Feeding Waterfowl Prohibited on Association Property
Feeding the waterfowl on our lakes may seem like a great thing to do, but it only creates problems. Therefore, feeding waterfowl on OFLPOA property (i.e. lakes, common ground, sidewalks, berms and playground) is prohibited.

The waterfowl can become dependent on this easy source of food. This may encourage them to stay year around instead of migrating and end up starving when the food source is not available in the winter.

The ducks and geese are grazing animals. They will eat the grass down to the roots especially during winter months causing damage to our lawns.

We all know that geese produce a lot of waste. When spring arrives, this excrement dries out and can easily become airborne and cause respiratory diseases especially in children who love to play in the grassy areas around our lakes. Feeding the geese and ducks adds to existing concerns of their waste making our sidewalks around the lakes difficult, and for some impossible, to use.

Do not feed the waterfowl on association property. Any and all association members have the right and the responsibility to inform any persons that are violating this OFLPOA rule.

No one is allowed in the inlet (large culvert pipes under Eddy Road where water flows from Wildflower Lake in Old Farms Gardens into Swan Lake) or the spillway (including the open concrete spillway enclosed in split rail fencing, the large culvert pipes under Prenzler Dr., and the natural water runoff area enclosed in chain link fencing between Prenzler Dr. and the Constitution Trail), with the exception of authorized maintenance personnel. Children playing in these areas is strictly prohibited, as the areas are inherently dangerous and present a major risk for injury. Both the spillway and the natural water runoff area have “Danger – Keep Out” signs posted on the split rail and chain link fences. If you see children or unauthorized people in these areas, please remind them that they are not supposed to be there and request that they leave immediately.

Association dues for all property owners in Old Farm Lakes are $225 per year. Homeowners receive a notice to pay their annual OFLPOA dues in January each year. The due date each year is February 1.

If you don’t receive your annual dues notice during the first week of January, please contact the OFL Treasurer.

When listing your property for sale, or at the closing of the sale, most banks, attorneys, and real estate agencies usually require a letter from the OFL Homeowners Association stating annual dues are paid. Contact the OFL Treasurer to request a letter confirming dues are paid for the current year for your property.

To ensure that you have the letter when you need it, please allow at least a week’s notice.

Yes.  Newsletters are periodically sent out by the Board, typically in the spring and fall. To save money, the Board no longer mails out newsletters through US Mail. Most OFL communications are sent via email only.

To receive email notifications from the Board you must register your email address with the Board.

Everyone can help out by picking up trash on the common property. When walking around the subdivision, picking up a single piece of trash along the way helps. From time-to-time, volunteers are needed for special projects. Whenever homeowners volunteer their time and effort, the Association saves money. This in turn helps to keep annual dues at a reasonable level. OFL has lower annual dues compared to many other homeowner associations around Bloomington/Normal. The Board maintains a list of many small to medium tasks where volunteers are needed.

If you would like to help, please contact a Board Member.

It’s easy to become a Board Member and openings come up on a fairly regular basis. If you have time to serve, get involved now and let a Board Member know that you’re interested. You may be able to fill a vacant seat between elections or run when the next elections are held in the spring at the annual Association meeting. Every year either four or five of the nine Board Member seats are up for election.

If you are interested in serving on the OFL Board of Directors, review the Volunteer to Serve on the OFL Board article in the Board section of the website or contact any Board Member.

Whenever you see something suspicious occurring in the subdivision, or a criminal act has occurred, report it immediately to the Bloomington Police Department. If you feel it is a non-emergency, call 820-8888, otherwise dial 911. Vandalism often goes unreported and unfortunately the police may not be aware of the need for increased patrols in our area.

Please report all such events and also notify the OFL Board. There may be a recurring pattern or a wide-spread problem emerging. Hearing from several homeowners will make the Board aware of the issue and we may also communicate with the police. The Board sends out email alerts to all registered homeowners when theft or vandalism concerns are brought to our attention. To receive email alerts, you must be registered with the Board.

You can view reports of recent crimes in the surrounding area using the interactive crime map on the Bloomington Police Department website. For assistance using the tool, reference the Crime Mapping Brochure in the Publications section on the City of Bloomington’s website.

Yes. The OFL Board uses a contact list of registered property owners, within the Old Farm Lakes subdivision, to manage our Neighborhood Watch program.

