Public Meetings - Lake County, Illinois

The Lake County Public Works and Transportation (PBT) Committee and the Finance Committee held a joint budget hearing to consider the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budgets for the Division of Transportation (DOT) and the Public Works Department. The total capital investment discussed across departments is approximately $127 million. Public Comments & Testimony - One public comment was noted on the agenda but was deferred to the later General Operating Expense (GOE) portion of the meeting. No public comments were heard during this specific session. Discussion Items County Administrator's FY2027 Budget Overview - County Administrator Patrice Sutton and Budget Manager Michael Wheeler outlined the budget strategy, including a new approach of placing all new program requests (NPRs) and a merit pool in the GOE budget for centralized committee prioritization. - Member Wasig asked for clarification on the "double appropriation" designation. Sutton and Wheeler explained it is an accounting method where costs like FICA and IMRF are budgeted in both central and departmental funds to show true staffing costs, with the expenditure occurring only once. - Budget pressures include the transition to the Workday ERP system, collective bargaining wage increases, a 2.7% CPI-based cost of living adjustment, and significant capital investments ($127M total). - The county is taking the full allowable 2.7% CPI increase for the property tax levy, anticipating an approximate $15 increase on the county portion of a tax bill for a $350,000 home. Division of Transportation (DOT) Budgets (Items 8.1-8.6) - Director Shane Schneider presented six budgets covering operations, bridge tax, matching tax, motor fuel taxes, and the RTA quarter percent sales tax. - Performance Metrics: The county maintains a pavement condition rating of 83 and a bridge sufficiency rating of 86, both above the stated goal of 80. Member Litzick praised the reduction in fatality rates and the addition of over 40 miles of paved bike paths in recent years. - Challenges: The department is struggling with fuel costs (projections $60,000 above budget) and personnel recruitment, particularly for engineers (five out of eight current vacancies are engineers). - Funding Distinctions: Chair Hart highlighted that the bridge and matching taxes are property tax levies while the motor fuel taxes are user fees. Member Litzick noted Lake County has the lowest motor fuel tax rate among the collar counties. Director Schneider noted the RTA quarter percent sales tax is the only fund keeping pace with inflation. - Ridley County: Vice Chair Park commended the forward-thinking strategy for the $1 million Ridley County program. Director Schneider expressed a goal of transitioning it to a fully regional program led by the NITA board. Public Works Budgets (Items 8.7 & 8.8) - Director Austin McFarland presented the FY2027 budgets for public works operations and capital. The department services approximately 40% of the county with drinking water and sanitary sewer services. - Regulatory & Operational Challenges: - Lead Monitoring: EPA requirements for childcare facilities and schools are straining resources with over 60 monitored sites. - Utility Relocation: Increasing costs to move water and sewer pipes for road projects are deferring the department's own capital projects. - PFAS: The department is awaiting a new NPDES permit. Member Litzick and Chair Hart discussed the need to advocate for accountability from PFAS manufacturers, noting the county was recently named in a settlement program. - Pre-Treatment: Member Hunter strongly advocated for adding a second pre-treatment coordinator given the expanding industrial and FOG (fats, oils, grease) programs and the takeover of the Village of Lake Zurich's program. - ANIOC Chain O'Lakes Sewer Project: McFarland updated the committee on an ARPA-funded project to bring public sewer to areas on septic systems. An Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Village of Antioch is being developed following an approved MOU. - Revenue Changes: A 92% reduction in tax revenue was explained as the termination of a Special Service Area (SSA). - Emergency Vehicle Amendment: Following a request from the County Administrator, Member Hewitt introduced an amendment to add $300,000 from reserves to the Public Works Capital Fund (Item 8.8) to replace an emergency vehicle described as "on its last leg." The amendment was seconded by Member Hunter. Key Outcomes - DOT Budgets Approved: The joint committees unanimously approved the recommended FY2027 budgets for the Division of Transportation, County Bridge Tax, Matching Tax, County Motor Fuel Tax, County Option Motor Fuel Tax, and RTA Quarter Percent Sales Tax (Items 8.1-8.6). - Public Works Budgets Approved as Amended: The committees unanimously approved the FY2027 Public Works operating and capital budgets (Items 8.7 & 8.8). The capital budget was amended by Member Hewitt and seconded by Member Hunter to include $300,000 for the replacement of an emergency vehicle, fundable from existing reserves. - Next Meeting: The next meeting is scheduled for October 28, 2026.

