McHenry County Blog

At the forum last Thursday for McHenry County Mayor, incumbent Sue Low and challenger Steve Cuda were asked the McHenry Shores water question.

Mayor Sue Low stands, answering a question, while former Mayor Steve Cuda listens.

“That’s a question that was asked in 1995 or 1996,” former Mayor Cuda replied. “It’s a problem that isn’t going to go away until the City provides water to the subdivision.>

He explained that Tom Matthews’ company had gone into bankruptcy.

“We don’t want to overpay,” he added, pointing out that “Folks out there are going to have to pay.”

“We are in negotiations. For as long as I’ve been mayor the issue has been on the table,” Mayor Low answered.

“We have come to agreement with regard to the Special Service Area.

“I can’t really say a lot more than that.”

The day after the candidates’ night, March 23rd, City Administrator Derik Morefield wrote McHenry Shores residents that the City had failed in its attempt to purchase the water company.

Despite 235-30 survey results that the residents wanted to be hooked up to the water that the rest of McHenry residents get.

The letter said it “has been sold to another entity.”

“…the City could not enter a “bidding war.’”

The letter concludes,

“Thank you for your interest during this process and please know the city will continue to support future efforts to connect the McHenry Shores Water Company to the City of McHenry water system, so long as it is in the best interests of McHenry Shores residents and the municipality.

“Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions.”

You can read the full letter below:

A press release from McHenry County:

McHenry County communities and large water users discuss the need for water conservation and drought preparation

WOODSTOCK, IL – McHenry County, municipal, and township government leaders, state officials, and large water users met on Wednesday, July 11, to discuss the need for water conservation and drought preparation.

Illinois Water Survey Logo

According to Walt Kelly of the Illinois State Water Survey,

“Illinois is falling deeper into drought conditions as agricultural impacts are now becoming much more evident and hydrologic conditions [are] continuing to deteriorate. There is very little rain in the forecast at a time when substantial rains are needed to avoid agricultural damages.”

On July 3rd, the U.S. Drought Monitor updated the classification of most of McHenry County from “moderate” to “severe” drought.

Portions of central and southern Illinois have been experiencing a severe or extreme drought since mid-June.

Thirty-three counties in central and southern Illinois recently received a disaster designation from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

This was done based on a request from the Illinois Department of Agriculture, based on specific formulas and field input.

The disaster designation makes low and no interest loans available to the agriculture community.

It does not provide relief to local or state government or home owners.

In response to the drought conditions, many McHenry County communities have implemented restrictions on the use of their public water supplies.

Municipal residents are encouraged to contact their appropriate authorities to learn of their particular restrictions.

McHenry County does not have the authority to restrict the use of water by residents, industry, or farmers as it does not provide a public water supply.

However, McHenry County is urging all residents, incorporated and unincorporated, to implement additional voluntary water conservation measures.

The County is urging residents

• not to water lawns and recommending to only water gardens in the early morning and evening hours (after checking on municipal restrictions); avoid washing cars;
• repair leaky water fixtures;
• turn off the water while shaving and brushing teeth;
• take shorter showers;
• use dishwashers and clothes washers only when full; and by
• not letting the water run when washing dishes by hand.

For more water conservation ideas, please visit the McHenry County water resources website: www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/waterresources.

A press release from the City of Crystal Lake:

To ensure adequate water supply, the City of Crystal Lake has adjusted its Water System Status to Yellow Condition.

The City of Crystal Lake has adjusted its Water System Status to Yellow Condition.

No opening of hydrants either, I’ll bet.

Under the Yellow Condition sprinkler/irrigation lawn and landscape watering as well as car washing is permitted on odd/even days between the hours of 5-8 a.m. and 6-9 p.m.

Property addresses ending in odd numbers shall be permitted to use water on odd numbered calendar days and even numbered addresses on even numbered days. Exempt from this requirement is sprinkler containers less than 2 gallons in size.

The Yellow Condition will be in effect until further notice.

Residents are encouraged not to water their lawns during this prolonged dry weather.
Visit the City’s website at www.crystallake.org for any new information on the status of the water system.

Any person, firm, or corporation violating this water conservation ordinance 322 is subject to a fine not less than fifty ($50.00) dollars or more than five hundred ($500.00) dollars for each offense plus the City’s cost of prosecution, including but not limited to attorney fees. Each day that violation exists shall constitute a separate offense.

A press release from the McHenry Police Department:

Those McHenry residents residing in McHenry Shores Neighborhood area, which is located south of Charles Miller Rd, and East of Green st.

There is currently an issue with the water in the area. McHenry CIty and the McHenry Shores water company are aware that there is either very little pressure, to no water.

