Lake County approves ARPA‑funded public Wi‑Fi pilot in North Chicago

The Lake County Finance & Administrative Committee voted April 30 to approve an ARPA‑funded intergovernmental agreement with the city of North Chicago to install a public Wi‑Fi network in a priority census‑tract area, including the metro station and the North Sheridan Road corridor.

Kate Crandall, the county’s digital equity manager, said the project advances the county’s broadband and digital equity action plan and targets census tracts identified as underserved. The county will fund equipment and installation; once the network is live the city will maintain and own the infrastructure. Crandall said the county and vendor will provide a quarterly network dashboard so usage and performance can inform decisions about extensions or renewals.

Committee Chair Frank praised the initiative and thanked Member Clark for leadership on ARPA digital projects. Member Clark said affordable internet access remains critical for residents’ education and economic opportunity and requested a ceremonial ribbon cutting when the system is activated.

The agreement runs through December 2026; staff said they will monitor utilization and report back on metrics and lessons learned before the contract’s expiration to inform any extension decisions.