Per the Lake County Watershed Development Ordinance (WDO), which establishes minimum countywide standards for stormwater management, every five years the Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) reviews the communities’ ordinance enforcement records and requires re-certification. Implemented at the local level, 42 of the 52 municipalities in the county are Certified Communities (PDF). A municipality or the County may be certified by SMC to enforce the standard provisions and/or the isolated wetland provisions and/or FIL50 provisions of the WDO within the community’s jurisdiction. The designation allows those communities to enforce WDO standards within their own jurisdictions.

Re-Certification packets were mailed to Enforcement Officers, Community Contacts, and Community Chief Elected Officials in early January. SMC staff will also be sending out in-person meeting requests to all communities. The deadline for communities to submit re-certification information to SMC is Sept. 30. Please note, communities who do not meet this deadline will be deemed Non-Certified on Oct. 1, 2023. 

To learn more and access the Community Re-Certification documents click here.