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The Board approved two significant actions at its March meeting,
one that approves a half million dollars to support people with gambling
addiction and other behavioral health issues, and another that creates a
commission on governmental accountability and reform.
Lake County collects a portion of the revenue generated from
video gaming in the unincorporated areas of the county. Consistent with its
policy to allocate those funds to support social programs, the Board approved
$545,000 in grant funding to several local agencies for gambling addiction and
other behavioral health services.
The
Board also took action to create a bipartisan commission to evaluate proposed reform
measures and report on key findings that enhance accountability to the public, provide for an
effective and responsive government structure, maintain strong professional and
ethical standards, as well as redistricting reform to mitigate political
influence. The group will consist of community members, elected officials,
faith leaders, major political party representatives, and other advocates of
good government. The action is in response to proposed State legislation that
would require a referendum for voters to decide whether they support a
countywide elected chairman--fundamentally changing Lake County’s current
structure where the Chairman is selected by county board members every two
years. Learn more.
 The April
4 Consolidated Election gives Lake County
residents some real voter power as they will be electing their local mayors,
presidents, supervisors, clerks, commissioners, alderman, councilmen, and
assessors. Also on the ballot will be park, library, and school board district
candidates along with eight public questions.
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Grace voter registration is available at all early
voting sites, which are open now through April 3 as well as at the assigned
Election Day voting site and the County Clerk’s Office on April 4. Registered
voters are encouraged to log onto LakeVoterPower.info to confirm their registration records reflect their current name and
address.
Vote
by mail
Registered voters can request a ballot by mail until March 30. Voting by
mail is so easy that even a couch potato can do
it!
Early voting
Early voting will run through
April 3. Vote at any early voting site regardless of where you live. View
the early voting sites, dates and hours.
Election Day
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 4. Use the polling
place locator to find your assigned voting site.
Preview your ballot
Registered Lake County voters can preview their
ballot at LakeVoterPower.info after logging in to confirm their registration status.
Get up-to-date
election information by visiting the County
Clerk’s website as well as by following the County Clerk’s Office
on their Facebook
page and on Twitter.
The Chief County Assessment Office and Lake County Township
Assessors Association offer help to senior citizens ages 65 and older who want
to complete the 2017 Senior
Citizen Assessment Freeze Application for taxes payable in 2018 as well as
assistance to taxpayers who may qualify to apply for other homestead exemptions.
Attend an upcoming outreach session where residents can work one-on-one with a
staff member to complete the necessary forms. The Senior Freeze Application is
due by July 7.
Visit these local outreach sessions:
- 9 to 11 a.m. April 7 at the Regent Center, 1200 Regent Drive, Mundelein
- 10 a.m. to noon April 24 at the Libertyville Civic Center, 135 W. Church St.
- View all upcoming outreach sessions
At Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT),
there are 39 bridges on the county highway system (not including bike trail and
railroad bridges). This number only includes the bridges under the jurisdiction
of LCDOT and does NOT include bridges that belong to the state under the
jurisdiction of IDOT or bridges owned and maintained by local municipalities.
We recently asked our County Engineer to update the Public Works and
Transportation Committee on the status of bridges in Lake County, and here is
what I learned:
LCDOT regularly inspects the bridges they are
responsible for maintaining. Bridges are given sufficiency ratings between 0
and 100. Any bridges rated below 50 are eligible for federal funding for
rehabilitation or replacement. Bridges with a rating between 50-80 are eligible
for federal funding for rehabilitation work, but not replacement. Any bridges
rated higher than 80 are considered to be in good condition. There are zero
bridges on the Lake County highway system that fall below 50, and only six
that fall in the 50-80 range. These bridges are safe and not deficient.
There are 33 bridges that have an average sufficiency rating of 90 and are in
very good condition. LCDOT uses this information and is able to prioritize and
budget for strategic, cost-effective bridge repairs and preservation activities
where needed.
Current
status of mumps in Lake County
On March 7, the Lake County Health Department announced an official mumps
outbreak after the third case of mumps was confirmed at Barrington High School.
The Health Department continues to monitor suspected and probable cases of the
disease in the county. The Health Department will regularly be updating its mumps web
page, where you can find the current status of mumps
in the county, information about mumps, and helpful resources related to mumps.
