Crystal Lake, Lakewood criticize park board move to leave lake agreement

Municipal leaders of both Lakewood and Crystal Lake have issued statements criticizing the Crystal Lake Park District for terminating an intergovernmental agreement that structures boat sticker fees.

But a new proposed agreement could be on horizon.

[ Crystal Lake residents rally against recent park board actions ]

The park board voted to remove the district from the intergovernmental Lake Ecology Agreement with Lakewood and Crystal Lake during the June 5 meeting that was filled with multiple swift decisions that resulted in public outcry.

The intergovernmental agreement went into effect in 2023 and put in place a tiered system of boat sticker fees based on horsepower, with an increase of nearly 600% for the largest vessels.

The agreement spelled out that the boat sticker revenue would go toward the costs associated with weed harvesting, lake ecology consulting and chemical treatments used on milfoil and other invasive weed species.

The agreement also streamlined purchases so residents could collect gate keys and boat stickers in one place rather than previously dividing the sales between the park district and the city.

Now that the park board has canceled the intergovernmental agreement, both towns involved in it have sent public letters to the park district expressing concerns and confusion over the abrupt decision that was made before either town was consulted.

Lakewood Village President David Stavropoulos issued a public letter July 24, arguing that the agreement doesn’t pertain to policing the lake, but rather was a tool to make the process of buying boat stickers and gate keys more convenient for residents.

“The village was surprised to learn from others that the Park District’s Board voted to withdraw from the agreement without talking to either the village [of Lakewood] or the city [of Crystal Lake],” Stavropoulos wrote. “To date, we have received no communication from the Park District about this decision.”

Crystal Lake Mayor Haig Haleblian issued a letter to the park board July 10, echoing the same concerns over recent board decisions that “could reverse longstanding efforts and undermine the community’s trust in the future direction of the park district.”

Both municipalities requested information on the rationale behind the decision and how the park district plans to fund lake ecology activities.

Since the letters were issued, Crystal Lake Park District Board President Frederick Tiesenga has met with both Stavropoulos and Haleblian, Tiesenga said. Now a new agreement could be proposed by the park district to replace the defunct one but in a “different format,” he said.

Instead of an intergovernmental agreement, the proposal could look more like a contract but could keep all of the original components, Tiesenga said. That proposal will need to be voted on by the park board before going to the desks of Lakewood and Crystal Lake for approval.

Tiesenga said the board initially voted to terminate the agreement because the board didn’t want the park district to act as the owner of the lake.

Haleblian has been outspoken about the new park board, voicing concerns both at recent park board and City Council meetings about what he perceives as a lack of park board transparency.

With no agreement, the city scrambling to figure out how boat stickers and boat launch key sales will be handled.

“If the Park Board in their infinite wisdom decides to drop the [intergovernmental agreement], Crystal Lake will be happy to sell boat decals without collecting an ecology fee and at the same time apologize to everyone for the inconvenience,” Haleblian said in an email to the Northwest Herald.

The park board will meet in executive session at its next meeting Aug. 18 to discuss a response to both municipalities, Executive Director Jason Herbster said.