Hang Your Hat: April 21, 2022

Newman responds

It was somewhat jarring to see my name headlined on the front page of the recent April 7 Sun Day, especially next to the word “resigns.” But this letter to the editor is not as much about leaving the Sun City Huntley Board as it is about encouraging candidacies to join it.

In the upcoming October election, five of seven Board positions will be open, with only one elected incumbent eligible to run for re-election. Candidate applications will likely be due in mid-summer, which makes this an excellent time to begin contemplating becoming a candidate.

It might seem paradoxical to be encouraging participation on the Board, given my recent departure. One of the worst consequences of resigning though would be if it deterred others from being interested in Board service, particularly if there are not enough candidates to have a contested election.

Our last five Board elections have all started out as contested elections. Three of them remained contested. But in 2021 and 2018, candidates dropped out very early, triggering an automatic election or “acclamation” because there were only enough candidates to fill each open Board position.

Election by acclamation does not, in my experience, serve Sun City Huntley’s best interests because candidates have no public exchange of views regarding community issues. And there is no opportunity for the community to selectively vote and validate ideas that new candidates introduce in a campaign. Because there is no campaign.

My campaign application last year focused on concepts forming the acronym ACT: Accountability, Communication and Transparency. Unfortunately, election by acclamation left no public forum to discuss ACT principles as they relate to the SCH Board.

Another paradox of my resignation stems from being unable to communicate much about what prompted it. Confidentiality surrounds Board decisions and discussions that are not generated in open meeting sessions, and open meeting decisions were not determining factors in resigning.

Accordingly, ACT concepts are inapplicable to explain the specific contexts necessitating my resignation. But here is the bottom line: Board members have fiduciary duties – one of which is the “Duty of Obedience,” which is interpreted as obligating resignation if a Board member cannot in good conscience support significant Board decisions.

In addition to fiduciary duties, it would be helpful for prospective candidates to be aware of other Board practices and procedures. At the 3/23 Board meeting, Board member Vito Benigno suggested holding an informational forum about Board candidacy prior to the filing deadline, sharing perspectives of Board service and answering questions from prospective candidates. Other Sun City communities have such forums – it seems like a good, if not a best practice.

Please know that I also welcome inquiries from prospective candidates interested in my preparation to be a Board candidate and the transition to being a Board member. My contact information is in recent Lifestyle publications as well as the SCH Resident Directory.

We are privileged to live in a beautiful community capable of greatness. Hopefully, many of you will become/remain involved in furthering our dynamic potential as I look forward to that future possibility again for me.

Barry Newman

Dear Mr. Kerth,

Oh, what responses I anticipate you will receive regarding your

“Florida Man” story.

How dare you reveal the true enemy of the people of this great country of ours!

Shame on you for unveiling the true cause of our discontent, of our “failing democracy“!

You have revealed the identity.

We have met the enemy – and the enemy is us!

Geri Levine
Sun City resident

This is in regards of the column that TR Kerth wrote in the April 7-20 issue about the “Florida Man.” I was wondering what definition TR had for “homophobes”?

I may not agree with what he said, but I will defend his right to say it! But don’t force me to accept what he or other liberals want me to believe. If that is homophobic, then I am homophobic.

Parents raise their children, not the school system or the state. Schools should be teaching the sciences, not gender identification. How can a kindergartener understand gender identification (GI)? Kindergarteners through third grade just want to play. They are not confused about who they are.

These kids might understand what “different” is but not gender identification. All that matters is a small minority of CRT teachers trying to control the whole education system. And yet TR complains about a small minority of parents trying to do something about GI.

What TR witnessed “long ago” was long ago. Society is a lot different than what it was 15 years ago. Organizations are always going to bow to the squeakiest wheel, no matter the size of the wheel. TR talks about “systemic homophobes.” Is it that or are parents standing up to what they believe? I do not agree with TR, but that does not make me homophobic. This is like calling a man “hemophilic” even if he is not interested in women or men.

What is wrong with parents standing up for their convictions? Even a small minority? He will be surprised how many parents will stand up for their beliefs. Don’t mess with the cubs of a mother bear

What right does TR have to call me a “fool?” And that I will be duped by DeSantis’ shenanigans? It is the few leaders in D.C. that are performing shenanigans on the U.S. border, immigration, not giving Ukraine the weapons they need, destruction of the economy, high gas prices, etc.

Thanks for letting me speak my mind.

J.P. Morgan
Sun City resident

I cannot attend the Sun City presentation and tour of Huntley school D-158 on April 25, which will most beneficial to SCCAH. I’m hoping some attending residents would ask the following questions to Dr. Scott Rowe and this board for all SCCAH.

