June 9, 2022
Dear Neighbor,
I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day holiday and were able to participate in one of the ceremonies held across Lake County. We are fortunate to have many veterans living in Lake County - home to the second largest population of veterans in the State of Illinois - and we are grateful to them for their sacrifice, and certainly to those who gave their life for our country.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in late May I attended a National Association of Counties conference in Tucson, Arizona to discuss the national crisis of people with serious mental illness in our jails. Thanks to States Attorney Rinehart, Sheriff Idleburg, Independence Center, and the Lake County Health Department, Lake County has made enormous strides in helping to divert people from the court system and toward treatment. Using data to guide policy and with the help of mental health providers, peer advocates with lived experience, and supportive programs, we are able to connect people with the behavioral health resources they require.
Last week, Representative Schneider announced his Community Project Funding (CPF) submissions to the House Appropriations Committee as part of the 2023 federal appropriations legislation. I am pleased to see that Representative Schneider has included many critical projects, like the Lake Bluff Downtown Flood Mitigation Project, which would correct the long-standing issue of the closure of Rockland Road below the railroad tracks in east Lake Bluff during heavy storm events.
As always, it is an honor to represent you on the Lake County Board and the Forest Preserve Board. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
 Sandy Hart
Lake County Board District 13
Sandy Hart Webpage
Lake County Government News
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Early Voting Sites Open for June 28 Election
Early voting will begin Monday, June 13 at sites across Lake County for the June 28 General Primary Election. Early voting is available to any Lake County resident who meets all voter registration requirements.
You can use any early voting site regardless of where you live. Some locations will even offer extended hours. Use the Early Voting Sites Finder to find the early voting site closest to you, which includes the hours and waiting time information so you can vote and go.
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Introducing Ride Lake County
Lake County has launched Ride Lake County, a borderless, countywide paratransit service that provides transportation to anywhere in Lake County for seniors ages 60+ and people with disabilities. Now, residents in need of paratransit services can call 1-800-201-6446, to enable them to travel around Lake County. Learn more
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Lake County Welcomes $30 Million in Grant Funding from the State for Stormwater Management Projects
Lake County welcomed Illinois Governor Pritzker to Waukegan to announce and share our gratitude for the initial $30 million to support regional stormwater and related infrastructure projects to reduce flooding for hard hit communities across the county. This is the first installment of $122 million in funds allocated to Lake County from the State of Illinois, and we are grateful to our Lake County legislators for their commitment to addressing these critical flooding issues. Learn more
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Grant for Pedestrian Bridge on Green Bay Road in Lake Bluff
Thanks to Senator Julie Morrison, pedestrians walking to town or schools will now be able to do so more safely.
The pedestrian bridge will solve safety issues not only for students going to school but also for walkers and bicyclists. This has been a significant safety issue for years and I am grateful to Senator Morrison for her leadership to fix this problem.
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State’s Attorney Announces Gun Violence Prevention Initiative Team
The Lake County State's Attorney's Office, with a substantial investment by the County Board through ARPA funds and the State of Illinois through budget allocation, announces the leadership team of the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative.
The Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Initiative will partner with community and law enforcement to address the root causes of gun violence, and implement proven short-term and long-term strategies, to immediately interrupt cycles of gun violence. Learn more
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Storm Sewer Improvements Underway in Lake Forest
Recently, I joined members of the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC), County Board Members Paul Frank and Paras Parekh, and the City of Lake Forest to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Burr Oak Area Storm Sewer Improvement Project. This project will include the construction of storm sewer upgrades and underground storage facilities for residential and business areas within the north downtown area of Lake Forest.
Thanks to our Lake County legislators, SMC has been granted a total $122 million in funding by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to support local initiatives in managing regional stormwater and related infrastructure maintenance and improvement projects to reduce flooding for hard hit communities across Lake County. Learn more
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Lake County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
Lake County Partners, in collaboration with organizations across Lake County, led the effort on the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) that will help guide decisions on the future of Lake County. Lake County Partners is the lead organization for economic development in Lake County, facilitating public and private collaboration to drive the local economy.
