McHenry County Blog

Com Ed had a power failure last night right in front of our Lakewood home.

My son was looking out the front window and saw two explosions.

He said looked like fireworks and startled him.

After each one, the power went out, then came back on.

There was no wind and no rain.

No car hit a pole.

Simple failure of a couple of brackets, it appears.

I immediately call Commonwealth Edison and informed them.

It took about a half an hour for a truck to show up.

Even with the so-called Smart Grid Com Ed has succeeded in getting most local legislators to pass rate hikes to finance, the notice of the outage would not have brought the repair truck appreciably faster.

Although the cause of the damage was obvious–two brackets had collapsed from the pole, which is about fifty feet high–onto the wires causing them to short out, the truck went up and down the street looking at the rest of the line along Lake Avenue.

As I was beginning this story shortly after nine last night, the lights and the computer went dark again.

Over five hours later, our bedroom lights went on waking us about 2:15 AM.

And here’s what the repair to the electric system looked like this morning:

This section of Com Ed’s grid was installed about ten years ago. The part of Broadway cost a man his life.

Awaiting a call from Com Ed to answer my questions as to how many were affected and what the cause of the problem was.

The two roll calls on the Com Ed/Ameren electric rate hike bill have appeared here before.

Some might wonder why I feel so strongly about this legislation that will ad $6 a month to most homeowners’ electric bills.

The reason is that I was told on a train ride to Springfield in the 1970′s that by Samuel Insull‘s secretary that he got the Illinois General Assembly to create the agency because he was tired of having to pay off legislators. Insull figured, it seems, that buying off a majority of the ICC would be cheaper (probably easier, too).

Now that the Commerce Commission is not acting like the electric industries handmaiden, electric utilities seem to have reverted to the original way of doing business.

And, as far as the money being needed to upgrade the electric grid, I’d ask, “Wasn’t keeping the infrastructure in top shape part of the deal with Com Ed and Ameren were given their monopolies?”

State Representatives voting for the Senate Bill 9 who represent part of McHenry County are Republicans

• David McSweeney
• Mike Tryon
• Barb Wheeler
• Tim Schmitz

Democrat Jack Franks voted, “No.”

In the State Senate those voting in favor were

• Pam Althoff
• Karen McConnaughay

Dan Duffy voted against the bill.

That’s what the Chicago Tribune is reporting tonight in its internet edition.

So, I figure it’s time to remind people who voted to allow Commonwealth Edison to raise our electric rates.

The roll calls for the Illinois Senate and House on the bill in question, Senate Bill 9, appear below.

When legislators vote to hike your electric rates, it seems to me that people ought to know who is responsible.

Senate Bill 9 passed lickty-split this month, just as previous misnamed “smart grid” bills did.

Since I have published the previous roll calls, it seems appropriate to do this follow-up.

While the utilities say they need “help” in paying to upgrade their infrastructure, I would not have voted for the bill because both Commonwealth Edison and Ameren (southern Illinois’ electric utility) have exclusive franchises to provide reliable electric power.

That means to me they should have been paying to maintain sufficient infrastructure all along.

I see no reason to bail them out for diverting previous electric bill payments to purposes other than maintaining a system capable of delivering the load of electricity demanded.

Obviously, the majority of both the Illinois Senate and House disagree with that logic.

Here’s the Senate roll call:

State Senator Dan Duffy was the only local member of the upper chamber who voted against the bill.  State Sentors Pam Althoff and Karen McConnaughay voted, “Yes.”  The bill passed 44-9-1.

Here’s the House roll call:

Of legislators representing part of McHenry County, only Jack Franks voted, “No.”

Dave McSweeney, Tim Schmitz, Mike Tryon and Barb Wheeler vote in favor of the bill, which passed 86-38-3.

The final part of Lakewood Village President Ern Smith’s winter newsletter follows:

Electrical Aggregation

In the spring of 2012, our residents approved a referendum [results for all such referendums at link] by the widest margin in McHenry County to implement a municipal aggregation program for electricity.

Our results were better than hoped for, as we were able to secure some of the lowest electrical generation rates in the state of Illinois at less than half of the rate from ComEd.

We estimated that this program would save our residents between $300 and $350 annually.

However, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has initiated rulemaking that will negatively impact current and future municipal aggregation programs.

The ICC has chosen to undertake this process even though the General Assembly made it clear when it passed the enabling legislation that the ICC has no authority to regulate municipal aggregation programs.

The Village of Lakewood has chosen to work with 83 other communities as a part of a coalition to maintain our existing municipal aggregation program and fight the overreach of the ICC.

