Village News

The Village News section includes news and updates that are taking place throughout Barrington Hills. We will be updating this page from time to time as news changes and as old news becomes outdated. If you have a newsworthy event you would like the Communications Committee to know about and consider posting on VBHComm.info, please contact us. If you no longer see news, check the Archives, Photo Gallery or History Pages.

Information about Ordinances that have gone into effect in the past two years is mentioned below. All Ordinances can be found by going to the www.barringtonhills-il.gov site and clicking on Village Code.

Summer Storms Impact Barrington Hills

Stay Connected for News You can Use

The Village of Barrington Hills was affected by a severe storm which included 80 mph winds on the morning of July 11, 2011. Power was lost to many of our residents along with more than three quarters of a million others in the greater Chicagoland area. Power restoration spanned 6 days and during that interval the Village Hall took unprecedented measures opening up an Emergency Operations Center. The Village Hall was surrounded by portable generators from all of the major carriers with facilities onsite such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon plus the village had its their own generators running.

Police alerts came from the Village's Blackboard Connect Community Alerting system letting residents know of the intersections without power at stoplights. Trees were down across village roads, public and private. The village deployed crews to remove trees from village roads so the power crews could get through to do their work when they arrived. Private lane residents worked diligently on their fallen trees to be able to get in and out of their lanes.

Most residents need power to support their well and septic systems so they can get water and remove it from their homes. Many homeowners do not have generators and thus could get no water to their homes. Mike Zachar, a resident and member of the Communications Committee, suggested the village staff attach a simple garden hose to the Village Hall spigot. Using word of mouth, alerts, Tweets and communications via the Barrington Patch online newsletter, the communications worked. Residents lined up with buckets to get what the water needed for necessities.

Important to note: If you missed the Tweets or the Community Alerts, you may not be signed up for your interactive Village communications services. ComEd has a proactive alerting service. The Government News page has actionable information posted online: Please go to: http://www.barringtonhills-il.gov/news.html. The Police Pages have an Alert section http://www.vbhpd.net/alerts/past-alerts/, with the Alert History and a sign up process. Click here for Twitter Sign-up.

We realize many means of communication were not working during the outage. Diversify your communications capabilities and optimize the success of managing necessities during these extraordinary events. Please share photos suitable for posting. We have heard stories of neighbors helping neighbors to get generators going, and to get necessities. Thanks to our local heroes. Remember, ComEd may be taking down service for short intervals to make permanent repairs and during those times, you may experience added brief power disruptions. Before you restock those clean and empty refrigerators, check with ComEd to be sure the power in your area is stable.

McHenry County Planning and Zoning Meetings

Open Spaces - Water Management - Lighting - Wind Tunnels

April 6, 2011

McHenry County started a series of public meetings related to future county zoning ordinances on April 6, 2011 at the County Administration Building in Woodstock Illinois. Hundreds of county residents came out to voice their concerns about any potential changes to open spaces, agricultural land, and equestrian properties. Residents expressed concerns about having a voice on future zoning ordinances for the incorporated and unincorporated parts of the county. The meetings are being held to address upgrading zoning regulations to align with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan which was approved in 2010.

Barrington Hills Trustee Elaine Ramesh spoke briefly during the Open Comments portion of the meeting. . Village Administrator Robert Kosin was in attendance and a few Barrington Hills residents attended to hear the proposals.

Barrington Hills is in four Counties, McHenry, Kane, Cook and Lake. The western border of Barrington Hills was a major topic of debate in the recent elections. Resident who want a voice in many issues such as cell towers, water management, wind turbine technology and external lighting will find these proceedings important. McHenry County will be developing Ordinances based in their findings and the recommendations of the residents to be approved by the McHenry County Board. For more details and and to learn how to participate now, go to:
. http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/countyboard/Documents/McH%20Co%20Public%20Wkshp.pdf

Village Election Trustees 2011

Barrington Hills - Village Board
Four Year Term: Karen Selman, Joe Messer and Patty Meroni
Two Year term: Skip Gianopulos

2011 Village News

The Village Newsletter is issued as many as three time a year. The Village Calendar is updated as often as new events and activities and public meetings are ready to announce. The Website portal is changed Quarterly for the seasons, with interesting news in each major segment, Government, Community and Police.

Highlights from the 2011 Presidents and Trustees articles cover many important topics that have had residents coming to special meetings in record numbers.

