Four Coynes Tavern

Many people have been asking what happened with the liquor commission hearing that was scheduled for monday evening. I granted a continuance to the owner for the inevitable liquor hearing which was a result of the raid of the Four Coynes Tavern last Wednesday. (These pictures are of the slot machines that were confiscated during the raid.) The new hearing is for Feburary 7th at 6pm.

RESCHEDULE--- Mayors Run from Saturday to Sunday

Most of the trustees and myself will be attending the Lake County Municipal Leagues Legislative Breakfast at 8am this Saturday. So there is no way I can walk/run/talk and still be showered, shaved and in a suit and tie with the scheduled run starting at 7am and the breakfast at 8am.

To much of importance is to be discussed at the legislative breakfast to avoid it, and it is crucial face time with our legislators from the county!

So I would propose we do it on Super Sunday at the same time and the same place Valley Lakes North Park. So Feburary 4th at 7am!

Genealogy of Influence

I was a history major in college and have always been fascinated by all sorts of historical things. This gentlemen has mapped out visually a relationship map called "Genealogy of Influence" which documents a visualization of the connections between the most influential writers, artists, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians of Western culture.
If you go to the page its a relatively large flash or Java file, but once you get there you can click on each individual and how they are interrelated. It is extremely neat to see how the screen moves let alone how some people influenced others and how they continue to 100's of years after there deaths!

Walking into the Future

Had two walks this weekend, one scheduled the other unscheduled, the first on Saturday morning was in South Valley Lakes with Mike Vanata, who led the charge up numerous hills, I would guess we did at least 3 miles.

Then this morning I was up walking with Michael Blum, and Neil Flamm who wanted to talk about minor league baseball and the possibility of locating a team here in Round Lake.

So here is a poll, if there is a certain amount of interest, I will create a Citizens Commission to investigate the details and the see what the who, what, when, where and what's of process.

Would you like a minor league team in Round Lake?
	Yes
	No
Free polls from Pollhost.com

I am not sold on the idea by a long shot, but I think it might bear merit in the context of our downtown development plan to generate foot traffic and if located near restaurants and our train station it might bear scrutiny.

COMMENTARY-- Gambling, Liquor Licences and Change

As many of you recall we had a underage drinking operation about a month ago, which netted us a variety of first time liquor license offenders. I had quite a bit of feedback from residents wanting me to be more draconian in my punishment to first time violators. One of the reasons I leaned towards lienency with the first time offenders was the fact that one of the first timers was the Four Coynes Tavern and we wanted them open rather then shut.

If you read yesterday's post you will know that we had been running a long-term undercover operation in the Four Coynes Tavern, that I and the police did not want to jeopardize. We gave serious consideration to not allowing the underage drinking operation to take place, however we were not going to stop the village's proactive policing business for one undercover operation.

I think that this particular situation illustrates many of the problems in the village that I have been trying to do away with. I had been asking for enforcement on our local liquor license holders for the entirety of my first term. The rumblings about slot machines and underage and after hours service were ones I heard, and others heard, quite a bit about. Despite my repeated questioning of our then existing police command structure I was told that we aggressively patrolled our bars for these exact violations, yet in fours years we had not one violation.

How come in the last 18-20 months we have uncovered and prosecuted violations ranging from illegal gambling to sex abusers with pit-stops at gang enforcement, drug busts and much much more? I find it hard to believe as some defenders of the old policing strategies would say that it just started, because of my changes in the policing structure.

Well to answer that lets put ourselves inside the mind of our gambling den owner. He hears that the old policing command structure is being replaced with a new command structure, so his first thought is hummmm we have a new Police Chief, lets start running poker games and have some slot machines brought in! Because clearly a new Chief is only going to do "nothing", because of course what other way is there for the new Police structure to go? Do we believe this is credible?

Clearly not! This problem with our liquor licenses, and old time ways of doing things has been rooted deeply in this village, its roots have gone deep, and over the last 5 years I have been yanking and picking at the root ball.

Under the new policing structure, we have a proactive policing strategy rather then a reactive strategy. Accountability and results are demanded, encouraged and rewarded on the staff level and we can already see the results.

In nearly six years of being Mayor I have learned one thing, that rooting out the underlying issues that made the old Round Lake, inefficient, takes time and persistence. It also is probably the most important thing I can and will do to make this a better place as your Mayor. If you want to review the promise I made to the village and have kept, read this post from almost 2 years ago.

Lets face facts, Round Lake was a small town, and is now a fast growing community with over 80% of the residents having moved here since 1990. The old model of village government was there to serve some very narrow self interests, those interests now are discovering that openness, transparency and accountability are very uncomfortable things for the old school business model. While 95% of the nonsense that was going on was and is not illegal, it was not ethically correct or appropriate in my opinion. Nepotism, cronyism and the "Mayberryish" management style of some of my former department heads and staff are gone for good, and will never return.

