[BCNnet] Last budget hearing

Wed, 19 Nov 2003 04:26:17 -0600

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BCN friends:

Allow me to strongly endorse Jane’s request that you come to Maywood
tomorrow evening at 6:30 PM.  The meeting is at the Maywood County
Courthouse, 1500 S. Maybrook Drive.  Please come and express your views to
the Commissioners.  Here are the issues I intend to cover; keep in mind they
only give you 2 minutes to speak.

*        The budget’s emphasis is on recreation and police protection
(ineffective in the past), with little for their core mission, resource
management, whose budget has declined while other items have increased.

*        Lifting the moratorium on restoration.

*        Urging a moratorium on new dog areas until the environmental impact
can be determined.  Here again, it is an activity that is contrary to the
meaning of ‘forest preserve’.

*        The $2.9 million earmarked for land acquisition should be placed in
a specific land acquisition reserve fund, not in a general rainy day fund.

Below are John Sheerin’s remarks on the subject.  Feel free to use this
material as well.

Donald R. Dann
60 Ravinoaks Lane
Highland Park, IL 60035
Ph/Fx: 847-266-2222
Cell: 847-997-1011
Email: donniebird@yahoo.com <mailto:donniebird@yahoo.com>

Action Alert

Forest Preserve Budget Hearings almost done!!

The Stroger administration, in its zeal to hear from the people so they
could
really take our concerns into account, scheduled two budget hearings before
the budget was readily available for review!  Oops. That must have been a
'Chicago politics' accident. There are two hearings left and the reform
Commissioners really need to hear from us.

The remaining hearings are Monday at the County Building 3:00 and Thursday
at
6:30 in Markham. Call Tracey at 708-771-1150 to get placed on the Agenda.
Even if you cannot make it, please drop a note to your commissioner.

Please forward this message widely. I know you'all have many friends and
other e-maail addresses. It would be a great help to forward.

I expect more information and analysis is being completed as you read this
and certainly you should tie this general review below with your own
analysis
and concerns.

Key Budget Points:
1)  Stroger's budget process is offensive to our notions of democracy. The
Civic Federation tells us that the budget is incomprehensible to the average
citizen, it is not transparent, it requires other documents to understand
the
FPD's financial situation, and it will take professionals weeks to fully
comprehend. Since others and we complain annually about this poor process we
can only
assume that it is deliberate.
2)  The big adjustment to this years budget from last year is the increase
of
12 police, 2 lieutenants and ten officers. This is not justified within the
budget document. The FPD police are a scandal plagued, ineffective, 'don't
get
out of the car', group that is as rare to see in the woods as bobcats or
turkeys. See the 10/30/03 Star, P. A-11, the piece entitled "I have never
seen a
forest preserve cop. I would love to see a forest preserve cop." While the
mountain bike community GAVE the police new bike for bike patrols, they are
not
used. The FPD police should be replaced with Conservation Police who are
more
trained to work in a Forest Preserve setting, or with a mix of rangers and
deputized police. In any event, the woods will not be safer with more people
in
cars. (I understand from a quote by Commissioner Peraica that the average
Cook
County Forest Preserve Police Office makes 2 arrest PER YEAR - I'm checking
that
quote). The FPD police should not be increased - they should be reformed.
3)  While the new Department of Resource Management is slated to get seven
more part time personnel, their budget goes down. This is the one budget
that
should be going up. We need more ecological restoration and management, more
controlled burns, more buckthorn and other invasives controlled.
4)  The Recreation Department is getting more money and more staff. This
Department should be abolished completely. The picnic permit function should
be
handled in the Adminstrative office. The pools, one operating, 1 broken down
and
one aquatic center, should be run by local municipalities under
intergovernmental agreements. The activities of this Department do not
support a budget
request for $796,842.
5)   The $2.9 Million being placed into a reserve should be placed in the
land acquisition fund. We need land now - not a rainy day fund. Further,
Steve
Mayberry spokesperson for the District states in the 11/2/03 Star that the
District is pursuing Federal Grants but many of those grants require a
twenty
percent match. By putting this money $2.9Mil we can't receive a possible
$11.6Mil
in grants. THIS COULD SAVE ST. COLETTAs
6)  The $3.3 Million being used to pay down the deficit is an unfortunate
necessity. Exactly how much in debt does this leave the District? It does
not say
in the budget document.

