Lakewood Village President Erin Smith’s letter to constituents:
From the President
Dear Neighbors:
Given the cold and rain that we are experiencing, it is difficult to believe that I am writing my letter for the Summer Edition of the Newsletter. Regardless of the weather, I can’t remember a time when I was so excited to provide you with an update about all of the projects and activities within our community.
Personnel
As reported in the Spring Newsletter, Chief Howell announced his retirement after thirty-nine years of exemplary law enforcement service. A statewide recruitment was initiated immediately, and more than seventy applications were received from highly qualified candidates. Twelve individuals were selected for initial interviews, and this field of candidates was narrowed to a group of four finalists.
I am pleased to announce that our next Chief of Police will be Leigh M. Rawson. He has been a member of the Elgin Police Department for twenty years and currently serves as a Lieutenant. Mr. Rawson has previously been assigned to the Patrol Division, Traffic Investigations Unit, Major Investigations Division, and the Tactical Response Team. He is a graduate of Loyola University (Criminal Justice) and has a law degree from John Marshall. Mr. Rawson will be sworn in at the June 24, 2014 meeting of the Board of Trustees. He will officially begin his new duties on June 25, 2014. I am confident that Mr. Rawson will be an excellent addition to our organization and our community.
Another new addition to our organization is Gary Zickuhr, who began his duties as our Water/ Wastewater Operator on April 28, 2014. Mr. Zickuhr comes to the Village of Lakewood with twenty seven years of experience within Public Works. For the past nine years, he has focused on water and wastewater operations. Most recently, he held the position of Superintendent of the Water and Sewer Division in the Village of Pingree Grove. Mr. Zickuhr brings with him excellent technical knowledge, as he holds a Class 1 Wastewater Certification and a Class B Water Certificate. In addition, he has a strong background in the general operations of a Public Works Department. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Zickuhr to the Village of Lakewood.
Finances
On April 22, 2014, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the annual budget for Fiscal Year 2014 – 2015. There are three important statements that can be made about the budget:
- From an operational perspective, it is balanced. As planned, reserves that have been set aside during the past few years for the roadway program will be utilized.
- The budget includes an ongoing investment in infrastructure (as explained below).
- It reflects a cautious optimism about an overall improvement in the economy.
Please contact the staff at Village Hall if you have any specific questions about the Fiscal Year 2014 – 2015 budget.
Infrastructure
As noted above, investment in infrastructure is one of the most critical functions of a municipality. Even during the economic downturn, the Village of Lakewood was able to continue to move forward on a number of important projects. Specifically:
- Broadway Outfall Storm Sewer – During the past few years, the Village of Lakewood has devoted resources to cleaning and televising the Broadway Outfall Storm Sewer. The cleaning has helped to increase capacity in the storm sewer pipe, and the purpose of the televising was to determine areas of needed repair. Once identified, the Village of Lakewood engaged the services of Copenhaver Construction to make the repairs. Copenhaver Construction provided excellent unit prices for the work, which allowed us to expand the program to address all of the needed repairs at a total cost of approximately $250,000. While Copenhaver Construction encountered some unexpected challenges, they persevered and will complete the project according to schedule. We extend our appreciation for their diligence and extraordinary efforts.
- 2014 Roadway Program – As planned, the 2014 roadway program is significant in scope. The contract was awarded to Geske Construction, and work is expected to begin in mid – June. As a reminder, the following roadways are included: Inverway Drive from Turnberry Trail to Stuart Lane; Stuart Lane from Inverway Drive to its terminus; South Shore Drive from Sunset Drive to Richmond Lane; Sunset Drive from Lake Avenue to South Shore Drive; Richmond Lane from Broadway Avenue to South Shore Drive. In addition, the final lift of pavement will be completed in the Autumn Ridge Subdivision. We will also begin a multi year program to repave the parking lot at RedTail Golf Club.
East Sewer – Strand Associates continues to design the new sanitary sewer main that will be built along Broadway Avenue from Essex Lane to Warwick; south on Warwick to Pencil Park (Country Club Road extended); along Pencil Park across Huntley Road and along Chicago Avenue to its terminus. Once the initial design is completed, it will be sent to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for review. At that time, the detailed plans will be made available for public inspection. Our goal remains to complete this project by November of 2015.
Dial a Ride
Since I’ve been an official of the Village of Lakewood, one of the most frequently asked questions is why we don’t provide a Dial a Ride Service. There are a number of residents in our community who are unable to drive and have limited access to transportation resources.
Unfortunately, as a stand alone service, providing a Dial a Ride service is simply cost prohibitive. However, staff has been working with the McHenry County Department of Transportation, and it appears likely the Village may be able to participate in a regional Dial a Ride program at a significantly lower cost of approximately $2/capita annually. Details are being finalized, and we will provide further information as it becomes available.
