Title
Ordinance adopting the Mill Creek Watershed and Flood Mitigation Plan prepared by the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) as an Amendment to the Lake County Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan.
Staff Summary
· The Stormwater Management Commission has worked with review agencies and stakeholders to incorporate comments and finalize the Mill Creek Watershed and Flood Mitigation Plan.
· The plan addresses mitigation of flood damage and improving water quality within the Mill Creek Watershed.
· Portions of Grayslake, Gurnee, Libertyville, Lindenhurst, Old Mill Creek, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Park, Third Lake, Wadsworth, and Unincorporated Grandwood Park and Wildwood are in the watershed, as well as County Board Districts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 16.
· SMC will present a short summary of public comment and revisions, and request recommendation for County Board adoption.
Body
Whereas, the County Board of Lake County adopted the Lake County Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan on June 11, 1990, and said plan recommended the development of comprehensive watershed management plans for each of Lake County's twenty-six subwatersheds; and
Whereas, the Lake County Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan was updated in 2002 and adopted by the County Board of Lake County, and the update reiterated the priority of developing comprehensive watershed management plans for each of Lake County's twenty-six subwatersheds; and
Whereas, the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission has been working to revise and update the comprehensive watershed plan for the Mill Creek watershed in Lake County hereinafter referred to as "Watershed-Based Plans"; and
Whereas, the purpose of the Watershed-Based Plan is to improve degraded conditions in the Mill Creek watershed by improving water quality, reducing flood damage, and protecting and enhancing natural resources through implementing best management practices and programs; and
Whereas, another goal of the Watershed-Based Plan is to provide resources and information for watershed communities to integrate multi-objective watershed management in decision making for development activities; and
Whereas, the adoption of the Watershed-Based Plan is necessary for the successful implementation of a series of individual site-specific projects and watershed-wide programmatic actions to: improve water quality, reduce flood damage potential, protect and enhance natural resources, provide watershed education and recreation opportunities, and improve community cooperation and participation in watershed improvement activities; and
Whereas, all public hearing and meeting requirements have been met in the preparation of the Watershed-Based Plans; and
Whereas, a 30-day comment period; which included outreach and coordination with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, adjoining counties, and the general public has been accomplished; and
Whereas, the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission approved the Mill Creek Watershed and Flood Mitigation Plan on April 3, 2014;
Now, therefore, be it ordained, by the County Board of Lake County, Illinois, that the Mill Creek Watershed and Flood Mitigation Plan for Lake County, Illinois are hereby adopted as an Amendment to the Lake County Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan, the official countywide, stormwater management plan, in accordance with 55 ILCS 5/5-1062; and
Be it further ordained that a copy of the final Mill Creek Watershed and Flood Mitigation Plan will be sent to each municipality and township in the Mill Creek Watershed in Lake County.
DATED AT WAUKEGAN, Lake County, Illinois on this 8th Day of April, 2014.