$1 Selling Price of Unincorporated Lake In The Hills Water System Up For Vote Tonight

Promises made, promises broken

A press release from Rep. Allen Skillicorn:

First informed by letter on February 12, “In the coming months, the Village of Lake in the Hills will be considering plans to transfer ownership of the unincorporated portion of the Village water system to Central States Water Resources (ICSWROC), a private water and waste water utility company,” a vote was set less than two weeks later on February 23. 

A map of LITH with the presumed affected unincorporated area circled in green.

At that meeting, residents voiced their concern that they had insufficient time to fully review and discuss the situation which the board acknowledged and tabled the item.

It is now March 22, less than a month later, and the issue has reappeared on the agenda with the minimum allowable notice for a vote this evening. 

Residents contacted the Representative to voice their concern that for an issue this complex they need more time to fully understand the ramifications.

Allen Skillicorn

 

By their own admission, the Village has stated, “’[The main reason we are selling] is to eliminate the liability of the village of owning a system that does not turn a profit,’[Public Works Director] Kaup said.

The water system, along with fire hydrants, must be replaced, which is expected to cost $1,793,357.”

But what of the promises made to all of the residents over 50 years ago when the Village purchased the water system for maintenance and upkeep, along with the bonds to do so?

The majority of Lake In The Hills residents who live in the incorporated areas have had their water system updated, but not the unincorporated area, those residents are being pushed aside because it “…does not turn a profit.”

I call on the Village of Lake in the Hills to table the item for an additional month to give the residents affected more time to ensure that their concerns are adequately considered and addressed.

A copy of the letter sent to unincorporated LITH residents.


Comments

$1 Selling Price of Unincorporated Lake In The Hills Water System Up For Vote Tonight — 5 Comments

  1. Is this the original work of Barbara Key and Village Attorney Rich Flood?

  2. Water is the sole remaining resource in McHenry County left to be strip mined.
    Expect water mining incursions shepherded by County Board (last County Board Chairman claimed it was not a conflict to serve as attorney for the water mining power plant set to go in Oakwood Hills).

    By Illinois law, aquifer groundwater in our landlocked county can be used (by a permitted interest) without limitation, and for free without payment or liability.

  3. Once the LITH Sanitary District is absorbed by the Village of Lake in the Hills, what is to prevent them from similiarly carving off those portions of the Sanitary District that lie outside of LITH borders, like Crystal Lake and Lakewood?

    Given some of the significant capital improvements required in non-LITH areas like Lakewood, LITH could dump those areas onto a third party for $1 (just as they are doing here), completely avoid financial responsibility for the needed capital improvements, and the affected non-LITH residents would then be at the mercy of the new operator and their new (higher) rates.

    Proverbs 3:29 English Standard Version (ESV)

    Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
    who dwells trustingly beside you.

  4. Little Chicago, I mean Lake in the Hills only cares about revenue and not about their residents. It’s not what it used to be for sure!

  5. Susan, you are right about Water in McHenry County . . . did you know LITH and Lakewood and their Law Firm wanted to put a Landfill on land off of Rt. 47 . . . A Major Aquifer in McHenry County located on that spot?
    Why, to generate tipping fees.

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