Assessment notices have been sent out to residents within Ela, Libertyville and Vernon Townships.

The property tax process can be confusing! As blue property assessment notices continue to be mailed to residents across Lake County, you may have questions about what goes into determining your property tax bill, property assessments, and how to file an appeal. Watch this edition of Lake County Update as Chief County Assessment Officer Marty Paulson and I address common questions residents have with their property tax assessments.

Filing an Appeal? Use our Online System
Assessment appeals can be filed electronically using the Online Appeal Filing application. This quick and convenient system allows you to get your appeal information to the Board of Review without the hassle of mailing or hand delivering them to the Chief County Assessment Office in Waukegan. Watch this video to learn more about the process to file an appeal online.

The Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) closed Fairfield Road from IL 176 to Old McHenry Road, to through traffic on Aug. 7. While the road is closed, LCDOT will be replacing two culverts. Each culvert replacement is estimated to take one week. The road will reopen by midnight Aug. 20.

Aug. 7 – 13: The first road closure will be on Fairfield Road from Kruger Road to Old McHenry Road.

Aug. 14 – 20: The second road closure will be on Fairfield road from Schwerman Road to Milton Road.

Detour Route for both closures: IL 176 to Gilmer Road to Midlothian Road to Old McHenry Road.

Find your next adventure with our interactive trail map, built on GIS technology. This easy-to-use map will help you locate trails, preserves, activities and amenities within your Lake County Forest Preserves from your phone, tablet or computer. The 2017 Hike Lake County trails are also included on the map. Exercise, relax and spend quality time outdoors along nearly 204 miles of trails in peaceful, natural settings. Learn more and start exploring today!

Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve To Undergo Improvements

Set in the midst of bustling suburbs, this emerald island offers a quiet place to relax and recreate with nature. Its wide-open spaces are safe, clean and easy to explore. Four miles of gravel trails are open to hikers, bicyclists and cross-country skiers. Please keep dogs leashed and on trails at all times, and pick up after them. The trails run through open areas within the preserve, crossing several creeks, skirting the reservoir and traversing restored prairie.

Within the next year, Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve will be undergoing reservoir expansion, preserve improvements, wetland mitigation and new trail construction. Visitors will enjoy 1.2 miles of additional trails that will provide two new loops east of Schaeffer Road, seven new boardwalks, two scenic overlooks and a 30-car expansion of the existing parking lot. Approximately a half-mile of the existing trail in a flood prone area will be relocated to higher ground to increase accessibility for longer periods and reduce long-term maintenance costs. Nineteen acres of new wetlands and 35 acres of prairie/savanna will be added as part of the restoration of the basin.

As part of a wetland mitigation bank, additional restoration work on the preserve’s western 65 acres will reestablish and rehabilitate native wetland habitat by returning the former farm fields to a sustainable natural condition. When complete, visitors of the preserve will be able to enjoy an additional 1.1 miles of new trails connecting an adjacent residential area and the Village of Long Grove’s soccer fields to the extensive network of existing trails within the preserve. View concept plans and project details. 

This year, Lake County has landed its 12th Fortune 500 Headquarters and launched sweeping reforms to county government. Watch this video where I recently spoke about what our county is doing to attract businesses at Lake County Partners' Big Event. The Big Event brings together government, business, and community leaders to address how to strengthen and sustain our local economy.

The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit recently celebrated the expansion of the Robert W. Depke Juvenile Complex Center in Vernon Hills. The building now features new courtrooms and hearing rooms and more space for the State's Attorney's Office and Public Defender's Office to privately interview clients and witnesses. Watch this video to learn more about the center. 

Several mosquito pools in Lake County have now tested positive for West Nile virus. While floodwater mosquitoes have reached nuisance population levels in the county, the Lake County Health Department reports they do not carry the West Nile virus. The concern is that standing water in items like buckets, gutters, plant containers and debris from flood cleanup will become breeding sites for the species of mosquito that is the primary carrier of West Nile virus.

Remember to practice the 4 D’s to protect yourself and your family from mosquitoes: Drain, Defend, Dawn to Dusk, and Dress. Visit the health department’s Fight the Bite Now website to learn more prevention tips and additional information about West Nile virus.

Did you use Lake County PASSAGE as a resource for local road information during the flood? The widespread flooding that hit Lake County in July caused major roads to close, and commutes were disrupted for several days in a row. Throughout the disaster, LCDOT had a team of traffic operators and engineers updating Lake County PASSAGE around the clock, and remotely observing traffic conditions to adjust signal timings as flooding events unfolded. This was done in real time to help traffic adjust to road closures and backups.

