Phil Page honored for service to Geneva
There were hugs and handshakes Monday night at the Geneva City Council meeting, when the council surprised retiring city administrator Phil Page by giving him a key to the city.
Page, who is off the clock as of Wednesday, also received a desk clock decorated with the city seal. And Alderman William Barclay gave him seven $21 checks to donate to the charities of his choice, one for every year Barclay's been an alderman times the years Page has worked for the city.
Page gamely withstood the reading of several proclamations in his honor.
"It's a really great honor to be recognized this way," Page said. Noting the presence of a high school AP American Government class in the audience, he urged them to consider entering public service. He moved from private industry to government work in the 1970s because, he said, he wanted to work on solving the problems with government instead of just complaining about it.
"I feel that I have made a contribution," Page said.
Speaking of those students
Mayor Kevin Burns is an experienced pro at dealing with all the Scout and school groups that visit the city council to learn about how local government works.
He had one request of Monday's group: Don't wait until the last minute to finish their homework assignment.
Think sitting through that night's budget hearing was rough? "Try receiving 25 e-mails (with questions from students) the night before your project is due," he told them.
One senior took care of business right away, asking questions at the end of the meeting about what the council had just voted on regarding the Jan DeShanti Enclaves of Geneva housing-commercial project on the east side. (The council rescinded an ordinance providing city money to kick-start talks between two developers about paying for road improvements for the project. The developers haven't been able to agree on their shares, and city officials are fed up with the delay.)
Mike Storm, a senior, asked how that would affect teens. He also asked how a proposed City Housing Commission tasked with developing affordable housing would manage to do that in a town that is nearly built out. Storm gamely withstood a little teasing about his haircut, and answered questions about his college choice and what he'll study.
Afterward, Storm confessed he was shaking the whole time he was at the podium -- especially after an alderman informed him he would be on television as the council tapes its meetings for broadcast on cable channel 10 and the city Web site.
"I'm president of the drama club and I was afraid to stand in front of the council," he said.
See the dolls
There's only a few days left in April to see the Barbie doll collection of 5-year-old Bella Birkhead at the Geneva Public Library, 127 James St. The library encourages young patrons to display collections of their favorite things in a case in the hallway near the youth services department.