Village News

Our newest contract renewal with Groot continues to improve the ease of use of the Village’s curbside composting program. You can now include more types of food waste with your curbside compost and use more types of containers. This program is at no additional charge and no signup is necessary.

Over 40% of all edible food in the U.S. is thrown out and food waste is the single largest category of waste deposited in our landfills. Some of this waste can be reduced through good planning, but the next best thing you can do is to compost it.

When you curbside compost, your food scraps are mixed with landscape waste to form nutritious compost for plants. Curbside compost extends the life of our landfills, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and helps support gardening and landscaping in our community.

You can start curbside composting today through your weekly landscape waste service provided by Groot. Curbside compost service is year-round and does not stop during the winter.

Try these tips to make your home curbside composting easier:

  • Use a 1-2 gallon kitchen pail to collect food scraps inside your home. Empty it outside periodically when you take out other recycling and landfill waste.
  • Consider lining your pickup container with a Kraft paper bag to reduce mess.
  • Place shredded egg cartons at the bottom of the pickup container to help catch any fluids.
  • Rinse your pickup container when necessary. Use soap when rinsing if needed.
  • Store your container in a cool, shaded area with the lid securely closed.

The Consolidated Election will be held Tuesday, April 4, 2023. At the Consolidated Election, the Village of Lake Bluff will have eight Village Board offices on the ballot:

  • Village Trustee (4 year term)
  • Village Trustee (4 year term)
  • Village Trustee (4 year term)
  • Village Trustee (2 year term, being the remaining balance of a resigned Trustee's term)
  • Village Clerk (2 year term)
  • Library Trustee (4 year term)
  • Library Trustee (4 year term)
  • Library Trustee (4 year term)

Petitions for candidacy for these offices may be filed in the office of the Village Clerk at Lake Bluff Village Hall, 40 East Center Avenue, starting at 8:00 a.m. on December 12, 2022, and ending at 5:00 p.m. on December 19, 2022. The hours for filing petitions for candidacy with the Village Clerk are as follows:

Date Hours
Monday, December 12, 2022 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 14, 2022 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 15, 2022 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Friday, December 16, 2022 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, December 19, 2022 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Lake County records show that the number of ballots cast in the April 6, 2021 Consolidated General Election within the Village of Lake Bluff was 1,482. Based on the number of ballots cast, the Village understands that a petition should show at least the following minimum number of signatures:

Office Minimum Signatures
Village Trustee At least 75 signatures
Village Clerk At least 75 signatures
Library Board Trustee At least 25 signatures

The Illinois State Board of Elections has prepared the 2023 Candidate’s Guide as well as other information and suggested forms for candidates seeking public office. The Candidate's Guide provides information on the proper completion and filing of nomination papers and lists the qualifications required for candidates seeking specific offices.

The information on this page is provided for information only and may not be accurate or complete. The Illinois Election Code is complex and the Village cannot advise prospective candidates on how to satisfy its requirements. Failure to meet the requirements of the Election Code may result in a candidate's removal from the ballot. The Village recommends that all prospective candidates consult with competent legal counsel when preparing their nomination papers.

Lake County Health Department now offers mobile crisis care as an alternative to calling 911 when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis. You can contact the crisis line confidentially by calling (847) 377-8088 or, starting on July 16, by calling 988.

A specialized two-person team, including a licensed clinician, is available to respond in-person Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight when a person is experiencing a mental health crisis anywhere in Lake County. These specialized services help reduce the strain on police and emergency medical services. Crisis care is offered regardless of ability to pay or insurance status and users will not be billed for services. 

The Village's2021 Water Quality Report (published in 2022) contains important information about the source and quality of your drinking water.

If you would like a paper copy mailed to your home, contact Village Hall by calling (847) 234-0774.

Lake Bluff Downtown LogoLake Bluff adopted its Downtown Streetscape Concept Plan on December 13, 2021 as a conceptual vision to be implemented over time. The Plan was the result of a six-month effort by the Village to evaluate existing conditions, listen to community goals and consider conceptual streetscape enhancement plans for Lake Bluff’s Central Business District (CBD). 


Streetscape_FarmersMktTable.pngLake Bluff’s Downtown has long been recognized as the historical and cultural center place of the community. Given Downtown Lake Bluff’s background and a renewed focus on public places, now is the time to focus on Lake Bluff’s Downtown environment. Downtown businesses are vibrant and want more public places. Community members are finding themselves outdoors more often, walking and biking between neighborhoods, parks, the beach, and Downtown. Now is an opportune time to capitalize on Downtown vibrancy and community interests in public places.
 Streetscape ConceptPlan
Downtown Lake Bluff is a welcoming gathering space and the community’s outdoor living room. The streetscape is recognized for its compact walkable scale, charming two and three story buildings, mature trees, and landscaping. In addition, Downtown maintains it’s historic mix of land uses that make for a vibrant community centerplace, including Village Hall, Police and Fire Station, Metra Station, Library and Museum, Village Green, Post Office, and a mix of attractive restaurants and retail shops. The Streetscape Concept Plan is designed to support this vibrant mix, reinforcing pedestrian entrances, clear and open sidewalk spaces, and more opportunities for public seating and gathering.
 
Highlights of the Plan recommendations include:
  • Incorporating flexible outdoor public seating and specialty lighting.
  • Adding and upgrading bicycle racks, planters, drinking fountains, and other street furniture.
  • Improving connectivity between the Metra Parking Lot and downtown.
  • Accommodate flexible street uses using a partially curbless, one-way street on the north side of the Village Green.
  • Adding casual seating nooks and amenities.
  • Maximizing on-street parking.
  • Decluttering sidewalks.
  • Protecting existing trees and infilling new trees and native entry plantings.
  • Reinforcing green transitions to neighborhoods.

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