While D99 did not keep a ledger specifically for legal costs surrounding the six year D99/Woodridge cage match, FOIA Officer and D99 Controller Mark Staehlin, as expected, had some solid numbers on legal fees paid specific to the lawsuit:
- Paid in the three fiscal years from 2004/5 through 2006/7 for meetings and negotiations- $241,061
- Paid in the three fiscal years from 2006/7 through 2009-10 for trial and appeal- $526,058
Total legal costs up through this weeks meeting: $767,119
Add that into Woodridge’s estimated costs of $800,000 and the bill comes to well over $1.5 million.
Hold these elected officials responsible for their hubris and waste. Time for a CHANGE!
Wow…just wow!! What are these elected officials thinking? What is the political make up of this group?
I’m curious as to what Woodridge residents think, since they are paying for the roughly $800K in fees that the village spent, plus contributing to the $767K that District 99 spent.
The election for Woodridge village officials may be more interesting than the eleciton for the District 99 Board.
I know this is not on point, or on target, and is self serving, and an utterly shameful way to promote a wonderful, super, and oh yes, very worthwhile event.
Downers Grove Noon Lions Club’s Labor of Love 5K race/walk and a kids 1K (recommended for 10 and under) , live music, great food, many prizes on Labor Day, Sept 6th, 8AM. on flat, and by the way smooth surfaced streets near McCollum Park (pat on the back to us, being the DG Noon Lions, for bringing attention to the many pot holes on Bonnie Brae St. which is now being re-paved). Visit the greatest website ever designed http://WWW.5KLaborOfLove.Org
Call me crazy and living on the edge, but I am not going to spell check this disturbing way to get a little free promotion. Thaat OK beccuase I am a realy bery good speeller,
I let that one slide, George. Wait until the DGPatch launches — you’ll be able to put up events such as this anytime you want.
Here’s what has me chuckling. Someone of authority in Woodridge was quoted as saying the Village is looking forward to working with District 99 in the future.
Really?
They think that they can just “kiss and make up” with District 99?
Maybe Woodrige should build thier own High School with thier new land windfall? DG could always hire a consultant or other such panel of paid experts to find out if they should or not
KellyDGM, Woodridge already has 2 high schools and their high school board has already hired consultants who determined that they do not need another high school!
When Woodridge started their “Keepgreenspacegreen” campaign many years ago, they were lying from the beginning as this land will be used for their public works complex, not just greenspace. Woodridge was trying to devalue the land by stating that it was just greenspace and could not be built on.
Woodridge was also trying to strongarm District 99 into getting the land for around 7.5 million dollars. This is what started the fireworks. Eventually Woodridge was offering over 8 million. Now it looks like D99 is getting over 14 million after going to litigation. Seems they won. You all seem to think D99 lost. THEY GOT “MILLIONS” MORE THEN THEY WOULD HAVE RECEIVED IF THEY JUST SAT ON THEIR HANDS!!! Does anyone on here really think that Woodridge was just going to up their offer six million without litigation???
Sure D99 wanted more money (22 million), but we all want as much as we can get. If I felt my house was worth $500,000.00 and the village was trying to take it for $200,000.00 you can sure bet that I would fight it. I am not saying that I agree with everything this board is doing, but I think the Woodridge Board and their LYING has been more than slimy.
Several people here seem to have no grasp of the history of this site, originally slated for a 3rd D99 high school. This high school was voted down in referendum in the 90′s. Woodridge residents rejected it overwhelmingly, the rest of the district approved it, but not by a large margin, and not by enough to carry the proposal.
Why doesn’t Woodridge want its own high school? Leaders said they didn’t want the town to be “walled off” by itself. Others elsewhere in the district said this seemed to indicate that the town preferred to leech off the name “Downers Grove” in its high schools, rather than risk poor perception of a “Woodridge High School.”
Ever since, D99 has worked hard to have its schools called simply North and South High Schools, rather than “Downers Grove” North and South.
That’s some rationalizing and rewriting of history you’re trying to wrangle there. Good luck with that.
