By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Change is rarely easy.
That is something Burlington has discovered over the past few years, as not only the political landscape has changed, but the physical as well.
The year of 2013 was no different in the city and Town of Burlington, but in many ways, the year’s changes seemed to come in large, unpredictable packages – a business-altering fire, a health care facility decision still pending, and the quiet life in Burlington shattered by the blasts of train horns unleashed by a city typo and sustained by federal bureaucracy.
The top 20 stories of 2013 impacted, if not everyone in Burlington, then almost everyone – and continued to do so as the year drew to a close.
No. 1 – A fire at Echo Lake Foods
Shortly after 6 p.m. on Jan. 30, the City of Burlington Fire Department was paged out to a fire at Echo Lake Foods – a fire that would grow to epic proportions and eventually take more than 39 hours to fully extinguish.
By the end of those 39 hours, the city had issued two local alarms and six additional alarms through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System – or MABAS. In total, it was estimated that about 100 different agencies offered fire, rescue or other support services throughout the event.
More than 400 firefighters and support personnel ended up on scene, using more than 4 million gallons of water to fight the blaze that spread throughout the complex. Residents were evacuated as a precaution when ammonia refrigeration units were feared to be at risk, and portions of the city were closed off in order to battle the blaze.
But it wasn’t just the fire – and the fight to extinguish it – that made the news. By the time the first firefighters arrived on scene, flames had already penetrated through the roof of the main production area. It became clear then that the building could not be saved, and efforts were focused on keeping the fire from spreading.
When all was said and done, most of the employees at the Burlington site found themselves out of work. Some were shifted to another production facility in Franksville, while others found new full-time employment and some are still searching. Local charitable agency Love Inc. opened its door with food and monetary donations for the displaced workers.
Echo Lake Foods has committed to rebuilding in Burlington, but has yet to announce its plans for doing so. According to a business publication, the company purchased another facility in Indiana recently, and still other rumors place possible production moves to Kentucky or Iowa.
However, there was no loss of life in the blaze, and no injuries during the firefighting efforts.
“I can’t tell you how extremely proud I am,” said Mayor Bob Miller of the city’s emergency response team that included himself, City Administrator Kevin Lahner, then-City Fire Chief Dick Lodle and Police Chief Peter Nimmer.
No. 2 – Aurora’s future in Burlington uncertain
After Aurora Health Care officials announced late in 2012 that they would close the birthing center at Aurora Memorial Hospital of Burlington, city officials fought hard to keep that component of the hospital – or to find a provider that would.
However, with Aurora refusing to change its mind, citing “best practices and is done with a long-term sustainable vision for health care in the community,” exactly what would remain of Memorial Hospital has been in question for most of the year.
Mayor Bob Miller and a committee of concerned citizens considered options – which included the idea of luring a different health-care provider to Burlington – but has been in a wait-and-see mode as Aurora has put off announcing long-term plans.
Miller said Dec. 23 that he was hopeful the city will have some indication in the next two weeks from Aurora Health Care regarding long-term plans for Aurora Memorial Hospital of Burlington.
Miller and City Administrator Kevin Lahner have been involved in what Miller described as “low-key” talks with Aurora officials since late May when the state’s largest health care provider announced the earliest it would have any information regarding future plans would be the end of 2013.
No. 3 – Quiet zone lost, and then reinstated
When City of Burlington officials learned in June that the city’s quiet zone status with the Federal Railroad Administration would lapse, they were hopeful a hearing for an exemption would happen before the horns started sounding.
Instead, almost to the predicted hour, the train horns began sounding at the various intersections the trains passed through – and drove some residents to lose sleep and serenity as it took nearly three months to iron out the situation.
What appeared to be a typo in the city’s recordkeeping meant that planned upgrades for safety purposes (and to keep the quiet zone status) that were expected for 2014 had to instead be completed on the fly for 2013.
In addition, the city’s plans to put in interlocking gates at the Milwaukee Avenue intersection was essentially slowed by Canadian National Railroad, which eventually told the city it would be responsible for its own upkeep costs.
Meanwhile, the city put in medians at every intersection it could to get below the risk threshold, and then waited for the FRA to reinstate the quiet zone. That it took three months irritated residents who lived close to the tracks and couldn’t sleep through 100-plus decibel horns.
It also affected businesses like the Hampton Inn, which saw bad reviews affect its rating when visitors struggled with the noise.
No. 4 – School Board elections wild, again
With battle lines drawn between those who said they were fighting for education and another group whose members said the Burlington Area School District wasn’t doing enough to protect taxpayers, the annual School Board election turned into a circus.
Nine candidates were on the ballot for the primary, though only eight ended up running. Once the field was narrowed, Julie Koldeway – the wife of board member Roger Koldeway – Norma Miller, Jim Bousman and incumbent Larry Anderson were left to fight for two spots.
And into a fight it turned. With Koldeway and Miller endorsed by WeVote (a local tea party-esque group), Bousman and Anderson teamed up to turn the race into a two-party affair.
Among the controversies during the two months that followed included Miller’s personal finances – she had filed for bankruptcy – flyers distributed on school grounds in support of Bousman and Anderson, and the idea of a husband and wife serving on the same board.