If you see something suspicious, or if a criminal act has occurred, report it immediately to the Bloomington Police Department. For non-emergencies, call 820-8888, otherwise dial 911. Please also notify the OFL Board. There may be a recurring pattern or a wide-spread problem emerging. The Board sends out email alerts to all registered homeowners when theft or vandalism concerns are brought to our attention.


To receive Neighborhood Watch email alerts, you must register with the Board.

Yes. The Old Farm Lakes playground is only open during daylight hours. The playground is located between the two lakes and the playground area is not lighted. Therefore, it is not safe to use the equipment after dark.


The playground is closed from dusk to dawn. Loitering in the playground area is not permitted.

There are 375 homes in the Old Farm Lakes subdivision located on 21 different streets.


Please note: Old Farm Lakes Gardens, located on the eastern edge of OFL, is a separate subdivision and is not part of the OFLPOA Homeowners Association.

For all you walkers, runners, cyclists, rollerbladers and trivia buffs:

• The distance around Swan Lake is 1.02 miles
• The distance around the edge of Fountain Lake is 1/4 of a mile
• It is .9 miles on the Constitution Trail from Eddy Road to Hershey Road (1.8 miles round-trip)

People walking always have the right-of-way. Sidewalk etiquette is important. Members are asked to be aware of others around them at all times and to be courteous and respectful to those you meet. The sidewalks need to be shared when passing others in either direction. People walking pets need to be considerate of others.

There are 21 different city streets within the OFL subdivision:
Blue Lake Court; Cumbria Drive; Cygnet Crossing; Drake Court; Eddy Road; Fountain Lake Court; Fountain Lake Drive; Harvest Court; Hayloft Road; Joslin Court; Lexis Court; Mallard Court; Minks Court; Old Farm Road; Prenzler Drive; Shoreline Court; Stark Circle; Swan Lake Road; Teal Drive; Weathervane Court; and Windmill Road.


Please note: Old Farm Lakes Gardens, located on the eastern edge of OFL, is a separate subdivision and is not part of the OFLPOA Homeowners Association. The Gardens have their own association and their lakes are for their members use.

Yes. Minutes from OFL Board meetings and annual Association meetings are available in the Members section of the website.

As noted in Exhibit D, Section R of the OFLPOA By-Laws, the OFLPOA Board meets at least four times a year. Meetings are held more frequently if needed. On average, the Board typically meets about nine times a year. Meetings may be held monthly with the location to be determined. OFLPOA Board meetings are open to any property owner, except for closed portions of meetings as described in Section Q of the OFLPOA By-Laws.

If you wish to attend a Board meeting, please notify the Board by sending an email to oflpoaboard@oflpoa.org with the following information:

• Name
• Phone number
• Property address
• Reason for attending (e.g., interested in becoming a Board Member, want to discuss a topic with the Board, etc.)

The Board President will respond to your email with the date, time and location of the next scheduled Board meeting.

Yes. Most property changes require approval of the OFL Architecture Review Committee. The OFL Covenants (Article IX) require that if you are making any changes to your property that you submit a plan before doing so. The plan should be delivered to the Architecture Review Committee for review and approval. The Board has established several architecture policies to promote harmony and enjoyment for all OFL residents.

People often ask when do I need to submit a plan and when do I not need to do so? Many changes will obviously have no problems being approved but the Covenants clearly state any change should be reviewed. The best action is to submit a plan on any change no matter how minor it seems to be. Best to be safe than sorry.

No. The OFLPOA Covenants (Article IX – Recreational Facilities) clearly state that there shall be no above ground swimming pools under any circumstances. Small, kid’s inflatable ‘wading pools’ have been around for years and are allowed to be up during the summer. Wading pools are usually small (under two feet in height and no more than eight to ten feet across) and obviously a temporary recreational facility.

The Board has defined what will be considered an ‘above ground pool’ in regards to the Covenant restriction. The City of Bloomington considers any structure intended for swimming or recreational bathing that is designed to hold water over 24 inches deep to be a swimming pool. The Board feels that this is a good criterion and will use the same definition for an above ground pool. Any above ground pool that can contain water over 24 inches deep is not in compliance with the OFLPOA Covenants. It does not matter how much water is actually in the pool. It is what the pool by design is capable of holding that is used as the criteria.