The Technology Committee of Lake County met on October 21, 2026, to consider the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget for Enterprise Information Technology. After skipping one agenda item, the committee heard a presentation from Chief Information Officer Chris Blanding and unanimously approved the budget. Discussion Items - Item 8.F1 was skipped by consensus. - The committee considered Item 8.1: a joint committee action to approve the recommended FY2027 budget for Enterprise Information Technology. CIO Blanding presented the budget, noting that the IT operational budget is essentially flat but the software and applications budget increased due to the expiration of a three-year security platform agreement (approximately $1.3 million) and a three-year virtual server environment (VMware) agreement. The county is implementing a new Workday ERP system with a go-live scheduled for December 2026, which will modernize the 20+ year old legacy Oracle ERP platform. The budget reflects a reduction of one personnel position (due to a long-term vacancy) and an unfunded new personnel request for two help desk staff. - Discussion included questions about long-term contract renewal options, potential savings from application consolidation and data storage reduction, and future staff reorganization as legacy systems phase out. CIO Blanding stated that moving some services to the cloud and enforcing record retention policies could reduce costs. Chair Clark and Vice Chair Kasman participated in the discussion. Key Outcomes - The committee approved the FY2027 budget for Enterprise Information Technology (Item 8.T1) by voice vote with all in favor; no opposition was recorded. - The meeting was adjourned; the next committee meeting is scheduled for October 30, 2026.

The Lake County Public Works and Transportation (PWT), Planning, Building, Zoning & Environment (PBZE), and Finance Committees held a joint budget hearing on October 21, 2026, starting at 8:30 AM. The primary focus was reviewing and approving recommended FY2027 budgets for various departments. Significant discussions revolved around the Stormwater Management Commission’s capital funding, a recruitment and retention crisis in engineering, PFAS regulatory pressures, and a critical $2.5 million accounting error in the Sheriff’s budget discovered by the County Administrator. Public Comments & Testimony - Lauren Kelsheim Rothenberg, Career Prosecutor: Expressed strong opposition to a compensation study placing her Grade 16 classification equal to a new felony assistant state’s attorney, arguing it fails to account for her 30 years of experience and the high-stakes nature of her work in the violent crimes unit. Discussion Items - Budget Overview (County Administrator Patrice Sutton): Presented the overall budget, highlighting a 2.7% COLA tied to PTEL, a proposed 1.3% merit pool ($1.25M) separate from the COLA, and the strategic placement of all new program requests in the GOE budget for centralized committee review. - Division of Transportation (Director Shane Schneider): Reported no new program requests. Highlighted challenges including fuel cost projections ($60k over budget) and eight vacancies (five engineering). The department maintains a payment condition rating of 83 and a bridge sufficiency rating of 86. Members discussed recruitment strategies and the Ridley County program, for which Director Schneider advocated for a regional state model under NITA. - Public Works (Director Austin McFarland): Presented the water and sewer operating budget. Discussed strain from new EPA lead monitoring mandates across 60+ sites and increasing costs for utility relocations on road projects. Addressed ongoing PFAS concerns, noting the county is listed in a potential settlement. Provided an update on the Channel Lake sewer extension project. - Planning, Building & Development (Director Eric Wagner): Noted a soft 2026 in permitting revenue due to general activity slowdown and developer delays on commercial solar. Forecasted a strong 2027 rebound. Discussed accomplishments including data center regulations and upcoming sustainable development incentives. Emphasized the need for IGA fee escalators to match inflation. - Stormwater Management Commission (Executive Director Kurt Wolford): Presented the comp plan update, highlighting that SMC spends $5.88 per capita compared to DuPage County's $16.73. Successfully managed the $122M DCEO grant program (33 projects built) but has $62M in unfunded requests. Requested a $1M annual capital allocation, while the County Administrator recommended $500k. Staff detailed challenges with federal buyout grants, especially the 25% local match for unincorporated areas. - Capital Improvement Program (Director Carl Carrar, CAO Sutton): Reviewed the $10M CIP plan. The fund balance is $89.6M. A significant debate arose regarding the funding mechanism for SMC capital projects, with the CAO preferring specific, ready projects over a flexible spending pool. - General Operating Expense (CAO Sutton): Detailed GOE components including debt transfers, lobbyists, and the merit pool concept. A $350k federal funding contingency was proposed for removal to help address budget shortfalls. CAO Sutton confirmed a $2.5M mistake in the Sheriff's budget vacancy savings calculation. - Public Defender & Sheriff Budgets: The Public Defender (PD Tixai) requested full funding for six positions. A compromise was discussed: funding four positions (two principal PAs staggered, one assistant, one investigator) for an additional $224,339. The Sheriff's Office successfully argued for an increase of two administrative clerk headcount positions (total four) to manage warrants and failure-to-appears effectively, leveraging internal vacancies for funding. Key Outcomes - PWT Budgets: Approved unanimously. Includes DOT, Bridge Tax, Matching Tax, Motor Fuel Tax, and RTA Sales Tax. - Public Works Budgets: Approved as amended. A $300,000 amendment for an emergency vehicle replacement was passed from the Public Works reserve. - PBZE Budgets: Approved unanimously. Includes Planning, Building & Development and Stormwater Management Commission budgets. - County Clerk, Treasurer, CCAO Budgets: Approved unanimously by the Finance Committee. - CIP Budget: Approved. The request for a higher SMC capital allocation was discussed but not changed; the CAO will revert with a more structured project-based proposal. - GOE, Sheriff, & Public Defender Budgets Postponed: Action on these three items was deferred to the October 29, 2026 Finance Committee meeting. A general consensus was reached on the Public Defender compromise ($224k in GOE adjustments) and the Sheriff headcount increase. The CAO will present a final plan to cover the $2.5M sheriff budget shortfall.

