Municipal Government

Responsibilities	Request for Service	Snow Plowing Information	Storm Challenges
Street Priority	Winter Reminder	Snow Season Mailbox Replacement	Village Parkways

Responsibilities

(in cooperation with Village contractors and the Village engineers):

Maintains and operates the 4.6 million gallon Water Reservoir and Pump Station.
Maintains and operates more than 74 miles of watermains.
Maintains one back-up supply water-well.
Operates two elevated water towers storing 1,000,000 gallons of water.
Reads and maintains the water meter system.
Maintains and operates more than 68 miles of sanitary sewers.
Maintains approximately 79.5 miles of storm sewers and 3 detention basins.
Maintains and snow plows 126 lane miles of streets.
Maintains over 710 street lights.
Mows 51 acres of public way 14 times per year (714 acres mowed annually).
Sweeps 1,075 curb miles of streets annually.
Responds to approximately 500 citizen requests for service annually.

The Request for Service System

The Village of Grayslake has developed an innovative system of response to resident service requests: the Request for Service System. RESIDENTS MAY CALL THE REQUEST FOR SERVICE LINE AT 847-223-8515 WITH ANY PUBLIC WORKS SERVICE REQUEST. TO SUBMIT A REQUEST VIA E-MAIL, GO TO THE REQUEST FOR SERVICE PAGE OR CLICK THE R4S LOGO.

Public Works services requested may include (but are not limited to) the following types of requests or concerns:

Blocked storm sewer
Branches not picked up
Dead parkway tree
Dirt on streets
Garbage or recycling not picked up
Garbage/recycling concerns
Graffiti on property
Leaves not vacuumed
Low water pressure
Mailbox damaged by plow
Manhole cover loose

Pothole on road
Property maintenance:
- debris in yard
- grass too high
- sidewalk not shoveled
Snow plow damage
Storm damage (branches down)
Street light not working
Street sign crooked or missing
Watermain break

The Request for Service System has the following goals and benefits:

Improved customer service and satisfaction for Village residents.
One-stop answer point to insure the recording of and follow-up for requests for service.
Enhanced system for tracking individual requests for service.
Ongoing follow-up, information, and status updates from the Deputy Village Clerk until the service request is completed.
Opportunity for customer feedback after request is completed.

Your cooperation is appreciated. We believe this system will enhance the ability of the Village to deliver the services requested by its customers—the citizens of the Village.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SYSTEM, PLEASE CONTACT THE DEPUTY VILLAGE CLERK AT (847)223-8515.

Snow Plowing Information

Every Storm Presents a Different Challenge

Throughout the years, snow and ice removal has proven to be an inexact science. Different storms bring different problems which require different levels of response. Several factors directly contribute to the level of severity of the storm and the subsequent effect on traffic and public safety.

The Composition of the Snow—Snow moisture levels vary based on temperature. The closer the temperature is to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the HEAVIER the content of the snow will be. Heavy snow makes snow and ice removal much more difficult. The process is more efficient and effective when snow is dry and fluffy.
The Length of the Storm—Extended snow storms make snow and ice removal more difficult and less effective. The best advice is to use extreme caution when driving on Village streets. The Village will concentrate on clearing the main arterial streets during an extended storm. Side streets and cul-de-sacs will be taken care of as time permits. It is much easier to clear eight inches of snow that falls over a six hour period in comparison to a four inch snow that falls over a twenty-four hour period.
Rush Hour Effect—Morning and late-afternoon snow storms will increase your driving times. Try and stay updated on predicted weather conditions and make your travel plans accordingly. As is standard procedure, the Village plow and salt crews will clear the snow and ice as quickly as possible when these particularly inconvenient storms occur.

