - I think the theme of your party should be, "Turn the Village of "No", into a Village of "Yes"" Our elected and paid representatives are there to help the community....and to get creative....become responsible representatives.....become helpers. Of course there are decisions that people will not agree with, but for the love of God, at least try to do the right thing and solve the simple problems. If we can't figure out a way to clear the ice off a 100 yard stretch of sidewalk, how the hell are we going to fix a desolate and broken downtown? But I'm sure as Pres. Hase so eloquently stated on Monday, the Village is "not prepared to answer that at this time." "Often Wrong, Never in Doubt" |
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GlenEllynite |
My good friend, Sue Burdett, wrote a column about this today in the School paper. She cited the Village President's glacial response in this issue.
A real leader articulates a policy that gets others motivated. Unfortunately, in this town, everyone has their patch of grass which they tend. "It's not my job" is the motto. I used to have an office in Forest Park. They have a policy of getting the sidewalks cleared by village owned equipment. Small piece of equipment used to clear the path to public transportation. In a white bread community like this, the public use is the train station and the schools. Ronald M. Kas |
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GlenEllynite |
Why not step it up a notch and have a piece written in The Daily Herald to shame the Village into doing something? And make sure there are plenty of quotes from Village officials from the taped meeting.
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GlenEllynite |
The Village seems beyond shaming. As I have said time and time again, our president is over her head thanks in part to poor choices made by the CBP in sticking her on the ballot. I guess it is hard to blame her for taking the job as it probably seemed like a prestigious post at the time. A wise retailer once told me that she is a wonderful grandmother but has no business running a town like Glen Ellyn. No answers to even the simplest cyclical issues.
That said...I think all those lazy ******* on Hawthorn should get off their asses and grab a shovel. It's for the kids, for God's sake. And it's not like they are stupid kids...most are on the honor roll. |
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GlenEllynite |
Disagree. Just as we mow our parkways, so do we shovel our walks. It's good for the community. And just as we require that homeowners maintain the parkway so should we require that sidewalks are passable. It's far, far more important that we maintain passable walkways, for children, for commuters - for any resident wishing to walk in the neighborhood. The State of Illinois removed liability from homeowners who shovel in 1990, since that time a growing number of communities from Oak Park, to East Dundee, Chicago, Palos Heights, even Cicero and many, many, more have joined the thousands of communities across the nation that require and enforce snow clearing from the walkway. It's good for our village and enhances our quality of life. I support such an ordinance. (I would even suggest modeling it along the lines of most other communities ordinances - 24 hours to comply, a small almost token fine [$25?], and plenty of exceptions or programs for those unable to easily comply.) |
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GlenEllynite |
"They tape the meetings?" |
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GlenEllynite |
You beat me to it, but I was going to say this is law in the city. Not saying it's perfect (packed snow, etc.), but you have to have the snow off the sidewalks by a certain hour after a snowfall. There is a cottage industry made off of cleaning the walks of condos and townhouses throughout the neighborhoods. |
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GlenEllynite |
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GlenEllynite |
I always wondered what he was thinking when he said that.
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GlenEllynite |
Why shouldn't the Village take care of their own property? If you expand your reasoning we should be responsible for clearing the snow from the street as well. I am a dyslexic agnostic insomniac. I lay awake at night wondering if there is a dog. |
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GlenEllynite |
What really is going on here is lack of responsibility. I could never imagine my depression era parents NOT clearing their walk before leaving for work. (or kicking their kids out there to do it). Unfortunately we can't legislate that.
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GlenEllynite |
The groundsmen at both the District 87 schools and all of the Naperville schools broom the walks adjacent to the schools...The Village and the School District should come to some kind of agreement, it would be easier than trying to get those lazy *** homeowners on Hawthorne to do it. Alot of the business districts in several downtown areas have the sidewalks done by the public works crews. Why is Glen Ellyn so determined to serve their residents as little as possible. If I paid the taxes in town that you people pay, I would demand the service!
