McHenry County Blog

Jim Roden, owner of the Framery in Ridgefield has sent the following letter to Metra Chairwoman  Carole Dovis.

A copy was sent to the railroad commuter agency’s Inspector General Hillard Heintze.

Metra Board Chairman, Carole R. Doris
547 W. Jackson Blvd
Chicago, Il 60661

Dear Ms. Doris,

I am writing this letter in an effort to inform you of a very large concern with the proposed Metra station in Ridgefield.

There is a huge groundswell of distrust for the reasoning process so far displayed which purports the need of this new station.  I shall outline several issues.

First, there is the issue of real need.  How many train stations are needed in the area surrounding Crystal Lake?

Are you saying that the future population will require 5 stations in this short span?

There are already two stations within Crystal Lake.

There is a station in Woodstock.  There has been land donated to Metra for a third station, the Merryman property, along Lily Pond Road off IL highway Rt 14.

This location is within 2 miles of Ridgefield. Now, another station is proposed in Ridgefield?

What is the basis on which you think there is need of yet another stop so close?

The next concern.  For the sake of further discussion, let’s say you pull the rabbit out of the hat and demonstrate the need for a fifth station. OK, that brings us to the location for this fifth station in Ridgefield.

The “Town” of Ridgefield is, well, where McHenry County College is located.

McHenry County College is one of the biggest assets in this area.  It is among the area’s largest employers.  It brings 100’s of students, staff and faculty to this area daily.  Virtually all come and go via their cars.

Now, if there was the option of going to and from by train, the college would benefit from this easier access.

Hum, let’s think about that one.  Fewer cars on the road, less gas consumed, more riders for Metra… wait a minute, could this be planning for growth that actually benefits the community?

Nah won’t work. Make’s too much sense.

All right, again for the sake of further discussion let’s analyze further the placement of the train station in Ridgefield.

A large percentage of the traffic which flows from Crystal Lake north, and northwest travels on Rt 14 which connects to Rt 47 , etc.  Access to Ridgefield largely travels on the south side of the tracks on Ridgefield Road which connects to Rt 14. There is also heavy traffic coming on Country Club Road through Ridgefield, mostly going to and from the College.

McHenry County College is on the south side of the tracks but off of Rt 14. Its rear entrance is south of the college with the entrance off of Ridgefield Road, again, on the south side of the tracks.

If a station is built close to the college, access to it is a short walk. Is there a site on the south side of the tracks that will work?  I’m sure one has been considered, right?

Now we come to the cost of this station.

We all know about the proposed site on the north side of the tracks. Land costs, road access costs, road expansion costs, perhaps eminent domain costs, etc., and the impact on the immediate area have been studied.

There have been estimated costs on the north side site.

Have there been any on a south side location?

The same costs of course, will apply, no doubt.

Well…maybe not.

The land costs may be different.

The road improvement costs probably would be different.

Access off of Rt 14 definitely would be different.

Impact on the area would require much less displacement.

How would these costs compare?

North side vs. South side.

Would it be prudent to make a comparison?

Nah, that makes too much sense!

The decision makers must be right.

We’ll just do it their way….Hum, who are these decision makers anyhow?

Maybe we should look into their logic.

Who are, exactly, the powers that be in this case?

• Metra?
• McHenry County’s Board?
• The City of Crystal Lake?
• McHenry County College’s Board?
• The State of Illinois?

Is it too much to assume that whoever the powers are, their intentions are for the overall good of the local community.

Logic, common sense, and a total analysis of all possibilities must have been considered in their choosing the proposed site. Those things certainly were considered here, of course.

That is the duty of elected officials, right?

….Hum, as a stretch, could there be something else, some other reason for the proposed site to be where it is?

If we were to ask someone, say Sherlock Holmes, to find perhaps, another reason for this site, where would he begin?

He might first make inquiries along the line of who is to benefit from this site.

Let’s begin with who owns it.  Who will make the first dollars here?

Well raise my rent!!

