Dupage Policy Journal

DuPage County Human Services Committee met Sept. 2

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

1. CALL TO ORDER

9:30 AM meeting was called to order by Chair Greg Schwarze at 9:30 AM.

2. ROLL CALL

Staff in attendance: Nick Kottmeyer (Chief Administrative Officer), Joan Olson (Chief Communications Officer), Keith Jorstad (Finance), Henry Kocker (Procurement), Natasha Belli (Community Services), Mary Keating ( Director of Community Services), and Janelle Chadwick, remote (Administrator of the DuPage Care Center).

PRESENT Cronin Cahill, DeSart, Galassi, Garcia, LaPlante, and Schwarze

3. PUBLIC COMMENT

All online submissions for public comment from the September 2, 2025, DuPage County Regular Meeting of the Human Services Committee are included for the record in the entirety.

They are found in the minutes packet and at the link below.

Member Galassi asked if the person that submitted the electronic public comment received a response. Chair Schwarze replied he will respond to the individual that Human Services cannot help with this particular concern.

25-2148

Online Public Comment

4. CHAIR REMARKS - CHAIR SCHWARZE

Chair Schwarze stated the West Suburban Philanthropic Network (WSPN) held their annual awards on August 28, 2025. DuPage County, along with the DuPage Foundation, were jointly nominated for the work that they did forming the DuPage Community Transformational Partnership. The Partnership was a five-year grant program that awarded over $10M in immediate intervention and transformational grants throughout DuPage County. The grants were able to touch thousands of lives in the areas of food insecurity, housing instability, and mental health and addiction, which are still being utilized today. Member Garcia, Mary Keating, and I still sit on the transformational grant board. All grants have been handed out, but we need to make sure the organizations are doing what is needed to complete their grant requirements, which will end next year.

In 2021, the Human Services Chair Julie Renehan, Mary Keating, and I as the Vice Chair met for hours figuring out the best way to use the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to create this program for those that need assistance. With the thousands of charitable organizations out there, Mary Keating was the one that stated we need to focus on food insecurity, mental health and addiction issues, and housing instability. I just wanted to thank Ms. Keating for masterminding the direction and doing all the good work that she does, thank you.

5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

5.A. 25-2103

Human Services Committee - Regular Meeting - August 19, 2025

RESULT: APPROVED

MOVER: Cynthia Cronin Cahill

SECONDER: Paula Garcia

6. COMMUNITY SERVICES - MARY KEATING

6.A. 25-2104

HS-P-0040B -24 - Amendment to County Contract 7431-0001 SERV, issued to Healthy Air Heating & Air, Inc., to provide mechanical (HVAC) and architectural weatherization labor and materials for the Weatherization Department, to increase encumbrance in the amount of $40,000, for a new contract total not to exceed $956,434. Grant funded. (Community Services)

Member DeSart asked if we accept a low bid only to have to increase later. Ms. Keating responded that the Weatherization unit selects multiple contractors for their program. The work is based on catalog pricing; all contractors make the same amount of money for the work they do. As some contractors may have a lot of callbacks, aren’t available, or may be late completing their work, the contractor that provides the most satisfactory work will get more of the business.

RESULT: APPROVED AND SENT TO FINANCE

MOVER: Paula Garcia

SECONDER: Dawn DeSart

6.B. 25-2105

Recommendation for the approval of a contract purchase order to Meghan Butcher, to enter into an Independent Contractor Agreement to provide case management assistance to Senior Services, for the period of September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026, for a contract total amount not to exceed $22,000. Other Professional Services not subject to competitive bidding per 55 ILCS 5/5-1022(c). Vendor selected pursuant to DuPage County Procurement Ordinance 2-353(1)(b). Grant Funded. (Senior Services)

RESULT: APPROVED

MOVER: Paula Garcia

SECONDER: Kari Galassi

AYES: Cronin Cahill, DeSart, Galassi, Garcia, LaPlante, and Schwarze

6.C. 25-2106

Amendment to County Contract 7751-0001 SERV, issued to Crowley Engineering, LLC, to provide engineering services to multi-family homes for the Weatherization Program, to increase the encumbrance by $4,086.72, for a new contract total not to exceed $19,085.72. Grant funded. (Community Services)

RESULT: APPROVED

MOVER: Dawn DeSart

SECONDER: Paula Garcia

AYES: Cronin Cahill, DeSart, Galassi, Garcia, LaPlante, and Schwarze

7. DUPAGE CARE CENTER - JANELLE CHADWICK

7.A. HS-P-0045-25

Recommendation for the approval of a contract purchase order to Prescription Supply, Inc., for secondary pharmaceuticals, for the DuPage Care Center Pharmacy, for the period September 10, 2025 through September 9, 2026, for a contract total amount not to exceed $30,000; per bid #25-103-DCC.

