President Bob began the meeting with a soothing breath.
Guests: John Baird, Jim Corboy, Cam Johnson, Colin Root, Katie Stephens, Jan Boden, Bridget Lewis, Tom Baren
Announcements: Bob clarified that there will be a Rotary Board meeting before the 3/21 lunch and planning session for the Centennial Celebration to be held in June. Wes passed around sign-up sheets to attend our 3/28 meeting at New Trier High School. Robert asked if anybody knew a good company to wash and stain an outdoor deck.
Program: The Winnetka Village President, Chris Rintz, shared an update on the ‘State of the Village.’ His first topic was progress in the third year of the stormwater project, which is the Villages’s largest financial project. A 2.5 million gallon water storage tank is being constructed at Crow Island. Flood control in the east is the next project.
Other Projects the Village has worked on this year:
- Tala coffee replaces the gas station on Green Bay Road in Indian Hill.
- The 8th Annual Musicfest returns this summer.
- The Village has moved to an advanced water metering service centrally controlled from Village Hall.
- The Village raised taxes for the first time in 10 years to pay for removal of lead water lines.
- The Village is negotiating with AT&T to bury telephone lines.
- Hubbard Woods Streetscape must be negotiated with the State of Illinois, which owns Green Bay Road for several blocks.
Projects the Village will be working on in the future:
- Ageing power generation equipment at the Tower Road power plant.
- Post Office site planning
- Study whether the Indian Hill Parking lot is a feasible site for senior housing.
- Working closely with Kenilworth to maybe launch a new commercial district on the border.
- Lakefront regulation.
- One Winnetka.