Glenview is flourishing is in excellent financial shape and for the first time in decades the village is reducing its portion of the property tax levy, Village President Michael Jenny said in his state of the village address.
The Nov. 3 address was a chance for Jenny to boast about the village’s successes over the past year and to talk optimistically about the future.
“The state of your village is strong,” he said during the annual state of the village address before a packed house at the Glenview Park District. “I would argue that we are the envy of the Northern suburbs and a model of what good municipal government could be.”
He won’t get an argument from Meghan Kearney, executive director of the Glenview Chamber of Commerce. She was the emcee for the address and also said the village is booming.
“This past year has been filled with so many exciting projects that not only change the landscape of our downtown to benefit our local economy but are essentially a result of community connection and engagement at it’s finest,” Kearney said. “It was incredible to be at a village board meeting and to have it packed with positive support. There’s been so much excitement about things happening in the community and we love it.”
Jenny said that aside from the core focus of the village board, which he said is fiscal stewardship, there has not been a bigger priority for the village other than the continued redevelopment and revitalization of its downtown.
“It’s been a process that’s gone back several years,” he explained. “Several past boards took steps to get us to where we are now. It was a monumental year.”
In the past year the village has focused on improving infrastructure, landscaping, roads and signage and also helped attract at least two new restaurants to the downtown, Jenny said.
Last year, the village annexed 293 acres of unincorporated Cook County land where the former Allstate Campus stood and that land is being redeveloped by Dermody Properties into a 230-acre “Logistics Campus,” Jenny said.
It’s estimated that between 2022 and 2040 that project will bring in $134 million in new property taxes of which more than $90 million is going to school Districts 31 and 225, Jenny explained.
“Because it comes without adding any new student population it means all of that new revenue can be used to enhance the already outstanding programs and facilities of our schools in those areas,” he added.
He also said plans to build a second multimillion dollar “LogistiCenter” on the site of the former CVS Caremark office building in the 2200 block of Sanders Road in Glenview are moving forward.
“Glenview along with other communities is moving with the trends here and we’re moving in a way that is responsible and respects neighbors and the environment,” he said. “It really positions the community for success for future generations.”
In the last 10 years the village has invested $78 million in capital improvement projects including roadway reconstruction, water main installation and storm and sanitary upgrades, and Glenview plans to spend at least $20 million on capital improvements in 2024, said Jenny.
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“I know it can be frustrating to be rerouted or to see crews out working during your morning commute, but it’s also a reminder of how fortunate we are to be able to make the investments we do in our infrastructure,” he said. “We made a point to use state and federal grant dollars whenever possible to help on these projects.”
Over the past year the village also worked with a consultant to update its sustainability initiatives, including a reevaluation of all the sites in the original sustainability plan that allowed it to identify 20 additional sites with potential for “improved habitat,” said Jenny.
“We’re putting money in the budget next year to hire a consultant to develop and implement a sustainability plan,” he said. “We will never not be focused on sustainability.”
Jenny also said he’s hopeful that several residential and commercial projects will move forward in 2024.
“In an inflationary environment no less where we spent what we spent on infrastructure … we’ve maintained services at the same level,” he said. “We’ve maintained our top bond rating … now for 33 years.
He also said the village is continuing it tree planting incentive program started whereby the village helps residents buy trees, and the production of communications videos from various village departments letting residents know what they’re doing. And in September the village approved an intergovernmental agreement with school district 34 to bring back school resource officers (SROs) said Jenny.
“The SROs will help facilitate a more personal relationship between law enforcement and the students, assist in educational programs and promote safety and security of students and staff,” he said.
In addition to everything else, the village is making plans to celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2024, Jenny said.
“We are not only not struggling to meet expenses, we’re managing just fine in a rising cost environment because of the works of staff and this board,” he said. “Really it’s the result of an ongoing commitment to fiscal responsibility.”
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.