quote:

Originally posted by SoxFanInGE:

You were testing the new car with the entire family in it! Come on man! People did have time to get out and about, they weren't sitting in front of the mind numbing machine, I mean TV.

We did, we were outside all day both days. We never left town, now say if you go to a sporting event all afternoon out of town, that would prevent you from seeing activity all day.

It is a family emergency vehicle! Jeez.

But back to the point, as you will read if you read my posts carefully, I am merely espousing a disaster plan. 4MP offered some practical solutions and I'm sure numerous others in the Village could as well.

Some questions to consider:
1. Who are the first responders to downed trees?
2. Who are the first responders to blocked roadways?
3. Who is responsible for well-being checks?
4. Who is available for non-critical medical transportation in the event the emergency crews are strecthed thin?
5. Are there Village generators for those with medical needs and young children?
6. Who is reponsible for issuing public notices?
7. How will these notices be distributed?
8. Do we have enough employees to perform Village tasks?
9. If not, do we have go-to outside contractors?
10. Do we have a clear delineation of who is responsible for what tasks?
11. If so, is it written?
12. Do we have a point person/spokeperson at the Village to communicate a consistent message?
13. Etc....

You keep focusing on the past...I'm merely looking out for the future...but I guess that should be expected from a SoxFan.

dude, did you know your family emergency vehicle has AC plugs in the back where you could have run your frig or TV on it? Check the owners manual, I think that is a standard feature.

All this should be known as a good citizen just like knowing the closest exit during a fire. Some responsibility should be on the resident. I remember when we used to have a magnet on the fridge with all the emergency numbers and contacts on it. Some of your list should be done though, and I think it would be very easy for the town to put in their next mailer. Props for that.

quote:

I'm merely looking out for the future

once again, contradicting yourself, you are also a sox fan. sox fans do not live in the past, they just don't show up. go up to the north side to see a team that lives in the past. Oh, they are already losing to the Devil Ray 2 - 0.


Shriners: Get those guys out on their little cars and motorcycles and ride up and down the streets with bullhorns "your power will be back up in 2 hours, do you like my little motorcycle?"

Lance Briggs was so distraught by the lack of communication in Glen Ellyn about the storm that he wrapped his car around a poll this morning.

quote:

Originally posted by SoxFanInGE:
on that note, other ways to communicate:

Skywriting: "Power 5 PM" (skywriting is a lost art btw)

Post signed on all the joggers backs that run down the middle of the street:

"You will have power shortly. and I do own the road"

Post messages at starbucks, the entire town goes there once a morning.

Have the homeless walk around town with little billboard signs. 2 birds, one stone. they get a job, and they don't sit in front of Einsteins all day annoying the planet.

LMAO, good one.

Don't forget the town needs to prep for the Doomsday meteor, the eruption of the super volcanoe in Yellowstone, and the chubracabra sightings along the Prarie Path.

quote:

12. Do we have a point person/spokeperson at the Village to communicate a consistent message?

I thought that was Clam.

I have done nothing but harm this village in the 13+ years I have lived here.

I thought Clam was El Chupacabra . . . .

Ernie (and others),
From the unfortunate experience of the past...if anyone still needs remediation help, a company named M.Valentino's is exceptional. Out of Plainfield, there number is 815 254-3960. The last big storm, in October caused some water damage and they came out at 3am with 4 guys and 8 large dehumidifiers saving my carpet/padding/drywall before it was too late. Hopefully will never have to call them again...

Village says they were out, residents say they were not. All-in-all I think the village admitted to being ineffective, non-communicative and not available. Thankfully, most will not be around in 2 years...including the president. Time to look ahead and make sure it doesn't happen again. Something we seem to keep saying in this town over and over.

But Clamato - SoxFaninGE said they were out too.

quote:

Originally posted by SoxFanInGE:
go up to the north side to see a team that lives in the past.

It's so impossible to get tickets, but it is the perfect baseball game there. Sometimes it's just better to go see the good teams when they come into town and play on the south side, tickets are alweays so easy to get. But I'd rather see a team lose 5-3 at Wrigley any day.

quote:

Originally posted by JRPotts:
But Clamato - SoxFaninGE said they were out too.

Where did I say that? They had power Friday night. I was at Figo eating, they were the only restaurant open downtown.

So how did the village meeting go yesterday? Did everyone that was complaining go to voice their displeasure? We don't have cable so we did not watch. If anyone went, I would like to know how things turned out.

quote:

All-in-all I think the village admitted to being ineffective, non-communicative and not available.

Clam,

Is this quote above reflecting statements from the meeting last night?

couldn't make it, but I'd be interested to know the content of the discussion relative to the storm response.

