Residents propose "Lights Out Vernon Hills" to cut bird collisions; staff will review

Ian Chong and Alexander Go presented a voluntary "Lights Out Vernon Hills" plan, asking the village to formally recognize a program modeled on Chicago's 1995 initiative and to permit use of the village name in outreach materials. Chong said Chicago's program "is established in 1995 and has already been estimated to save around 10,000 bird lives annually" and described three recommended measures: turn off decorative exterior lighting after 11 p.m., dim lobby and perimeter lights, and use timers or motion sensors during spring and fall migration windows.

The presenters proposed targeting four building types: commercial properties (for example, Hawthorne Mall), municipal buildings (village hall, library, park district), large residential buildings and sports/industrial facilities. Their suggested migration windows were March 15'June 15 and August 15'November 15. The request to the board included an official recognition, a letter of support from the village manager or board president for press outreach, and permission to use the village name in program materials; participation would be voluntary.

Trustee (identified in the transcript as) Dr. Evanham questioned whether the Chicago model would be as effective in a smaller suburban context. Chong acknowledged a lack of large-scale local studies but argued that commercial and mall-scale lighting can still affect migratory birds and that smaller communities that adopt the practice have seen benefit. Staff told the presenters they would "take a look at the materials and see if there's something that we could either recommend to the board or share with the board at a future meeting for your review." The board did not take formal action; staff will follow up with a report and next steps.