Good things happening:
1)  We support the new Adopt-a-Preserve Program. However, it will not work
with no resources. The program should be fully supported with its own staff
and
funding. (Right now they say they will use existing staff and no add;'l
funding - a recipe for failure. The existing staff is insufficient to grow
the
Volunteer Stewardship Program, let alone start a larger new program. If the
District is going to do this, then do it right!)
2)  The privatization of the golf courses has led to an increase in revenue
projections from the 2003 projected $350,000 to the 2004 budget of $900,000.
I
don't know what that is based upon but it looks like privatization of the
golf
course is working. Do we know any golfers who could speak to this issue??
3)  The District is actually spending money on land acquisition. 42.86 acres
were acquired as of 9/30/03 and the CY '03 projection is for 100 acres.
There
is increasing momentum on land acquisition, and the District should spend
down
its real estate acquisition fund and get more money. But this seems to be a
step in the right direction.
4)  The Bartel and Orland Grasslands projects. These ecological restoration
showcases have engaged the surrounding communities and attracted federal $$.
We
need more of these. Commissioner Gorman constituents should speak to this
success.
5)  New General Superintendent Steve Bylina
6)  Bathrooms - the promise to eliminate outhouses can't be bad.

And as bad as this whole process is, we can always end by appreciating their
attention.
JS

Donnie

Donald R. Dann
60 Ravinoaks Lane
Highland Park, IL 60035
Ph/Fx: 847-266-2222
Cell: 847-997-1011
Email: donniebird@yahoo.com <mailto:donniebird@yahoo.com>

-----Original Message-----
From: bcnnet-admin@ece.iit.edu [mailto:bcnnet-admin@ece.iit.edu]On Behalf Of
John & Jane Balaban
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 11:23 PM
To: BCN
Subject: [BCNnet] Last budget hearing

Donnie Dann asked that I post this notice regarding the County & Forest
Preserve budget hearing on Thursday. This is an opportunity to speak to
Commissioners on the budget but people may want to address other issues
concerning the Forest Preserves, also.  Only one speaker per organization is
allowed, but anyone can speak as private citizen. See details below.

Jane Balaban
North Branch Restoration Project
  _____

Thursday
November 20, 2003
6:30 p.m.
Fourth District Courthouse
1500 S. Maybrook Dr.
Maywood, Illinois

The public may testify at these meetings. Persons wishing to testify should
give their name, and the name of any organization they may represent to the
Acting Secretary of the Forest Preserve District, 536 North Harlem Ave.,
River Forest, IL. The telephone number is 708-771-1511. Each organization
will be limited to one speaker. Each speaker will be limited to three (3)
minutes. Speakers are requested to submit 30 copies of any written statement
to the Committee prior to speaking.

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<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>BCN
friends:<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

Allow
me to strongly endorse Jane&#8217;s request that you come to Maywood =
tomorrow evening
at 6:30 PM.&nbsp; The meeting =
is at the Maywood
County Courthouse, 1500 S. Maybrook Drive.&nbsp; Please come and express your views to the
Commissioners.&nbsp; Here are =
the issues
I intend to cover; keep in mind they only give you 2 minutes to =
speak.<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;
tab-stops:list .75in'><![if !supportLists]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle17><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3DSymbol><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>=B7<font size=3D1 face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font:7.0pt "Times New =
Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></font></span><![endif]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle17><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The budget&#8217;s emphasis is on recreation =
and police
protection (ineffective in the past), with little for their core =
mission,
resource management, whose budget has declined while other items have
increased.<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle17><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
Arial'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;
tab-stops:list .75in'><![if !supportLists]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle17><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3DSymbol><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>=B7<font size=3D1 face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font:7.0pt "Times New =
Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></font></span><![endif]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle17><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Lifting the moratorium on =
restoration.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle17><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
Arial'><span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;
tab-stops:list .75in'><![if !supportLists]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle17><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3DSymbol><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>=B7<font size=3D1 face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font:7.0pt "Times New =
Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></font></span><![endif]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle17><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Urging a moratorium on new dog areas until the
environmental impact can be determined.<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;
</span>Here again, it is an activity that is contrary to the meaning of =
&#8216;forest
preserve&#8217;.<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle17><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
Arial'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;
tab-stops:list .75in'><![if !supportLists]><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack
face=3DSymbol><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:black'>=B7<font size=3D1 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font:7.0pt "Times New =
Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></font><![endif]><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;col=
or:black'>The
$2.9 million earmarked for land acquisition should be placed in a =
specific land
acquisition reserve fund, not in a general rainy day =
fund.</span></font><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:black'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Below =
are John
Sheerin&#8217;s remarks on the subject.<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;
</span>Feel free to use this material as =
well.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:black'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Donald R. Dann</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>60 Ravinoaks =
Lane</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Highland Park, IL =
60035</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Ph/Fx: =
847-266-2222</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Cell: =
847-997-1011</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Email: <a
href=3D"mailto:donniebird@yahoo.com">donniebird@yahoo.com</a> =
</span></font><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:black'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