I think calling our schools CCSD 99 North and South is a cop out. We should put up new signs to show Downers Grove North and South instead. I don’t really care if Woodridge residents go to our schools. They are still in Downers Grove. Either that or you rename the schools for historical figures and get rid of the village nama altogether. Just my take on it.
Just my recollection, but the 1997 referendum was the third time voters rejected the proposal to build a third high school. That’s a pretty clear signal.
D99 probably should have had the land appraised by a professional (which is what Woodridge did) rather than marketed by a realtor.
Dear Sideline Observer, I’m not rationalizing anything. I have no horse in this game. I’m merely recounting facts. Which of them am I rewriting? Which of them is inaccurate?
All one needs to do is go online and look at the test scores of all the the Junior Highs and Middle Schools that feed into D99 and you will see that Jefferson Jr High has by far the lowest scores. This was brought up before that last referendum in 97 which is why D99 created some weird map where it would not have been just Woodridge kids going to Woodridge High. There were sections of Downers Grove that would have gone to Woodridge. Still, having the lowest test scores around is not a good selling point for Woodridge homes and so Woodridge came out en mass to oppose the 3rd school.
Mr Thoman, as far as a professional appraisal being done, it was not that easy. Woodridge was trying to say the land was useless greenspace. Basic farm land that you could not build on and therefor not worth anything. D99 was saying that it was Prime Real Estate that could house a multi family development and therefor worth a lot of money. There was a not a lot of middle ground. Then Woodridge sticks this letter in D99′s face saying that they MUST sell the land to them because of some agreement in 197?. They were saying we are the only people you are allowed to sell this land to and we will only give you $8 million and you have no other choice.
D99 went for the Realtor route and there was some company out there that was will to pay $22++ million for the land to put multi family housing.
To say this is D99′s fault is a little off. Woodridge played dirty from the very beginning and D99 did not back down….nor should they have.
“D99 went for the Realtor route and there was some company out there that was will to pay $22++ million for the land to put multi family housing. ”
Who’s playing dirty here, considering that the land was not zoned for multi family housing?
RIGHT!!!!!!!! It was not zoned for multi family housing. It was zoned to stay useless greenspace. Woodridge did everything they could do in order to “DEVALUE” the land.
Of course Woodridge will change the zoning for themselves when they go and build their public works building, but Woodridge was trying to keep the value of the land low cuz they wanted to land, but they wanted it cheap.
It appears the jury basically split the figures in the middle.
Woodridge did everything they could have possibly done in order to get that land bargain basement.
Every their “Keepgreenspacegreen” grassroot campaign was actually started by the Woodridge Village Hall, and not by citizens.
Test scores are the reason the D99 BOE wasted millions of taxpayers dollars fighting to prolong a mess? And here I thought all along it was an ill-advised and poorly executed attempt to market the land for something it was neither zoned or intended for, bypassing an existing right of first refusal.
You may want to inspect the microfiches at the library for the correct sequence of events as reported by the local papers as it occurred. I have. And read the court records. I have. You appear to have a grasp of facts unknown to the Circuit Court of DuPage County, to the 2nd Appeals Court of Northern Illinois, and to the D99 BOE itself, as verified in sworn testimony given by the board members.
The Illinois Division of Professional Regulation regulates Licensed Real Estate Appraisers, as well as Certified Residential Real Estate Appraisers, and Certified General Real Estate Appraisers. I have used both of the latter two and found them to be…professional and able to prepare well-researched appraisals of land value.
It is that easy. If you don’t know of one the state will give you a list of them in your area along with their credentials. To cast appraisers as bribable hacks is an insult to a licensed profession; disingenuous at it’s most charitable.
As for the rest, I leave that to the puppets to churn.
Could I prove in Court that Woodridge will rezone the land (making it worth more money). No. Neither can the board. Will it be rezoned and big buildings built on it. Only time will tell. But I would put my money on that one.
