McHenry County Blog

This is a continuation of Stephen Willson’s critique of the $42 million health club/classroom expansion proposed by the McHenry County College Board.

Proposition 5: There is a need for additional classroom space.

Response: MCC has plenty of unused capacity and demand is unlikely to grow.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, MCC stated they do not know the extent to which their current physical plant is used.

This is an incredible admission, but if true, how in the world can they claim they need more space?

Further,

• physical survey evidence and examination of classroom capacity data,
• total semester hours earned and
• (declining) average class size

(all available in their annual report) show existing classrooms are empty 33% or more of the school day, proving that MCC has substantial unused classroom capacity.

There simply is no need for more classroom space.

Further, the Census Bureau projects that the number of 18-34 year olds will decline over the next ten years, a projection born out by the fact that there are 20% fewer third graders in McHenry County schools – MCC’s freshmen in ten years – than there are high school seniors.

So MCC is likely to need less space, not more.

None of this is addressed in the so-called “feasibility study.”

Proposition 6: The County NEEDS a big, new government-run health club.

Response: I don’t even know what to say to that.

MCC’s proposal calls for spending $42 million for a 120,000 square foot building.

That is $350 per square foot, which every local business person knows is more than three times the going rate for commercial space.

According to MCC, 28% of the space in this building will be used for a new and improved fitness center for its students.

In other words, almost $12 million of the projected cost will go towards building a new Health Bridge-like club.

MCC already operates a vastly under-utilized fitness center.

Based on several observations at various times on various days, the fitness center usually has only a handful of students in it.

It operates at less than 20% of its capacity.

Yet the new fitness center will be at least five times the size of the current fitness center.

Further, there are more than twenty fitness centers already in operation in McHenry County.

Why should taxpayers subsidize a fancy new health club that will compete with private enterprise?

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The following are running for the three open spots on the McHenry County College Board:

• William Scott Alford, Wonder Lake, received December 19
• Chris Jenner, Cary, received December 26, 2012
• Carol Larson, Harvard, received December 17
• Erik Sivertsen, McHenry, received December 26, 2012
• Mike Smith, Village of Lakewood, received December 17
• Molly Walsh, Crystal Lake, received December 21
• Barbara Walters, McHenry, received December 26, 2012
• Arne Waltmire, McHenry, received December 17
• Thomas Wilbeck, Lakewood, received December 26, 2012

Incumbents are Carol Larson and Barbara Walters.

Rest assured I shall ask each whether they will vote to sell bonds without asking voters for permission first.

More tomorrow.

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See Part 1 here.

See Part 2 here.

See Part 3 here.

See Part 4 here.

Municipal bond analyst Stephen Willson, who has been critical of both the proposal to expand the Crystal Lake Library and the massive expansion of McHenry County College, has written a critique of the College Board’s plan to build a $42 million health club and classroom expansion. That will start today and continue until the 1,500 word document is completely posted and accessible by internet search engines.

An Open Letter to the Public Concerning McHenry County College

MCC’s Proposal

MCC plans to spend $42 million on a new 30,000+ square foot health club, similar to Health Bridge, and to add 90,000 square feet of classroom space for an expanded health and wellness program. According to MCC, they will attract 1,400 new students and accomplish all this without a tuition increase or a property tax increase.

MCC plans to use “alternate revenue bonds”, which are payable from property taxes, in order to avoid a referendum.

On October 25, MCC agreed to pay Power Wellness $50,000 to perform a “phase 2” feasibility study. Power Wellness has an obvious conflict of interest and should never have been hired.

Is there a documented demand for this huge new project, and is it likely to be self-supporting? Let’s examine the facts.

Proposition 1: MCC should offer degree programs in health services.

Response: MCC already offers health programs that have flat enrollment.

MCC already has programs for occupational therapy, emergency medical technician, health and fitness education, nursing assistants, and nursing, with about 780 students in total.

