McHenry County News

Residential Electronic Waste and Recycling Event - Saturday, May 19

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:02:14 GMT

McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) has partnered with several businesses and community organizations to collect and recycle electronic waste and other recyclable materials at no cost to residents. Residents can drop off items on Saturday, May 19, from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm, at McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock. This recycling event was made possible by AMS Store and Shred, Battery Solutions, Ken Santowski with Chicago Logistics Service, Chicago Textile Recycling, Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, Home of the Sparrow, McHenry County Community Foundation and Sims Recycling Solutions.

Items that will be accepted include residential electronics (e.g. televisions, computers, VCRs, video game consoles, digital cameras); clothing (should be clean; slightly stained or torn also accepted); Styrofoam, packing peanuts, bubble wrap; alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt only) and rechargeable batteries, as well as documents for destruction. There is a limit of 10 electronic items per resident. Christmas lights will not be accepted.

For a complete list of accepted items, see the flyer at www.mcdh.info or call Kristy Hecke, Solid Waste Manager at 815-334-4585.

Click here for an event flyer

Mental Health Board Annual Public Hearing

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:01:20 GMT

Please join us at the

McHenry County Mental Health Board

620 Dakota Street

Crystal Lake, IL 60012

815.455.2828

MONDAY, MAY 21, 2012

for our

OPEN HOUSE 3:00-6:00

Tour the facility, meet our staff, enjoy refreshments and browse the

behavioral health information fair in the Community Resource Center

BOARD MEETING 5:00-6:00

ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING 6:00-9:00

Join us for presentations followed by tabletop discussion groups

based on our 3 year plan in the areas of:

Ø mental illness

Ø developmental disabilities

Ø substance abuse

Written testimony encouraged in advance to biehl@mc708.org.

Childcare, American Sign Language & Spanish interpreters available.

Held this year at: Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake, IL

Click here to see the program flyer.

Open House on the McHenry County Green Infrastructure Plan

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:59:16 GMT

Please join the McHenry County Department of Planning and Development on Thursday, May 31^st to learn about the Draft McHenry County Green Infrastructure Plan and provide the county with your feedback. This event will be held between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm at the McHenry County Administration Building (667 Ware Road in Woodstock). Because of its open house format, attendees may arrive at any time to learn about the plan, green infrastructure concepts, and how these concepts promote the county’s goals of natural resource protection and intergovernmental cooperation. Presentations will be given periodically and exhibits and copies of the plan will be on display. County staff will also be available to answer questions and receive comments.

WHAT: Public Open House on the McHenry County Green Infrastructure Plan

WHEN: Thursday May 31, 2012 between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm

WHERE: McHenry County Administration Building Conference Rooms

667 Ware Road, Woodstock

The Department of Planning and Development has been working on a green infrastructure plan since late 2010. “Green infrastructure” is a term that represents the latest strategies and technologies that support the natural environment, wildlife diversity, and clean water. These efforts stem directly from recommendations and policies of the McHenry County 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The plan embraces a collection of ideas and practices known as “green infrastructure” and, through maps and policy recommendations, presents a vision for countywide implementation. To view a draft of the McHenry County Green Infrastructure plan, please click here.

For more information, please contact Darrell Moore in the Department of Planning and Development at 815-334-4549 or dnmoore@co.mchenry.il.us.

McHenry County HAM Radio Field Day

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:47:19 GMT

The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) division of the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency will be participating in Field Day on Saturday, June 23^rd from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 24^thfrom 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Field Day station will be located in the front of the McHenry County Government Center at 2200 N. Seminary Ave in Woodstock, IL. The public will have a unique opportunity to operate official Field Day stations and learn firsthand what Ham radio is all about.

Field Day is 24-hour annual exercise sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, the National Association for Amateur Radio. This is an opportunity for federally licensed radio amateurs to test their skills and equipment in the field by making radio contacts and using various modes of communications with other operators all over the country.

Amateurs have a long history of providing emergency communications when normal systems are overloaded or offline. One example was Hurricane Katrina when ham radio was the only viable communications mechanism in the disaster area. In cases like this one, radio operators are quick to respond with their own equipment and at their own expense.

As the name implies, field day is an exercise held outdoors using generator power. It is meant to simulate disaster conditions where commercial power would not be available. In addition, the exercises simulate the same challenges the operators would face in a real disaster scenario.

