McHenry County Blog

An informal discussion was held Tuesday night by the Crystal Lake City Council about whether to allow slot machines (“video poker,” if you favor the idea) in town

After presentations by two gambling machine purveyors, City Council members expressed a 6-1 margin against turning Crystal Lake into “Potterville,” to put it in Mayor Aaron Shepley’s words.

“I’ll bet if we wanted to make Crystal Lake the mecca of adult entertainment, we could do that,” Shepley said.

“Just because we could do it doesn’t mean we should do it,” he said just before referring to “one of my favorite movies, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’”

Comparing the scenes of Bedford Falls and Pottersville, he said, “If you don’t look at the extreme examples, you’re not looking at the whole picture.”

Presentations were made by representatives of two slot machine companies.

One, Stepanie Drougas, from Triple 7 Illinois, based in Lake in the Hills, told of the split of profits from the money gambled:

• 30% to the state
• 35% to the liquor licensee
• 35% to the machine owners (the ones at the meeting)

As I understand it, 5 percentage points of the state’s share goes to the local city or county (if unincorporated).

The Triple 7 Illinois woman estimated that each machine would generate $1,000 for the city each year.

“Your bars and restaurants are struggling.  This will give them a little shot in the arm,” she said.

Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller confirmed that the machines to be installed would not be the ones “sitting in bars now.”

“[Is it] basically equivalent to Vegas as to the speed it would spin?” Councilman Ralph Dawson inquired.

Jeff Thorsen calculated that $17 million could be gambled in Crystal Lake machines with $3.4 million going to the state.

“That’s a lot of money you’re pulling out of pockets,” he said.

Yours truly spoke in opposition on behalf of  the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake

I pointed out that each machine could be expected to pull $20,000 out of money now spent in local businesses on goods and services.

I explained that Methodists were holding a once-every-four-year General Conference in Tampa about which stories would surface later this week.

However, I explained the fights between liberals and orthodox Methodists that would end up in the stories would not be about gambling.

I told the Council that both liberal and conservative Methodists opposed gambling.

After the two gambling machine company representatives and I spoke, Shepley said,

“Let’s call it what it is. It’s gambling, period.  This is not Crystal Point Mall and pinball.”

Then he asked his colleagues how whether or not they favored allowing the machines in Crystal Lake:

• “Not,” said Brett Hopkins forcefully.  “I’m not going to open the door now.
• “I don’t really see the need,” Carolyn Schofield said.
• “I have a problem of introducing a sin so we can tax it.  Are those the revenues I really want to chase down and create,  I’m in the ‘No’ [column].”
• “Absolutely in the ‘No’ column,” said Cathy Ferguson.  She told of working with youth at the Arlington Park Race Track.  “I can tell you horror stories about people [there].  I do not want to have any part of that.”  Ferguson later told of visiting South Dakota.  “You cannot go anywhere for breakfast without gambling.  Those towns are dead.  It’s not doing what they wanted it to.”
• Ralph Dawson also spoke in opposition.  He pointed out that the gambling machines might “very well drive customers out of establishments.”
• “It’s not my job to decide what is or isn’t a sin,” Ellen Brady Mueller said.  “Got to bars and [you]see the same people sitting on the same stools [day after day].”  She indicated that a number are probably alcoholics, but suggested, “If that’s your addiction, you’ll find a machine.

“I think I’m probably in the same boat as the majority of the Council.

“I think it’s a fair thing to compare it to the pawn shop.  Those types of organizations tend to prey on the weak or people who are down on their luck.

“Do I find it somewhat disappointing bordering on disgusting that Illinois turns to gambling?” he asked rhetorically.

He characterized selling gambling as the answer to public financing problems as “snake oil.”

In the Illinois General Assembly, State Senator Pam Althoff voted for the authorization bill, while State Senate Dan Duffy voted, “No.”  That Roll Call is here.

