SSMMA Holds Legislative Breakfast with Legislators in Flossmoor |
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On Friday, January 26, the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) presented their 2024 Legislative Priorities to Southland legislators during their annual legislative breakfast held at Idlewild Country Club in Flossmoor. Joined by almost 80 mayors and managers, legislators learned of the Association’s legislative action agenda which includes:
• Protect and Expand State-Shared Revenues
• Ensure Stability and Sustainability
• Stabilize Pension Costs and Restrict Unfunded Mandates
These priorities were seen as imperative to south suburban communities that, while asset rich, have been seen as economically challenged. SSMMA’s Legislative Chairman and Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold focused attention on the continuing need for restoration of Local Government Distributive Funds (LGDF) again this year with the goal to have the State of Illinois restore LDGF levels distributed to local governments to 10% by 2030.
“It should be no surprise that we want to continue to make inroads onto restoring Local Government Distributive Funds”, said Mayor Reinbold. “Last year we saw an increase in LGDF from 6.16 to 6.47 percent due to Representative Anthony DeLuca and Leader Senator Elgie Sims, Jr. who have been our key LGDF champions fighting to provide more resources to local communities, but we still have more to go to get to the 10% level as agreed to decades ago.”
Another priority flagged during the breakfast was the need to secure Capital Bill commitments for south suburban municipalities for infrastructure projects that are part of the 6-year ReBuild Illinois Capital Program which is scheduled to sunset later this year. SSMMA staff distributed a compilation of municipal project lists to showcase the need of municipalities throughout the region.
SSMMA legislators were also informed of municipal concerns should there be any changes to Tier 2 pension levels resulting in expanded benefits. A panel of municipal representatives outlined the budgetary challenges municipalities face now, and how expanded benefits for Tier 2 would significantly impact municipal budgets for generations to come. More information on SSMMA 2024 Legislative Priorities is available here.
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University Park Hosts Community Wellness & Resource Fair for Asylum Seekers |
The Village of University Park has welcomed families as south suburban communities have faced a surge of asylum seekers in recent months. Since November 2023, University Park has increased the Maple Leaf Apartment complex by 124 new families.
Mayor Joseph Roudez and community leaders convened on December 6, 2024, to address the needs of these new residents. The Community Wellness & Resource Fair unfolded over three days despite challenging weather.
Local contributors, including SSMMA, the Village of Crete, various nonprofit organizations and businesses, provided clothing, coats, food, hygiene kits, household supplies, diapers, and health services. This collaborative effort exemplified the strength of community support, fostering unity, empowerment, and shared humanity within the migrant community.
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Nation's 1st Teen Homelessness Prevention Campus Opens in Blue Island |
The City of Blue Island is now the location of Unlimited Potential (UP) House, a transitional living facility for young women in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. This facility is the nation's first teen homelessness prevention campus. Established in 2016, founder Tangela Thornton's effort to aid young women aging out of foster care has now evolved into a nonprofit organization.
The campus officially opened on Tuesday, January 23.
"This is a terrific facility, and it's a terrific organization the young women in DCFS care deserve as they embark on a new chapter of their lives," Pritzker said.
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Upcoming Meetings and Events
Visit our website for SSMMA's meeting schedule, Zoom log-in information, and meeting materials.
Public Safety Meeting - February 1, 9:00am
Transportation Meeting - Thursday, February 13 at 2:00pm (Date Change)
Housing & Community Development Collaborative Meeting - February 8 at 2:00pm
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Grant Opportunities and Resources |
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• Gov. Pritzker Announces $5 Million Available in Back to Business Grants for Local Chambers. Learn more.
• Gov. Pritzker Announces $14.9M in Federal Funding for Illinois' Community Charging Program. Learn more.
• Funding for projects to enhance urban and community forestry in disadvantaged communities is now available from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry allocation of the Inflation Reduction Act. Register for an info session here. Application deadline is March
• Find a list of grant opportunities for the state of Illinois here.
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News from Community Partners |
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Will County Summer Internship Program is Accepting Applications |
• The Will County Summer Internship Program is a paid program for high school students to discover and learn about new career paths.
• The application deadline is February 16, 2024. Interested students can apply here.
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Share Your Vision for Transportation in Will County |
• Will County has launched its 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan: Our Way Forward. Visit the website to register for one of the upcoming virtual open houses on Tuesday, February 6 from 6-7 pm or Wednesday, February 7 from 12-1 pm.
• The public is welcome to share their feedback on the County’s transportation challenges and opportunities. Register here.
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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Provides Opportunities for Capital Improvement Initiatives |
• Applications are being accepted for Conceptual Projects to help communities identify solutions for local flooding and Shovel Ready projects. Application deadline is January 28.
• Find more information here.
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Job Postings & Requests for Proposals |
• Municipalities and organizations can send job openings and proposals here to be publicly posted.
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Superior Road Striping is now High Star Traffic
• The Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) has been informed that Lane Marking program vendor Superior Road Striping (Contract #210) has combined forces with High Star Traffic of Bartlett and will now be known as High Star. Current program contacts Joan Yario, Paul Chicoine, and Mike Traficanti will continue to lead the Illinois business, so the change should be seamless. In addition, the current contract extension for the Thermoplastic and/or Urethane Lane Marking Material and Labor Road Marking program remains in effect through April 11. For
questions or additional information, please contact staff or Sandy DeHoyos, 630-293-0026, ext. 3338.
Granite Announces New AI Solution - Edgeboot!
• SPC Telecommunications Program vendor Granite Government Solutions (Contract #205) is excited to announce a new solution called Edgeboot. Edgeboot is a managed power cycle device that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect if there is an issue with a customer’s network router. This device can perform a remote reboot to the device to restore connectivity in minutes instead of hours. 90% of all service issues can be corrected with a reboot of a router.
This new service eliminates the need for a costly tech dispatch or relying on remote employees to troubleshoot equipment plus it works on any router whether Granite is providing the service or not. On Friday, February 23 at 10:00 a.m., Granite Senior Sales Executive Frank Ventrella will host a free, virtual informational session to discuss Edgeboot.To learn more about this service, please contact Frank Ventrella, fventrella@granitenet.com or 630-649-0823
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Have something you'd like included in our next newsletter? Email it to news@ssmma.org.
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