The Law and Judicial (L&J) and Finance Committees met jointly on October 20, 2026, to review and approve the recommended fiscal year 2027 budgets for several county departments, including the 19th Judicial Circuit, Circuit Court Clerk, Sheriff, Public Defender, Coroner, and State's Attorney. The session featured extensive discussion on caseloads, staffing, data reporting, and long-term strategic funding. 19th Judicial Circuit Court (Items 8L1-8L8) The court's FY2027 budget was presented by Executive Director Carl Waller and Finance Director Lisa Wolf. The budget supports court operations, probation, pretrial services, the Hulse Detention Center, and technology. The increase over FY2026 is primarily driven by personnel costs for the 167 full-time positions. A significant discussion focused on the Eviction Mediation Fund, which shifted from ARPA funding to a special revenue fund derived from filing fees. Patrice Sutton clarified that the fund was established to segregate the revenue stream for its intended purpose, and a fund balance worksheet was distributed. The court also discussed its efforts to stand up a dashboard for time-to-disposition for cases, expected by early calendar year 2027. The motion to approve items 8L1-8L8 carried unanimously. Court Automation Fund (Item 8L9) Clerk of the Circuit Court Claire Cartwright presented the fund, which supports the case management system (eCorp), document digitization, and e-citation platforms. The fund is supported by fees and is facing declining revenue. Items approved by both committees. Circuit Court Clerk (Items 8L10-8L13) Clerk Cartwright walked through the budgets for the general fund, document storage, electronic citation, and the clerk's operations and administrative fund. - Performance Data: Member Knishnik asked about declining case type trends. Cartwright explained that a change in the Manual on Record Keeping now groups multiple charges into counts under a single case number, which creates the appearance of fewer cases. - Operations Fund: A detailed discussion covered the operations fund, which had a large fund balance built up and is now shifting to a steady-state annual budget. Personnel previously funded by this fund have been moved back to the general fund. - Committee Action: Items 8L10-8L13 were approved. Sheriff's Office (Items 8L14-8L18) Sheriff Eidelberg and his staff presented the budget for the Sheriff's office and related funds. - Body Armor for Corrections: Sheriff Eidelberg stated that funding is included for body armor for all correctional officers due to the high frequency of assaults. He stated assaults happen "once a week or once every other day." - Data Discrepancy: Member Vileito pointed out that the budget book listed only 7 instances of prisoner-on-officer assault as of June 30. The Sheriff and Chief clarified that the book data reflects only criminally charged assaults or those requiring off-site medical treatment. Internal incidents of pushing, resisting, and spitting occur much more frequently and are handled administratively. The Sheriff committed to providing more comprehensive data moving forward. - McHenry County Jail Contract: The contract has helped reduce mandatory overtime. The jail's average daily population has increased to 650, absorbing the capacity created by housing inmates in McHenry. - Vacancy Savings Error: It was noted that the Sheriff's general fund budget contains a vacancy savings calculation error. Member Clark moved to postpone action on Item 8L14 until corrections can be made. - Committee Action: Item 8L14 was postponed to the following day. Items 8L15-8L18 were approved. Sheriff's Merit Commission (Item 8L19) Treasurer Jeff Burke reported on the commission's work. They have streamlined the process by moving the physical power test to a virtual format, which has saved costs and removed a barrier for candidates. The item was approved. Public Defender's Office (Items 8L20-8L22) Public Defender Tixai delivered a presentation emphasizing the constitutional mandate of his office. He reported a 140% increase in felony appointments (1,669 to 4,009) since the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act. He cited a RAND Corporation study estimating a shortfall of 32.25 attorneys in Lake County to meet current workload standards. - Staffing Request: Director Tixai requested $740,155 for six new positions (two felony assistants, two misdemeanor assistants, a senior investigator, and an executive assistant). County Administration recommended funding one felony attorney. - Committee Debate: Member Danforth made a motion to amend the budget to include all six positions, arguing it is a statutory requirement of the county. The motion passed in the L&J committee (4-1). - Committee Action: The amendment passed in L&J. However, Finance Vice Chair Clark moved to postpone action on the amended item (8L20) to allow for consideration of budget offsets. The remaining records automation and Supreme Court fund items (8L21-8L22) were approved. Coroner's Office (Items 8L23-8L24) Coroner Bannock reported FY2025 statistics: 5,918 deaths screened, 621 investigations, and 399 autopsies. The office has expanded public health partnerships, including the Opioid Initiative and Suicide Prevention Task Force. Over 90% of the budget is for salaries. The items were approved without questions. State's Attorney's Office & Children's Advocacy Center (Items 8L25-8L30) Carrie Flanagan (CAC) presented on the center's operations, a public-private partnership that serves child victims of abuse. The requested program director position ($47,316 for six months) was included in the recommended budget. - State's Attorney's Office: First Assistant Eric Reinhardt presented the office's budget. He noted that of seven new program requests (NPRs), three were funded: the CAC request, a cyber analyst, and a cryptocurrency tracing tool. He withdrew or deferred other requests (conviction integrity unit, diversion coordinator) to explore grant funding. - Strategic Planning: Mr. Reinhardt argued for multi-year strategic funding for public safety departments, pointing to a 36% budget increase over 10 years for the SAO compared to 50%+ in neighboring counties. He cited concerns about pay grade maximums and retaining experienced prosecutors. Chair Hart encouraged department heads to bring forward multi-year plans. - Committee Action: Items 8L25-8L30 were approved by both committees. Key Outcomes - Items Approved: 19th Judicial Circuit Budget (8L1-8L8), Court Automation Fund (8L9), Circuit Clerk Budgets (8L10-13), Sheriff Special Funds/Merit (8L15-19), Coroner Budgets (8L23-24), State's Attorney/CAC Budgets (8L25-30). - Postponed: Sheriff General Fund Budget (8L14) — postponed for data correction. Public Defender General Fund (8L20) — amended to add six positions ($740,155) in L&J, but postponed in Finance for offset resolution. - Votes/Tallies: The Public Defender amendment passed in L&J with a 4-1 roll call vote (Altenberg, Danforth, Ewing, Roberts in favor; Peterson opposed). - Data/Process Requests: The Sheriff's office was asked to refine assault data. The State's Attorney was encouraged to present multi-year strategic plans.

