From Lakewood Village President comes this missive to the Park Board:
July 24, 2025
President Tiesenga and Crystal Lake Park District Commissioners
1 E. Crystal Lake Ave.
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Dear Mr. Tiesenga and Members of the Park Board:
I am writing to express the Village’s concerns about the Park District’s decision to terminate the Intergovernmental Agreement Regarding Lake Safety and Ecology Fees for Users of Ciystal Lake.
We are aware that the Park District received a similar communication recently from Mayor Haig Haleblian of the City of Crystal Lake expressing his concerns.
The Village was surprised to learn from others that the Park District’s Board voted to withdraw from the Agreement without talking to either the Village or the City. To date, we have received no communication from the Park District about this decision.
The Agreement has nothing to do with police powers or regulating boating on Crystal Lake. Rather, it made it more convenient for our joint residents to purchase their lake usage stickers at the same place where they purchased a boat gate key.
Of course, many Lakewood [and Crystal Lake] residents access the Lake through the CCAPOA boat launches 9sic) but for other residents, it was certainly easier to purchase the usage stickers and boat launch key at a single point of purchase.
Additionally, the Agreement provided a funding source for lake ecology and preservation.
It was our understanding when this fee was proposed that this was a citizen initiative to help fund the Park District’s ecology efforts, including the purchase of a weed harvester.
We are concerned that future efforts related to lake ecology will not be funded.
Like Mayor Haleblian, we request that that Park District explain its rationale for the recent action to terminate the Agreement and its future plans relative to funding lake ecology activities.
We are also concerned about the Park District’s future intentions related to the sale of lake usage stickers and boat launch keys.
Since I took office as Village President, the Village Board and Village staff have worked more closely than ever with the Park District.
To that end the Village gave the Park District the 10+ acre property where Lakewood Meadows Park is being constructed.
We expected that the Village’s gift of this land and the construction of this new park would improve cooperation with the Park District.
The Park District’s unilateral action to terminate the Agreement without any discussion, either before or afterward, shows a concerning lack of communication or planning relative to our joint residents and the residents of our neighbor, Ciystal Lake.
We look forward to receiving the Park District’s response to these questions and to restoring the positive relationship that the Village and Park District have fostered in recent years.
