The following letter was sent to State Rep. Jack Franks by the Villa Vaupell Country Club community asking for “help to stop the actions of the Nunda Township Road Commissioner, Mike Lesperance on my community, Le Villa Vaupell Country Club, in unincorporated McHenry County, established 1929.:
04/21/2015
The Honorable Jack Franks, State Representative 63rd Dist.,
I am a resident of Le Villa Vaupell Country Club located in unincorporated McHenry County on Griswold Lake. We are adjacent to the Village of Holiday Hills, separated by a fence since 1950. Our family has resided in this subdivision since 1925, I am 4th generation(like yourself).
Starting in November 2014, our subdivision has been the target of Nunda Township Road Commissioner Mike Lesperance. His activities have shaken our community to its core.
I am writing you because you are known for ”fighting for responsible and ethical government, even if that means taking a stand against members of his own party. You believe that public trust can only be guaranteed when government is open and transparent, and that elected officials must be held accountable every day, not just on Election Day.”
I believe that Mr Lesperance has acted in an arbitrary and unaccountable manner in his treatment of the residents of Le Villa Vaupell by:
- tearing down the fence that separates us from Holiday Hills since 1950; and
- removing the 2 stone pillars at our entrance, the only road in and out. The 2 Stone Pillars, (see above) had been there since 1931.
NUNDA TOWNSHIP ROAD COMMISSIONER ACTIONS IN LE VILLA VAUPELL
Episode One
November 3, 2014 Township removes wrought iron fence on Hyde Park without notice to LeVilla Vaupell. Community called Sheriff Department, no help civil matter.
“Iron Mike” Lesperance.
November 4th Township returns to remove tree on property line, where fence was. I approached Mr. Lesperance and stated this was private property. He said show me proof. We went to my Board President’s residence, he was shown some documentation.
He said, I will look in to this and if I have removed fence erroneously I will replace and with a better fence, witnessed by myself.
November 5th Township returns to remove tree on property line. Local residents stand guard, instructions given to tree removal to start cutting down over President’s head.
Resident calls Sheriff to file complaint. Tree still stands today.
November 6th through present- Repeated attempts by Board for communication unsuccessful. Club sought legal counsel (huge financial hardship???). Lawyers unsuccessful. Last recourse we filed a legal complaint in April 10, court date July 10 (Case 15CH400) We have documentation fence and tree are on Le Villa Vaupell property not Township.
Episode Two
Le Villa Vaupell Country Club gate post and sign before demolition.
April 15 Mr. Lesperance removes 2 Landmark Stone Pillars at our entrance without notification. Lee Jennings, Nunda Township Supervisor states he(Mr. Lesperance) isworking on roads to improve safety and visibility. We have been told repeated times
THE HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER GETS HIS BUDGET AND ANSWERS TO NO ONE!!!!
As I stated earlier said pillars erected 1931, they are our identity as a subdivision. If there was an issue, shouldn’t the board have been notified to move them? They are our property just like the fence. This entrance has been marked for 84 years. I am unaware being a lifelong resident and then some of any safety issues.
April 17-18 Community continues attempts to reach out to township, local, state government officials, governor’s office on Constituent Affairs, State and County Preservation departments and the media for help stopping this ABUSE OF POWER, DISREGARD FOR THE PUBLIC IT SERVES!
April 17 I sent personal email to Road District for return of pillars intact. No reply.
Le Villa Vaupell Country Club pillar in Nunda Township Road District Truck.
April18 I went to Nunda Township Road District to see pillars and ask for return. Spoke with employee who said he hadn’t seen them today, saw prior. But I have the signs would you like them. I said yes, he then called Mike Lesperance, his boss for approval.
He said yes. Shortly thereafter Mr. Lesperance showed up at the Road District. The employee called him over to speak to me. He came over, I had my email in hand and asked where the pillars where. He very cold heartedly said in “landfill”!!!. I asked when, he thought Wednesday or Thursday 16th, I said they were photographed Thursday, must have been after that. I said nothing left, no in landfill. He proceeded to walk away. I have documented the entire interaction, if further information is needed. I left with what was left of our Pillars, just two wooden signs bearing our name.
