Lake County federal representatives explain how $13 million will be allocated

Funds for an organization to upgrade workforce development facilities, money to replace lead pipes and assistance to bring Lake Michigan water to a village miles away are all part of the federal government’s latest round of funding affecting Lake County.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act in Washington on Wednesday, which includes nearly $13 million for Lake County as part of community funding projects that individual members have requested for their districts.

Recommendations for the approved funding came from U.S. Reps. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, Jan Schakowsky, D-Evanston, and Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, all of whom represent parts of Lake County.

Schneider, who represents the largest portion of the county, was responsible for nearly $10.2 million for 11 projects; Schakowsky helped bring in nearly $2.6 million and Quigley $350,000.

Money allocated to community finance projects was about a third as much as last fiscal year, when about $39.5 million was distributed, and about half as much as $22 million the year before that.

The latest projects are for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, Schneider said. He said in the past his recommendations were fully approved, but this time many of them were scaled back due to the large number of requests.

“This was the first time since the program was founded that we were in the minority,” Schneider said. “There was a Republican majority. They drew a line.”

Seven of the 16 requests filed by Schneider, Schakowsky and Quigley for projects in Lake County were for $959,752, according to information provided by their offices. Two of them are in Waukegan (one for workforce development, the other for lead pipe replacement) and one in Long Grove.

Yvette Ewing, co-founder and executive director of Community Work in Waukegan, said her organization was the recipient of one of the $959,752 grants. It will be used to complete the 9,000 square meter renovation on the second floor of the establishment building.

He said the second-floor space will become a banquet facility and a space for young people to hone their filmmaking, carpentry, electrician and computer skills.

“This is so amazing,” Ewing said. “It’s a blessing.”

Waukegan has been engaged in a years-long lead pipe replacement project to replace old, unhealthy pipes with copper in the city’s older homes and buildings. Mayor Ann Taylor said in a statement that the $959,752 was welcome. He said it will be used “to advance Waukegan’s pioneering service line replacement program, particularly around schools and area housing.”

“Waukegan is an environmental justice community committed to ensuring residents have access to clean, fresh drinking water,” Taylor said.

Water from Lake Michigan will now go to Long Grove via Buffalo Grove, in part because of another $959,752 allocation. Long Grove Village President Bill Jacob said the commercial and residential area near Sunset Foods will be diverted from well water to Lake Michigan water.

Other grants of $959,752 were to improve a wastewater treatment plant in Vernon Hills, Seminar Alley in Lake Forest, water main replacement in Wildwood, water infrastructure improvements in Wonder Lake and Highland Park’s water treatment plant. will be.

Additional projects include a proposed arts and business center in Mundelein, renovations to the HACES Training Center Facility in Waukegan, traffic lights on Washington Street in Waukegan and Gurnee, and public works needs in Round Lake.

Funding will also go to the JCC at Chicago’s Lake Zurich facility, a utility project in Hawthorn Woods, assistance to the Ela County Emergency Operations Center, and the Flint Creek restoration project in Barrington Lake.