I watched it late last night. It was a pretty uncomfortable evening for all involved. That being said, I don't think that any of us would have wanted to be a trustee at yesterday's meeting. The trustees took a tongue lashing about the village's response and then had quite a run-in with some residents regarding the water tower issue. For the most part, everyone was quite well behaved and presented their positions well.

The highlight was when the attorney/resident representing the neighbors of the water tower attempted to cross examine each trustee on their vote. The Village attorney rightfully said:

"You're out of order."

The attorney's response brought the Potts household to laughs:

"Out of order...I don't even know what that means!"

Pardon my ignorance, but my wife and I were on a year long "excursion" to NYC and have moved back recently. What is the controversy regarding the water tower? We live about 3 blocks away.

Last night the village board passed an ordinance and licensing agreement allowing TMobile to install 9 panel antennas on top of the water tower. Dimensions roughly 7.5'Hx10'W. Currently DuComm(911) and another Telecommunications co. has whip antennas on top. The TMoble installation would surround these whip antennas and may interfere and result in the DuComm antenna being reinstalled at a higher level. AT&T also has 9 panel antennas surrounding the bulb of the water tower. In a village ordinance (3810) passed in 1991 (when this water tower was to be built to replace the 1928 "Petticoat Junction" type tower), to "keep antennas on the water tower to a minimum". The current 13 antennas do not constitute a minimum, let alone the additional 9 by TMobile. The intent of 3810 was to make the tower as aesthetically pleasing as you can a 750,000 gallon water tower. That included painting it a "helio blue" to blend in with the sky, not painting "GLEN ELLYN" in bold across the bulb, proper landscaping, AND keeping antennas to a minimum. Unfortunately no village board since wanted to address the "minimum" standard. The village staff is recommending that this structure be the preferred site for future cell antenna installations within the village. Adding insult to injury is the fact that the village does not properly maintain this site. The bulb's underside is covered with mold (unsightly and unhealthy), the stem is riddle with rust stains and spots, and graffiti (some profane) and paintball splatters are prevalent. So this structure which looms over the village, visible from downtown, the library, historic Main Street could soon be littered with antennas. Keep in mind these cell antennas are commercial structures being installed in an area zoned R-2 Residential.

I'll preface this by saying that I understand that I am a broken record. An irritating broken record of complaints. I must say that I compliment many people for a job well-done, but criticize the same amount for middling to lower performance. If you get a chance to watch the rerun of last night's meeting (a meeting I'm certain will not make its way to the rerun circuit), you will see what has, in a short period of time, knocked this village off its pedestal as the one-time "Jewel of the Western Suburbs".

It was so painful, so uncomfortable watching those that were clearly in over their heads trying to face a demanding public that rightfully wanted answers to various questions and were not getting them. I had to agree with the woman on Oak. The village claims the workers were out there, she claimed they were not. FWIW, in my driving and riding around on Saturday and Sunday...I did not see one....one....village of GE vehicle attending to anything. This is in razor sharp contrast to what I witnessed in both West Chicago and Villa Park on Saturday.

It is sad that in a community such as ours, our brightest residents refuse to volunteer for these very important positions (I cannot do it myself as I am, despite all appearances, an idiot). Instead we elevate those that want to serve but are in no way competent enough to do so. It's the very definition of the Peter Principle (The theory that people within an organization will advance to their highest level of competence and then be promoted to and remain at a level at which they are incompetent).

Props do go out to Chief Norton. In spite of the fact that he has had very bad things to say about me in the past, I continue to find him a very capable and informed individual...though I do not think he knows the definition of the word "prurient", but that's another issue all together. I have no doubt that he and his officers did a commendable job during this weekend.

When it came to the water tower issue, I guess I had to side with the minority. I can't figure out why, if so many people were against it, and there was an alternate spot that suited everyone...why wasn't it considered/used? Very odd. My guess is it boils down to moolah.

With regard to the recusal that occurred...I am baffled by that. At what point does one simply recuse himself because he or she lives within the boundaries of the Village of Glen Ellyn? The man ran for the office...voluntarily...and should not hide behind such a weak excuse in order to not look bad in the eyes of his neighbors. Although it would have been a moot point with regard to the outcome...could anything have been lamer?

quote:

Originally posted by David St. Hubbins:
Pardon my ignorance, but my wife and I were on a year long "excursion" to NYC and have moved back recently. What is the controversy regarding the water tower? We live about 3 blocks away.

I thought I saw those things in the living room window. Welcome back, old boy.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Clamato:
Props do go out to Chief Norton. In spite of the fact that he has had very bad things to say about me in the past, I continue to find him a very capable and informed individual...though I do not think he knows the definition of the word "prurient", but that's another issue all together. I have no doubt that he and his officers did a commendable job during this weekend.
[QUOTE]

Prurient? What does this word have to do with anything, please explain.

Also, who recused himself?