New Members For Crystal Lake Park Board

New Members Coming To Crystal Lake Park Board

The Crystal Lake Park Board will see three new faces at the next meeting on May 19. The recent meeting on Thursday, April 21 was the last meeting for Commissioners, Eric Anderson, Michael Zellman, and Richard Sexton who chose not to seek re-election in the recent election.

The newly elected Commissioners to be seated at the May meeting include: Paul Myers, Richard Passavant, and Larry Wheeler. These gentlemen have been attending the Board meetings for a number of months.

May 1, 2011 to April 30, 2012 Budget

The meeting last week also saw the Board adopt the annual budget appropriation ordinance covering the period May 1, 2011 through April 30, 2012. Following are the amounts involved:

Estimated Cash on hand at beginning of fiscal year             $ 6,024,375

Estimated Cash expected to be received-all sources          $13,226,485

Estimated expenditures for the year                                       $15,039,045

Estimated cash expected at the end of fiscal year                $  4,211,815

Estimated taxes to be received by Park District                    $  6,426,000

The budget adopted in conjunction with the appropriation ordinance is expected to cover all expenses for operating the parks and facilities. User fees cover the costs for the various programs provided.

McDOT (McHenry County Department of Transportation) and the Park District previously entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement regarding construction easements on the Walkup Avenue portion of widening Route 176.

This part of the planned improvements involves inclusion of a bicycle path along the east side of Walkup Avenue, adjacent to Veteran Acres. It took years of work and planning between the Park District and McDOT to accommodate a bike path without too much disturbance to the park.

Then IDOT, Illinois Department of Transportation, got involved and began working with McDOT and the City of Crystal Lake on plans to rebuild the Walkup Avenue and Route 176 intersection so that the widened Route 176 to the east of the intersection would allow for turn and through lanes. Storm water runoff needed to be accommodated in the Veteran Acres Pond and the Park District as asked to be a part of that plan.

Hey and Associates was contacted by the Park District to review the proposed impacts to the park and provide suggestions to lessen any negative effects. Following many revision and reviews of plans, they are now finalized and let for bid by the State. Construction is expected to begin in the fall.