The Village will conduct two Village-wide residential brush collection events in 2013. Please note that brush pick-up will be performed for all residents in the Village during the weeks of May 20th and October 28th.

General Brush Pick-Up Guidelines:

- Twigs and branches must be no larger than 4 inches in diameter.
- All brush must be stacked in the same direction when placed curbside.
- Bundles should not be bagged or tied.

Brush must be placed at the curb no later than 7:00 a.m. on Monday, May 20th for the May collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on Monday, October 28th for the October collection. Crews will work all week long to remove brush throughout the Village. Once crews pass your home, they will not come back.

Residents who need additional brush pick-up services throughout the growing season will be able to contact our contractor, Kramer Tree Specialists directly to request the service (630-293-5444). Once twenty Village residents sign up for this additional service, a pick-up will be scheduled.

Residents requesting this service will be allowed one pile of brush (up to 5′ x 10′ x 6′) for collection, and will be required to pay a pick-up fee in advance, directly to Kramer Tree Specialists.

DATE: Wednesday, June 19, 2013
TIME: 11:00 a.m. Shotgun Start
LOCATION: Prairie Isle Golf Club, 2216 Route 176

The Village of Wauconda is raising funds to continue its annual fireworks celebration in 2013. Support this patriotic community event by joining us for an afternoon of golf and socializing.

Can’t get away but want to contribute?… Sponsor, donate, or supply a raffle prize! Click here for the informational flyer and registration form.

Last Year’s “Big Bang” Golf Outing Fundraiser Sponsors:

• Speer Financial (hole sponsor)
• Law Offices of Rudy Magna (two hole sponsor)
• Waste Management (lunch sponsor)
• Waste Management (foursome)
• MBX Systems (hole sponsor)
• Mike Hansen State Farm Agency (foursome)
• Mortiz Micro Manufacturing (foursome)
• Mortiz Micro Manufacturing (hole sponsor)
• Casten Body Shop (foursome)
• Casten Body Shop (bag sponsor)
• Salon Pure in Style (foursome)
• Salon Pure in Style (hole sponsor)
• Wauconda Boat (10 golfers)
• Lindy’s Restaurant & Marina (foursome)
• Town & Country Homes (two foursomes)

If you or your business would like to make a donation to this year’s celebration, please contact Debra Ogorzaly at dogorzaly@wauconda-il.gov or 847-526-9609.

As one of the final steps in the transition from quarterly to monthly billing, the Village recently implemented a new water billing schedule. As with all new processes, immediately after implementation, an evaluation period began to analyze the effectiveness of the change. Elected officials and Village staff have received considerable input from our residents and business owners about the new timetable and we want you to know that we have heard your concerns and the Village will immediately amend the newly implemented water billing schedule.

Village staff recently recommended certain schedule changes to the Board, which were overwhelmingly positively accepted. The changes aim to balance the concerns expressed by our customers with the goal of operating the water and sewer system in a fiscally responsible manner. The billing cycle will be now be extended to allow customers more time between the original billing date and the time of penalty assessment and water shut off.

Penalty Assessment:

The new schedule will extend the period before late penalties are applied by 6 days.  (From the current 14 days after the billing date – to 20 days after the billing date.)

Water Turn Off:  

Starting immediately, water turn off for nonpayment will occur 30 days or more after the billing date.  Turn off dates do fluctuate a bit month-to-month since turn offs do not occur on Fridays, or immediately preceding a Village holiday, but under the new cycle, turn offs will occur 30 days or more after the billing date.

The Village thanks our customers for providing input on the new schedule, and we are committed to continuing to work with our residents and business owners to find solutions to our challenges.

This year, Wauconda joins Arlington Heights, Libertyville and Schaumburg as one of the top vote getters in this category! We would like to recognize the 24 Wauconda businesses, events, and organizations that won the 2013 Readers’ Choice “Best of the Best”:

• Village of Wauconda – Best City/Town to Live, Best Downtown Atmosphere
• Wauconda Park District – Best Park District, Best Community Festival (Waucondafest)
• Middleton’s on Main – Best Appetizers, Best New Restaurant, Best Theme Restaurant, Best Bar/Lounge
• From Scratch Café – Best Bakery
• Academy of Ballet - Best Dance School/Studio
• Eduardo’s Catering – Best Caterer
• Bliss Wine & Gift Shop - Best Wine Selection
• Bulldogs Grill - Best Hamburgers, Best Comfort Food, Best Fries
• Honey Hill Coffee Company – Best Tea Shop
• Strawberry Moon – Best Martini
• Main Street Outfitter – Best Bicycle Store
• Dock’s Bar & Grill – Best Outdoor Eatery, Best Place to Dance
• Lindy’s Landing - Best Outdoor Eatery, Best Marina
• Slyce Coal Fired Pizza - Best Thin Crust Pizza, Best Unique Salad
• Wauconda Boat – Best Marina
• Carpets 4U – Best Carpet/Flooring Store
• Golf Farm - Best Driving Range
• Gangi Martial Arts of Wauconda – Best Martial Arts Studio
• Whippletre Antiques  – Best Antique Shop
• M&L Flooring – Best Carpet/Flooring Store
• P.S. Flowers and Balloons – Best Florist
• All Temp Heating & AC - Best Heating & A/C Company
• Rusty’s Home Repair – Best Kitchen/Bath Remodeling
• Tri-County Thrift Store – Best Resale Shop

