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PACE Bus Program for the Barrington Area

 

The PACE Bus Program has been an important service for the residents in the “Barrington Area”. It has provided a special benefit to the seniors in the area and to residents within the communities who have special needs and disabilities.

 

In December 2008 the Barrington Village Board determined the Village could no longer financially support the PACE Bus program and communicated with Barrington Township and Cuba Township about the possibility of the two Townships taking over the program.

 

The Village of Barrington agreement for funding the program extended to June 2009. In May of 2009 Barrington and Cuba Townships voted to fund the PACE Bus program for the remainder of 2009. A Committee was formed to extend the program through the Townships.

 

Committee Members were: Ron Szymanski and Mike Ryan from Barrington Township, Don Griffith and Art Rice from Cuba Township, and Joyce Palmquist, Executive Director of BACOA (the Barrington Area Council on Aging). The Committee had the support of Mary L. Donner from the PACE Suburban Bus operations.

 

The Committee, along with Sarah Hoban from BACOA, met with Shirley Gillespie, Palatine Township Transportation Service Director. Palatine Township offers an extensive program operating on a larger budget than the Barrington area program. The budget for the PACE Program by Barrington and Cuba Townships is $40,000.

 

An early morning meeting with Robert J. Miller, Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner and Algonquin Township Senior Transportation program manager, provided us with excellent insight as to how his program is run (scheduling, ridership, dispatch, who/how/when, etc.). We had the occasion to visit with one of his drivers and received the driver’s perspective of the program and how well it runs.

 

Several meetings followed to discuss options, types of services, special needs, and future goals. Joyce Palmquist was exceptional in helping us determine senior needs and programs and sharing her ideas on what might be included in the near future and how to handle the logistics of this program for our communities.

 

Jeff Lawler, Barrington Village Manager, provided assistance in having the Village of Barrington carry the PACE contract while Barrington Township and Cuba Township hammered out the financial support that is necessary.

 

Documents were signed by both Township Supervisors; the residents have a program that remains as it was through the Village of Barrington. The program is now funded by Barrington and Cuba Townships and serves our area residents in need of this fine and required service. The only changes to the program are those mandated by PACE and done so in attempt to improve services. Both Townships will continue to work with interested parties to determine how to best serve their residents.

 

Thanks to Joyce (BACOA), Mary (PACE), Ron and Mike from Barrington Township, Don and Art from Cuba Township, and to others for providing their input, sharing of ideas, and moving the PACE Bus Program forward.

Every year the US government distributes more than $400 billion to states and communities based on Census data. Within Lake County and the cities and villages, data collected in the Census aids in making decisions that guide economic development and help determine priorities for infrastructure, such as schools, roads and sewers.

 

In March every household in Lake County was  mailed the 2010 Census form. This form has only 10 questions and will only take about 10 minutes to fill out. The household and individual information in the Census is completely confidential and protected by law – it cannot be given to any other government office, including law enforcement agencies.

 

Please complete your form and MAIL IT IN!

 

Go to the following link to learn more from the Census website.

 

http://www.2010.census.gov