There is a boil order in efect for those with water. When the water returns, there will be a boil order in efffect. For further questions refer to McHenry Shores water company.

= = = = =
McHenry Shores used to be a village between where Prairie Grove is now and the City of McHenry. It merged with McHenry. It is apparently still served by a private water company.

The lengthiest item on the agenda of the last McHenry County Board meeting was the Water Resources Action Plan. I admit to not having the stamina to wade through it.

The County Board has sent out the following press release on it. If any reader has read or is willing to read the document, which can be found here (before minor changes by the County Board). Please provide your take in the comment section.

New McHenry County Passes Water Resources Action Plan

WOODSTOCK, IL – On Tuesday, October 18, the McHenry County Board unanimously approved the McHenry County Water Resources Action Plan (WRAP).

This plan was developed over a two and a half year time period using a consensus building approach with McHenry County municipalities, townships, and other interested stakeholders.

The plan underwent an additional two years of review by the County Board’s Natural and Environmental Resources Committee.

The Plan is vitally important because the County is solely dependent on groundwater for all of its potable water needs, with no other options available.

Studies suggest that areas in Northeastern Illinois and McHenry County may experience water supply shortages as early as 2030.

In an effort to plan for the future and guard against supply shortages, McHenry County engaged in a comprehensive effort to study its Groundwater.

Cassandra McKinney

In 2007, McHenry County hired a Water Resource Manager and initiated the development of a comprehensive water resources plan. The Water Resources Action Plan is predicated on the importance of cooperative planning and the significance of building a strong base of scientific knowledge.

While developing the WRAP, McHenry County engaged in four scientific projects by partnering with state and federal agencies. McHenry County has invested nearly $2 million dollars of county, state and federal funds to complete these projects.

Projects include:

• 3-D Hydrogeological Modeling (ISGS),
• Groundwater Flow Modeling (ISWS),
• Installation of and real-timing of 41 Observation Wells,
• 2 Stream Gauges, and
• Precipitation Gauges (USACE, USGS, and ISGS), and
• Water Quality Sampling (USGS).

In March, the United States Geological Survey launched the McHenry County Hydrologic Information Website to track the real-time information: http://il.water.usgs.gov/data/McHenry/index.php.

The data are collected and transmitted on an hourly basis to record the short and long-term hydrological condition of the County. The data gathered from this project will be used to develop and refine a groundwater-flow model to assist with future groundwater management decisions.

For more information on the McHenry County WRAP, please contact Water Resources Manager Cassandra McKinney at 815-334-4213 or cclmckinney@co.mchenry.il.us.

Two sights caught my attention this New Year Eve’s Day.

The first was the overly-full parking lot at Crystal Lake’s Jewel.

How full was the parking lot at Crystal Lake's Jewel Food Store?

I’ve often wondered why people buy four-wheel drive vehicles.

One answer is obvious from this scene: to park where others cannot.

View of Crystal Lake with all three forms of H2O visible.

I drove on South Shore Drive in Lakewood and, with the recent rain in Crystal Lake, found this view of North Shore homes reflecting in the water. Fog was near the North Shore.

The Natural Resources Defense Council provides this map showing counties that will have water problems in 2050, assuming no climate change.

The Natural Resources Defense Council provides this map showing counties that will have water problems in 2050, assuming climate change.

A while back I sat down with a reader for a talk at Conscious Cup Coffee.

We discussed county politics and problems.

I concluded that the availability of drinking water was the biggest problem facing the county.

Tuesday in an article on pipelines I tried to raise consciousness about the possibility of a pipeline oil leak similar to the one that occurred recently in southwestern Michigan.

I remember that pipelines were being laid when I was county treasurer.

That’s more than 40 years ago.

It’s a safe bet that pipeline safety was not a good then as with more recently laid pipelines.

This map shows the hazardous liquid pipeline running through McHenry County.

Below is the press release about the seminar:

PROTECTING GROUNDWATER IN McHENRY COUNTY A PUBLIC FORUM

WOODSTOCK, IL – Future generations of McHenry County residents, businesses, and governments could face a potentially crippling water shortage.

To address this issue and begin to educate the general public, Imagine McHenry County, and McHenry County College will bring county water resource specialists, educators, plumbing experts, religious professionals, and landscapers together for a free Water Forum and Resource Fair on Saturday morning, August 7.

This will be an opportunity to learn about our sole source of drinking water – groundwater – and how to protect it.

The Forum will highlight local businesses whose practices and products work to protect and conserve our finite water supply. Vendors will offer products and services.