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Talking Trash
The staff at the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County receives calls and emails daily from residents and businesses asking how to properly recycle or dispose of common household materials. Sometimes they also receive calls from concerned residents alerting that they observed their waste collector throwing the contents of their recycling cart into the trash truck.
Lake County recognizes the success of recycling is reliant on our willingness to do more to reduce, reuse and recycle but also recognize success is possible if we all follow the recycling guidelines within our communities. Learn more
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Residents Can Now Recycle Latex Paint, Single-Use Propane Cylinders and Fire Extinguishers
The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County now has a monthly drop-off service for latex paint, small single-use propane cylinders and fire extinguishers for residents. The associated fees will cover the cost of proper handling, storing and recycling/reuse of these high-demand items.
This new service is available by appointment only and will occur the third Wednesday of the month. Learn more
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Swim Safely This Summer. Health Department Provides Helpful Tips
Whether swimming at your local pool or enjoying family time on your favorite beach, it is important to protect yourself from illness, prevent the spread of germs, and practice safe swimming.
The Lake County Health Department monitors lake water for E.coli bacteria in over 100 Lake Michigan and inland lake beaches to ensure that the water is acceptable for swimming. Now through Labor Day, beach closure information can be found on the Health Department’s Beach Advisory web page, which is updated daily by 10:00 a.m. Learn more
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New Landscape Waste Burning Restrictions and Waste Hauling Service
Beginning June 1, 2022, permanent landscape waste burning restrictions within unincorporated Lake County have gone into effect. Additionally, new consolidated waste service within certain townships of unincorporated areas began. Learn more
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2022 Water Quality Reports Available
Lake County Public Works is committed to providing safe water throughout the County. As strong supporters of the Safe Drinking Water Act, Public Works releases annual water quality Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs) for the 11 water systems they own and operate. Visit the water quality reports webpage to read your report.
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Pavement Rejuvenator - Extending the Life of County Roads
The Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) will be applying pavement rejuvenator, a glue-type substance that can extend the life of a road by five years, to several newly completed road surfaces in Lake County over the next few weeks. Learn more
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Property Assessment News |
Deadline Is Approaching for 2022 Senior Citizen Assessment Freeze
The final filing date for the 2022 Senior Citizen Assessment Freeze, taxes payable 2023 is July 31. You may qualify if you did not file for 2022 and you were 65 or older in 2022, your total household annual income was $65,000 or less in 2021, and your property was owner occupied as the principal residence on January 1, 2021 and 2022. Learn more
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EMA News
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Lake County EMA Distributes Five Million PPE Items & Supplies to Community
The Lake County Emergency Management Agency, in collaboration with the Lake County Health Department, reached a major milestone in May, distributing five million Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items and supplies out to the community since the start of the pandemic response.
PPE items included gowns, face shields, masks of various types for both children and adults gloves, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, thermometers, and rapid tests. Over 400 entities have received PPE and supplies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Volunteers and staff have been an integral part of distributing PPE year round to facilities most in need all across the County. This milestone would not have been possible without the dedication of the volunteers who distributed items, sometimes in extreme heat and cold, to get items to communities in need.
Check out where PPE was distributed throughout the County via this distribution map: Personal Protective Equipment Distribution - Lake County, Illinois (arcgis.com)
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Give Back to Your Community! Volunteer with EMA
If you’re looking for a way to give back to your community, then consider volunteering with the Lake County Emergency Management Agency. Watch this video to learn more about volunteer opportunities, and if you think it might be right for you, complete the volunteer interest survey.
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Lake County COVID-19 Update
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COVID-19 Helpful Links
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Get Help
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Call 211 to Get Connected to the Help You Need
If you need help finding food, shelter, rent or utility assistance, or other essential services, call 211 or text your zip code to 898211 to speak with someone who can help 24/7. Speak to a live person in English or Spanish when you call. The 211 team will also interpret more than 150 other languages. Learn more
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Other Resources for Help
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Food for Families in Need: Northern Illinois Food Bank operates a traveling food pantry that delivers nutritious food directly to those in need and coordinates pop-up food markets across Lake County. Find food
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Help for Veterans: The Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County can help veterans and their families with a variety of issues, including financial help, survivor spousal benefits, burial arrangements and more. Call 847-377-3344.
