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Resident Gerry Feldman urges transparency on $288,000 library lease and OneNorth tax assessment
Summary
During public comment at the July 18 meeting, resident Gerry Feldman accused village leaders of a lack of transparency about a planned $288,000 annual library lease, alleged a $2 million funding gap and a $4.143 million OneNorth assessment reduction tied to TIF misuse, and asked trustees for detailed financial disclosures; trustees did not respond in the minutes.
Gerry Feldman, a Bayside resident of 133 E. Glencoe Place, used the public-comment period on July 18, 2024, to press trustees for detailed information about a planned library lease and the fiscal impacts of the OneNorth project.
"What is the status of the $288,000 annual library lease set to begin next month, and how do you plan to address the $2 million funding gap?" Feldman asked. He alleged the village has lost "over $194,000" related to a claimed $4.143 million OneNorth assessment reduction that he described as locked in for 22 years "thanks to TIF law misuse." Feldman said there had been no communication about OneNorth since April 2023 and requested specifics, including when a $26,000 monthly rent would commence, which municipalities had approved the rent, how much of the cited $2 million gap has been pledged and is on hand, whether $820,000 held by the Library Foundation contributes to the gap, and how much more is needed to begin construction on the library space.
Feldman framed these as ongoing transparency issues, asserting there had been a lack of fundraising updates for more than a year and criticizing the board's responsiveness. He also alleged censorship of dissenting voices on neighborhood social media and said prior concerns about OneNorth led one trustee not to seek reelection. The transcript records no reply from trustees or staff to Feldman's comments.
The items Feldman cited (the $288,000 lease, the $2 million funding gap, the $4.143 million OneNorth assessment reduction, the $26,000 monthly rent, and the $820,000 Library Foundation funds) appear only in his public comment in the minutes; the board minutes do not provide corroborating documentation or subsequent answers at this meeting. Those numeric claims are presented here as the resident's assertions and were not verified in the minutes provided.
The board has not recorded a response in the public minutes; the meeting moved on to other agenda items. Residents seeking verification or detail on the items Feldman raised should request documentation from village administration or ask the board to place the matter on a future agenda.
