Lake County Government News  

The Lake County Board has adopted a new Strategic Plan, serving as the road map guiding and influencing how Lake County will prioritize resources. The plan was adopted at the Board’s Sept. 12 meeting and will be utilized for the next four years.  

The 2023 Lake County Strategic Plan details six strategic priorities that will help the county further its mission to provide exceptional services and support for people, communities, and the environment.  Learn more

Lake County has officially allocated all of $135.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds it received from the federal government. The projects funded demonstrate the Lake County Board's commitment to address immediate pandemic response needs and pursuing long-term equity-informed initiatives to support our residents and local businesses. 

This two-and-a-half-year process took swift decision-making and thoughtful planning on how we can best support projects and programs that solve problems our community is facing and make Lake County more resilient to future challenges. 

Here's our ARPA story

Gary Gibson, Lake County Administrator has announced his retirement effective at the end of his contract on February 16, 2024. Gibson’s career spans 34 years in the public sector, with 28 years with Lake County government and the last four as County Administrator. Through his leadership as the County Administrator, Lake County navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic, allocated more than $250 million via CARES Act and ARPA funds, secured funding for the Regional Operations and Communications (ROC) Facility, and maintained the County’s triple-A rating from both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s.

We are currently in the midst of an internal search for a new County Administrator. Lake County employees will have an opportunity to apply for the position.

Read more

I am so pleased that Access Lake has become a reality! We are grateful to Lake County hospital and medical partners (like Erie Health) in this endeavor, which will coordinate and increase access to affordable specialty healthcare services to low-income, uninsured and underinsured residents. There are many cases in which Lake County Health Department (LCHD) clients need medical services that the LCHD cannot provide. Through this collaboration, participating health systems can provide those additional services, like cancer treatment. I want to personally thank LCHD Executive Director Mark Pfister for his vision and leadership and I look forward to more partners joining Access Lake. 

COVID-19 News Like other viruses, COVID-19 continues to change over time, causing new variants to develop. The most recent variants are notable because of genetic differences from previous versions. It is important to continue to protect yourself and others by:

• Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.
• Staying home when sick.
• Getting tested if you have symptoms.

The FDA recommends an updated COVID-19 vaccine that will be effective at reducing severe disease and hospitalization. When the vaccine becomes available, find a vaccination location near you by visiting Vaccines.gov. 

You can order four free rapid COVID-19 tests for your household. Visit COVID.gov/tests to order. Also, make sure to check any "expired" tests you have before throwing them out. Some test expiration dates have been expanded. Check your tests

Stay ahead of flu season by getting your seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible. It is recommended that everyone ages six months and older get the flu shot sometime in September or October. Still, flu vaccinations will continue for the duration of the flu season. Getting the flu shot can keep you from getting the flu, help to reduce the severity, and prevent hospitalizations.

You can find flu shot locations near you on Vaccines.gov. 

People can call or text 988 for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. 988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress, including thoughts of suicide, mental health concerns, substance abuse crises, emotional distress or other reasons.

Callers with a Lake County area code who call 988 are routed to the Health Department Crisis Care Line. In some instances, the person over the phone can be provided referrals to resources such as shelter, food pantry, Wellness Center or other social service agencies.

If in-person intervention is requested, the Health Department Mobile Response team will respond to the individual wherever they are.

Watch this short video to learn about the ways the Mobile Response Team supports our community.

Mental Health First Aid is a FREE course that teaches you how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The Lake County Health Department’s Mental Health First Aid initiative is now offering classes virtually. This includes a two-hour self-paced course, followed by four hours of instructor-led training delivered virtually. The virtual course curricula includes expanded content on trauma, addiction and self-care.

The Lake County Health Department provides services for newly arrived Ukrainian refugees to Lake County.

Individuals are required to do a Tuberculosis (TB) blood test within 90 days of arriving in the United States. The Health Department provides free testing through its TB clinic in Waukegan. Appointments are highly recommended as there is limited walk-in availability. TB is caused by a bacteria that usually attacks the lungs, but can attack different parts of the body.