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Mental Health Support: The Lake County Health Department offers a free, 24/7 confidential hotline for those experiencing a mental health crisis or substance use issue. Call 847-377-8088 any time. Learn more
Employment Resources
The Job Center of Lake County is your career solution! Their mission is to cultivate and connect Lake County employers and workers to fuel economic growth and well-being in Lake County. View the full Job Center calendar to learn about various upcoming events and resources.
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Job Center on the Move
Individuals can now meet with a Job Center representative at one of four locations. “Job Center On the Move” sites currently include the Boys & Girls Club of Lake County, Legacy Reentry Foundation, and the Zion Public Library. Individuals who make an appointment can meet one-on-one with a Job Center representative to discuss services including career transition, resume assistance, paid work experience and more.
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Check Get Hired Illinois
The State of Illinois launched Get Hired Illinois, designed to connect workers with available job and career training opportunities across the state.
Forest Preserves News
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Concerts in the Plaza Lineup Set
From Beatles to the blues, from rock and bluegrass to swing and jazz, there’s something for just about any music taste when award-winning performers play under the stars at the annual Concerts in the Plaza music series. Nine concerts will be held at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, June 21 through August 16.
The concerts are held at the preserve's outdoor Millennia Plaza overlooking a 115-acre lake. A friendly reminder, dogs, horses and other pets are not permitted at Independence Grove. A concert will also take place Thursday, June 23 at the outdoor amphitheater at Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago. View full band descriptions and 2022 concert lineup.
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Dunn Museum Offers Free Admission
The Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County in Libertyville is joining museums across the country in offering free admission to military personnel and their families.
The free admission program runs through September 5, Labor Day. The Blue Star Museums program is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, working with the Department of Defense and museums across the U.S. Learn more »
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Bison Safely Captured
A 1,300-pound bison that escaped from a Wauconda farm late last year was safely and humanely removed from Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda. Officials believe it settled at Lakewood in early April.
Lake County Forest Preserve officials worked with a professional livestock specialist from Illinois to capture the bison. "We are thankful the animal has been removed from the forest preserve safely," said Mike Tully, chief operations officer for the Lake County Forest Preserves. "The safety of our users and the animal has been our No. 1 priority throughout this process. Bison are considered domestic livestock in Illinois, therefore roaming free in a public forest preserve is not an appropriate place for it to call home." Learn more »
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Protocols in Place to Protect Turtles
Ecologists from the Lake County Forest Preserves are working with expert veterinarians to monitor Blanding's turtles in this area and develop protocols in an attempt to keep them safe from a fungus recently detected within the population in Lake County that may lead to turtle shell disease.
Over the past 13 years, Gary Glowacki, manager of conservation ecology at the Lake County Forest Preserves, and his team have grown and stabilized the largest Blanding’s turtle population in the state. Through routine health assessments done as part of the turtle recovery program, it has been discovered that three Blanding’s turtles that are part of this program have contracted Emydomyces testavorans, a fungus that is known to be highly associated with turtle shell disease. Learn more »
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Financial Reporting Award Earned
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Lake County Forest Preserves. The award recognizes the annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year that ended December 31, 2020.
"The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in government accounting and financial reporting," GFOA Director Michele Mark Levine said. "Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management." Learn more »
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Community Events and News
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Ready to Plan Your Summer? Check Out County’s Summer Festivals
The summer festival season always brings the heat in Lake County. Across the county, this summer promises to be a good time as families and neighbors gather for food, good music and fun. Check out Visit Lake County’s Guide to Summer Festivals.
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Watch All County Board and Committee Meetings
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All Lake County board and committee meetings can be viewed on lakecounty.tv and on cable television (Comcast channels 18 or 30, depending on where you live, and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99). The public also is welcome to attend all meetings in person at the Lake County Administrative Tower, 18 N. County Street, Waukegan or may attend meetings remotely using the registration link on the front page of each meeting’s agenda.
Individuals attending meetings in person or remotely may present their public comments during the meeting. Those not in attendance may provide written public comment via email or by mail. View the current meeting schedule.
All meetings are recorded and are posted on the Lake County website.
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