QUESTIONS
- What do you do when private property is taken and destroyed without notice to the community?
- How does a community get answers from their township on their actions when they don’t reply to repeated attempts?
- What does a community do when they feel victimized, that their identity as a community has been stolen?
- How do you stop an elected local government official that is out of control?
- How do you find out what’s next when communication fails?
As our community’s Representative, and a Member of the Task Force on Reducing Corruption in Government, how can you help us?
Thank you for indulging my long story (which is only a portion). Please call or email to discuss further how you can assist us. There are 75 families victimized and feeling helpless to stop the Township’s Highway Commissioner’s actions.
Sincerely,
Margee Owens
1213 West Northeast Shore Drive
McHenry, IL 60051
Very valid concerns and questions.
Mr. Frank hope you are willing to help this small community, if you are not the correct avenue for assistance, please advise whom and what should be the next step to prevent any further action against the subdivision of Villa Vaupell Residents.
They need support.!
Having been a constituent of Jack’s for as long as he has been in public office, I can verify that he does speak truth to power and gets things done for constituents.
I also know for a fact that our district does not go as far east as Nunda Township, so the fact that this was published means either one, two or three things:
1) the proprietor of this site is a terrible journalist who didn’t verify where the author of an open letter to an elected official seeking help actually lives.
2) the proprietor of this site has an obsessive need to try to embarrass Jack, examples of which abound, and would publish anything, no matter how petty or spurious to accomplish this goal.
3) the proprietor of this site is a terrible journalist with an obsessive need to try to embarrass Jack, who didn’t verify where the author of an open letter to an elected official seeking help actually lives, and who would publish anything, no matter how petty or spurious, to accomplish this goal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgOpTHNBQkI
If the pillars are on the Township right of way, they are the Highway Commissioner’s responsibility.
I have seen them as I drive by on my way to church, and there could be a problem with sight lines for traffic safety.
I hope Mike responds.
At least he’s not Psycho about the way he does his job.
However, perhaps these people should have found out that Franks is not their representative and gain some credibility.
“Tin Can” Mike does whatever he wants without thinking of the consequences.
Sounds like he’s on political payback time.
Residents of LVV join me in making him a one term highway commissioner.
P. S. Try Bianchi’s office. Good luck!
Mike is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, for sure.
I am pretty certain that he does not know how to use email.
I base this on my own experience with trying to contact him via email.
His election promises have turned into a series of false promises.
I particularly like the one stating that he would lower taxes.
His legal cost to Nunda are an embarrassment.
He can not communicate on any level.
He really needs to leave this position asap.
This started with the shooting of two police officers responding to a domestic dispute on October 16, 2014, whose removal was hampered by the fence on the grassy median between two roads, and furthermore tracking down the suspect was said to be hampered by the fence.
The fence and stone pillars / gate post monuments were in two different locations in Le Villa Vaupell.
Much of Hyde Park Avenue is the border between Holiday Hills and unincorporated McHenry (Le Villa Vaupell).
There are actually two Hyde Park Roads, separated by a grassy median, and formerly separated by the fence.
The fence had an emergency vehicle gate and pedestrian gate that were obviously not sufficient to rapidly remove the injured officers.
The stone pillars were on S Vaupell Dr, just south of the intersection of S Vaupell Dr & Violet Dr, McHenry (unincorporated McHenry).
The stone pillars apparently had nothing to do with the shooting, at least there has been no indication of such an impediment.
The shooting was near the SW boundary of Le Villa Vaupall.
The stone pillars are the the NE boundary of Le Villa Vaupall.
Both can be viewed on Google Street View (part of Google Maps).
Those images can be saved using “print screen” button on keyboard then right mouse click and “paste” into MS Word; or using an image capture program.
