Upwards of a dozen constituents read prepared statements to the Crystal Lake Park Board during the Public Comment period.
Most favored returning the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion section to the District’s Policy.
In case one would like to review the section, link to it below:
I recognized two active Democrats
- John Labaj, who used to be the Assistant McHenry County Administrator, and
- Lori McConville, a non-resident who served at one time on the Prairie Grove School Board and now runs Marvin’s Toy Shop. She commented specifically on having started the Downtown Pride Parade.
Former City Council and Republican County Board member Carolyn Schofield also spoke in favor of returning the DEI section to the Policy Manual.
Echoing a shout from the last meeting, a DEI supporter pointed out that the Crystal Lake Park District was probably the only park district in the state to get rid of its DEI policy.
On the other side was former City Councilman and Republican Precinct Committeeman Fred Wickman. He read resolutions of support for the DEI removal from the Grafton Township Republican Central Committee and the McHenry County Republican Executive Committee.
Supporters of DEI passed out buttons in support of the Park District and their position and could be heard supporting speakers on their side of the issue.
The meeting room was filled to overflowing with others upstairs watching on a TV screen.
Another issue brought up was selection of former Board member Eric Anderson as attorney to replace Scott Puma.
Holdover Board member Cathy Cagle brought up his hiring, which she strongly opposed on the basis of process and his hourly rate being about twice as much as Puma’s.
With regard to process, she pointed out that the budget is for over $25,000, so the service should have been subject to a request for services.
[My understanding is that services do not have to be competitively bid.]
She also charged that he had a conflict of interest because he represented the Shoreline Property Owners Association, which the Board had voted to replace the former organization, the Lake Ecology Advisory Committee.
Anderson replied that he was not paid by the SPOA, that his role was bring the registered agent.
Further, that he had to make room for serving the Park District by leaving other work that paid $400 to $450 per hour and, should the Board wish to engage another attorney, he was fine with that.
Newly-elected President Fred Tiesenga said he was satisfied with Anderson’s services
I brought up the potential purchase of the abandoned, but in good shape, HealthBridge complex.
My pitch was that if the city desired it to be in public hands that the city should buy it and run it as it has the Vulcan gravel pit property (Three Oaks), which it refused to allow the Pard District to run.
The city, I pointed out, has the (unlimited) ability to tax its residents, while the Park Board would have to run a referendum to raise adequate funds for which I express the opinion that it could not pass.
A young man asked what properties would be sold to finance the purchase of HealthBridge.
Cagle, later in the meeting, misattributing the question as being from me, suggested the Park District headquarters in which the meeting was held and the Grand Oaks Recreation Center, an old church which I have never understood the rationale for owning.
Gregg Kobelinski, head of the Lake Ecology Advisory Committee and the Shoreline Property Owners Association told the Board that, regardless of what the Park Board did, the Lake Ecology Advisory Committee was not going out of business.
He said it appeared that a collaboration between the two organizations was possible. He added that anyone wishing to join the Advisory Committee was welcome to do so.
