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REMINDER: Property Taxes are due today. Would you like to know how your taxes are used? Then see Tax Distribution System. (On my smartphone, the system has a small glitch. Look at a neighbor's home detail first, then yours. Not a joke!)
As promised last time, this issue includes my "Know Your County Services" series highlighting the Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT). I came to appreciate the complexity and scope of the Division's services, first as a volunteer for the Lake County Transportation Alliance (LCTA) and more recently as a Lake County Board member with LCDOT's team.
In 2006, LCTA was the catalyst for the first Transportation Summit to develop consensus among the county's many jurisdictions to identify transportation priorities and then speak with one voice for State and Federal funding. Since then, LCDOT uses (and periodically modifies) that Consensus Plan for direction.
LCDOT is responsible for 300 "centerline miles" of roads, nearly 900 "lane miles," 60 miles of bike paths/lanes, nearly 200 intersections (with traffic lights), bridges, culverts, guardrails and more. The priorities are Preservation, Modernization and Expansion. These priorities are cost- effective and consider resident needs throughout Lake County. More detail is on the website.
LCDOT collaborates with park districts, Lake County Forest Preserves and municipalities to provide nearly 500 miles of non-motorized trails. The Division also coordinates with IDOT, townships, Pace, Metra, Dial-a-Ride and Paratransit for which it serves as the lead coordinator. In the past few years, LCDOT has helped me serve constituents by working with IDOT to fix Shank Rd., dangerous washed-out shoulders, restriping, and speed limit studies.
There's a lot to learn about our LCDOT: snow removal, all the entities in the "transportation network," roundabouts, bikeway maps, FAQs and so much more on the website.
It's now unofficial Fall so be on the lookout for community festivals, Brat Fest, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, beer gardens and Oktoberfests. So much to enjoy!
I'll be helping job-seekers by leading an interviewing workshop at the Vernon Hills Aspen Library, September 17th at 2 p.m. If you know someone who could benefit from the session, please have them contact Lake County Workforce Development.
Vote by mail information: request your ballot now, receive it after September 27th, return it for November 6th election.
Early Voting information: starts October 22nd, numerous sites and hours.
Lake County Joint Budget Meetings: join us for two days of hearings for every FY 2019 budget item. Lake County Building, 10th floor, Every elected office, departments, funds, etc. October 23rd and 24th, 8:30 a.m. Open, public meeting. Join in person or via on line recording.
Please call or send an email to me with your questions, concerns and suggestions.
Regards,
 Learn
life-saving skills such as CPR and first aid. Check your insurance policies for
hazards you may face. Know practical safety steps like shutting off water and
gas. As Lake County joins in observing National Preparedness Month through
September, work with your family and community to develop an action plan, so
you can be prepared if an emergency should occur. Check out these resources that
can help you plan.
Learn How To Get Emergency Information
A Tornado Warning was issued to those living in western Lake County over
the weekend. An emergency can happen in your community at any time. Prepare
yourself and your family for any emergency by seeking immediate and reliable
information. Watch this video to
learn how.
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the
Federal Communications Commission, will issue a test of the Nationwide Wireless
Emergency Alert (WEA) which will be sent to all compatible cell phones on Sept.
20. Please note some older cell phones may not receive the test message. This
test will be followed by a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which is
scheduled to last about one minute and will be similar to regular monthly EAS
test messages. Learn
more |
The second
installment due date of 2017 Lake County property taxes is approaching. Please
note, you received one bill in May, and you will not receive another bill for
the second installment. If you misplaced your second installment coupon, print a copy from the Treasurer's Office website by entering your PIN number or
address. If you are mailing your payment, be sure to have it U.S. postmarked on
or before Sept. 6 to avoid late penalties.
 Property Tax Bill FAQs
Do you have questions about your Lake County property
tax bill such as who determines your taxes and what are the different ways you
can pay? Watch
this video as Lake County Treasurer David Stolman
answers these and other commonly asked questions. Watch now.
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 Property Tax Process, Relief, and More
Learn more about what Lake County does with your property tax payment,
property tax relief that may be available to you and more by visiting lakecountyil.gov/propertytax.
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 Looking for a job? the Job Center of Lake County offers a variety of resources to help you find a job. This month's offerings include a job fair, a workshop offering resources to start a small business and much more. View this month’s full schedule.
This month, I am thrilled to join the Job Center of Lake County to offer a workshop on how to Nail Your Next Job Interview from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Aspen Drive Library in Vernon Hills. Register today for this workshop!
Sign Up to Receive Job
News by Text
Lake County Workforce
Development is piloting a text-messaging service where you can opt in and
receive occasional text messages regarding employment events, paid internships
and more. You can opt out at any time. Sign
up now!
