Financial Help for Renters, April 21 Virtual Town Hall, Cannabis Public Hearings and more
Dear Neighbors,
As daffodils burst forth to greet the spring sunshine and sandhill cranes fill the skies with their celestial trumpets, I have some good news on the pandemic front.
Now everyone above the age of 16 is eligible for a COVID vaccine shot. You will have to register on our ALLVAX system (or check with your local pharmacy chain, health care provider or employer).
Fortunately, now there are more places to get the shot. Our County Fairgrounds is now has changed to a walk-through location (advance appointments required), and is now able to administer up to 2,000 shots a day, depending on availability of supply. There will be a new site in Round Lake Beach opening up on April 20, sponsored by Baxter. At present, we have more than two dozen partners giving shots. All told, more than 375,000 shots have been given to Lake County residents, including the majority of our senior residents.
I had a chance to visit the new downtown Waukegan vax site on Water Street, which is being run by the Illinois National Guard. Thanks to Governor Pritzker, our troops, amazing health department and countless volunteers for stepping up to beat the bug.
While our efforts are going full bore to get nearly everyone a shot, there's been an uptick in infections, so be sure to wear your masks, wash your hands and socially distance. The pandemic isn't over yet and everyone needs to be careful.
On the environmental front, I'm happy to say our county composting pilot is underway in Grayslake. We spread our first layer of this rich, fertile soil on our Forest Preserve farm plot at Brae Loch (Center Street and Route 45). I know, who gets excited about compost?
Compost is a product that is naturally created by beneficial bacteria from kitchen and yard waste. The more scraps we keep out of the landfill, the more we can reduce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. If we can scale up this service, more communities can participate. I signed up for a kitchen waste pick-up through the Village of Grayslake. I hope more can join in to seed a bigger effort to lower greenhouse gas emissions. It's being sponsored by SWALCO, the Lake County Farm Bureau, U of Illinois Extension and Forest Preserve. More on composting here
Speaking of helping nature, the Forest Preserve is offering native plants in their annual online sale. They have an incredible variety of natural perennials, trees and shrubs. You can also order rain barrels and composting bins.
On other Forest Preserve news, I’m happy to report that the Forest Preserve recently refunded some bonds at a lower rate of interest, which will save taxpayers some $11 million total. I’ve advocated for more bond refundings, but I wanted to thank our finance team for their efforts. This is a big savings over time.
If you want to see more examples of "greening" Lake County, stop by the College of Lake County's Grayslake campus. Not only do they have one of the most environmentally advanced buildings in the state, they also have a "Living Lab Trail," solar (panel) farm and many other green amenities. Click here for information on their open house. Thanks to Dr. Lori Suddick, president of CLC, and David Husemoller, sustainability director, for your excellent work. CLC has been an inspiration to the County Board as we work through a plan to reduce our carbon emissions, landfill waste and produce clean energy.
I also want to welcome Jessica Albert to the board of the Avon-Fremont Drainage District. I nominated her and the board approved her at Tuesday's board meeting. Thanks, Jessica, for stepping up to serve our community!
If you need immediate help with Lake County social services, please call the United Way of Lake County 2-1-1 helpline. I'd be happy to speak to any group.
Be well, Be Safe!
