After much consideration, President McLaughlin and the Board of Trustees will open Village Hall and Police Department lobbies to the public on May 19, following general guidelines. This was not something considered lightly. It was initially mentioned at April’s Board of Trustees meeting and followed up with a special meeting in early May. 

In addition to Village Hall and the Police Department, the Village Board discussed opening churches and the limited number of businesses, as well as making suggestions to open recreational facilities and allow the assembly of youth sports; though no action was taken.

“We can do two things at once. We can re-establish our routines as it pertains to living in Barrington Hills while relying on residents and business owners to use common sense. Stay at home if you are vulnerable or if you feel ill. Remember to consistently wash your hands and cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze. Be mindful of spacing and of others,” said President McLaughlin.

President McLaughlin participated in multiple joint governmental meetings in Cook, McHenry and Kane Counties regarding a recovery plan that speaks to our area’s statistics and circumstances.  In a special McHenry County Council of Governments meeting, which is comprised of 27 municipalities throughout McHenry County, President McLaughlin participated in providing input for a letter sent to Governor Pritzker requesting an expedited reopening of Illinois, in addition to differentiating our region from Chicago. President McLaughlin inquired in this letter how contact tracing would not violate individual rights.  As of yet, a response has not been received.

Together with South Barrington Village Mayor Paula McCombie, President McLaughlin called for an emergency Barrington Area Council of Governments meeting to develop a regional approach, different from Chicago, taking into account our rural circumstances of lower infection rates, open spaces, Advocate Health System is not inundated, and proposing a 14-day evaluation instead of 28 days.

Trustee Colleen Konicek Hannigan, with the support of President McLaughlin and Village Trustees, has undertaken the possibility of intervening on behalf of the Village of Barrington Hills and its residents, calling into question the validity of Governor Pritzker’s order, considering the outcome of one lawsuit, and the pending outcomes of similar actions. “There is a vehicle whereby we as a Village can work responsibly to reopen in a framework that makes sense for our residents and businesses in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Health,” said Konicek. “By statute, the IDH, not the Governor, is vested with the ‘supreme authority in matters of quarantine and isolation.’”