Party Planning For Upcoming Weekend

Party planning for the upcoming July 4^th weekend should include more than a menu and invited guests.  Forgetting about food safety can be a recipe for disaster. A metal-stemmed thermometer is as much a party essential as matching plates and napkins.  According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, one in six Americans will get sick from food poisoning this year. Following four simple steps – clean, separate, cook and chill – can help keep your family safe. Learn the risks of food poisoning in the fun new web series Recipes for Disaster at http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/index.html.

McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) wants you to practice safe food handling by keeping “hot things hot” (greater than 135 degrees Fahrenheit) and “cold things cold” (less than 41 degrees Fahrenheit) to reduce your risk of a food-borne illness. Other safety tips include --

• Thaw frozen meats in the refrigerator.
• Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before and after handling foods.
• Clean all kitchen surfaces before you begin cooking.
• To avoid cross contamination, use separate plates for raw and cooked meats.
• Scrub cutting boards with hot soapy water after preparing food.
• Use a metal stemmed food thermometer to ensure food is cooked to the proper temperature.  Food is safely cooked when it reaches a high enough internal temperature to kill harmful bacteria (see below).
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving time.

 Food-borne illness is preventable.  If you suspect a food-borne illness, contact MCDH at 815-334-4585, Monday through Friday, 8am-4:30 pm.  For after hour emergencies, call 815-344-7421.

Supreme Court Rules Against Limits On Toxic Mercury Pollution

The Supreme Court just handed a huge victory to some of America's biggest polluters—ruling against the first-ever limits on toxic mercury pollution from coal plants.¹
It's one of the biggest public health setbacks we've faced in years—but this fight is far from over.
The Environmental Protection Agency is already getting ready to push forward with revisions that address the Supreme Court's concerns. It's up to us to mobilize strong public support to make sure polluters can't create further weakening or delay these critical rules.
Unbelievably, the Supreme Court claimed that the EPA failed to show that the mercury limits were "necessary and appropriate"—even though they would prevent 11,000 annual deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, 130,000 asthma attacks, and up to $90 billion in health-care costs.²
What could be more "necessary and appropriate" than that?
But the coal industry will spend virtually any amount of money on lawyers and lobbyists to block limits on their mercury pollution—and President Obama doesn't have much time left to get these rules in place.
Make no mistake: People could die because of the Supreme Court decision. We can't back down now.

1. Supreme Court Blocks Obama's Limits on Power Plants, The New York Times, June 29, 2015

2. Healthier Americans, United States Environmental Protection Agency, accessed June 29, 2015

McHenry County Recognized For Sustainable Practices

McHenry County has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACO).

The award honors the innovative, sustainable practices of McHenry County Government to expand energy efficiency, education and conservation programs.

The application was submitted by McHenry County’s Facilities Management Department. Since 2009, the Department has reduced annual utility costs from $1,684,975 to $1,174,302, an overall operating cost savings of 30%. Additionally, annual greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 12%, which has a positive environmental impact equivalent to removing over 270 cars off the road per year .

Energy efficiency improvements have both reduced the County’s carbon footprint and created value for taxpayers. Several years ago, Facilities Director John Hadley saw a need to evaluate and improve inefficient facilities and operations. At the time, the County did not comprehensively assess for efficiency, sustainability, life cycle, labor costs and effectiveness.

Through a series of grants and rebates from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO),Hadley offset much of the costs of implementing building energy efficiencies. He began using

software programs to track building utilities, including electricity, natural gas, water, and sewer.

The County can now efficiently identify problematic building systems, oversee performance, and quantify cos avoidance using various software programs that manage and monitor utility costs.

The largest funds to support McHenry County energy efficient projects were from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). In 2008, cHenry County was awarded $2.4 million to produce “shovel ready” projects to improve aging, inefficient facilities. The funds were used for 16 energy savings projects , including:

• lighting retrofits,
• window replacements,
• new boilers,
• hot water heaters,
• solar panels.

With the help of contract partners including Alpha Controls, Siemens Building Technologies, Elkhorn Chemical Company, the County is using products and practices that are energy efficient, safe, environmentally friendly and effective.

To create awareness, a “Green Touch Screen” was installed in the administration

building lobby. Staff and visitors can view energy efficient operations of the solar panels on the roof of the building. The building serves as a learning environment to encourage sustainable use and resource practices, including a water bottle filling station, biodegradable garbage bags, technology trash recycling containers, and a cell phone and battery collection site in the purchasing department.

McHenry County is proud to be a part of NACO’s 2015 Achievement Award Program. The award will be presented at NACO’s 2015 Annual Conference and Exposition July 10-13 in Mecklenburg County, N.C.

Crystal Lake Main Beach Reopened

Crystal Lake Main Beach, 300 Lakeshore Drive, Crystal Lake has reopened after a recent, brief closure due to elevated bacteria levels.

Staff from McHenry County Department of Health collects and analyzes beach water samples from all McHenry County public beaches for bacterial quality at least once every two weeks throughout the summer months. Elevated bacterial levels may result in closure of the beach until bacteria reach acceptable levels. Main Beach is now open for swimming, daily, 7 days/weeks, 9 am-dusk.