In the House of Representatives Mike Tryon and Mark Beaubien voted in favor of the slot machine bill.  Jack Franks opposed it.  Here’s the House Roll Call.

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Tim Kane wrote a story on the council consideration of gambling for Crystal Lake Patch. He pointed out that I began my presentation with my “telling City Council members that the Devil will come as an attractive salesman with a tempting offer. That offer, Skinner added, would be ‘hard-core slot machines.’”

In the Northwest Herald, Brett Rowland also referenced what I said:

“‘I’m sure it would help downtown,’ he said. ‘But I’m not sure downtown needs help. You built a nice downtown district without gambling.’

“He also said that if the City Council doesn’t want pawn shops, he couldn’t understand why it would allow gambling. The council decided last month not to create an ordinance that would have allowed pawnbrokers to operate in the city.”

The expensive Tax Increment Financing District remake of Virginia Street from Kwik Kopy to the Pizza Hut is finished “on time and on budget,” Mayor Aaron Shepley told a group of contractors and local businessmen this morning on the northeast corner of McCormick Park.

The city web site says the whole project is estimated to cost $9.3 million. (I have a call into the Finance Department for a better answer, but was told to file a Freedom of Information request, which usually takes a week to get an answer. This article will not wait that long, so if city officials want to be more precise, they can call or leave a comment.)

Add to that the State Department of Transportation spend on the highway repaving.

I see $3 million for property acquisition (look below) in the TIF district, which probably isn’t part of the streetscape. There is another $2.5 million for parking, which may or may not represent money for re-working the parking spaces on the north side of Virginia Street.

Shepley extolled the new look, saying it would look even better next year when the plantings were put in.

He explained that the idea was to make Crystal Lake’s original “Main Street” look like Downtown.

For those who don’t know, Crystal Lake was combined with a village called Nunda that grew up around the train station Downtown.  The merger explains why the lake resort community streets don’t always fit those in the other part of town.  (I remember we got lost a lot when we moved here in 1958.)

The TIF project includes signs pointing to Downtown.

Star 105.5 radio host Joe Cicero suggested a ribbon cutting to celebrate the end of road and “streetscape” construction (and re-construction, as sections of the new asphalt was removed so decorative walkways could be added at Dole and McHenry Avenues).

Shepley said the idea came up 13 years ago at a visioning meeting. There were 21 ideas for the 21st Century, he said.

This idea was pushed by Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller, Shepley said.

After the ceremony I asked Mayor Shepley if there would be another TIF District to continue the streetscaping east of Fifth Third Bank and Pizza Hut.

That’s where the new black light poles, new sidewalks and landscaping end.

Tax Increment Financing District money can only be spent within the boundaries of TIF districts.

“There are no present plans for another TIF,” he said deliberately.

“What the future brings, who knows?”

He added that I had taught him “never to say never.”

I also talked to Shepley about the lost parking places on the north side of Virginia Street.

Pointing to at least two parking spaces that are now covered by grass in front of the white building on the corner of Pomeroy and Virginia, I offered the opinion that it would never be occupied by a business again because of the parking the re-designed of the streetscape had eliminated.

I got the feeling that such implications of less on-street parking had not occurred to him.

Unintended consequences of governmental actions almost always happen.

But some can consequences can be predicted.

It’s not as if the Virginia Street Corridor, the official name of the project, has lots of off street parking similar to Downtown’s.

Two restauranteurs were present for the ceremony, 1776′s Andy Andreski and Andy’s Family Restaurant’s Angie Angelos.

Andresky revealed that the construction season had cut down on his business by 35%.

Angelos declined to offer an estimate, but said that if it were not for her parking lot across the street and loyal customers, not to mention her “construction specials,” business would have been a lot worse.  (She plans “End of Construction” specials now.)

Andresky said he though four business had gone out of business during the traffic snarls.

