Lake County Board Meeting on February 10, 2026: Employee Recognitions and RIFL Act Vote
Lake County Board Meeting
February 10, 2026 – The Lake County Board convened at 9 a.m. with 18 members present, including two participating electronically (Member Schlick for work reasons, Vice Chair Cunningham due to illness). The meeting included employee recognitions, proclamations, public comments, a lengthy debate on the Responsibility and Firearms Legislation (RIFL) Act, and approval of several resolutions.
Consent Calendar
- Approved items 4–29 (routine approvals and resolutions) by unanimous vote, after removing items 13 and 14 for separate consideration.
Employee Recognitions
- Tiffany Cress (30 years, State’s Attorney’s Office): Recognized for work in gang/narcotics division, preparation of thousands of search warrants, and assisting in forfeiture of hundreds of thousands of dollars from drug dealers.
- Lauren Kalsheim Rothenberg (30 years, State’s Attorney’s Office): Honored for prosecuting complex cases including violent crimes and the Highland Park Independence Day mass shooting.
Proclamations
- 211 Day in Lake County (February 11, 2026): Proclaimed by Member Hunter. United Way representatives noted that 211 has made over 448,000 connections to assistance since 2019, with 9,299 calls/texts in the past year. Board members praised the service as a vital community resource.
- America 250 Kickoff: Deputy County Administrator Matt Myers announced an art and essay contest for K-12 students ("We the People, America Through My Eyes") and a social media series highlighting Lake County history.
Public Comments & Testimony (Non-Agenda Items)
- Dean Barker, Brian Jones, Jody Zitko, Ken Zitko (Unite for Freedom, Winnebago/Kane County residents): Presented a resolution calling for election integrity reforms, citing alleged irregularities in the 2024 general election. They urged the board to adopt a resolution to ensure a "legally valid 2026 general election."
- Rayan Edwards (Lake County resident): Criticized DCFS and PADS (homeless services) following the death of an eight-year-old due to abuse, and called for a hospital in the county's largest city.
- Spencer Elliott (Lake County resident): Requested cancellation of the Flock camera contract, citing privacy concerns and documented misuse of surveillance data.
- Morgan Coghill (Mundelein): Opposed a proposed pipeline from Antioch to Wisconsin for a Microsoft data center, citing environmental and safety risks.
- Alexander King Sophiakis (Lake County resident): Argued that election concerns are overblown, and suggested focusing on ranked choice voting and making IDs free.
Board of Health Report
- The Health Department's withdrawal management unit reopened at the end of January. The substance abuse program began delivering methadone guest doses to the Lake County Jail in January 2025 (72 referrals received since), preventing discontinuation of treatment for inmates. Evidence-based group treatment also started in the jail in January 2026.
Discussion Items
- Items 13 & 14 (HOME ARP Allocation Plan and HUD Annual Action Plan): Joint resolutions passed with one recusal (Member Kasman).
- Item 31 (Healthy Houses Program): Emergency appropriation of $2 million from DCEO approved by roll call.
- Item 32 (Disability Accessibility for 9th Judicial Circuit): Emergency appropriation of $14,000 approved.
- Item 33 – RIFL Act (Responsibility and Firearms Legislation Act): Extensive debate over process and substance.
- Supporters (Member Kenisnik, State's Attorney Eric Reinhardt, and several board members) argued the bill would hold firearm manufacturers accountable for gun violence costs, fund community violence intervention programs, and complement existing county efforts (74% reduction in firearm homicides since 2022). They noted the bill had been amended to reduce the fund to about $50 million and that it aligns with the county's legislative agenda.
- Opponents (Members Hunter, Danforth, Hewitt, Maine, Peterson, Schlick) raised concerns about process (lack of advance notice, no agenda item at committee, outdated bill text online) and substance (tax on law-abiding gun owners, backdoor prohibition, unfounded statistics). Member Danforth challenged cost figures and called the bill a "power to destroy" via taxation. Some members objected to passing the bill without full board knowledge.
- Chair Hart and Member Wasick defended the process, stating the legislative committee acted within its rules and the full board had a week to review materials. The topic was also covered by the county's legislative agenda.
