McHenry County08/27/2010

McHenry County e-News
A message from the Chairman... 
 
Ken Koehler
 County Board Chairman
McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler

Dear McHenry County Citizens,

 

With the growing concern of the usage of alcohol by teenagers, many education, law enforcement, and public health leaders from around McHenry County have come together to form the McHenry County Underage Drinking Taskforce.

 

Many young people try alcohol for the first time before they are teenagers. Alcohol is the leading factor in the three most common causes of death for teens: automobile accidents, homicides, and suicides. Underage drinking can also cause severe brain damage and lead to the risk of addiction to alcohol.

 
I cordially invite you to the "kick-off" meeting of McHenry County Underage Drinking Taskforce on Monday, September 20th at 9:00 A.M. in Conference Room A of the McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Rd., in Woodstock.

 

This taskforce will attempt to partner with parents to engage teens in strategies that mitigate the problem of underage drinking. We need to stress the importance parents have in their lives. Research shows that parental disapproval is the number one reason teens choose to abstain from alcohol use. Through our consolidated efforts we can have a positive effect on the lives of young people and the choices that they make.

 

Please join us for this meeting!

 

Sincerely,

 

Kenneth D. Koehler

County Board Chairman

Save the Date
  

Quit Smoking for Good!

Next session begins Sept 7 at 6:00 pm at McHenry County College

Register with the McHenry County Health Dept at 815-334-4525

Click here for more information

 

McHenry Township TOUCH-A-TRUCK 2010 

Saturday, September 18 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
McHenry Township Park
Come see the McHenry County Sheriff's Office MARV!
Click here form more information
 
McHenry County Sheriff Car Seat Safety Check
Saturday, September 25 - 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
At Centegra in Woodstock on Route 14
Treasurer's Office New Location 
  

The McHenry County Treasurer's Office has moved to a new location in the old Cardinal Bank Building at the corner of Seminary Avenue and Russell Court in Woodstock! 
 
New Treasurer's Office 
2100 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, IL
 
 
Click here to visit the McHenry County Treasurer's website.
 
 
Reminder: 
 
**The second installment of Taxes are due September 7th**
County Road Construction Projects Update
 
Bull Valley Road
- Completed one day early and opened to traffic on August 18, 2010. Our thanks to the Union Pacific Railroad for this project as the old crossing had become extremely rough.

 

Virginia Road - Opened to two-way traffic on Friday, August 20, 2010. Some landscaping and other minor work remains which will be done in the next two weeks under Flagger traffic control.

 

Union Road Bridge - The Union Road bridge just south of Illinois Route 176 and north of the Village of Union, was reduced to 1 lane on Monday, August 16th.  A traffic signal was installed to regulate traffic movements and the weight limit restriction was removed.  Motorists traveling through this area should allow extra time.

 

Alden Road Bridge - The Stage II traffic switch occurred Thursday, August 11. Traffic was switched to the newly constructed pavement and partial bridge (west side), and the construction has begun on the second half, or east side of the project.

 

Chapel Hill Road Resurfacing - The final surface course was completed on August 23rd. The project is complete except for the pavement markings and aggregate shoulders as of that date. The status of the pavement markings is uncertain at this time due to a national shortage of the pavement paints and thermoplastic materials used for pavement markings.

 

Blivin Street Bridge - The Blivin Street bridge between US Route 12 and Main Street in Spring Grove will be closed starting the last week of August.  Local residents are advised to use US 12 to Wilmot Road to Main Street as the recommended detour.

 

County Line Road Bridge - The County Line Road bridge just north of US Route 20 in Marengo Township will be closed starting the last week of August.  Local residents are advised to use US 20 to Thorne Road to River Road as the recommended detour.

 

Walkup Road - Stage I construction is continuing with excavation for the pavement widening along the west edge of pavement. Utility conflict delays should be nearly resolved at this time allowing the contractor to resume storm sewer construction. Two delays have impacted this project including a 3 week labor strike and about 3 weeks of lost time due to unresolved utility conflicts. The contractor is requesting additional working hours and plans to make every effort to complete the project on time. For more information, click here.

 

To view a County road construction interactive map for other road projects, click here.
Community Development Division News
 

Community Development Block Grant Upcoming Events:

The Community Development Division will be hosting two mandatory pre-application meetings August 31, 2010 and September 2, 2010 for all entities that are interested in submitting applications for the 2011 Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG).  Categories of application include service projects, economic development projects, housing projects, and general construction and infrastructure projects.  For times and locations related to each topic, please reference the summary below.  Attendees should be prepared to discuss a basic scope of work that is being considered for each project application, as the workshop will help in evaluating projects and the application process. 