Further investigation into public record reveals that the Chairman of the McHenry County Board owns the property, and stands to make a sizable amount of money if this site is confirmed.

Besides Mr. Koehler, is there anyone else in his circle who would also benefit? Could there be a present or former member of the Metra Board with like financial interest?

To view it from this perspective, ya can’t help but raise an eyebrow. Will a Sherlock Holmes reveal more that might be, well… common?

Politicians who benefit!

Nah can’t be.  This is, after all, Illinois.

Having the authority to authorize the disbursement of government funds is an enormous responsibility.

Extreme prudence should be used in doing so.

This station is simply not needed.

We all know of the famous “Bridge to No-Where.”  What we will have here is the “No Need Station!”

My name is Jim Roden. I live in Crystal Lake and own a business in Ridgefield.

I would very much like to arrange a time to meet with you and discuss these issues.

Very truly yours,

James Roden

= = = = =

Other articles that might be of interest (listed in reverse order of publication):

Saturday, 8-15-9 The Ridgefield Metra Deal

Friday, 8-14-9 Metra Votes to Purchase Ridgefield Station Site

Friday, 8-14-9 Craig Steagall Unleashes Broadside Against McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler over Metra State Land Purchase

Friday, 8-14-9 Metra Scheduled to Approve Former Flowerwood Land for Station in Ridgefield This Morning

Thursday, 8-13-9 $1.5 Million Being Paid for Ridgefield Metra Site Half-Owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler

Thursday, 8-13-9 Metra Transparency Worse than McHenry County College’s

Wednesday, 8-12-9 Ridgefield Businessman Takes on McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler over Proposed Metra Station

Friday, 8-7-9 Musings on the Proposed Ridgefield Metra Station

Wednesday, 8-5-9 Alexander Lumber’s Move to Ridgefield, Proposed Metra Station Implications

Unless former Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano drove east on Hillside Road before committing suicide on the East Hillside Road tracks, he wouldn’t have seen the signs in opposition to one of his last significant decisions.

After giving Craig Steagall every reason to believe his and his partner’s land on the west side of the tracks in Ridgefield was the preferred location, Pagano came down on the side of land half-owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler.

Now yard signs are posted throughout Ridgefield and as far east as Oak Street on Hillside Road proclaiming,

NO METRA

I wonder what Pagano would have thought of them.

That’s what Crain’s Chicago Business is reporting online.

Phil Pagano lives in Covered Bridge Trails, which is located north of Hillside Road in rural Crystal Lake.

At a salary of $269,625, I can’t imagine any public official/servant living in McHenry County earning more.

Metra Chairwoman Chairwoman Carole Doris confirming what Crain’s Greg Hinz is reporting with the following statement, issue in mid-afternoon:

“I have called an emergency board meeting for Friday to discuss hiring outside legal counsel to complete an inquiry into reports of potential financial irregularities allegedly involving Metra’s Executive Director.”After becoming aware of certain questions within the past few days, I conducted a preliminary reviews of the matter which convinced me that a thorough review by independent outside counsel is in order.

Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano addresses the McHenry County Board with RTA Executive Director Steve Schlickman looking on.

“We will not comment on media reports until the review is complete. But I can assure our riders, Illinois taxpayers, and our state and local government partners that the review will be completed expeditiously and that we will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the integrity and fiscal responsibility of Metra.”

Pagano was deeply involved in the purchase of the former Flowerwood property in Ridgefield for a commuter railroad station.

Prior to the August, 2009, announcement, Craig Steagall thought that his property on the other side of the tracks was the selection.

Pagano even met with him in his office.

Former State Senator Jack Schaffer serves as McHenry County’s representative on the Metra Board. He did not vote on the purchase of the former Flowerwood property. He was elected Treasurer of Metra last June.