A commenter names Mark added the following information in a previous post entitled,

“Message of the Day – Waste“

VIRGINIA STREET CORRIDOR TAX INCREMENT FINANCING REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND PROGRAM City of Crystal Lake, Illinois, February 2005

http://www.crystallake.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=519

A 50 page document stating:

Total Estimated Project Costs: $9,291,000

2003 Equalized Assessed Valuations: $9,845,120

It is estimated that the incremental increase in property taxes over the term of the TIF District in 2003 dollars will be $12,085,875.

Upon the completion of anticipated redevelopment projects it is estimated that the equalized assessed valuation of real property within the Project Area will be in excess of $26,080,000.

This represents an approximate 165% increase in the total equalized assessed valuation.

The following taxing districts cover the proposed Project Area:

Algonquin Township, Algonquin Township Road and Bridge, City of Crystal Lake Fire, Crystal Lake Park District, City of Crystal Lake, College District #528, Crystal Lake Library, McHenry County, McHenry County Conservation District, School District #47, and School District #155.

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The way TIF districts work is that everyone outside of the area pays the bill.

That’s because tax districts are deprived of any increase in assessed valuation. The municipality gets all the money from increase assessments to spend in the TIF area. Besides the new lights, sidewalks, signs, brick-like decorations along the sidewalks, planters, etc., the City Council has provided money to various property owners for new signs, new lights, landscaping, and probably other improvements to private business property.

Unless those deprived tax districts bump into their tax ceiling, which hasn’t happened yet since the Tax Cap took effect, they will just raise their tax rates to make up the difference.

OK. You got me.

It’s July 3rd.

And it wasn’t sweltering hot.  I found the shade most of the hour and a half 90-something entry parade.

The biggest political entry was Congressman Joe Walsh’s.

He followed Congressman Don Manzullo and his wife Freda, who rode in a convertible.

Between them was McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren.  If one did not recognize the Sheriff, one would not have known that he was in the parade.

Last year at parades there were Sheriff’s Department motorcyclists, a snow mobile, a community service vehicle, plus a convertible with identification signs on the sides in which the Sheriff rode.

There was an unmarked gray car that followed with a female officer. I’m not familiar enough with the patch she wore to know if she’s a Sheriff’s Deputy.

Can’t do a story without mentioning the Grand Marshall. After all she is the mother of McHenry County Board member Jim Heisler and Nunda Township Supervisor John Heisler.

Next came the Crystal Lake Lions huge flag. I only wish I had had a higher vantage point.

JA Frate’s Fallen Heroes semi-trailer paid appropriate honor to those who have defended our freedom.

Then the banner of Congressman Joe Walsh came down the hill.

A man with a bull horn said patriotic things.

Next came Congressman Walsh.  He was greeting people along the parade route, the only politician besides McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi to do so.

What you see below was not an isolated occurrence.  A number of people made the effort to reach out to Congressman Walsh.

Parents seemed please that Walsh did not ignore the future voters.

Marching music was playing from Joe Walsh’s parade vehicle and a line of girls were marching to its beat.

Walsh saw them and stepped over to clap in time with them.

The Congressman who has had his 8th District reapportioned out from under him did not ignore the ladies of voting age.

Some women were as enthusiastic to see him as the men above.

A blue-shirted lady nearby was not to be outdone. She also grasped Walsh’s hands and told him something.

Walsh was not the only member of the family greeting voters.

His wife Helene was pressing the flesh, too.

The truck from which the sound was coming contained that part of a mariachi band that needed a stable platform.

Ever since I heard my first mariachi band in the 1960′s, I always wished I had enough money to hire them for parades.  He hired the Ranchitos.  I hope he does it for every parade.

But that wasn’t all I noticed in the Joe Walsh contingent.

One of the rejected applicants to replace State Rep. Mark Beaubien, Nick Sauer, introduced himself. Since I didn’t have a picture of him, you can bet I pushed the button.

The Barrington School Board member was waving an American Flag at the end of the Walsh group.

I also spotted past Crystal Lake City Council candidate Mike Shorten.  He is now a  Nunda Township precinct committeeman.

