New Web page intended to better inform Antioch residents

It will be considered a work in progress, but starting Jan. 1 anyone interested in the goings on of Antioch village government will have a new place to go for information.

A "briefing room" page will be introduced on the village website, www.antioch.gov, to boost information flow between the town and its residents.

"We're always looking for more ways to communicate with the public," Village Administrator Jim Keim said. "It's part of our initiative to get more information out and be transparent."

Village Clerk Lori Folbrick suggested the idea after hearing village trustees note the lack of resident input at board meetings.

"We have low attendance at our meetings," she said.

The thought was that if residents and others had more knowledge of what has been happening or being considered by the board, they may attend or provide input, she added.

Folbrick said the new site will report on upcoming agenda items, recent board decisions and other information. It is not intended for announcements by outside agencies. For that, organizations can continue to contribute information via the village newsletter.

"It's not going to include the dates and times for a rummage sale," Folbrick said.

Examples of what visitors will find include news releases, announcements, administrative reports and a rundown of how the board voted on a given topic.

"I hope people go there and stay informed," Folbrick said. "I'd like to get suggestions" of what people would like to see posted.

Unlike sites for some communities such as Libertyville or Mundelein, the new site will not have hyperlinks to agenda items that include background information and reports received by village trustees. Folbrick said that requires a specific computer program the village doesn't have.

The content will be approved by Keim, and the village staff will not express opinions of "any individual elected official" or editorialize on issues.

The new information page comes as the village prepares for a second referendum asking voters to approve a tax hike to fund ambulance service. Some village and fire department officials contend a lack of accurate information contributed to voters' rejection this past November. There already is a separate page on the village website regarding the referendum.