Title
Joint resolution appropriating $85,000 of County Bridge Tax funds for professional engineering services, to be provided by the Stormwater Management Commission, for Phase I and Phase II of a possible county wetland mitigation bank at the Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve, pursuant to an existing agreement between Lake County and the Lake County Forest Preserve District and designated as Section 01-00000-00-ES.
Staff Summary
• Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve Possible County Wetland Bank: Appropriation for Phase I and Phase II
• The County has an intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Preserve District for construction of a county wetland mitigation bank and a possible site has been identified at the Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve.
• The Forest Preserve is also interested in the possibility of a larger bank to make credits available for its own needs.
• Wetland mitigation banks require permits from the U.S. Army Corps and the IDNR.
• A Phase I study to evaluate options will be undertaken and Phase II design will follow.
• The professional engineering services for the said Phase I and Phase II for the possible bank will be undertaken by the SMC pursuant to an agreement with the LCDOT.
• This resolution appropriates $85,000 of County Bridge Tax Funds for these services.
Body
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the construction of improvements to designated routes on the county highway system sometimes result in minor impacts to adjacent wetlands; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to mitigate for impacts to wetlands caused by the construction of improvements to designated routes on the county highway system; and
WHEREAS, the use of wetland mitigation bank credits is an environmentally appropriate and cost effective way of handling the mitigation of said minor wetland impacts; and
WHEREAS, Lake County has an agreement in place entitled the “INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN LAKE COUNTY FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT AND COUNTY OF LAKE TERMINATING A PRIOR AGREEMENT PROVIDING FOR THE EXCHANGE OF LAND, AND PROVIDING FOR A LICENSE AGREEMENT” dated April 28, 2000 for the possible construction of a county wetland bank on District property; and
WHEREAS, the District has identified a potential wetland mitigation bank site at the Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve and is also interested in the possibility of having a large enough site to provide for its own needs for wetland mitigation bank credits; and
WHEREAS the said agreement calls for the County to be the lead agency for evaluating the potential of and eventually receiving U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources permits for a wetland mitigation bank and for the eventual construction of said bank; and
WHEREAS, the project for the proposed wetland mitigation bank at the Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve will be approached in 3 phases: Phase I for preliminary engineering evaluating the possible alternatives of a bank including what the site would support for the County’s needs and the District’s needs, Phase II for the design engineering and acquisition of permits for the final configuration of the bank and finally Phase III for the construction of the bank; and
WHEREAS, professional engineering services are needed to perform the Phase I for the proposed project which is the preliminary engineering to evaluate the possible alternatives of a bank at the Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve, including what the site would support for the County’s needs and the District’s needs, for wetland bank credits; and
WHEREAS, professional engineering services are needed to perform the Phase II for the proposed project which is the design engineering and acquisition of permits for the final configuration of the bank; and
WHEREAS, there exists a “Memorandum of Understanding between the Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) and the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) for Professional Services” dated June 3, 2009; and
WHEREAS, the SMC can provide the desired professional engineering services for the said Phase I and Phase II.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, that there is hereby appropriated $85,000 of County Bridge Tax funds for professional engineering services for Phase I and Phase II for a possible wetland mitigation bank at the Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve and designated as Section 01-00000-00-ES.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on November 16, 2010.