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Board sets Feb. 11 public hearing on Caribou Lake watershed special assessment
Summary
The board scheduled a public hearing for Feb. 11 at 9 a.m. to consider a subordinate service district (SSD) special assessment request from the Caribou Lake Property Owners Association for aquatic invasive species (AIS) work; commissioners debated notification, assessment method and timing to meet tax-programming deadlines.
The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to set a public hearing for 9 a.m. on Feb. 11 to consider placing a special assessment on properties within the Caribou Lake watershed Subordinate Service District (SSD) to fund aquatic invasive species work.
County staff described the request as coming from the Caribou Lake Property Owners Association (PLPA). The association seeks to assess property owners to fund water-quality and invasive species control, notably efforts to remove rusty crayfish. The packet includes a request to assess property owners $250 to cover five years; association members and some commissioners described the funding equivalently as $50 per year per property.
Commissioners said they were uncomfortable approving an assessment without confirming that affected property owners were aware and had opportunity to comment. County staff advised a public hearing and individual notices to property owners are the normal process and noted a timing constraint: notices and the tax system must be programmed early in February for the assessment to be placed on this year’s tax statements.
Sharon Hickson Plater, identified in the meeting as a Caribou Lake Properties representative, said the assessment was discussed at association meetings and that the September meeting passed a unanimous vote among those present. The association stated that the increase (from $12 previously to $50 per year) is intended to pay for expanded trapping and seasonal staff to remove rusty crayfish; meeting materials quoted association estimates that $50 per year would yield about $6,900 annually and approximately $5,300 available for AIS work after routine water testing costs.
County staff also flagged that the board does not have a general SSD policy for non-highway subordinate districts and recommended the board consider adopting a policy for future cases. Staff recommended proceeding with the public hearing now to meet the tax-programming deadline and work on a policy later.
A motion to set the public hearing for Feb. 11 at 9 a.m. and to send notices to property owners passed with the board's affirmative votes.
Why it matters: The assessment would provide a recurring revenue stream for neighborhood-level AIS control and water-quality work. Commissioners emphasized the need for clear notice, a representative contact for property owners, and a policy to apply consistently to future SSD requests.
What’s next: Counties staff will send notices to affected property owners, hold the Feb. 11 hearing, and continue work on a draft SSD policy for future requests.