You can help us by contacting the following officials to express your support for the existing municipal aggregation program that you chose via a referendum:

• ICC Chairman Doug Scott at (800) 524-0795
• State Senator Pamela Althoff at (815) 455-8284
• State Representative Michael Tryon at (815) 455-8284

New Business

I am very pleased to announce the opening of our newest business at Lakewood Commons – Tres Chic Boutique. It is a full service salon that will offer a wide range of services in a beautiful setting. The opening is tentatively scheduled for February 1, so please check our website regularly as the date approaches and be prepared to help support our newest business.

With this upcoming opening, only four of the original thirteen units at Lakewood Commons remain vacant. The owner is in the midst of installing a new sign that will help identify businesses, which is one of the most frequent requests we hear. In addition, a successful entrepreneur (who currently has two businesses) would like to open a Mexican restaurant in two of the remaining four units. However, much of his capital is tied up in his existing businesses, so he is seeking opportunities for investors or other loan programs. Please contact Village Manager Catherine Peterson directly for further information. Remember – our residents are our greatest resource!

As always, I encourage you to contact me or any of our officials with questions regarding any of the projects highlighted in the newsletter or that you might read about elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Erin

On the heels of Grafton Township Supervisor candidate Marty Waitzman’s comments about electrical needs in the Assessor’s Office comes this response from Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore in this memo to Assessor Bill Ottley:

Memo: It would be best if people had all of the facts before advocating for the expenditure of tax dollars. I am hopeful to receive a response to the letter which I gave the Assessor soon. An additional copy is being provided to Assessor Ottley today for his response.

Linda Moore, Grafton Township Supervisor

8/17/2012

RE: Electrical Service Update and Electrical Related Losses in Town Hall

Dear Bill,

I would like to accommodate your desires, but I have some problems with your request. I have specified them in this letter. You have provided the following information:

To Do:

7 – 20 amp dedicated circuits
Upgrade – 120/240 single phase panel from 20 circuits to 40 circuit panel

Plus permit fees, which are yet unknown. The owner will be responsible for.

Surge suppressor for new panel.

Total Job:

$3,500, 50% down for cost of materials up front.

Submitted by:
Brian Johnson

Please read this letter and get back to me to see if there is some way that we can reach an agreement and satisfy these requirements. As promised, I have taken the board’s action under advisement on the following agenda item:

“B. Discussion and potential action on possible solution for electrical problems in the Assessor’s Office”

DEFICIT BUDGET

Currently, Grafton Township has a deficit budget and an obligation to the Road District to pay $300,000 plus rent. Any funds that are not spent in the Office of Assessment budget can be utilized to relieve the deficit and the obligations of the township. It would be prudent to determine if an electrical upgrade is an effective and least cost method to resolve the issues that have caused you to request this work to be done.

INSURANCE COVERAGE

For insurance purposes, I am requesting a list of the electronic equipment and software that has been damaged. You gave an informal estimate value of $2,000 at the July Board meeting. No insurance claim has been filed. We may have coverage for this type of loss which would need to be submitted in a timely manner.

DOCUMENTATION NEEDED

The documentation that you provided to me at the August board meeting did not include many important pieces of information. Because the supervisor is the only official who is bonded, I am requesting the following documentation.

TOIRMA REQUIREMENT FOR TOWNSHIP CONTRACTORS

1.Certificate of insurance for no less than $1,000,000.00.

2.Certification of workman’s compensation coverage.

VILLAGE OF HUNTLEY PERMIT REQUIREMENTS

3.Proof of contractor’s required registration with Huntley, currently Huntley has 61 electricians that are registered. A copy of the list will be provided to you.

4.Copy of documentation required by Huntley to acquire permit, including a floor plan showing where the additional circuits and electric panel will be located, description of the work to be covered by the permit, and the valuation of the proposed work.

5.Copy of contractor’s receipt for payment of permit fee to Village of Huntley.

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

6.A letter from contractor agreeing to be in compliance with (60 ILCS 1/85-45)
Sec. 85-45. Pecuniary interest in contracts, stating the total cost of the project will be less than $20,000, agreeing to pay prevailing wage and that all work and moneys received will not violate the Gift Ban Law (cited below).

7.Vendor’s W-9 including business type, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation.

8.Detailed proposal from the contractor on the company’s letterhead including the timeline and the total cost for this project with a business telephone number, fax number, email address, business location and mailing address.

9.Letter from you with the township code citation that allows for a township to pay funds in advance of work or services received.

10.Adopted board minutes showing approval for an Electrical Upgrade Contract.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS NEEDED

11.The contractor’s references.

12.Proof of due diligence showing multiple bids from electricians for the same project specifications.