The 2021 property taxes for D-158 paid $79,315,000 (98%) and the school Parents paid $1,400,000, (2%),

The 2021 D-158 surplus dollars was approximately $2,000,000 which of was divided by the (Registration ie: school parents-$700, 000): the (Teachers-$700,000); and the (Property taxes-$700.000): Q1: PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY THE PROPERTY TAX SURPLUS SHOULDN’T BE $2,063,575 PER THE RATIO OF ITEM 1, ABOVE, AND NOT $700,000?

Of the 1,400 Teacher, only 1,107 received the Bonus of $500 from the $700,000 allocated. The total cost was $553,500, The difference was $146,500, which allocated $96,500 to D-158 reserve and $50,000 to the Property Taxes Surplus. Q2: PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY THE SURPLUS OF TOTAL OF $146,500 WAS NOT TOTALLY PROVIDED TO THE PROPERTY TAXES PAYERS RATHER THEN THE $50,000?

Q3: WHEN WILL THE SURPLUS OF PROPERTY TAX GIVEN TO THE PROPERTY TAXE PAYERS? PLEASE EXPLAIN IN DETAIL?

On December 16, 2021, the “D-158 Board approved that the $200,000 home will see an average increase in their (EAV) property value assessment of $49 per year”.

Q4: IF THIS CORRECT, WILL A $300,000 OR $350,000 or $400,000 or $500,000 HOME WITH EAV INCREASE THEIR TAXES FOR D-158 OF $73.56, $85,75, $98.00 and $122,500 RESPECTIVELY? PLEASE CONFIRM

Ronald Ghilardi
Sun City resident

After reading your article REGENCY DEVELOPMENT REVISITED, I spent many hours researching the documents relating to the development.

During the concept review meeting on February 24 with the Village of Huntley, it became apparent that Lynd Development distorted several of the facts. A few of the correct facts are as follows:

1. Lynd Development claims that there is 70% open space in the 39-acre housing development. By doing simple math with the information from the developer, you will find that this not true and it is a blatant attempt to deceive the Village staff and the public.

2. Using the information provided at the meeting and the developer’s letter to the residents of Sun City, you can easily calculate that the proposed housing development has a density of 33.3 units in the buildable area. By comparison, Sun City has an average Density of 4 housing units per buildable acre.

3. Per the Village Ordinances Chapter 156, the project is required to be developed as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) not just a M-2 zoning classification. A PUD development requires a minimum open space area of 50%. The Village Ordinance clearly states that unbuildable area (floodplain land) is not to be counted as open space. Therefore, this development only has about 20% open space rather than the 70% as stated by the developer

4. There are many other items that are contrary to the Regency Square Guidelines and Village Building Planning and Zoning Ordinances, however an explanation of these issues is best left to the required Public Hearing at a future Building Planning and Zoning Board meeting

There are many other negative concerns by the residents of Huntley. Some of those concerns are:

• A substantial decrease in the value of many of the Sun City homes.

• The realtors will be required to disclose to prospective buyers that there is this large proposed multi-family development being built near the rear of the houses in Sun City Neighborhood 7. When the homeowners purchased their Sun City homes, they believed that there would be a Business Park adjacent to their property. This Business Park would be one-story buildings serving the Sun City residents with a maximum height of 25 feet built in a “Park Like” setting, similar to the existing buildings located along Farm Hill Road in the area… Is this now becoming sort of a bait and switch situation?

• There will be increased traffic with much of it through the streets of Dell Webb Sun City.

• The residents of the proposed development using the Sun City private facilities such as fishing in Wild Flower Lake, attending the Sun City private outdoor concerts, use of Sun City bike paths, possible use of our swimming pools, tennis courts and bocce ball courts etc.

• Loud noise 24/7

• Transient occupancy

• Safety concerns particularly for the disadvantaged residents of Deer Path, Heritage Woods and Alden.

• Additional work for our police department handling domestic disputes, barking dogs and other typical multiple housing complaints.

• More potential demands on our fire department.

Therefore, the question is: What is the benefit to Sun City and the other residents of the Village of Huntley? The answer is NONE.

Notwithstanding the above, there are several positive reasons for keeping the zoning and development as stated in REGENCY SQUARE DESIGN GUIDELINES.

• Increased safety particularly the folks in the assisted living facilities

• Less traffic in the area

• Local additional retail businesses so that our residents have closer shopping. This is absolutely necessary to help the residents of the assisted living facilities who many times have to cross busy Highway 47 to satisfy their basic needs.

• Increased revenue from real estate taxes and sales taxes generated by the retail and commercial businesses.

• The creating additional revenue for our schools without the burden of school expenses.

• Less demand and expenses for the Village Fire and Police departments.

• Quiet in most of the Business District at about 6 p.m.

• Quiet and minimal traffic in most the Commercial District after 9 p.m.

Therefore, it must be clearly understood that this Lynd Development is not even close to being a DONE DEAL as many of the residents of Huntley and Sun City believe.

Respectfully submitted,

Ron Saballus
Sun City resident

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