Adding Lake Michigan water, safety key issues for Long Grove candidates
Bringing Lake Michigan water to town the most pressing issue facing Long Grove, according to two candidates running for village trustee in the April 1 election.
Incumbent Rita O'Connor, an attorney and real estate broker, and current Village Clerk Adam S. Harris, an attorney, agree that connecting to Lake Michigan water is among the village board’s primary concerns.
Four candidates are running for three, four-year village board seats in next week’s election.
O'Connor, who has served as trustee since 2017, and Harris are running as a team. O'Connor touts her eight years of village board experience among her qualifications, while Harris cited his familiarity with village procedures, board meetings and executive sessions, along with the “fresh perspectives and new energy” he would bring to the office.
Two other candidates — incumbent Bobbie O'Reilly and newcomer Philip Carona — did not submit candidate questionnaires, nor did they respond to emailed questions about their positions for this story. Neither participated in a Daily Herald endorsement interview despite invitations to do so.
Regarding Lake Michigan water, Harris wrote in his Daily Herald candidate questionnaire: “We need to get a better understanding of the longevity of the aquifer as well as more testing on contaminants within our private well water supply.”
The village has received a $960,000 federal grant to cover part of the expense of those studies, according to O'Connor. That will supplement $1.7 million from the village to fund the first phase of the project, which is estimated to cost about $2.4 million in all and should be completed next year.
While a pumping station supplies water to the downtown area, about 90% of Long Grove residents have private wells, O'Connor said. The “unknown longevity of the aquifer and the potential existence of radium in the water supply” make connecting to Lake Michigan water necessary, she said.
O’Connor cited traffic congestion as another village concern and said officials must continue to prod the Illinois Department of Transportation to move forward with promised widening of Route 22 to alleviate backups.
Harris expressed concern about road and neighborhood safety, writing that “many neighborhoods do not have sidewalks for pedestrian use.”
In light of that, Harris proposes additional road safety projects including speed and radar warning signs, pedestrian warning signs, speed tables (are raised sections of roads installed to slow vehicles), improved road shoulders and blind turn warnings.
O'Connor proposes installing pedestrian bridges over Route 83 near Robert Parker Coffin Road and over Old 53 at Schaeffer Road to make Long Grove and its amenities more accessible.
“I think the ability to safely walk, bike or run through the village would enable not only a feeling of neighborliness and community, but also a contribution to cleaner air and personal health,” she said.
Asked about finances and spending, O'Connor described Long Grove's financial position as strong.
“Our annual general operating budget is approximately $4.7 million with $10 million in reserves in excess of our policy of maintaining 12 months of reserves,” she said, which is intended to cover the cost of the village hall expansion and the cost to access Lake Michigan water.
Harris concurred saying, “our reserves are strong and our budget is well-structured.”