13.A pre-inspection report from the Village of Huntley.

I would be happy to meet with you to address any of your concerns.
Sincerely,

Linda Moore, Grafton Township Supervisor

Supplemental Information (See here.)

• State Law Citations
• list of registered electricians in the Village of Huntley
• Village of Huntley Code and Enforcement Requirements

A press release from Grafton Township Supervisor candidate Marty Waitzman:

Marty Waitzman – Position Statement on Grafton Township Building

ALGONQUIN, IL – I have had many conversations with residents and news reporters who wanted to know whether or not I believe there is a need in Grafton Township for the acquisition or construction of a new Township Building.

I will not criticize, nor applaud, the opinions of those individuals who were involved in the past controversy surrounding the proposed Township Building.

Finger- pointing, mudslinging, and polarization need to stop.

I am committed to running a positive campaign, so I will leave the past where it belongs—in the past.

To quote the press release which announced my candidacy, I stated in pertinent part,

“Marty’s objective is to build a Grafton Township government that will work hard, smart, and efficiently for the community.

“Marty is a fiscal conservative who knows how to do more with less, and how to work collaboratively and respectfully with both community members and government officials and employees.”

I wish to clearly state my position on the acquisition or construction of a new Township Building.

Consistent with the objective quoted in the previous paragraph, I believe that with today’s disastrous economic conditions and the current suffering endured by Grafton Township’s citizens, the acquisition or construction of a new Township Building today would be fiscally irresponsible and unnecessary.

Accordingly, I do not support or advocate such an undertaking.

I believe that township activities can be accomplished with some minor improvements and updates to the present Township facility. These can be done over time and as funds are available.

By way of illustration, it has been publically disclosed that the Assessor’s office is currently operating with an electrical system that is dangerously inadequate.

The potential loss of real estate data due to an electrical calamity is very real.

The horrific impact on property owners in the Township and on all of McHenry County would be enormous.

The costs and time that would be necessary to rebuild the Assessor’s data base would undoubtedly be gigantic.

I understand the electrical inadequacies can be fixed for under $4,000.

That is the type of necessary, responsible, and reasonably priced improvement and update that I not only support, but highly recommend.

For more information, please contact Marty Waitzman at (847) 450-4950, marty@waitzman2013.com, or visit www.waitzman2013.com.

= = = = =

Waitzman is running against incumbent Linda Moore and fellow challenger Pam Fender.

A response from Moore concerning the electrical needs portion of the press release above can be found here.

A press release from State Senator Pam Althoff:

Althoff to host energy bill clinics in Spring Grove, McHenry

McHENRY – State Senator Pamela Althoff (R-McHenry) will be hosting two upcoming energy bill clinics with the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) in August.

The first will be held on Wednesday, August 22 at 7 pm in the Village of Spring Grove Council Chambers at 7401 Meyer Road.

The second will be held on Tuesday, August 28 at 7 pm in the Village of McHenry Council Chambers located at 333 South Green Street.

The forums are aimed at helping local residents learn how to save money on their energy bills, and will outline various energy options available to consumers.

Free refreshments and brochures will be provided.

The CUB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents the interests of Illinois consumers. Numerous CUB staff members will be on hand at the forum to answer questions and assist individuals interested in reducing their energy bills.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a recent energy bill with them to help staff identify potential savings.

For more information about the seminar please contact Senator Althoff’s office at 815-455-6330.

Sixteen homeowners opted out of the Village of Lakewood’s plan to purchase electricity from Direct Energy at a substantial savings over what Commonwealth Edison charges.

46% less, in fact.

That will not be a reduction in the entire bill.

All will still have to pay Com Ed’s delivery charge, which, thanks to Representatives Jack Franks and Mike Tryon, plus Senator Pam Althoff, will go up $3 a month starting in January.

Villagers voted in a higher percentage for the bulk buying idea than in any other municipality in McHenry County.

Right near the north end of the Virginia Street TIF District (you know the place, just look for the two $16,000 stone monuments) in front of the Crystal Lake Motel, high winds have snapped an electric line maintained by Commonwealth Edison.

In this case, it was not any of those nasty trees within 20 feet of a power line that “Chainsaw Jack” Franks wants to have cut down.

In fact, there were no trees near the line break.

The following notice was sent out by the Crystal Lake Police at 4:43 PM:

Temp Road Closure, All lanes Route 14 from Northshore Dr to Dole Ave are closed and being re-routed, down power lines

Police and fire equipment were there when I arrived.

But there were no Com Ed repair trucks when I left to write this article at about 5.

No doubt traffic reports will tell of the big jam on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.