Village of Wauconda

The Village of Wauconda is a community of 9,448 with a diversified industrial and commercial base.  Local government consists of a Mayor, Clerk, and six-member Board of Trustees who are elected to four year overlapping terms of office.  Board meetings are held at the Village Hall, 101 N. Main Street, on the first and third Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. Daily operations of the Village are overseen by a highly qualified
full-time professional staff.

Village Hall hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Water bills are payable at the Village Hall either in person, by mail, or left in one of the drop boxes by the front or back door. Yard waste stickers and recycling bins may be purchased at the Village Hall during regular business hours. Village vehicle stickers are not required.  Garage sale permits are required and may be obtained free-of-charge at the Village Hall.

 
Recent board meeting minutes, agendas, newsletters, and other information can be found on the Village’s web site www.Wauconda-IL.gov.
 

The Public Works Department is responsible for water and water reclamation service, water billing, and streets. The Street Department is responsible for brush pickup, snow plowing, street sweeping, maintaining more than 38 miles of public streets, 43 miles of storm water collection system and 56 miles of wastewater collection system.

Brush pickup service is provided during the spring and summer months. Tree material no more than 4 inches in diameter and brush, without the root ball, will be collected from the curb. If a service removes a tree or does brush trimming, the service must depose of the material. The Village has a contracted leaf pickup program in the fall. Both of these services are free to residents.

To assist our Public Works Department with their snow plowing efforts, no parking is allowed on any Village curbed street between the hours of 2 and 6 a.m. from Nov. 1 until Apr. 1. Additionally, a parking prohibition will automatically go into effect on any street or alleyway when there is an accumulation of 2 or more inches of snow and/or ice. This prohibition continues until the snow has stopped and streets are clear of snow.

The Water Department treats an average of 1.1 million gallons of water daily. We have 8 wells and 4 water towers. On the Village of Wauconda web site is the annual consumer confidence report. The Village’s drinking water meets or exceeds all Safe Drinking Water Act standards. The Water Reclamation Department treats an average of 1.5 million gallons of wastewater daily. With the growth of Wauconda, the reclamation facility will be expanded. This project will take approximately 2 years to complete.

The Village’s water and sewer billing is based on quarterly usage. Payment is due at Village Hall within 20 days from billing date. A 10 percent penalty charge will be added to all bills not paid on time. If bill exceeds the late notice time, a tag will be placed on your front window and an additional $35 fee will be accessed to your bill. If after 3 days you have not paid your bill and fees, your water will be shut-off. All outstanding monies and a turn-on fee must be paid prior to restoration of your water service. You are entitled to a hearing protesting your delinquent bill prior to termination. For questions regarding water/sewer bills, or to schedule a hearing, call 526-9604.

Weekly garbage service for single family homes is provided by the Village’s contracted waste hauler, Waste Management. Refuse and recyclables are collected every Thursday. Plastic refuse bags, durable metal or plastic cans with handles are acceptable containers for refuse. Additional recycling bins are available for purchase at the Village Hall for $10.

Waste Management offers two options for yard waste. For annual fee, residents can sign up for service that covers unlimited yard waste disposal from April through November. The other option is a sticker that can be purchased at the Village Hall for $ 1.75 each for a bag of yard waste. For information, call Waste Management at 1-800-447-1066. Residents in rental units or multi-family communities should contact their landlords or home owners associations for refuse collection information.

The Public Works Department is located at 302 Slocum Lake Rd. Working hours are Mon. thru Fri. 7am to 3:30pm.  The phone number is 526-9610. For after hours emergencies, call the non-emergency police number at 847-526-2421.

The Bangs Lake Management Committee meets on the fourth Monday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the Village Hall. This Committee is made up of residents who volunteer their time to ensure that Bangs Lake, a 309 acre natural glacial lake in the center of the Village, remains one of the top fishing and boating spots in Illinois.

The Zoning Board of Appeals/Plan Commission meets on the first and the third Mondays of each month at 7pm at the Village Hall. This Board works closely with the Building Department to meet the needs of residents wishing to improve their properties.

Most residents and business property owners are aware of the need for a building permit for all new construction.  However, building permits are required for most home improvements as well.  The Building Department also
inspects rental units when there is a change of tenants and real estate inspections when properties are sold.  This is to ensure that all life, health and safety issues are corrected.  Residents are requested to call the Building
Department before starting any building or improvement projects.

The Building Department is located at 109 W. Bangs St. (behind Village Hall). It is open from 8am to 4:30pm Mon. thru Fri. Call 487-3575 for more information.

The purpose of the Environmental Quality Office is to protect the natural resources within the Village of Wauconda.  The EQ office is responsible for the Wastewater Pretreatment Program and the Industrial Inventory for all of the industries and businesses within the village.  The Wastewater Pretreatment Program monitors the wastewater discharges from the all businesses of the Village of Wauconda.  The EQ office enforces USEPA and IEPA regulations for the Pretreatment of wastewater from industries and businesses, tracks down violators and levies fines as per guidelines by the EPA.

The EQ office also monitors grease from Food Service Establishments. The Grease Abatement Program helps prevent sanitary sewer overflows and protect equipment at the Water Reclamation Plant.

All new businesses, are required to register with the EQ office BEFORE they begin operating out of the location. The registration includes filling out a Pretreatment application, an inspection of the unit before it opens for business, and payment of the $50 Pretreatment registration fee.

Other environmental areas the EQ office is involved with are watershed issues, such as stormwater pollution prevention and control, aquatic plant harvesting, control of fertilizers, pesticides and shoreline erosion. For questions related to environmental issues, please call the EQ Office at 487-3575. We are located at 109 W. Bangs St..

Located in Village Hall, the Finance Department is support for all the departments including collection, purchasing coordination, billing and payroll. The department includes Human Resources for all employee benefits and Risk Management involving Village facility/equipment and resident/employee safety.

Budget, annual Village levy, audit, monthly and annual financial reports are produced in the Finance Department. The department analyzes, projects and reports on all financial transactions to the residents, Village Board, Administrator and all state and federal agencies involved.

The residents can meet members of the Finance Department if they come in or call Village Hall. The front desk provides customer service and collections. The Accounts Payable staff can answer questions on bills paid. Budgets and audits are available for inspection. The Director of Finance is always happy to talk about Village finances and present at all Village Board meetings.