No Rat Algonquin Township Meeting

One of two balloon rats brought out in the rain for the June, 2017, Algonquin Township Board meeting.

The meeting after new Algonquin Township officers were sworn in there were two balloon rats next to the Route 14 entrance.

The crowd was raucous.

Sheriff’s deputies were in attendance.

Last month, fewer Operating Engineers Local 150 showed up and the meeting was calmer.

The demonstration from the west.  There were three rat balloons.

There were three big rats, though.

Last night, there were no balloon rats and no observable members of Local 150 present

Algonquin Township Board and audience on August 9, 2017.

And there were no visible members of Local 150 either.

Andrew Gasser

The target of Local 150’s ire, newly-elected Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser spoke at the first meeting, but was meeting with constituents about a bridge problem a month ago.

Tuesday night, he gave a lengthy report.

Included was information about the Dennis Road bridge, which has been hotly commented upon on McHenry County Blog.

One commenter wondered why a box culvert was not being installed.

Gasser said that was what he wanted to do, but that the U.S. Corps of Engineers would have required a permit.

The minimum amount of time to get such a permit would have been four weeks, but it could have taken four to five months.

Attending the meeting were mainly Democratic Party activists.

Gasser was unwilling to leave the subdivision isolated for that amount of time, so the existing culverts were used.

Originally, the project was estimated to take about a month, but there were two weeks of delay due to separate deluges.

It was impossible to work on the repair with water pouring over the coffer dam through the existing culverts.

Even with sixteen days of rain delays, access to the subdivision was restored in five weeks, two days, he said.

Now there is a two-lane gravel road, which Gasser’s engineering firm advises be allowed to remain uncovered in order to pack down the gravel around the culverts.

Then a base and asphalt will be laid over the gravel.

Some of the neighbors were so dissatisfied with the progress, they called in the Corps of Engineers, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and some more agencies to inspect the project.

“They inspected the heck out of us,” Gasser told the Township Board.

After four hours on site, the inspectors had no problems with the project, which consisted mainly of replacing the head and foot walls.

During public comment,Vincent Stidle (Sp?) a member of the Lake Killarney Homeowners Association Board vigorously complained about a video Gasser had posted showing septic system failure flowing into one of the lakes from Nunda Township.

He said there should have been evidence and asked Gasser to retract the video.

The Board member claimed the video and subsequent videos consisted of “fear mongering.”

[Nevertheless, the Association published the following on its web site on August 3ed:

Found posted as of August 3, 2017, on the Lake Killarney Homeowners Association web page.

As some of you may have heard, it has come to our attention that there is some sort of discharge flowing into our lake from the other side of Crystal Lake Avenue. Some of you may have noticed a foul odor coming near the North end of the lake over the past couple of weeks.The Algonquin Township highway commissioner has made a public post urging residents of Lake Killarney to refrain from swimming in the lake until the proper authorities have the chance to test the water and investigate the issue. At this time, both the East and West beaches will be closed until further notice and we advise residents living on the lake to refrain from swimming.]

During his report, Gasser replied he had received “over fifteen calls saying something in Lake Killarney stinks.”

His first video contained “bits of toilet paper and bits of fecal matter.”

The Road Commissioner said he was letting people know what was there.

He added that taking down the video, once posted, would violate state law.

“It’s coming from Nunda.  There’s really nothing the Highway Department can do.”

He suggested a pond on Valley View Road was the source of the entry to the Nunda Township drainage system.

Township Trustee Melissa Victor said the video “was very wrong” and wanted to see something in writing.

Gasser replied, “They have tested the feces.”  (The “they” being the McHenry County Public Health Department.)

“I’d be happy to bring in Ph.D’s,” he added.

Victor said the video was “quite embarrassing, quite humiliating” and would hurt chances of homeowners to sell their properties.

Gasser suggested that just smelling the air near some houses would hurt sale possibilities.

“I wouldn’t let my sons swim there. Would you?”

“Do you have written proof?” she continued.

“I still think the video was wrong.”

Tension between Trustee Rachael Lawrence and Clerk Karen Lukasik was evident.

Algonquin Township clerk Karen Lukasik chastises Trustee Rachael Lawrence.

Reacting to something Lawrence put on social media, Lukasik said, “Where in the law does it say I answer to you.

“You’re not my supervisor.

“I’m tired of the way you treat me.

“I’m sick of it.”

Later Trustee David Chapman said he was going to make suggestions for additions to “out ethics ordinance” at the next meeting.

He referred specifically to “social media policy.”


Comments

No Rat Algonquin Township Meeting — 46 Comments

  1. With the problems of finding a judge that is impartial and another delay, it was kind of senseless to pile on with the protest by the Union.

  2. I’ve said here a box culvert was the best option because of debris that gets washed down ever time it rains.

    Spring St in Cary by the Cary Country Club use to experience the same problem before they but in a box type culvert.

    Cary PW would have to clean the two smaller culverts before, during, and after a heavy rain fall to prevent flooding across the street and wash out of the materials holding the street in place.
    Now long term maintenance has been reduced, which means long term savings.