Whether you are a regular PASSAGE user or if this was your first time - you may be wondering how it works? Here is a video tour of the PASSAGE operation so you can see what happens behind the scenes.

Lake County will now get 25 percent of its electricity from “Green power” or electricity from renewable resources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal. This is an additional 20 percent from its previous electricity rate contract. Green energy has proved to be environmentally preferable to electricity generated from conventional sources, including coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on average, replacing each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of traditional power with renewable power avoids the emission of more than one pound of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas. Lake County will purchase 9.98 million renewable energy kWH(h) under this contract, which is the equivalent of more than 15 million pounds of carbon dioxide. Lake County has received an Environmental Stewardship Certificate for its commitment to investing in green energy.

Work, Earn and Learn with Division of Transportation
Gain paid work experience with the Lake County Division of Transportation as part of its WEL Program. Attend one of the following information sessions to learn how you can work, earn and learn with the Division of Transportation for six months. Learn more about the WEL Program.

When: 10 a.m. Aug. 11 or 2 p.m.  Aug. 18
Where: Job Center of Lake County, 1 N. Genesee St., Waukegan

Paid internships available 
Youth ages 18 to 24 who live in Lake County and are currently unemployed may be eligible for a paid internship. Internships expose youth to viable careers while expanding their skill sets and connecting them to training resources to secure long-term employment. Learn more by attending an information session. Learn more 

Job Center of Lake County Waukegan: 3 p.m. Tuesdays and 11 a.m. Thursdays

Job Center Satellite Office Grayslake: 3 p.m. Wednesdays

The Lake County Courthouse Expansion project is well underway! Watch this edition of Lake County's Dirty Jobs as I get to tackle an important task and spray fireproofing material on the steel beams in the building, which will make it safer in the event of a fire. This project, which is anticipated to be completed in summer 2018, is designed to increase the efficiency of the justice system and support growth of the justice agencies out to the year 2030 and beyond. 

Locating missing persons, finding weapons and drugs, tracking suspects and inspecting for bomb threats are some of the ways our K-9 Unit has made an impact in our communities. Watch this video, and see how Dax, Diesel, Duke, Boomer and their handlers work to help protect Lake County.

Individuals who struggle with substance abuse can get directed quickly to treatment through a pilot program called “A Way Out." The program is offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at participating police departments in Lake County. Individuals, who possess narcotics or paraphernalia, enter a participating police department and tell an officer they are requesting help will avoid criminal charges if the participant seeks assistance. Watch this video to learn more about the “A Way Out” program.

Forest Preserve News

Wildlife Homes
Discover with your little explorer the places animals make their homes. Hands-on nature activities include a hike, story, craft, and interaction with live animals. This event takes place select Thursdays in August at Independence Grove, and it is open to children ages 4-5 with an adult. Register today

Gateways Grants Open the Door for Schools 
As budgets shrink, field trips are increasingly out of reach for Lake County schools, especially in low-income communities. Since 1991, Gateways Grants have made field trips possible for tens of thousands of students. They benefit from “school” in outdoor and museum settings, where learning is experiential and profound. School districts with a low-income population of 40 percent or more are eligible. Gateways Grants cover program fees and provide a bus stipend. Donations fully fund this program. Our goal is to raise $5,000 in Gateways Grants by the start of the school year. Help make field trips possible.

Take a Hike
We’ve teamed up with the Lake County Health Department and NorthShore University HealthSystem to bring you Rx for Health: Walking in Nature, a free walking program that brings together naturalists and physicians for guided tours of some of our most scenic preserves. Learn more

Eat Healthful Produce and Support Local Youth
Eat healthful produce and support local youth when you shop at the Green Youth Farm of Lake County market. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays through Oct. 12. Purchase fresh and nutritious organic vegetables, herbs, honey and more, grown in Greenbelt Forest Preserve in North Chicago by area students. Learn more

Solar Eclipse Viewing Party
On August 21, people all across the United States will see the sun disappear behind the moon, turning daylight into twilight, causing the temperature to rapidly drop and revealing massive streamers of light streaking throughout the sky. Don’t miss out! Stop by Ryerson Woods Welcome Center and join the fun as we experience the solar eclipse. This is the closest the Chicago region has been to the "path of totality" in over 200 years. This event is free and open to all ages; adult supervision is required. Learn more »

Community Campfire Friday Nights
Gather with friends and family roasting marshmallows over the fire, stroll peacefully on a nature walk, share a story or bring an instrument to play. Nature activities vary monthly; make sure you bring a cozy blanket and a chair. Learn more »