Possible RTA changes don't impress Kane

It's better but still not good enough.

That was Kane County Board member Bill Wyatt's reaction this week to a proposed change to the governing boards of Metra and its parent, the Regional Transportation Authority.

Although the change would give the collar counties a stronger voice on the RTA and Metra boards, Kane County wouldn't have as strong a voice as DuPage, Lake and Will counties.

Currently at the RTA, three board members represent the collar counties; one is appointed by the DuPage County Board and the other two are appointed jointly by the boards of Lake, Will, McHenry and Kane counties. As proposed, two more RTA board members would be appointed from the collar counties; DuPage, Lake and Will each would appoint their own, a fourth would be appointed jointly by DuPage, Lake and Will, and a fifth jointly by McHenry and Kane.

Kane's population is expected to reach 800,000 by 2030, putting us on par with our more populous neighbors, Wyatt pointed out at Wednesday's legislative committee meeting.

"There's no way that we can accept a marginalized seat on the RTA in regards to governance," Wyatt said. "We're getting half a seat, while our neighbors are getting one and a third."

Reimbursement questioned: Last month, the Kane County Board's public service committee seemed in favor of a proposal to increase the employee meal allowance from $38 to $44 per day for employees traveling for work-related events such as conferences. That rate has not increased for at least seven years, according to the county auditor.

But when committee members discussed the issue again this month in preparation for a vote, one suggested changing the policy to reimburse meals at cost. That is, employees submit their receipts and the county will reimburse them to a maximum of $44 per day. That way the county isn't throwing away money if an employee spent just $20 that day, for example, argued Jan Carlson, a retired county employee who now sits on the county board.

"I just think it's a business-like way of doing business," said Carlson, an Elburn Republican.

Others argued it would be easier to follow the standard IRS-backed reimbursement procedure that sets a flat daily amount. The issue is expected to be discussed again next month.

Anti-highway picnic planned: The Sixth Annual "Stop the Beltway" rally and family picnic is scheduled Sunday in Big Rock. The festivities -- music, food an old-fashioned hayride -- start at 4 p.m. at the Marvel Davis Farm, 47W066 Jericho Road, 5 miles west of Route 47. A complimentary picnic supper will be provided by volunteers from Citizens Against the Sprawlway, the grassroots group fighting the proposed Prairie Parkway connecting the Reagan Memorial Tollway and I-80. Jan Strasma, chairman of the group, said activists want state and federal earmarks for the highway to be spent instead on improvements to Route 47 and other existing roads.

Ten other environmental and agricultural groups have joined with Strasma's group to form a coalition called 47+.

The historic Davis farm has been in the family since 1836 and was named one of the state's 10 most endangered historic landmarks in 2002 because the Prairie Parkway would cut a swath across its fields.