McHenry County Blog

There were more fire engines roaring past our home on Lake Avenue in Lakewood today than I ever remember before.

On the way to pick up my son from school I passed one going back to its home in Lake Zurich.

That’s a real box alarm. Lots of fire departments asked for help.

You can see the aftermath at about six in the evening.

What the condos looked like after the flames had been put out.

The Crystal Lake Fire Department has released the following press release:

“The Crystal Lake Fire/Rescue Department at 12:30 hours responded to 1218 Walnut Glen, Crystal Lake, IL for a structure firer in a five unit townhouse building. The buildings residents were evacuated by Crystal Lake Police and Fire personnel.

The building to the left behind the water tower and the fire station is the one where the fire was. This is west of Huntley Road on the way to Turnberry.

“First arriving units on scene at 12:22 hours reported heavy smoke and fire from unit 1218 on the second floor and roof area.

“Crystal Lake Fire Rescue units began an exterior offensive attack.

“The fire extended into the next unit 1216 attic with smoke and water damaged sustained to the next unit 1214.

“Ongoing fire suppression activities continued until 14:17 hours when the fire was under control.

“Initial response was four engines, three ambulances, one ladder truck and one Shift Commander.

“Mutual Aid was activated to the third level.

“The fire was struck at 14:17 hours; additional equipment due on the Mutual Aid was

• eight engines
• three ladder trucks
• one squad
• five ambulances
• four Fire Chiefs
• Rehab Unit #5

“The investigation by the Crystal Lake Fire Department, Crystal Lake Police and State Fire Marshal’s Office revealed the origin of the fire was in the rear of unit 1218 undetermined cause, the fire is still under investigation.

“Total fire damage is $450,000 from fire/smoke/and structural damage.

“The quick action of the Crystal Lake Fire/Rescue Department and the Mutual Aid Companies worked under extreme wind and warm temperatures which prevented the total loss of the entire building.

“No injury to civilians or fire personnel during this incident.

“Three of the unites residents displaced were assisted by the Red Cross.

“The Crystal Lake Building Department, City Water Department, NICOR Gas Company and ComEd assisted at the scene.”

Here’s a shot of Crystal Lake Firemen lined up in front of City Hall at the 9-11 ceremony conducted there:

Crystal Lake Firemen lined up in front of City Hall about noon.

Site of 4th of July trailer fire in Haegers Bend.

My wife and I are sitting on the patio in front of a friend’s home on the Fox River Independence Day night.
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It was after the area fireworks had died down.

Suddenly fire engine sirens started blaring.

They died down.

Then another set came near.

There may have even been a third set.

We knew the little fire in the pit at our feet wasn’t the reason, but hadn’t a clue where the nearby emergency was.

Now comes the information below from the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District. It turns out it was right down the river at Haegers Bend.

Abandoned Trailer Fire

On July 4, 2011 at 10:31 p.m. the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection was dispatched for a reported garage fire at 9716 Arthur Road in Algonquin.

Dispatch was notified by a neighbor who noticed the flames.

The garage where the fire was reported was detached from the house.

We couldn't see the fireworks down river well. Trees were in the way. This one was exploded over Crystal Lake on July 3rd.

First arriving crews were on the scene at 10:40 p.m. and found a pile of construction materials that were smoldering.

Neighbors had extinguished most of the fire with garden hoses.

Fire crews operated hose lines to put a foam and water mixture on the materials to make sure that the fire was doused.

The fire was quickly extinguished and crews remained on the scene until 11:06 p.m. making sure the fire was completely out.

Investigators on the scene determined the cause of the fire to be from lighting fireworks off from the materials.  A damage amount is not yet available.

No civilian or fire department injuries were reported

The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District received assistance from Carpentersville and Fox River Grove.

The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District would like to take this opportunity to remind people that they should leave the fireworks displays to the professionals.

Lakewood Fire Station

Lakewood taxpayers will take a substantial hit as a result of losing a lawsuit to Crystal Lake today.

The ruling, by Judge Thomas Meyer in McHenry County Circuit Court, found for the City of Crystal Lake in its dispute over payment for fire protection with the Village of Lakewood.

Meyer agreed with Crystal Lake’s motion for summary judgment. Summary judgments are different from directed verdicts in that the judge has written briefs from both sides to study. In this case, both sides asked for summary judgments and the judge agreed with Crystal Lake’s argument.

Two contracts were the basis of the arguments.

Lakewood harkened back to one signed in 1982, while Crystal Lake based its argument on a 1992 agreement.

In 1982′s, Lakewood argued that payments were to be made during the year of service. Lakewood presented receipts from that year forward.