 Spring
pet vaccination clinics begin April 1
The Lake County Health Department will offer
spring pet vaccination clinics starting April 1 at locations across the county.
These low-cost clinics provide a convenient, affordable way to keep pets up to
date with their shots and rabies tags. Learn more about the clinics and all upcoming dates.
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 Lake County Sheriff Mark C.
Curran recently completed a five-week corrections officer training at the Lake
County Jail and then was responsible for a 60-inmate pod for five days. Watch this video to learn more about his
experience and the responsibilities of a corrections officer on a typical day.
Sheriff's Office warns of telephone
scam
The Lake
County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of residents receiving fraudulent
telephone calls from individuals falsely representing themselves to be from the
Sheriff’s Office and serving the caller with a collection notice to collect
money. Residents should be aware the Sheriff’s Office never calls to
solicit money for any reason. Find out
more
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 Please join the Lake
County State’s Attorney’s Office in recognizing National Crime Victims’ Rights
Week on April 4 at the College of Lake County A wing lower level auditorium in
Grayslake. The resource fair will run from 5:30 to 6 p.m., and the program will
follow. This year’s theme of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week reflects a
vision for the future in which all victims are strengthened by the response
they receive, organizations are resilient in response to challenges, and communities
are able to seek collective justice and healing.
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 Forest Preserves News
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 Move more in April
Every April, the American Heart Association celebrates physical activity and
encourages all Americans to commit to being more active on a regular basis.
Your forest preserves are the perfect place to hike or stroll while improving
your health. Join an Rx for Health walk, bringing together naturalists and health professionals
for guided tours of some of Lake County's most breathtaking scenery. Learn more
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 Trout season opens April 1
Banana
Lake at Lakewood Forest
Preserve in
Wauconda opens for rainbow trout fishing on April 1, following the release
of roughly 500 to 600 rainbow trout. For details and a free fishing guide,
visit LCFPD.org/fishing.
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 Junior high and high school girls, parents, and role models are invited to join the annual Girl-Wise Conference from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 8 at the College of Lake County in Grayslake. This annual conference offers the girls an opportunity to attend workshops that promote creativity, healthy bodies, healthy minds, and taking charge of their lives. Watch this video to learn more, including how to register.
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 University
Center to hold free open house March 30
The University Center of Lake County will hold a
free open house from 6 to 8 p.m. March 30 at the University Center's Grayslake facility,
1200 University Center Drive. The event will showcase the 130 academic programs
available in Lake County for adults who wish to complete a bachelor’s degree,
earn a graduate degree or pursue professional certificates. Register for
the event, or call 847-665-4400.
University Center honored for its college outreach program
The University Center of Lake County recently
received the Innovative Initiative Award from the Illinois Council on Continuing
Higher Education for its First Generation College Outreach Program. This
program works to help strengthen students’ path to college by collaborating
with schools, businesses and public libraries across the county. Learn more
about the program.
Apply for scholarships awarded by Illinois Counties
Association
The Illinois Counties Association is taking applications for its 2017-18
scholarships. Applications must be completed online before midnight April 28.
Eligibility is limited to applicants who live in counties that participate in
the Nationwide Retirement Solutions 457 program, of which Lake County does
participate. Learn more about the scholarships and the application process.
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Mundelein seeks feedback on public safety parking study proposal
To ensure all Mundelein residents have an
opportunity to provide feedback, public comment on the Village’s Public Safety
Parking Study Proposal will be accepted through March. Learn
more about the study as well as how to provide feedback.
Join Mundelein's Latino Citizens Police Academy
Mundelein residents interested in
learning more about the Mundelein Police Department and how it operates are
invited to join Mundelein’s Latino Citizens’ Police Academy starting April 6. Classes
will meet at 7 p.m. Thursdays for 10 weeks, culminating with a graduation
ceremony on June 8. The department has offered this Latino Citizens’ Police
Academy since 2013. Learn more
Save the date for next used book sale
Discover books in a variety of subjects as well as books on CD, VHS videos,
DVDs, music CDs and more at the next used book sale from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 8 and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 9 at the Fremont Public Library.
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