McHenry County Blog

Thursday night there was a workshop at the Crystal Lake Park Board to discuss the tax levying process.

The Crystal Lake Park Board held a workshop session Thursday night at which staff presented a proposal to tax as much as possible under the Real Estate Tax Cap law.

The presentation assumed that the Board wanted to extract as much money as possible from the taxpayers:

• Take the entire amount allowed under the Property Tax Cap law, that is, 3%
• Take the amount estimated by the County that is new growth

For a home worth $300,000, that’s estimated to cost an extra $40.

Everything was non-controversial until Commissioner Paul Myers said,

“This is probably going to be unpopular. I was going to propose we do one year at the same [amount as last year]. I would be in favor of freezing the levy.

After making his proposal to freeze taxes for a year, Commissioner Paul Myers listens to opposing arguments. To his left is Park Board President Debbie Gallagher and Executive Director Jason Herbster.

“People’s incomes are going down.

“We want good community rapport,” Myers pointed out, mentioning a community center.”

Jumping to the defense of taking as many tax dollars as possible was Commissioner Jerry Sullivan.

“Everything comes down to your personal situation..not [what's good] for the whole community…I feel you’re missing our mission.

“Are we saying our major job is to save taxes…Our number one [purpose] is to be able to build our community.”

“The quality of life will go down,” added Park Board President Debbie Gallagher. “Without a vibrant and live park district and school districts, our community [won't] be a place people will want to live.”

Commissioner Carolyn Bachour-Chemaly asked, “If we lose that money what we lose?”

Gallagher pointed out that by not allowing for the collection of the maximum amount allowed by law, “We would lose that money every year [in the future].”

Staff estimated that freezing the amount taxed for one year would cost a total of almost $1 million over six years.

Jerry Sullivan

Sullivan urged fellow Board members to “be visionaries and stand up. You’re not looking to improve the community if [you're] looking at not capturing [the maximum amount of taxes possible].

“The only [things] people who talk to me about are the facilities and the parks.

“We don’t get surveys saying, ‘We want you to cut taxes.’”

“I don’t think it would be doom and gloom if we froze taxes one year,” Myers replied.

Sullivan insisted the question should be, “Are we doing the best for the parks?”

Myers brought up the reserves the Park District has.

Executive Director Jason Herbster pointed out that the three months in reserve was according to Board Policy.

He suggested that most savings would result in the cutting or delaying of capital projects, but that most of the money for the Park Police could be saved just by turning over the duties to the Crystal Lake Police Department. Out of $400,000, $250,000 might be saved.

He suggested $100,000 could be saved by eliminating the Lake Management money.

“Once it’s goes away, it doesn’t get [put] back,” Gallagher inserted.

Larry Wheeler spoke in favor of approving the staff recommendation.

Commissioner Michael Walkup pointed out that the average family in the country has $3,400 less in income this year as compared to last year. His source was the Presidential campaign.

“It’s a combination of people losing their jobs [and cuts in salary].”

“What is our purpose here?” Sullivan interjected. “We could always cut budgets.”

Herbster announced that the vote would be taken next Thursday night and the ordinance would be up for a vote on December 13th.

Discussing reserves, the Executive Director said he had heard that District 155 had “a full year’s money. We certainly don’t stockpile money like some governments do.”

Commissioner Mike Walkup added that the County has five months of spending in the bank.

Ending the meeting, Gallagher said, “Well, we certainly have food for thought.”

Caroline Bachour-Chemaly for in the last words: “Everybody’s hurting for money.”

Angel Collins was not at the meeting.

Other park districts are expected to do the same.