    If the Alg townships crew would of added some rap to the up hill side, them removed the surface asphalt, added the right materials to stabilize the driving area, the usage for the road could of been restored in two days.

    Them when the Corp and IEPA could of sized the box culvert to the proper flow rate and them the box culvert could be installed with pavement in another three working days before winter.

    I understand why Andrew wanted to get rid of the political workers, but that disenfranchised the department and lose of expertise plus willingness to offer advise from the departments remaining employees.

    The just shut up and do what your told attitude exposed the lack of expertise of Andrew.

    The whole deal of getting rid of the political employees was handled wrong.

    You can force out union employees, it just takes cause, which isn’t hard to document if they aren’t cooperating with their supervisors directions.

  3. As a resident of Algonquin Township the conduct of all the elected officials has been embarrassing.

    At any given moment all of them have acted like spoiled children.

    “Mom, Rachel is being mean to me again. Mom, it’s not me it’s Karen, she is the jerk”

    Then each of them go one Facebook to tell the world how it’s not them it’s the other person.

    For god sake take some self responsibility.

    Lastly… It’s clear Mr. Gasser is in over his head.

    He clearly pointed out a lot of wrongs caused by the years in power of Mr Miller but it is equally clear he simply doesn’t know what he is doing and months into the job it’s not getting better.

    His lack of leadership flows into the meetings.

  4. IMO Andrew is correctly trying to eliminate a problem by CL Ave.

    The flow not only effects that lake, but also Silver Lake, the MCCD property down stream, and eventually the Fox River.

    Bringing the issue to the public threw the video was no different than the shooting video in many ways.

    While Andrew has no power to change what is flowing in, he can eliminate most of the ponding in the CL ave ROW.

    By installing a culvert extention almost to the property line, adding some dirt to fill in the low areas, and removing all the trees and other bushes in the ROW, eliminating a vey small part of the problem.

    The verbal attacks on him are pure nonsense for exposing this problem.

  5. The Facebook comments by Rachael are just piling on nonsense.

    The records problems are well known already, why add fuel to the fire when actions are already being taken to resolve the issue?

    Whether you are a supporter of either side of this issue, it’s time to back off a tad so some decency will not make the problems even worst.

  6. The handling of the records by the past clerk, Chuck, paper and video was poorly done also.

    The integrity of those records are now a issue.

  7. Thanks to Cal for his public comment insisting that the Township’s entire meeting packet be posted (as is done at the county level), instead of just the agenda.

  8. When I see the audience pic, am I the only thinking gastric bypass?

  9. The democRATS were there.

    I can’t wait for the court case to be decided.

    And they just censured someone for less in Lakewood. Time for a social media policy?

  10. Clerk is not a member of the board right?

    Encyclopedia Mark, correct me if that is wrong.

    So a clerk reports to the board just like other elected Township people.

    Not one member of the board but the board as a group?

    I watched the meeting on YouTube and Clerk said to Lawerence “You report to ME.

    Is that true?

    The board reports to a clerk?

    Anyway, the only person I saw acting out of line was the clerk.

  11. I would like to report an unsolicited compliment to Andrew Gasser.

    I was visiting a friend yesterday (my friend lives along the river in Fox River Grove) and was asked what I knew about the Algonquin Township Road Commissioner.

    I asked “why”?

    The answer was “well, I have to tell you, that Andrew Gasser went out of his way to see that the flood problems were taken care of in our area, and he must have come by about 8 times! They even came back to pick up the bags, which I read could not be re-used – I’m glad he is running the show over there, because the last time this area flooded, in 2013, we didn’t see or hear a word from Miller”!

    It is nice to hear that Andrew is doing a great job.

    I sure don’t know why and where all the jabs are coming from, when the guy is going out of his way to do the right thing!

  12. has Booby Miller started blaming the flooding on Gasser yet?

    Yes, Bald Easgle, all those Democrats are overfed welfareites who won’t work as long as somebody’s (us)
    paying the freight.

    I caught another snap card (food stamp) holder buying T-Bone steaks at my local Aldi …. and struck up a conversation w/ her …. she proudly showed me her receipt …. yes, no tax was charged her, just me!

    And she was pushing 350 lbs, and also ‘bought’ bags and bags of potato chips and booku quarts of ice-cream!

  13. nob – what if the 3 steel culverts are undersized?

    it serves the same creek as the brdige over algonquin road just up the stream towards the lake?

    i don’t think you can just willy-nilly drop in a box culvert, there has to be hydraulic studies conducted which means getting surveys and coordinating with water resources and permitting agencies. that all takes time and those residents couldn’t be out of their driveways while all that work was happening.

    i think Andrew made the right call by putting up headwalls which, by all account, only took like 2 weeks to build once the rain finally stopped which is an act of God and out of anyone’s control.

  14. Life is good for the DEMOCRATS here in McHenry County.

    It’s no wonder that more of the parasites are relocating here.

