Join me at
my final Coffee with Your County Board Member. This will be an informal
gathering where you can share opinions and learn more about the County services
that are available to you. I hope to see you there!
When: Saturday, Nov. 10 at 10
a.m.
Where: North Chicago Public Library, 2100 Argonne Ave., North
Chicago, IL 60064
For more information, email me at vwyatt@lakecountyil.gov, or
call 224-419-4509.
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Early Voting
In-person early voting for the Nov. 6 Election is now
available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Oct. 19 at the Lake County
Clerk’s Office, 18 N. County St., Waukegan.
Beginning
Oct. 22 through Nov. 5, early voting will be available at 16 early voting sites
throughout the county. Use any early voting site regardless of where you
live. Some sites offer evening and weekend hours. Find an early voting site near you.
Vote by Mail
Registered voters wishing to vote by
mail must submit a completed electronic application or paper application to the
Clerk’s office by noon Nov. 1. Voted ballots must be returned to the Clerk’s
office bearing a postmark no later than midnight on Nov. 6. Complete your vote by mail application.
More Information
Visit LakeCountyClerk.info and click on the “November 2018 Election” icon to find voter
registration information, preview your ballot, and details on how to vote
by mail, early, or on Election Day.
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The proposed Lake County 2019 budget is balanced and
the operating budget reflects a slight decrease from last year. The Lake County
Board will hold budget hearings on the proposed budget later this month and
will vote on it at its November meeting. In an effort to provide some relief to
taxpayers, the County Board directed that the budget be developed keeping the
County’s property tax levy flat (or not taking the allowable levy growth
based on the Consumer Price Index). This keeps $3.4 million in taxpayers’
pockets. The only increase in property tax revenue will come from growth
on new property. (As a reminder,
Lake County’s portion of your property tax bill is about 7%). The proposed FY19 operating budget — which funds the County’s
day-to-day operations — is $3.3 million less than last year (or 1%) as a result
of efficiencies from shared services with other governments, technology
enhancements, and operational improvements. The budget can be viewed at lakecountyil.gov/budget.
Following an analysis of Lake County’s P-card program, an
independent firm concluded that there is not widespread misuse of Lake County
P-Cards. However, the firm recommended Lake County update its policy, processes
and procedures. Lake County has approximately 260 County-issued P-Cards used by
employees, some board members and elected officials for County business related
expenses. The firm analyzed a sample of Lake County P-card transactions representing
52% of total spending for 12 months and reviewed best practices from across the
country. While the County has a policy that specifically defines appropriate
expenses, the study’s findings show there are gaps that can be improved with
stronger internal controls. Recommendations to be immediately implemented
include: updating current practices and refining procedures to better document
approvals and handle exceptions (including personal charges and late
submissions); implementing regular departmental reviews of active cards and
credit limits, as well as additional training. The Board will also
consider policy changes and updates to its rules that govern board members’
P-card use and consider measures to improve transparency, including posting
P-card transactions to the County website.
P-Cards are a valuable procurement and payment tool used by
governments, as well as businesses, because it reduces length of time to make a
purchase or pay vendor, can decrease transaction costs and earn revenue through
rebates. The Committee will review and discuss the action plan for implementing
the recommendations at its next meeting.
Watch this video with Finance &
Administration Chair, Mike Rummel.
In an effort to strengthen its already strong policies as it
relates to purchasing goods and services, the Lake County Board is considering
changes that will require vendors submitting proposals for more than $30,000 to
disclose familial relationships with County employees. The Board already
approved internal policy changes that require employees to annually review
ethics and purchasing rules, and attest that they understand and agree to
adhere to them.
The Board recently discussed a proposal that would require vendors submitting
proposals to submit a “Vendor Disclosure Statement” disclosing the names of
each owner/principal/officer of the company, along with those individuals’
immediate family members who are employed by Lake County. Purchasing officers
will compare the statement with the staff members serving on the evaluation
panel and verify that those employees are eligible to serve. The Board wants to
discuss further how to broaden this and make this information more transparent.
The Finance Committee will take up the item next month.
Mike Rummel, Chair of the Board’s Finance and Administration Committee, said,
“We already have one of the strongest Ethics Ordinances that govern our process
and protect against influence or impropriety. Our ethics standards set us apart
from other local governments and they view us as a model. Still, there are
examples of some other local governments doing additional disclosures, so we are considering adding these measures to enhance what we already do.”
The Lake County Board adopted Ethics Ordinance clearly outlines the ethical and
legal standards that county officers and employees must follow while conducting
county business. It also puts a process in place to reviewing complaints and
gives the county administrator authority to administer disciplinary action up
to and including termination.