It depends, and only for a very short period of time. The OFL Covenants (Article IX – Parking) restrict the parking of trailers of all types on the street or on the lot in the Old Farm Lakes subdivision for more than 24 hours. The Board realizes that homeowners with recreational vehicles or trailers need some time to load and unload the vehicle or trailer, so the vehicle or trailer is allowed to be on-site for a day or two for this purpose. If the vehicle or trailer is on-site longer than this, the Board will request for the vehicle or trailer to be removed.

According to City of Bloomington ordinances, at no time can anyone sleep or stay in such vehicles or trailers while on the street or on a lot. The same guideline is true for boat trailers and utility trailers.

Yes, there are parking restrictions for trucks.  The OFLPOA Covenants (Article IX – Parking) address parking in the OFL subdivision and state ”No trailers, trucks, recreational vehicles, boats or other motor vehicles except passenger cars shall be parked on the streets of this development overnight for more than one night. No trailers, trucks, recreational vehicles, snowmobiles or other motor vehicles except passenger cars shall be parked on any lot in this development for more than 24 hours unless said vehicle is parked in a garage.”. What is specifically meant by ‘truck’ is not spelled out in the Covenants.

Since the Covenants were written in 1987, what people use as passenger vehicles has gone through many changes – now pickup trucks and vans are regularly used as passenger vehicles. The Board feels vehicles larger than a full size pickup truck or full size van are vehicles association members would not like to see regularly parked on a lot or in the street in the OFL subdivision. Therefore, for the purpose of enforcing Article IX, concerning parking, the Board of Directors has defined a ‘truck’ to be any vehicle larger than a full size pickup truck or full size van.

The OFL Covenants (Article IX – Signs) state that no billboards or advertising signs are allowed in the subdivision, except those permitted by City ordinance, and the usual contractor/real estate signs, election signs and promotional signs put up by the OFL Homeowners Association. The Board asks that all allowable signs be placed in homeowner’s yard for only short periods of time. Signs should not be placed on the parkway or common property. City ordinance regarding signs also call for limited displaying of such signs as well as the size and placement of such signs.

Business advertising signs, other than the exception listed above, are not allowed in the subdivision.

The OFL Covenants (Article IX – Signs) state advertising signs may be displayed in yards as allowed by City Code. Homeowners may display a sign that advertises the company doing work in their home during the repairs or construction and for a few days after the work has completed.

• Contractor Signs – display only while the construction is occurring at the property
• Election Signs – display only during appropriate election time, remove immediately after election

Yes. City ordinances require pet owners to keep their pets on leashes and to pick up the waste from their pets. Many very responsible OFL pet owners do so diligently. But unfortunately some don’t. Additionally, some pet owners allow cats, as well as dogs, to roam the neighborhood or to be off-leash while walking with their owner.

Some pet owners, even when they have their pet on leash, allow the pet to go into neighbor’s yards where they urinate on the plants and grass. Please respect the property of your neighbors and their right to feel safe when outdoors by keeping your pets on leash and controlling where they do their business.

People walking pets need to be considerate of others:

• Pets (both cats and dogs) must be on leash when not on your own property
  • City law requires pets to be on a leash
• Pets must always be controlled by their owner so as not to frighten or intimidate others using the common property
• Pets should be kept off adjoining private property
• Pet owners must immediately pick up after their pets on the common property
• City law requires pet owners to pick up after their pets
• Bags of pet waste should be disposed of properly
  • Most pet owners do and that is greatly appreciated

No. Open fires are not allowed on common property. Open Fires on common property are a liability to the Association and homeowners, therefore, the Board has voted to not to allow open-pit fires on common property. This includes all common property: the grassy area between the lakes and sidewalk, the open area between the lakes, the open lots by the spillway, the playground area, and the berm along Oakland Avenue.


All open fires should be reported to the Bloomington Fire Department.

Feeding Waterfowl Prohibited on Association Property
Feeding the waterfowl on our lakes may seem like a great thing to do, but it only creates problems. Therefore, feeding waterfowl on OFLPOA property (i.e. lakes, common ground, sidewalks, berms and playground) is prohibited.

The waterfowl can become dependent on this easy source of food. This may encourage them to stay year around instead of migrating and end up starving when the food source is not available in the winter.

