Metra's Rick Mack and local attorney Joe Gottemoller appear before the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission.

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.

Patrick Engineering's Ryan Westrom and Chris DeRosia presented their traffic study.

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.

Patrick Engineering predicts those using the Ridgefield Metra Station will live within the yellow outline.

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.

Click to enlarge and you may be able to see the road improvements that Patrick Engineering thinks are needed to move traffic in the area of the proposed Ridgefield Metra Commuter Station. While the bypass of Downtown Ridgefield was discussed, that option was not recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commissioners

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.

Dave Goss and Don Bastastini confer during the meeting.

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.

Craig Steagall asks questions while Metra's Rick Mack (on the right) and attorney Joe Gottemoller look on.

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.”

Metra's Rick Mack addresses commissioners while attorney Joe Gottemoller observes.

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.

Open Space repeal logo.

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.

In foreground, you see Nunda Township Picnic attendees Joe Wheeler and now-GOP gubernatorial candidate State Senator Bill Brady.

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.

Craig Steagall

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.

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.

Here you see conservative challenger Tom Morrison campaigning against Palatine's liberal State Rep. Suzie Bassi. Any local candidates hoofing it? Send me a photo, but don't look at the camera and be at a door with a potential constitute.I thought you might want to see the mail that candidates or those being courted for their vote have sent out in District 3. (If I have missed any, I ask the candidates to email it me.)

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.

This post card from District 3 challenger Craig Steagall appears to be an introduction of the candidate and theme of the campaign--"Fresh Leadership." It also includes the campaign web site www.craigsteagall.com

Here’s the other side.

It contains biographical information. I'm guessing the yellow patch is where the address and bulk mail permit goes. Steagall discloses his successful business background, his family's service to the agriculture community, a bit about his role in building the Prairie Ridge High School soccer fields and his role in the Continental Little League.

The piece from District 3 challenger Karen Tynis is next.

This is the address side of a Karen Tynis mailing. The highlight, of course, is the photo of her family. She talks of her business background and being a community volunteer.

This is the only post card I have seen so far that has to be rotated to be read. I don't whether that is good or bad, but tend to think it is good because it is different from the others.

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.

Click to enlarge any image.

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.

Clearly, District 3 county board candidate Nick Provenzano is positioning himself to be "THE" Pro-Life candidate.

Nick Provenzano touts his endorsement by the Illinois Citizens for Life, Irene Napier, Chairman of McHenry County Right to Life and Bonnie Quirke, Chairman of the Lake County Right to Life, plus the Northwest Herald. He includes his web site address.

]]> http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/01/27/districtcounty-board-candidates-sending-mailings/feed/ 1 http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/01/25/alaw-conflict-of-interest-idea-jumps-to-crystal-lake-city-government/ http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/01/25/alaw-conflict-of-interest-idea-jumps-to-crystal-lake-city-government/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:08:09 +0000 Cal Skinner http://mchenrycountyblog.com/?p=10770 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.

Crystal Lake Councilwoman Carolyn Schofield

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.

See page 5 here.

John burkey, Superintendent of Huntley School Disrtrict 158

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?

Zane Seipler, GOP candidate for McHenry County Sheriff. was the first countywide candidate to file the conflict of interest form with ALAW,

Now there are two candidates for countywide office who have filed the conflict of interest forms prepared by the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water.

The first was Zane Seipler, the Republican challenging McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren for his spot.

Power party sheriff candidates Nygren and and Mike Mahon have not done so.

Gus Philpott is the second candidate for McHenry County Sheriff to file the ALAW potential conflict of interest questionnaire. He's running on the Green Party ticket and will be on the fall ballot.

Now, a fall challenger has stepped up to the plate.

It’s the Green Party candidate for sheriff and operator of Woodstock Advocate Gus Philpott.

That means both of the Green candidates on the ballot—the other is District 5 county board candidate Frank Wedig—have filled out the questionnaire that ALAW wants all elected and appointed county officials to file, including those who zone property.

17 of 27 county board candidates have completed the paperwork. That’s 63% of the candidates.

Showing how threatening to the Establishment this concept is, however, is the fact that 60% of the incumbent county board members running for re-election have neglected to reveal their potential conflicts of interest.

The idea, if enacted by the county board, would require elected and appointed officials, plus consultants to reveal potential conflicts of interest.

The ones who did file did it voluntarily and had to find the find the form on the ALAW web site.

Clearly, this is not your ordinary questionnaire.

District 2 county board candidate Craig Steagall was the first to complete the ALAW ethics questionnaire.

Donna Kurtz, District 2 candidate who was the second to file the ALAW ethics from.

District 3 county board challenger Craig Steagall was the first to file.

District 2 challenger Donna Kurtz was the second.

Now, all candidates from District 3 have sent the completed form to ALAW.

In District 2, all but County Board Chairman Ken Koehler have voluntarily filed the forms with the alliance.

