Yesterday’s Chicago Tribune: “Towns Borrow, You Pay”. When the Trib covered the Rosemont story a few weeks ago, it looked at Home Rule but more tangentially. This time, the poster child is Bellwood and Home Rule, which gives municipalities free rein on borrowing and taxation, is front and center: The vast majority of states —…
Here’s an Interesting Change to the Open Meetings Act
Changes such as the addition of the right to speak during government meetings will take effect in 2013. (g) Any person shall be permitted an opportunity to address public officials under the rules established and recorded by the public body. Looks like we’ll be allowed our three minutes apiece at all public meetings beginning next…
Winnebago Forest Preserve District Eliminates Public Safety Job
***Update 1:30 p.m.: Their lips say no, but the timing feels like there’s some piling on.*** **Update 9:45 a.m.: Here’s the latest put up by RRStar. I do NOT agree that WCFPD has a credibility problem (stated at the end of the article). Instead, I’d argue that any credibility problem is Randy Olson’s alone at…
NIU Misconduct Allegations Have Now Hit the Chicago Tribune
**Update 9/7: Here’s an image of yesterday’s print edition of the Northern Star with synopses and photos. In reading it again I’m struck at how much time and money have been spent already and still NIU is unable to determine whether any of its employees have done anything wrong.** …and the Trib has more about…
NIU Closes Somebody’s Coffee Fund
**Update 9/1: DC has significantly re-worked the story, so the quote below no longer appears there.** I very much appreciate the Daily Chronicle‘s continued persistence and endurance with the NIU “coffee fund” story, especially as things get curioser. DeKALB – Northern Illinois University has located the “coffee fund” and shut it down. University officials said…
NIU “Coffee Fund” Updates
NIU Today: NIU confirms the existence of a “private, non-university bank account named ‘coffee fund.’” In the article, NIU says, “Any determination of criminal charges will be made by the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office after reviewing the evidence collected during the criminal investigation.” Northern Star: State police are now involved as far as advising…
Daily Chronicle Still on Top of NIU Resignation Story
In “NIU hired outside firm to investigate employees” we learn that NIU paid about $25,000 for investigations into what have previously been described as serious allegations of misconduct. A contract between the university and Sycamore law firm Foster & Buick Law Group shows that attorney John Countryman was hired June 4 to investigate “named individuals…
Comment on 8/27/2012 Council Meeting Agenda
OK, Council, you said you’d bond out no more than $12 million but now staff is coming at you with a proposal for borrowing $14 million. It’s not that Peace Road and the fire stations don’t need attention. They do — especially Station 2. But is this really the way to do it? Bundling the…
Corn Fest Has a Liquor License. Guess Where the Bar Is?
DeKalb Corn Fest, Inc. now has its own liquor license, and its own special permit to serve liquor at Corn Fest in the great outdoors. My companion and I saw them about 5:30 p.m. We had to request to see these documents, because they weren’t posted anywhere: not at the gate to the beer garden,…
Looking for Corn Fest Financial Postings?
We’re doing a brisk business today in searches for Corn Fest postings, particularly financial reports. Hitting the Corn Fest tag will present them in a pleasing reverse chronology for you. Enjoy!