The ducks and geese are grazing animals. They will eat the grass down to the roots especially during winter months causing damage to our lawns.

We all know that geese produce a lot of waste. When spring arrives, this excrement dries out and can easily become airborne and cause respiratory diseases especially in children who love to play in the grassy areas around our lakes. Feeding the geese and ducks adds to existing concerns of their waste making our sidewalks around the lakes difficult, and for some impossible, to use.

Do not feed the waterfowl on association property. Any and all association members have the right and the responsibility to inform any persons that are violating this OFLPOA rule.

No one is allowed in the inlet (large culvert pipes under Eddy Road where water flows from Wildflower Lake in Old Farms Gardens into Swan Lake) or the spillway (including the open concrete spillway enclosed in split rail fencing, the large culvert pipes under Prenzler Dr., and the natural water runoff area enclosed in chain link fencing between Prenzler Dr. and the Constitution Trail), with the exception of authorized maintenance personnel. Children playing in these areas is strictly prohibited, as the areas are inherently dangerous and present a major risk for injury. Both the spillway and the natural water runoff area have “Danger – Keep Out” signs posted on the split rail and chain link fences. If you see children or unauthorized people in these areas, please remind them that they are not supposed to be there and request that they leave immediately.

No. Swimming or wading is not allowed in either lake. This includes no swimming off of boats. Being around water can be dangerous. Proper behavior and safety precautions are necessary at all times.

The Board has placed several signs around the lakes clearly stating that swimming is not allowed.

Yes, but only on Swan Lake (large lake).  Boating is not allowed on Fountain Lake.

• Fountain Lake – Boating on Fountain Lake is not permitted. Getting near the fountain while it is operating, or touching the fountain that has electricity running to it, could be very dangerous.
• Swan Lake – Paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, small jon boats and inflatable boats¹ are allowed on Swan Lake. Semi-V boats, pontoon boats, sail boats, paddle boards, flotation waders, and rafts of all kinds are not allowed. No gasoline-powered motors are allowed.

¹ Inflatable boats must be designed as a boat, identified as such by the manufacturer, with a fully enclosed interior, side walls, seating, and capable of being paddled or rowed. Inflatables that do not meet these standards are not allowed.

• Passengers must remain in their boats at all times while on the water.
• All passengers must remain seated inside the boat. Standing in or sitting on the side of the boat are prohibited.
• No more than 4 persons or the posted capacity, whichever is smaller, may be in the boat.
• A legal adult, 18 years of age or older, must accompany any minors, 17 years of age or younger, while on the water.
• All State and Coast Guard regulations must be followed. There must be an approved life jacket on board for each person and all children 13 years of age and younger must wear an approved life jacket.
• Alcohol is prohibited on the boat and no boater shall be under the influence of alcohol.
• Boating after dark is not allowed. If someone gets in trouble on the water after dark, no one may be around to assist them. The Board feels the liability of allowing boating after dark is too great a risk.
• Absolutely no boating when lightning can be seen and no boating for at least 30 minutes after the last lightning sighting.
• Launching a boat from a trailer except for lake maintenance purposes is not allowed.

No. OFL Covenants (Article IX – Parking) require boats to be stored in a garage or other suitable shelter. The idea behind this restriction is that large recreational items, such as boats, should be stored out of sight except when in use. Several OFL homeowners have canoes, paddleboats, kayaks, jon boats, and inflatable boats that they use from time-to-time on the lakes.

All types of boats/watercraft must be stored out of sight after use at the end of each day.

Yes. Fishing is allowed in both lakes for OFLPOA members and their accompanied guests only. Good fishing exists in both lakes. But there is significant fishing pressure on the lakes so only good conservation practices by everyone will preserve continued fishing enjoyment for all.

Fishing rules are closely enforced to ensure quality fishing for years to come. All fishing at OFLPOA is catch and release only.

