http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ Discussion Forum for Riverside Illinois en Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:57:50 +0000 http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/what-would-you-do-with-50000/page/2#post-5141 Fri, 11 May 2007 16:29:24 +0000 Catherine 5141@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Well, I'm glad to hear that about the LAC spatny. Too bad they weren't in charge when the prison yard rap circle was put outside the library. How far from the library does its land ownership extend?</p> <p>I was wondering how many ash trees we had. Well, didn't Olmsted specify what went where in the original plan? Do we have the original plan? I would have thought he had included a wide variety of native northern Illinois species, pests springing eternal.</p> <p>I hope that people consult Forestry's list when they plant on their own property. I did. Sugar maple canopy (natural variety, not neon) and wild plum understory. (Now have to tend to aphids on wild plum, but, as you say, it's always something.) </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/what-would-you-do-with-50000/page/2#post-5139 Fri, 11 May 2007 14:19:27 +0000 spatny 5139@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Catherine - Mike Collins is really up on all the species stuff. There are a number of tree problems beyond Dutch Elm. The Emerald Ash Borer is coming - already over to Skokie, and we have 700 Ash trees at risk just on public land. They were planted to replace the elms. Species diversity - among appropriate species - is good. Also, we need to plant more trees all over town of various species so that we don't have them all the same size and age. Widening the choices is a good way to protect us from all these varmints that destroy trees. At the LAC every single planting on the public land is looked at, discussed, approved or a substitute suggested - they do it very seriously and conscientiously. I think it is the best commission in the village. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/what-would-you-do-with-50000/page/2#post-5137 Fri, 11 May 2007 11:09:46 +0000 mjvolo 5137@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Mike,</p> <p>Excellent idea!! And Mr. Sundstrum and Catherine agree. We should plant more trees and flowers in the CBD. A brochure to advertise Riverside would also be great. Let's stop wasting money on the TIF and spend it on things that will directly improve the NATURAL beauty of our town. I believe this is the first time a broad spectrum of the posters here has agreed on a plan. </p> <p>Let's take some baby steps first and the new visitors will bring new development, our tax base will be raised and we will actually SEE SOMETHING with our money.</p> <p>Stop the consultants, stop the attorneys, stop the hiring! Start the planting!!! </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/what-would-you-do-with-50000/page/2#post-5134 Fri, 11 May 2007 08:36:03 +0000 spatny 5134@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Curious R - Mike Collins spoke about that Tuesday at the LAC meeting. Riverside will be in a consortium that will source a much wider variety of trees from five nurseries instead of just (mainly) the one they are using now so that there will be a greater variety of trees available on the program. It is in the works now. Should help to keep prices down too by the power of volume contracting for trees. They will still get the native seed stock Oaks, etc. from Possibility Place. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/monday-may-7-setting-the-stage-for-a-tif-village-not-listening-to-us/page/3#post-5133 Fri, 11 May 2007 08:07:17 +0000 Catherine 5133@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Yes, well, I wouldn't rely on Corbi's judgment, or interpret it that way. There is eminent domain power under the TIF, and the separate eminent domain power of the village. The latter would be the old fashioned, pre-Kelo type eminent domain for a clear public purpose, the former the Kelo inspired real estate speculation of the TIFs. But once they sort out all the amendments to the TIF document, you could send a letter to the village attorney requesting clarification of your status. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/monday-may-7-setting-the-stage-for-a-tif-village-not-listening-to-us/page/3#post-5132 Thu, 10 May 2007 20:43:05 +0000 MikeT 5132@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Here are a couple of posts from someone who knows more about TIFs than I that indicate that a vetting process would need to be followed (my emphasis). But who knows? The TIF consultant is sick, and we do not have a dime to call him anyway. He once told me similar things as I caught him on the way out of a meeting. </p> <p>But even if he said something is the case, it would have to be trudged through an eminent domain process in the courts in order to fully assess it. One thing seems clear: the municipality could not use TIF monies to do eminent domain assuming it is proscribed in the tif plan. But then, from what I can see of the TIF accounting, I bet it would be hard to distinguish a TIF dollar from a non TIF dollar.</p> <p>One reason I like the referendum system of raising funds is that it is for a specific purpose and well understood and bought into by the people paying for it. I definitely would like all the villagers to vote on taking someone's house for a parking lot. Makes it nice and clear. </p> <p><a href="http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic.php?id=81&#38;page=2&#38;replies=50#post-913" rel="nofollow">http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic.php?id=81&#38;page=2&#38;replies=50#post-913</a><br /> corbi328<br /> Member<br /> A couple of clarifications. Just because a property is on the properties of interest list does not mean that the Village will acquire that property or that it has to acquire it via ED. Also, to be fair and completely above board, there is one more clarification. <strong>Even if the property is not on the properties of interest list but is within the TIF boundaries, it could be acquired by the Village using eminent domain. What would be required is a material amendment to the TIF redevelopment Plan, which implies that the Village would have to re-initiate the whole process</strong> (i.e. hold public hearings, convene the joint review board etc... ). Obviously a very cumbersome process and one that the Village would probably want to avoid at all costs.