Former Crystal Lake Metra Board member Don Udsteun, the political brains behind several election victories of former Governor George Ryan, is said to have given the Feds a journal of many years when investigators called him on taking money for helping direct Metra contracts to former Republican State Rep. Roger Stanley (R-Streamwood).  Stanley subsequently developed a thriving mail house, which served Lee Daniels’ House Republican Campaign Committee.

Udstuen, whom both Schaffer and I knew from Young Republican days in the 1960′s and subsequently, settled and lived in Crystal Lake until after his court troubles.    Udstuen’s day job was being the Illinois State Medical Society’s top lobbyist, although his job title was being head of the ISMS’ medial malpractice insurance company.

The Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission gave preliminary approval to Metra’s proposed Ridgefield Train Station, but conditioned it on making multi-million dollar road improvements recommended by city engineering firm Patrick Engineering.

The improvements, most overdue, according to Patrick engineers Ryan Westrom and Chris DeRosia, would include signals at Country Club and Hillside Road, plus Market and Ridgefield Road next to the Union Pacific railroad tracks. In addition, suggested improvements at McConnell Road and Country Club were requested. Finally, the motion asked that Metra make whatever improvements would be necessary for commuters to be able to get out of the parking lot on the 9,360 vehicle per day Country Club Road.

“If improvements are made, they will accommodate the traffic we projected,” Westrom told the commissioners.

The engineering firm, starting from scratch, projected that about 36% of the station’s commuters would come down Country Club Road from the north, 41% down Hillside Road and 22% from north of the site across the tracks through Downtown Ridgefield. Do the math and you see that 77% is predicted to come from the same side of the tracks where the 17.5 acre station will be located.

Members expressed frustration that none of the roads were under city jurisdiction. The engineering report said current traffic volumes merited signals on both ends of Market Street in Downtown Ridgefield.  And, one at Tartan Drive and Ridgefield Road by 2015.

Consensus was expressed that commissioners wanted to protect Ridgefield residents and business owners, although none are located within Crystal Lake city limits.

Motions to change the zoning from Estate Residential to Semi-Public and Public Use passed 5-0, as did a motion to approve how Metra proposed to meet the city’s Watershed Ordinance.

A motion from former City Councilman Dave Goss to approve a Preliminary Planned Unit Development, contingent on staff recommendations and road improvements suggested by Patrick Engineering passed 3-2.

Metra’s presentation suggested that property values around train stations generally increased with the prediction being that farmland north of the station site on Country Club Road would “have development pressure…(with) higher density development, higher land values.”

Goss voted against his own motion, based on his belief that the commuter station would lower property values in Ridgefield. He was joined by Commission Chairman Jeff Greenman.

Commissioners Don Batastini, Vince Esposito, Alan Skluzacek voted in the affirmative, although Esposito had said earlier, “I don’t think a train station that size needs to be out there.”

When the issue reaches city council on April 6th, a three-fifths approval vote will be needed, according to Metra’s local attorney Joe Gottemoller.

Earlier, Gottemoller had argued that the new traffic generated by Metra “is very small.” He noted that none of the improvements recommended by the traffic consulting firm, for example improving Market Street, were on McHenry County’s Five-Year Plan.

During the public comment period Chris Conway from Hillside road worried about increased garbage on the road and its taking more than the ten minutes it now takes her to get out of her driveway.

“We kind of feel there’s some insider trading going on on this property,” speaking for herself and neighbors.

The property is half owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler.

Also speaking was Craig Steagall, land owner across the tracks from Koehler’s land.

He questioned the traffic experts traffic projections. Earlier he had hired his own traffic consultant and presented results to the city council.

“How did 84 Lumber get in there without making those improvements?” he asked.

Steagall also asked how the decades-old agriculture zoning for the former Flowerwood nursery property got changed to industrial through “a zoning map correction.” (Later Planning and Economic Development Director Michelle Rentzsch confirmed that what Stegall said was correct.)

