The Forest Preserve District is seeking public input on the 2012 updates to the draft Capital Improvement Plan for 2012-2016.   This outreach is intended as an opportunity to gather ideas and input from constituents for the Capital Improvement Plan, which will be submitted to the FPD Board for approval. 

The District is hosting 5 Open Houses this month, two of which take place in the 14th District:

• Thursday, October 13, 7-9pm at Crabtree Nature Center in Barrington
• Saturday, October 15, 10am-1pm at Wagner Farm in Glenview

A draft list of proposed projects and public comment forms will be available at these events.  If you cannot make it to an Open House, you canview the draft on the Forest Preserve District website,  then visit the "Comment Corner"  to leave your thoughts and ideas for new projects.    

Additionally, as chairman of the FPD Finance Committee, Commissioner Goslin will be holding hearings on the FY2012 Forest Preserve Budget when it is released later this fall. 

Second installment property tax bills were mailed this week, and seniors in particular are encouraged to review their exemptions.  

A recent change in state law requires seniors to apply annually for their exemptions and the Assessor's Office has informed us that many seniors failed to apply for exemptions, resulting in significant increases in their tax bills.   

If you have not received an exemption for which you are eligible, exemption applications can be downloaded at the Assessor's website.   

The Cook County Department of Revenue is implementing a Voluntary Disclosure Program  to encourage individuals and businesses not currently registered with Cook County to register and pay any taxes they owe.   

Those who register with the Department of Revenue before October 31, 2011  will be required to remit the amount of taxes owed from September 2007 thru October 2011, but will not be required to pay the 10% late payment penalty, the 25% failure to pay penalty or the standard 15% APR interest rate on taxes owed.   

Any person or company required to register for a Cook County Home Rule Tax that has not yet registered and is not under audit or investigation by the Department of Revenue is eligible for the Voluntary Disclosure Program.

Visit the Department of Revenue's website to download an application and find a list of the taxes included under the program. 

• Approved application for variation to erect a billboard advertising sign within 500 feet of FPD property and increase the height from 40 feet to 58 feet 6 inches for a new billboard to replace the previously existing advertising sign in I-1 Restricted Industrial District.  The subject property consists of 3.13 acres, located on Frontage Road, approximately 461 feet north of Waukegan Road.

• Approved a Class 6b property tax classification with special circumstances for an abandoned industrial facility located at 301 Holbrook Drive in Wheeling.   The Village of Wheeling passed a resolution in support of the classification, stating the Class 6b tax incentive is necessary for development to occur on this specific real estate. The applicant plans to invest roughly $889,500 to refurbish existing facility and estimates that the re-occupancy will create 40-75 new full-time jobs and create 25-30 construction jobs.