= = = = =
If you would like to contact the Park District Commissioners, their emails are below:

Commissioner		email
Debbie GallagherPresident		dgallagher@crystallakeparks.org
Paul MyersVice-President		pmyers@crystallakeparks.org
Larry WheelerTreasurer		lwheeler@crystallakeparks.org
Angel CollinsCommissioner		acollins@crystallakeparks.org
Jerry Sullivan,Commissioner		jsullivan@crystallakeparks.org
Michael WalkupCommissioner		mwalkup@crystallakeparks.org
Caroline Bachour-ChemalyCommissioner		cbachourchemaly@crystallakeparks.org

= = = = =
There is one tax, the Special Recreation Tax, which is not capped by the Tax Cap. The Board is not levying the maximum amount it can. That information was contained on the slide you see below:

The savings to taxpayers by not taxing as much as is allowed by law for the Special Recreation Tax is calculated to be $426,582.88.

Big doings at the park board Thursday night.

Lincoln’s Birthday, McHenry County Blog reported Viking Dodge was topping the rumor mill for a location for a Crystal Lake Park District Community Center and Sports Complex.

“It’s more than a community center,” Park Board President Mike Zellman stressed.

Well, we didn’t call it that big name two weeks ago, but Thursday’s press release does.

And the potential price–$6.2 million–reported a few days later was virtually spot on.

The number in the contract is $6.29 million.

What would the park district get for that money?

A fairly new 44,000 square foot building on 26.9 acres.

18 acres out back are vacant, zoned agricultural, but already in the Crystal Lake city limits.

It could be used for “additional ball fields, courts and open space,” the district’s press release explained.

Is it a good deal?

In comparison to the vacant property which is a little smaller on the Southwest corner of Routes 14 and 176, it is.

Several decades ago talked about as a site for a Holidome, that vacant site is a bit smaller, but about the same price. And the water table cannot be far beneath its surface.

Financing will come from non-referendum “Alternative Revenue Bonds.”

While the press release says,

“The Park District will not be increasing taxes to acquire the property or to adapt the building for the anticipated uses in Phase 1,”

I suspect what is meant is that the tax rate will not go up. Certainly, if the money were not borrowed, the tax rate would decrease because fewer tax dollars would be required.

The board plans to pay for renovation through the sale of property, for example, the current Downtown administration building and parking lot to the east between the Dean law office and the health food store would be on the block.

The sale of other properties is also a possibility. One being considered is over 3 acres. It would require referendum approval because of its size.

And, the $3 million the city council promised for a senior center is a possibility, too.

City officials “have been outstanding from the beginning,” park district Director Kirk Reimer said.

“We’ve talked to the mayor (Aaron Shepley). He knows about it.

Last week city traffic consultant Gary Overbay and City Engineer Victor Ramirez spoke behind closed doors with the park board a week ago.

Overbay “presented us with a number of great options,” park board President Mike Zellman said.

Among them was apparently access to Route 14 through the old outdoor antique farm across from Flowerwood or the empty property north of it nearing The Breakers restaurant (from which it is very hard to exit, if one wants to return to Crystal Lake).

The pending reconfiguration of the Route 14-Route 176 intersection also provides some possibilities for innovative design.

Now, getting into and out of the Viking Dodge location would be a problem with the two state highways the way they exist now.

The district has 120 days, even 150 days to perform due diligence on the property.

Consultants will look at environmental, engineering, watershed, traffic, site design and water table aspects, among others.

Reimer said the depth of the water table is most important. If it were only three feet below the surface, I gathered that would be a deal breaker.

If everything works out, the district is looking at taking ownership in the middle of this summer. Remodeling will then commence.

The immediate uses would be for a Senior Center, Administrative Offices and Recreational Program Spaces, along with Equipment Maintenance Areas.

“This property gives us a lot of options,” Zellman said. “Our ultimate goal is a sports complex and pool.”

Six of the thirteen vehicle repair lifts will be left when Viking vacates the property. Some will be used to repair park district trucks and cars, while the unneeded ones will be sold off.

The thought arises that it is close enough to McHenry County College that auto mechanics students might make use of it in down time.

And the ultimate goal, a Crystal Lake Park District Community Center and Sports Complex?

It would have to go to the voters for the $30, $40, $50 million that would be needed.

Part of that cost might defrayed by allowing commercial properties near Route 176 where part of the parking lot is now.

