Kankakee County Board, IL Executive Committee Meetings, 22 Aug 2023

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From YouTube: Executive Committee Meeting 8/22/2023

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Executive Committee Meeting 8/22/2023 9:00 AM

A

Okay, I'd like to call the executive committee meeting to order for Tuesday August 22nd. If we can get a roll call, please check on the mic. Thank.

B

You Mr Hess Miss Pope resident Miss, Weber Miss Parker Mr Fairfield Mr C Roy Mr Miller, Mr, carico, Mr, featherling, Mr long Mr, eckhoff, Mr, Hunter, Miss, Foster, Mr, Wheeler, Mr, Alexander Hildebrand. We have a quorum.

A

All right, um no public comment requested today uh approval of minutes, June, 27 2023. Is there a motion there uh Mr eckhoff second Mr carico, uh all those in favor, say: aye, okay,.

C

A

Sign motion carries: don't really have anything under legislative today. Unless anybody else does, uh let's see here, Mr Duvall monthly update from it or is excuse me.

A

Oh that's, right, I apologize. um His item is tomorrow. uh Remember we're going to be talking about that bid for the phone systems. So that's why I just said come tomorrow: I forgot about that I apologize, um there's no point in him coming in he'll. Give a report tomorrow. If there's anything else, to talk about so um Mr Beavis from the health department, his monthly update.

A

I could make we have technical difficulties on your mic.

D

uh Thank you good morning um again, like last month, I I have my report that I had sent to Kelly and should be in your packets. uh It's it's pretty um just typical stuff. For the last month, with, what's going on at the health department, we've been real busy with a number of events and other events that are calling in uh there are seven grants that we're currently working on that have to be turned in by the end of this week. So there's a lot of administration stuff going on.

D

We had aboard a health meeting last week, so I'll just open it up for any particular questions or concerns at this point and see what I can do to answer those.

A

Anybody have any questions for John, yes, Mr Foster,.

E

uh Good morning, good morning,.

E

A couple of my friends have contracted it again. Should we be putting our mask back on.

D

There's no recommendation by the state currently now obviously, masks are available and masks are recommended. Our masks mandatory that answer would be no covet is still here. Covet is still present. There are different variations, there's two or three different ones in the last couple of months that we have been watching and paying attention to from the information from the state.

D

Recent webinars that we have had with them have indicated that currently, within the state, there's been about a one percent spike in numbers, not necessarily seeing anything in hospitalizations above normal at this point, so hopefully, uh and again, I I can't say that with 100 certainty, but hopefully with you know all the technology and things that we do know now. People wearing masks staying home when they get sick. All the things that we preach before.

D

If people continue to do that, um the different very the different variants will produce at this point unknown type symptoms, whether it's hitting somebody harder or not. So even if you've had vaccinations, you can still catch covet. Just like you can the flu and other viruses, but without vaccinations, maybe you're more susceptible to a stronger illness than maybe somebody who has been vaccinated. So at this point that's the best I can answer when we get information from the state. But currently there is no discussion.

D

That implies we're moving back towards masks and lockdowns and those kinds of things and I hope not.

E

Have you heard anything about when the new vaccine will be administered.

D

Well, there's vaccine available now and the flu vaccine is: we've ordered that and that's going to be coming to the health department. Soon there was talk potentially that they were looking at, combining a flu and covet as one shot, but that's not at least going to happen this year. So it's just it's still an individual one. So if you were going to get vaccinated whether it was a shingle shot, an ammonia shot, a coveted shot, a flu shot. Those would all be individual. At this point, nothing combined.

D

Good questions who.

A

Else, uh yes, Mr featherly.

F

um Is that is there more cases of a common cold than there is of covet right? Now, that's what I've kind of heard of I.

D

Don't know I don't have.

F

It for that for common colds. Do you.

D

The the common colds are typically not reported at a hospital level, maybe where a test has been specifically done at a medical facility. That then turns those statistics into idph that then turns them into the CDC. Then those numbers would indicate what would be reflective in a community but I, don't know if it comes down to you know. Kankakee County has seen, for example, XYZ number of colds.

D

You know we would expect you know as school starts and you've got these large populations back together again congregating in rooms, even though it's not necessarily colder, but remember it's not necessarily weather, but it's it's just the crowding of individuals. So you know when we were wearing mask, sets an added level of protection when you're not wearing masks.