The Township Road & Bridge is a taxing district and a line item on property tax bills.
http://www.nundaroaddistrict.com
The Nunda Township Highway Department (Nunda Township Road & Bridge taxing district) itself does not have a board so therefore does not have board meetings and therefore does not have board minutes.
Rather, the Highway Department / Road & Bridge falls under the Township itself which has a separate website.
http://www.nundatownship.com
The Nunda Township Supervisor section of the Nunda Township website has board minutes, but the March 2015 minutes are not yet posted, although there was a board meeting April 2014.
The November 13, 2014 Nunda Township Board minutes indicate:
“Public Comments: Several residents voiced their concerns about the removal of a fence they purchased for their LeVilla Vapuell sub-division area of McHenry. They were displeased with the fence being taken down by the Road Commissioner. The residents expressed wanting the fence back up, with some wanting reimbursement.”
Nunda Township board minutes are not audio and video taped and archived on the Nunda Township website.
The Nunda Township Road District (Nunda Township Highway Department) is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as is any taxing district.
Documents, emails, and voice mails are subject to FOIA.
In the FOIA request you can ask for “documents pertaining to”; “emails pertaining to”; “voice mails pertaining to” etc.
The Better Government Association can assist with FOIA and is another entity to notify of the plight.
The Citizens Adovocacy Center in Elmhurst can also assist with FOIA.
What documents were provided to Le Villa Vaupell residents regarding the removal of the fence and monuments, or was it just verbal.
Did the Township remove the items without having provided a specific date or range of dates in writing to Le Villa Vaupell for removal of the items; instead just relying on verbal warnings or notifications of some sort?
For taking away items that have been known and present for 65 years + it seems this could have been handled in a much different way, but we don’t know the whole story.
Here are the Nunda Township elected Trustees:
Bill Boltz
Edward Dvorak
Thomas C. Palmer
Michael Shorten
As an elected official the Nunda Township Highway / Road Commissioner is accountable to the voters.
Mike Lesperance is out of control and corupt!
Any decent person would at least give notice to someone if they wanted property moved or taken down.
At least that’s how other towns work.
They give notice.
My only experience with Mike Lesperance was that he ordered his workers to cut down a tree that was on my property with me standing underneath it!
So pardon me if I know the man as a BULLY and a thief!
He needs to go and anyone who supports this behavior should go with him.
Jack Franks although he is not our representatives he has been part of this community the majority of his life.
I’m sure he would be interested in what’s going on.
As to the comment about a sight issue with the pillars – there hasn’t been one problem in the last 86 years – just saying.
Michael A Lesperance
Nunda Township Highway Commissioner (Nunda Township Road & Bridge taxing district)
Year – Annual Wages
2014 – $92,845
2013 – $55,350
Source: Open the Books Widget.
http://www.OpenTheBooks.com > Widget > State Salaries > Recipient Name > Illinois
Let’s analyze the 2013 salary.
Being generous, let’s say Mr. Lesperance worked from May – December, 2013, which is 8 months.
$55,350 / 8 = $6,918.
Now let’s annualize the 2013 salary, $6,918 x 12 $83,016.
Now let’s look at the salary percentage salary from 2013 to 2014.
$92,845 – $83,016 = $9,829.
$9,829 / $83,016 = 12% salary increase from 2013 to 2014.
Illinois State Board of Elections
Citizens to Elect Iron Mike
Committee ID 24763
Elected April 9, 2013 Consolidated Election
http://www.elections.il.gov > Committees > Search Options > Committee Search
The funniest description of Iron Mike that I’ve heard is that Mike is a “doer, not a thinker.” That tongue-in-cheek description has turned out to be very apt.
Before the government removes any said property the government at minimum give 10 day notice to the owners of said property.
This would have been the Board of the subdivision.
No one was given notice, Mr. Lesperance feels he is above, Mr. Lesperance’s abuse of power is appalling!! .
