OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Lake County Board Regular Meeting - March 10, 2026

County Board — Tuesday, March 10, 2026
BodyLake County, Illinois
SessionCounty Board
DateTuesday, March 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:34:38

Transcript — Verbatim
1:00

Good morning, everybody.

1:02

Today is Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and I call the Lake County Board meeting to order at 9 a.m.

1:08

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.

1:18

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

1:24

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.

1:33

We have been notified in advance by member Frank that he requests to participate, excuse me, participate electronically due to work reasons.

1:41

We do have a physical quorum.

1:43

If there's no discussion, I'll ask county staff to note in the minutes that member Frank is present and eligible to vote on matters before the county board today.

1:51

And as a reminder to member Frank, just keep your camera on, please.

1:55

Thank you.

1:56

Okay, before we uh get into the meat of our agenda, is there anyone board members would like to remember in a moment of silence today?

2:05

Thank you.

2:06

Member Wasick, followed by Vice Chair Cunningham.

2:08

Thank you, Chair.

2:09

And I'd like you to keep in your thoughts and prayers Cindy Manson of Greg's Lake, who recently passed away.

2:17

She was a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and like to so many who passed away.

2:22

Uh in our and she passed away recently, sorry.

2:25

There are countless stories of generosity and kindness that she showed people and many other acts of kindness.

2:31

She loved being in nature and particularly birding.

2:34

Her email address was Birdie Girl.

2:36

Her garden and flowers were second to none, and you couldn't help but catch her excitement when she saw Pilated Woodpecker or a Rose Brested Grossbeak or the Spring Warbler Migration.

2:47

She even asked that donations be sent to our forest preserves in lieu of flowers.

2:52

She also loved a good party, live music, and celebrating all that life had to give.

3:39

She had two daughters, so begging for people to come and uh in about a scene.

3:45

What happened to also we all know that keep praying for the Jesse Lewis Jackson family?

3:55

They need your prayers.

3:58

Thank you.

3:59

Uh member Schlick.

4:02

Thank you, Chair.

4:03

Hi, so you all join me this morning in remembering Officer Christian Pacente of the Waka of the Wakanda Police Department.

4:08

Umffer Pacente suddenly passed away unexpectedly this week.

4:16

He was a he was a growing member of our community and had fit in well, and the community loved him, and the police department loved him, and his sudden passing has struck all of us.

4:24

So I ask you remember his family, the Wilkana Police Department and the entire Wakata community today.

4:29

Thank you.

4:30

Thank you.

4:30

Anyone else?

4:32

If you'll join me in a moment of silence, please.

5:00

And to report for which you can't with liberty and justice for all.

5:07

Thank you.

5:08

May I have a roll call, please, Clerk Vega?

5:11

Member Altenburg.

5:12

Here.

5:13

Member Campos.

5:14

Here.

5:15

Member Caston.

5:17

Member Hart.

5:18

Here.

5:18

Member Cunningham.

5:20

Here.

5:21

Member Danforth.

5:22

Here.

5:23

Member Frank.

5:24

Here.

5:25

Member Hart.

5:26

Here.

5:27

Member Hewitt.

5:29

Here.

5:30

Member Hunter.

5:31

Here.

5:32

Member Kennish.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████17%
Public Health██████████████14%
Community Engagement██████████████14%
Procedural██████████10%
Environmental Protection█████████9%
Public Engagement████████8%
Miscellaneous██████6%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Fiscal Sustainability██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Lake County Board Regular Meeting - March 10, 2026

The Lake County Board met on March 10, 2026, at 9 a.m. The meeting was called to order by Chair Hart. Several special recognitions were presented, public comments heard, and multiple resolutions approved. Key actions included approving a remote work policy, committing $2 million for economic development, and creating a federal funding contingency reserve.

Special Recognitions & Presentations

  • A proclamation celebrating the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. was read by Vice Chair Cunningham. Board members expressed appreciation for his civil rights work.
  • March 2026 recognized as Women's History Month, read by Member Belitsik.
  • March 2026 recognized as Problem Gambling Awareness Month, read by Chair Hart. Elizabeth Thielen of Nicasa spoke about gambling addiction prevalence, citing 21,000 affected Lake County residents, 400+ establishments with 2,300+ video gaming terminals, and $166 million lost. Board members discussed the need for education and state funding for prevention.
  • March 18 recognized as National Public Defender Day, read by Member Roberts. Lake County Public Defender Gregory Tixay expressed gratitude.
  • March 15-21 recognized as National Agriculture Week, read by Member Peterson. Lake County has 302 farms, 30,000+ acres, and 7,168 jobs.
  • Presentation of Lake County's America 250 initiative, including a video and announcement of the Lake County Independence Academy (civics education program for 25 residents, starting April 22, 2026). Board members praised the video and civic engagement efforts.

Public Comments

  • Brandon Ewing, representing the Lake County Juneteenth Celebration Committee, invited the board to participate in the Juneteenth parade and festival on June 20, 2026, in Waukegan. He requested county sponsorship/partnership. Last year welcomed more than 3,000 people.
  • Dave Wilms, a resident and retired teacher, informed the board that federal tax incentives for solar are disappearing in the first week of July 2026. He encouraged the county to initiate solar projects before that deadline to capture 30-50% cost coverage.