“Water is personal, water is local, water is regional, water is statewide. Everybody has a different idea, a different approach, a different issue, a different concern, but water is the most personal issue we have,”

said award-winning journalist Susan J. Marks in a recent interview.

Here's a map I found showing how water could be piped from the Great Lakes region west, south and southwest.

The Forum’s organizers hope that everyone will become better informed about the basic science and economics involved in protecting our water supply, and learn simple and practical ways to make a big difference.

The Water Forum and Resource Fair on Saturday, August 7, will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the McHenry County College, Conference Room, 8900 US Hwy 14, Crystal Lake, Illinois.  The public is encouraged to visit the vendor tables both before the event and during break.

Imagine McHenry County (IMC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of a grass roots planning process for quality growth countywide.  To learn more about this event and other initiatives of IMC, please see the IMC Facebook page or contact County Board Member, Barbara Wheeler, 815-245-4556.

Sixteen residents attended the informational meeting.

City officials held a meeting Wednesday night to let out of city residents along East Crystal Lake Avenue know the possibility exists to get sewer and water.

While normal people don’t know that not all homes along the street are not within the Crystal Lake corporate boundaries, a lot are “in the county,” as some put it.

Such homes don’t have city sewer and water.  They have wells and septic tanks.

Some may have septic tanks that are failing, City Engineer Eric Lecuyer suggested in his presentation.

For those under county government jurisdiction, a failed septic tank may mean a home has to be abandoned under new rules mandating the number of square feet necessary to have such a sewage treatment system.

With the city due to re-surface the street and put sidewalks on both sides, now is the most economical time to put in sewer and water lines.

The cost, however, is high.

The slide showing costs if everyone wanted sewer and water. Click to enlarge.

$25,000 per home if all participate. Finance it over 20 years and it would hike the property tax bill by about $2,000 a year.

People wanted to know how many have "voted" each way can call up the city staff and find out.

At the end of the meeting staffers handed out forms on which one could express support, opposition or seek more information.

The lady sitting next to me who had said she was on Social Security checked the “No” box.

Jim Tomasello of 290 E. Crystal Lake Avenue asked for a stack of forms after saying he had talked to neighbors and “not even close to 50% of the folks are interested.”

“It doesn’t matter to us whether we do this project or not,”

was the way Lecuyer started the meeting.

From the front page of the Chicago Tribune April 26, 2010.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the RTA’s Metra commuter trains to and from Chicago are featured in a critical article on the front page of the Tribune today.

The beef is that riders can’t access the internet on the train.

It reminds me of the first thing the Regional Transportation Authority did when it took over the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad’s trains.

Under Northwestern operation, there was water available on the trains. One would take a little paper cup, push a button and out came drinkable water.

The first noticeable change under RTA management in the late 1970′s was the covering of the water dispensing part of the commuter cars with a stainless steel panel.

A real loss for those who commuted over an hour. Think McHenry County, where the fastest train to Crystal Lake was about an hour.

So, RTA’s commuter service started out ignoring customer wishes. Riders number 150,000 a day now.

Metra commuter cars at grade crossing next to the Downtown Crystal Lake train station.

Last year, Metra, created in the early 1980′s to give suburban politicians their own patronage haven, had to be hounded into the late 1900′s on the use of credit cards.  It took a bill sponsored by State Rep. Michael Bond (D-Grayslake).

Want a ticket, have cash. Or a check in some instances, like for monthly passes.

Now, it appears the Tribune is about to start another campaign to improve customer service on the trains. It seeks Wi-Fi.

Simplistically, one might ascribe the three failures in meeting customer needs to the monopoly nature of the rail service. But, the Chicago and Northwestern had a monopoly and still provided water for riders.

And other commuter lines in the USA have managed to figure out how to allow customers to access the internet. Santa Fe, New York, Boston, Silicon Valley’s run between San Jose and Stockton, even Amtrak on the East Coast, manage to provide internet service.

The Tribune article notes that Metra’s response is basically “providing wireless internet is too expensive and technologically challenging.”

Probably none of McHenry County Blog’s readers are old enough to remember when railroads were THE high tech part of the American economy.

Metra’s advice to those who want train internet service is to buy through their cell phone providers. The Tribune says the cost is $20-60 a month.

Metra could, of course, provide the service and charge for it.

Rep. Bond is sponsoring another bill to require it, the Tribune says.  Something about bringing Metra into the 21st Century.

The following press release was received from the Village of Barrington Hills. It concerns the 2030 Land Use Plan.  One of its objections is the almost complete abandonment of the horse raising heritage of McHenry County.

Barrington Hills horse farm.

When the first count of land uses was made in the late 1960′s there were tens of thousands of horses noted  I (77,000, I think).  In the 1960, Census there were 84,210 people.