“There’s been an allegation I’m on my high horse because of a sour land deal,” he continued, telling of how Metra approached him to buy 12 acres and how Alexandra Lumber was considering purchasing 20 acres prior to purchasing 84 Lumber’s abandoned yard. Steagall then pointed out that under the discussions he had had with Metra to buy land south of the tracks, he and his partner would have had to put in $500,000 to a million for infrastructure improvements, a cost burden he considered unreasonable.

Steagall compared Metra’s planned station to

• “Health Care—Start over,”
• “the Bridge to Nowhere” and
• “the Cornhusker Kickback.”

Speaking also of the Lily Pond Road station, which will be built on donated land, Stegall concluded,

“It’s Metra stations for all our friends.”

Another man asked if people, especially McHenry County College students and employees would have walking and biking access.

“Would it be good service to the college.”

No one from McHenry College offered public comment.

“What prevented Metra from putting the station on the south side of the tracks,” another person asked.

In rebuttal, a factoid came out that was interesting.

Over 60% of the people using the Pingree Road Station are from Lake in the Hills.

Replying to Steagall, Gottemoller said, “Sour grapes. That’s a political item that we don’t have anything to do with.”

Rick Mack, representing Metra, explained that 15 trains would come down the track each morning and that the Lily Pond Road Station (called East Woodstock) was put on the south side of the tracks so most cars using it wouldn’t have to cross the tracks.

He explained that capacity throughout McHenry County was being expanded, pointing to all the empty land between Woodstock and Harvard.

“This is an entire upgrade, not just to address today,” Mack continued. Earlier, it had been pointed out that train storage would be moved from Crystal Lake to north of Woodstock, that there was no room to store additional trains in Crystal Lake.

“All of these improvements are interconnected.”

Traffic concerns were widespread among the commissioners.

Greenman said,

Jeff Greenman

“We’re going to trust the county to do what it needs to do and trust the state to do what it needs to do.

“There are so many interdependencies, so many ‘what if’s’

“It’s a huge risk.”

At the end of the meeting, Goss thanked the city council “for standing up for the traffic study.”

Metra had asked to use its own traffic consultant, but that was rejected by the council in favor of one on the city’s approved list.

There could be some local action on open space at the Nunda Township Annual Meeting.

Township tax fighters Gerry Walsh, Republican Committeeman Bob Borchert, Doug Mann, and former Republican County Board candidate Craig Steagall have filed the following petition seeking to have the township electors ask the Nunda Township Board put a question on the ballot about whether voters want to repeal the 2007 passed Open Space Plan or not:

We, the undersigned, qualified electors and registered voters of Nunda Township in the County of McHenry, State of Illinois, do hereby petition the Nunda Township Clerk to include an advisory question of public policy to be placed on the agenda item at the 2010 Township Meeting per Section 30-205 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes 60 ILCS 1/ Township Code.  The advisory question pertains to repeal of the Nunda Township Open Space Plan that was adopted by the township voters in April of 2007.  This question shall request that the Nunda Township Board shall certify the question of repeal of this Plan to the proper election authorities, who shall submit the question in accordance with the general election law.

Whether the township board will put the advisory referendum on the ballot remains to be seen.

In other news, Walsh has individually filed complaints against the political action committees of Nunda Neighbors for Open Space, whose treasurer is Democratic Party District 3 County Board candidate Lori McConville, and Nunda Township Republicans, whose treasurer is Nunda Township Trustee Jim Schlader.

He alleges the Open Space PAC filed late for the second time in six months and the Republicans have listed the township office address, 3510 Bay Road, Crystal Lake, 60012, as the source of a $735.68 donation for the Nunda Township GOP picnic and did not name the donor of the contribution, as required by state campaign finance laws.  The name of the donor was listed as “Picnic Contributions”.  Oddly, other Republican party donors were properly listed by name and address.

In reaction to that complaint, the Nunda Township GOP PAC filed an amendment with the State Board to move that donation from “Itemized” to “Non-Itemized.”

Hearings on both complaints before the Illinois State Board of Elections are scheduled for March 10th in Chicago.