The last offer Woodridge gave for the land was 10 million. Where is the waste when we now get 14 plus $550,000 in interest?? After legal fees the BOE made money by fighting the condemnation of the land. It is simple math. I do not need to pour through microfische to figure that out.
http://robertbrandt.homestead.com/files/99091406.pdf
I never insulted or suggested bribing an appraiser. Not sure why you would go there.
The issue here has always been Greenspace vs buildable land. Woodridge is the one that says it cannot be built on, thereby keeping the value of the land low.
ROTFLMAO. Mt are you arguing with puppets again? Weren’t you going to let the puppets argue amongst themselves?
“The issue here has always been Greenspace vs buildable land.”
Dilbert, you’re using vague terms that have no meaning. “Greenspace” and “buildable land” don’t mean anything. “Greenspace” sounds like the name of a spaceship in a utopian sci-fi novel. but has no actual legal or descriptive meaning at all. Neither side in the court battle has ever used the term.
“Buildable land”? What’s the definition? Land that a park can be built upon? Land that a housing project can be built upon? Land that can support single-family homes but not apartments? Good spot to build a bus terminal?
I particularly like the meme where the Gang of Five wisely and courageously fought evil Woodridge and made taxpayers $5 million dollars in 4 short years.
I think that one has some real legs.
I love this site. There can only be one opinion about the D99 board. All venom must be directed towards the gang of 5. If not, then you are in bed with them. Lets all have a one sided argument where we all agree with each other and hopefully EJ will dilete any opinions that differ from ours. Lets all get together and hug.
If any of the gang of 5 were standing in line next to me at Jewel I would not have a clue who they are. Know about them, but in no way do I know them. I have followed this for many years. I was very much for a 3rd high school, and I am also very much in favor of fighting Woodridge for the land. Woodridge tried to strong arm the district into getting that property at bargain basement pricing. These are my tax dollars and I want D99 to get every cent they can for that land.
Businessman for All – Dilbert, you’re using vague terms that have no meaning. “Greenspace” and “buildable land” don’t mean anything. “Greenspace” sounds like the name of a spaceship in a utopian sci-fi novel. but has no actual legal or descriptive meaning at all. Neither side in the court battle has ever used the term
If you followed this at all, you would know that the term Greenspace is what Woodridge has called that land from the beginning. They have a website Keepgreenspacegreen dot com. I did not coin the phrase. Woodridge did. I am just repeating it. I am sorry I am not using your legal terms. I will get a zoning dictionary next time.
So Mark, you feel that we should have just taken the 8.5 and called it a day? I am glad we made extra money. Now lets close off Prince St, knock down distict owned houses and make some more Greenspace around North high. (Greenspace meaning land that is green as it is grassy). Not to step on South toes, I also think they should also spend money there as well, but I am not as familiar with what is on their wish list.
There are a lot of issues with D58, and D99 boards. Egos on all sides are very high. Sometimes people look at themselves as being more important then looking at the Board, schools, teachers, parents and the children as a whole and doing what is best for everyone. I would favor term limits to break things up a little in all boards my tax dollars go to. It is too hard to knock out an incumbent where most people just vote for the name they recognize and could not name one issue the board voted on.
There are a lot of issues with this board. This is a time I side with them.
Sorry, Dilbert, but I take major issue with your statement that only one opinion — about the D99 board or anything else — is allowed on this site.
This site is open to all comers who follow the rules. You’re free to post your opinion and so is the next guy. If people choose not to do that, fine, but I refuse (after three and a half years) to allow this site to be characterized as one-sided.
Not true. Never has been.
And for the record, I think you make some valid points.
If D99 had accepted the $10 million in Sept. 2006, how much would they have earned in interest in the time it took to lose the court case?
…and don’t forget the present value of the $767,119 of taxpayers’ money for legal expenses!
But isn’t the real issue that our elected officials took their eyes off the education ball to fiddle with a spite law suit?
The money should have been spent on belts for the boys and mid-thigh skirts for the girls. Enough with the “available” inmate look on the boys and the “North Ave.” look for the girls. I remember all the girls that were sent home in the 80′s with the Madonna lace-top over bra look, I know it’s “fashion”, but I just keep picturing a future where men can only shuffle side to side.