Yes, the following rules are closely enforced to ensure quality fishing for years to come:

• Fishing is for OFLPOA members and guests ONLY
• Guests MUST be accompanied at all times by an OFLPOA member
  (Please do not tell family and friends that are not OFLPOA members that they can fish in our lakes)
• OFLPOA lakes are Catch and Release only, this allows us to preserve the fish population
  • Returning fish to the water immediately increases the probability they will live and remain healthy
  • Fish kept on a stringer or in containers, that are later released, often die
  • It is unknown if it is safe to eat fish from the lakes, consuming fish caught in OFLPOA lakes is at your own risk and in violation of our catch and release policy
• Fishing is allowed from 5:00 am to 10:00 p.m. only, absolutely no fishing outside these hours
• Fishing is with fishing poles only, no other methods are allowed
• Clean up all litter – never leave trash around the lakes
• Excess noise is not allowed, please be respectful of your neighbors
• Stay on association property, there is no reason to go on neighbors’ private property while fishing on our lakes

Every OFLPOA member has the right and responsibility to enforce the fishing rules to help protect this great asset for our subdivision. Non-members are most often the people violating our rules. They often don’t follow our catch and release policy, leave trash behind and can be intimidating to OFLPOA members (intentional, or not).

The Board asks members to help ensure the rules are followed. Don’t hesitate to question anyone you observe violating these rules. If you don’t recognize someone who is fishing, politely ask them if they are an OFLPOA member – it’s a good way to meet your neighbors. Most of our member fishermen appreciate enforcement of the rules. If you are uncomfortable doing so, please notify a Board member ASAP so the problem can be promptly addressed.

The fish in the lakes have not been tested to see if they are safe for human consumption. The lakes are treated with chemicals to control algae, weeds and sediment. Testing the fish is very expensive. This is one of the main reasons fishing on our lakes is catch and release only. The Association pays to have the lakes stocked for the fishing enjoyment of all OFL homeowners and the stocked fish are not intended to be used as a food source.

Consuming the fish from the lakes is at your own risk and in violation of our catch and release policy.

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, a fishing license is required for anyone 16 years of age or older. Anglers under 16 years of age, and persons declared legally disabled or blind, may fish without a license. While owners/tenants may fish in waters on their land without a license, this exemption does not apply to organizational lakes, such as those owned by OFLPOA.


The Association doesn’t check licenses but officers from the State Department of Natural Resources could do an inspection at any time. OFL members are expected to follow the Association fishing rules.

For all you walkers, runners, cyclists, rollerbladers and trivia buffs:

• The distance around Swan Lake is 1.02 miles
• The distance around the edge of Fountain Lake is 1/4 of a mile
• It is .9 miles on the Constitution Trail from Eddy Road to Hershey Road (1.8 miles round-trip)

People walking always have the right-of-way. Sidewalk etiquette is important. Members are asked to be aware of others around them at all times and to be courteous and respectful to those you meet. The sidewalks need to be shared when passing others in either direction. People walking pets need to be considerate of others.

People walking always have the right-of-way. Sidewalk etiquette is important. Members are asked to be aware of others around them at all times and to be courteous and respectful to those you meet. The sidewalks need to be shared when passing others in either direction. They are standard width pedestrian sidewalks by design.

• People on bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, scooters or running must yield to walkers and should not expect people walking to get out-of-the-way as they pass by in either direction
• The person moving the fastest is to yield the sidewalk to walkers and go by without forcing the walker off the sidewalk
• City law requires everyone to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians on sidewalks and to give an audible signal to announce themselves before overtaking and passing a pedestrian walking on a sidewalk
• People walking pets need to be considerate of others

This is not an activity the Association endorses. If you choose to go out on the ice, you do so at your own risk. Each winter the Board posts signs around the lakes warning of the dangers of going onto the ice. All of the subdivision’s sump pumps and street drains empty into the lakes at numerous places. This warmer running water can weaken the ice above where it flows into the lakes. It is not obvious were all these inlets are located. Also, the ice should be very thick overall before anyone ventures out onto it and no one should ever go onto the ice alone.


OFL members should discuss this with every member of their household, especially children. Safety needs to be practiced at all times when around water, ice or no ice. Remember, if you, or a member of your household, choose to go out on the ice – you are doing so at your own risk.

