Barrington leaders hosting series of town-hall meetings
Barrington village leaders are taking their show on the road, leaving village hall over the next six weeks to host a series of town-hall meetings to inform residents about pressing matters, including an upcoming vote on home rule, and listen to their concerns.
Village President Karen Darch said the village board decided to host the meetings in part because not many residents attend their regular meetings. She said there are residents who watch meetings on TV or on the village website, but that attending is the best way to get two-way communication going.
"It is good government to offer different modes of communication for your constituency," Darch said.
Darch identified three main topics that likely will be discussed at every meeting: The White House project, a $6.1 million renovation to the 163-year-old home at 145 Main St. that is funded by local grants and resident's donations; the home rule referendum, which will let Barrington voters choose if they would like the village to become a home rule community; and the Barrington Village Center, the commercial development on village-owned land at Hough and Main streets downtown.
In addition to those villagewide topics, each of the eight community meetings will focus on issues relevant to the specific neighborhood, Darch said.
The first neighborhood meeting, held last week at Station Middle School for residents living east of Northwest Highway and south of Main Street, included a discussion about efforts to cut down trees infected by the emerald ash borer. Darch said about 15 residents attended the meeting.
If residents aren't able to make it to the meeting specifically for their neighborhood they are free to come to any others, she added.
The next neighborhood meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Highway, for the neighborhood west of Citizens Park, east of Hough street and north of Northwest Highway.
Town-hall meetings
• 7 p.m. today at Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Highway, for the neighborhood west of Citizens Park, east of Hough Street and north of Northwest Highway.
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at Grove Avenue School, 900 S. Grove Ave., for the neighborhood south of Main Street, north of Hillside Avenue, east of Dundee Avenue, and west of Northwest Highway.
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Highway, for the neighborhood north of Main Street, east of Northwest Highway and south of Citizens Park and the forest preserve.
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at Prairie Middle School, 40 Dundee Road, for the neighborhood south of Hillside Avenue, Northwest Highway and Dundee Avenue.
• 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7 at village hall, 200 S. Hough St., for the neighborhood west of Dundee Avenue from Otis Road, north to Main Street and also the neighborhood north of Lake-Cook Road, west of Hough Street, south of Northwest Highway, east of Hart Road.
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Roslyn Road School, 224 W. Roslyn Road, for the neighborhood west of Hough Street and north of Northwest Highway.
• 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Highway, for the neighborhood north of Main Street, east of Hough Street and southwest of Northwest Highway.