Wauconda is also home to a number of popular community events including Wauconda Fest, Farmers’ Market, Jammin’ on Main Street, the Wauconda Rodeo, and the Annual Holiday Walk. There are a number of resources available to help you plan for upcoming events in our community, many of which are sponsored by our local partners!

Lake Michigan Water Update

March 27, 2013

Source Selection

Village staff and elected officials are continuing their work to bring Lake Michigan water to residents and businesses in Wauconda.  While a final decision has not yet been made on a source for the water, representatives from the Village, and those from our partner agency, the Village of Volo, recently met with the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency (CLCJAWA) Board to discuss a possible collaboration between the groups.  The three groups continue to meet to discuss topics such as intergovernmental agreements, the preferred structure of a potential new organization that includes both Villages, and the rights and responsibilities of all parties.  The groups will meet again in the near future to further discuss and refine these details, with the goal of making a final decision on a water source in the coming weeks. 

Route Studies

Once a water source is determined, staff will conduct a detailed route study to plan exactly where the transmission mains will be placed for both Wauconda and Volo.  To complete the study, engineering staff will conduct field reconnaissance to identify and evaluate preferred and possible alternate routes.  During this phase of the project, meetings will be held with all key agencies and entities that may be involved in the project, including property owners, utility companies, and County and State representatives to discuss the benefits and challenges of each individual parcel along the route.  To date, a number of potential routes have been identified and meetings regarding ownership, easements, and rights-of-way along these routes are in progress.

 The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Loan Program

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has made a low interest loan program available to government agencies for public water and wastewater projects.  The Village investigated taking advantage of this program as a way to finance the significant internal system improvements that will be required to convert our existing well water system to a Lake Michigan Water supply system.  However, it was determined that the IEPA interest rates were not meaningfully lower than existing options.  Furthermore, the lengthy and extensive application process required by the program would have added approximately one year to the project, which could markedly increase final constructions costs.  Therefore, this program is no longer being considered as a financing option.  This IEPA program does offer very low interest rates, so the Village is now working on an application to request financing for another upcoming critical project, that of the rehabilitation/replacement of the trickle filters at the wastewater treatment plant which have now exceeded their expected useful life.

 The Village is committed to providing the community with regular updates about this critical project, and will share future progress reports through electronic newsletters and website postings.

The Village’s Mayor and Board of Trustees recognizes that public outreach efforts are key to communication goals. E-News for the Community is a short, informative electronic newsletter that communicates programs, events, and beneficial legislative initiatives important to the community. Just click on the button below or scan our QR code to begin receiving your weekly e-News updates!

Not sure what to do tonight? What about this weekend? Then WhatsUpWauconda.org is for you. There’s plenty to do if you know where to look. All events listed are for the community, by the community.

Wauconda’s United Partnership for a Better Community is announcing the launch of a new event calendar for the community, by the community.

The purpose of the “What’s Up Wauconda” community calendar is to share information about special events and activities in the Wauconda area with the intent to increase awareness, participation and cooperation among groups and community members.

Want to add a listing? Just review the guidelines to make sure your event qualifies and click here to begin!

Introduction

Recent changes in Illinois legislation have enabled residents and small businesses to choose their own supplier of electricity. There are programs available right now that can save you money with no change in ComEd’s delivery service or their responsibilities during emergency outages. The electricity service at your business or home is made up of three parts:

1. The electricity itself is provided by an electricity generator and is sometimes referred to as electricity “supply” or “generation.”
2. The “transmission” of that electricity from the generation facility to your local utility.
3. The “distribution” or “delivery” of the electricity by the utility over the electric lines that lead to your business or home.

In the past, ComEd provided all three parts of your electric service (supply, transmission, and distribution). You now have the ability to select the electricity supplier, which allows residents and small businesses to save up to 20% off their electrical supply costs. (Source: http://pluginillinois.org/about.aspx)

When you choose to obtain your electricity from a different supplier, ComEd is still responsible for the transmission of that electricity to the local utility and to your business or home. This means that ComEd will still do the billing, maintain the service lines, and respond to power outages as the company has always done. The only change you will see is a reduction in the cost of the electricity supply charge on your ComEd bill.

All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. and the agendas as well as the approved minutes can be accessed on this website.