View this flyer in English and Ukrainian to learn more

Transportation News

The Lake County Division of Transportation has released the 2023-2028 Transportation Improvement Program that includes more than 300 projects designed to maintain the more than 900 lane-miles of county highways, increase driver and pedestrian safety, improve mobility and reduce carbon emissions. This program is updated annually to show the projects that are planned in the current year and the next five years.

View our interactive dashboard 

Pace has launched a pilot service expansion of the Pace Round Lake Area On Demand service. The current service zone will be doubled to serve more of the Round Lake area.

The expansion will serve portions of Fox Lake, Long Lake, Ingleside and Round Lake Heights.  The new zone will enhance the area’s overall transit network by providing new connections with Pace Routes 570 and 806 and with Metra’s MD-North and NCS Lines.

View the On Demand Service Flyer
View the On Demand Service Spanish Flyer
View the On Demand Expansion Map
View the On Demand Expansion Spanish Map

In 2022, Lake County launched a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (C-PACE) to incentivize commercial property owners to make energy efficient improvements for their business.

C-PACE is an innovative program that provides long-term, fixed-rate, non-recourse financing to private building owners for energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, electric vehicle charging and resiliency projects to be installed in commercial buildings.

Property owners may obtain up to 100 percent financing from private capital providers for eligible improvements such as HVAC, lighting and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and other improvements in both existing buildings and new construction projects. Funding through C-PACE is received through qualified capital providers, secured by a special assessment lien on the property and repaid as a line item on the property tax bill.  Learn more

Job News 

The Job Center of Lake County can help you to transition careers, identify job opportunities and connect with employers.

Watch this video to learn more about the virtual and onsite resources that are available to all job seekers through the Job Center partners. And view the full Job Center calendar to learn about various upcoming events and resources.  

Check Hire Lake County
Check Hire Lake County for information about job opportunities and businesses vetted by the Job Center’s business service team.

Mitch, the therapy service dog from the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center has retired after eight years of dedicated service.

His primary role was to comfort and provide compassion to child victims who are interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center. The center assists with the investigation and prosecution of crimes involving the sexual and physical abuse of children.  

Watch this video as Lake County gives Mitch a fond farewell.

Get Help  

Finding the help you need may be three numbers away. If you need help finding food, healthcare, shelter, or other 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 languages. The service is free and confidential. Learn more 

Forest Preserves News

The Lake County Forest Preserves reopened a 71.55-acre parcel of land that is now part of Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve. The donation is known as the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve.  

The property features 1 mile of Lake Michigan shoreline, three beautifully restored ravines and blufftops, accessible trails, overlooks and art installations. As part of the transfer, Openlands donated approximately $1.36 million for conservation and habitat restoration on the property. Learn more »

As the days grow cooler, the Lake County Forest Preserves has planned a variety of entertainment as part of SeptOberFest at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville. Music by local artists, events and programs will take place Wednesdays and Thursdays through the end of October.

Throughout SeptOberFest, the Beer Garden at Independence Grove is open 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 1 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The venue features an array of local craft beers on tap from Lake County breweries. Wine, non-alcoholic beverages, cold brew coffee and packaged snacks are also available. Beer flights and tastings will be included in the lineup this fall. Learn more »

Crain’s Chicago Business named Pati Vitt, director of natural resources at the Lake County Forest Preserves, one of the 2023 Notable Women in STEM.

Vitt develops and implements land management and restoration programs at the Lake County Forest Preserves, the second largest forest preserve district in the state. Programs include prescibed burning, farmland management, reforestation and native vegetation planting, endangered and threatened species monitoring, wildlife species re-introduction and invasive species control. Learn more

It's that perfect time of year to enjoy summer fun with a little bit of autumn chill. From community festivals and concerts to running events, there's so much to do this month in Lake County. 

Still not sure what to do? Check out Visit Lake County's guide to the top 10 things to do in September and plan a month full of fun! 

Watch All County Board and Committee Meetings 

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.