As for traffic safety I have lived there for 19 years and do not see any safety issues, I do not recall any accidents at our entrance, but then again if Mr. Lesperance thought there might be safety issues then we should have been contacted and made aware of said issues., and given the chance to rectify the issues
These Pillars were removed out of retaliation and harassment not safety concern
As for Mr. Franks not being our Representative well let me just say this…
I will reach out to anyone who will help fight when Government Officials are not held responsible for their actions, and do as they please because as Mr. Lesperance has said ” BECAUSE I CAN ” That’s what bullies do.
They threaten you and damage your property in the hopes you’ll back down and they can control you and your life.
This is too important to back down from
Our property was removed and taken without notice this tells me that he can and will do that to anyone else in Nunda Township if he does not like something or better yet Someone.
We have been told from Nunda Township officials that they can do nothing….
When it comes to election time I hope they remember they could do nothing for us, I for one will remember when I am casting my vote, and yes one vote can make a difference
The Board of Nunda Township and Supervisor of Nunda Township are allowing a bully to harass good tax paying voting people.
When I was State Rep., my office often got requests from outside of my district.
We were successful in resolving many such issues.
I notice curbside lawyer Dawn won’t identify herself, so she can not be held to answer for the legal opinion which is incorrect.
Since these people don’t even know who their State Rep is (try voting, they run every two years)I suspect anything they say lacks credibility until verified by something other than histrionics.
As for Johnny’s attack on Cal, Cal provides a useful forum and he has no obligation to correct or involuntarily edit anyone’s communications.
I only ask Cal to reflect that the people who engineered his election defeat were the same people who oppose Jack, then and now.
This may be a cheap trick by Margee to make Jack appear to be responsible for something for which he has no responsibility.
I honestly don’t think Margee would go through all of this trouble to “bring down Jack” like you are suggesting?
That’s kind of a stretch, Mr. Nelson.
I highly doubt she woke up the other morning and thought “you know what?
To heck with trying to help my community against the wrongdoings of the Road Commissioner, I’m going to use the suffering and plight of my entire community to bring down Jack Franks instead!
Mwahahahaha!”
Please.
If you reread a few things, you can see that this community is reaching out to ANYONE possible to help, hence why Franks was ALSO contacted.
Franks is NOT the only government official who has been contacted.
This letter to him was the only one that was published.
If you were wrongfully done by a corrupt government official, are you saying you wouldn’t take any avenue possible to try to help you and your family/community?
The Road Commissioner has no one above him to answer to.
This community is basically having to fight against a “supreme being” who is very difficult to be held accountable when his actions are wrong and harmful.
He’s supposed to answer to the taxpayers.
Well, this community is 70+ houses OF TAXPAYERS who he refuses to answer to, and instead chooses to ignore and continue to hurt.
That’s a problem.
There is no attempt here to embarass Mr. Franks it is an appeal to him for help.
This is an example of Township government gone wrong.
The Road Commish Mike L. has his own agenda which does not include the rights of common citizens.
Any decent government official would have no problem publishing their plans or contacting a community before taking and destroying property.
The fence was not removed because it impeded any police efforts.
It was removed because Mike drives the snowplow and he doesn’t like having to stop and turn around.
Holiday Hills discussed this way back in the fall of 2013, and brought it up again last October at a village meeting before it was torn down.
As a lifetime resident of Holiday Hills I am extremely heartbroken for all the Le Villa Vaupell residents have had to endure.
Those pillars were never a problem and served as a landmark to all.
I drove by them every day and walked by often and they did not interfere with any line of sight.
Maybe those people would have moved them if they were asked.
Knowing what I know I don’t think he asked anyone.
And now I see a new sign saying that Nunda Oowns and cres for the roads in there, looks like a cat marking its territory if you ask me.
I wonder how many Nunda Twh voters wish they would of stayed with Don K instead of with Mike?
Out with the old and in with the new, always a good idea?
Hire more of Kop’s unemployable relatives?
Nepotism on a level unseen before.