Enrollment in existing programs has been essentially flat for the last few years.

Yet MCC projects that the new project will nearly TRIPLE enrollment in health programs with zero evidence.

Has MCC been turning students away from their existing programs? No.

So why should we believe demand will increase by 1,400 additional students?

MCC’s own flat enrollment history and Census data contradict such a conclusion.

Proposition 2: Health care employment is growing rapidly.

Response: Not in McHenry County.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 9,815 health care jobs in McHenry County in 2011.

The number of health care jobs increased by just 35 in 2009, and decreased by 34 in 2010 and by 50 in 2011.

The federal government is placing extreme pressure on health care providers to curb expenses.

Projections assuming zero growth (faster than the last few years) and 3% annual growth (the long run average) indicate there will likely be only 350 to 400 job openings each year in health services in McHenry County in future years.

Only half of these jobs will require a junior college degree; the rest require either no degree or a more advanced degree.

So there will likely be around 175 to 200 job openings each year for the 2,100 students that MCC projects.

The “phase one” marketing presentation does not address the availability of health care jobs for junior college graduates at all.

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The following are running for the three open spots on the McHenry County College Board:

• William Scott Alford, Wonder Lake, received December 19
• Chris Jenner, Cary, received December 26, 2012
• Carol Larson, Harvard, received December 17
• Erik Sivertsen, McHenry, received December 26, 2012
• Mike Smith, Village of Lakewood, received December 17
• Molly Walsh, Crystal Lake, received December 21
• Barbara Walters, McHenry, received December 26, 2012
• Arne Waltmire, McHenry, received December 17
• Thomas Wilbeck, Lakewood, received December 26, 2012

Incumbents are Carol Larson and Barbara Walters.

Rest assured I shall ask each whether they will vote to sell bonds without asking voters for permission first.

More tomorrow.

= = = = =

See Part 1 here.

See Part 2 here.

See Part 3 here.

See Part 4 here.

A 20-year old swimming instructor at Centegra’s Crystal Lake Health was arrested last May for fondling two young boys he was teaching. The following press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office tells of his conviction:

SWIM INSTRUCTOR FOUND GUILTY OF FONDLING TWO STUDENTS

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Rock Burman, 21 years old, of McHenry was found guilty on Friday, March 25, 2011, by a jury of two counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, resulting from the fondling of two small boys during swim lessons.

The evidence at trial revealed that the defendant had touched two different boys during their swim lessons.

Immediately following the lesson, one of the young boys told his father of the encounter.

That disclosure led to the investigation and discovery of another victim.

Neither of the boys knew each other and their disclosures regarding the abuse were almost identical.

Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, a Class 2 felony, carries a possible sentencing range of probation to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The defendant will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

This case was investigated by Detective Nystrom of the Crystal Lake Police Department and prosecuted for the State by Assistant State’s Attorneys Jessica Carrier and Sharyl Eisenstein.

The case is set over for sentencing until May 20, 2011.

The Crystal Lake Police Department has sent the following press release about the arrest of a Centegra Health Bridge employee who worked in Crystal Lake:

Pursuant to an allegation of inappropriate contact with a juvenile, the Crystal Lake Police initiated an   investigation regarding Rock Jamison Burman a 20 year old male from McHenry, IL.

The investigation was conducted with the cooperation of the Health Bridge Fitness Center in Crystal Lake where the Burman subject was employed as a swimming instructor.

The subsequent investigation revealed that during the course of his employment the Burman subject had inappropriate contact with two juveniles who were participating in the program at the Health Bridge facility in Crystal Lake.

Both incidents involved male juveniles and occurred on or about March 2nd and 10th, with the matter being reported to the police thereafter.

Today, May 3rd, 2010, the Burman subject was arrested without incident at his place of employment.

He has been charged with two counts Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse with bond being set at $50,000.00 for each count.

The next court date is scheduled for May 10th, at 9 am.