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‘Ethical lapse’ alleged in MCC race Lakewood conflict of interest marred trustee’s campaign, former manager says By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com LAKEWOOD – Two of the men behind a controversial sports complex project were on a list of potential volunteers put together by the village president for her husband’s campaign for a seat on the McHenry County College Board of Trustees. The village of Lakewood has been negotiating with Chicagoland Sportsplex, a nonprofit looking to build a sports complex at
an intersection the village hopes to develop commercially. The project has faced criticism from nearby homeowners who worry the project will devalue their homes and lead to increased traffic on their residential streets, as well as from some who oppose the tax increment financing district approved by the village earlier this year and have concerns that the TIF district will be used to subsidize the project. The inclusion of the names
on the list is “certainly, at the minimum, an ethical lapse,” said Steve Willson, who helped manage campaigns for a slate of three candidates, which included Lakewood Village President Erin Smith’s husband, Mike Smith. Willson provided the list to the Northwest Herald. The list is a collection of more than 200 email addresses Erin Smith had in her personal email account, she said, adding that she had also provided Willson a list of 18 individuals and couples who
would contribute time or put up larger signs. The two men were not on that short list, according to a document provided by Erin Smith. Willson said he discovered the inclusion of Chicagoland Sportsplex CEO and Executive Director Lou Tenore and Executive Vice President of Development and Special Projects EnRico Heirman on the list after the election. Mike Smith had run for the McHenry County College Board of Trustees on a slate of three
STANLEY CUP FINAL, GAME 1: BLACKHAWKS 2, LIGHTNING 1
candidates, which also included fellow incumbent Ron Parrish and newcomer Karen Tirio. Both raised concerns about the potential conflict of interest created by the sports complex principals being sent campaign emails. The slate has experienced a souring of relationships after the election and the appointment of Mike Smith as board president, replacing Parrish, who had
Erin Smith
Mike Smith
See MCC, page A6
Cary moves forward on housing plan State’s method of determining affordable units under scrutiny By ALLISON GOODRICH agoodrich@shawmedia.com
Blackhawks winger Teuvo Teravainen (86) celebrates his game-tying goal with Duncan Keith (2) and David Rundblad during the third period Wednesday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa, Fla. The Blackhawks won, 2-1. AP photo
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HAWKS RALLY IN GAME 1 Two goals 1:58 apart late in the third period erase Lightning lead
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Morrissey: Rookie Teuvo Teravainen improbable hero for Hawks
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Next: Blackhawks at Lightning, 6:15 p.m. Saturday, NBC, AM-720 STANLEY CUP COVERAGE IN SPORTS
C A R Y – T h e V i llage Board had another lengthy discussion Tuesday about affordable housing, going further into detail about what message it wanted to convey given a state-determined affordable housing shortfall. The result was a majority of the board, plus Mayor Mark Kownick, coming to unofficial terms with sending the state a plan addressing future affordable housing efforts. However, Village Administrator Chris Clark on Wednesday said a plan – one has not formally gone before the board yet – also will likely include concerns regarding what board members believe to be a flawed method of determining affordable housing units. “It will be a plan that meets [the state’s] standards and it will address the housing-type projects that we would consider, which will be focused on senior housing,” Clark said. “And it will include in its language some of the points that were made [Tuesday] night with respect to the way affordable housing units are now calculated within Cary.” Clark added a plan is expected to go before the Village Board for approval during the June 16 meeting. The issue first was brought to the Committee of the Whole about two weeks ago, when board members were briefed on the Affordable Housing and Appeals Act, which is administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
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Voice your opinion Does your town need more affordable housing? Vote online at NWHerald. com. Cary, like more than 60 other communities in Illinois, was deemed “non-exempt,” which means it is required to form a plan, aiming to achieve at least 10 percent “affordable” housing. According to state calculations, based on American Community Survey data, Cary is at about 6.9 percent, which as Kownick pointed out, does not include the incoming Pedcor development, a controversial affordable apartment complex approved by the previous board last year. Once that is part of the community, the village will have 7.4 percent “affordable” housing, he said. The state’s calculations are what the board, namely Trustee Jim Cosler, initially took issue with, and it’s a point he adamantly reiterated Tuesday. He has said that the IHDA’s use of median property tax values, as opposed to “realistic” tax values, skew the number of owner-occupied affordable units. Under his own calculations, he said Cary exceeds the 10 percent threshold. For more understanding of the issue, the village brought in Valerie Kretchmer, president of Evanston-based Valerie S. Kretchmer Associates Inc., a planning and real estate consulting firm. “We did talk to the folks at IHDA. ... I did
See CARY, page A6