HR0297 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0297 LRB097 11706 KXB 54763 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Elliott Hartstein on his retirement as Buffalo Grove Village President; and

WHEREAS, As Village President, Elliott Hartstein was a leader in many forums, including the Northwest Municipal Conference, where he served as President; the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, where he served on the Executive Committee; the Illinois Municipal League, where he served as a Vice President and Member of the Board of Directors; and the Lake County Municipal League, where he had served as Secretary; and

WHEREAS, He was also appointed by the Lake County Board to represent Lake County on the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, where he has served on the Executive Board and as Vice Chairman; he was instrumental in preparing the 2040 Plan for the Seven County Region while serving on the Agency; and

WHEREAS, He helped organize and served as the founding President of the Northwest Suburban JCC; he served on the Board of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and served as Vice Chairman of the Federation's Committee on Soviet Jewry, and he served on the National Board of the National Conference for Soviet Jewry; and

WHEREAS, He has also been actively involved in the Jewish United Fund to raise funds for social welfare needs, and the Annual Walk for Israel; he served the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, where he locally served as Vice President and nationally on the Board of Directors; he chaired the Citizens Advisory Committee for School District 96, served on the Ad Hoc Committees to build Prairie School, Twin Groves Junior High, and the Woodlawn and Country Meadows schools, as well as referendum committees for the Park District; and

WHEREAS, He will continue to work with economic development on the Milwaukee corridor and redevelopment on Dundee Road, the expansion and improvement of commuter rail service on the North Central Commuter line, the extension of Route 53, and a center for the performing arts as a joint project of the Village and Park District; on the State level he will continue to work toward pension and budget reforms, campaign finance reform, redistricting reform, educational funding reform, and a fairer tax system through a progressive income tax constitutional amendment; and

WHEREAS, During his time as Village President, the community built the Arboretum Clubhouse, worked with the State to secure the expansion and improvement of Route 22, and worked with Lake County to expand and improve Deerfield Parkway; they improved the community newsletter and webpage; and the commuter rail line saw the completion of double tracking and working to get freight lines reduced; and

WHEREAS, The community was a leader in becoming smoke free and encouraging other communities and the State of Illinois to follow their example; as a result, Buffalo Grove was a Gold Award winner from the Metropolitan Clean Air Counts campaign; and

WHEREAS, Under his leadership, Buffalo Grove created an amazing Arts Commission, and introduced an Invitational Fine Arts Festival and Symphonic Band; a Farmers Market was introduced, and additions like Affinity Health Care, Escape Family Entertainment Center, a new Dominick's, new Walgreen's stores, and Leica Camera Company; and

WHEREAS, Buffalo Grove has seen many new and positive changes while Elliott Hartstein has served as Village President and will miss his leadership; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Elliott Hartstein on his retirement and wish him all the best in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Elliott Hartstein as a symbol of our respect and esteem.