The following information is a summary or copy of the news you have received in your Winter Newsletter. Going to meetings and volunteering for the many committees and commissions is an important part of village life. This is your village. Contact the officials via phone or email. All of the email addresses start with the first initial and last name of the member with a few exceptions. For example clerk@barringtonhills-il.gov is the way to reach the Village clerk for any official questions.

The Village News section of this website covers Committees, Technology, and Hot Topics among other items as can be seen in the pull down menu on each page.

President Abboud - Japanese Nuclear Challenges

Taken from "The Patch"

"It has been more than a month since a devastating earthquake and monster tsunami rocked the country of Japan. While Barrington residents, like most Americans, have watched helplessly as the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant grows, one Barrington [Hills] area man has the unique capability to become part of the solution."

“We have been in contact with members of the Japanese Atomic Industrial Forum, who in turn relays information to the prime minister’s office,” said Bob Abboud, President of RGA Labs, a nuclear engineering research and design firm housed in Barrington Hills. “About once or twice a day we get a download from the JAIF about what’s going on and then we provide our advice.” Click on the headlines for this article.

Winter 2011 President's Message

Once again, winter is upon us and the Village has been transformed into a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. While the cold weather is always a challenge, the Village in winter is always such an incredible place.

Taxes and Budget: In December 2010, the Village authorized the new tax level and budget allocations. For 2011, the Village will not be raising taxes. This is the first year since the early 70’s the Village has not raised its property tax levy. This year’s total budget is $8,348,482, which is $189,184 less than last year. The 2010 levy for your 2011 property tax bill is $6,565,268. By comparison, the 2009 levy (2010 property taxes) was $6,565,291. The Village was able to maintain this budget through reorganization of staffing schedules and other operational efficiencies which allow us to make up for normal year-to-year increases in costs, typically 2-5%, for goods and services. Note that the Village does not use tax rates for its levy. We levy on actual cash requirements. This ensures complete transparency of revenues and actual expenditures. Most communities levy on a rate, allowing increases in assessments to provide for more revenue without changing the rate. This creates an unseen tax increase each year. The Village has little discretionary spending, with the vast majority of the budget going to police operations, fixed labor costs, and road building and maintenance.

Separately, the Village is continuing to work on the various county tax billing problems where particularly McHenry County issued 2010 property tax bills that were inconsistent with the Village’s (as well as other districts’) levy. Although the Village does not have the statutory authority to control tax bills, I am working on addressing this problem which I detailed in previous newsletter articles. We are expecting to see a correction in the 2011 tax bills. If you believe your bill is in error, please contact our Treasurer Rosemary Ryba at (847) 551-3002 so we can continue to track these problems. Email: treasurer@barringtonhills-il.gov

Cell Antennas and Fiber Communications: The Village has been working to improve the cellular communications infrastructure. Over the last 18 months, we have been working with American Tower to install 23 small distributed antennas and associated fiber backbone. This DAS system was turned on in December and assists commercial calls as well as our police and engineering staff. Additionally, the Village received 4 dark fiber strands in the backbone as part of the agreement. This infrastructure is planned for future use, ultimately allowing Village residents to connect to the Internet via ultrahigh bandwidth fiber instead of Comcast cable or copper phone lines. This effort was done without cost to the Village and is highlighted in a Daily Herald article http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110108/news/7010 99908/

Police Union Negotiations: We are continuing discussions regarding the police union contract. Twelve of our patrol officers are represented by the Metropolitan Alliance of Police (MAP). The sergeants, lieutenants, and dispatch personnel are all non-union. On the table are salary, benefits, insurance, and working conditions. The Village is continuing to control costs and pension obligations while maintaining the high level of police protection. If you are wondering what dealing with the MAP union is like, take a look at their spring news letter:http://www.mapunion.org/rapsheets/Spring10forweb.pdf. While this is a difficult process to be sure, these negotiations are not affecting the performance of our department or the safety and security of our community. Our department continues to be a nationally recognized leader and CALEA certified department to which the current manual is dedicated.