The next political entry was a bicycle ridden by a man displaying signs for McHenry County Board member Donna Kurtz. (She tells me she and her mother, former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz, were in the parade, but my eyes must have been elsewhere.)

The only County Board member I saw at the parade was Nunda Township’s District 3 member Mary Donner.

Looking very much as if he will be a candidate in the 2012 elections was McHenry County State’s attorney Lou Bianchi.

The political entry was the PTLAG contingent.

The acronym is short for “Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.”  The group is a member of the coalition that convinced the Illinois General Assembly to enact the civil union legislation that took effect June 1st.

The next political group was the Jesse White Tumblers.

Before you get all bent out of shape, do remember that Secretary of State Jesse White did accompany his tumblers in one 4th of July Parade.

Coming near the end of the parade were the McHenry County Young Republicans.

McHenry County State Rep. and GOP Chairman Mike Tryon walked with the Young Republicans.

While State Rep. Mike Tryon marched with the Young Republicans, I didn’t see State Sen. Pam Althoff.

If newly picked State Rep. Kent Gaffney was in the contingent, I did not recognize him.

His new district will contain more votes in McHenry County than anywhere else.  About a third of Crystal Lake is in it.

A surprise addition was West Dundee Village Trustee Allen Skillicorn.

As I look at the contents of the photos, I see a delightful tee shirt.

It says,

“Honk if you hate red light cameras.“

That is relevant to McHenry County because Democrat Jack Franks was one of the sponsors of the bill to legalize this form of highway robbery.

And, although it has no political implications, the South Shore Drill Team brought up the rear of the parade.

The team was worth waiting for.

Almost forgot Crystal Lake’s politicians.

Mayor Aaron Shepley was not present, but City Clerk Nick Kachiroubas was.

So were two of the three women on the City Council, Ellen Brady Mueller and Cathy Ferguson.

And, finally, Councilman Ralph Dawson was seated comfortably in the back of a pickup truck.

Front page news on both of Chicago’s papers today was the Cook County Board’s vote to phase out its hefty sales tax under the now out-of-office Todd Stroger.

The Crystal Lake City Council’s March, 2008, 75% city sales tax increase went into effect the same day as Cook County’s, July 1, 2008.

But there has been no pressure to repeal it.

Unlike in Cook County, there was no local Chicago Tribune beating the drums for repeal. The Northwest Herald did not even run a story the day the tax took effect

And it certainly did not run a campaign similar to the Tribune’s in which every day readers were reminded of the tax hike.

Those on the council who voted to impose the 75% city sales tax have no opposition this year.

Mayor Aaron Shepley has no opponent.

I am sure he has concluded that people in Crystal Lake just don’t care. A justifiable political conclusion.

All who voted for the tax were Republicans, but the Democrats in Crystal Lake are so weak they put up no opposition in the non-partisan election.

What a wedge issue they would have had.

It still bothers me that financing Vulcan Lakes was used as an excuse for imposing the tax. The same reason was used to impose a Tax Increment Financing district on much of the Route 14 area now virtually vacant, plus Vulcan Lakes.

It also bothers me that there was only one week’s notice.  Municipal officials around here don’t want a lot of public input on major decisions and giving virtually no notice certainly encourages lack of citizen participation.

There was an alternative way to finance development of Vulcan Lake, but it would have allowed anyone living in Crystal Lake to use the resulting recreation area.

Some Crystal Lake leaders apparently didn’t want outsiders to be able to enjoy the amenities–regardless of the lower taxes that would have been imposed on Crystal Lake residents and others shopping in Crystal Lake–if the McHenry County Conservation District had paid for the improvements with already existing taxes.

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Besides Mayor Aaron Shepley, the other council members who voted to raise Crystal Lake’s city sales tax 75% are seen above.  Top row:  former Councilman Dave Goss and current Council members Ralph Dawson and Ellen Brady-Mueller.  Second row: Kathy Ferguson and Brett Hopkins.