District 3 county board candidate Craig Steagall has filed his final report for his county board campaign that fell 232 votes short of beating incumbent Barb Wheeler.

Steagall came in fourth 32 votes behind Karen Tynis.

Joliet’s Merc Strategy Group was the place that Steagall’s money went. It received $16,700.

That entire amount was supplied by the candidate.

Winning a GOP nomination besides Wheeler was Nick Provenzano, who polled first.

With almost all of District 3 precincts reporting (30 out of 37), it appears that incumbent Barb Wheeler and former member Nick Provenzano will win the two spots on the fall GOP ballot.

Provenzano is running first, which means that the proponents of video gambling have picked up one vote. Two pick-ups are needed to switch the vote from a ban to allowing video poker at bars and restaurants in unincorporated areas.

Precincts Reporting		30/37	81.08%
KAREN J. TYNIS	REP	763	20.47%
VERONICA ARMSTRONG	REP	325	8.72%
NICK PROVENZANO	REP	966	25.91%
BARBARA WHEELER	REP	884	23.71%
S. CRAIG STEAGALL	REP	772	20.71%

Candidates for the District 3 McHenry County Board seats are starting to send out mailings.

I thought you might want to see the ones that I have found.

Any candidate in any district who would like to have a bit wider coverage of their direct mail campaign is welcome to email me what is sent out. And, if you as a reader receive a mailing and will be so kind as to scan it for me, I’ll be appreciative and try to get it up.

With the Chicago Democrats having set the primary election in one of the coldest times of the year to protect incumbents from challengers, the postman really is the precinct committeeman.

Not many voters will see a candidate knocking on doors like the challenger to Republican State Rep. Suzie Bassi of Palatine, two districts away from most of us.

So, let’s take a look at some District 3 mailings for county board.

Here’s a mailing from District 2 challenger Craig Steagall.  It arrived last week.

Here’s the other side.

The piece from District 3 challenger Karen Tynis is next.

On this postcard, the volunteer work mentioned on the address side is fleshed out, including volunteering for Prairie Ridge High School and Club Fusion volley ball, the Salvation Army, the Prairie Grove Parks Dept.  and the Shepherd of the Hills Church.

Tynis lists her goals as

• Establish new business relationships for the county that encourages growth without hurting the taxpayers
• Help keep existing businesses in McHenry County
• Lowering taxes
• Reduce government spending
• Establish an open door policy for residents
• Community safety

Tynis also lists her business experience with Tynis Concrete and KT Leasing, two property owners associations and ten years of real estate closings.

Barb Wheeler, the only incumbent running, is the only one to have sent out a letter.

It includes her web site www.BarbaraWheeler2010.com and gives her phone number–815-245-4556.

She tells of her endorsement by the Northwest Herald and being described as an “INDEPENDENT” three times.

“I am a proud member of the Republican Party; however, in local government that doesn’t always mean I will vote in lock step with the party leaders.”

Here’s her closing pitch:

“The economy is the number one issue facing the county, state and country. Because of McHenry County’s fiscal discipline, our county has consistently passed a balanced budget.

“In the last five years, we have actually seen our county’s portion of the tax bill go down.

“Further, I have proposed initiatives not only to attract and to retain businesses, but also to help McHenry County businesses expand and grow. These efforts will improve business and employment opportunities.

“Obviously, the county can’t act alone; we will need the collaboration of the Economic Development Council, the McHenry County Community College, as well as other industry leaders.

“My consensus building experience will help to bring these groups to the table for the betterment of McHenry County.”

Finally, here is a mailing from former county board member Nick Provenzano, who is seeking a return to the county board.

It is a piece aimed at Pro-Lifers. It is the most professional looking piece I have seen aimed at that important segment of Republican primary voters. I wonder what the distribution was.

Remember hearing about how forest fires sometimes jump fire breaks that are intended to contain them.

That may have happened late last week with the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water’s conflict of interest ordinance.