Date: October 20, 2026 Time: 8:34 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. (with breaks and recess) Committees: Financial & Administration (FA), Health & Human Services (HCS), Law & Judicial (L&J), Technology, and others Overview: The joint committees convened to review the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget for Lake County. The budget totals $732 million, an 8% increase over FY2026. County Administrator Patrice Sutton and Budget Manager Michael Wheeler presented the overall budget, highlighting a property tax increase of 2.7% (CPI) plus new property, resulting in an estimated $15 increase on a $350,000 home. A mistake in the sheriff's vacancy savings calculation was acknowledged and will be corrected. New program requests (NPRs) include 8 new employees and various tools and initiatives, all currently funded in the General Operating Expense (GOE) budget pending final decisions. Consent Calendar - Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) FY2027 budget: Approved unanimously after presentation of strong performance metrics (e.g., $34.6 million in new benefits, 5.4:1 return on tax dollars). - Workforce Development FY2027 budget: Approved; federal funding decreased due to lower unemployment. 734 job placements, $31.5 million in wages last year. - Community Development (HUD grants) FY2027 budget: Approved; stable funding expected despite turbulent federal environment. Targets 40 affordable housing units. - Video Gaming Fund FY2027 budget: Approved; flat budget. - Opioid Settlement Fund FY2027 budget: Approved; increased spending on grants. Approximately $4 million in reserves; payments expected through 2038. - Regional Office of Education (ROE) FY2027 budget: Approved, but a proposal to transfer personnel to ROE payroll was postponed for further discussion due to concerns about precedent and lack of documentation. - Health Department FY2027 budget (and related funds H6-H10): Approved. Executive Director Chris Hoff noted challenges from federal cuts and Medicaid changes. Staff reduced from 846 to 831 FTEs; increased benefit costs. New capital fund created. - 19th Judicial Circuit Court FY2027 budget: Approved; increase primarily in personnel and benefits. - Circuit Clerk budgets (L10-L13): Approved; revenues declining due to legislative changes (e.g., elimination of cash bail). - Sheriff's Merit Commission FY2027 budget: Approved. - Coroner's Office FY2027 budget (L23-L24): Approved. - State's Attorney's Office budgets (L25-L30): Approved; three NPRs funded (cyber lab, CAC salary enhancement, cryptocurrency tracing tool). - Enterprise Information Technology (IT) FY2027 budget: Approved; focus on Workday ERP implementation and security upgrades. - Human Resources FY2027 budget: Approved; payroll function moving to Finance. Health insurance costs up 20%. - Risk Management / Liability Insurance / Health Life Dental (HLD) FY2027 budgets: Approved; emphasis on safety and claims management. - County Board, County Administrator, Internal Audit, FICA/IMRF, Debt Service, Special Service Areas (SSAs 12,13,16,17,18): Approved. Internal Audit budget noted challenges in hiring. - Facilities and Construction FY2027 budget: Approved. - Finance Department FY2027 budget: Approved; reorganization includes payroll moving in, budget team moving out. Public Comments & Testimony - No public comments were offered during the hearing. Discussion Items - New Program Requests (NPRs) Process: Many NPRs were consolidated into the GOE budget for holistic consideration on October 21. Departments presented their unfunded requests, with notable pleas from the Public Defender and Sheriff. - Public Defender Caseload Crisis: Director Tixai detailed a 140% increase in felony appointments since 2022, exceeding national workload standards. He requested six additional positions (two felony attorneys, two misdemeanor attorneys, one senior investigator, one executive assistant). A motion to add all six was made and passed in L&J committee (5-1), but postponed in Finance until October 21 to allow for balancing. - Sheriff's Budget Error: County Administrator acknowledged a mistake in vacancy savings for the sheriff's department. The sheriff's budget was postponed in Finance until corrected. - ROE Personnel Transfer: A proposal to move 10 contract employees to ROE payroll (reimbursement model) was discussed. Chair Frank and members expressed concerns about precedent and lack of documentation; agreed to postpone the decision for a separate policy conversation. - State's Attorney Strategic Planning: Eric Reinhardt advocated for long-term, multi-year funding for public safety (e.g., salaries, cyber lab) rather than annual grant-dependent budgeting. He noted that neighboring counties are increasing public safety budgets faster than Lake County. - Health Department Medicaid Challenges: Anticipating Medicaid work requirements and coverage losses, the health department is budgeting for increased uninsured patients (projected up to 29% of patients). A $350,000 contingency is included in GOE, but staff noted $2 million would be ideal. Key Outcomes - Budgets Approved (subject to final approval by County Board): All listed in Consent Calendar except those postponed. Votes were typically unanimous. - Postponed Items (to October 21): - Sheriff's Office (L14) – pending correction of vacancy savings. - Public Defender (L20 as amended) – amendment to add six positions passed in L&J; final decision and funding source to be determined in Finance. - ROE personnel transfer – separate discussion deferred. - Motions Made: - Motion to add six positions to Public Defender passed L&J (5-1); postponed in Finance. - Motion to postpone Sheriff budget passed in Finance. - Next Steps: Budget hearings continue October 21; revised recommended budget expected at FA committee leading to November County Board meeting.

