With Thanksgiving approaching, I'd like to take a moment to thank you for allowing me to represent our District on the Lake County Board. I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday this year, full of health, safety and happiness.

Throughout the holiday season we are reminded of our neighbors who are in need. Find a local food bank here or donate to the Northern Illinois Food Bank here. 

My colleagues and I on the Lake County Board recently approved a balanced $488.3 million budget for fiscal year 2014. The budget has remained flat for the last three years and is $10 million less than five years ago due to reduced headcount and other money saving strategies, including operating more efficiently. More Information. 

* Watch Nov. 12 Board Meeting Budget Presentation (Click on Item #38)
* Visit the Budget web portal to view the 2014 budget and learn more about where the money comes from and where it goes
* Watch Budget Story 

A recent court ruling overturned a new state law that would have created an elections commission in Lake County. The ruling also allows the Lake County Clerk to continue administering local elections.

Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor and Lake County filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new law because it specifically singles out Lake County and eliminates voters' right to choose who administers elections. Other counties can establish an elections commission by voter referendum, or by ordinance of the elected county board.

Lake County estimates that this ruling has saved Lake County $500,000 to $700,000 by avoiding the creation of another layer of government. Read Full Press Release

Lake County has amended the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to allow the keeping of bees, hens, and hoophouses used exclusively for local food production on residential properties in unincorporated areas. The UDO sets standards for the establishment and maintenance of beehives, chicken coops, and hoophouses. The following lot size requirements also apply:

• Two beehives are allowed on residential lots up to and including 10,000 square feet of lot area, with one additional beehive allowed for each extra 10,000 square feet.
• Hens may be kept on residential lots of a minimum of 10,000 square feet in area; the number of hens allowed on residential properties be is dependent on the lot size, ranging from six hens on lots of a minimum of 10,000 square feet up to 12 hens on lots of a minimum 80,000 square feet.
• Hoophouses are allowed, 50 square feet in size for each 10,000 square feet of residential lot area. 

These changes to the UDO are part of a series of sustainability initiatives that support local food production in the unincorporated areas. 

The Lake County Forest Preserve District continues to improve preserve locations by providing excellent experiences for guests, and conservation for local natural environments and wildlife. 

 
New Preserve Improvements
Fourth Lake Forest Preserve
Work is complete on the new Grand Avenue underpass and 1.5-mile gravel section of the Millennium Trail at Fourth Lake (Lake Villa). The trail now extends from just north of Rollins Road to Sand Lake Road where it connects to existing trails at Bonner Farm and McDonald Woods (Lindenhurst). Improvements at Fourth Lake also include a 0.3-mile grass loop trail. Trailhead parking is available at the Operations and Public Safety Facility on the north side of Grand Avenue west of Route 45.

Marl Flat and the Millennium Trail
A new 1-mile paved section of the Millennium Trail extending from Route 120 north to Marl Flat 

(Round Lake) is complete. The entrance is located off of Fish Lake Road, north of Route 120 and south of Nippersink Road, and includes trailhead parking for the Millennium Trail, toilets, benches and aninformation kiosk. With the completion of this section, a continuous 15 miles of trail is now open from Hawley Street through Lakewood (Mundelein) and Singing Hills (Volo) to Marl Flat.