Resident seeks public access to 1877 title restrictions held at local history museum

Resident Stephanie Bjork told the board on Sept. 8 she is seeking access to an 1877 document that, she said, appears on her title and affects setbacks and long-standing restrictions on her property at 414 East Prospect.

Bjork said she had previously accessed the document through the history museum's PastPerfect online system and through the library, but recently could not find the material. She said the museum is now operating as a 501(c)(3) and that she believes the documents are public records. "I believe that the records at the history museum, which were always accessible to me through the library ... are no longer public records," she said, and added she may ask the Illinois attorney general to weigh in if the records remain inaccessible.

Trustee questions and staff comments clarified that many old village records have been transferred to the history museum over time — often taken when the village disposed of items according to retention procedures or when the museum accepted items that would otherwise have been discarded — and that some materials are microfilmed at village hall. Staff said they would follow up to identify whether the specific document Ms. Bjork requested is in the museum's holdings and help locate any records filed with the Lake County recorder's office.

Village President Regis Charlot suggested taking the matter offline for staff and museum representatives to determine where the records are held and whether they remain public under state law. The transcript shows no formal legal determination at the meeting; staff said they would check the museum's holdings and the village's archives.