The Lake County Board convened on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 9:00 AM. The meeting included recognitions of employees and community partners, public comments, approval of a consent agenda, and several resolutions on transportation, public health, and technology. Key decisions included funding for opioid settlement programs, a major road improvement project, and a new special service area for sewer needs. Consent Calendar - Items 7 through 45 were approved on a single roll call vote (16-0, with Member Hunter recused from Item 15). Item 39 (hazard mitigation plan) was removed and voted on separately. Recognitions & Proclamations - Melissa Burke (35 years, State's Attorney's Office) – recognized for supporting victims of crime, including the Highland Park parade shooting. - Keith Caldwell (35 years, GIS Division) – recognized for leading mapping modernization and dual addressing efforts. - Captain Stephen Yargos – honored for his service as commanding officer of Naval Station Great Lakes (2013-2026), noted for community partnerships and the Halsey Village demolition project. - Operation Green Light for Veterans – proclamation encouraging green light displays for Veterans Day. - Digital Inclusion Month (October 2026) – highlighted broadband progress: 1,400+ locations eligible for infrastructure, 16,000+ households without internet, 8,400+ without a computer, 6,600 residents trained, 2,000 laptops distributed. Lake County named a "visionary digital inclusion trailblazer" by NDIA. - National First Responders Day (October 28) – honoring 4.6 million first responders nationwide. - Domestic Violence Awareness Month – noted Lake County's pilot domestic violence fatality review team. Public Comments & Testimony - Michael Oester (ER physician) – opposed a proposed 500+ apartment development at Washington & Hunt Club in Gurnee, citing flooding, traffic, and zoning concerns; requested the Planning, Building, Zoning & Environment Committee review. Also urged using opioid settlement funds for medication-assisted treatment rather than incarceration. - Brother Blank's (Black Abolition Movement for the Mind) – proposed renaming the South Manor Community Garden to the Mary Ross Cunningham Community Garden; also requested an inquiry into whether the late County Democratic Board Chair excluded Senator Adrian Johnson from a meeting due to optics. - Pat Kubker – complained about inability to cross Washington Street/Hunt Club Road due to road widening, flooding, and lack of response from Lake County DOT; expressed frustration with staff and road design. - Isabella Sabau – alleged mishandling of her complaints by the Sheriff's Office; claimed a sheriff's deputy pushed her and that court cases were improperly deleted. Discussion Items - Liquor License Ordinance (Item 46) – reduced number of liquor licenses from 117 to 113 to match current usage. Approved unanimously. - Health & Community Services Report – noted flu/COVID/RSV vaccines available; reported loss of SAMHSA mental health first aid grant (trained 31,000 adults, 542 youth, led to 15,000 referrals); highlighted new federal Medicaid work requirements starting 2027 affecting 26,538 ACA adults (19.4% of Lake County's 136,375 Medicaid enrollees). - Opioid Settlement Funds (Item 48) – approved $500,000 in funding recommendations (emergency appropriation of $205,000). Roll call passed 16-0. - Old McHenry Road Right-of-Way (Item 52) – appropriated $7,600,000 from quarter-percent sales tax for right-of-way acquisition for improvements from Fairfield Road to Forest Drive, including grade separation. Roll call passed 16-0. - Special Service Area No. 18 (Item 53) – established for Del Mar Woods subdivision to fund sanitary sewer improvements; staff praised for 10-year effort. - Dig Once Policy (Item 54) – approved a policy to coordinate utility installation with road construction to reduce future digging. - Contract Modification (Item 55) – authorized $2,746,416 for FGM Architects for design/construction administration of a multi-department building on the Libertyville campus. - Beach Park Fire Protection District Appointment (Item 56) – appointed Richard Ludawise as trustee. Approved. Key Outcomes - Consent agenda passed (16-0, Member Hunter recused on Item 15). - Liquor license reduction ordinance passed unanimously. - Opioid settlement resolution passed (roll call 16-0). - HIDTA grant acceptance passed (roll call 16-0). - Emergency appropriation for 19th Judicial Circuit ($426,031.43) passed (roll call 16-0). - FY2027 legislative agenda approved unanimously. - Old McHenry Road right-of-way funding passed (roll call 16-0). - Special Service Area No. 18 established unanimously. - Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan annual report accepted (Item 39). - Dig Once policy approved unanimously. - Contract modification for multi-department building approved unanimously. - Richard Ludawise appointed to Beach Park Fire Protection District. - Meeting adjourned until November 10, 2026.