Originally presented to the McHenry County Board in December, the draft ordinance was shipped off to the State’s Attorney’s Office for review.

The review came back with some good points, along with some trivial ones.

And the number of county board candidates voluntarily filing the form kept increasing. Here’s who have filed so far:

• District 1 – None
• District 2 – All but Ken Koehler, that is, Sandra DePaul, Donna Kurtz, Ellen Brady Mueller and Lyn Orphal
• District 3 – Everyone of them! Veronica Armstrong, Nick Provenzano, Craig Steagall, Barbara Wheeler and Karen Tynis
• District 4 – Sandra Salgado and Jeff Thirtyacre (Democrat)
• District 5 – Tina Hill, John Jung and Frank Wedig (Green).  Incumbent Jim Kennedy and challenger Dave Frederick have not yet filed the form.
• District 6 – All but incumbent Dan Ryan, that is, Richard Draper, Diane Evertsen, Mary McCann and Vic Narusis.

Since there is no deadline, candidates or public officials can still download the conflict of interest form, fill it out and send it in.

Indeed ALAW did not even ask candidates to fill out the ethics form; it did have a questionnaire on issued of interest, however, the results of which can be found here for the twelve county board candidates who completed it.

As you can see more candidates filled out the ethics statement than filled out the issue questionnaire.

Along the way, every candidate for sheriff has answered the conflict of interest questionnaire.

And, two incumbent county board members not up for election have completed it. One, Republican Virginia Peschke, the other, Democrat Paula Yensen.

Late last week, however, the first municipal official sent in answers.

She is Crystal Lake City Councilwoman Carolyn Schofield.

What’s that all about?

She just got elected.

Does this portend an issue in the Crystal Lake city elections next spring?

Will Schofield introduce an ordinance to make completing the conflict of interest form a requirement for elected and appointed city officials, as well as city consultants?

Unlike the County of McHenry, the City of Crystal Lake is a Home Rule unit of government.

What’s that mean?

It means the Crystal Lake City Council and other Home Rule cities have more power than county government.

The standard explanation of what a Home Rule government can do is anything the General Assembly doesn’t say it can’t do.

If Schofield, the newest member of the city council, follows decides to make a variation of the ALAW ordinance mandatory in Crystal Lake, the debate could turn quite interesting.

Since city Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller is running for county board in District 2, she might get elected. She certainly is in the top three in the sign war.

If elected, I imagine she would resign from the council. If so, a replacement would have to be selected.

Might the council require applicants for the possible vacancy to answer the conflict of interest questions first?

Whether or not the city council passed such a requirement, any council member could let it be known that he or she would not support a candidate who did not fill out the form.

Yes, ALAW has started something that could get very, very interesting.

You can see the vote scheduled for a Superintendent contract as item 14.1 tonight on the agenda in the online board packet.

See page 5 here.

After having made the school teachers’ contract public on its web page, wouldn’t you think the District 158 might do the same for the highest paid employee?

Sorry. You’d be disappointed.

There is no disclosure of the contract expected to be approved for John Burkey tonight..

How’s that for transparency?

At the last board meeting, Controller Mark Altmayer had this to say about transparency in Huntley;

“We definitely pride ourselves on being transparent.”

There is certainly a disconnect between words and deeds.

It certainly does not help increase voters trust of government.

Meanwhile at the McHenry County Young Republicans county board candidates’ forum at 1776 last night, District 3 candidate Craig Steagall, who runs Woolf Distributing told of how he had built his company from $1 million to $60-65 million before “Obamoconics” sent his company into a downturn.

“Business dropped 25-35%,” he said.

What happened to high salaries?

“If a person made more than $50,000 a year, you got cut 20%.

“In one year, we did not lose one employee until one decided to got to New Orleans to work on an oil rig.”

That’s how a sizable firm in McHenry County coped with the economic downturn.

Tomorrow night, the public will see how one of McHenry County’s largest employers copes.

Of course, taxes haven’t gone down 25-35%, have they?