Residents in unincorporated Lake County may soon go before an administrative judge instead of settling minor disputes in court.
The county board is expected to vote Tuesday on the hiring of an administrative judge, who would oversee nuisance and public health violations such as dogs barking or running loose, junk in yards, or missing well covers, said Mark Pfister, director of health population services at the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center.
The measure would save the county about $38,000, said Deputy County Administrator Amy J.P. McEwan.
“In a time of fewer dollars, we are looking at every option,” McEwan said. “And the courts take time. If someone’s grass is too long, you don’t want to wait 300 days to get it resolved.”
The law would affect the approximately 10 percent of Lake County residents who live in unincorporated areas — not those living within village or city limits, unless the violations were under the county’s jurisdiction. The county expects about 170 cases per year, or about 15 per month, would be heard by the administrative judge, McEwan said. Hearings would be scheduled twice a month.
Residents can still go through the court system if they choose, she said.
The process would likely begin next year, after the county hires an attorney for the administrative judge spot, she said.
The Lake County Board meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Lake County Courthouse and Administration Building, 18 N. County St. in Waukegan.