The Financial and Administrative Committee of Lake County met on Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 8:30 AM. Chair Frank presided. Members present: Clark, Frank, Hewitt, Vice Chair Parak, Peterson, Belitzik. Member Maine was absent. A quorum was established. The committee approved a consent agenda, received an economic development update, considered several resolutions, and reviewed the proposed FY27 budget and a consolidated five-year capital plan. Two executive sessions were held – one to discuss candidates for the ethics commission and another for claims/risk management. The meeting adjourned after approving two settlement authorizations. Consent Calendar - Items 10.1 through 10.20 were approved unanimously. Chair Frank noted no items were pulled for discussion. Public Comments & Testimony - No public comments were received. Discussion Items - Lake County Partners Update (Item 10.21) – CEO Kevin Considine reported that 2026 continues to be a strong year, having surpassed the record-setting 2025 total by April. New projects include a 600,000 square foot facility for Learning Resources in Vernon Hills and the return of Jaffa Salads to Lake County. The slide highlighted approximately 770 multifamily housing units in the pipeline. Direct capital investment has increased sharply, though job creation is not keeping pace due to the predominance of housing projects. Considine noted that the county is still short roughly 12,000 housing units, with local zoning being the primary obstacle. He mentioned two lost deals (about 350 jobs) due to inadequate housing. The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is being refreshed in-house, with an unveiling targeted for mid-2027. Upcoming events: Navigate Lake youth career fair (7,700 students registered) and Unlock the Dock government contracting event. The GSEP 2.0 agreement has passed, shifting to a 60% private funding model. Considine also noted that Danish company SoLarge’s project in Waukegan remains active. - Resolution 10.22 – FY27 Voter Registration Systems Grant – Clerk Vega presented a $637,738 grant from the Illinois State Board of Elections for voter database maintenance and electronic poll books. The grant is higher than expected for an off-year election cycle. Approved. - Resolution 10.23 – Creation of Grants Fund 201 – CFO Tuzak proposed a new fund to separate grant accounting from operating funds, effective December 1, 2026. Approved. - Resolution 10.24 – Line Item Transfers for FY26 – Tuzak requested a transfer from contingency to cover DOT fuel and overtime overruns. Approved. - Resolution 10.25 – Special Revenue Fund for SSA 18 (Delmar Woods) – Created to hold tax proceeds for sanitary sewer operations, replacing the former Delmar Woods Sanitary District. Members praised staff persistence. Approved. - FY27 Budget Presentation – County Administrator Patrice Sutton and Budget Manager Mike Wheeler presented the recommended budget. Total budget increase: 8%. Property tax operating funds: up 4.9% (property tax limit CPI of 2.7%); capital property tax funds slightly down; special revenue funds up 11%; internal service funds (health, life, dental) up significantly due to a 20%+ health insurance increase. Personnel costs (wages + benefits) represent 41% of total spending. 31 new program requests (NPRs) totaling $6 million were submitted; 11 are fully or partially recommended. The budget includes 2,665 positions (up 7 from FY26). Discussion focused on health insurance cost drivers (national trends, hospital costs, pharmaceuticals, labor shortages) and the impact of potential Medicaid cuts. Budget hearings set for October 20–21; final approval scheduled November 10. - Consolidated Capital Plan Presentation – Sutton introduced a first-ever comprehensive five-year capital plan totaling over $1 billion. The plan includes projects from Transportation, Public Works, Facilities, IT, Stormwater, Veterans Assistance Commission (new facility $23–25 million), and Health Department. Funding sources vary; many departments compete for the same pool. Sutton raised alignment questions (e.g., a DOT building project currently funded by motor fuel tax should likely be in the facilities plan) and sought direction on cost-sharing for multi‑jurisdictional stormwater projects. The committee agreed that projects should be properly categorized. Stormwater requested $11 million; the recommended budget includes $500,000 for design. Further discussion will occur during budget hearings. - Executive Sessions – Two executive sessions were held: the first to discuss candidates for the ethics commission; the second to discuss claims, loss, or risk management. No public details were disclosed. Key Outcomes - Consent agenda (Items 10.1–10.20) approved unanimously. - Resolution 10.22 (voter registration grant) approved. - Resolution 10.23 (grant fund creation) approved. - Resolution 10.24 (line item transfers) approved. - Resolution 10.25 (SSA 18 fund) approved. - Settlement authorizations for cases 230301W029 and 240124W002 (Items 13.1 and 13.2) approved following executive session. - The FY27 budget presentation was received; budget hearings scheduled for October 20–21, 2026, with final adoption on November 10, 2026. - The consolidated capital plan was presented for discussion; staff will refine the plan and funding model, with further input during budget hearings. - Meeting adjourned.