In local government, much of what we do and how
we do it is dictated by State and sometimes Federal laws. For example, Lake
County government purchases a variety of goods and services and there are
different ways to procure those services depending on what it is. For
example, when hiring architects, engineers and land surveyors, Lake County (and
local governments) are required to use the Professional Services Selection
process and award these contracts through a “Qualifications Based Selection.”
This allows the County to evaluate a firm based on experience and expertise
relative to the project, and cost is negotiated after the most highly rated
firm is selected.
How does it work? When professional services are needed, the department
develops the project scope and then publicly advertises the request for
services. Interested firms submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) and Statement
of Qualifications (SOQ) and a selection committee –made up of professionals
from the department—evaluate the proposals and select a minimum of three firms
to participate in an interview/presentation. They rank the firms based on
several criteria, including their expertise and past related experience.
The County then begins negotiating the number of hours it will take to
complete the scope of services. The final contract is then presented to the
Lake County Board for approval.
Following this process is required by State and Federal law; it provides
value to the County and helps us deliver cost-effective, efficient services to
our residents because our Lake County team of professionals has selected the
most qualified firm to perform the work, and these firms are then qualified to
do similar work in the future, based on their past successful
performance. Learn More: Qualifications
Based Selection FAQ’s
The Lake County
Sheriff’s Office is piloting a new collaborative program with the Lake County
Health Department called the Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COaST) to
support residents with mental or behavioral health illness who interact with
law enforcement.
Within approximately
three days of a law enforcement officer encountering a mental health
interaction or an opioid overdose, the COaST deputy will arrange a meeting with
the individual or “cold call” their residence. During that meeting, the deputy will check the well-being
of the person and determine if he or she has sought treatment or services since
the initial event. The deputy will then provide a “warm handoff” to the Health
Department counselor, who will conduct a brief assessment, and if necessary,
refer the person to appropriate services. Learn
more
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The public entrance of the Lake County Jail has moved from 20 South County Street to the lobby of the Community Based
Corrections Center (CBCC) at 15 South Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Waukegan. The
relocation is due to the ongoing renovations at the Lake County Jail.
Inmates being released from custody will be released at the CBCC
Lobby. Any visitors coming to the Lake County Jail should also utilize the CBCC
Lobby.
Donate your new or gently used adult and children’s
coats and outerwear to help area veterans and their families as part of the Lake
County Law Enforcement Veteran's Coat Drive. The collection is running now through
Nov. 7. Find a collection
site near you.
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With more than 200 lakes and rivers in the county, it’s
important to keep our water safe! Lake County Public Works has been working
hard to increase their sustainability efforts to their water operations, from
taking phosphorous and nutrients out of wastewater that can be harmful to aquatic
life, to performing energy audits performed in coordination with the Illinois
EPA. Watch Video.
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Forest Preserve News
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2018 Ethel
Untermyer Conservation Forum: Preserving Lake County
Lake County has a rich history of
preservation. Join Dunn
Museum curator Diana Dretske on Sunday,
Oct. 14 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. as we step back in time to meet the individuals whose
efforts preserved the county’s historical and natural heritage. Such as Robert
Vogel, pictured here in 1957 with the Museum’s 420 million-year-old fossil. Learn
more »
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Halloween
Hikes Join a guided group hike along a
candlelit path at Ryerson
Woods Welcome Center on Oct. 19 and 20 to
watch fun nature-themed skits, followed by donuts and cider. The hikes are not scary.
Even your littlest will enjoy this family favorite. Hikes begin every 30
minutes from 6 to 8 p.m. Total event time is 90 minutes. Total distance walked
is about 1.5 miles. Learn
more »
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What's Happening in District 14 I recently attended the National Recreation and Parks Association conference in Indianapolis where I learned about grants and how local resources can be used more effectively when local units of government partner together. This can lead to lower taxes.
I also recently joined the Foss Park District at the GO Lake County Walk at Independence
Grove. The largest GO walk, the Gurnee and Waulegan park districts also took part in this terrific event to promote healthy and active living.
There are so many wonderful organizations that benefit residents within our district. I had the opportunity to help one of these organizations, the North Chicago Exchange Club at a recent dinner, which I attended with Ald. Carl Evans and Lake County Housing Commissioner John Idleburg.
Free Class to Better Understand, Improve Credit Score Want to better understand and improve your credit score? The Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County will offer a free Credit 101 class on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at the Waukegan Field House, 800 Baldwin Ave. Conducted by a HUD-certified housing counselor, you will learn what impacts your credit score, credit score ranges, how to protect your credit and more. Registration is requested. Learn more
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