Action Alert 
 
Forest Preserve Budget Hearings almost done!! 
 
The Stroger administration, in its zeal to hear from the people so they =
could 
really take our concerns into account, scheduled two budget hearings =
before 
the budget was readily available for review!&nbsp; Oops. That must have =
been a 
'Chicago politics' accident. There are two hearings left and the reform =
 
Commissioners really need to hear from us. 
 
The remaining hearings are Monday at the County Building 3:00 and =
Thursday at 
6:30 in Markham. Call Tracey at 708-771-1150 to get placed on the =
Agenda. 
Even if you cannot make it, please drop a note to your commissioner. 
 
Please forward this message widely. I know you'all have many friends and =
 
other e-maail addresses. It would be a great help to forward. 
 
I expect more information and analysis is being completed as you read =
this 
and certainly you should tie this general review below with your own =
analysis 
and concerns. 
 
Key Budget Points: 
1)&nbsp; Stroger's budget process is offensive to our notions of =
democracy. The
 
Civic Federation tells us that the budget is incomprehensible to the =
average 
citizen, it is not transparent, it requires other documents to =
understand the 
FPD's financial situation, and it will take professionals weeks to fully =
 
comprehend. Since others and we complain annually about this poor =
process we
can only 
assume that it is deliberate. 
2)&nbsp; The big adjustment to this years budget from last year is the =
increase
of 
12 police, 2 lieutenants and ten officers. This is not justified within =
the 
budget document. The FPD police are a scandal plagued, ineffective, =
'don't get 
out of the car', group that is as rare to see in the woods as bobcats or =
 
turkeys. See the 10/30/03 Star, P. A-11, the piece entitled &quot;I have =
never
seen a 
forest preserve cop. I would love to see a forest preserve cop.&quot; =
While the
 
mountain bike community GAVE the police new bike for bike patrols, they =
are not
 
used. The FPD police should be replaced with Conservation Police who are =
more 
trained to work in a Forest Preserve setting, or with a mix of rangers =
and 
deputized police. In any event, the woods will not be safer with more =
people in
 
cars. (I understand from a quote by Commissioner Peraica that the =
average Cook 
County Forest Preserve Police Office makes 2 arrest PER YEAR - I'm =
checking
that 
quote). The FPD police should not be increased - they should be =
reformed. 
3)&nbsp; While the new Department of Resource Management is slated to =
get seven
 
more part time personnel, their budget goes down. This is the one budget =
that 
should be going up. We need more ecological restoration and management, =
more 
controlled burns, more buckthorn and other invasives controlled. 
4)&nbsp; The Recreation Department is getting more money and more staff. =
This 
Department should be abolished completely. The picnic permit function =
should be
 
handled in the Adminstrative office. The pools, one operating, 1 broken =
down
and 
one aquatic center, should be run by local municipalities under 
intergovernmental agreements. The activities of this Department do not =
support
a budget 
request for $796,842. 
5)&nbsp;&nbsp; The $2.9 Million being placed into a reserve should be =
placed in
the 
land acquisition fund. We need land now - not a rainy day fund. Further, =
Steve 
Mayberry spokesperson for the District states in the 11/2/03 Star that =
the 
District is pursuing Federal Grants but many of those grants require a =
twenty 
percent match. By putting this money $2.9Mil we can't receive a possible
$11.6Mil 
in grants. THIS COULD SAVE ST. COLETTAs 
6)&nbsp; The $3.3 Million being used to pay down the deficit is an =
unfortunate 
necessity. Exactly how much in debt does this leave the District? It =
does not
say 
in the budget document. 
 
