Administration working to improve Code Dept.
The past few weeks the VIP Party has written some pretty interesting letters, trying to convince people that Brookfield’s Building and Code Department is in shambles. It is interesting to see who wrote the letters and what angles they took in their respective letters.
First of all you have former Trustee Jane Harps, who [resigned from] office after being appointed. Her complaint seems to be that I hired a professional village manager. Well, that is what I promised the residents I would do if I was elected.
Rick Ginex is worth the money and even more, especially when you compare him to the village manager of choice of the VIP administration, Dave Owen.
Mr. Owen, who had no experience, no degree in management and served as the village president of South Chicago Heights while he was our manager, was paid nearly $95,000 per year.
Linda Stevanovich, village trustee for seven years now, wants you to believe that everything in the department was just fine under the Russ/VIP administration. I disagreed and wanted improvements, and our professional village manger agreed that we should fill the Building Code Department’s director position that had been completely vacant for nearly three years under the Russ administration.
They advertised for the position for several years but never hired someone. We chose to hire Keith Sbiral, an individual with a master’s degree in urban planning. He has previous experience in Barrington and Downers Grove. His qualifications are above and beyond what the Russ administration advertised for. Keith is getting paid one salary to be the assistant village manger, director of code enforcement and the village treasurer. I am glad we have him.
We are replacing the two previous part-time inspectors with full-time certified inspectors and planners. Again, Trustee Stevanovich is entitled to her opinion that things were great under the Russ administration, but the voters and former VIP Trustee Wil Brennan seem to disagree
Wil Brennan said that in his four years on the board under Bill Russ, “[the Building Department] was a bone of contention for me.”
Brennan went on to admit that he could not bring about improvements in the department while he was in office, even though he was member of the VIP Party majority on the board under Russ, because “no one wanted to touch it.”
It is a shame if Wil really had viable ways to improve the department but was not allowed to act.
Now Mr. Brennan announces that wants another chance to be elected trustee in April 2007, to have another four years to try. One can only assume that he will not associate himself with the people like former President Bill Russ who would not let him “touch it” (the Building Department issue) during his previous four years.
When Mr. Brennan and his new running mates present their plans and their record of accomplishment to the voters in April 2007, they will be able to compare what Brennan accomplished in four years versus the state of the village at election time. They will be able to choose if they want to go back to the way things were done before. I look forward to the debate on that issue.
For now, Wil should include the relevant facts in his letters. Wil has spoken several times at board meetings and now mentions in his letter that a three-story building was built at 4500 Maple Ave. in violation of the 2.5-story limit.
Wil fails to mention that the permits were applied for in the summer of 2004 and signed by the Russ administration on April 4, 2005, the day before the election where Wil and Russ were voted out of office.
Why has Will been so vocal about this project when, in fact, the permits were issued on his watch as liaison to the Zoning Board of Appeals? We are still investigating why the Russ administration issued permits for an illegal building the day before the election. Maybe that is why Wil is trying to deflect blame.
For now, my administration will continue to work to professionalize the village government and the Code Department. In just one year in office we have hired professional, qualified people; reinstituted regular health inspections of our food service business, which were not done under Russ; reinstated regular Plan Commission meetings cancelled by Russ; and made major improvements in technology at the village.
I know that the village and the Code Department still can be improved. I want us to provide better service to our residents and businesses. They deserve that. That is what I will try to do for the rest of my term.
Michael J. Garvey
Brookfield
Michael Garvey is the Brookfield village president.
Those not ‘in the know’ should butt out
It was with dismay I read in the Landmark that the Riverside Township electors voted 14 to 3 to place a question on the November ballot asking voters whether they supported immediate U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq (“Iraq War resolution to appear on November ballot,” News, July 5).
This should not be a ballot issue. We all want our troops to come home?”when the job is satisfactorily completed. How any intelligent person cannot connect what we are doing in Iraq with 9/11 blows my mind.
A semblance of democracy and peace in the Middle East should make the world a safer place. I cannot for the life of me understand the lack of patriotism in this country.
For heaven’s sake, let our commander in chief do his job along with those who are “in the know.” We who are not in Washington, D.C. are back-seat drivers who don’t know where the road leads. Perhaps a few prayers for peace would be a better endeavor on our part instead of boondoggling.
How nice that Laurel Lambert Schmidt, co-founder of Near West Citizens for Peace and Justice, was able to have a float in the Riverside Fourth of July parade. Too bad Iraqis don’t have the same freedom Ms. Schmidt and other “protesters” take advantage of.
With so much already invested in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is imperative that we finish what we started so as to preserve our own freedom. Cut and run just doesn’t make any sense except to liberals. I consider this kind of thinking un-American and unpatriotic and sincerely hope that Dan Lipinski will concur and vote accordingly if and when he must.
Marion Pierson
Riverside
Code Department restructured all right
The administration of the Village of Brookfield has finally accomplished their goal of restructuring the village’s Building and Code Enforcement Department.
The last full-time inspector has quit. In their haste to fire inspectors hired during the Bill Russ era, they left one inspector to carry the total inspectional responsibilities. He has had enough! Instead of giving him help, they hired a high-paid administrator for that department and left the department inspector with virtually the entire village to inspect. This leaves the former fire chief, who is doing daytime inspections on a one- or two-day-a-week schedule, to carry the full load.
Perhaps this was a plan to force him out and bring in more Downers Grove high-paid transplants. Thanks for you dedicated service, Bill Kernan, but it looks like you were in the way. Good luck to you in your future endeavors.
Wilfred Brennan
Brookfield