Village Work

Water is not always “well-behaved.” Counties and Villages play a big role in keeping drinking water safe and streams, rivers, lakes healthy, and aquifers protected and recharged.  Land use has been briefly discussed, and this section will delve into additional ways that governments work to protect essentials resources and plan for the future.  A key tool is the Comprehensive Plan.

Almost all our villages go through comprehensive planning about every 10 or so years, and advertise them widely to attract citizen participation.  Several have recently updated their plans.

For some very short videos describing the comprehensive planning process, check out this webpage from Lake Zurich, which has several 1 minute videos describing the comprehensive planning process.  Comprehensive plans may have a longer than 10, or even 20 year planning horizons, although they are generally updated every 10 to 12 years, or as needed.  They are an opportunity for Villages to plan for development, both commercial and residential, open space, infrastructure investments (such as utilities like stormwater and roads) and amenities, such as community events.  After public comment periods, Village Boards then approve the plans, and Village administrators and staff create more detailed plans for implementation.