Erin Smith’s Spring Letter to Lakewood Residents

Even though it is a bit late, here is what Lakewood Village President told residents right before the election in which she was unopposed for a second term:

From the President

Dear Neighbors:

Spring is traditionally a busy time for municipal government, and this year is no exception. We continue to be encouraged by the interest shown in our community by both the residential builders and businesses. Following is a summary of projects and activities that may be of interest to you:

Village Hall/Police Department

Lakewood Village site plan proposed by consultants.

Lakewood Village site plan proposed by consultants who seem not to be in the game anymore.

As reported in the previous newsletter, there has been steady progress in the movement towards a new Village Hall/Police Station.

Specifically, there is agreement among the Board of Trustees that

  • there is a need
  • property already owned by the Village of Lakewood on Haligus Road is the appropriate site for a new facility
  • the present is a good time to build in terms of borrowing and construction costs
  • any debt instrument issued for the project will not allow taxes to be levied to pay for it

After consultation with several builders and developers, we have determined that the next step in the process is to begin due diligence on both properties (Haligus Road and the current site).

Due diligence includes such steps as t

  • taking soil borings
  • performing topographical surveys
  • completing a wetland delineation

Once this information has been obtained, we will work with a number of builders/developers to obtain a more definitive (and we hope lower) project cost.

If we determine that the project is affordable, we will choose the type of development process (i.e. cost/plus, design/build, construction management, etc.) that will be the most effective for this project.

Thank you to everyone who has provided input based on previous articles. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any one of us for further information regarding this project.

Committees

Lakewood's new signs were encouraged by the Parks and Recreation Committee.

Lakewood’s new signs were encouraged by the Parks and Recreation Committee.

Several years ago, a number of committees were formed to allow for citizen input, including:

  • Parks and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • RedTail Golf Club
  • Special Service Area (SSA) #1

These committees have provided a great deal of assistance by taking on such projects as design of the new entryway signs, prioritization of bike paths throughout the community, oversight of our first annual Celebrate Lakewood event, a feasibility study for a new clubhouse, and a new approach toward restoring the long term health of the Turnberry Lakes system. With the completion of these tasks, however, the Board of Trustees has undertaken a review (with the input of committee members) of the committees and made the following changes.

The Parks and Recreation Committee has been eliminated. Residents with an interest in this area will be encouraged to participate in a variety of ways through the Crystal Lake Park District.

The Economic Development and RedTail Golf Club Committees have been combined into a new Community Development Committee.

No changes have been made to the SSA #1 Committee. Volunteers are needed to serve on all three remaining committees.

Please contact me if you have questions about committee assignments.

Celebrate Lakewood

Our first event was such a success that we’ve decided to have it again!

Please set aside Sunday, June 9 for the Second Annual Celebrate Lakewood event!

The newly configured Community Development Committee is already hard at work and hopes to add several new features, including live music and “bounce houses” for children.

While the Village of Lakewood will underwrite most of the costs for the event, the Community Development Committee is seeking sponsors for some of the new features. Checks can be made payable to the Village of Lakewood.

Sponsorship levels include:

  • Bronze $100
  • Silver $250
  • Gold $500

Volunteers are also needed to help on the day of the event. Please contact Village Hall at (815) 459-3025 or info@village.lakewood.il.us for further information about volunteering or sponsorship opportunities. We will even recognize you or your business in a future newsletter!

Spring Elections

The spring election will be held on Tuesday, April 9. For the Village of Lakewood, there are no contested elections. Four positions were open, including Village President and three Trustees. Three incumbents chose to run, including Gene Furey, Jeff Iden and myself.

Due to work commitments, Trustee John Burton chose not to run again. We extend our sincere appreciation to him for all of his efforts during the past four years, including his oversight of the Parks and Recreation Committee and efforts toward Crystal Lake. Beverly Thomas, a resident of the East Side, has stepped forward to serve as a Trustee and has already been regularly attending meetings and reviewing Board packet materials. We thank her for her willingness to serve in this capacity.

While there is not a contested election within our community, there are some important local elections. I encourage you to make yourself aware of the issues, the candidates and participate in the upcoming election. Key dates include:

  • March 25 – Early voting begins
  • April 6 – Early voting ends
  • April 9 – Election

Please call the McHenry County Clerk’s Office at (815) 334-4242 if you have additional questions regarding the spring election.

Please be certain to carefully read the front page of the newsletter as we welcome our newest business, Tres Chic Boutique, and highlight some upcoming activities at Crosspoint Lutheran Church.
As always, I encourage you to contact me or any of our officials listed on the back cover with questions regarding any of the projects highlighted in the newsletter or that you might read about elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Erin
Village President


Comments

Erin Smith’s Spring Letter to Lakewood Residents — 2 Comments

  1. There she goes spending the taxpayers money as if it were her own as she usually does. This would be a good time to remove her and tina hill from office. The taxpayers cannot afford these two.

  2. More little, bitty local government grandiose plans to spend our money. I can not understand why there is no revolution, maybe it will take some more bike paths or some other outrageous project.

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