Street Prioritization Plan

Based on street usage and levels of traffic, the Village has a specific order in which Village-maintained streets are plowed as part of the snow and ice removal plan. The general order is as follows:

High traffic arterial roads
Side streets
Low traffic cul-de-sacs

The goal of the system is to get the main roads, which are most widely used, open as quickly and safely as possible. In response to more severe storms, the Public Works Department and Village contractors focus on keeping these main roads as clear as possible. Public Works Department crews will continue post-storm clean up operations following initial plowing and salting. In the following days, all streets will be cleared curb-to-curb and cul-de-sacs will be plowed with smaller size trucks.
Cul-de-sacs pose a special challenge. The structure of cul-de-sacs makes them extremely difficult and time-consuming to plow. Due to the low traffic volume on these streets, the Village is usually only able to get to them after other streets have been plowed. Snow and ice removal has to be prioritized based on traffic volumes to provide the greatest level of safety to the greatest number of residents, as quickly as possible.

Who Plows Your Street?

The Village has detailed plan for efficient snow and ice removal on dedicated Village streets.

Village maintained streets have been divided into nine plow zones.
The Public Works Department plows four zones; private contractors plow the additional five zones.
The Public Works Department also takes care of certain specially assigned areas with smaller equipment. These areas include the Hillside parking lot, Metra parking lot and downtown parking facilities.
The following is a list of streets plowed by other jurisdictions.
- Alleghany Road (North of Route 120) - Lake County of Transportation
- Casey Road - Lake County Department of Transportation
- Center Street (Route 83 to Route 45) - Lake County Department of Transportation
- Route 45 - Illinois Department of Transportation
- Route 83, Barron Boulevard - Illinois Department of Transportation
- Route 120, Belvidere Road - Illinois Department of Transportation
- Route 137 - Illinois Department of Transportation
- Washington Street - Lake County Department of Transportation

Winter Reminder!!

As the winter season nears, the Village asks residents to abide by a few rules which will keep our streets safe. These rules are:

When shoveling your driveway, deposit the snow on the parkway to the right side as you face the street. That way, snowplows will not push the snow back into your drive. It is a violation of Village Ordinance to deposit snow from a sidewalk or driveway onto Village streets.
Do not impede snow plowing equipment when snow plowing operations are underway. It is dangerous to disrupt them while they are in operation.
Watch your children and, for their safety, discourage them from playing in the parkway during snow plowing operations.
No cars should be parked on Village streets when the streets are being plowed. Parking is prohibited during snow storms of 2 or more inches. Vehicles in violation of this Ordinance are subject to ticketing and towing.
Village Ordinance requires residents to remove snow and ice from sidewalks around their homes within 24 hours after snowfall has ceased.

Snow Season Mailbox Replacement Policy

Unfortunately during snow plow operations, mailboxes may be damaged either from a direct hit from a snowplow or from wet snow thrown from a snow plow. The Village has a mailbox replacement policy for both properly placed and improperly placed mailboxes within the Village right-of-way.

Properly Placed Mailboxes

Properly placed mailboxes are those which are mounted not more than 52" and not less than 48" from the ground to the top of the mailbox. More importantly, the front of the mailbox must be not less than 12" back from the curb or road shoulder.

A. Standard Mailboxes

Damage caused by plow: The Village will replace with a standard U.S. Postal mailbox.
Damage caused by plow-thrown snow: The Village will refasten and secure the standard mailbox to its post.

B. Altered or Custom Made Mailboxes

Damage caused by plow: The Village will give the resident the option of replacing the altered or custom-made mailbox with a standard U.S. Postal mailbox or reimburse the resident up to $25.00 for the mailbox of their choice.
Damage caused by plow-thrown snow: The Village will refasten the altered or custom-made mailbox. However, the Village shall not be responsible for pieces of a mailbox, other than a standard mailbox, which have fallen off or been damaged due to plow-thrown snow.

Improperly Placed Mailboxes

If mailboxes are improperly placed, the Village will not be responsible for any damage to the mailbox which occurs during snow plowing operations. However, the Village will make an effort to assist residents. For more information on the location of your mailbox, please call the Village Request for Service Line at 847-223-8515.

Village Parkways

Sometimes parkway damage is an inevitable result of keeping the roads safe. The Village appreciates and thanks homeowners and businesses for their continued assistance in maintaining and repairing the parkways.