In the 1992, contract, which Lakewood argued was signed under duress, the language read that Crystal Lake would be paid after the fact. Crystal Lake argued that ever in 1982, payments were being made for the year before.

Meyer deferred a decision regarding damages until June 2nd.

Over $400,000 is at stake in the case. Lakewood has 1,368 homes, so it figures out to something in the neighborhood of $300 per household, which is less than the per home cost of the annual Red Tail Golf Course bonds payoff has been.

Lakewood has a budget of about $2.1 million.

Here’s the latest missive delivered in the mail to Lakewood residents:

Erin Smith

From the President

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to wish you and your families a Happy New Year.

As a community, we face many of the same challenges confronting individual families and neighboring communities. The economy continues to be sluggish, especially as it relates to the downturn in the residential building sector. Delays in payments from the state of Illinois also present financial challenges. However, 2010 was a historic year for the Village of Lakewood, and we have many reasons to be thankful.

AAA Bond Rating – In May, the Village of Lakewood received its first bond rating from Standard & Poor’s. It was a AAA rating – the highest possible and remarkable for a community of our size with limited commercial development. It is a testament to the long standing conservative financial philosophy of our Board of Trustees and the implementation of that philosophy by our staff.

Annexation – In June, the Village of Lakewood annexed 565 acres of new territory. This action served two primary purposes – to secure a valuable intersection at Illinois Route 47 and 176 for future commercial development and to bring four (4) existing businesses into our community. This action was the culmination of nearly ten (10) years of strategic planning.

Sports Complex – In July, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a detailed Preliminary Plan for a 165 acre sports complex at the intersection of Illinois Route 47 and 176. This approval was predicated upon the developer securing financing and purchasing the land, which has not yet occurred. The Board of Trustees has always understood the uncertainty inherent in a large, private equity venture and has worked diligently and successfully throughout the process to insulate our community from any financial risk.

The Village Board remains strongly committed to commercial development along the Route 47 corridor and we are hopeful that the Sports Complex will be an integral part of our plan. We are also confident that other suitable projects will come forward as the intersection of two major State highways makes this one of the most desirable development locations in the County. Important technical information (i.e. wetland delineations, soil conditions, traffic counts, etc.) that was gained as we prepared for the Sports Complex will be invaluable as we engage in discussions with other developers who have expressed an interest in this area.

Fire Protection Services – Four (4) years ago, the Village of Lakewood made a strategic decision to create its own Fire Department and outsource the provision of these services to a private firm, American Emergency Services (AES), which has served our residents professionally and skillfully during this time. We owe AES a debt of gratitude for all of their efforts.

Lakewood Fire Station

As a part of our ongoing review of all of our services, however, the Board of Trustees has unanimously determined that these services can best be provided by the Woodstock Fire Rescue District (WFRD).

As a result of its greater size, the WFRD will be able to increase the level of service to Lakewood residents while significantly reducing our annual cost for fire service. They will provide an automatic back fill of our fire station on Haligus Road when the first unit responds.

They plan to increase the number of personnel at the Haligus Road station from three (3) to four (4) firefighters. Additionally, the capacity for water storage in tanker trucks that is required in areas without hydrants, such as the east side, will increase substantially.

We believe that this consolidation or sharing of services will become commonplace in the future as all units of local government seek ways in which to provide services to their constituents in the most cost effective manner possible.

New Water Tower – In May, we were able to take advantage of financing available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to refinance our wastewater treatment bonds and finance the construction of a new water tower for the west side.

This served two purposes -

• the increase in Lakewood Utilities fees that would have been passed on to existing residents on the west side as a result of the downturn in the housing market was avoided, and
• a necessary capital improvement was financed at a very low interest rate.

The new water tower was a necessary investment and was listed as a “critical need” in an independent engineering study, as our current water storage capacity is not compliant with recommended guidelines for fire flows.

Construction of the new water tower, located near Turnberry Country Club, has already begun and will serve all west side residents.

Lakewood Quilted Barn Program – Recently, you may have noticed a beautiful piece of art displayed on the side of the Village barn on Lakewood Road. This quilt was designed and painted by Heather Burton, Trustee Burton’s daughter, and is on display as part of the McHenry County’s Historical Society’s Quilted Barn Program. The Quilted Barn Program is well-publicized by the Historical Society and should bring visitors to Lakewood that may otherwise not have known about our beautiful town.

RedTail Golf Club – There have been a number of articles in the local press about RedTail Golf Club, and I want to take this opportunity to clarify its status.

Perhaps most importantly, I am confident that RedTail Golf Club will open as scheduled (as soon as the weather permits) and operate for the full season.

As with all golf courses, the sustained downturn in the economy has presented tremendous fiscal challenges.

