Special Town Meeting Called to Vote on Community Center Purchase

A Special Town Meeting has been called by the Crete Township Board for Tuesday, June 13, at 7 p.m., at the New Star Building, 25930 S. Cottage Grove Avenue in Crete. All Crete Township residents are urged to attend.

The primary purpose of the meeting is to resolve whether to purchase the New Star property as a location for a community center and township offices or to wait for a better opportunity. This important vote will be determined by the electors (registered voters of Crete Township), who physically attend the meeting.

At the annual Town Meeting on April 11, Supervisor Michael Liccar gave a PowerPoint presentation on four options available with respect to a proposed community center and township campus. After a question-and-answer period, the electors were asked to participate in a non-binding survey to give their preference on the options available. Seventy-six electors were in attendance and participated in the survey.

None of the option preferences received approval over 50 percent. The results of the survey were as follows: Purchase New Star property – 44.74 percent; Do nothing now, wait, and see – 35.53 percent; Wait for Crete Center to resolve – 6.58 percent; Seek referendum for new construction – 5.26 percent; and undecided – 7.89 percent.

The New Star property includes a large 32,000-square-foot building, built in 2009, which is on approximately 14 acres of land (approximately five acres are wetlands). The current town hall, 1367 Wood Street, is approximately 4,800 square feet and was recently appraised at a value of $300,000.

If electors vote to purchase the New Star property, there would be a significant financial impact to the township. At the proposed purchase price of $1,500,000, the purchase would require all of the township’s capital improvement fund of about $825,000 and require the township to initially borrow around $700,000.

New Star’s expected overhead expenses are more than double that of the current town hall. There would be additional costs, such as moving expenses, furnishings and equipment, emergency power supply, and building/safety modifications, as well as, eventually, the costs of providing senior and youth programs, all of which would likely utilize most or all of the township’s cash reserves until increases in the annual tax levies could sustain the costs.

New Star is in a residential area of unincorporated Crete Township. Police protection is provided by the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

Alternatively, if the electors vote against the purchase of the New Star property, it will more-or-less result in the “Do nothing now, wait, and see” option. Under that scenario, the township board would continue to save and invest in the capital improvement fund (the majority currently invested in U.S. Treasury bills) and to look for new opportunities.

This will be an important meeting for the future of Crete Township, and all township residents are urged to attend and participate.