DuPage County Judicial and Public Safety Committee met Sept. 21.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
1. CALL TO ORDER
8:00 AM meeting was called to order by Chair Julie Renehan at 8:01 AM.
2. ROLL CALL
PRESENT: Chaplin, Selmon, Ozog, DeSart, Deacon Garcia, Schwarze, Covert (Remote), Eckhoff, Puchalski, Renehan, Zay
ABSENT: Krajewski
County Board member Sam Tornatore was also in attendance.
Motion for Member Covert to participate remotely
| RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
AYES: Chaplin, Selmon, Ozog, DeSart, Deacon Garcia, Schwarze, Covert, Eckhoff, Puchalski, Renehan, Zay ABSENT: Krajewski |
No public comment was offered.
4. CHAIRWOMAN'S REMARKS - CHAIR RENEHAN
Chair Renehan expressed her appreciation to Vice Chair Puchalski for chairing the JPS Committee meeting on September 7, 2021. Due to changes in coordinating processes in the court system, representatives from the 18th Judicial Circuit Court will be speaking to the committee today on updated procedures.
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
A. Judicial/Public Safety Committee - Regular Meeting - Sep 7, 2021 8:00 AM
| RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Elizabeth Chaplin, District 2 SECONDER: Dawn DeSart, District 5 AYES: Chaplin, Selmon, Ozog, DeSart, Deacon Garcia, Schwarze, Covert, Eckhoff, Puchalski, Renehan, Zay ABSENT: Krajewski |
A. JPS-P-0361-21 Recommendation for the approval of a contract purchase order to Sentinel Offender Services, LLC, to provide GPS device or electronic monitoring services to juveniles and indigent adult offenders and their victims, for the period October 1, 2021, through September 30, 2022, for a total contract amount not to exceed $103,000. Contract pursuant to the Intergovernmental Cooperative Act #00212 – National Association of State Procurement Officers (NASPO). (Probation and Court Services)
| RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Donald Puchalski, Vice Chair SECONDER: Elizabeth Chaplin, District 2 AYES: Chaplin, Selmon, Ozog, DeSart, Deacon Garcia, Schwarze, Covert, Eckhoff, Puchalski, Renehan, Zay ABSENT: Krajewski |
A. FI-R-0436-21 RESOLUTION -- Acceptance and Appropriation of the State Court Improvement Program FFY21 Grant, Grant Award Agreement No. CIPBASIC-G-2101, Company 5000 - Accounting Unit 6140, $10,000. (18th Judicial Circuit Court)
| RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Elizabeth Chaplin, District 2 SECONDER: Paula Deacon Garcia, District 2 AYES: Chaplin, Selmon, Ozog, DeSart, Deacon Garcia, Schwarze, Covert, Eckhoff, Puchalski, Renehan, Zay ABSENT: Krajewski |
Motion to combine items A through C
| RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Greg Schwarze, District 6 SECONDER: Elizabeth Chaplin, District 2 AYES: Chaplin, Selmon, Ozog, DeSart, Deacon Garcia, Schwarze, Covert, Eckhoff, Puchalski, Renehan, Zay ABSENT: Krajewski |
| RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
AYES: Chaplin, Selmon, Ozog, DeSart, Deacon Garcia, Schwarze, Covert, Eckhoff, Puchalski, Renehan, Zay ABSENT: Krajewski |
B. Budget Transfers -- Transfer of funds from account nos. 52100 (I.T. equipment-small value) and 53610 (instruction & schooling) to account nos. 51010 (employer share I.M.R.F), 51040 (employee med & hosp insurance), and 53830 (other contractual expenses) in the amount of $22,702 to cover invoice for the BCO training academy #3478 and negative balances for IMRF & med & hospital benefits. (Sheriff's Office)
C. Budget Transfers -- Transfer of funds from account no. 1000-53090 (other professional services) to account no. 6300-5200 (furn/mach/equip small value) in the amount of $345 due to a shortage of funds in 52000 as only $2,500 was budgeted in that line item. Additional funds needed to cover costs for FY2021, including additional furniture for new staff. (Public Defender)
9. INFORMATIONAL
A. Informational -- Public Defender's Office August 2021 Monthly Statistical Report (Public Defender)
Member DeSart thanked Public Defender York for further clarifying juvenile offenses on the statistical reports. She requested future charts on the reports clarify the county residency of offenders, to which York and Member Eckhoff replied.
| RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Paula Deacon Garcia, District 2 SECONDER: Elizabeth Chaplin, District 2 AYES: Chaplin, Selmon, Ozog, DeSart, Deacon Garcia, Schwarze, Covert, Eckhoff, Puchalski, Renehan, Zay ABSENT: Krajewski |
A. Eviction Court Update - Kimberly Verest, Arbitration Administrator, 18th Judicial Circuit Court
Kimberly Verest, Arbitration Administrator, provided the committee with an update following her previous presentation on June 1, 2021. She explained the in-house eviction mediation program to the committee. Local court rules, mediator training, application timelines, Prairie State Legal Services and Community Services, and the mediation center were all highlighted. The chief goal of the local court rules is to provide tenants and landlords with ways to avoid eviction and pursue mutually beneficial alternatives. Tenants and landlords will be connected to rental and rehousing services, available grant money, legal services, and mutual mediation. Program Coordinator Alyssa Fortino will serve at an on-the-spot help desk for people in the mediation center on the top floor of the courthouse. The newly-created mediation center has Zoom capabilities as well as four private areas for conferencing. Additional conferencing areas have been designated beside the courtrooms. Both Prairie State Legal Services and Community Services have increased their personnel, provided training, and networked to prepare for a possible surge in requests for services. Mediators are in the process of completing a two-part training program that focuses on their roles, foundational skills, ethical concerns, landlord-tenant law, association fee disputes, community resources, efficient eviction case models, court order implementation, and program logistics. Upon completion of the training, which is expected this Thursday, mediator applications will be accepted, reviewed, and approved by the Presiding Judge in Chancery. Slot scheduling is expected to begin Monday, October 4, 2021. Future mediator training will be provided virtually, courtesy of the DuPage County Bar Association. It was noted that Governor Pritzker extended the eviction moratorium through October 3, 2021. A surge in eviction cases on Tuesdays and Thursdays could result in 80 new cases a day. Verest indicated about 3,400 eviction filings were processed in 2019.
Members Chaplin and Garcia, as well as Vice Chair Puchalski, asked questions regarding case load, staffing needs, and collar county programs, to which Verest responded. Chair Renehan added that additional related presentations were forthcoming at the Health & Human Services Committee meeting later this morning and invited members to attend. She thanked Verest, Trial Court Administrator Suzanne Armstrong, her department, and Community Services for their team work and diligence.
11. OLD BUSINESS
Chair Renehan reflected on the county's dissemination of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds and the current discussions for the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. She noted online court proceedings would likely continue to become more of a fixture at the county, and an electronic infrastructure and hybrid experience was slowly developing before the pandemic began. She noted requests from various departments to support infrastructure improvements and stressed that scanning projects would assist with social distancing and space needs.
12. NEW BUSINESS
No new business was offered.
13. ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn
Without objection, the meeting was adjourned at 8:22 A.M.
| RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Elizabeth Chaplin, District 2 SECONDER: Dawn DeSart, District 5 AYES: Chaplin, Selmon, Ozog, DeSart, Deacon Garcia, Schwarze, Covert, Eckhoff, Puchalski, Renehan, Zay ABSENT: Krajewski |
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