The Lake County Legislative Committee met on October 6, 2026 at 1:00 PM. The meeting was called to order by Chair Wasek, with remote attendance available via Zoom. The committee reviewed the final draft of the 2027 legislative agenda, received federal and state legislative updates, and discussed potential comments on a proposed Census rule. Consent Calendar - The committee approved three sets of minutes (items 8.1, 3.3, and a third set) by voice vote on a motion by Vice Chair Campos, seconded by Member Frank, with no opposition. Public Comments & Testimony - No public comments were offered. Discussion Items - Federal Legislative Update (Clayton W., Washington Representative): Clayton reported that Congress is in recess until after the midterm elections and will reconvene for a lame-duck session with a December 11 deadline for a continuing resolution. He highlighted six expiring pieces of legislation: appropriations, the Build America Act (surface transportation), the farm bill, the National Flood Insurance Program, the Defense Authorization Act, and the Water Resources Development Act. He also noted pending bills on flock camera regulation and the Ratepayer Protection Act (passed House 417-3, stalled in Senate). Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security proposed a rule that would count only full legal citizens in the Census. Comments on that rule are due November 2, 2026. Members discussed the possibility of submitting a county comment letter, with Member Frank expressing interest in understanding NACo’s position. Staff were directed to prepare a summary and circulate for committee feedback, with the option of a special meeting before the next scheduled meeting on November 3 (Election Day). - State Legislative Update (Derek and Mike, Springfield Representatives): Springfield is in recess until November 17, with a six-day fall veto session (November 17-19 and December 1-3). Possible priority items include data center regulation, excess revenue collections, and a supplemental appropriations bill for the Chicago Board of Education. Derek noted that the Power Act is more likely to be considered in the January 2027 session than in the fall veto session. - 2027 Legislative Agenda Review (Matt Shepherd, staff): The committee reviewed the proposed 2027 legislative program. Most items remained unchanged from the previous month. A key discussion focused on the Power Act, specifically the attached Residential Automated Solar Permitting Platform Act, which would mandate automated solar permitting software by July 2027. Eric Wagner, Planning, Building & Development Director, explained that the mandate is an unfunded mandate, would require costly software integration, and could weaken safety checks on residential solar installations. He noted that Lake County already achieves SolSmart Gold status and approves most residential solar permits in one to two days. Members expressed concerns: Kevin opposed the mandate as it removes manual review and could compromise safety; Jessica suggested proactive outreach to legislators to offer improvements based on the county’s experience. The committee agreed to support the Power Act overall but oppose the solar mandate component and to convey that position to the delegation and co-sponsors. Two additional topics of interest were noted for future consideration: the Make Polluters Pay Act and plug-in solar legislation, which may emerge in the next legislative session. - Census Rule Comments: Chair Wasek requested staff to draft potential comments on the DHS proposed Census rule. The deadline is November 2, 2026, one day before the next regular meeting (November 3). Staff will research NACo and ISACo positions and may convene a special meeting if needed. Key Outcomes - Consent Agenda Approved: Three sets of minutes were approved unanimously by voice vote. - 2027 Legislative Agenda Approved: The committee approved the 2027 legislative agenda by voice vote, with the understanding that the county opposes the residential automated solar permitting mandate within the Power Act. Staff were directed to communicate this position to the legislative delegation. - Census Comment Direction: Staff were directed to prepare a summary of the DHS proposed rule and draft comments for committee feedback, with potential special meeting scheduling before November 2. - Next Meeting: The next regular meeting is scheduled for November 3, 2026 (Election Day). A possible special meeting may be held the week prior to address Census comments.