 

Further, Division staff will outline new application procedures related to the 2011 Grant, and offer technical assistance for the review of proposed projects.  All construction-related projects will be reviewed by the County inspection staff in order to assist in preparation of applications.  Please submit basic construction proposals to the Division staff by September 7, 2010 so that an on-site inspection appointment can be made prior to the grant application period.  The official opening of the CDBG Grant Application process is October 23, 2010, and applications will be available for download on the County website or in person at the Community Development Division office.

August 31, 2010, Conference Room A

Service Applications: 10-11AM

Housing Applications: 11AM - 12NOON

Infrastructure/Construction/General Projects: 1-2PM

Economic Development: 2-3PM

September 2, 2010, Conference Room B

Economic Development: 10-11AM

Infrastructure/Construction/General Projects: 11AM - 12NOON

Housing Applications: 1-2PM

Service Applications: 2-3PM

 

 

HOME Investment Partnerships Program Upcoming Events:

The Community Development Division will be hosting two open house meetings to discuss the future of the County's HOME Program as related to the 2010 and 2011 HOME allocations.  All entities with projects that include an affordable housing component that are planned or have been scoped for work are encouraged to attend.  The meetings will be held as follows:

 

September 1, 2010, Conference Room C

HOME Project Review and Discussion 2-4:00PM

 

September 8, 2010, Conference Room C

HOME Project Review and Discussion 9-11AM

 

 Additionally, the Division staff continues to offer to assist local housing providers with project planning; to schedule a developer meeting, please contact Sarah Ciampi, Community Development Coordinator, at 815-334-4560.

 

 

2011 Annual Action Plan

The 2011 Annual Action Plan Draft will be available for review in September.  Please contact the Division for more details.  A public hearing review of the Draft is scheduled prior to the Housing Commission and Community Development Block Grant Commission regular September meetings, September 21, 2010 and September 22, 2010 at 8:15AM at the County Administration Building.

 

For more information about upcoming CDBG and HOME events, please contact the Community Development Division at 815-334-4560 or via e-mail at McHenryCountyComDev@co.mchenry.il.us

 

 
 

 

McHenry County Wind Energy Taskforce
 
McHenry County recently formed the McHenry County Communities Wind Energy Taskforce to develop a model wind energy ordinance to establish common standards for regulating wind turbines in a manner that encourages the development of alternative energy sources in appropriate locations, while protecting surrounding property owners and the environment.
 
21 individuals representing the County, municipalities, townships, and industry, along with other interested residents, attended the inaugural meeting on August 9th. The next meeting will be held on Monday, September 13 at 1:30 pm in Conference Room A of the McHenry County Administration building located at 667 Ware Road in Woodstock. The topics for this meeting include presentations on small and large wind energy along with the review of ordinances from the communities to identify the range of topics addressed. In the coming months, McHenry County municipalities and the County will independently review and may adopt the model ordinance that this task force develops.
 
Information will be posted to the McHenry County Communities Wind Energy Taskforce Yahoo Group, as it becomes available. Click here to sign up for the Yahoo Group.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with Congressman Manzullo
 
On Wednesday, August 18, at the McHenry County Conservation District Prairie View Education Center, the McHenry County Groundwater Taskforce hosted Congressman Don Manzullo for a ribbon cutting ceremony in recognition of his support for the McHenry County Groundwater Protection Program.

With Congressman Manzullo's support, McHenry County received $590,000 with the US Army Corps of Engineers to install a County-wide Observation Well Network consisting of 27 wells. Also, in 2010, McHenry County received a $280,000 grant with the United States Geological Service to: install real-time data transmitters on 40 observation wells; to install 2 Stream Gauges in the Kishwaukee River Watershed; and to conduct a water quality analysis of each observation well County-wide for basic water chemistry in September. Read more

Internet Safety for Children
 
The McHenry County Sheriff and the Illinois Attorney General's Office are working to educate parents on social networking sites, sexting, cyber bullying, and general internet safety for children.

To help inform parents and educators about our children's online activities and to assist in their efforts to educate our youth regarding responsible and safe online behavior, the Illinois Attorney General's Office provides internet safety training modules, a cyber bulling website, and results of a survey conducted by the Illinois Attorney General's Office on Cyber Safety. Please click here to access this material on the Illinois Attorney General's website. 

In This Issue
Save the Date
Treasurer's Office
Road Construction
Community Development
Wind Energy Taskforce
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Internet Safety

McHenry County Employment Opportunities 

Click here!
 

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