OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee Meeting – April 1, 2026

Committee Meetings — Wednesday, April 1, 2026
BodyLake County, Illinois
SessionCommittee Meetings
DateWednesday, April 1, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:52:20

Transcript — Verbatim
0:14

Good morning, everyone.

0:19

Good morning.

0:20

I know it's a very nice day today.

0:23

All right.

0:24

Today is April 1st, 2026, and I call the Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.

0:31

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.

0:37

This meeting is being recorded through Zoom.

0:40

Can you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance?

0:44

I'm collegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

0:49

And to the Republic.

0:57

Are you doing the roll call?

0:58

Yes.

0:58

Can I get a roll clock, please?

1:00

Yes, sure.

1:02

Member Kasbin.

1:04

Here.

1:05

Member Hewitt.

1:06

Member Hunter.

1:08

Vice Chairman.

1:10

Member Roberts.

1:11

Member Wasick.

1:13

And Vice Chairman gave us previous notice that she would not be able to attend today.

1:17

All right.

1:18

So we do not have.

1:19

Do we have any public comment today?

1:21

For an items not on the agenda.

1:23

I believe we have one virtual public comment, but it is for an item on the agenda.

1:27

So staff recommends we wait till that item five.

1:30

Sounds good.

1:31

All right.

1:31

There's no unfinished business.

1:32

Our new business item 8.1 is the consent agenda.

1:35

Can I get a motion in a second place?

1:37

Motion by Kasbin, second by Roberts.

1:38

All in favor?

1:39

Aye.

1:40

Any opposed?

1:41

Motion carries.

1:42

All right, onto our regular agenda, which is item 8.2, which is a Metro update.

1:47

I believe we have the direct our director, Gary Gordon, and the CEO, Jim Dorwinski.

1:53

Welcome, both of you.

1:54

Thank you for coming today.

1:55

Thank you.

1:56

Good morning.

1:57

I'll just say a few words.

1:59

So for those that don't know me, I'm Gary Gordon.

2:01

I am here in the role as the your representative to the Metro board.

2:04

I joined about a year ago.

2:06

It has been a fantastic learning experience and really good to be involved in that.

2:10

So thank you for that opportunity.

2:12

Certainly for Metro, it has been a year of transition between the uncertainties around funding and governance and those pieces.

2:22

I mean, it was challenging, certainly presenting two budgets, two planning scenarios, the uncertainty went along with that.

2:27

I think it's a wonderful opportunity we have now to move forward.

2:30

You know, my commitment as the representative to Metro is to make sure that that opportunity is used effectively and not squandered, and we look towards the future.

2:37

Clearly, there's more change coming with the Nita uh changes and what those will mean as well.

2:42

Uh so I will certainly be um deeply involved in that and keeping an eye on that and share back with you as appropriate.

2:47

Uh and with that, I'll turn it over to Jim to give a day-to-day update on the operations.

2:51

Well, good morning, and thanks for having uh us here today.

2:54

It's always a pleasure to come out and uh speak with the counties that uh we serve.

2:58

Um, I'll take you through some slides, kind of giving up, but I certainly actually look forward to all the questions that you might have.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Transit████████████████████████████████████████40%
Water And Wastewater Management███████████████████████23%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████12%
Stormwater Management███████████11%
Procedural████4%
Community Engagement████4%
Fiscal Sustainability███3%
Vehicle Fleet█1%
Public Works█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee Meeting – April 1, 2026

The Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee met on April 1, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. via hybrid format (in-person and remote). The meeting covered a Metro update, a sewer disposal agreement amendment, a presentation on ordinance amendments, and the creation of a Special Service Area for the Del Mar Wood Subdivision.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 8.1: The consent agenda was approved by voice vote (motion by Kasbin, second by Roberts).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Virtual Comment (deferred to Item 8.5): Brian Scalender reserved the option to speak on Item 8.5 but declined to comment at the time.
  • In-Person Comment (Item 8.5): Bob, representing the Del Mar Woods Sanitary District, expressed support for consolidation and asked about using the proposed SSA to fund stormwater management in addition to sanitary sewer maintenance. He noted the district never had stormwater responsibility and wanted to ensure the SSA could collect funds for stormwater.

