Backers explain what referendum means

Confused about the advisory referendum coming up in Fox River Grove?

You're not the only one, said Village Administrator Art Osten Jr.

"There's some uncertainty as to what the question means," he said.

The nonbinding question on the Feb. 5 ballot didn't originate in village hall.

It came from Kathryn Schiewe and Cindy Pilz, a pair of residents concerned about the cost of planning and building a proposed streets and parks maintenance facility.

Pilz sees the measure as an "exercise in communication" that in essence would track whether the public would endorse financing the new $7.5 million building in the future.

"It's a vote about a vote," she said.

Together, the women gathered enough signatures to poll voters in the upcoming election, asking them if Fox River Grove should bring plans to finance constructing the new building to an open vote.

"It's a way for the public to tell the village, 'Hey, we do want a say,' " Schiewe said. "You might not like what we have to say but we do want a say."

And by getting the word out and circulating petitions, the women said they've successfully raised awareness about the building's costs and hope residents continue to stay informed.

Regardless of how the results turn out, Osten said the village will use them to decide how to move forward with the new building.

Now, the streets and parks divisions share a building with the village's water and sewer division at 1215 Hillcrest Ave.

But the building, which Osten estimated is between 30 and 40 years old, has seen better days and doesn't offer enough room for existing staff and equipment, Osten said.

"We need to have a new facility," Osten said. "I think most people would agree with that."

Moreover, new regulations from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency require that the village upgrade the existing waste water treatment equipment, he said.

To comply with the upgrade, streets and parks would have to move to the future building, Osten said.

The water and sewer divisions' new equipment would then expand into that leftover space, he said.