D

It's it takes that protection away when you put more people together, and some of them are sick and and not even exhibiting signs and symptoms they're going to spread that virus along whether it's covered, whether it's the flu, whether it's the cold.

D

Makes thank you my job, secure, I, guess.

A

D

Right well, that was simple. Thank you, sir, have a great.

A

Will we will we be able to talk about Iris next month? Do you think we'll be farther planning down the.

D

Road I can what.

A

D

Have I can have a more in-depth since we've just started having those meetings we're actually having the second one today um with with our staff, as as we move forward, so we'll have had two more meetings and and I can report out on on what it is that we're looking at and what we're doing and and where we're at okay. Thank you.

A

That uh referral system that we mentioned Iris that we're requiring our uh grantees on the social service side to participate in it's creating a buzz out there I think people have finally figured out what it is and what it does, and it may have seemed somewhat heavy-handed on the front end.

A

Now we have people that didn't get grants that want to join in because they realize what it is and it's uh it's basically clearing the deck and make sure people know where to go, and then a warm handoff between service providers, which is where we lose people, usually so I, was I'm happy to see how that's progressing so job on that to the health department.

A

um Moving on the under schools, Frank is not here today, I, don't believe Kevin did you have anything for the group just to mention I I know it's uh we're gonna talk tomorrow more, but.

G

Yeah I'm, sorry about that. I just had an item that somebody requested me to look into before was the computer on no. This was a suspicious file, so.

A

Okay, all right I wanted to.

F

G

Before I shot up here, so uh well, yeah, just basically I'm telling you uh for the Department we're on schedule, everything's working, fine, we're on budget uh we're entering the last quarter of the fiscal year. This is the year that we go through the network and we start replacing items. We look at the performance of desktops and stuff and decide what, if any need to be replaced this. This is always scheduled.

G

We wait to the end of the year to look at these items, so we don't blow all the budget in the beginning of the year, see what we can get through uh everything's working so far, I have scheduled some Network upgrades stuff this that we do again that's the stuff's on budget, but this is things that we do that we should be notifying you about that goes on I'm in.

G

In addition, I'm I've got it scheduled to add additional security camera system for the sa on the building uh that they moved in there I was going to talk to us to make sure he's not doing something already, but since it's a small place, I could do something inexpensive unless something's already scheduled.

G

uh That's no additional cost to anybody. It's something I can afford to do when it'll.

A

Be have a same system, though.

G

Yeah, okay they're on our Network there, so they're not they're, not connected to our network but they're on the same thing. So it's easy to set up, but I wanted to make sure that everybody knew that we're we're still securing everything. That's on inside the network uh and, uh lastly, I I believe the last few months. We talked about that uh at some point. Soon, we'll be doing a new phone system. The RFP is completed uh at least the first draft is completed.

G

We need a fifth floor to review it make sure it fits what they feel comfortable with then they'll move that over to the Sao for them to review it and make sure that it fits whatever before it goes out again. This is a preventative measure. There's no emergency happen. It doesn't have to be done right now, but we are Scout. It's already scheduled to be done. It's budgeted I believe.

G

Well, it's up to the chairman of Finance decide where it comes from, but it's been budgeted. So all that's in place and that's going.

A

E

G

So in general, that's what's going on in an update so but I did want to report to you I said by the August I'd. Let you know where we're sitting on RFP it's completed. It needs to be reviewed before it goes any further. Remember: okay and.

A

And so the group knows we'll let the bid and open it not in this committee and it'll, probably I would say what were we say, leave it let the bid and building in grounds and take it in and finance, because it is more of a building and grounds project, but Kevin's just kind of keeping you up to date on it.

G

This is Executives not really the place for that, but since we had to take this part over then that's why I'm reporting on it.

A

Any questions for Kevin all right. Thank you. uh Moving on um no schools, today, no vac, it looks like uh let's see here, County Administrator specman, with their monthly update.

H

Good morning, good.

F

Morning, good morning,.