Lighting: The Village Board is continuing to carefully and thoroughly evaluate the lighting ordinance draft we received from the ZBA. Trustee Gohl, Trustee Knoop, Trustee Messer and I have requested a substantial number of modifications to the proposed draft after hearing public comment and Board discussion. In short, we want to ensure that we do not impose any restrictions on existing residential lighting, and that we protect private property rights, and security. At the same time, we want to ensure the protection of residents from nuisances, usually from building operations, and the support of the Comprehensive Plan. I cannot overstate the importance of our Comprehensive Plan and its basis for defining our character. I expect that this issue will come to resolution at the January Board meeting. You can view the Plan at http://www.barringtonhillsil. gov/pdf/VBHComprehensivePlan_Complete.pdf

Snow plowing: Through our Cuba Township snow plowing contract, the Village is making sure that our roads stay clear. We coordinate efforts and operations with Tom Gooch, Cuba Township Road Commissioner, in order to minimize costs and maximize road safety. If you have any concerns about snow plowing, please contact our Police Dispatch at 911 or contact me directly.

CN: With the execution of our agreement with the Canadian National Railway (CN), a number of upgrades have been executed and more are progressing along. CN has been very responsive to the Village’s requests. If you have any concerns about the CN operations, please contact me directly so we can address your concerns as quickly as possible.

Hackmatack: The US Fish and Wildlife Service has recently initiated a study to evaluate the possibility of establishing the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge would be located on a section of land of more than 30,000 acres in McHenry and Lake Counties in Illinois and the two adjoining counties in Wisconsin. The study area is more than 350,000 acres. The review process is expected to take 1-2 years. The Hackmatack will be part of the National Wildlife Refuge System which is a national network of public lands set aside specifically to protect wild animals and plants. Found in all 50 states and five U.S. territories and encompassing 95 million acres, 560 refuges currently exist. National Wildlife Refuges are special places with significant natural resources where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquires land and/or conservation easements. The National Wildlife Refuge System was created in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt with Florida’s 5.5 acre Pelican Island named the first refuge.

The name ‘Hackmatack’ comes from the common reference to the American Tamarack tree which is a deciduous conifer native to the area. The tree is the inspiration for the proposed reserve. The Village is in contact with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to support their efforts and help to integrate land planning efforts, and to facilitate the boundaries of the planning area. As with many other large scale regional conservation plans, the Village is working to coordinate our land use with that of the Hackmatack and investigate possible joint efforts. I will have more about the Hackmatack and our participation in the next newsletter. You can see more about the Hackmatack at:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/Hackmatack/index.html

More of the Village operations are featured in the rest of the newsletter and I encourage you to read through it. Please remember that our commissions and Board members are made up of your neighbors. The work our commissions are doing is difficult and they need your cooperative input. Let’s work together in preserving this unique community that is shared by us all. I encourage you to continue to communicate directly with the Trustees and me. We need your feedback and ideas. I invite you to attend our regular Board and committee meetings and get involved. I can be reached directly either by e-mail or phone and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,
Robert G. Abboud
President, Village of Barrington Hills
Village Hall Office: 847-551-3000
Home: 847-381-8174
Cell: 847-921-1932
president@barringtonhills-il.gov

Winter 2011 Trustee News on Committee Page

Older Important News:

McHenry County Draft 2030 Comprehensive Plan

April 20, 2010 Meeting

McHenry County is about to ink the final version of their 2030 Comprehensive Plan. Tuesday night April 20 is a critical meeting in McHenry County at the Courthouse in Woodstock at 7:30 p.m. The plan describes how parcels of undeveloped property within the county should be developed, for the next thirty years. The draft 2030 plan document can be viewed at www.mchenrycounty2030plan.com.

Please review the draft immediately with the summary analysis in mind and take action. Contact the four McHenry County District 1 representatives for Barrington Hills. The Village News Home page carries their names and telephone reach numbers along with the most critical reasons to participate now. The following items are only a few of the reasons to do your own analysis and take action. The whole plan is available for review and comment online. So far, the voices of our Administrators and Trustees have gone unheeded in the draft document. Residents voices made a huge difference in past challenges with McHenry County. Step up and be heard again. You can make the difference!

• The plan may open the doors to new development proposals contrary to the interests of the village as a whole.
• The draft 2030 plan characterizes our land use pattern as an "estate" use, yet does not recognize that there are agricultural pursuits including raising livestock, organic gardening, and equestrian activities taking place in "estate" property.
• The plan also calls for only one way to create new subdivisions, referred to as "conservation design". This is in fact the same as what is also referred to as cluster housing.
• We believe that the Barrington Hills pattern of land use is also a form of conservation design, as it decreases impervious surfaces, has a greater percentage of treetops, and facilitates groundwater recharge more so than dense housing does. BACOG Water Initiative.

