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Dear Neighbor,
It is my
honor to continue to represent you on the Lake County Board and the Forest
Preserve Board for my second term. I remain focused on making a Lake
County a great place to live and work, retaining and attracting businesses with
the help of Lake County Partners.
With bike trails, walking paths and over 30,000
acres of open space, there are many opportunities to get outside.
As I've mentioned in past newsletters, I also work
on how we can better serve our residents who live with mental illness, and I am
particularly concerned with those individuals who cycle in and out of our jail
because of addiction issues. Since 2014 our jail population has increased, and as a result we recently had to open a new “pod” (housing for
+/- 60 inmates), which costs approximately $700,000/year. We are working to understand what is driving
the increase and determine which individuals can be diverted from the jail or
if the cases could be processed more quickly.
We know that people living
with mental illness in our jails are more likely to return to jail and use the
greatest resources while there. Overall,
our high-utilizers (about 20% of the population) use about 80% of the jail finances,
as stated by Undersheriff Rose at our county board meeting on Tuesday.
On January 24 I attended the Together Summit to discuss how we can improve the quality of life and health for Lake County residents, and how public health initiatives (such as Tobacco 21, Go Lake County) positively impact our local economy. Making our communities more walkable and bikeable is an economic driver, and public transportation plays an important role in this initiative as well. A Paratransit Market Study is now underway
in Lake County to evaluate the range of available paratransit services,
identify gaps in service relative to community needs, and recommend
improvements.
As always, if you have any questions about County Government or your Forest Preserves, please don't hesitate to contact me. On March 16 the County Board will meet to update our strategic plan, so please share your ideas on what you want us to prioritize in the next five years.
Thanks,
Senior Citizen Tax Deferral Program
Senior citizens may defer part or all of their property taxes on
their personal residence if they qualify for the Senior Citizen Tax
Deferral program. Applications
are available at the Lake County Treasurer’s Office, 18 N. County St.,
Waukegan, and must be notarized and submitted to the Treasurer’s Office by
March 1. To learn more about the program, please contact the Treasurer’s Office
at 847-377-2323, or visit the Treasurer’s Office website.
File Taxes for Free
As
we begin a new year, tax season will be right around the corner. Individuals
who earn $64,000 or less can self-file their federal and state taxes for free
through a secure mobile-optimized website called MyFree Taxes. The
website is provided in partnership with United Way and H&R Block.
Individuals also can utilize a helpline at 855-MY-TX-HELP and online chat
support with services available in English and Spanish by IRS-certified
specialists.
See Lake County’s Current Job Opportunities
We work to improve the quality of life in Lake County and provide services that benefit more than 700,000 Lake County residents. From law enforcement and health care, to engineering and information technology, we offer a wide spectrum of careers. Learn more about current Lake County government job opportunities.
 Apply
Now for Summer Youth Employment Program
Applications are now available for the Lake
County Board’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which offers youth, age 14 to 18
(or ages 14 to 22 with an Individualized Education Plan) the opportunity for a
paid, part-time work experience over the summer. Youth are matched with local
worksites and gain valuable experience while earning a paycheck. Apply online,
or pick up an application at the Lake County Job Center in Waukegan and at many
local township offices and schools. Applications will be accepted until Feb.
28. Learn more
about the Summer Youth Employment program.
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Dispose Your Unused Prescription Drugs for Free
Dispose your unused, unwanted and expired
prescription drugs properly at disposal boxes across Lake County. And the service is free! In 2016, Lake
County disposed of nearly 15,000 pounds. Find a drug disposal box near
you, and learn what the program cannot accept. |
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 Residential Electronics Recycling Program Continues
The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County is continuing its residential electronics recycling program through 2017. After voting at an emergency meeting in March
2016 to close its remaining electronics collection sites, the agency was later able to successfully secure contracts with
qualified recyclers and will continue to operate the program with no direct
cost to Lake County residents. See
what electronics items you can bring to the collection sites. Lake County residents should continue to use the four collection sites
in Highland Park, Grayslake, Grant Township and Cuba Township. Learn more
about the collection site hours and locations.
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 Crisis
Intervention Training for Officers
Thanks to a grant, members of the Sheriff's Office are receiving specialized training to help them evaluate
various mental health crisis incidents. Topics covered in their training include mental health signs and
symptoms, returning combat veterans with traumatic brain
injury and PTSD, risk assessment
and law enforcement response. Watch this video to
learn more about the training.