Over the weekend, amateur radio operators will be demonstrating various radio techniques ranging from classic Morse code all the way to more modern digital and satellite communications. Several clubs in the area will even be experimenting with TV signals and microwave communications equipment.

For more information, please contact the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency at 815-338-6400 or by visiting us on the web at http://www.mcraces.org/. American Radio Relay League field day information can be found at: http://www.arrl.org/field-day.

Treasurer's Office Building Energy Star Dedication

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:43:35 GMT

On Wednesday, April 18, the County held a dedication for the Treasurer’s Office building in recognition of obtaining an Energy Star label designation. Energy Star is a voluntary government and industry partnership that makes it easy for businesses and consumers to save money and protect the environment. The Treasurer’s Office building is the first McHenry County building to achieve an Energy star rating, achieving a rating of 84 out of 100. To achieve an Energy Star rating, a building must attain a score of 75, ranking it among the top quartile of all same like buildings in energy use.

McHenry County has been an Energy Star partner since 2003. The current program began in 1991 as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Lights program, followed shortly by the introduction of the Energy Star label. In 1996, the EPA partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy to increase the range of Energy Star product offerings.

In January 2010, the Treasurer moved into a vacant building that was formally a commercial bank across the street from the McHenry County Government Center. The existing building was constructed in 1978 and is a single story structure with a full basement.

McHenry County Treasurer Bill LeFew states, “When John Hadley, Director of Facilities for McHenry County, explained the benefits to the taxpayer an Energy Star building has, I thought it was a great idea. My office is proud to be first McHenry County Government building to achieve this Energy Star rating” .

The facility was consistent with the building type and occupancy as originally designed. For this reason, it was ideally suited to relocate the McHenry County Treasurer’s Office from the Administration Building to this new location. The building’s square footage is 5710 square feet. The McHenry County Board and the Facilities Management Department recognized the potential to improve the building’s energy efficiency and renovate using Energy Star and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines with their architect.

Under the guidance of the County Board, McHenry County Director of Facilities Management John Hadley and Architect Chris Hansen of Kluber Architect & Engineers worked closely to identify several green design elements that were incorporated into the project.

Architectural Systems:

· TPO Roofing Membrane: The “white” Thermoplastic Membrane Roofing system was specified for its high solar reflective index commonly referred to as SRI.

· Roof Insulation: The two inch thickness of existing roofing insulation was replaced with two layers of two inch thickness (total of 4 inches) of polyisocyanurate board insulation. The original R value of the old roofing insulation was approximately R-10. The new insulation has an R value of 24.

· The carpet and paint products specified contain low Volatile Organic Compounds reducing the impact of these components on indoor air quality.

Mechanical Systems:

· Furnaces – New Energy Star rated gas fired furnaces were installed to replace the old gas furnaces. The old furnaces had an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of 80%. The new furnaces are high efficiency, sealed combustion type and have an annual fuel utilization efficiency of 95%.

· Air Conditioning – New Energy Star rated air cooled condensing units were installed to replace the old air conditioning system. The new condensing units utilize a refrigerant that have zero ozone-depletion potential. The condensing units also have a seasonal efficiency of 13.

· Controls – Direct digital controls were utilized to operate the equipment with building unoccupied temperature setbacks and capability of web-based monitoring of the building.

Electrical Systems:

· Interior Lighting: Interior lighting utilized energy efficient fluorescent lighting sources. Meets the International Energy Conservation Code’s (IECC) power allowance requirements of 1.0 Watts per square foot.

· Exterior Lighting: The parking lot pole lighting was specified with LED lamps in lieu of traditional HID (Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium) units. The LED lights utilized less energy than traditional lamps and last 40% longer. The typical LED light fixture will burn for 50,000 hours compared to traditional 400W Metal Halide lamp that has an average life of 36,000 hours.

· Lighting Controls: Individual interior lighting controls, including dual light level controls, were provided for the interior lighting fixtures.

- All internal lighting fixtures are connected to a central lighting controller which will automatically shut off lighting fixtures after normal business hours.

- A master switch has been provided for occupants to override the interior lighting automatic shut off function.

- Exterior lighting controls include an astronomical time clock and a photo-sensor. These controls will prevent exterior lighting fixtures from consuming energy during daylight hours.