Koehler was also the only candidate in District 2 to miss the Patriots United county board candidates night. No newspaper wrote an article. McHenry County Blog did publish a story.

Philpott issued the following statement about the questionnaire:

“The ALAW Disclosure is a very important document.

“Citizens have the right to know, up-front, about conflicts-of-interest for elected officials.

“I support disclosure by appointed officials, too.

“Cozy, backroom deals must be a thing of the past. I would support widening the disclosure to require reporting of any conflicts that come into existence, after the Disclosure is filed.

“I am pleased to report that I have no conflicts-of-interest

“Gus Philpott”

McHenry County Board member Barbara Wheeler, on the left, mugs with one of her District 3 challengers, Veronica Armstrong, who is holding a rubber jar opener that says, "Get a grip on your future. Get rid of the screw offs." The two were at the literature distribution last for Republican precinct committeemen last Friday night.

Republican Veronica Armstrong, who is running for a District 3 seat, has just submitted her information.

She is a challenger running against

• Incumbent Barb Wheeler
• Former Board member Nick Provenzano
• Challenger Craig Steagall and
• Challenger Karen Tynis

Tynis is now the only District 3 candidate who has not filled out the questionnaire whose completion the Alliance of Land, Agriculture and Water wants the county board to make mandatory.

Steagall started the domino effect, being the first in the county to file.

Others who have filled out the form are in this article.

This might be one of those articles.

The Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water came up with an idea to help remove the suspicion that many members of the public have that county board members use their office for personal gain.

If you tell me people you have talked to haven’t brought this up, I’d suggest you are not very deeply into local citizenship.

The questionnaire idea was presented at the committee level of the McHenry County Board, received a chilly reception, and sent to the State’s Attorney’s Office for reviews, that is, to see if any or all of it would be legal for a non-Home Rule unit of local government to impose upon its officials.

Then, District 3 challenger Craig Steagall decided to fill out the form and submit it to ALAW.

District 2 challenger Donna Kurtz followed suit.

As of now, seven challengers and three incumbents have submitted such information about their personal financial situation.

Ten in all.

Considering Steagall is in District 2 and has demonstrated deep enough pockets to buy full page ads in the Northwest Herald, perhaps it is not surprising that two of his opponents—former County Board member Nick Provenzano and incumbent Barb Wheeler– have decided to make voluntary disclosure.

In District 5, incumbent Tina Hill has filed. In District 6, Mary McCann is among three candidates who have made disclosure.

So, three incumbents running for re-election are willing to stand up for reform.

Barb Wheeler

Tina Hill

Mary McCann

And, they are all women.  Does that tend to re-enforce my analysis that voters think women are less likely to be crooks than men?

Only three, it should be noted. They deserve to have their photos here, don’t you think?

And no one not up for reelection has yet to file a form.

Below is ALAW’s press release:

CANDIDATES DISCLOSURES KEEP COMING

Ten candidates for County Board in the upcoming primary have now voluntarily sent ALAW statements pursuant to the ALAW conflicts disclosure ordinance. Disclosure have been received from

• Donna Kurtz (R), District 2;
• Craig Steagall (R), District 3;
• Nick Provenzano (R), District 3;
• Barb Wheeler (R), District 3;
• Jeff Thirtyacre (D), District 4;
• Tina Hill (R), District 5;
• Frank Wedig (Green Party), District 5;
• Diane Evertsen (R), District 6;
• Mary McCann (R), District 6;
• Richard Draper (R), District 6.

(Incumbents are shown in bold face type; party identification has been added.)

The disclosures and the ordinance are both posted on the ALAW web site here.

ALAW expects to receive more disclosures over the next few days and challenges all candidates file statements.

There is no deadline for filing statements, but it is hoped that all candidates will file prior to the February 2 primary election.

ALAW presented the draft ordinance to the County Board on December 1, 2009.

It is currently under review by the McHenry County States Attorney’s office. If passed, the ordinance will require up front disclosure of elected and appointed county official’s real estate holdings and business relationships with the county.

“Our intent is to dispel the perception that our county officials sometimes place personal interest over their duty to their constituents. That idea has been an undercurrent in our county for a long time, and has recently become more widely expressed by the general public,”

said ALAW Director Emily Berendt. “With “transparency in government’ being such a key issue statewide right now, and the primary election approaching, the timing was right to present this ordinance.”

ALAW President Patricia Kennedy said,

“This was certainly unexpected but is a wonderful affirmation of our belief that full disclosure is as welcome by these candidates as it is by the public.”

Alliance for Land Agriculture and Water
PO Box 1021, Woodstock
Contact: Patricia Kennedy
815-943-7223

= = = = =
Come to think of it, this voluntary disclosure idea probably has as it precedent the voluntary release of income tax forms by Illinois Democratic Party politician Paul Simon.  I remember reading his Atlantic Monthly article in my Aunt Louise Stevens copy while visiting my grandparents in Maryland several years before moving to Illinois in 1958.  His article about the blatant crookedness in Springfield was my introduction to Illinois politics.