There are three reasons for turning off the aeration in the winter:

1. Safety is our first concern. The aeration system pushes air through the water. If we kept the system running in the winter it would make the ice on our lakes unstable and not suited to anyone safely being on the ice at any time.
2. The most important time for aeration is in the summer months when conditions significantly reduce oxygen, causing harm to fish and increasing algae and weeds due to the inability to treat in low oxygen. We could aerate in the winter, and there are some benefits. However, we would need to move the diffusers that circulate air into shallow water to provide the fish population more safety from circulating the coldest water near the surface to the deeper water where they congregate. This action would increase the risk to people on the ice even further. Additionally, fish slow their activity, eating, and oxygen intake in winter, resulting in less impact from lower oxygen content than in summer.
3. Canada Geese are attracted to the open water. Having open water year-round would significantly increase the goose population in Old Farm Lakes and the oversaturate nitrates in our lakes (and on our sidewalks). These are problems we would like to avoid.

Marine Biochemists provide lake treatment for both of our lakes. Their specialty is providing sustainable solutions to enhance the beauty of the lake, improve water quality, preserve natural resources, and reduce environmental impact. The health of the lakes and all living things in and around our lakes is a priority of the OFLPOA Board.

Marine Biochemists professionally manages our lake water quality, including weed/algae treatments, aeration systems, fountain, and consulting on lake water issues. This professional lake management company only uses government-approved products. The products currently used are far superior to more dangerous chemicals of the past. Applied by educated and trained professionals, these products are not harmful to fish, waterfowl. animals and, most importantly, people. In fact. products used on neighborhood lawns, driveways, and streets that flow into our lakes with every rain are more harmful to fish, waterfowl, animals, and people.

They also measure water oxygen levels for safety in applying these products. Prior to the installation of our aeration systems in 2019, they were often unable to treat our lakes for extended periods during the summer months. The aeration has solved this problem and helped improve our lake quality. The big reasons for our weed and algae challenges, like some other neighborhoods and small lakes/ponds, are slow sloping shallow shorelines, which are safer and help with erosion, and overall shallow depths throughout – no deeper than 9 feet and mostly between 7 to 8 feet.

In addition, we treat the lakes with bacterial treatments for the oversaturated nitrates and “muck” on the lake bottom. This is a monthly treatment (April through October) in conjunction/coordination with our algae/weed treatments.

The Handbook of Illinois Boating Laws and Responsibilities may be found here. Most laws are for motorized boating not allowed at Old Farm Lakes. However, the Personal Floatation Devices (lifejackets) section on p. 6, and other safety related regulations must be followed at Old Farm Lakes.

The City of Bloomington ordinance on open fire regulations can be found here.  This includes:

A.  Within the City limits of Bloomington, no person shall burn any garbage, solid waste, commercial solid waste, yard waste, household waste, junk, refuse, rubbish, construction waste, hazardous waste, buildings, or structures.

B.  The use of outdoor grills and barbecues for cooking is permitted.

C.  Recreational fires shall be allowed in approved containers or fire pits.

D.  Recreational fire shall be defined as an outdoor fire whose purpose is for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes.

1. For the purpose of this section, approved container shall be defined as a device specifically designed for the use of burning wood or charcoal, including but not limited to portable fireplaces, fire pits or chimineas. All portable devices shall be equipped with a spark arrestor (i.e. screen or chimney). The approved container made of stone, metal, or ceramic construction designed for the purpose of containing a fire shall also be permitted provided the total fuel area does not exceed three feet in diameter and two feet in height. Wood contained in permissible fires shall be no more than three feet in length.
2. No approved container shall be located within eight feet of a structure or public way. No approved fire pit shall be located within 25 feet of a structure or public way.
3. Only clean, dry firewood or charcoal may be used for recreational fires. Construction materials or yard waste are strictly prohibited. The use of flammable or combustible liquids, other than commercially produced charcoal lighter fluid, to start the fire is strictly prohibited.
4. All recreational fires shall be constantly attended by a responsible adult until the fire is extinguished. A minimum of one portable fire extinguisher with a 4-A rating or a functional hose attached to a functional water source shall be available for immediate use.
5. All recreational fires have maximum time limit of four hours and shall be properly extinguished at the end of activities or time limit. Regardless of when the fire was initiated it is not allowed to extend later than 11:00 p.m. and may begin no earlier than 7:00 a.m.
6. The fire shall be immediately extinguished any time wind conditions become strong (at or above 15 MPH or greater) or if there are sustained wind gusts in excess of 20 MPH, or if the wind begins to carry brands or embers creating a potential for fire extension.

E.  Bonfires may be allowed only for officially sponsored activities of civic, educational and religious organizations. Bonfires are not approved for the general public.

