Here’s to 2012, right around the corner and filled with opportunity to get some things done right. Here are the things we will be watching:
There’s a new teachers’ contract being negotiated in Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200. The school board has been absurdly silent on the matter, missing all opportunity to telegraph to the community its plans to use this contract as a tool to shape educational and fiscal reforms. With $90 million or more socked away in reserve, no community momentum for reform, and a fierce determination to maintain a cone of silence over the negotiations, the school board is going to have to work hard to avoid another contract that burns cash and does precious little to craft necessary change.
Economic development in a post-TIF era is going to be interesting for Oak Park. If the economy begins to turn, and it may be finally improving a bit, then we’ll find out if the village government’s long-held contention is true that inner-ring communities such as Oak Park will feel the rebound more quickly and more strongly than, say, Huntley, Yorkville or other godforsaken exurbs. If interest in new projects and businesses rises, then Oak Park will have to find new methods and new alliances to play what will be a scaled back role in development. This is not all bad.
Specifically, we will be following the choices made on the Sertus proposal for Lake and Forest. It will be the last gasp from the zombie TIF. We will also know this year if the affordable housing project at the former Comcast building on Madison will become a reality. We remain very supportive. And 2012 is a critical year for Harrison Street and its Arts District. The collapse of the façade of the Harrison and Lombard building last August reflects decades of failings by the area’s most notable property owner but also the village government’s shortcomings in helping define and promote the district.
The park district has the notable challenge of replacing its retiring executive director, Gary Balling. Over 12 years, Balling has proven to be remarkably capable of leading substantive change through an inclusive leadership approach that we much admire. The stage is set after the good work of recent park boards and staff work to move snappily ahead on major projects, including a new gymnastics center and the major redo of Ridgeland Common. Picking the right person to lead this next phase in our parks will be an opportunity and a challenge.
The year ahead will be fascinating in River Forest. 2012 is the year we find out just where John Rigas plans to lead the village as its president. The early years of his term were notable for outlasting a too-caustic minority of the village board, for facing down grim financial challenges facing the village, for bringing a worthy conclusion to what were necessary, if overly dramatic, years of change and turmoil in the police department. Rigas also finessed the departure of a weak village administrator and the hiring of his replacement. We admire the current board and urge it to remain both critical and innovative. Prove that it is not necessary to be purposely adversarial in order to contribute to a vital discussion. A detailed discussion of the pros and cons of the home rule concept is essential. We also admire Eric Palm, the new administrator, and look forward to the progressive changes he will bring to village management.
The new year will bring plenty of surprises. But the nature of small town life is that some stories live on with only variations in the permutations and, sometimes, the players. And that gives us all the opportunity to finally get it right.
