Council opposes A-LAW water group

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By Dennis Hines Members of the Sycamore City Council are opposed to DeKalb County being a part of a proposed water use regulation authority group. Officials from the Alliance for Land, Agriculture, and Water (A-LAW) want to establish a water use regulation authority organization in DeKalb, McHenry and Boone counties. If approved, the organization would regulate ground water use in the three counties. Each county would be regulated by a board which would include three trustees. The water authority would affect the unincorporated areas of the three counties. Municipal areas such as DeKalb, Sycamore, Belvidere, Marengo, Crystal Lake, Harvard, Woodstock, Wonder Lake and Lakewood would be exempt from joining the water authority. Residents who live in the affected areas could have an opportunity to vote on a referendum regarding the issue during the April 17, 2007 election. &#8220Only 20 percent of the registered voters in the three counties would be able to vote on the referendum, which is proposed for this April,” City Manager Bill Nicklas said. Members the Sycamore City Council approved a motion during their Dec. 18 meeting requesting that either DeKalb County be exempt from joining the proposed water authority or residents in DeKalb and Sycamore be allowed to vote on the referendum. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote. &#8220My proposal is minimal. That is just to approach it in terms of inclusion, either we all get to vote or we take DeKalb County out, and if McHenry County wants to form a water authority, then fine,” he said. Nicklas said DeKalb County currently has appropriate water levels. &#8220It seems to me where we are now is a position that does not mandate that we side step our established political institutions to determine what the condition of our water levels may be or, secondly, whether something needs to be done about it with any urgency or in any particular time frame,” Nicklas said. Mayor Ken Mundy said there are already several agencies that monitor DeKalb County's water levels and the other counties' water levels. &#8220There are already 7,000 units of government in Illinois, more than twice of any state. If there were no entities in place to address these concerns for DeKalb County, per say, I guess we would have a hard time against this being included; however, the regional plan commission, which includes every community in the county, the DeKalb County planning offices, the DeKalb County Board, the Illinois EPA and lots of government agencies employ hydrologists and scientists...,” Mundy said. &#8220If there are problems in another county related to watershed and aquifers and water usage and water preservation and water conservation, it certainly would appear that other counties have other like organized structures that DeKalb County has and would be able to take those issues up in their own locale.” Mundy said even though Sycamore would not be included in the water authority initially, it could be included in the future, which would affect the types of amenities that are constructed in the community. &#8220This group could deny a well application and could deny some expansion of plant services,” Mundy said. &#8220It's very far reaching and needs some extreme caution, and I agree, for now, that DeKalb County be dismissed from this action.” First Ward Alderman Alan Bauer said he is concerned that members of the water authority would raise taxes, when city officials have worked hard to reduce Sycamore's tax rate during the past few years. &#8220I think the last thing we need is another layer of government, especially one that can raise taxes. This body has worked hard to keep taxes down. Mr. Nicklas continues to provide us with plans that we can execute and keep the tax rate going down in Sycamore,” Bauer said. &#8220I just don't think we have a place for this. It just seems like an awful lot of authority for governing over us, and maybe we are exempted, but we have in our plans elevated water and possibly another well to the north, and if this goes into effect, the things that we have worked for here could be affected in a negative way, and I don't think we should stand for that at all.” Second Ward Alderman Chuck Stowe said he is concerned that the trustees of the water authority would not be elected officials. &#8220This is going to be a body that can raise taxes, and none of the folks are elected,” Stowe said. &#8220There's not a single elected person in there. They're appointed, I think, and that's scary.” Third Ward Alderman Grace Adee said the county does not have to join the water authority but feels county and city officials should continue to be aware of the water levels in the area. &#8220The one thing that we ought to pay attention to is the water,” Adee said. &#8220I don't think we have to do anything with this group, but I do think we should be aware of what's going to happen with our water to make sure that we're not putting too much pressure on what we have.” Sixteenth Circuit Judge Kurt Klein conducted a public hearing regarding the issue on Dec. 21. Many DeKalb County residents and officials attended the hearing.