Newcomers have no idea what went on here before, and quite frankly probably don't care. What they do want is accountable, capable government that spends it's tax dollars wisely and with a purpose! Slowly but surely we are moving in that direction.

Gambling Bust in the Village

Last night the Round Lake Police Department acting on a tip from a resident from six months ago, concluded a joint investigation with the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group (LMEG) and arrested 24 people at the Four Coynes Tavern, including the owner Scott Coyne. The long term undercover operation uncovered the following:

• Weekly Wednesday night Texas Hold’em Tournaments.
• A Weekly NFL confidence pool.
• The sale of Football game strip cards.
• Super Bowl squares being sold ($75 per square, 100 squares).
• Two slot machines within the establishment are being used for gambling with payoffs.
  

There has been extensive documentation of all the above . This appears to have been an ongoing location of alleged gambling for many years. Newspaper coverage here.

Hospital Foresight from Crains Chicago Business

NOTE: This article appeared in Crain's Chicago Business in late September of 2006, and as I reread it last night and thought it might be an excellent post with some good background. Again, recall this was before the Round Lake/Advocate announcement.

Hospitals racing for edge in Lake

Rival systems map plans for growing western area

Lake County has emerged as the latest battleground for health systems vying to build a hospital in the suburbs.

Advocate Health Care executives have met with officials from Round Lake to discuss constructing a hospital in the western Lake County community, about 14 miles west of Waukegan, according to a person close to the talks. The village expects to buy a 57-acre tract on its southwest border for nearly $6 million, which it would then annex and lease to Advocate, the source says.

About eight miles to the northeast, in Lindenhurst, Vista Health of Waukegan wants to build a 150-bed hospital with an infusion of new cash from Tennessee-based Community Health Systems Inc., a for-profit hospital operator that acquired Vista Health in July for $103 million. Vista, which runs two Waukegan hospitals, already owns land in Lindenhurst. Officials expect to submit plans to the state this year for a new hospital.

A spokeswoman for Oak Brook-based Advocate won't confirm the Round Lake discussions, but says, "We're always evaluating opportunities (in Lake County) because it is an area of high-growth potential and there is a need there."

EXPANDING, AFFLUENT AREAS

Meanwhile, Condell Health Network in Libertyville got state approval in July for a $104-million expansion that will add 90 beds to its medical center, giving it a total of 214. It's also expanding its emergency department to become Lake County's only Level One trauma center, which will enable it to accept the most severely injured patients.

The health systems are competing to accommodate the region's growth. Lake County's population surged 36% from 1990 through last year, to more than 700,000 residents. And the target communities are more affluent than other parts of the county: The median household incomes for Round Lake and Lindenhurst in 2000 were $58,051 and $74,841 respectively, vs. $42,335 for Waukegan.

But it's uncertain whether the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board would okay two new hospitals in such close proximity. Major investments in medical facilities must get approval from the board, which is charged with controlling health care costs by preventing overlapping services.

In the last 30 years, the board has approved just one new hospital in a location where one did not already exist: a 138-bed facility in southwest suburban Bolingbrook, now being built by Hinsdale's Adventist Midwest Health. In June, the board denied a proposal by Edward Hospital for a new facility eight miles from the Bolingbrook location, citing the proximity.

WATCHING FOR OVERLAP

"If one project is approved, the board would have to assess the need for a second project and determine if there would be any unnecessary duplication of services," says Mark Silberman, a Chicago health care attorney and former Planning Board general counsel.

Representatives for both Vista and Condell decline to comment on Advocate's interest, saying the Planning Board ultimately would determine the need for more hospital services in the area.

Lindenhurst Mayor Jim Betustak knows a nearby Advocate project would represent direct competition for Vista's plans, which he has backed for years. But he believes Vista has the inside track.

"They own the land and they're sitting there ready to go," he says. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, if you ask me."

Animals in the Wetlands

Recently I have been noticing and getting complaints about people walking pets in and around in the wetlands at Valley Lakes and in other developments as well. The village inserted as standard verbiage into most of the relevant HOA declarations the following.

Section 8.17 of the Valley Lakes declaration lists prohibited acts: "No Unit Owner, Occupant, or Person shall be permitted:" and if you read down you discover that section item J reads:
(j) to bring or allow to enter into a dedicated wetland any dog, cat or other animal or pet.

The above was placed in the declarations for Valley Lakes specifically because the Army Corps of Engineers required it because of the wetlands studies that Pritzker (the original owners) had to go through.

While the declaration does not specifically prohibit a member from entering the wetlands, it does prohibit dogs (and minors). I would like to discourage residents from wandering at will through the wetlands and prefer to encourage them to think of them as "off limits". In Valley Lakes there is a walkway through a portion of the wetlands with plans to add more in the future, but members are encouraged to stick to those areas and not wander at will through the wetlands. The area up near Valley Lakes 2 (Behind the CVS) tends to be high ground and as such is dryer and already criss-crossed with trails which I think encourages them you think they are open to member access. In Madrona Prairie Walk and Lakewood we have a path system set up that hopefully encourages you to walk your dogs on it

It's ultimately up to your HOA board to create a policy to determine how to manage access to this area, however in no circumstances would it be okay for a member to bring a dog with them. I would encourage the HOA to post "No Trespassing signs" (as required by the declaration and wetland maintenance agreement on file with the Village in most cases) and make sure all of the residents knew that if they were going to go out in this area that they should ensue they do not cross these areas.