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 Students in eighth through twelfth grade can now apply to join the Lake
County State's Attorney's Office's Young Ambassadors Board
(YAB). Applications are available online at www.lcsao.org and
are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7. The Young Ambassadors Board members
serve as partners to the State's Attorney's Office and are involved in various
community outreach engagement efforts. Learn
more, including how to submit your application.
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 Join a 20-kilometer march this Saturday, Sept. 8
to help raise awareness to the veteran suicide epidemic. The Ruck March
of Lake County will begin at 10 a.m. at the Libertyville Veterans of Foreign
Wars Post.
Participants from many County offices including the 19th Judicial Circuit Court and the Lake County State's Attorney's Office came out to support this important issue when the organization held its first Ruck March last April in North Chicago, Watch this video to learn more about the first march, and sign up for this weekend's event.
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 Lake County prides itself as being a leader in public health,
working to enhance access to mental and behavioral health services through
partnerships between the Health Department and
law enforcement agencies, the work of the Lake County Mental Health Coalition, and
addressing the rapidly increasing opiate problem through the Lake County Opioid Initiative. There
are many services available 24/7 to those experiencing problems related to
emotional and mental illness or drug and alcohol addiction.
One of the services the County has created to help individuals who struggle with substance abuse is a pilot program, called "A Way Out." So far, 426 individuals, who have possessed narcotics or paraphernalia, and visited a participating police department have been able to access treatment. Learn more about the impact of the "A Way Out" program.
In recognition of National Recovery Month, we ask
that you help spread the word of all the county's life-saving services. We've all been
impacted in some way by mental health and substance disorders. Let's make it
known that prevention works, treatment is effective, and recovery is
possible.
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 The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center is
reporting the first human case of West Nile virus in Lake County for 2018. A
Waukegan resident in her 60s became ill in mid-August. To date, 61 pools or batches of mosquitoes and two birds
have tested positive for West Nile virus in 2018. Learn
more, including the 4Ds of defense to protect yourself and your
family from mosquitoes.
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The Lake County Stormwater Management
Commission has entered into a contract with Christopher B. Burke Engineering,
Ltd. to review the proposed Foxconn development and related adjacent
improvements due to concerns of adverse impacts on flooding and water quality
along the Des Plaines River in Lake County. The Foxconn site is in the
headwaters of the Des Plaines River Watershed, which is immediately upstream of
Lake County and encompasses a major source of surface water. Learn
more
 Forest Preserve News
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 Carp-O-Rama
Help reduce overpopulation, win cash prizes and fish to your heart’s
content at Carp-O-Rama on Saturday, Sept. 8 in the South Bay of Independence
Grove Forest Preserve! Compete to catch the most carp by
weight and the largest single carp by weight. Learn more.
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 Lakewood Forest Preserve Master Plan
We
have initiated the master planning process for Lakewood Forest Preserve. The
master plan will evaluate the existing conditions and uses of the preserve and
will identify potential recreation, education and conservation improvements at
the preserve. Learn more
We want to hear from you!
Please take our 10-minute survey below to answer questions that
will help us understand how you enjoy Lakewood and what opportunities to
explore for the preserve’s future. The survey will be open until Sept.
24. Take our survey!
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Trail Extension at Lyons Woods
A newly completed 1.9-mile paved trail now
connects Lyons Woods Forest Preserve in Waukegan to the Robert McClory Bike
Path and local parks. The Lake County Forest Preserves, City of Waukegan,
Waukegan Park District and the Village of Beach Park partnered to create
this trail extension. It represents the first phase of a longer
6.9-mile regional trail that will continue west through Waukegan Savanna
Forest Preserve and eventually connect to the Des Plaines River
Trail at Sedge Meadow Forest Preserve in Wadsworth. Visit
Lyons Woods today.
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 Let’s Start a Movement
The spread of invasive species is recognized as one of the major
factors contributing to ecosystem change and instability in our county, region
and nation. These species have the ability to displace or eliminate native
species, alter fire regimes, damage infrastructure and threaten human
livelihoods. Invasive species are changing the iconic landscapes of our nation.
To effectively control invasive species, removal needs to extend beyond the
borders of natural areas. The invasive species European buckthorn is currently
the most common tree in Lake County, making up more than 40 percent of our
canopy, according to a 2010 tree census conducted by the U.S. Forest Service
and The Morton Arboretum. It will continue to be an issue until the community
is involved: from private landowners to homeowner associations, golf courses to
garden clubs, businesses to school districts.
Want to join the movement? We
invite all Lake County residents to help eradicate buckthorn. Several
homeowners have already volunteered to help. Whether they have removed
buckthorn from their yard or are simply considering it, every resident who
participates will benefit the community. In the coming months we will
distribute resources to help assess your yard, plus tips to remove buckthorn,
landscape with native plants, and get further involved with this effort toward
an even more beautiful, healthy Lake County. Join
the movement.
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