Energy Management begins with a senior-level commitment for continuous improvement in energy efficiency. The County Board and the McHenry County Facilities Management Department have adopted this commitment as they move forward with other County buildings.

For more information on Energy Star, please visit www.energystar.gov.

Illinois Route 31 @ Virginia Road/Klasen Road Widening and Reconstruction Improvement; Construction Information Meeting on Thursday May 3, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Algonquin Township Office

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:40:43 GMT

The McHenry County Division of Transportation will host a Construction Information Meeting on Thursday May 3, 2012 at 7:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the Algonquin Township Office which is located at 3702 US Route 14, Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014. All interested parties are welcome to attend. The Construction Information Meeting will outline the project in detail and inform local residents and business owners of the construction schedule, plans, and how they can stay informed during construction.

Preliminary work on the Illinois Route 31 at Virginia Road / Klasen Road Widening and Reconstruction Improvement has already begun. All work is anticipated to be completed in the Spring of 2013.

The improvements for Illinois Route 31 @ Virginia Road/Klasen Road Widening and Reconstruction include:

· Illinois Route 31 will be widened and reconstructed to provide 2 through lanes in each direction and dedicated left and right turn lanes at the Virginia Road and Klasen Road intersections.

· Realignment of the Virginia Road intersection to the north to improve safety

· New turn lanes on Virginia Road and Klasen Road at their intersections with Illinois Route 31

· Modernized traffic signals at both the Klasen Road and Virginia Road intersections

This approximately $8,500,000 improvement project is being funded in part by the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Transportation Bill SAFETEA-LU.

Utility relocation work is underway now and will wrap up as the roadway work continues.

Visit the project website at www.IL31Virginia.com, for project information and to sign up to receive emails for the latest project updates.

Construction Meeting Brochure

MCDOT Posts New Weight Restrictions on Various Bridges within McHenry County

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:01:23 GMT

The Illinois Department of Transportation Bureau of Bridges and Structures Local Unit (IDOT BBS) has recently inspected and analyzed various bridges in McHenry County. Inspections are accomplished on a routine basis and intermittently on all County Highway bridges throughout McHenry County. IDOT sets the inspection interval. The McHenry County Division of Transportation (MCDOT) is responsible for overseeing these inspections and reporting them to the IDOT. The following bridges will have the following weight limit restrictions placed on them (please see the attached location map for these structures):

County Bridges (Click here to see the map)

The MCDOT will post North Union Road Bridge located in unincorporated Seneca Township, north of IL 176 over the Kishwaukee River at a weight limit of 12 Tons for all vehicles. This structure will be considered to be programmed in the Highway Improvement 5-Year Program next year for the engineering phases to replace it.

The MCDOT will also reduce the existing load posting on Deerpass Road Bridge located in unincorporated Seneca Township north of IL 176 over the Kishwaukee River Main Channel from a posting of from Legal Load Only to a restriction to 15 Tons for All Vehicles. The MCDOT is currently in Phase I preliminary engineering working towards the actual bridge replacement. The duration of the reduced load posting is indefinite at this point in time; however, the bridge has been programmed for replacement in the McHenry County Division of Transportation’s Five Year Highway Improvement Program.

Township Bridges (Click here to see the map)

The following township bridges will also be posted with restrictions:

§ In Chemung Township - Oak Grove Road over Drainage Ditch located southwest of US 14 will be posted at 14 Tons for All Vehicles.

§ In Greenwood Township - Jankowski Road over Branch of Nippersink Creek located west of Raycraft Road will be posted at 5 Tons for All Vehicles. Plans for the replacement of the deck of this bridge are currently being engineered for the Greenwood Township Road District for construction later this year. Once this project is complete, the load posting will be able to be removed on this bridge.

§ Hebron Township - O'Brien Road over Nippersink Creek located 1.5 mi west of IL 47 will be posted at 13 Tons for All Vehicles. Drivers are reminded that IL 173 over the Nippersink Creek upstream of the O’Brien Road Bridge is being replaced under staged construction. Please use the designated staged construction route or call the MCDOT at 815.334.4980 to permit loads avoiding this construction zone. O’Brien Road is not a viable alternative route due to the weight limit restrictions on the bridge.

For more information, contact Wally Dittrich at 815-334-4980.