    McHenry County: the next Cook County in the making, just give it some time.

  15. Duh, the three box culverts maybe undersized, which would help justify a box culvert that is open throat.
    I’m not familiar with the up stream pipe, but whatever size it is the Dennis road culvert should be the same size or a tad larger because more acres of land are served.
    The Corp was probably involved with the Alg Rd culvert so most of the calculations should already be available.
    I suggested a temporary fix till the Corp could get out their charts, determine what the three culverts flow rate is and then match the new box culvert to that flow rate.
    Sometimes they don’t want a faster flow because of erosion or passing on the problem of flooding down hill.
    They want a back up to slow the flow or a detention pond to handle the excess surcharge.
    Two days even with the heavy rain the road would of been open to safe traffic.
    Perhaps our weather has changed, Engineers in the past only used a intensity of 3.5 inches an hour as a guide.
    That may need to be increased.

  16. Nob (robin mohr ) bus driver for miller

    Go in your garage and do what you do.

    Then jump in the REDS/greys pool

  17. Tam, if the receiver of sarcasm doesn’t understand, you have lost the effectiveness of it.
    REDS/greys pool?

  18. I don’t see any sarcasm. Someon telling you you don’t know what you are talking about is NOT sarcasm!

  19. Well Cindy on this set of issue’s I’m well informed.
    Tam is just throwing sarcastic rocks in support of his hero.

  20. Tellimg someone to jump in the pool goes beyond a difference of opinion.
    It’s 101 sarcasm.

  21. THAT is NOT sarcasm. You might like to invest in a dictionary! Words mean things Apparently you don’t know much of anything. You are always making things up. You are very wrong on usage of just about everything you try to take a stand on. I am beginning to wonder what your first language is really. Is there a universal language of idiocy!

  22. We don’t speak English in this country, its a combination of many languages.
    The universal language you live by is arguing Hun!

  23. Nob, you idiot. I don’t know how to tell you this any clearer. That comment was a polite way to tell you to go away. It was in NO WAY sarcastic. You are a moron!

  24. 100, 200, 300, 400, like college courses.
    Angle’s tic toc is sarcasm 101, some of his are higher, but not many.
    If you prefer Snarky 101 whatever Hun!
    That would be maybe 200 level.
    Lol

  25. What do you mean by college? Is that some sort of art? 100, 200, 300, 400, are those area codes? What do those mean? Tic, tock, tic, tock…

  26. Angel? Be quiet. This is a teaching moment. (I thought you claimed to be a teacher!) Do you understand what that is? The nob needs to give his definition of what he believes it means. Do you remember that he made up definitions for of and from so that he could claim they are the exact same thing?

  27. Angle, I’d say that comment was a 200 to 300, till the 100 tic tock pulled it down a tad.
    Cindy I said of and from by definition can mean the same depending on usage.
    I never said their meaning was always exactly the same.
    Maybe it’s those Rose colored glasses you wear, the need to be argumentative, sarcastic, and snarky?

  28. Nob? That is where you are totally wrong. Those two words are NEVER interchangeable. Ever! Thy mean very different things. Now you are using three more words that you have no understanding of; thinking you are insulting me. You are uing those words wrongly, too. I am none of those three. Doggedly determined to teach? Try that out. (BTW Using your own bad example: Your use of angle to talk to angel might be considered argumentative, sarcastic or snarky.)

  29. I’m here for ya Hum, you need me so you can vent.
    No problems Mon!!!!

  30. You still have not given an answer as to what 101 means when you use that in your comment.

  31. BTW, nob. No one is venting. (Just another wrong use for a word from a really stupid person. Do you see why I call stupid?) You must have been a wiz at those kindergarten papers about “Which are Similar”. (Now, THAT is sarcasm, once again.) You probably circled all items on the page. Are you really that stupid that you cannot see when someone is extending their hand? Use your brain.

  32. When you think of rats your first thought is unions and the other way around.

    A good example is the auto mechanics who were offered 5% for each of 3 years plus other incentives.

    Not enough.

    Take your cars to non union shops and then stay with those dealers.

  33. Those union guys do not fool me. That inflatable is not Gasser; it is not wearing a pink shirt. I see more of a sunshine blogger there; the red eyes, the smile…tic, tock, tic, tock…

  34. When you correct Cal for misspelling or miss usage, do you call him stupid too?
    If you care to help, check your whining at the door.

  35. I have never whined in a post. (You had better look that word up also.) While I have stated that Cal is naive on certain subjects quite a few times, the two do NOT equate. Cal is not stupid. Cal is never obtuse. Look up the definitions to learn why I call you out on being stupid. Misspellings have nothing to do with intelligence. (BTW your spelling is atrocious, but I leave that alone.) While I am trying to get you to think, you are adamantly refusing to see any sort of problem. That makes you stupid. Look it up.

    BTW Congratulations on using the correct too in you question. I count that as progress!

  36. I wonder what your daughter, Sam, would say about your comments on this blog….

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