Barrington could borrow $3 million to fund downtown makeover

Barrington officials presented a proposal this week to borrow $3 million to pay for downtown streetscape improvements set to begin this year.

Village Manager Scott Anderson shared a plan with the village board Monday that would involve issuing general obligation bonds to be paid over 15 years. Principle and interest would be paid using home rule sales tax revenues.

Slated for a makeover includes the area around Cook and Station streets, which will be enhanced with planters, seat walls and pavers.

The village also is considering hiring Leopardo Construction as a construction manager rather than going to bid.

Director of Development Services Jennifer Tennant said Leopardo would fine tune the final design, seek subcontractors to find the best prices, and coordinate with village businesses. The company would work within a maximum price and share cost savings with the village.

Village trustees had questions about the bond issue and construction manager plan.

“It feels like a long time for debt that maybe we don't need,” Trustee Kate Duncan said. “We are supposed to be allocating this money from home rule sales taxes to projects exactly like this. I’m not interested in overburdening myself or my neighbors with increased taxes.”

But Anderson said the village is facing other capital needs in areas such as roads and sidewalks. The bond issue would provide the village with the funding up front and avoid the need to dip into reserves.

“One of the challenges we have is there is no shortage of projects. There is a shortage of money,” Village President Mike Moran added.

Village officials are targeting a mid-September to mid-October construction start date.

“I think a little bit of what you’re hearing is, this board went out and campaigned for home rule based on home rule sales taxes going to pay for these things, and there were renderings and all of that,” Trustee Brian Prigge said. “Now we're saying, ‘Hey, we're going to go do the things we told you we were going to do. We just need to borrow $3 million to do it.’ It feels a little disingenuous.”

Prigge also voiced concern about hiring Leopardo.

“I would love to get a gut check with one other company that does this,” Prigge said.