H

um Rather short uh report today, hopefully um I was pretty excited because we had six openings on our website. That would have been the smallest number, since we've been tracking that, but um in checking with Tom Latham, uh while he has one probation officer posted, he has four openings currently so we're at 10 openings, which is pretty consistent and again, like I, mentioned all the time that does not include the sheriff's department um so Corrections or on the sworn side, so um they post their own so other than that we do have 10 um really.

H

It's attorneys assistant, State's, Attorney and public defenders, one part-time one full-time in the four probation, so largely that that safety side of the house and Court's side of the house. um So let's see 10, is about consistent. What we've been running for about the last six eight months so um kind of where we're hanging out and all these current openings are over 30 days old. So that's another thing. I watch is that a stale opening or a recent opening, the recent openings are getting filled and these stale ones just kind of stay out there.

H

We did have new higher orientation on Wednesday the 16th. We had 13 attendees, which goes to the fact that we kind of have not so many openings now, so it was canceled in July. We had 13 in June, but that's a good number for us. There um and I did attend the County Recorders community resource Fair on Saturday, July, 29th and I.

H

Don't have any additional job fairs schedule that this time, but I do have a conference call scheduled with Tom Latham for this afternoon to kind of come up with ideas for him that maybe we can get some more visibility to his positions.

H

um This is the final quarter of the year. So are there some big things that will be working on right that are on our plate? Right now and we've just started working on we're heading into open, enrollment and renewal. Mike Lynch will be at the finance committee tomorrow. I received an update from him he's not going to have our renewal tomorrow.

H

um He won't have it until next week or early the following week. He will have some handouts for preview.

H

We had some challenging numbers in terms of our run rates for this year of what it was looking like through June July numbers were really good, so he thinks that's positive as we head into renewal. So we'll see what he's got to say. It's kind of a little teaser there I'll, let Mike give you the full story. Tomorrow, health insurance wait.

H

um We did receive the renewal paperwork. Oh just a word on um health insurance. Kelly did do a uh census of all our employees. um The information needed to send that out to um other companies for competing bids. So that's been done so there will be at least hopefully something to compare it to.

H

um We did receive the renewal paperwork for liability, work, comp, Auto, Etc, so I'll start working on that. That typically takes me about a month or so to put together three four weeks to put that together and um the last quarter of the year. We always do our sexual harassment, training, which is required by the state of Illinois to be an annual training for all employees. So um Joanne has a call into ipmgr. Insurance company always gives us one. There are some departments that do the state of Illinois Illinois testing, the bulk of our employees.

H

We do the testing out of ipmg, but um as long as it meets the criteria for the state of Illinois, we accept that and then we have Joanne tracks to make sure that every employee has taken the training. So we'll do that.

H

A

You reminded me of something: I signed the paperwork, so we are going to the market on our work, comp and liability. uh So it's always good to check. You don't want to check every year, because then you become not competitive. So it's it's right in that time period. So we are going out there for bids to see how that goes. I really don't expect much better um inflation happens everywhere, just be prepared for what we might see on health right um be prepared.

A

What we see on a lot of things, um I've gotten a few phone calls about electricity and aggregation um people. Don't remember: ComEd announced a 14 increase earlier this year that was going to hit in oh I. Don't know, August I mean Late July, August I believe it was August when the new bills were supposed to come out, so people are getting those so I'm going to dig a little bit deeper into that.

A

But remember we're pegged to the comment rate, so our our aggregation is not going to be any different than what the comment rate is. So that's in the rural areas. If you live in the towns, well, they negotiated their own deals, um except for some of the smaller communities in the rural areas. So the people who got the letters may have questions, and then you could there's information on the back of it, um but there's they can also go to the website. That letter I believe is still on the website.

A

We left it up there, um just we're feeling it we're gonna feel it in our budgets all the way across. So it's more of a finance thing, but I thought I would just tag all that together, because it is a part of the policy of what we do. Have you heard anything in the office of anybody. Anybody called about the rates not so much I'm just curious, because it's it's right as this happened the month. The letters go out is when the new rates start. So it was a perfect storm thinking.

A

Oh they've changed my bill on me. Well, we didn't change it as far as that goes there's. No, it's not a higher rate than comment would charge so anything else.

A

They need it. No thanks.