The Health and Community Service Committee of Lake County convened on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 8:43 AM. The meeting was held in a hybrid format with remote attendance via Zoom. A quorum was present with Vice Chair Altenberg, Member Kasman (participating electronically), Member Dan Ford, Member Ewing, and Chair Park. Members King Snick and Maine were absent. The meeting included multiple joint resolutions, appropriations, a presentation on video gaming revenue scoring criteria, an update on contingency fund usage, and approval of opioid settlement fund grants. Consent Calendar - Approval of Minutes (September 1, 2026): Motion by Vice Chair Altenberg, second by Member Dan Ford. Unanimously approved. Discussion Items 8.2 – Amendment to PY 2026 HUD Action Plan (Healthy Houses Program) County staff proposed expanding the scope of $200,000 in CDBG funds allocated to supplement the Healthy Houses program. The amendment allows funds, previously restricted to environmental mitigation (asbestos/lead-based paint), to also be used for HVAC improvements. No change in dollar amount. Unanimously approved. 8.3 – Presentation: Video Gaming Revenue Scoring Criteria Dominic (county staff) presented changes to the scoring criteria for video gaming grants, approved earlier by the HCDC committee. The changes move 20 points (out of 220 total) to better differentiate applications: 10 points from the “video gaming specific impact” category to “overall lake county impact,” and 10 points from “community impact” to “outcomes.” The goal is to improve prioritization among the many behavioral health service applications. No vote was taken. 8.4 & 8.5 – Intergovernmental Agreements for Environmental Reviews - 8.4 (Waukegan Park District): Joint resolution approving an IGA for completion of an environmental review under 24 CFR Part 58 for a HUD-funded project. Similar agreements have been executed since 2022. Unanimously approved. - 8.5 (Lake County Housing Authority): Joint resolution approving the fourth and final renewal of an IGA covering ongoing environmental reviews for Housing Authority projects through October 2027. Unanimously approved. Health Department Emergency Appropriations (Items 8.6–8.10) - 8.6 – Belvedere Clinic HVAC Digital Control System: Emergency appropriation of $560,462 from Fund 211 (Health Department Medicaid Match Fund) to complete a direct digital control automation system on the second floor. One-time capital project expected to finish by end of 2027. Unanimously approved. - 8.7 – Zion Health Center Dental Equipment: Emergency appropriation of $17,590 from Fund 211 to replace a broken dental vacuum system, enabling resumption of dental services at the Zion clinic. Unanimously approved. - 8.8 – SFBT Training Grant: Emergency appropriation of $9,516 accepting grant funds from the Illinois Department of Behavioral Health Workforce Center for Solution Focused Brief Therapy training for six therapists. Unanimously approved. - 8.9 – CCSO Program Staffing: Emergency appropriation of $259,394 to fund three new staff positions for the Care Coordination and Support Organization (CCSO) program. The program serves high-risk youth with complex needs; currently 355 youth are on a waitlist, with a monthly capacity of 116. The three new staff will allow service to an additional 36 clients per month. The program is fee-for-service and stems from a consent decree, making it a state obligation. Unanimously approved after discussion about waitlist size and funding sustainability. - 8.10 – Disease Intervention Specialist Grant: Emergency appropriation of $32,000 accepting additional IDPH grant funds to expand disease intervention specialist workforce for STI and infectious disease outreach. Unanimously approved. Executive Director’s Update – Contingency Fund Requests Director Chris Hoff and Michelle provided an update on three requests to the county contingency fund for behavioral health grants disrupted by federal award delays: 1. Mental Health First Aid Training: Funded for eight years by SAMHSA; the latest competitive award was not renewed. Program ended in September 2026. The county trained hundreds of trainers who in turn trained thousands of individuals, helping over 15,000 people access services. 2. A Way Out Program: A DOJ-funded addiction treatment navigation program in partnership with 16 police departments. Award delayed; contingency funded through opioid settlement funds instead. Still awaiting federal decision. 3. 988 Suicide Prevention Call Center: SAMHSA grant delays led to contingency fund approval. The state recently indicated intent to fund, but no contract yet. The center answered 17,000 calls in 2025 and 12,000 so far in 2026. Hoff encouraged continuation of the contingency fund in the FY27 budget. 8.12 – Fall Opioid Settlement Fund Grants Ashley Watson, opioid coordinator, presented the fall grant cycle recommendations. The county received 15 applications requesting a total of $1,354,000. Available funds were $295,000 (carryover from spring + new budget). To fund the top five highest-scoring programs, an emergency appropriation of $205,000 was requested, bringing total to $500,000. Approved programs: - Task – Pretrial support services for individuals in Lake County jail (connection to treatment, harm reduction). - Nicasa – Expand overdose prevention to North Chicago, including Spanish-language harm reduction and case management. - CYN Youth Counseling – Youth prevention curriculum in North Chicago middle school and Boys & Girls Club, plus substance use screening. - Eddie Washington Center – Recovery housing support in Waukegan, including overdose prevention and peer support. - Independence Center – Substance use support for clients with mental health and co-occurring disorders, peer specialists, and harm reduction. Discussion noted that opioid overdose deaths in Lake County decreased 48% last year, but cocaine overdoses increased 300%, with 21 deaths from cocaine alone. The county has received over $5 million in opioid settlement funds to date. Unanimously approved. Key Outcomes - All seven joint resolutions and five emergency appropriations were approved unanimously. - The committee received the video gaming scoring criteria update for information. - The contingency fund update highlighted continued federal funding instability; the 988 call center remains critical. - The opioid settlement grant portfolio expanded to $1.45 million across two years. - Next meeting scheduled for October 20, 2026, with budget hearings beginning later that month.