Good things happening: 
1)&nbsp; We support the new Adopt-a-Preserve Program. However, it will =
not work
 
with no resources. The program should be fully supported with its own =
staff and
 
funding. (Right now they say they will use existing staff and no add;'l =
 
funding - a recipe for failure. The existing staff is insufficient to =
grow the 
Volunteer Stewardship Program, let alone start a larger new program. If =
the 
District is going to do this, then do it right!) 
2)&nbsp; The privatization of the golf courses has led to an increase in
revenue 
projections from the 2003 projected $350,000 to the 2004 budget of =
$900,000. I 
don't know what that is based upon but it looks like privatization of =
the golf 
course is working. Do we know any golfers who could speak to this =
issue?? 
3)&nbsp; The District is actually spending money on land acquisition. =
42.86
acres 
were acquired as of 9/30/03 and the CY '03 projection is for 100 acres. =
There 
is increasing momentum on land acquisition, and the District should =
spend down 
its real estate acquisition fund and get more money. But this seems to =
be a 
step in the right direction. 
4)&nbsp; The Bartel and Orland Grasslands projects. These ecological
restoration 
showcases have engaged the surrounding communities and attracted federal =
$$. We
 
need more of these. Commissioner Gorman constituents should speak to =
this 
success. 
5)&nbsp; New General Superintendent Steve Bylina 
6)&nbsp; Bathrooms - the promise to eliminate outhouses can't be bad. =
 
 
And as bad as this whole process is, we can always end by appreciating =
their 
attention. 
JS<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.25in'><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
color:black'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.25in'><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
color:black'>Donnie<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp; =
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.25in'><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
color:black'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Donald R. Dann</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>60 Ravinoaks =
Lane</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Highland Park, IL =
60035</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Ph/Fx: =
847-266-2222</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Cell: =
847-997-1011</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.25in'><font size=3D3 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Email: <a
href=3D"mailto:donniebird@yahoo.com">donniebird@yahoo.com</a> =
</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3DTahoma><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> =
bcnnet-admin@ece.iit.edu
[mailto:bcnnet-admin@ece.iit.edu]<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>On =
Behalf Of
</span></b>John &amp; Jane Balaban<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, November =
18, 2003
11:23 PM<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> BCN<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [BCNnet] Last =
budget
hearing</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

Donnie Dann asked that I post =
this notice
regarding the County &amp; Forest Preserve budget hearing on Thursday. =
This is
an opportunity to speak to Commissioners on the budget but people may =
want to
address other issues concerning the Forest Preserves, also.&nbsp; Only =
one
speaker per organization is allowed,&nbsp;but anyone&nbsp;can speak as =
private
citizen. See details below.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>&nbsp;</span></font><font =
color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Jane Balaban<br>
North Branch Restoration Project</span></font><font color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<div class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><font =
size=3D3
color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>

<hr size=3D2 width=3D"100%" align=3Dcenter>

</span></font></div>

Thursday 
November 20, 2003 
6:30 p.m. 
Fourth District Courthouse 
1500 S. Maybrook Dr. 
Maywood, Illinois 
 
The public may testify at these meetings. Persons wishing to testify =
should
give their name, and the name of any organization they may represent to =
the
Acting Secretary of the Forest Preserve District, 536 North Harlem Ave., =
River
Forest, IL. The telephone number is 708-771-1511. Each organization will =
be
limited to one speaker. Each speaker will be limited to three (3) =
minutes.
Speakers are requested to submit 30 copies of any written statement to =
the
Committee prior to speaking. <o:p></o:p><=
/p>

</div>

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