Visit the beach information page on the Crystal Lake Park District website, www.crystallakeparks.org/Parks-Facilities/beaches for admission fees, parking fees and other information for your visit to Main and West Beaches.

Cost Cutting Solutions

Is your business looking for a way to easily and quickly cut costs without impacting budgets or staffing? It’s time to talk about your trash! Solid waste alternatives, such as recycling, quickly cut monthly waste management costs which can add up to thousands of dollars saved each year!

The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County have teamed up with Ecossential Solutions to provide complimentary solid waste audits to assist small- to medium-sized businesses in McHenry County save with recycling.

Ecossential Solutions is an environmental consulting company that creates sustainable solid waste programs. These programs have cut waste management costs for organizations on average 20-45%; diverted over 900,000 pounds of waste from landfills to date; and increased recycling rates for clients from 30% or less, up to 50 - 65% on average.

The complimentary waste audit includes...

 Introduction Consultation

 Waste Stream Audit

 Waste Audit Summary Report

 How To Start: Small Business Recycling Pamphlet

 Resources for Equipment and Supplies

Here’s a testimonial from Eisenmann Corporation of Crystal Lake, IL which will be saving 20% of yearly waste costs by adding additional recycling!

“When I contacted The Defenders, they directed me to Ecossential Solutions, … [Ecossential Solutions] then visited our facility to see what we had in place and what it would take to get the job done. It was clear that we could have recycling through our waste hauler and that it would be even less expensive than having only a trash container. [The new] arrangement saves pickup cost and truck fuel. The recycling container is for commingled recyclables, just like the curbside pick-up in residential areas. No special sorting is necessary!”

Contact the Environmental Defenders - Waste Reduction Committee at mcdef@owc.net or 815-338-0393

Stop by the office!

110 S. Johnson Street, Suite 106 Woodstock, Illinois 60098

Government At Work

Monday, June 22, 2015-

8:15 a.m. -- McHenry County Management Services Committee--

Meeting in the McHenry County Board Conference Room, County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock

The Committee is to consider a resoltion authorizing an agreement with Comcast to provide high bandwidth internet access to support data, video and voice communications in FY 2015

A second resolution is to approve revisions to the County's owned or leased vehicle use policy

Another resolution is to amend the May 1, 2015 McHenry County Board rules.

Discussion is slated to take place regarding Electronic voting and township consolidation.

6:00 p.m. -McHenry County Board of Health Finance Committee, meeting in the Board of Health facility located in Building A, 2200 North Seminary Avenue Woodstock.

The Committee is to consider the FY 2016 Proposed budget, monthly income and expense reports as well as any other matters before the board.

7:00 p.m.-- McHenry County Board of Health Regular meeting, taking place in the McHenry County Board of Health, 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock.

Various routine reports are to be reviewed.

Joe Gottemoller Will Seek Countywide Election As County Board Chair

The announcement was made Wednesday at a gathering of more than 125 supporters in Crystal Lake. Illinois Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger was the guest speaker at the event, and said Gottemoller has done a great job as chairman so far, and is the right man to lead the County Board in the future. "I'm glad Chairman Gottemoller is stepping up to run in McHenry County’s first ever county-wide election for County Board Chairman. I just wish I could take some of Joe's fiscal responsibility and McHenry County's Aaa credit rating back to Springfield with me where we deal daily with a nearly $6 billion bill backlog and huge budget deficits," said Munger. "The State of Illinois could certainly take a cue from the McHenry County Board and Chairman Gottemoller who have passed balanced budgets and frozen property taxes the last three years."

Gottemoller, a Crystal Lake attorney, was first elected to the McHenry County Board as a District 3 representative in 2012. He was re-elected to his seat as the top vote-getter in November of 2014, and then elected by his peers a month later to serve as their chairman. “When I ran for county board for the first time in 2012, it was because I wanted to promote job and economic growth, protect taxpayers from unnecessary tax increases and improve the efficiency of County Board operations,” said Gottemoller. “I have a record of success in those areas and continue to hold them as priorities today.”

Since Gottemoller was elected to serve on the McHenry County Board, the county’s taxpayers have saved over $10 million in property taxes. This savings is the result of deliberate action by the board not to access additional tax revenue available annually though the property tax cap law. “Here in McHenry County we have some of the highest property taxes in the nation,” Gottemoller said. “While the majority of a residential tax bill represents school taxation I believe we have a duty at the county level to do everything in our power to control our portion of people’s taxes.”

In addition to holding the line on taxes, Gottemoller said he considers other key achievements during his tenure on the county board to be:

• Creation of a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO): The UDO will guide growth and development in the McHenry County for the next decade. Through the UDO, all land and development regulations were consolidated into one central document, making it easier for people to know the county’s zoning rules/regulations.
• Creation of a Statute of Limitations for Building Permit Violations: Through this update to the county’s zoning regulations, there is now a 10-year limit for how far back the county can go when issuing fines for zoning violations. This removes issues that arose when property owners were being fined for property issues that pre-dated their ownership of land.

 “I believe I have made some great strides since being elected to the McHenry County Board in 2012 and becoming the Chairman in 2014,” said Gottemoller. “Now that the county’s voters will, for the first time, start choosing the board’s leader in 2016, I hope my record has earned me the support of the voters for the position of County Board Chairman.”