OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee Meeting - September 3, 2025

Committee Meetings — Wednesday, September 3, 2025
BodyLake County, Illinois
SessionCommittee Meetings
DateWednesday, September 3, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:27:17

Transcript — Verbatim
0:14

Good morning everyone.

0:15

Today is September 3rd, 2025, and I call the Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.

0:22

In addition to being able to attend in-person, remote attendance has been made available to the public via Zoom at the link on the agenda.

0:29

This meeting is being recorded through Zoom.

0:31

The Power County Board rules and the Open Meetings Act attendance via remote means is permitted for qualifying reasons as long as the majority of the committee members are physically present.

0:40

We've been notified in advance by Member Maine that she has requested to participate electronically due to one of the qualifying reasons.

0:46

As a remember to men, as a reminder to members attending remotely, please ensure your camera is on at all times.

0:52

Can you please join me in the pledge of allegiance?

0:56

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

1:10

Can I get a roll call, please?

1:13

Member Caslin?

1:14

Here.

1:19

Vice Chair Maine.

1:20

Present.

1:22

Member Roberts.

1:23

Member Washington.

1:25

All right.

1:26

Is there any public comment today?

1:27

There is no.

1:28

Don't have any cheers remarks.

1:30

No unfinished business.

1:31

So our new business is our consent agenda, which is items 8.1 to 8.2.

1:35

Can I get a motion in a second?

1:36

Motion by Kasmin, second by Hunter.

1:39

All in favor?

1:40

Aye.

1:40

Any opposed?

1:42

Motion carries.

1:43

On our regular agenda, item 8.3 is our RTA quarterly update.

1:49

Okay, you should be able to speak.

1:53

Good morning, everyone.

1:54

My name is Kate Peterson, Mobility Outreach Coordinator at the RTA.

1:59

I also have Zach Brown with me from our government affairs team.

2:03

He will be providing our government update for you today.

2:07

But I have a brief update for mobility management, including that our transit guides are now on our website.

2:14

So our transit guides contain information about local dial ride services, on-demand services, and subsequent programs.

2:22

There are nine guides focusing on the different areas to help customers connect to public transportation and travel throughout their communities.

2:30

So that is now on our website.

2:32

I will include that in my follow-up to all of you this morning, as well as just our second update for mobility management is our section 5310 program.

2:45

So on August 21st, 2025, the RK Board of Directors approved a program of projects that will make it easier for older adults and people with disabilities to get to jobs, medical appointments, grocery stores, social activities, etc.

3:01

The Section 5310 program is a federal formula grant program that provides assistance to public transportation projects that focuses on enhancing mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

3:14

The RTA will award over 16 million in federal funding to 16 projects, including Lake County, who will be receiving 1,750,000 in federal funds with that same amount in local match.

3:31

And the RTA is also doing a regional dial ride coordination study.

3:36

So we awarded ourselves dollars to that.

3:38

I know both of those are great news coming to Lake County.

3:43

So wanted to share that.

3:48

Thanks, Kate.

3:49

Good morning, everyone.

3:57

First being that our uh 2026 regional transit budget process is underway.

4:04

Our board of directors at last month's meeting approved the funding marks ordinance, which sets the operating amounts for the system for the next budget year.

4:15

We project that there is 2.6 billion dollars for operations system-wide this coming year.

4:22

And uh we did uh shift, uh, do a one-time shift of some discretionary funds, uh about 75 million dollars to help align services region wide.

4:34

Um, I do want to clarify that uh with this shift, uh, no service in Lake County or elsewhere uh will be impacted.

4:43

Uh Metro and PACE both are fully funded for the service that they have planned uh in the upcoming budget year.

4:51

Um second uh update that I have is that our ADA paratransit action plan will take effect in October of this year.

5:01

This would include a cap on rides for the rideshare access and taxi access programs offered by PACE.

5:09

This was due to a budget shortfall that uh came up due to uh the increased ridership uh of those programs.

5:18

The programs grew very quickly, and um some measures to keep balanced budgets uh have to be put in place.

5:26

And so I'm happy to answer any questions that the board may have on that.

5:31

Um, as I know there's a lot of information circulating around there.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management███████████████████████████████31%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████████16%
Public Health████████████████16%
Public Transit███████████11%
Public Engagement██████6%
Environmental Protection██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Budget████4%
Active Transportation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee Meeting - September 3, 2025

The Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee met on September 3, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. to consider a consent agenda, multiple transportation and public works resolutions, and receive updates from the RTA and on PFAS. All votes were unanimous. Member Maine participated electronically.