Voting in favor of the proposal were Eric Anderson, Angel Collins, Richard Sexton, Jerry Sullivan, Mike Walkup and Mike Zellman.

Candy Reedy did not attend the meeting.

= = = = =
Mayor Aaron Shepley is seen telling Crystal Lake seniors that he favors combining a senior center with a park district community center.

Four to be elected to the Crystal Lake Park Board and only four candidates filed.

They are

• Angel M. Collins
• Jerry P. Sullivan
• Debbie Gallagher
• Michael J. Walkup

Collins was appointed to replace Dave Phelps.

Walkup and Sullivan are elected incumbents.

Gallagher used to be the park district’s top financial person before she retired.

= = = = =
Mike Walkup is the man on the left above. Jerry Sullivan is on the right. Angel Collins is in the middle.

Four to be elected to the Crystal Lake Park Board and only four candidates filed.

They are

• Angel M. Collins
• Jerry P. Sullivan
• Debbie Gallagher
• Michael J. Walkup

Collins was appointed to replace Dave Phelps.

Walkup and Sullivan are elected incumbents.

Gallagher used to be the park district’s top financial person before she retired.

= = = = =
Mike Walkup is the man on the left above. Jerry Sullivan is on the right. Angel Collins is in the middle.

Maybe you would be scratching your head, too, if you were Mayor Aaron Shepley.

In Jim Butts’ Northwest Herald story, Shepley says,

“As a taxpayer, I’m kind of scratching my head on that one. I don’t think it’s a judicious use of resources to go down that path, but they can do that if they want.”

He calls the action “second guess(ing)” Gary Schaefer’s Hey and Associates watershed manual. Schaefer has long worked advised both the park district and the city.

Most people know that Shepley works for Centegra Health Systems.

In health care, getting a second opinion is commonplace when serious operations are contemplated.

Surely, no one would suggest that covering a lot the watershed with development is not a serious change.

The Crystal Lake Park District is paying Burke Engineering $6,600 for a review of the watershed manual.

As Butts’ quotes Commissioner Jerry Sullivan:

“The reason we are hiring [an outside expert] is to know anything we’re not seeing in this manual. We’re concerned about the environmental aspect of it.”

I don’t know about you, but that sounds completely reasonable to me, considering council missteps in zoning what can be built in the watershed could ruin our 16,000-year old glacial lake.

Perhaps Shepley has been scratching his head since his city council refused to go along with his desire to approve the watershed manual Tuesday night without the inclusion of enforcement, monitoring and financing mechanisms in place…or even, heaven forbid, an actual plan of what development might look like in Crystal Lake’s watershed–the latter suggested by former Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commissioner Brett Hopkins.

Watching Shepley lose control of the meeting when council members Jeff Thorsen, Ellen Brady Mueller, Cathy Ferguson, Ralph Dawson and Brett Hopkins all offered suggestions for change was quite a sight.

No council member was prepared to make the motion that Shepley requested at the beginning of consideration.

Now, that might have Shepley scratching his head as to how he had lost control.

And, now that the city council members have showed that they can assert themselves, city council meetings might get more interesting than the seemingly rubber stamp ones have ben in the past.

Like many leaders, after he figured out which direction his “followers” were going, he switched direction trying to get ahead of them.

If you would like to read what happened at the Tuesday city council meeting, McHenry County Blog ran stories on Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday, there was also a story on the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning meeting on McHenry County College’s baseball stadium and fitness center application in the watershed. The park district meeting story ran on Friday.

= = = = =
Sorry about the quality of the photographs of Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley (on the left) and City Councilman Jeff Thorsen. They are of the actual interchange when Thorsen was leading the charge that resulted in Shepley losing control of the meeting on the Crystal Lake watershed, so I thought they might be of interest. Now, if the lighting in city council chambers were just a tiny bit better or the front row a bit closer…

Maybe you would be scratching your head, too, if you were Mayor Aaron Shepley.