F.  The Fire Chief/Police Chief or their designee may prohibit any type of burning that becomes a nuisance based on complaints of irritation of eyes or breathing of others, when the atmospheric conditions or local conditions make such fire hazardous and may order the extinguishment of any fire which creates or adds to a hazardous or objectionable situation.

G.  Definitions

BONFIRE – A large outdoor utilized for ceremonial purposes, as an expression of public joy and exultation, or for amusement.

FIRE PIT – A pit dug into the ground or made from stones, masonry, etc., that rests on the ground, for keeping a fire used for recreation or cooking.

PUBLIC WAY – A public street, sidewalk, alley or bike trail.

RECREATIONAL FIRE – A small outdoor fire whose purpose is for pleasure, viewing, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes using only seasoned dry firewood or commercially available charcoal briquettes.

RUBBISH – Items such as paper, plastic, rubber, food products, metal, glass and combustible liquids.

STRUCTURE – A building, garage, house or shed attached to the ground that consists of a roof and may have walls.

YARD WASTE – Vegetative matter resulting from landscaping and yard maintenance operations and includes materials such as tree and shrub trimmings, vegetables, flowers, leaves, grass clippings, trees and tree stumps.

H.  Penalty.  Any person, firm or corporation violating any provisions of this section shall be fined not less than $50 nor more than $500 for each offense; and a separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during which a violation occurs or continues.
[Ord. No. 2010-46]

City of Bloomington Public Works crews make their weekly visit to Old Farm Lakes on Tuesdays.

• Garbage – Garbage collection is every Tuesday
  • Place garbage for collection at the curb – not in the street, no earlier than 2:00 p.m. on the day prior to scheduled collection
• Recycle – Recycle collection is every other week on Tuesdays
• Bulk Waste – To determine brush/bulk waste collection days, please call Public Works at 434-2225 between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays

Additional information is available in the Garbage Collection and Recycling Collection sections of solid waste page on City of Bloomington Public Works website.

The public schools serving Old Farm Lakes are:

• Washington Elementary
• Bloomington Junior High
• Bloomington High School

Most of the OFL subdivision is in Ward 3, Precinct 25. About 95% of the OFL subdivision is in Ward 3, except for residents on Weathervane Court, Hayloft Road, and Cumbria Drive which are in Ward 8, Precinct 33.

Most of Ward 3 is north of Oakland Avenue and east of Hershey Road and Airport Road. OFL, along with the neighboring subdivisions of: Old Farm Gardens, Waterford Estates and White Eagle; is somewhat isolated from the rest of Ward 3. Reference the City of Bloomington Ward Map and Ward Map with Precincts for more information.

A listing of our current City Aldermen is available on the City of Bloomington website.

The majority of residents in the Old Farm Lakes subdivision are in Ward 3, Precinct 25 and vote at:

• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 3516 White Eagle Drive, Bloomington, Illinois (just east of the OFL subdivision via Streid Drive or White Eagle Drive)

The remainder of residents in Ward 8, Precinct 33, vote at:

• Evangelical Free Church, 2910 E. Lincoln St., Bloomington, Illinois

If you come across a dark street light within OFL, you should report it to Corn Belt Energy or contact them.

• Phone: (800) 879-0339, (309) 662-5330
• Fax: (309) 663-4516

If possible, please provide an accurate location and a pole number if available.

The Bloomington Public Library Bookmobile makes stops in Old Farm Lakes once every three weeks, on Mondays from 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the intersection of Old Farm Road and Windmill Road. Check out the Bookmobile Schedule on the Bloomington Public Library website for more information.


The loan period for all items checked out from the Bookmobile is three weeks.

You can view a Map of Registered Sex Offenders in Bloomington, Illinois. Click on pins on the map to see more information about nearby registered sex offenders (name, address, crime, etc.).

You can view reports of recent crimes in the surrounding area using the interactive crime map on the Bloomington Police Department website.

For assistance using the tool, reference the Crime Mapping Brochure in the Publications section on the City of Bloomington’s website.

To report potholes you can contact the Public Works department by:

• Email: pothole@cityblm.org, or
• Phone: 434-2225

For more City contact numbers, check out the Whom Do I Contact pamphlet on the City of Bloomington website.