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Reducing Our Jail Population through Intensive Case Management
We are proud to be the recipient of a grant from the MacArthur Foundation to participate in the Safety and Justice
Challenge, a national $100 million initiative to develop comprehensive plans to significantly reduce jail populations. Lake
County will provide intensive case management
services to 30 high utilizers of the jail through its Jail Diversion Case
Management Program. This program gives them the treatment and support they need to enable them to become productive members of society. The long-term goal is
to enhance community-wide services and treat mental health issues before
they result in tragic situations, including incarceration, unemployment,
homelessness, poverty, and suicide. As part of this grant, Lake
County will have access to
resources, peer learning opportunities, and can evaluate how the funding we use in the jail could be reallocated to treatment, saving money in the long term while reducing crime and the jail population.
 Veteran Support and Services
In Lake County, we appreciate the
dedication and commitment of the men and women who have served in the United
States Military. To honor their service, we offer resources to help veterans
and their families. To learn more, visit the Veterans Assistance Commission website. The Recorder of Deeds Office is the official keeper of
veteran’s military records, or DD214, and employees can provide veterans a free copy of this form upon the completion of a request for discharge record.
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 Highest number of Unsheltered Homeless
On January 25th I joined 75 volunteers to participate in the Point-In-Time Count to determine the number of homeless people-sheltered and unsheltered-we have in Lake County. This year we found the highest number since we started in 2005, with 26 people
sleeping outside. This count helps us plan services and programs to appropriately address local needs, measure progress in decreasing homelessness, and identify strengths and gaps in our homelessness assistance system.You can help make a
difference by connecting with the
member organizations of the Lake County Homeless Coalition.
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 Eradicating Buckthorn
A large part of the work that's done every day at the Lake County Forest Preserves is Conservation, ensuring that we create and maintain a healthy habitat for wildlife. Within our 100 year vision is our plan to eradicate buckthorn across 4,000 acres (private and public) in five years. We've received grants and anonymous donations to help us with this goal and our winter crews are making great progress. The Middlefork Buckthorn Pilot Eradication Project sits between Waukegan Road and the tollway, and Hwy 60 to Hwy 176. Many residents, private entities, and businesses have pledged to work with the Forest Preserves on this initiative. Middlefork Savanna is one of the most important sites for biodiversity in northeastern Illinois.
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 Wildlife Observation Platform and Trail at Spring Bluff
In 2015 the Chiwaukee Prairie Illinois Beach Lake Plain was designated a Wetland of International Importance, joining just 38 other sites in the United States to achieve this designation. The Lake Plain serves as important breeding habitat for many wetland dependent bird species. We received a matching grant for a trail and wildlife observation platform (pictured) for the Spring Bluff Forest Preserve (within the Lake Plain), with engineering and construction to begin in 2017. These improvements will allow more people to visit this special area, which is also easily accessible by train.
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Cultural items to be transferred to Sault Tribe
of Chippewa Indians
The remains of a minimum of 13
individuals and associated funerary objects belonging to the Sault
Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians will soon be transferred from
the Lake County Discovery Museum's collections to the tribe under the
federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Ownership
of the remains was transferred to the District in 1989 from the County of Lake,
which had previously acquired the collections from the privately-owned Lake
County Museum of History in 1965. Items will be transferred in a manner that
is consistent with the NAGPRA. Learn more
about the Museum.
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Maple Syrup Hikes
Stroll
through a maple woodland while learning about the sweet sap of sugar
maples. Ryerson Woods in
Riverwoods is one of few places in Lake County where conditions are right
for maple syrup production and where trees grow to a diameter and height that
allows for tapping. Hikes will be offered from noon to 2 p.m. every half hour
the last three weekends in March. Registration is required. Learn more |
Volunteer at the Native Seed Nursery
Volunteers,
including individuals, school, corporate and scout groups, donated more than
2,974 hours, equivalent to 1.5 full-time employees, last year at the Native Seed Nursery in
Rollins Savanna in Grayslake. Many of the native grasses and wildflowers used
in forest preserve restoration projects get their start at the nursery.
Volunteers may propagate plants, plant plugs, maintain plant beds, and collect
and process seed. Learn how
you can get involved. |
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 Illuminated Trails
Guide the Way
With small solar lights to guide the way,
hikers, skiers and snowshoers can get some evening exercise along the 1.3-mile
fitness trail at Old School Forest Preserve in
Libertyville and along a 1.65-mile hilly section of the Millennium Trail
adjacent to the Winter Sports Area at Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda. The illuminated trails and adjacent parking
lots will remain open after sunset until 9 p.m. daily through March 12. Learn more.
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 Radon Gas Testing Kits Available through the Health
Department
Radon
is an odorless and colorless gas that naturally occurs in rock and soil. It can
seep into homes from the soil through cracks in the basement floors and
foundations, crawl spaces, poorly sealed sump pumps, porous cinder block walls
and other foundation floor and wall penetrations. The Lake County Health Department offers short-term test kits (call 847-377-8020) so you can check radon levels in your home or apartment, which is recommended during the winter months. Test kits cost $10. Watch this
video to learn more about radon and the test kits.
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