McHenry County Board Members
District 1 - Barrington Hills Included

Yvonnne M. Barnes - 847-516-2719
335 Claire Ln., Cary IL  60013 Term Exp. December 2010

Marc Munaretto-815-385-5590 (ofc) or 847-658-9309
662 W. Surrey Ln., Algonquin, IL 60102 Term Exp. December 2012

Anna May Miller-847-639-5112 (ofc) 847-639-2700
1415 E. Main St. Rd, Cary, IL 60013 Term Exp. December 2010

Robert Bless-847-516-1337
709 Hunters Way, Fox River Grove, IL 60021 Term Exp. December 2012

Fresh Look at Water

Robert Abboud
Village President

Most of us take drawing a glass of cool water from our faucet or stepping into a hot shower for granted. If you live in Barrington Hills, or any of the surrounding communities, you know that your water probably comes from a well. If you live in Barrington proper, your water comes from the village municipal system which also draws its water from wells drilled into the same local aquifers.

For the past 200 years we’ve used this underground aquifer reliably and with little thought to sustainability. That is, until recently. A number of recent studies show that we are stressing the ground water aquifers around the Chicago region. In fact, water supplies from all sources, including Lake Michigan and the Fox River, are under stress.

The most notable studies are:

• The 3-dimensional ground water mapping done by the Barrington Area
Council of Governments
• The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) regional water
supply report
• The Metropolitan Planning Council water supply report.
All of these reports point to the same conclusion: As we grow population, we
are using water at a rate that is not sustainable. Thus, groundwater supplies
cannot be guaranteed beyond 2050.

Though 2050 sounds like a very long time from now, this is barely a blink of an eye in the utility and infrastructure building worlds. Water and electric utilities routinely plan for 50-year time frames. The roads, power, and water systems you use today were planned and built decades ago. These reports suggest we must begin to make changes to the way we use, recharge, and protect the aquifers that have supplied us all these years. Many people think the water we use is primordial and comes from deep underground reservoirs of ancient glacial water. This is not the case in the Barrington area. Our ground water is supplied from surface water seeping and filtering into the shallow aquifers, typically 150 feet deep. This water is anywhere from months to decades old.

Community leaders including mayors, members of industry, and specialists from government and academia have been meeting to discuss how we will address these issues. The focus is on water use and well management, waste water management, and aquifer protection and recharge through low density zoning and storm water management. We need to address the basic governance issue: Should we manage water issues locally, regionally, state wide, at the federal level, or not at all? Most of us prefer local management of resource and community issues to minimize the impact of “outside big government”. Yet problems like ground water will demand significant dollars and resources for research and management. The expense and expertise required are beyond the capacity of many local governments. Additionally, aquifers do not respect any boundaries. That means communities must work together. Therefore, we can expect that regional pacts will form made up of local jurisdictions. The model for this strategy is the council of government, such as the Barrington Area Council of Governments. Several councils might become allies to work on solutions specific to their own region.

The Barrington Area Council of Governments has been active on this issue for nearly a decade, including working with other COGs. Most recently, the council delivered a state-of-the-art ground water survey assessing some 100,000 lines of data from 27,000 well logs covering 600 square miles. The study analyzes the ground strata every five feet from surface to bedrock. This kind of effort could not have been accomplished by any one community. The most important aspect of this issue will be to refrain from overly politicizing it. There will most certainly be the temptation for turf battles, accusations of conspiracy, and political action committees, much as there was over the fluoridation of municipal water in the 1950s and 60s. While the science and technology will be daunting, the real challenge will be whether, and how, we choose to work together as communities with a common goal: plentiful clean fresh water today and long into the future.

Reprinted from Quintessential Barrington Magazine

SB 189 - FOIA and OMA News

Link from here to the Village News Committee Page.

Distracted Driving Laws Aim To Improve Traffic Safety

On January 1, 2010, several new laws went into effect in Illinois which limit the use of cell phones while driving. The laws were passed in response to growing evidence that driving while using a cell phone poses a serious distraction and reduces driver performance and can increase your chance of getting into an accident by 400 percent. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that driver distraction from all sources contributes to 25 percent of all police-reported traffic crashes.

• Drivers are now prohibited from using cell phones in school or construction zones unless using a hands-free device.
• Anyone operating a motor vehicle is also prohibited from using an electronic communication device, like such as a cellular telephone, Blackberry or computer, to compose, send or read electronic (text) messages. This law does not apply to global positioning systems (GPS), navigation systems, or devices that are physically or electronically integrated into the motor vehicle.