RESULT: APPROVED AND SENT TO FINANCE

MOVER: Cynthia Cronin Cahill

SECONDER: Dawn DeSart

7.B. 25-2107

Recommendation for the approval of a contract purchase order to ARxIUM, Inc., for supplies for the FastPak Elite Medication Dispensing Machine, for the Pharmacy at the DuPage Care Center, for the period of September 2, 2025 through September 1, 2026, for a contract total not to exceed $26,000. Per 55 ILCS 5/5-1022(c) not suitable for competitive bids. (Sole Source - supplies compatible with existing equipment.)

RESULT: APPROVED

MOVER: Cynthia Cronin Cahill

SECONDER: Kari Galassi

AYES: Cronin Cahill, DeSart, Galassi, Garcia, LaPlante, and Schwarze

8. BUDGET TRANSFERS

8.A. 25-2108

Transfer of funds from account no. 5000-1420-54107 (software) to account no. 5000-1420-53807 (subscription IT arrangements) in the amount of $1,031 to cover payment of invoices for Carahsoft client satisfaction and assessment software for the LIHEAP Program. (Community Services)

RESULT: APPROVED

MOVER: Paula Garcia

SECONDER: Kari Galassi

9. RESIDENCY WAIVERS - JANELLE CHADWICK

Two out of county residency waivers were presented for approval. Janelle Chadwick stated there are five male and nine female beds available. No county residents will be displaced by the approval of the two individuals.

Residency Waiver One

RESULT: APPROVED

MOVER: Dawn DeSart

SECONDER: Paula Garcia

Residency Waiver Two

RESULT: APPROVED

MOVER: Lynn LaPlante

SECONDER: Dawn DeSart

10. DUPAGE CARE CENTER UPDATE - JANELLE CHADWICK

Janelle Chadwick, Administrator of the DuPage Care Center, stated the Care Center is experiencing a round of covid in three units and persisting ten days. Fourteen residents and seven staff members have tested positive. When a resident is positive, the roommate is considered a person under investigation, called a PUI. They are also removed off the unit into another location for observation. The strategy of moving residents off the unit into a covid unit has been successfully limiting the spread of covid. The residents’ systems consist of sore throats, sinus symptoms or a cough and there have not been any severe cases. Many of the staff are asymptomatic or experiencing mild symptoms. One of the units affected was the dementia unit.

One North has had the most impact with cases.

Member Garcia asked if the staff are up to date on vaccines. Ms. Chadwick replied they have not recently had a vaccine offered for the staff. The Care Center does see more staff opting out of vaccines due to the negative news reports. There has not been any official guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) regarding vaccines.

Three to four people from the Department of Justice and a couple of people from Civil Rights visited the Care Center to complete a survey regarding how the Care Center admits residents with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, how they are coded, and if they are inappropriately placed within the facility. This visit was part of an investigation to facilities in the State of Illinois and not directed at the Care Center specifically. The visit was a scheduled visit, originally requested via the DuPage Care Center general email. Assistant State’s Attorney, Renee Zerante, confirmed the validity of the request as the Care Center has not had this type of survey completed before.

Based on comments from the visitors, Ms. Chadwick surmised that some facilities would accept the individual as a generally skilled nursing person and not provide the appropriate level of care they should have. All the Care Center residents are screened and deemed whether it is appropriate for skilled nursing or not. This has been in place for a long time.

11. COMMUNITY SERVICES UPDATE - MARY KEATING

Mary Keating, Director of Community Services, commented on the WSPN award, stating the actual award was the philanthropic organization of the year. WSPN is made up of executive directors and development directors from nonprofits across DuPage and western Cook Counties.

Ms. Keating was told there were 37 organizations that signed onto that nomination for the County and the DuPage Foundation. She praised Barbara Szczepaniak, the Vice President for Programs, her colleague from the DuPage Foundation, stating they work hand in hand. It is nice to be recognized.

Ms. Keating concluded by stating it is September and Congress will be back in session soon.

Most people assume there will be a continuing resolution sometime in September. She will keep the committee informed with any news of federal budget updates.

12. OLD BUSINESS

No old business was discussed.

13. NEW BUSINESS

No new business was discussed.

14. ADJOURNMENT

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:47 AM.

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