Consent Calendar

  • Items 8.1 and 8.2 were approved unanimously by motion (Kasmin) and second (Hunter). No details provided on their contents.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

  • RTA Quarterly Update (8.3): Kate Peterson (Mobility Outreach Coordinator) and Zach Brown (Government Affairs) presented. Highlights: transit guides now online; RTA Board approved over $16 million in Section 5310 federal funding for 16 projects, including $1.75 million for Lake County (with matching local funds); the 2026 regional transit budget process is underway with $2.6 billion projected for operations; a one-time shift of $75 million in discretionary funds will not affect service; ADA paratransit action plan effective October 2025 caps rideshare/taxi access program rides at 30 per month (traditional paratransit uncapped); Transportation Tuesday webinar series begins September 9. Vice Chair Maine clarified the cap is only on rideshare/taxi access, not traditional paratransit.
  • CMAP Agreement (8.4): Director Schneider explained the annual renewal of the agreement for LCDOT to serve as planning liaison for the Lake County Council of Mayors, programming ~$11 million in federal funds annually, with reimbursement of ~$200,000 for staff time. Motion by Hewitt, second by Roberts. Carried.
  • Deerfield Road Bridge Rehabilitation (8.5): Joint resolution with Illinois Tollway for bridge repairs over I-94/I-294. County owns deck and above; Tollway owns beams down. County appropriates $1,854,000 from county option motor fuel tax for design and construction, with Tollway as lead. Construction expected summer 2026 with daily lane closures but bridge remains open. Motion by McCasman, second by Hunter. Carried.
  • Accessible Pedestrian Signal Project (8.6): Resolution to contract with Gowalt Hamilton Associates for engineering services at $363,941, appropriating $436,000 from quarter percent sales tax. Second standalone APS replacement; after this project 83% of 179 locations will be upgraded; remaining work over 3–5 years. Motion by Hunter, second by Kasbin. Carried.
  • Traffic Signal Maintenance (8.7): Contract with Mead Inc. for $1,487,143.71 for signal/street light maintenance from Dec 2025 to Nov 2026, plus $1,785,000 for electrical service. Shared services with six municipalities. Low-bid, one-year contract with two-year extension option. Motion by Hewitt, second by Roberts. Carried.
  • Cedar Lake Road Improvements (8.8): Agreement with V3 Companies for engineering services at $3,615,705, appropriating $4,340,000 from county option motor fuel tax. Three components: resurfacing from IL 60 to IL 120, intersection study at Town Line Road (signal or roundabout), and a new bike path connecting to Nippersink Forest Preserve and downtown Round Lake. Phase I and II engineering combined. Member Wasick noted the bike path should be on east side to connect Madrona Village. Motion by Hunter, second by Kasman. Carried.
  • Center Street/Atkinson Road Intersection (8.9): Phase I study with Christopher B. Burke Engineering at $1,526,891, appropriating $1,835,000 from quarter percent sales tax. Investigate turning lanes, signal upgrades, potential roundabout, and a multi-use path east to US 45. Utility restrictions will be vetted. Member Wasick suggested connecting north through Braylock forest preserve to CLC. Assistant County Engineer Kevin Carrier noted coordination with Grays Lake Road path project. Motion by Wasick, second by Kasman. Carried.
  • Truck Permitting Software (8.10): Renewal with Oxcart Permit Systems at no cost to county; fee per permit increases from $5 to $6. Used by 23 counties and 165 municipalities; improves compliance. Cybersecurity concerns addressed in prior Technology Committee. Motion by Hewitt, second by Hunter. Carried.
  • Director’s Report – Transportation (8.11): Schneider reported RTA recommended $1.75 million grant for Ride Lake County (50% of operating costs for 2025–2026), pending federal approval; Pace renewal agreement with no recommended changes, to return for adoption year-end. Kevin Carrier gave update on the long-range plan "Envision 2050": data collection phase ongoing with pop-up events, survey, public comment map; virtual public open house in early October; four phases (Discover, Develop, Decide, Deliver) with completion early 2027. Member Hunter raised signage issue at Route 59/Washington Street intersection after realignment – duplicate Washington Street signs causing confusion; staff to address.
  • Public Works CIP (8.12): Resolution adopting 2026–2030 capital improvement program. Director McFarland noted no significant changes from prior presentation. Motion by Hunter, second by Wasick. Carried.
  • Sewer System Financial Reports (8.13): Presentation of FY2024 income/expenses for four sanitary sewer systems. Baker Tilly representative Ryan O’Donnell explained audit process; all numbers in compliance. For information only.
  • Emergency Sewer Repair (8.14): Ratification of emergency procurement with Burger Contractors for $219,847.59 from fund 610 reserves for a break on the Southeast Interceptor at Salem Lake. About 40 feet of pipe replaced; remaining pipe under investigation due to age (60+ years). Staff noted three such breaks this year; proactive inspection plan underway. Motion by Hunter, second by Kasmin. Carried.
  • Waukegan Sewage Agreement (8.15): Restated 20-year intergovernmental agreement for sewage disposal along River Road. Approved by Waukegan City Council Aug 18. Motion by Hewitt, second by Kasman. Carried.
  • PFAS Presentation (8.16): Donahue & Associates (Nathan Cassidy and Han Ting Wong) presented findings. Drinking water: all samples below EPA MCLs (most under 2 ng/L; MCL is 4 ng/L) – no treatment needed now. Estimated 20-year costs for treatment (if needed): small systems ~$5M, medium ~$7M, large ~$10M. Wastewater and biosolids: no federal/state regulations yet; comparing to Wisconsin standards, Lake County effluent results were well below. Biosolids had PFOS+PFOA concentrations in middle tier of Wisconsin’s interim strategy, suggesting need for source reduction. Future regulations expected; source reduction (industrial and residential) is key. Staff developing pretreatment ordinance and sampling program. Members emphasized public outreach, potential labeling legislation, and the need for a pretreatment coordinator. Member Hunter urged funding for an FTE pretreatment coordinator. Discussion also covered federal funding opportunities and Illinois’s adherence to federal guidelines.
  • Director’s Report – Public Works: McFarland reported Aqua Illinois notified radium levels above MCL (5 pCi/L) in two water systems (Althorn Woods and Forest Lake); customers notified; Aqua working on correction; county plans to consolidate and move to Lake Michigan water in next few years. Also reminded committee of Mill Creek facility tour on Sept 12 at 9 a.m.
  • County Administrator’s Report: Administrator introduced Lacey Simpson (new assistant administrator) and Turk Skillbridge intern.