Special Service Area #1 (SSA #1)
A special service area is a statutorily authorized procedure allowing municipalities to finance the purchase or maintenance of an amenity or special service available to only a portion of residents within a limited geographic area. SSA #1 was created in 1990 as an initiative of the Turnberry Property Owners Association (TPA), which asked the Village of Lakewood to assist in establishing a special taxing district for the purpose of maintaining the lakes within the Turnberry Subdivision. SSA #1 is scheduled to expire on August 20, 2015. The Board of Trustees is willing to re-establish a new special service area to care for the lakes if there is clear and strong consensus from the residents about its nature and parameters. Much like the process in 1990, it will have to be a resident led initiative. In order to ensure that all SSA #1 residents have access to consistent information, the staff has created a “white paper” that was mailed to residents within the TPA. We are planning to schedule a meeting devoted wholly to this topic on May 27. Further notice will be forthcoming.
Electrical Aggregation
Two years ago, our residents overwhelmingly approved a referendum to allow the Village of Lakewood to contract with an energy supplier in order to reduce electricity costs for residents and small businesses. In order to secure the best prices possible, the Village of Lakewood helped to create a consortium of neighboring communities. Known as the Northern Illinois Governmental Electric Aggregation Consortium (NIGEAC), the group was able to secure some of the lowest electrical supply rates in the state of Illinois, thereby saving our residents a significant amount of money during the past two years.
With the pending expiration of this agreement, NIGEAC initiated a new bid process and learned that the marketplace is vastly different than two years ago.
Specifically, the same level of savings over the ComEd rate will not be realized. This is also the experience of other municipal aggregation programs throughout the region.
However, I am pleased to report that NIGEAC has secured a one year rate of 7.2 cents from our current supplier, Direct Energy. This compares to the approximate rate of 8.0 cents from ComEd during the coming year.
Every resident will receive a letter from NIGEAC/Direct Energy about the program. If you currently participate in the municipal aggregation program with Direct Energy as your supplier and wish to continue to do so, you do not have to take any action. You will automatically be re-enrolled. You will also be given an opportunity to “opt out” and revert to ComEd or choose another supplier. If you do not currently participate in the municipal aggregation program, you will be given an opportunity to do so, but are not obligated. Please watch your mail and the Village’s website for more detailed information.
RedTail Golf Club
The Winter Edition of the Newsletter included an update about the creation of a business plan for RedTail Golf Club.
The business plan has now been completed, and it is available on our website under Village News.
Thank you to all of the residents who participated in the creation of this guiding document, which has three primary components:
- strategies for increasing average revenue per round;
- strategies for decreasing costs; and
- an emphasis on capital investment.
Toward this end, a number of capital projects will be undertaken at RedTail Golf Club this season. These include
- a multi year program for bunker renovations;
- the irrigation system; and
- the parking lot.
In addition, I encourage you to read the enclosed flyer from our General Manager of Clubhouse Operations, Chris Neuhart, about the exciting new golf programs being offered this season.
As the Village of Lakewood has committed to long term ownership of RedTail Golf Club, it is incumbent upon all of us to help support this valuable community asset.
Architectural Review and Development
I am pleased to report that a number of developments have taken steps to actively move forward during this construction season. The original developer at Cambria, George Caravelli of Worthington Homes, has been re-engaged in the project and has recently started construction of a new model home that is expected to be open to the public by September 1. While the original units in the subdivision were townhomes, the new units will be detached, single family homes on zero lot lines. The architecture and commitment to quality workmanship and materials will remain constant, and I encourage you to learn more about this beautiful and unique development by calling (815) 477-7900.
Orleans Homes has recently purchased fifty-two lots at the Woodland Hills development and plans to begin construction in its first model within the next month or so.
Both the builders and the Village of Lakewood are hopeful that our municipality becomes the “community of choice” for the employees of Centegra Hospital which is currently under construction just ten minutes south of these developments.
Three new custom homes are currently being built in The Reserve (just west of Huntley Road) and two new multi family units are expected to break ground shortly at The Highlands of RedTail.
This increase in residential activity leaves us cautiously optimistic about the economy as we move forward and hopeful that retail/commercial activity will also increase in the coming months. That said, it is an opportune time for us to explore enhancements to our architectural review process. A task force will be created to conduct this analysis and provide recommendations for changes.
As we (hopefully) begin to experience the warmth and sunshine of the summer months, I hope you have an opportunity to take advantage of the amazing natural resources that surround us – whether golf courses, lakes, or biking and nature trails.
And please be certain to read the enclosed flyer about our Third Annual Celebrate Lakewood event. The planning committee has been hard at work to make this our most successful event ever.
Sincerely,
Erin
Village President