Anyway, The Highway Commissioner is responsible for the Township roads, and when the roads went township, at great expense to the 22000 residents of Nunda, the neighborhood ceded it’s control.
My first entrance through the pillars to Le Villa Vaupell Country Club was in 1953.
In 1959 I became a permanent resident and have always viewed the pillars as “Hurrah” I’m home.
For Mike Lesperance to come and tear down these landmarks on private property is a stab in the back to all of us.
In America I do not understand the concept that as a paid Nunda Township employee he has the right to do as he pleases at tax payers expense.
Maybe the township need to rethink his elected position that does not report to the Nunda Township Board in regard his actions.
Please give careful consideration to this problem and take our letters serious.
A McHenry County judge once remarked during a case involving a Township Road Commissioner:
Can someone tell me what is going on?
Three trucks from Nunda Township just left LeVilla Vaupell subdivision.
It appears that all our street signs have been changed.
They now have a marking on them that says NUNDA TOWNSHIP on them.
Who pays for this stuff?
Why was this done?
They were just fine the way they were.
I have been a resident of LeVilla Vaupell for 30+ years, and do not feel this was necessary.
Look, I don’t live there and don’t have any skin in the game, but it appears to me that the homeowner’s association is pushing for political help at the same time they’ve hired Mike Coppedge to file a lawsuit (which appears based mostly on tradition).
Do any of the longtime members of the community still have a copy of the agreement the association entered into with the township in 2002 whereby the rights of way were turned over in exchange for township maintenance?
It would seem to me that this agreement would be the determining factor.
In general, when these turnovers occur, the written agreement provides that the rights of way will be maintained by the township to their existing standards.
This would include the township removing anything impermissible in the right of way.
In this, it seems like we are dealing with the law of unforeseen consequences.
To which “but the offense doesn’t offend anybody that matters” isn’t really a defense.
Unless the 2002 agreement is defective, I cannot see how the township will lose in the suit.
The Township identified street signs allow workers to more easily identify roads they maintain and that justifies the cost of the street signs?
Stone monuments with the name Le Villa Laupell were removed and street signs with the name Nunda Township were erected.
We in Oak Hurst sub. are having the same issue but I did receive a letter stating they are going to remove our entrance arch.
They claim it is a liability to the township if some one hits it.
any ideas on how to stop this would be appreciated.
I think Mr Franks also needs to also look into how Vaupell’s HOA ethics and how they cry victim when they themselves are victimisers themselves.
They want this eyesore of a fence to lay claim to the lake as if its there own.
These fenced areas are left intentionally unmaintained in select areas to allow illegal dumping from lawn to dog waste.
The fences where very seldom maintained making them not only a danger to the public but an eye sore I still have to see because Nuda missed tearing down those section so if anything maybe you can help me to get nuda to remove to remaining sections of fence.
I have lived in vaupell (a not for profit corporation ) for 25+years if they want to complain about other people they should learn to be more transparent.
Ask them where all the money they collect is going (16000.00a year) you get no answer.
this year 2016 they want 500.oo per household for an attorney but you get no right to see any paperwork so where is this 56000.00 going to and for what for.
Can’t send certified mail box is on lot with no building.
Can’t file FOIA there news letter states that.
40000.00 dollar special assessment plus 16000.00 dues
vaupell don’t throw stones until you get more transparent.
Hello,
I realize that I am responding to a thread that is years old.
I am hopeful that maybe someone on this may still get it.
First, I have no agenda other than pure interest.
Second, my name is Steve Vaupell.
I am a 51 yr old father of 6 living in Kansas City.
A few minutes ago, I saw a memory on Facebook from my youngest brother of the stone pillar.
It prompted me to search for the subdivision to see if it was still there.
My late father, Robert, born and raised in McHenry, used to take us there as kids, as did I, the last time I was nearby 15+ years ago.
His father, Harold, and his father Dr H H Vaupell, (the original namesake to it all) all did the same.
Does any of the signage still exist?
Are any of the properties still if the same name?
Thank you so much!!!