In Jim Butts’ Northwest Herald story, Shepley says,

“As a taxpayer, I’m kind of scratching my head on that one. I don’t think it’s a judicious use of resources to go down that path, but they can do that if they want.”

He calls the action “second guess(ing)” Gary Schaefer’s Hey and Associates watershed manual. Schaefer has long worked advised both the park district and the city.

Most people know that Shepley works for Centegra Health Systems.

In health care, getting a second opinion is commonplace when serious operations are contemplated.

Surely, no one would suggest that covering a lot the watershed with development is not a serious change.

The Crystal Lake Park District is paying Burke Engineering $6,600 for a review of the watershed manual.

As Butts’ quotes Commissioner Jerry Sullivan:

“The reason we are hiring [an outside expert] is to know anything we’re not seeing in this manual. We’re concerned about the environmental aspect of it.”

I don’t know about you, but that sounds completely reasonable to me, considering council missteps in zoning what can be built in the watershed could ruin our 16,000-year old glacial lake.

Perhaps Shepley has been scratching his head since his city council refused to go along with his desire to approve the watershed manual Tuesday night without the inclusion of enforcement, monitoring and financing mechanisms in place…or even, heaven forbid, an actual plan of what development might look like in Crystal Lake’s watershed–the latter suggested by former Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commissioner Brett Hopkins.

Watching Shepley lose control of the meeting when council members Jeff Thorsen, Ellen Brady Mueller, Cathy Ferguson, Ralph Dawson and Brett Hopkins all offered suggestions for change was quite a sight.

No council member was prepared to make the motion that Shepley requested at the beginning of consideration.

Now, that might have Shepley scratching his head as to how he had lost control.

And, now that the city council members have showed that they can assert themselves, city council meetings might get more interesting than the seemingly rubber stamp ones have ben in the past.

Like many leaders, after he figured out which direction his “followers” were going, he switched direction trying to get ahead of them.

If you would like to read what happened at the Tuesday city council meeting, McHenry County Blog ran stories on Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday, there was also a story on the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning meeting on McHenry County College’s baseball stadium and fitness center application in the watershed. The park district meeting story ran on Friday.

= = = = =
Sorry about the quality of the photographs of Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley (on the left) and City Councilman Jeff Thorsen. They are of the actual interchange when Thorsen was leading the charge that resulted in Shepley losing control of the meeting on the Crystal Lake watershed, so I thought they might be of interest. Now, if the lighting in city council chambers were just a tiny bit better or the front row a bit closer…

The Crystal Lake Park board hired the firm offering the lowest price to review the city’s watershed manual.

With prices ranging from Christopher B. Burke Engineering’s $6,600 to one coming in at $18,000, the board also selected the firm that would complete the work in the least amount of time.

Burke said it could complete the review in two weeks.

But, besides cost and speed, the Burke firm got highest marks from at least four of the board members. It was also the recommendation of Park Director Kirk Reimer and Park Planner Ann Viger.

“I put all my stars by them,” said Commissioner Candy Reedy.

“So did I,” Dave Phelps added.

Two, Michael Walkup and Eric Anderson, thought the only non-engineering firm in the running—Conservation Designs—would be better.

Walkup did so because “the manual seems to be going in the opposite direction (from conservation design). Engineers tend to think you can engineer a solution (to anything).”

“I agree with Mike,” Eric Anderson said. “It needs more of a conservation design. That was my top choice.”

“I would like to go more with engineers overlooking engineers,” Jerry Sullivan contributed, while agreeing, “The whole idea of it is conservation.

“Are we not seeing things in this manual that could affect us on conservation matters?” he asked. “I would go with Burke.”

“I’m a big fan of engineers,” Richard Sexton said.

During the discussion, Sexton explained that he had found it hard to believe a previous comment made by Walkup about McHenry County College’s wanting to start construction so soon, but now did.

“These guys are looking to stick a shovel in September,” Sexton said. He observed that being able to come back in two weeks with a review of the watershed manual was a good idea.

