With $738,000 coming in the form of a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Waukegan officials have an idea of how to spend the funds but are looking for some advice from city residents
A three-year grant, that amount represents the second installment after the city spent $1 million this year for lead water line replacement and public artwork. Those decisions came in part from residents’ suggestions.
Waukegan officials sought ideas from the public during an open house on July 16 at the Waukegan Public Library to get ideas on how the money can best be spent, with the deadline for community input being July 29.
Given to municipalities where jobs were lost because of certain types of plant closures, Noelle Kischer-Lepper, the city’s director of planning and zoning, said the Energy Transition Community Grant helps Waukegan in a variety of ways.
“This is assistance to the community from the state to mitigate the negative impact of the power plant closure,” she said, referring to the NRG facility along the lakefront which is now only used to generate electricity when the grid is overloaded.
“We want public input on investment of our resources,” Kischer-Lepper said. “The renovation of the Genesee Theater, Jack Benny Plaza and the Ray Bradbury statue (in front of the library) were all public ideas.”
Like last year, a large portion of the funds — $313,000 — will be used to pay for the ongoing replacement of lead pipes which bring water primarily to the city’s older structures.
“This is for the health of our residents, and helps pay for an unfunded federal mandate,” Kischer-Lepper said. “The city is very glad we have this money to use to cover the full cost of lead pipe replacement rather than put the burden on the homeowners.”
With $200,000 slated for corridor beautification and engagement, Thomas Maillard, the city’s government affairs liaison, said these funds will go for public art and digital information boards.
Partnering with the Lake County Community Foundation, Maillard said small business empowerment grants in the amount of $150,000 will also be part of the grant package. The project is designed to help smaller enterprises in Waukegan grow.
Entrepreneurs who own eight Waukegan businesses benefitted from the program this year. They worked with a coach to give them mentoring and received $30,000 to improve their operations.
Allocated $75,000 in the effort is the Waukegan River/Ravine Initiative. It will help the city do its part of the nationwide American the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge it joined this spring.
Nicole Large, the city’s grant writer, said there will be a third installment of the Energy Transition Community Grant next year. This year’s application will be finalized by July 31.