There were four people who have run for the Crystal Lake City Council at Wednesday’s McHenry County Republican Central Committee meeting at the VFW in Woodstock.

The first two I saw were incumbents Ellen Brady Mueller and Cathy Ferguson. Since their terms are expiring next spring, I asked them if they were running for re-election.

At first, one said, “Yes,” and the other said, “No.”

They they looked at each other with amusement and both said, “Yes.”

Four years ago they ran a joint campaign.

Two unsuccessful challengers from two years ago have since become precinct committeemen. They are Mike Shorten and Kay Stanish.

Neither were willing to reveal their intentions.

The third city councilman whose term is up is Brett Hopkins, who won election for the first time four years ago, advancing from the Planning and Zoning Commission.

He is also running for re-election.

I’m sitting in Crystal Lake City Council Chambers waiting for the passage of the resolution asking McHenry County government to recognize the importance of the city watershed protection ordinance and what should occupy the minds of most in the audience, but distribution of proceeds from the Hotel/Motel Tax.

Mayor Aaron Shepley had a staffer put up a spreadsheet on the overhead projector. It contained last year’s allocations and a row for this year.

$302,000 in the till, it appeared.

Then he started filling in numbers.

• $15,000 for the Independence Day fireworks which the Crystal Lake Gala used to finance after the Crystal Lake Jaycees stopped sponsoring them when a youth found an unexploded one and severely injured his hand. (The Jaycees collected donations at Veterans Acres in bags.)
• $2,000 to the Crystal Lake Babe Ruth League
• $10,000 to the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce for the 4th of July Parade.
• $6,000 for the Chamber’s Shopping and Dining Guide.
• $35,000 for Historic Downtown Crystal Lake
• $3,600 for the Music Center
• $50,000 for Youth Sports (the baseball tournament)
• $150,000 for the Raue Center for the Performing Arts
• Volleyball – zero
• McHenry County Convention Bureau – zero at Shepley’s guidance, suggesting the money could be found elsewhere in the city budget
• $25,000 for Lakeside Center with Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller pointing out whatever was allocated was in addition to $8,000 in donated police services
• $2,500 for the Crystal Lake Rowing Club

The total awarded was $299,100.

Having received $150,000 the Raue Center supports left satisfied, even though they didn’t get the $44,000 they sought for repairs to the old movie theater.

The money collected from the Hotel/Motel Tax could be spent for any purpose.

The resolution that Councilwoman Carolyn Schofield initiated at the election night meeting two weeks ago was passed unanimously Tuesday night.

The most startling information that I discovered listening to the discussion on the matter was Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller’s revelation that county staffers did not realize that the watershed of Crystal Lake extends beyond the city boundaries.

Mayor Aaron Shepley verbalized that opponents of the watershed ordinance’s requirements “may disagree with the parameters of the boundaries of the watershed” being based on the drilling of “four wells.”

City Director of Public Works commented Eric Lecuyer said, ”I think the boundaries are clear with regard to the watershed.”

At election night’s Crystal Lake City Council meeting, City Councilwoman Carolyn Schofield, elected last year, took the lead in getting a resolution on the agenda at tomorrow night’s meeting asking for recognition of the city’s Watershed Ordinance by county government.

You may remember that both Ellen Brady Mueller and Donna Kurtz made something of that issue during their campaigns for a District 2 slot on the fall county board ballot.

From a resident of the watershed’s perspective, it is so, so difficult to understand that the McHenry County Board has thus far not figured out how important protection of our lake’s watershed is to local residents.

You would think they might have figured that out when a citizen uprising killed the minor league baseball stadium at McHenry County College.

After all, half (that’s right, half) of the entire county board represents parts of Crystal Lake. With all residents of the Crystal Lake Park District having access to the lake, how can one explain why the board has not taken action already.

My prediction is the resolution will pass without dissent Tuesday.