Details on both laws can be obtained from the Illinois Secretary of State's Office www.cyberdriveillinois.com and from the Illinois Department of Transportation website www.dot.state.il.us.

Barrington Hills is Officially on Twitter

The Village Board of Trustees approved a Twitter site for official Village use. A brief article appeared in the Fall 2009 Newsletter. The official name: www.twitter.com/BarrHills_IL. Go online to sign up for messages that can be delivered to your computer, mobile phone or smart phone. Use this an another means to keep up with short announcements. Twitter does not replace the Village Blackboard CTY Police notification system for emergencies and will not be duplicating Police news.

Village Website Integration Project Team

The new overarching Portal for the Barrington Hills website was launched in November with the Fall images provided by Laura S. Ekstrom, the winning designer for the Portal Page. Each season, residents and visitors to the site can expect a change of images and improvements in the connecting pages.

Background: The Board of Trustees authorized a Website Integration Project (WIP) to commence on June 22, 2009. Efforts are underway to Integrate the Government, Police and this Community Website using a new Portal Page for access through any and all of the URL's currently in use to get mandatory and optional information to the public on demand. The Illinois Legislature passed SB 189 on May 28, 2009. Governor Quinn signed the bill. It goes into effect January 1, 2010.

The proposed bill makes sweeping changes in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Open Meetings Act (OMA). A comprehensive review of the websites includes ensuring the Village of Barrington Hills is on target to meet the requirements of the legislation.

Animal Shelter Ordinance

See Ordinance Section Below on this Page.

Village Cellular Coverage News

The topic of Cellular Phone coverage and service levels has been a Hot Topic for several years within the Village. In 2009, a new technology was introduced to enhance service levels for customers of Cellular Carriers who use the technology, Digital Antenna System, DAS. The Village approved resolutions in 2009 for the construction of DAS equipment along Village Roads and at the Village Hall. . Cellular information and news can be found on the Technology Page.

Census 2010 - Results coming in 2011

The 2010 Census is one of the most important events for the Village of Barrington Hills. Final results have not arrived. We will change the website once we have the 2010 numbers and links to connect you to the latest profile of the village. Thanks to Vicki Kelly for her leadership in Census Communications in 2010. A big thanks goes to all residents for their participation.

Longmeadow Parkway Corridor

Project and Description

The Longmeadow Parkway Fox River Bridge Corridor is a proposed four-lane Fox River Bridge crossing and four-lane arterial roadway corridor with a median, approximately 5.6 miles in length, to alleviate traffic congestion in northern Kane County. The proposed road passes through portions of the Villages of Algonquin, Carpentersville and Barrington Hills, as well as unincorporated areas of Kane County.

Special Hot Topics Page will have added news as it becomes available.

CTY – Automatic Police Emergency Notification System

When Barrington Hills police learn of events in the village they quickly try to warn residents. If you didn’t receive a call or an e-mail from a recent event, it’s because you still need to sign up for this free notification service. It’s easy to do! Simply log onto the village web site at www.barringtonhills-il.gov. By clicking on the link called CTY in the upper right corner of the front page, residents will be directed to give their address, phone, e-mail and text message information. When a situation arises, the police chief submits messages to the CTY service, which then disseminates the news to the contact information on file. You can name someone else to receive your messages if you are not in town.

Typically, police actions, traffic accidents, road closures are sent via CTY notification. The contact information you submit is not used for ANY other purpose and, because it is managed by a private company, it is not accessible to village officials or anyone else making a Freedom of Information Act request. Additionally, you only need fill out the data pertinent to your preferred method of contact. Sign up today, so you don’t miss out on the next warning that could be a lifesaver.

Remember:
• If you change your phone(s) or email address(es), update CTY.
• CTY now can send SMS, i.e., Text Messages, so CTY MVBF 4 NUS

Look for this Icon on the www.barringtonhills-il.gov website. It will lead you to the update process!

 

Heritage Tree Preservation Ordinance

Spring is the busiest times for year for clean up and removal of trees that may have fallen or died due to storm activity. The Heritage Ordinance does not cover dead trees or small trees. Larger trees are critical to the environment and this Ordinance addresses the protected trees and the actions required by a resident before planning removal of trees on their property.