Discussion Items

  • Item 8.2 – Metro Update: Gary Gordon (Lake County’s Metro board representative) and Jim Dorwinski (Metro CEO) presented an update. Key topics included:
    • Metro’s service lines, ridership recovery (system-wide averaging 188,000 weekly riders, with some lines like UP North at 100% of pre-pandemic levels; NCS only at 70% due to freight railroad issues).
    • Challenges with dispatching on tracks not owned by Metro, particularly on the Milwaukee District North and North Central Service lines, where CPKC and CN restrict adding even pre-pandemic service.
    • Bridge program: 210 bridges identified for repair/replacement, requiring ~$160 million annually. Current funding shortfall.
    • Transition to NITA (Northern Illinois Transit Authority) with new board composition, a potential quarter-percent tax increase starting June 1, 2026, and a shift to a regional rail model (more frequent, off-peak service).
    • Battery-powered Stadler train sets (first in U.S.) and the Rock Island regional rail pilot.
    • Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger interest and the need for Lake County to file a letter of interest by April 30.
    • Fox Lake sub bridge 318 project (adding a siding to improve capacity) expected to start construction late 2026.
  • Item 8.3 – Joint Resolution: First Amendment to Sewer Disposal Agreement with North Shore Water Reclamation District: Director McFarland presented the extension (10 years) with a 20% rate increase (from $274 to $329). The amendment was approved by voice vote.
  • Item 8.4 – Presentation and Discussion: Amendments to Water, Sewer, and Pretreatment Ordinances: Engineering Supervisor Brittany Sloan reviewed major changes driven by USEPA requirements for a formal pretreatment program. Key updates include clarifications on service pipes, pretreatment for auto repair shops (triple basin device) and dental offices, and establishment of local limits and categorical standards for industrial users. The ordinance will be brought back for a vote at the next meeting. Discussion included staffing needs for pretreatment coordinators (Member Hunter advocated for more FTEs).
  • Item 8.5 – Ordinance Proposing Creation of Lake County Special Service Area (SSA) 18 – Del Mar Wood Subdivision: Deputy County Administrator Matt Myers and Steve Rice presented. The SSA will replace the existing 1970s sanitary district, fund immediate repairs and lining of sewer pipes (estimated $600,000), and provide for ongoing maintenance. Assessment: ~$675/year per household for 10 years, then lower perpetual assessment for maintenance. Public comment from Bob addressed stormwater inclusion. The proposing ordinance was approved; a public hearing will be held at a future committee meeting.

Key Outcomes

  • Item 8.2: No formal action; update received. Committee members noted the importance of understanding Metro’s track ownership challenges and committed to file a letter of interest on the UP-NS merger.
  • Item 8.3: Motion carried unanimously to authorize the first amendment to the sewer disposal agreement with North Shore Water Reclamation District, including a 20% rate increase.
  • Item 8.4: No vote; discussion only. The ordinance amendments will be presented for action at the April 8, 2026 committee meeting.
  • Item 8.5: Motion carried unanimously to pass the proposing ordinance for SSA 18. A public hearing will be scheduled; the sanitary district will be dissolved once the SSA is established. Public works will begin phase one maintenance (cleaning/root control) in 2027, with lining work expected in 2029.
  • Next Meeting: April 8, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Good morning. I know it's a very nice day today. All right. Today is April 1st, 2026, 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. Can you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I'm collegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic. Are you doing the roll call? Yes. Can I get a roll clock, please? Yes, sure. Member Kasbin. Here. Member Hewitt. Member Hunter. Vice Chairman. Member Roberts. Member Wasick. And Vice Chairman gave us previous notice that she would not be able to attend today. All right. So we do not have. Do we have any public comment today? For an items not on the agenda. I believe we have one virtual public comment, but it is for an item on the agenda. So staff recommends we wait till that item five. Sounds good. All right. There's no unfinished business. Our new business item 8.1 is the consent agenda. Can I get a motion in a second place? Motion by Kasbin, second by Roberts. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. All right, onto our regular agenda, which is item 8.2, which is a Metro update. I believe we have the direct our director, Gary Gordon, and the CEO, Jim Dorwinski. Welcome, both of you. Thank you for coming today. Thank you. Good morning. I'll just say a few words. So for those that don't know me, I'm Gary Gordon. I am here in the role as the your representative to the Metro board. I joined about a year ago. It has been a fantastic learning experience and really good to be involved in that. So thank you for that opportunity.

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