The vote ended up unanimous in favor of the Burke firm.

After the expression of board opinions, Park Director Reimer pointed out, “The council has put this on hold, too.”

“They were trying to get this through in an ordinance form (but a couple of councilmen brought up concerns).

“I was pleasantly surprised that they were concerned.

“Going (into) that meeting, I thought it was a done deal.”

(See McHenry County Blog articles on the Crystal Lake City Council meeting on September 4, 2007, here and here.)

“(Burke’s price) was far less than we were expecting,” Board President Mike Zellman observed.

“It was the lowest,” Reedy pointed out.

= = = = =
Wouldn’t it be something if the review could be accomplished before the next Crystal Lake City Council meeting?

Mayor Aaron Shepley announced that the watershed manual would be on the agenda and public comments welcomed on Tuesday, September 16th.

The Crystal Lake Park board hired the firm offering the lowest price to review the city’s watershed manual.

With prices ranging from Christopher B. Burke Engineering’s $6,600 to one coming in at $18,000, the board also selected the firm that would complete the work in the least amount of time.

Burke said it could complete the review in two weeks.

But, besides cost and speed, the Burke firm got highest marks from at least four of the board members. It was also the recommendation of Park Director Kirk Reimer and Park Planner Ann Viger.

“I put all my stars by them,” said Commissioner Candy Reedy.

“So did I,” Dave Phelps added.

Two, Michael Walkup and Eric Anderson, thought the only non-engineering firm in the running—Conservation Designs—would be better.

Walkup did so because “the manual seems to be going in the opposite direction (from conservation design). Engineers tend to think you can engineer a solution (to anything).”

“I agree with Mike,” Eric Anderson said. “It needs more of a conservation design. That was my top choice.”

“I would like to go more with engineers overlooking engineers,” Jerry Sullivan contributed, while agreeing, “The whole idea of it is conservation.

“Are we not seeing things in this manual that could affect us on conservation matters?” he asked. “I would go with Burke.”

“I’m a big fan of engineers,” Richard Sexton said.

During the discussion, Sexton explained that he had found it hard to believe a previous comment made by Walkup about McHenry County College’s wanting to start construction so soon, but now did.

“These guys are looking to stick a shovel in September,” Sexton said. He observed that being able to come back in two weeks with a review of the watershed manual was a good idea.

The vote ended up unanimous in favor of the Burke firm.

After the expression of board opinions, Park Director Reimer pointed out, “The council has put this on hold, too.”

“They were trying to get this through in an ordinance form (but a couple of councilmen brought up concerns).

“I was pleasantly surprised that they were concerned.

“Going (into) that meeting, I thought it was a done deal.”

(See McHenry County Blog articles on the Crystal Lake City Council meeting on September 4, 2007, here and here.)

“(Burke’s price) was far less than we were expecting,” Board President Mike Zellman observed.

“It was the lowest,” Reedy pointed out.

= = = = =
Wouldn’t it be something if the review could be accomplished before the next Crystal Lake City Council meeting?

Mayor Aaron Shepley announced that the watershed manual would be on the agenda and public comments welcomed on Tuesday, September 16th.

The Crystal Lake Park Board agreed to ask the city council to “take no action on any pending or future developments (in the watershed) until we have our report and the Best Management Practices have been approved by the technical advisory committee and approved by the city council.”

“Do you anticipate it’s delaying the college?” Board President Mike Zellman asked.

“It does what it does,” Mike Walkup, the maker of the motion, replied.

Zellman told of an hour-long conference call earlier Thursday with McHenry County College President Walt Packard, Donna Kurtz and Scott Summers.

“If we want to hire a 3rd party they would respect and listen to, within reason, anything an outside expert would suggest,” Zellman said. “There are certainly time constraints.”

By telephone, Dave Phelps pointed out, “This will not be done by September 8th.”

While Commissioner Jerry Sullivan had earlier said, “I think the science has been done,” in agreeing to seek additional advice, he added later, “We need to be able to say to the city that we’re not ready until the review is finished.”