I would also ensure that a sign was installed facing into the property along the perimeter anywhere there is a path that indicated that was the limit of the property. This puts the burden on the Association to mark it's own property line (again, as required in the agreement) and put the burden on anyone choosing to go back there to stay on HOA property. I would also make sure it was clear to residents that dogs are not allowed in these areas. I would also discourage members from entering these areas until sufficient restoration and preservation efforts have been put forth to sufficiently protect them. The ones between Valley Lakes and Valley Lakes 2 for example are after all some of the highest quality wetlands in the area.

I know that the Valley Lakes HOA who own the Mud Lake wet lands is in the process of developing a wetland maintenance plan for the Mud Lake wetlands that will protect this area for the long term.

I would encourage all HOA's to carefully review their declarations and implement polices to protect these wetlands.

New Calendar Feature on the Blog

I found a wonderful site that allows me to enter my public schedule, and have it generate a html schedule that I can place in a visible place (as you can see at the left) on the blog. I like it, I have emailed the people who run the site to see if they will add Round Lake as a metro area which will give me greater flexibility.

Right now I can't schedule a walk with an address since there is no address and it just lists the village hall, so the map function does not work correctly at the moment I will try to create a regular schedule, it will be especially good for the wellness and runs and walks on Saturdays!

Big Day in a New Orleans Saints Fan's Life

I wore my 10 year old Saints cap all week, and got lots of comments. Quite a few positive ones as well! From Packer fans! Should be a good game. If the Saints offense can move the ball on the Bears defense, I have some good vibes. My prediction is Saints 27- Bears 17, you heard it here first.

I have waited 39 years for playoff victory 2, lets hope playoff victory 3 is much shorter, then we can talk about victory 4!

First Look at the Proposed Advocate Healthcare Project

I got some fact sheets from Advocate Health Care and there are some interesting facts in the flyer which I am listing below.

As the largest provider of high quality health care in the Chicago area, Advocate Health Care seeks approval to build a comprehensive, state-of-the-art hospital designed to meet the needs of rapidly growing northwest Lake County. The new hospital will complement the wide range of health care services Advocate already provides to the region.
Some of the Services

• Advocate Hospital-Lake County is designed to meet community expectations for access to vital, high quality health care. The hospital will include 144 single rooms to enhance patient safety, privacy and comfort.
• The hospital will have 108 medical-surgical beds, a 16-bed intensive care unit and 20 obstetrical beds. The obstetrical service also will include six labor/delivery-recovery rooms and a Level II newborn nursery.
• The hospital is designed to include a Level II trauma center, providing immediate access to emergency services for seriously injured patients, 24 hours a day, every day.
• All medical-surgical and obstetric patient rooms will be large enough to allow overnight accommodation of a family member or loved one. A separate family room for overnight stay will be included on the intensive care unit.
• Other hospital services will include eight surgery and procedure suites, cardiology, pediatrics and a full array of diagnostic imaging services.
• Designed as an environmentally sensitive “green” building, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification will be sought for the hospital from the U.S. Green Building Council.

My Speech at the Round Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Yesterday

The Round Lake Area Chamber Speech was yesterday, a wonderful crowd filled with new faces. Which I was excited to see and with lots of exciting things going on as well.

Here is a link to the slide show part of my presentation. Plus some press coverage here.

Saturdays Walk

We start at the CVS parking lot on Fairfield and 134 at 7am on Saturday, we will walk about 2-3 miles.

Mayors Speech Today at the Chamber of Commerce

Today is the Annual Mayors Speech at the Round Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. I have used this forum in the past to talk about the big picture needs of this area. Some of my topics that I spoke about have been the need for jobs in the area, the pressing need for transportation improvement, Downtown development, the 120 Bypass and of course lasts years call for a hospital in Northwest Lake County.

The themes of my speeches has basically outlined my big goals for my administration, and this year will be no different. I am going to talk about how our demographics have changed, give a status report on the 120 bypass, talk about Advocate Health Care, my wellness and community programs, and lastly our 100th Anniversary celebrations. The biggest part of the talk will be about how Advocate Health Care will bring positives to the area.

Tomorrow I will make a copy of my speech available in power point, and I also think that radio station WRLR will be broadcasting the Mayors speeches on tape delay, and I will find out the time.

New Trucks for Public Works

The Public Works department took delivery of some new trucks recently. The new 5 ton will allow us lots of flexibility with big time snow plowing and salting abilities. The smaller truck is a welcome addition to the fleet as well.