McHenry County Blog

A friend of McHenry County Blog sent me the following notes about the McHenry County College board’s meeting on Thursday night. They are pretty much as I received them.

At the Board of Trustees meeting last night, I asked them to include public participation on their agenda, urged them to disclose to the public the details of how they are investing our money, and release tape recordings of secret meetings with developers of stadium.

Donna Kurtz asked why those recordings could not be released in the interest of being open with the public.

MCC President Walt Packard: There are trade secrets; project would not be successful if released, "we have released what we believe is appropriate."

[He denied an appeal of denial of request of recordings.]

Packard reluctantly reported on the Crystal Lake Planning & Zoning hearing (which voted without dissent against recommending the rezoning requested by the college):

"The vote actually went in the direction I anticipated it would go. We felt we were not heard. Now we will be seeing the City Council, probably on the 16th."

On the change order for Patrick Engineering, Donna Kurtz asked to have it pulled to discuss. PE was already paid $470,000; change order was for $128,000 more [although board President Scott Summers noted it was actually $139,000].

Donna Kurtz: “This was not what I bargained for when we voted on $26 million. I was not here when $1.5 to 2 million for road improvements were approved. As Finance Committee chairman, I struggle with paying more, without seeing an end.”

Packard and attorney Sandy Kerrick launched into long speeches about how PUD (Planned Unit Development) is the goal, how expensive it is, what a burden it is, how developers go broke trying to do what cities make them do. . .

They claimed that they didn't know the city would ask for a traffic study [but that's in the PUD ordinance, isn't it?]. It's a multimillion dollar project, will cost a lot. . .

Carol Larsen: Has the work been done?

Packard: Yes. We'll have to look at the original description of Patrick Engineering's work. [A Freedom of Information request to inspect the contract with Patrick Engineering has been made. The response is long overdue.]

[So now do we see that the Board is simply ratifying expenses Packard has incurred without asking them to approve expenditure beforehand?]

Scott Summers: “Many are concerned about how the HWAC project will be managed, fears there will be an ‘incrementalization’ without any grand scope. Dr. Packard has overall project management, maybe he will inform the board at a meeting?"

Walt Packard: Points to the 9-17 COW meeting, cost increases were "issues that had been brought to the attention of the architects," we're still at the stage of listing possible expenses, we're looking at many more millions. . .

[Query: they were volunteering the $1.5 million in roadwork at Planning and Zoning. Now they're saying the city is making them do this?]

Packard: "I believe that as the project goes forward, we'll have an idea of the costs." That decision hasn't been made yet, I don't think there will be incremental additional costs. "If you design it well, it should be close" [to estimates?].

All vote to approve PE change order except Donna Kurtz.

A sidebar issue: Community colleges are under Illinois Inspector General's jurisdiction. Legislation was passed to change this, was vetoed, but community colleges are working to have veto override. This is tied up with ethics somehow.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, Donna Kurtz, MCC, McHenry County College, Scott Summers, Walt Packard