Chair's Remarks

  • Halsey Village site: Navy preparing for demolition phase 1 (starts June 2026, 4-5 months). County and Navy collaborating; F&A committee to hear approval at April 30 or May 7 meeting. Navy expects Pentagon approval by May 8.
  • Meeting with Senator Duckworth: discussed Halsey Village and federal grant cuts (behavioral health). Illinois gives more to federal government than it receives; Attorney General Raoul fighting for funding. County administration creating contingency plan.
  • Chicago region named #1 U.S. metro for corporate relocation (13th year) and Chicago voted #1 best big city (9th year) by Condé Nast Traveler.

Consent Agenda (Items 7-38)

  • Approved by roll call (18 ayes). Member Hunter recused from Item 18. Item 38 (remote work policy) was removed to finance agenda but later approved under regular agenda.

Regular Agenda

  • Item 39: Ordinance increasing number of liquor licenses for two new businesses. Approved without objection.
  • Item 41: Resolution approving MOU with CMAP (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning) to advance the Housing Lake Coalition. Approved. Board members thanked staff and urged municipal participation.
  • Item 42: Resolution authorizing two new assistant public defender positions for a consolidated domestic violence courtroom, estimated cost ~$135,000 for FY2026. Approved. Discussion included need for future budget process transparency.
  • Item 43: Resolution authorizing a senior victim specialist for State's Attorney's Office for same courtroom, estimated cost ~$64,000. Approved.
  • Item 44: Intergovernmental agreement renewal for sanitary sewer and water supply services to the Village of Grays Lake (dating to 1985). Approved.
  • Item 45: Resolution adopting a program design for the Lake County Green Business Program. Approved. Board members praised the initiative.
  • Item 38 (reconsidered): Resolution approving a remote work policy. Approved. Member Maine raised equity concerns about employees who cannot work remotely. Chair Frank noted the policy standardizes administration.
  • Item 46: Resolution committing $2 million from economic development opportunity funds (from Monsanto settlement) for environmental cleanup/site preparation at 1831 N. Pershing Road, Waukegan, for Solarge's solar panel manufacturing development. Approved. Board members expressed excitement for the project.
  • Item 47: Resolution authorizing property conveyance to IDOT for Route 83 improvement. Approved by roll call (19 ayes).
  • Item 48: Resolution approving an emergency appropriation of $2 million from general fund balance to establish a federal funding contingency reserve. Approved. Board members emphasized continuity of services amid federal funding uncertainty.

Member Remarks

  • Member Maine discussed the 'donor' concept: Illinois is a donor state to the federal government. He noted that Vernon Township contributes 13% of the county's EAV, 30% more than its population share, making it a donor township to Lake County. He asked for awareness of these disparities.
  • Chair Hart clarified her earlier statement: Illinois is a donor state, but her point was that the Trump administration is targeting Illinois politically to take away funding, not about deserving more. She expressed pride in Lake County's ability to support others. Member Casman echoed that the federal targeting is unprecedented and causing chaos.

Adjournment

  • The meeting was adjourned until April 14, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, everybody. Today is Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and I call the 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 Frank that he requests to participate, excuse me, participate electronically due to work reasons. We do have a physical quorum. If there's no discussion, I'll ask county staff to note in the minutes that member Frank is present and eligible to vote on matters before the county board today. And as a reminder to member Frank, just keep your camera on, please. Thank you. Okay, before we uh get into the meat of our agenda, is there anyone board members would like to remember in a moment of silence today? Thank you. Member Wasick, followed by Vice Chair Cunningham. Thank you, Chair. And I'd like you to keep in your thoughts and prayers Cindy Manson of Greg's Lake, who recently passed away. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and like to so many who passed away. Uh in our and she passed away recently, sorry. There are countless stories of generosity and kindness that she showed people and many other acts of kindness. She loved being in nature and particularly birding. Her email address was Birdie Girl. Her garden and flowers were second to none, and you couldn't help but catch her excitement when she saw Pilated Woodpecker or a Rose Brested Grossbeak or the Spring Warbler Migration. She even asked that donations be sent to our forest preserves in lieu of flowers. She also loved a good party, live music, and celebrating all that life had to give. She had two daughters, so begging for people to come and uh in about a scene. What happened to also we all know that keep praying for the Jesse Lewis Jackson family? They need your prayers. Thank you. Uh member Schlick. Thank you, Chair. Hi, so you all join me this morning in remembering Officer Christian Pacente of the Waka of the Wakanda Police Department. Umffer Pacente suddenly passed away unexpectedly this week. He was a he was a growing member of our community and had fit in well, and the community loved him, and the police department loved him, and his sudden passing has struck all of us. So I ask you remember his family, the Wilkana Police Department and the entire Wakata community today. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? If you'll join me in a moment of silence, please. And to report for which you can't with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. May I have a roll call, please, Clerk Vega? Member Altenburg. Here. Member Campos. Here. Member Caston. Member Hart. Here. Member Cunningham. Here. Member Danforth.

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