Key Outcomes

  • All resolutions (8.4 through 8.15) and the consent calendar were approved unanimously.
  • The PFAS presentation was received for information; staff to continue monitoring, develop pretreatment ordinance, and pursue source reduction.
  • The committee expressed interest in forwarding legislative recommendations on PFAS labeling and standards to the Legislative Committee.
  • Staff will follow up on Aqua radium issue and provide updates.
  • Next meeting scheduled for October 8, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning everyone. Today is September 3rd, 2025, and I call the Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. In addition to being able to attend in-person, remote attendance has been made available to the public via Zoom at the link on the agenda. This meeting is being recorded through Zoom. The Power County Board rules and the Open Meetings Act attendance via remote means is permitted for qualifying reasons as long as the majority of the committee members are physically present. We've been notified in advance by Member Maine that she has requested to participate electronically due to one of the qualifying reasons. As a remember to men, as a reminder to members attending remotely, please ensure your camera is on at all times. Can you please join me in the pledge of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. Can I get a roll call, please? Member Caslin? Here. Vice Chair Maine. Present. Member Roberts. Member Washington. All right. Is there any public comment today? There is no. Don't have any cheers remarks. No unfinished business. So our new business is our consent agenda, which is items 8.1 to 8.2. Can I get a motion in a second? Motion by Kasmin, second by Hunter. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. On our regular agenda, item 8.3 is our RTA quarterly update. Okay, you should be able to speak. Good morning, everyone. My name is Kate Peterson, Mobility Outreach Coordinator at the RTA. I also have Zach Brown with me from our government affairs team. He will be providing our government update for you today. But I have a brief update for mobility management, including that our transit guides are now on our website. So our transit guides contain information about local dial ride services, on-demand services, and subsequent programs. There are nine guides focusing on the different areas to help customers connect to public transportation and travel throughout their communities. So that is now on our website. I will include that in my follow-up to all of you this morning, as well as just our second update for mobility management is our section 5310 program. So on August 21st, 2025, the RK Board of Directors approved a program of projects that will make it easier for older adults and people with disabilities to get to jobs, medical appointments, grocery stores, social activities, etc. The Section 5310 program is a federal formula grant program that provides assistance to public transportation projects that focuses on enhancing mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities. The RTA will award over 16 million in federal funding to 16 projects, including Lake County, who will be receiving 1,750,000 in federal funds with that same amount in local match. And the RTA is also doing a regional dial ride coordination study. So we awarded ourselves dollars to that. I know both of those are great news coming to Lake County. So wanted to share that. Thanks, Kate. Good morning, everyone. First being that our uh 2026 regional transit budget process is underway. Our board of directors at last month's meeting approved the funding marks ordinance, which sets the operating amounts for the system for the next budget year.

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