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Last summer, the owner at 602 Glenshire Road applied to re-zone his property and build 4 two-story townhomes on the lot of a single-family home.  Today, at my urging, the County Board voted to deny the application over the recommendation for approval by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

602 Glenshire Road is located in a thriving single-family residential neighborhood in Northfield Township. Many neighborhood residents sat through a public hearing for over four hours to voice their opposition to the re-zoning and the Glenview Countryside Civic Association collected almost 300 signatures on a petition to deny the application, citing serious concerns about the effect on the community in addition to potential flooding, capacity and traffic impacts. 

I take seriously my duty to support the residents and municipalities in my district on issues that are important to them, and zoning issues often fall into this category.  I followed the application closely as it progressed through the Zoning Board of Appeals' process and offered updates through my office to concerned residents and local municipalities. 

On a case of such unanimous agreement, I was pleased to have the opportunity to bring this application to my fellow commissioners and argue for its denial.  Objections by the Village of Glenview and Northfield Township, along with the efforts of area residents, provided  me a strong case to present.  I am pleased to report that at today's Board Meeting, there was not a single vote in favor of approval.

As part of my continued efforts to promote open government, I sponsored a resolution to promote transparency in the County bidding process.  This resolution calls for a report on the feasibility and cost of implementing an online bidding process for county contracts.

There is no reason for the bidding process to take place behind closed doors.  Placing bids online will provide easy access for the public, helping ensure the process is open and honest.

This resolution was approved, and delivery of the feasibility report is expected at the end of  this month.

In January, I proposed a resolution to begin the process of consolidation of technology at the County, which was approved at today's Board Meeting.  This is the first step in creating a consolidated technology plan that is sustainable as Cook County moves forward in meeting the demands of modernization and transparency.

Cook County cannot afford to continue funding separate technology plans for different agencies and departments under the umbrella of the County.  This resolution calls for a comprehensive look at technology funding and staff, which will help the Bureau of Technology assess the needs of county agencies and the potential cost-savings of the proposed consolidation.