"When you don't know what you are talking about, it's hard to know when you are finished." |
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GlenEllynite |
Not quite - "we" are responsible for clearing the streets. The Village is an "us" not a "them". More directly though, I did expand on my reasoning. The argument was made that the sidewalk lay on public property and therefore should not be a private responsibility. This argument misses the very real fact that individual private property owners already have a legally mandated requirement to maintain public property and community right of ways - no one seriously would argue that we shouldn't individually mow the parkways, would they? Yet that is the simple question, do we continue to mandate, as we do now, that individuals maintain the public property adjacent to them for the greater good of the community or do we not? There is NO difference between mowing in the summer or clearing in the winter. Not anymore, the longstanding threat of legal liability has been lifted. (another possible suggestion for ordinance - simply take the existing one for parkway maintenance and substitute the word snow for grass.) |
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GlenEllynite |
jombl
v. Fish I'm uncomfortable about where this could go. But I'll watch nonetheless. |
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GlenEllynite |
My guess? The village will be forcibly marooned homebound watching the kids slip slowly along the ice flows again next winter. It looks like Fish represents the current Zeitgeist of those sitting at the 'deciders' table. I'd bet on Fish for the reality portion of the event.  |
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GlenEllynite |
First, Jombl - thanks for the lack of the response to my very nice e-mail.
Second, if the Village were to legislate requirements on homeowners to shovel one's sidewalk, where do you draw the line? What is sufficient? What happens if I shovel in the morning and the truck throws snow all over my walkway? What if I am out of town? What if I work nights and don't wake up in time to shovel for the kids? What if the snow is so badly trampled that I cannot shovel it? What if the sole homeowner is on bedrest? Come on, do we really want to get into this? [If we do, why don't we have a service where individual owners pay the Village to do it for them? Just, you know, thinking about solutions.] Third, this was not the point to gleaned from original post. Can we really not figure out a way to make the walkways immediately adjacent to the school safe? And why should this matter have ever made it in front of the Board? Why didn't our INTERIM Village Manager (who has had this job longer than our former REAL Village Manager) head this off and come up with a solution? Fourth, happy Thursday everyone. "Often Wrong, Never in Doubt" |
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GlenEllynite |
jombl
v. GE Fan My heart makes me want Fan to be the winner...like a proud father of a child on the Hadley Honor Roll...but my head says jombl will chew him up. He's that good. |
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GlenEllynite |
Why does everyone want me to fight all the time? Remember, I'm funneling my inner positive chi now. I don't fight. I just observe and comment.
Besides, I too busy today to fight and spend a whole lot more time on this. So, it will have to remain. Jombl - with Dinsdale chiming in on occasion. vs. Fish - with GE Fan chiming in on occasion. And Clamato - are you calling me AVERAGE? "Often Wrong, Never in Doubt" |
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GlenEllynite |
As I've made clear in the past, I have an extremely low opinion of anyone who fails to timely shovel their walks - especially when they live in an area with heavy pedestrian traffic near a school or commuter station.
But I think we're losing track of the spirit of the OP which was - shouldn't the attitude be to seek a solution, instead of everyone immediately trying to defend their lack of responsibility? Also, someone is going to be pissed whatever the solution. Here are a couple of possibilities: -A village ordinance requiring everyone to shovel their walks. -A village ordinance requiring that homeowners within a certain distance of schools shovel their walks. -The village clears sidewalks for a certain distance around schools. I could imagine being satisfied with any of these solutions - but I know SOMEONE would bitch about any of them. Do we let the fact that someone is going to complain about whatever is done prevent us from taking any action? I also wouldn't object to a website posting pictures of homes where lazy sacks of shite who refuse to shovel, as well as names and addresses. |
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GlenEllynite |
My sincere apologies. I have pulled up and responded to your note from yesterday. I will try to be more prompt, if you allow a next time.
Excellent questions, but these have been answered by hundreds of towns around Illinois and thousands across the nation. It is obviously something that works well, if enacted we would not be breaking new ground here by any stretch.
Many towns, Elk Grove Village among them, have services that match residents with teenagers or young adults willing to shovel. Not to be overlooked is that the requirement to clear sidewalks has been enacted in a cross section of towns, villages and cities encompassing all manner of age, ability or economic means and has not been shown to be a hardship anywhere.
A snow shoveling rule for public walkways, to join the existing GE ordinance that mandates mowing public parkways, does solve this - and it benefits us all. The Village Board should discuss and move on this issue. Times have changed. Additionally, when only one able bodied person chooses not to shovel their walk it proves a disincentive to all. No one enjoys clearing just to have their neighbor leave the next piece impassable. A simple ordinance, with nominal penalties, would be an ideal way to communicate our norms and standards to all. If we as a community wish to live slovenly with the least amount of effort or personal responsibility, so be it. But I think it would be in our best interests as a village to maintain our environment. Just the ability of children to walk safely - or you and I to stroll thru the winter wonderland down to the village, lake or around the block is reward enough. |
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