Tuesday, June 26, 2012

New Purchasing Director For McHenry County

McHenry County will have a new Purchasing Director.  Don Gray has been a Buyer in the McHenry County Purchasing Department for the past year and has accumulated 30+ years of procurement experience.  Effective Monday, July 2, Don Gray will be replacing retiring Purchasing Director Catherine Link.

Catherine Link has held the position of Director of Purchasing for McHenry County, for the last eight years and has over 30 years of government purchasing experience. 

Catherine Link is a Certified Professional Public Buyer through the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) and has been recognized for her excellence and dedication by her colleagues through her involvement in public procurement including: the 1995 Illinois Buyer of the Year award for the Illinois Association of Public Procurement and the 2008 Illinois Purchasing Manager of the Year Award.   Catherine Link was also the runner-up for the 2008 NIGP Purchasing Manager of the Year Award.

In assuming the role of Director of Purchasing, Don Gray will continue in Cathy Link’s legacy of establishing McHenry County as an example of ethical and equitable government procurement.

Guidelines For Appointing Special Prosecutors

A piece of legislation sponsored by Representative Mike Tryon, R-64 and of particular interest to McHenry County taxpayers.

Bill to Curb use of Special Prosecutors Heads to Governor
Legislation that places strict guidelines in place for judges who wish to appoint special prosecutors to investigate elected officials gained unanimous support this year in both the House and Senate. 

Tryon explains, “I was a sponsor of this bill. House Bill 4797 was filed in response to the excessive bills associated with an investigation of McHenry County States Attorney Lou Bianchi, who was eventually acquitted on all charges.

To date, the taxpayers of McHenry County have had to pay more than $525,000 in special prosecutor costs.  According to the bill, before a judge can appoint a special prosecutor, he/she must first exhaust all efforts to find a state’s attorney from another county or the Illinois Attorney General to do the work. If it is determined that a special prosecutor must be hired, the bill includes language that gives county boards a voice in discussions regarding costs and the right to see itemized bills.”


Words Of Wisdom

"Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day."

--Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, 1771

Government At Work

TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012—
9:30 a.m. – McHenry County Board Finance & Audit Committee—
Meeting in the County Board Conference Room, County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

State’s Attorney Automation Fund
The Committee is expected to consider authorizing the creation of a State’s Attorney Records Automation Fund with an emergency appropriation to the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget.

This fund, according to the resolution to be considered authorizing the creation of the fund, is to offset the expenses of the State’s Attorney’s office in establishing and maintaining automated record keeping systems.


Funding will be derived from a $2 fee to be paid by a defendant on a judgment of guilty or a grant of supervision for a violation of any provision of the Illinois Vehicle Code or any felony, misdemeanor, or petty offense. This will be set aside in a separate fund handled by the County Treasurer.


Expenditures from the fund are to be made by the State’s Attorney for hardware, software, research, and development costs and personnel related to the offenses.


The fund is to be established effective July 1, 2012 and will be known as the State’s Attorney Records Automation Fund. This fund is authorized by Public Act 97-673 of the Illinois State Statutes.


Pay For Performance Guidelines
An amount of 2.5% is set aside as a pool of money for approved pay-for-performance increases. These dollars cannot be used for any other purpose without County Board approval.

A resolution is being presented for Committee consideration establishing guidelines for this fiscal year pay-for-performance adjustments. This is for the distribution of the 2.5% merit pay adjustment included in the 2013 budget. It is to be distributed to all non-represented full and part-time employees who have not received reclassification or other salary adjustments in the FY2012.2013 Budget Process. This is for all non-union county employees, including Department Heads.


Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
The audit firm of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP was retained to accomplish the annual audit of all county funds for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2011. This has been completed and presented to the Finance and Audit Committee and it is recommended that the County Board adopt the necessary Resolution Accepting the Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year Ending November 30, 2011.

Resolution Authorizing Appropriation for McHenry County Mental Health Board
This is the authorization for the funding agreement which provides funding for the transition of the AmeriCorps Coordinator to the County Mental Health Board.

Charles J. Miller Road Construction
Improvement of the Miller Road between Illinois Route 31 and River Road in McHenry City and Township is to be accomplished through an intergovernmental agreement with the State of Illinois. The sum being appropriated for this purpose is $ 4 million.

9:30 a.m. –McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals—
Meeting in the County Board Conference Room, County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock for a voting meeting on a petition of Roger and Jane Otto for a request for variations to allow an accessory structure to be 121 feet instead of 14 feet maximum allowed in a yard abutting a road or street.