INTENT AND PURPOSE: The intent of this [ordinance] is to ensure the presence and continuation of Heritage Trees, a special resource throughout the Village of Barrington Hills by requiring sound forestry practices and preventing storm water runoff and topsoil erosion. It is also the intent of this section to promote and educate our residents as to the importance, protection and existence of Heritage Trees. Residents of the Village will then continue to enjoy all the benefits of living in the unique environment of Barrington Hills, because the Village strives to protect the health, safety and welfare of its residents from situations in which may substantially alter the environment. This will be accomplished by regulating how such trees may be removed and replaced, whether as a result of building construction or as a result of landscaping activity only.

To see the ordinance:
http://66.113.195.234/IL/Barrington%20Hills/index.htm (type "heritage tree" in search box). Residents are encouraged to check the Ordinance before authorizing or performing Tree removal. The following Table provides insight into the types of trees covered by this ordinance. In case a resident sees someone potentially violating the Ordinance, a call should be made to the Village Police Department non emergency number (847) 551 3006. You can also download the Heritage Tree Table document to learn more about tree preservation.

Target Shooting Ordinance

The Board of Trustees passed an amendment to the Target Shooting Ordinance at its November 19th, 2007 meeting. Go to www.barringtonhills-il.gov. Click on the Village Code and Search for the Weapons Code which includes the revised Target Shooting Range and use Ordinance.

Open Burning of Landscape Waste Ordinance

In the Village of Barrington Hills, an outdoor fire is permitted for the disposal of landscape waste upon the premises where it is produced. No more than one bonfire may occur at any one time and it must be constantly attended.

Burning Order Amendment


With summer coming to an end, residents will soon begin fall clean-up on their properties. For many of us, that also means burning of landscape debris, including leaves, grass, cuttings from shrubbery and trees only.

Homeowners who plan to burn are reminded that the Board of Trustees approved several amendments to the Villages long-standing Open Burning ordinance at their April 28th meeting. Below is a summary of the new ordinance.

• The location of the fire shall be no less than 100 feet from any structure.
• No more than one fire at one time shall be allowed on the premises.
• The fire must be constantly attended to by the resident with a shovel or rake
until the fire is extinguished.
• Appropriately rated fire extinguishers or garden hoses shall be available for immediate use.
• The fire cannot exceed 5 feet x 5 feet x 5 feet in dimension.
• Burning can only take place between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.,
• Burning can be done for no more than 3 hours total in any 24 hour period.
• Appropriate precautions must be taken to control the blowing of ashes or
cinders from the burn site.

Most importantly, please exercise common sense – avoid burning on windy days, and be considerate of the neighbors! Go to Barrington Hills Government site to the Ordinances for Building Codes, Burning Section.

Good Neighbor Leaf Burning Tips

Landline Phone Requirement

Old Ordinance - Worth a Review

No matter how long we have been residents, it seems there is always something new to learn about our Village Code. There is an Ordinance that was established some time ago to enhance public safety.

" In order to provide optimal service to the public when calling 9-1-1 for emergency assistance, each household in the Village is required to maintain at a minimum one land based telephone line served by a Telecommunications Carrier who provides true land based 9-1-1 service which delivers both the call and the information regarding the callers address/location automatically to the Village Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). AT&T and Comcast, because they use AT&T's 9-1-1 service, are the land based service providers who qualify to meet the Ordinance."

If in doubt, call the Police Department at (847) 551-3006, and ask if you can set up a 9-1-1 test call from your phone(s), cellular and land based, using your own Service Provider(s).

As you may know, having a phone that works even during a power outage is also essential to your service reliability.

The Village continues to be at the forefront of technology in the 9-1-1 PSAP Center, enhancing the capabilities as Cellular and VoIP Service Providers enter the Market. As many as 60% of the calls for 9-1-1 go to the Police Dispatchers from Cellular Phones.

Reference is taken from Section 4-2-2(E) of the Barrington Hills Village Code:
 
Fire Protection Systems/Supervision (Section 1020.0).
"1020.3 Emergency Number Telephone System. Notification of the need for emergency services shall be accomplished by a caller through dialing the digits  9-1-1 on a wired line in the public switched telephone network. The telephone connection will originate from the caller's location and terminate at the Barrington Hills police safety answering point, where the telecommunicator will receive a voice connection, call back number and service address of the location of the caller.(Ord. 03-17, 8-25-2003)"