Phelps emphasized the strangeness of the city council’s considering granting “a variance to something that’s in process.”

“That’s one of our concerns—that the manual isn’t completed,” Sullivan said.

Seconded by Dave Phelps, with two commissioners absent, the motion passed 5-0.

After deciding to solicit proposals to review the city’s proposed update on its watershed manual, I suggested that if they wanted to slow down the process, they could ask the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to “dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s.”

I told them of the letter to the ICCB that would be posted on McHenry County Blog after I got home, which contained legitimate questions.

“Why don’t we draft a letter saying we have environmental concerns?” Sullivan suggested. “Ask them to withhold their approval until we get the results.”

The board agreed to write the state agency, which must approve local college buildings. The letter will address the park board’s environmental concerns and the inability to satisfy them until additional research is performed. Walkup agreed to write the letter.

At one point Zellman said, “The college has been open.”

I guess he hasn’t been a regular reader of McHenry County Blog.

Zellman did say that he would “let Walt know this is going to take place.”

Earlier in the meeting, several members of the McHenry County Defenders spoke.

Linda Gaska of Nash Road presented a case study of overdevelopment in the Catskills that led to degradation of a pure water supply for New York City.

The main speaker for the Defenders, Kim Willis, complained that the proposed zoning recommendations are “based on a manual, which has not yet been approved.”

She said the watershed manual contained “radical” changes.

Zellman pretty much pounced on the word “radical,” asking for examples.

I jotted down four:

• The manual does address the quantity of recharge, but the Defenders are not satisfied with the best management practices on the quality side.
• The Defenders are seeing things being taken out of the 2005 manual that are not in the proposed 2007 manual.
• The locations of the filtration areas in the MCC proposal are inadequate.
• The college is not treating water as it falls, which is generally better than collecting the runoff and treating it centrally.

Willis asked the board to “hire your own consultant to review this manual.”

Former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz pointed out that there’s “another 1000 to 1500 acres out there that’s going to fall to development.”

She said the watershed ordinance has been in effect for 30 years and the city’s “staff hasn’t implemented it.”

Kurtz pointed to the last page of the second appendix, where an important change could go unnoticed. While the current ordinance states, “Impervious surface to be limited to 20 percent,” the proposal says,

“This whole thing is getting back-doored,” Walkup added. “This is all being rushed through the back door.”

Superintendent of Parks Dennis Jahnke, who monitors the district’s wells daily, worried about “the volume of water running through Lippold Park.”

“Will it continue that way?” he wondered.

“The bike paths are all covered over,” Commission Candy Reedy observed.

District Director Kirk Reimer called the skateboard park at Lippold
”a wakeboard Park.”

The city’s technical advisory committee will be held August 28th.

= = = = =
Crystal Lake Park Commissioner Mike Walkup is seen upper left. Commissioner Dave Phelps’ name sign is shown before a speaker phone above a picture of Commissioner Jerry Sullivan gesturing with his hands.

Two of the CCAPOA’s boy kids were swimming at Gate 7 Beach for two hours Thursday afternoon. You can see that Crystal Lake is unusually clear for this time in August.

Linda Gaska, Kim Willis and Rosemary Kurtz are shown below on the left hand side of the page.

Below them is Crystal Lake Park Commissioner Candy Reedy.

The final photo is of three bike-riding teens who were repeatedly driving from the Gate 7 raft on Thursday before they decided just hanging out on the grass was enough exercise. Just another reminder of what keeping Crystal Lake clean is all about.

The Crystal Lake Park Board agreed to ask the city council to “take no action on any pending or future developments (in the watershed) until we have our report and the Best Management Practices have been approved by the technical advisory committee and approved by the city council.”

“Do you anticipate it’s delaying the college?” Board President Mike Zellman asked.

“It does what it does,” Mike Walkup, the maker of the motion, replied.

