Kane County gets last chance to speak on EJ&E sale on Tuesday
West Aurora High School will be the site of a pep rally that has nothing to do with the football team next Tuesday. Instead, the roars from the bleachers will mark one last attempt to silence the roars created by a possible fivefold increase in freight train traffic that may rumble through some area communities if the Elgin, Joliet & and Eastern rail line is sold to the Canadian National Railway Company.
Joining efforts that have crossed Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, Aurora officials are hoping to have up to 1,000 people attend the meeting wearing the official stamp of protest against the pending sale. Stickers displaying a "CN" with a red circle and slash through it will be handed out to everyone in opposition.
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner is expected to be one of many at the meeting displaying the sticker. Weisner plans to testify against the sale Tuesday morning in Washington D.C. before the House of Representative's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, then fly back for the meeting in Aurora.
If he makes it back on time, he'll join nearly 30 speakers preregistered to speak at the meeting as of late Friday afternoon. Those expected to speak out against the plan include a mix of Aurora aldermen, fire staff, school personnel and traffic engineers.
On the other side, representatives from Canadian National Rail are scheduled to speak.
Before the West Aurora High School hearing, the Kane County Board is set to pass a resolution addressing the pending EJ&E sale. The resolution currently expresses concerns about increased train traffic, environmental impacts and public safety delays, but states a willingness to work with Canadian National to see as many under- and overpasses created as possible. Such grade separations would mitigate the impact of additional trains.
Kane County Board Member Gerald Jones, from Aurora, is one member who expects to vote against the resolution. Jones said, in his opinion, the resolution only expresses the county's willingness to give in to a sale the majority of its residents don't want.
"I truly don't totally understand what the resolution at the county is about," Jones said. "There's an assumption on the part of the county that we can't stop the Canadian National Railroad. That's an assumption that I don't subscribe to. And even if the assumption is correct, the negotiations would never be fruitful for us because the costs of the total infrastructure changes that have to be made far exceed the price that they're paying for the railroad. So however you look at it, you're better off with a strong stance than a conciliatory stance."
Jones expects to attend the public hearing at West Aurora High School as well.
The meeting begins with an open house that runs from 4 to 6 p.m. The public meeting where comments for the record will be made runs from 6 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 9 at West Aurora High School.