About the Commission

SMC was established in 1990 through state legislation to coordinate stormwater management activities from a countywide and interjurisdictional perspective.

Main Components of Our Program

• Managing Lake County's floodplains and watersheds by administering countywide floodplain and stormwater management standards.
• Flood damage reduction through flood hazard mitigation projects, and implementing Best Management Practices, watershed management plans and effective floodplain and stormwater management regulations.
• Natural resource protection and restoration by utilizing a mix of funding sources and partnerships to restore and enhance the natural drainage system.

Organization

The Commission consists of 12 members, six municipal mayors/presidents and six Lake County Board members. The municipal members are elected by their peers through the Lake County Clerk's Office. The County Board members are appointed by the County Board Chairman. Each commissioner represents a district of which there are six with a mayor/president and county board member from each district. For specific community and county board district representation, see Board of Commissioners.

The Commission is responsible for establishing policy, adopting the annual budget, and implementing the Lake County Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan. There are three advisory committees to the Commission: Technical Advisory Committee, Municipal Advisory Committee, and the Watershed Management Boards. TAC members are appointed by the SMC chairman; both the TAC and MAC chair and vice chair are appointed by the SMC chairman.

Staffing

The Commission prepares an annual work program and a budget. The work program is carried out by a staff of 18 full-time professionals, technical, administrative and clerical personnel, and supplemented on an as needed basis by temps, interns, and consultants.

The Commission's day-to-day functions fall under five programmatic areas: regulatory, planning, engineering, administration, public information and mapping.

Funding

SMC is funded through property tax and a mix of other funding sources such as state and federal grants and cost-share.