If that doesn’t convince the county board to follow the not-as-strict-as-it-could-be watershed protection ordinance, the next step, it would seem to me would be to invite those twelve county board members to a meeting of the city council.

Who are they?

District 2

• McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler (R)
• McHenry County Board Vice Chairman Jim Heisler (R)
• Lyn Orphal (Lost the primary to Donna Kurtz) Both R’s.
• Former Lakewood Village President and Crystal Lake Park Board President Scott Breeden (R)

Crystal Lake Avenue is the dividing line between District 2 and District 3.

District 3

• Barbara Wheeler (R)
• Kathy Bergan Schmidt (D)
• Ed Dvorak (retiring) (R)
• Mary Donner (R)

District 5

• Tina Hill (R)
• Virginia Peschke (R)
• Jim Kennedy (D)
• Paula Yensen (D)

District 5 comes into the Crystal Lake area from the Northwest (Ridgefield) and the Southeast.

So, what’s the resolution ask for?

“That the Mayor and City Council request the Regional Planning Commission include the Crystal Lake watershed and its regulations in the list of watersheds that exist within McHenry County in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan document.”

The resolution points out that the lake’s watershed is 6.39 square miles of which 3.69 square miles are within the City of Crystal Lake.

McHenry County Board Chairman is running a solid second place with only four precincts not reporting.

Leading him by about 150 votes is McHenry County College Board member Donna Kurtz.

Running last is incumbent Lyn Orphal.

Neither of the other woman challengers, Crystal Lake City Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller and Sandra DePaul are close enough to overtake Koehler, who has a 500-vote lead over Mueller

Here the results reported at 9:20:

Precincts Reporting		31/35	88.57%
LINDA ORPHAL	REP	381	8.76%
KENNETH D. KOEHLER	REP	1288	29.61%
DONNA KURTZ	REP	1434	32.97%
ELLEN BRADY MUELLER	REP	779	17.91%
SANDRA DePAUL	REP	468	10.76%

Just got back from my polling place at the Main Beach House.

Any thoughts that disgusted voters would storm the ballot boxes turned out to be nonsense, at least looking only at the paper ballots. Of course, I could be pleasantly surprised when the electronic, absentee and early votes are folded in late tonight.

Only 102 people cast paper ballots in my Algonquin 7 precinct, which has over 400 registered voters. 137 cast paper ballots in Algonquin 19, a larger precinct on the north side and east of Crystal Lake.

Here are the results for McHenry County Board (two to be nominated, candidates are listed in ballot order):

Algonquin 7

• Orphal 14
• Koehler 14
• Kurtz 57
• Mueller 18
• DePaul 24

Algonquin 19

• Orphal 12
• Koehler 36
• Kurtz 50
• Mueller 25
• DePaul 23

Donna Kurtz, who worked the precinct herself, had a weekend “I’ll protect the watershed” mailbox hanger and had my endorsement wiped out the opposition, getting 57 votes. The most any candidate got was 61 (Congressman Don Manzullo and yours truly, both running unopposed).

Despite having someone go door-to-door in Algonquin 7, McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler only got 14 votes.

The woman with nothing but a yard sign campaign—Sandra DePaul—actually came in second with 24 votes.

In Algonquin 19, the results were similar, except that Koehler did much better.

Kurtz scored 50 votes, while Koehler came in second with 36. Two candidates were 11 and 14 votes behind, Crystal Lake City Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller and Sandra DePaul.

Adding the two precincts together finds Koehler running second, but Mueller and DePaul within striking distance.

Remember, these are not the final results…just a sample of two of 35 precincts.

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With five precinct reporting at 8:30, Koehler seems to be running a solid second.

Precincts Reporting		5/35	14.29%
LINDA ORPHAL	REP	30	9.87%
KENNETH D. KOEHLER	REP	80	26.32%
DONNA KURTZ	REP	108	35.53%
ELLEN BRADY MUELLER	REP	55	18.09%
SANDRA DePAUL	REP	31	10.20%