</p> <p>and</p> <p><a href="http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic.php?id=4&#38;page=3&#38;replies=122#post-355" rel="nofollow">http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic.php?id=4&#38;page=3&#38;replies=122#post-355</a><br /> corbi328<br /> Member<br /> Kim thanks for relaying that story. I do want to add some color to the last part of your post. <strong>Only the properties currently identified as possible targets for acquisition are at risk to be acquired during the life of the TIF. For additional properties to be acquired, this would constitute a major change in the draft redevelopment Plan and Project and would necessitate a restarting of the TIF process</strong> (i.e public meeting, public hearing, Joint Review Board, etc...). I guess in theory it could happen but in my mind it is highly unlikely as it would be very cumbersome and expensive. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/monday-may-7-setting-the-stage-for-a-tif-village-not-listening-to-us/page/3#post-5131 Thu, 10 May 2007 17:27:55 +0000 Catherine 5131@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>It was the case. You repeated the question after it had already been stated that ED was out, because you didn't hear what he said.</p> <p>That doesn't mean they can't use their separate power of ED to take land for a clear public purpose, such as municipal parking, having nothing to do with the TIF. You will recall that Mr Wiadick once claimed that the people on Forest need parking. Hence my suggestion that the village or the businesses or someone over there buy that property and make it a parking lot. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/monday-may-7-setting-the-stage-for-a-tif-village-not-listening-to-us/page/3#post-5128 Thu, 10 May 2007 14:45:15 +0000 MikeT 5128@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Yes, I heard 'resolution'..by someone. I took that to mean a VIllage Trustee resolution. <em>This</em> is not what I am speaking of now, nor what I was asking for during Mike's time at the mic, and this is not the limiting factor that should be done if Riverside were to do a TIF. </p> <p>During the last six months, I have witnessed what it means to have a Trustee Resolution: 48 hours before a meeting there is a an agenda item placed. At the meeting, a trustee asks to second it. If there are 4 ayes, it gets implemented.</p> <p>This can be rolled back with exactly the same amount of ease, lack of hurt, lack of cost and lack of burden to the ones in power. It is for all practical intents, meaningless, in fact, for the purposes of providing even a modicum of the preservation of private property rights in a TIF. It does not really significantly reduce the power of the TIF to enable or facilitate the emiment domain.</p> <p>On the other hand, also during this last six months, I have seen what it takes to revise and re-do a TIF document, to go through the 120 day review period of public vetting. There is significant time, money, including distinct votes for money allocation to a consultant, and public relations costs placed on the municipality that are greater than what the state of Illinois would place on a municipality in a ED exercise without a tif. They are certainly significantly greater than a Trustee resolution.</p> <p>With all due respect to the Trustee who uttered this, I suspect he or she knew that it was toothless, and thus was it proferred. If it were really uttered by the one leading the TIF charge, then it is even more understandable.</p> <p>We may have clarified who said / what said / when said and why said. Thanks, Elisa. And thanks to Catherine for bringing up this extra detail of the 5/7 meeting. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/monday-may-7-setting-the-stage-for-a-tif-village-not-listening-to-us/page/2#post-5127 Thu, 10 May 2007 14:29:20 +0000 Elisa 5127@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>I thought I heard someone (I forget who) say that it would be a separate resolution. Does that sound familiar to anyone? </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/monday-may-7-setting-the-stage-for-a-tif-village-not-listening-to-us/page/2#post-5126 Thu, 10 May 2007 14:06:08 +0000 MikeT 5126@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>If that were the case, then why didn't they say that to me when I asked the specific question to all of the board when I took my spot at the mic after the COW? At that time in fact, Mr Wiaduck, presumably speaking for the Board, explicitly said they did not want to do that (write it in).</p> <p>Also, in the library packet of the May 7 meeting (that is linked to above), there are amendments to the TIF plan stated, among them the specification that no parking deck be built with tif funds, for example, and there is no mention of Eminent Domain limitations (that I can find at least).</p> <p>If anyone can find this in the packet materials, please display them here.</p> <p>Should they persist with this thing, I hope Catherine is right and they write it in to the plan later. I certainly will be looking for and demanding it, ready to bore them to ... with my 5 minutes a month, occasional letter to the editor, and ... </p>