- Vote: 13 aye, 6 nay (Members Danforth, Hewitt, Hunter, Maine, Peterson, Schlick opposed). Motion passed.
- Item 34 (Rollins Road/Wilson Road Intersection Improvements): Phase one engineering services agreement ($1.77M) and appropriation ($2.13M) approved by roll call.
- Item 35 (Naming of County-Owned Property): Ordinance establishing a policy for naming buildings and structures, requiring future board action. Approved unanimously.
- Item 36 (Sale of Two County-Owned Properties in Mundelein): Sale of 5.6 acres (former animal care facility) for $135,000 approved by roll call.
Key Outcomes
- RIFL Act support resolution passed 13-6.
- Consent agenda approved (items 4–29).
- Items 13, 14, 31, 32, 34, 36 all passed.
- Ordinance for naming county property adopted.
- The board adjourned to reconvene on March 10, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Today is Tuesday, February 10, 2026. I called Lake County Board meeting to order at 9 a.m. The meeting is being recorded and live streamed on our website, Comcast Channels 18 or 30 and ATTU versus Channel 99, as well as on Zoom at the link on the agenda. In addition to being able to attend in person, remote attendance has been made available to the public via Zoom. Per County Board Rules and the Open Meetings Act, attendance via remote means is permitted for qualifying reasons as long as the majority of the board members are physically present. We have been notified in advance by Member Schlick that he requests to participate electronically due to work reasons. A physical quorum is present. If there's no discussion, I'll ask county staff to know to the minutes that Member Schlick is present and eligible to vote on matters before the county board today. And eventually I know he will join us. Maybe there's something wrong with the um screen, so we will look into that. Um before we go any further, is there anyone board members would like us to remember during our moment of silence, please. Thank you, Member Maine. Yes, I believe um many of us got the um everyone got the email from um Greg Keppen about the passing of George Bell, who had been uh long-term very many years, served on the zoning board of appeals, and um really served this county well, and he had a great historical view of um what things had been and understanding neighbors and and things like that, and he was uh a great source of wisdom, and so I'd like to remember him and uh all he did for the county and of course his family, because any time you volunteer your time, you're taking time away from your family, also. Thank you. Member Kasman. Back off the uh uh member main's comments um about Mr. Bell. He uh at one point I was going to join the Housing Board of Appeals and found out it wasn't compatible with my school board office. Um, but when I showed interest, he pulled me aside, he had me meet all the members. He was so kind to me and and really trying to explain um in great detail what the ZBA did. And I I just it's um I'm sorry to hear of his passing. I know um he treated me that way, he must have treated everyone that way, and he really appreciated people who had an interest in government, and um his devotion to the county is evident in his years of service. Thank you. Thank you. Member Campos. Thank you, Chair. Um, today I want us to remember Mark L. Pierce from Round Lake Beach. Uh, with a heavy heart. We remember an eight-year-old boy, a child whose life was cut tragically short due to neglect and abuse. Uh Marquell had his entire life ahead of him. Dreams yet to be dreamed, milestones yet to be reached, and laughter yet to be heard. Um learning and discovering the world with the safety and love every child deserves. Instead, that future was stolen. As you bow your heads, please remember Markel, not for the abuse that he endured, but for the innocence, the light, and the potential of his future. His passing is a painful reminder of our shared responsibilities. And make sure that no child ends their life in in abuse. If you abuse a child in Lake County and that abuse results in death, you will be tried for murder. If you see abuse or neglect, please call your local police department or call the Lake County Child's Advocacy Center at 847-377-3155. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Thank you. I also wanted to uh remember um that little eight-year-old boy's sibling who was taken to the hospital um severely undernourished with signs of abuse. Um so please remember uh that sibling as well and another call that you could make as a Department of Children and Family Services, 1800 25 abuse. Um so thank you. And I do apologize. I did speak with Vice Chair Cunningham, who is attending remotely, so I do want to state that per our county board rules in the open meetings act, I wasn't I was notified in advance by Vice Chair Cunningham that she requests to participate electronically due to illness. So seeing no issues with that, I'll declare her present and eligible to vote on matters before the county board today. And then I just wanted to ask our county administrator, do we know of what's going on with the screen?
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