Zellman told of an hour-long conference call earlier Thursday with McHenry County College President Walt Packard, Donna Kurtz and Scott Summers.

“If we want to hire a 3rd party they would respect and listen to, within reason, anything an outside expert would suggest,” Zellman said. “There are certainly time constraints.”

By telephone, Dave Phelps pointed out, “This will not be done by September 8th.”

While Commissioner Jerry Sullivan had earlier said, “I think the science has been done,” in agreeing to seek additional advice, he added later, “We need to be able to say to the city that we’re not ready until the review is finished.”

Phelps emphasized the strangeness of the city council’s considering granting “a variance to something that’s in process.”

“That’s one of our concerns—that the manual isn’t completed,” Sullivan said.

Seconded by Dave Phelps, with two commissioners absent, the motion passed 5-0.

After deciding to solicit proposals to review the city’s proposed update on its watershed manual, I suggested that if they wanted to slow down the process, they could ask the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to “dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s.”

I told them of the letter to the ICCB that would be posted on McHenry County Blog after I got home, which contained legitimate questions.

“Why don’t we draft a letter saying we have environmental concerns?” Sullivan suggested. “Ask them to withhold their approval until we get the results.”

The board agreed to write the state agency, which must approve local college buildings. The letter will address the park board’s environmental concerns and the inability to satisfy them until additional research is performed. Walkup agreed to write the letter.

At one point Zellman said, “The college has been open.”

I guess he hasn’t been a regular reader of McHenry County Blog.

Zellman did say that he would “let Walt know this is going to take place.”

Earlier in the meeting, several members of the McHenry County Defenders spoke.

Linda Gaska of Nash Road presented a case study of overdevelopment in the Catskills that led to degradation of a pure water supply for New York City.

The main speaker for the Defenders, Kim Willis, complained that the proposed zoning recommendations are “based on a manual, which has not yet been approved.”

She said the watershed manual contained “radical” changes.

Zellman pretty much pounced on the word “radical,” asking for examples.

I jotted down four:

• The manual does address the quantity of recharge, but the Defenders are not satisfied with the best management practices on the quality side.
• The Defenders are seeing things being taken out of the 2005 manual that are not in the proposed 2007 manual.
• The locations of the filtration areas in the MCC proposal are inadequate.
• The college is not treating water as it falls, which is generally better than collecting the runoff and treating it centrally.

Willis asked the board to “hire your own consultant to review this manual.”

Former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz pointed out that there’s “another 1000 to 1500 acres out there that’s going to fall to development.”

She said the watershed ordinance has been in effect for 30 years and the city’s “staff hasn’t implemented it.”

Kurtz pointed to the last page of the second appendix, where an important change could go unnoticed. While the current ordinance states, “Impervious surface to be limited to 20 percent,” the proposal says,

“This whole thing is getting back-doored,” Walkup added. “This is all being rushed through the back door.”

Superintendent of Parks Dennis Jahnke, who monitors the district’s wells daily, worried about “the volume of water running through Lippold Park.”

“Will it continue that way?” he wondered.

“The bike paths are all covered over,” Commission Candy Reedy observed.

District Director Kirk Reimer called the skateboard park at Lippold
”a wakeboard Park.”

The city’s technical advisory committee will be held August 28th.

= = = = =
Crystal Lake Park Commissioner Mike Walkup is seen upper left. Commissioner Dave Phelps’ name sign is shown before a speaker phone above a picture of Commissioner Jerry Sullivan gesturing with his hands.

Two of the CCAPOA’s boy kids were swimming at Gate 7 Beach for two hours Thursday afternoon. You can see that Crystal Lake is unusually clear for this time in August.

Linda Gaska, Kim Willis and Rosemary Kurtz are shown below on the left hand side of the page.

Below them is Crystal Lake Park Commissioner Candy Reedy.

The final photo is of three bike-riding teens who were repeatedly driving from the Gate 7 raft on Thursday before they decided just hanging out on the grass was enough exercise. Just another reminder of what keeping Crystal Lake clean is all about.