F

A

Reappointment of Carol Weber Weber to the Animal Welfare advisory committee. Is there a motion there on that? One Mr Miller: let's go with Dr Polk with a second any questions. uh We got to really grow her on this one here. So all those in favor say aye. Those opposed same sides uh motion carries um it's drainage. District month. It looks like yes all right now you got to do it. It's official, so one opening on all of the following drainage districts, um mcgilvery, special drainage, District, cabery area protection, fire protection, uh District.

A

Actually, I've got a couple mixed in here: Housing Authority, one opening uh Animal Welfare advisory committee for the vet I. Imagine the vet will probably reapply but um BM Lewis drainage, District, canavan drainage, Clawson, Park drainage, Exline, Creek drainage, gar, Creek drainage, Little, Beaver, special drainage, Manteno, drainage, number, nine mini Creek drainage uh moments in Yellowhead number one Raymond, drainage, Snake, Creek, drainage, District looks like we have two there, or is it just one? There's just one: okay, um Yellowhead Washington Union drainage, number, two and then two openings on the union.

A

Drainage number two Rockville drainage number one romance Pembroke, Union drainage number, one Kankakee, County, public building, commission there's two openings: there have to make sure and I believe we've sent those out: yeah: okay um and five openings on the sheriff's Merit Commission, six openings on the Animal Welfare advisory committee. So it's reappointment time. Basically, so do we expect any if there is going to be new.

C

C

Getting their applications in I sent a reminder out to them. We got a little busy talking about other things and they forgot.

A

C

Were talking puppies and kitties and well.

A

C

A

Got their priorities.

C

Absolutely that's what we're there.

A

For so yeah so I'll.

C

Be back, except for one okay,.

A

uh Let's see here, we do have a new business item, provision of insurance addendum to intergovernmental agreement between the county of Kankakee and the Kankakee Regional Land Bank um start with a motion to approve first on this and then we'll go uh Miss Parker uh Mr featherly. uh Basically, we found that we don't have to pay for insurance, because the city and the county have the same liability carrier, so we just add them at additional as uh insured, so the land bank doesn't have to pay for the insurance.

A

It just makes sense to add them along since we're in this partnership together. So that's that's! Basically it we look for insurance for quite a while, and we said well we'll have to send carrier. Why? Don't we have you know or the land bank board did so it was a good call on their part, their part, so um I'm trying to think here. Let's do roll call just in case something needs to be covered separately. Mr.

B

Hess I Miss Paul aye Mr s, Fairfield aye, Mr, Miller, aye, Mr, carico, aye, Mr, featherly, aye, Mr long Mr, ackbot, Mr, Hunter, Miss, Foster, Mr, Wheeler,.

A

B

Mr Alexander Hildebrand motion carries all.

A

Right is there any other new business.

A

um Any other new business I would like to say something. I thought you might yes, Dr Paul. Please go ahead. Okay,.

I

I know they say: oh gosh. She must be begging for something you're right.

I

I would just like to know um on September the 2nd we're taking 57 young people from Kankakee County to the windy city Classics, and if I could get anyone to volunteer to donate some money. For that uh we will be going to the windy city Classics, which is a scholarship there'll, be 45 schools that will be there and you can actually sit down and talk to the recruiters face to face, and then we will go to the battle of the high school band. I'll, make it real, quick and then we'll go to the football game.

I

It'll be Mississippi. State versus uh oh I forgot that real quick anyway, but it's the football game and we'll be there all day. Okay,.

E

I

I just need some help for the chartered bus right now and thanks Mr Hunter. We he donated uh some of his friends. They donated money for part of the bus, but we need some more help on the bus.

A

So how would people get a hold of uh the I guess the organization that's doing this? Is it under MLK Foundation or is it.

I

Yeah it's on the it's uh uh field: trips, MLK field trips- we don't take it from our scholarship money, scholarship, money, state, scholarship, money, it's a not-for-profit and it's for field trips like.

A

What people call if they were to want to help out call me, and that number is.

I

815-685-9220 I.

A

Wish I could flash that on the bottom of the screen, you know like 1-800 Empire, you know no, hopefully yeah that works out. um I know it's a great event and thank you for doing that, any any other New or Old business old business. Yes, sir, make the most motion to adjourn.

A

Didn't you, oh Mr, Hess they're, getting sneaky I, didn't hear him.

F

Back then, there's a motion.

A

E

D

A

Don't need any chatter call those in favor say aye. So that's.