Miller and Julie Koldeway refused to participate in a public forum prior to the election and declined to answer questions from this newspaper prior to the vote, which eventually ended with Anderson and Bousman getting elected. Koldeway, who had led all vote-getters in the primary, finished third and Miller fourth.
No. 5 – Cemetery Association almost bankrupt
With two separate issues impacting its perpetual care fund, the Burlington Cemetery Association announced in late 2012 that it was, in essence, broke.
After a case of embezzlement and declining interest rates – as well as a declining number of burials – left the association without funds to proceed, the group announced in June its intent to dissolve.
That would have, after a period of one year, reverted ownership of the cemetery to the City of Burlington. However, the association still attempted to maintain solvent, soliciting funds from both the City and Town of Burlington.
While the city came through with $15,000, the association and the town could not reach an agreement. It took until October for a task force of city, town and cemetery association principals to be formed.
In the final weeks of 2013, it appeared a tentative agreement was being hammered out, with a combination of in-kind work and financial support intended to keep the cemetery association afloat.
No. 6 – Gateway wants to bring public safety training to Burlington
After a failed referendum in April, Gateway Technical College began exploring existing sites to which it could locate both a public safety training center and an Emergency Vehicles Operations Center (EVOC) track.
In October, Gateway announced that it had found a strong site for both facilities – in Burlington, where it would use the former Kmart building for its public safety training center and the ChocolateFest grounds for the EVOC track.
However, local residents – specifically in the subdivision abutting the ChocolateFest grounds – let their feelings be known, circulating petitions and showing up in force at an informational meeting hosted by Gateway in November.
As a result of that meeting – and stressing that the process was still in its preliminary stages, with no fiscal action ready to be taken this year – Gateway announced in December that it was slowing down the process, both to look at alternative sites and to address possible issues raised at the meeting.
GTC Vice President Bill Whyte has maintained, however, that most reaction to the idea of relocating to Burlington has been positive.
No. 7 – Fire study shows cooperation, and conflict
When the city and town of Burlington Fire Departments, as well as the Burlington Area Rescue Squad, entered into a study in the spring of 2013 regarding possible cooperative efforts, all sides conceded that past conflicts could play a part in the results.
The study was completed in November, and addressed those possible conflicts head on.
“Combining efforts will improve services, but it will take individuals to focus on the windshield (future) instead of the rearview mirror (past),” read one of the comments in the study.
And while some items of the study have already been implemented and still others are in the works, one particular suggestion set off another wave of bad feelings when it came up before the city council before everyone had been informed.
The study suggested that paid city fire personnel could serve as first responders, and new Fire Chief Perry Howard brought that before the council in November.
However, while both rescue and fire officials were aware that discussions were ongoing, members of the rescue squad weren’t told specifically of the meeting – or that the council was looking to approve the proposal before the end of the year.
As a result, the second council meeting of December dissolved temporarily into a display of tempers between members of each group. The City Council, meanwhile, told both groups to work together, and unanimously approved the idea of the first responder program for firefighters.
The City of Burlington Police Department also has a first responder program.
No. 8 – Property revaluations lead to drop in tax bills
Property tax bills are an intricate balance of property value, and of course, the mill rate.
So, while the City of Burlington employed a small mill rate increase and the Town of Burlington held its rate steady yet again, tax bills dropped for many this December.
The reason? Property revaluations done earlier in 2013 showed a drop in property value for most homeowners.
The Burlington Area School District anticipated a mill rate increase as well, but ended up not employing one as state aid came in greater than expected this fall.
No. 9 – City hires first full-time fire chief
When long-time City of Burlington Fire Chief Dick Lodle announced he would retire in 2013, the city began an extensive process to find his replacement.
That turned out to be Perry Howard, a former volunteer firefighter with 32 years of experience. He would become the city’s first full-time fire chief.
Howard had most recently served as an assistant fire chief with the Beach Park Illinois Fire Protection District and a lieutenant with the Arlington Heights, Ill. Fire department.
He holds a master’s of business administration and human resource management from the Keller Graduate School of Management, and a bachelor’s degree in fire science management from Southern Illinois University.
He is also a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer program at the National Fire Academy.
No. 10 – BASD bidding policy comes under fire
After a proposed lighting project at Burlington High School came under fire in late 2012 for not being sent to bid, it became clear that fiscal conservancy through competitive bidding would be pursued for most if not all contracts in the future for the Burlington Area School District.
That almost extended to the Thomas Bus Company contract in the spring. The School Board voted in April to send the proposed contract – which was not bid out, and instead relied on local provider Thomas to provide a competitive price – back for further evaluation when some members of the board questioned whether the district could get more for its dollar.
However, after initially saying it would put the contract out for bidding, the district found itself with many community members showing up in support of Thomas Bus Company and its service over the last many years.
While the board eventually made a policy change later in the year to guarantee bidding on most projects, the bus contract came under a “preferred provider” contract that would be exempt from bidding.
“Strategic Alliances: For certain purposes, it may be in the District’s interest to establish an alliance with vendor/vendors able to support District goals. A strategic alliance, once established, shall be honored by all covered operations” was added to the appropriate policy.
-
-
-
-
-