Re: McHenry County 2030 Plan

1. Current categorization as “estate” has a negative impact on County land use and development/growth policies on Barrington Hills and its jurisdictional planning area.

a. The estate land use category does not sufficiently represent or protect the adopted land use policies of Barrington Hills as reflected in its comprehensive plan. We suggest a separate rural community or conservation community designation to reflect the unique character of Barrington Hills and similar communities, or a clarification and expansion of the estate category which fits the land use of Bull Valley and Barrington Hills that includes the farmettes described under the agricultural category. Parcels should be defined as those of up to 20 acres.

b. County policies to encourage density increases within low density areas and within existing municipalities both threatens the ability of Barrington Hills to maintain its low density character, and commitment of its private citizens to continue to support environmental stewardship efforts.

i. This policy to encourage density increase in the estate category is in conflict with recognition of the high quality water recharge area which includes Barrington Hills. Higher density will reduce recharge areas and negatively impact water quality.

c. Private conservation efforts should be encouraged as an alternative to the newer approach to conservation design that require public or common ownership of preservation areas. Common ownership often does not guarantee long term quality preservation as is often demonstrated by private ownership efforts.

2. Choosing only one model for future development (conservation design) is short-sighted and ignores the county’s own history and alternative approaches to conservation that have been in existence for over 50 years.

a. The 2030 plan should respect existing patterns of development and promote balanced growth to provide options for all types of communities – from rural-agricultural, estate and urban communities.

b. Communities similar to Barrington Hills have served to both preserve much of the County’s high quality environmental areas, and are an important part of the County’s history through their commitment to conservation that supports and nurtures the equestrian lifestyle. These communities provide a high quality of life for their residents, and those seeking a break from urban living. A low density area is advantageous to the adjacent residents from more densely populated areas who benefit from the increased capacity for water recharge; reduced draw down of the groundwater resources; air quality improvement from the air cleaning or scrubbing capabilities provided by the abundant plant life; and scenic views.

Encouraging the raising of alpakas is not mention in the release, but llamas are. These live in Black Jack Road south of Galena on the way to Chestnut Mountain Resort.

i. This type of private stewardship of nature and history offered by low density development is not valued and is marginalized in the plan as currently written.

ii. Moreover, the conservation design model currently described in the plan does not allow for McHenry County residents to have a multi-acre parcel for organic farming, raising llamas, horsekeeping or other hobbies which require a larger property, as in the conservation design model selected, the open space is commonly owned and to be preserved; not used for individual pursuits.

c. The lack of opportunities for communities like Barrington Hills and Bull Valley to be established, and the County’s growth policy to encourage higher densities in existing
communities will not only limit future conservation-minded people to seek to locate in McHenry and preserve its character and history, but will have a direct detrimental impact on the ability of Barrington Hills, and other similar communities, to maintain their character, history and quality of life.

d. The County should amend proposed planning policies to assist communities in preserving their desired vision and purpose established by their residents. The comprehensive plans of existing communities should govern both the develop of lands within their borders and the unincorporated territories subject to boundary agreements, and in areas where joint land use planning is consistent

3. The equestrian heritage of the county is ignored by the 2030 Plan

a. The document uses the term equestrian only twice. For a county which has been known for its large population of horses, this is insufficient mention.

b. There is no acknowledgment that people seek out McHenry County as a place to come to to establish equine therapy barns, horse rescue operations, and commercial show/boarder barns and for trail riding.

c. There is no acknowledgment that people seek out McHenry County as a place to come to to establish a small farm to keep their own small number of horses; and to pursue activities such as trail riding and equestrian sports.

d. This plan entirely misses a great opportunity to foster growth of the equine industry, by specifically providing for the expansion of horsekeeping in the county. The farmettes in turn support the larger parcels under the agricultural designation by increasing their customer base (for hay etc) and also maintain the eco-sensitive and predominantly rural character of our county.

4. The periodic assessment of the success of the plan should be more frequent and include community involvement

a. Waiting until 2015 for the first review of the plan is a time frame which is too far out.

b. County plan needs a “sensitivity” analysis to fully understand implication on all communities.

c. Implementation – as has been done in Kane County for years, County planning process should be continued and further refined through closer study of sub-regions through the creation of community partnerships of municipalities that share similar interests, and/or geographic areas. Only then will the County Plan be truly reflective of the aspirations, visions, and goals of all its citizens.

This analysis and these remarks were created with the assistance of the consultant firm which our Plan Commission utilizes, Teska Associates of Evanston, Illinois.

Dr. Elaine M. Ramesh
Trustee, Village of Barrington Hills
McHenry County Resident
Equestrienne