The Red Tail Golf Course Clubhouse

While the number of rounds played at RedTail Golf Club has remained consistent at between 25,000 and 30,000 annually; the revenue per round has decreased as the price per round has been discounted to remain competitive.

The lack of a substantial clubhouse also limits the amount of revenue generated by food and beverage sales.

As with all of our operating enterprises, the elected officials and staff monitor financial trends very carefully.

RedTail Golf Club will finish this fiscal year with a small reserve, and the internal analysis was a proactive “call to action” to begin a strategic analysis about how to insure that RedTail Golf Club remains a viable entity that contributes to the overall quality of life in our community.

Pizza with the President – It’s time for my quarterly neighborhood meeting, but I do not yet have a meeting place. I would like to try to meet in a neighborhood I have not yet visited, such as Brighton Oaks or Loch Glen. I truly appreciate the opportunity to meet with neighbors in an informal environment. The meetings to date have provided a wonderful opportunity to discuss Village-wide and neighborhood-specific issues. Lou Malnati’s provides the pizza for the evening. Please contact me if you are interested in hosting an event.

I strongly encourage anyone to contact me, any of the Trustees, or the Village Manager with questions or concerns regarding any of the projects highlighted in the newsletter or that you might read about elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Erin (Smith)

Lakewood Fire Department

At its Tuesday night meeting in the village-owned Red Tail Golf Course trailer complex, the Lakewood Village Board voted to hire the Woodstock Fire Protection District to replace American Emergency Service Corporation.

The Gary Jensen firm, which provides privatized fire protection services, provided service to the village when the City of Crystal Lake wanted to charge an amount which village officials thought would eat up a disproportionate proportion of the budget.

Woodstock Fire Protection District Chief Ralph Webster attended the meeting to answer questions.

Crystal Lake wanted to charge an amount equal to the tax rate levied on city residents, even though the mix of buildings needing protection in Lakewood was far different than that in Crystal Lake.

One of my economics professors probably would have observed that Crystal Lake officials did not know the meaning of marginal cost, that they did not compare marginal cost with marginal benefit.

In other words, Crystal Lake could provide Lakewood with the fire protection its mainly homes needed for far less than it wanted to charge. The result of the break-up was that Crystal Lake’s Fire Department lost about $500,000 a year.

And the creation of an new Lakewood Fire Department.

Lakewood Village Board met in the Redtail Golf Course Club House and voted with out dissent to have the Woodstock Fire Protection District provide coverage.

Now, Lakewood village officials have cut a five-year deal with Woodstock’s fire department with a five-year automatic extension that allows the savings of $100,000 next year, despite the $120,000 buyout.

While that is good news for village coffers, the news was decidedly bad for the golf course.

That will be explained tomorrow.

Ken Santowski

Lakewood Village Trustees provides a public service to constituents who don’t attend village board meetings by jotting down his thoughts of what happened. Friday he covered the tax levy and dam in Turnberry, which is funded by a Special Service Area Assessment.

Saturday, the topic was the SportsPlex and the stimulus bonds to finance it.

Today, he discusses the village’s golf course and fire department.

Red Tail Golf Club

Incidentally, during the previous board meeting of October 26th the Retail Committee presented an option to replace the trailers with a permanent clubhouse.

I was impressed that the committee came back with a feasible, workable option. Based on the preliminary figures the new clubhouse would cost about $2.5M to build and the loan would be paid off using a lease back option and user fees.

The style and design have not been discussed in detail but the vision portrayed by the committee shows a simple yet productive use of space and materials to achieve the highest rate of return. More specific details will follow in the next coming months, especially since the last bond payment will be made in October 2011.

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the Fire Department, Sportscomplex and budgets.

Fire Department

As you read in the newspaper, the Lakewood Fire department could possibly be run by a different entity by the end of this year. Negotiations are still under way and we as a board have not yet voted on any change. Gary Jensen and AES have a valid contract through December 31st, 2011.

I, as a member of the board will be asked to make some tough decisions concerning every aspect of the village’s expenditures for 2011. We shall leave no area alone.

We will have to review every aspect, including public works, the police department and village staff.

Many decisions, some very unpopular, will have to be made during the budget process.

I invite you to attend these meetings. You have entrusted me to spend your money wisely and represent you at these meetings and I thank-you.

Kenneth M Santowski

As always you have been sent this email as a courtesy from me to you. You may share this with anyone you wish. You have the right to agree and disagree with me. If you disagree with my vote or my ideas, please contact me. After all I am YOUR public servant. I never give out your email address for any reason. If you no longer wish to receive correspondences from me simply ask and I shall remove your name immediately.Lakewood Trustee Shares Thoughts on Village Board Meeting.