Frequently Asked Questions

A list of questions most often asked by residents. For more information, visit our Resident Guide

Our waste hauler is LRS (Formally Prairieland Disposal) (847)381-9300 Please contact Prairieland for the current fee per month that is billed quarterly. Trash & recycling are picked up Tuesday mornings. Pickup after major holidays is the day following the normal pickup. Garbage cans can be put out the night before pickup and must be removed by Tuesday evening. There is unlimited garbage and recycling. One small bulk item under 4’ and no more than 50 lbs a week can be put out without a call or sticker. There is a $35.00 charge for large bulk items and appliances.  You must call at least 1 day in advance of the regularly scheduled pickup day.  It is illegal and dangerous to leave unused appliances in your yard. There is one leaf pickup in the spring and two in the fall. You put your leaves at the front of your yard and Prairieland vacuums the village. You will be notified as to the dates of the vacuuming. Yard waste season runs from April 1st to November 30th.  A 95 gallon yard waste toter is available to rent for $3.00 per month.  Prairieland yard waste toter or kraft paper bags will only be accepted.

The Village of McCullom Lake accepts online payments for: Sewer Bills, Boat Permit, Vehicle Stickers, Parking Tickets, Ordinance Violations, Hall Rental, and Tow Fees. As of December 30th 2021 Debit and Credit card payments will be charged a convenience fee. Visit our Payment Portal.

Monthly Bill & Information: In 2003, our village completed the public sanitary sewers. All property owners with a 'stub' to their property are assessed a monthly fee. At this time, they are as follows: $39.00 for Debt Reduction (this is collected and sent to pay off the debt the village incurred to build the sewers). $20.00 for operation and maintenance (there is routine maintenance that must be performed, as well as operating costs). If the home is connected to the sewer, there are also sewer treatment charges, which are collected and passed on to the City of McHenry per our intergovernmental agreement. Those charges are dependent on the number of people in the home. Billing is done on the 5th of each month, and is due the 25th of the same month at 4:00 pm.

Sewer: Late Fees: In order to avoid late fees, payments must be received in our office by 4:00 pm on the 25th.  Any payment received after that time is considered a late payment. If the 25th due date falls on a holiday or weekend, then the sewer bills are due at 4:00 pm on the first business day after the holiday or weekend. There is a drop box outside the front door. You can drop payments any time of day or night. A $5.00 late charge will be added to all payments received after 4:00 pm on the 25th or payment due date. This $5.00 late fee will also be added to all accounts past due on the 25th of the month after 4:00 pm.

ONLINE SEWER PAYMENT

Our Village ordinance requires that a building permit be obtained for all changes or alteration made to a structure or property, new or existing, in the Village. For details on Village building requirements, see the the "Code of Ordinances" section. Please follow these procedures to obtain a building permit: 1. Obtain a Permit Application - these are available at the Village Office or you can request that one be mailed to you. (This is a tri-copy form, so it can not be downloaded). 2. Complete the Permit Application and return to The Office for review. You will then be notified if any additional information will be required, and the permit fee. 3. Pay for and pick up the official permit at the Village office - the amount of the permit will depend on the work being done. We accept cash, checks or credit cards at time of permit pick up. 4. Display official permit in a window or door visible to the street for the duration of the project applied for. Call The Village building inspector Trent Turner at 815-388-2780 for inspections as required.

Permit Rules: Any vehicle that needs to be parked on the street must have a permit. Permits must be applied for no less than 24 hours in advance of need. There is no charge for a Village parking permit. All vehicles to be parked along our streets must be 18” off-road. No overnight parking on the grass. Permits are now required for on-street parking. Permits must be requested 24 hours in advance from either the Police Department or the Village Office. All permits expire at midnight on their valid date. Vehicles parked on the street without a permit will be ticketed and/or towed. Please contact the Village Office or the Police Department for additional information. Riding mowers, dirt bikes, four wheelers, motorized scooters or other similar vehicles are not allowed on Village roads.

 

PARKING PERMIT APPLICATION

* Please return the completed form to the Village office via email, fax, mail or in person. Residents with a permit must have their guests park their vehicles on the same side of the road as the residence. No vehicle can be parked in a way that restricts road access, either to regular traffic or emergency vehicles. There is no parking at any time within twenty (20) feet of an intersection. Permits expire at 12:00 a.m. (midnight) on the valid date. Permits are only valid for residential properties within the Village. Permits are issued on a first-come, first served basis. If a permit has been issued for a residence on the same street a second permit cannot be issued. Multi-day permits may be issued for special circumstances. Multi-day permits are subject to the same rules stated above. There is no parking on the roads at any time when two (2) inches of snow or more has fallen. Any vehicle, regardless of whether covered by a permit, that parks in such a way to break any of these rules is subject to a ticket and/or towing at the owner’s expense

New stickers are available as of the first of the year. All vehicles housed in the Village must display a current sticker within 30 days of moving into this Village. There are no exceptions to this law. Current year vehicle stickers must be displayed by March 31st.
Sticker Fees Cars: $20.00; Trucks with B $25.00; "C" & "D" plates: $50.00; Over "D" $100.00 and with board approval only; Seniors and residents with a permanent handicapped placard or plate: $15.00; Motorcycles: $8.00; A late charge of $10.00 begins April 1st and increases $5.00 monthly thereafter.
NOTE: A vehicle requires a village sticker if it is in the village any 14 out of 20 days. These days need not be consecutive days. Regardless of where the vehicle is registered, a village sticker is required.

If you're not in the area and you'd like to check your electricty status, you can visit the Comed website here, https://outagemap.comed.com/ to see if there's an outage in your area. You can also opt in to get text notifications about your electrictiy outages here, https://secure.comed.com/Outages/CheckOutageStatus/Pages/EnrollOutage.aspx

 

 

OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES


Useful Information

 

McHENRY TOWNSHIP

Visit McHenry Township for information about General Assistance, Propert Appraisals and other Township Services

VOTER INFORMATION

The Village Hall is an official voting site for the area precincts. Early voting location: McHenry Township

SENIOR ACTIVITIES

Senior Activites are available at the McHenry Township Building. For more information, call Julie at 815-344-3555.

BURNING ORDINANCE

The Village of McCullom Lake has adopted the McHenry County Burning Ordinance, which is much more restrictive than the previous Village ordinance.

LIBRARY

McHenry Public Library Library hours: Monday through Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

SCHOOLS

Schools in District #15 and #156 serve students living in McCullom Lake. Visit Community Guide for more information.

LOCAL BUSINESS

Visit our Community Directory for Local Businesses, and Service Providers for McCullom Lake.

POLICE

The Village of McCullom Lake Police Department Non Emergency number is 815-385-2141. For Emergencies please call 9-1-1.

FIRE DEPT

The McHenry Township Fire Protection District (MTFPD) is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week operation responding out of 4 stations.