The Lake Bluff Letter - March 24, 2023

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Lake Bluff Pup enjoying the view. Taken by Brady Andersen. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

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Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

The Village Board has now approved a May 15 - September 30 seasonal ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. This action follows the Village's participation in a Regional Leaf Blower Working Group formed in late 2021 to study the impacts of gas-powered leaf blowers, alternative technologies and how communities could mitigate the impacts of this equipment.

To ensure a balanced and thoughtful report, the Working Group was comprised of elected officials, appointed officials (i.e. Sustainability Commission members), professional municipal staff (municipalities and park districts), and representatives of the landscape industry.

You can view the working group's final report released in December 2022 by clicking here. If you don't perform you own lawn maintenance, talk to your contractor about this new regulation.

Stormwater Utility Fee

Following more than 2 years of study and public engagement, the Village Board of Trustees has determined it is necessary to impose a stormwater utility fee upon users of the stormwater system in order to provide an effective and long-term approach to stormwater management within the Village and to provide an equitable, efficient, certain and neutral revenue stream for the construction, maintenance, operation and improvement of the stormwater system.

After including public comments received to date, the Village Board approved the first reading of a draft ordinance at the Monday, March 13 meeting. To allow time for more public comment, finalize communication plans and to hear from local institutions and commercial businesses, the Village Board will hold off on a second reading of this ordinance until their April 10 meeting. The draft ordinance includes an effective date of July 1, 2023.

More information about the stormwater utility fee can be found on the Village's website.

Village and Community Updates

NSWRD Construction to begin soon.  The Northshore Water Reclamation District (NSWRD) will begin construction of an underground sewage storage basin at Lake Bluff Sunrise Beach soon and will continue through May 2024. Over the next year there will be periodic times of intense activity involving large material and equipment delivery trucks. Additionally, parking will not be permitted during the hours of 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Monday to Friday) along eastbound East Center Avenue from Evanston Avenue to Sunrise Avenue for the period of Monday, April 3, 2023 until Friday, May 26, 2023. More information about the project can be found at nswrd.org.

ELECTION SIGN REMINDERS. Election signs, commonly referred to as "lawn signs," may be displayed on private property--not on the public parkway--in advance of the upcoming April 4, 2023 election. The Village enforces election sign regulations on a complaint basis.

LIBRARY BOOK DROP CLOSED. In February, the access door to the drive-up book drop at the Lake Bluf Library broke. Staff are currently unable to open the access door to retrieve items. Because of this, the drive-up book drop is currently closed. For more information, click here.

WINTER PARKING REMINDER. Please move your vehicles off the street to help clear snow and ice from Lake Bluff roads. As a reminder, parking is currently prohibited on Village streets between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. every night (November 15th-April 1th) or after a two-inch snowfall until snow removal is complete.

TREE TALK. Join Lake Bluff Open Lands (LBOLA) for an arborist panel discussion and Q&A about tree care and concerns. The event will take place on April 2 at 2 p.m. at the Lake Bluff Library. For more information, click here.

100 YEARS YOUNG. ‍In collarboration with the Lake Bluff History Museum, Lake Bluff School District 65 is planning a centennial celebration of the community's 1^st elected school board in 1923. To honor this occasion and to help celebrate the history of public schools in Lake Bluff, the district is asking former teachers, students, administrators, board members, and community members to email stories (written, photo, audio) about District 65 to 65stories@lb65.org.

‍Board and Committee Actions

For more information, visit the Village's meeting packets and videos page. Agendas and meeting materials are typically available the Friday before a meeting; videos within a week after the meeting; and minutes after they are approved at the next meeting of the public body. Not all meetings are recorded on video. Click here for details on how to participate remotely.

Recent Sustainability and Community Enhancement Ad Hoc Committee (SEC) meeting (March 21, 7 p.m.).  The SEC:

• Heard a presentation from Lake Bluff Open Lands Association (LBOLA) regarding Buckthorn clearance along Route 176.
• Received a project update from Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency (CLCJAWA) regarding prairie restoration.
• Held a high-level discussion regarding lighting regulations.

The Village Board meeting scheduled for March 27 is cancelled.

The Business Advisory Ad Hoc Committee meeting scheduled for March 29 is cancelled.

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‍Email: vlb@lakebluff.org | Web: lakebluff.org | Phone: (847) 234-0774

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40 E. Center Avenue, Lake Bluff, IL 60044