The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC), along with the City of Park City, celebrated the completion of the Park City Stormwater Capital Improvement project with a ribbon cutting on June 10. This infrastructure improvement has involved years of planning and work. The improvements at the site will alleviate flooding for more than 800 properties in Park City.
This project was marked a high priority for capital improvement funds received from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity because this area of Park City is located at the headwaters of the Skokie River. The completed work benefits many states, all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. It is a major step forward in flood mitigation to protect people, property and the environment.
Construction included the installation of large box culverts, storm sewer system upgrades extending from Illinois Route 120 south to Greenbelt Forest Preserve and removing the stormwater system restrictor plate at the Casimir Pulaski Drive culvert to help alleviate severe flooding that has happened over the years in this area.
Learn more about this project and the ribbon cutting event by watching this event video.
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 The start of construction to update the 100-year-old Sylvan Lake Dam in unincorporated Mundelein was recently celebrated by SMC, joined by the Fremont Township Highway Department and the Lake County Board, with a groundbreaking ceremony.
The Sylvan Lake Dam, which was built in 1924, has exceeded its useful life. The aging infrastructure doesn't properly protect the homes and roads in the area from a sudden release of water, which could damage local properties and roads, and significantly impact the environment.
The Sylvan Lake Dam will be reconstructed to protect nearly 300 nearby homes and Sylvan Lake. Work includes relocating the above-ground sanitary sewer pipe, increasing the dam’s flood storage and installing a sidewalk.
Learn more about this project and enjoy part of the groundbreaking ceremony with this video.
Save the Date! HOA Workshop and Vendor Expo on September 12
SMC is excited to offer a free Homeowners Association Workshop and Vendor Expo on Thursday, September 12.
- Vendor Expo: 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. (in-person)
- HOA Workshop: 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. (hybrid)
This event is open to associations and property owners who are responsible for maintaining detention ponds, wetlands, and natural areas. Grants and funding opportunities will also be discussed. The workshop will be conducted in a hybrid format both in-person and via Zoom. The Vendor Expo will only be available in-person at the Central Permit Facility Second Floor Conference Room located at 500 W. Winchester Road in Libertyville. View the full workshop agenda. Registration is now open. Each attendee should RSVP individually. In-person space is limited to 80 participants.
In-Person Registration
Zoom Registration
Vendors Wanted for Expo
Vendors interested in exhibiting at the 2024 Homeowners Association Vendor Expo on Thursday, September 12 will have the opportunity to provide information on designing, installing, and maintaining detention ponds, wetlands, and natural areas for homeowners' association and property owners. Space is limited, but a waitlist may be created.
- Vendor Registration Fee: $100 per table.
- Vendor Exhibit Set-up: 4:00 - 4:30 p.m.
- Vendor Exhibit Time: 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
- Important Note: The 2024 HOA Workshop is a hybrid event. Only in-person workshop attendees will be able to attend the Vendor Expo. Zoom attendees will not be at the Vendor Expo. The dedicated vendor exhibit time is 4:30 - 5:30 pm, but vendors can continue their exhibits throughout the workshop.
- Vendor Registration Information: The vendor registration deadline is Friday, July 19 at 12:00 p.m. To apply, go to SMC’s online application tool, and search for “HOA Workshop Vendor Registration." Click the blue “Apply” button and proceed.
Contact Sharene Gould Dulabaum with questions.
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WMB Request for Proposals Now Open
We are now accepting request for proposals for the annual Watershed Management Board (WMB) funded projects for Fiscal Year 2025. This opportunity is available to all local watershed groups, landowners, homeowners associations, units of municipal, township, and county governments, land conservancies and trusts, park districts, and other land managing agencies. All project proposals must be submitted electronically through SMC's INFLOW proposal intake site and received no later than 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 13, 2024, via the SMC INFLOW portal.
SMC staff will review all proposal submissions based on the project prioritization criteria and will make recommendations to the WMB for their approval of projects at the November 20, 2024, WMB meeting. Project proposals recommended for funding by the WMB will be forwarded to the December 2024 SMC meeting for final approval and funding appropriations.
New to the INFLOW system? SMC is hosting an INFLOW Instructional Webinar and Q&A on Tuesday, August 27 at 10:00 a.m. Register now
SMC staff will also be available to meet with applicants to assist with project proposal preparations through Friday, August 23. To receive assistance, please contact one of the program contacts to set up a pre-submittal meeting. Note that a limited number of appointment times are available and all pre-submittal meetings will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis. For more information, visit SMC's website.
Now Accepting Lake Michigan Wetland Restoration Request for Proposal
The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) is now open to Request for Proposal (RFP) for wetland mitigation projects within the Lake Michigan Watershed. Financial support for proposals will be issued through SMC's Wetland Restoration Fund (WRF).
Adopted by the Lake County Board on Nov. 8, 2005, SMC administers and implements the WRF for Isolated Waters of Lake County (IWLC) impacts exceeding the mitigation threshold in watersheds where mitigation bank credits (i.e., acres) are unavailable. The WRF received monies due to development(s) that impacted non-high quality IWLC within the Lake Michigan Watershed.
Since its inception, the WRF has been used by 25 developers to purchase 27.3 acres of mitigation credit when wetland mitigation bank credits have not been available.
The Lake County WDO allows payment into the WRF for compensation for IWLC impacts when there are no available mitigation bank credits. There are no available wetland bank credits in the watershed currently; therefore, we are issuing this RFP for wetland mitigation projects using WRF funds within the Lake Michigan Watershed in Lake County, Illinois, to achieve a mitigation acreage goal of 3.69 acres, at a minimum. At least 2.20 acres of mitigation must be in the form of wetland creation or restoration to compensate 1:1 for IWLC impacts in the watershed (i.e., "no-net-loss" of wetlands). The remaining 1.49 acres of mitigation may be in the form of wetland creation, wetland restoration, or enhancement of existing wetlands or buffers. Approximately $486,163 is available.
Request for Proposal Details:
If submitting hard copies via U.S. mail or courier, send application to:
Wetland Restoration Fund Application
Attn: Brian Frank
Lake County Stormwater Management Commission
500 W. Winchester Road, Suite 201
Libertyville, IL 60048
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Staff Spotlight
Meet New SMC Employee Bill Santelik
Welcome Bill Santelik, SMC’s newest staff member! Bill joined the team in June as a Principal Wetland Specialist to assist our department with permit application reviews, Preliminary Jurisdictional Determinations, and to provide guidance and expertise for wetland-related work as well as various other tasks to help SMC serve the County's needs.
Bill comes to SMC after 23 years of work in private wetland consulting throughout the Midwest. He has lived in Lake County for 13 years and has two sons in high school. Outside of work, he enjoys woodworking, traveling and trying different foods, restoring cars with his son, and tending to a native plant restoration he maintains along Bull Creek. Glad to have you on the team, Bill!
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