Other matters being handled by the Zoning Board are;
Unilock Chicago, Inc.
The Board is to conduct a status check on Unilock Chicago, Inc. as the petitioners will be amending their request for property located at 8302 South Route 23, Marengo.

The Petitioners, Unilock Chicago, will request to amend the petition asking for a reclassification so that a hearing can be held on the petitioner’s requests to extend the existing Conditional Use permit on the property.

A hearing on the petition seeking a renewal of the Premises’ existing Conditional Use Permit to allow for the manufacture, storage and distribution of concrete and related paving products and activities is permitted. That hearing is scheduled July11, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. in Conference Room B of McHenry County Administration Building.

Roger and Jane Otto
Petition for Variation as requested by Roger and Jane Otto for their property located at 551 Juanita Vista, Crystal Lake will be considered. The property consists of three separate parcels and contains a single family home and detached garage.

The Zoning Board is to consider the property owners’ requests for variations in order to remove the existing garage and construct a larger garage.

9:30 a.m. Public Aid Committee
Meeting in the County Board Conference Room, County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

An appeal is scheduled regarding a Decision made by the Dorr Township Supervisor.


Valley Hi Operation Board—
Meeting in the Valley Hi Nursing Home, 2406 Hartland Road, Woodstock.

The Board may consider presentations on Strategic Plan Review and customer Service Program.

New Business
The topics of Open Meetings Act Training and July Presentation to the Full County Board will be considered.

Old Business
Topics include Union Activity Status
IDPH Update
Medicare B. Prepay Probe

Reports To Committee
These include Administrator’s Report, Census, May 2012 Finances, quality Indicator, Quality Assurance Committee Meeting Minutes and Resident council Meeting Minutes, Generator Expansion, and Pre-Employment/Post Accident Drug Testing Policy.

7:00 p.m.—Lakewood Village Board
Meeting in the RedTail Golf Club, 7y900 RedTail Drive, Lakewood.

Many items are handled with the consent agenda such as minutes of prior meeting, payment of bills.


Request of Approval of Financial Statements for the Village and RedTail Golf Club for the period May 1 through May 31, 2012.


An Ordinance Establishing Prevailing Wage Rates for the Village is to be considered for approval.


Items For Discussion
A motion to approve an Ordinance authorizing the assignment of Rights under a Recapture Agreement between the Village of Lakewood and Greg Penza Regarding Bardwell of Lakewood Subdivision.

Motion to approve a low bid from Geske & Sons, Inc. in the amount of $213,982.62 for the 2012 Road Improvement Program.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Words Of Wisdom

"In a general sense, all contributions imposed by the government upon individuals for the service of the state, are called taxes, by whatever name they may be known, whether by the name of tribute, tythe, tallage, impost, duty, gabel, custom, subsidy, aid, supply, excise, or other name."
 --Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, 1833

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Government At Work

MONDAY, JUNE 25 –
8:30 a.m.--McHenry County Board Management Services Committee--
Meeting in County Board Conference Room, County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

Discussions are scheduled regarding the 2012-2013 Insurance Program; VAC space alternatives in the Administration Building; and Clarification on Strategic Planning Proposal for 2013.


The County Administrator Evaluation is also slated for discussion.

11:30 a.m. – McHenry County Continuum of Care for the Homeless—Ad Hoc committee for by-laws recommendations.
Meeting at the Home of the Sparrow, 5342  W. Elm Street, McHenry.
The committee is to discuss recommendations for by-laws; view a presentation by Hans Mach, on comparative tables of bylaws of continuums

7:00 p.m. – McHenry County Board of Health—
Meeting in the Department of Health, Building “A” 2200 N. Seminary Avenue, Woodstock.

In addition to routine Division Reports, the Board will be presented with Contracts and Agreements for renewal. These include: IL. Liquor Control Commission – Kids Can’t Buy ‘Em Here; George Goodlow M.D. Agreement; Frank & Marie Mercri Agreement; Answercall24; IDCFS HealthWorks.

New Contracts and Agreements include: Government Payment Services, Inc.’ Meridian Health Plan Agreement; Eespoke Software, Inc. Agreement and Agreement for the Provision of Contractual Services for Shelly Nicholson.

The program highlight is regarding Emergency Response Program.

New Business includes a Board of health Hearing Committee regarding septic system at 5206 Rt. 31, Crystal Lake.

Words Of Wisdom

"But the mild voice of reason, pleading the cause of an enlarged and permanent interest, is but too often drowned, before public bodies as well as individuals, by the clamors of an impatient avidity for immediate and immoderate gain."

 --James Madison