This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly News and Views e-newsletter provides information about a state investment program to create COVID-19 response jobs, announces the resumption of household hazardous waste collection events, highlights a Will County effort to make Naloxone available to combat opioid overdoses, discusses legislation introduced concerning collective bargaining for law enforcement personnel and a joint Senate committee hearing on the subject of criminal sentencing reform, references upcoming NACo webinar opportunities, includes a message from corporate partner AT&T, spotlights ISACo corporate partner Comcast and invites counties to join ISACo.
COUNTIES COUNT!
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Financial Investment to Connect Out of Work Illinoisans with 1,300 COVID-19 Response Jobs
Governor JB Pritzker announced a new $16.6 million investment to expand job opportunities for Illinoisans who have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through two new grants received from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will distribute funding to place, train and hire nearly 1,300 residents for an array of jobs related to the ongoing pandemic response.
The funding includes an $8.3 million grant from the federal Disaster Recovery Grant Program and an $8.3 million grant from the federal Employment Recovery Grant – both part of the National Dislocated Worker Program. The grants will provide out of work Illinoisans with training and employment in jobs that assist local disaster relief programs and industries in high demand amidst the pandemic.
Funded positions include COVID-19 recovery-related temporary jobs to help mitigate COVID-19 in communities, such as contact tracers, COVID-19 protocol workers, building sanitization workers, temperature screeners and food preparation and distribution workers identified by local communities.
Additional information on the new investment to expand job opportunities for Illinoisans who have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 is available via this link.
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Illinois EPA to Resume Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events for Fall 2020
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Director John J. Kim announced the Agency is resuming Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collections for the fall of 2020.
IEPA HHW collections provide residents an opportunity to safely dispose of unused or leftover household products commonly found in homes at no cost. Due to precautions related to COVID-19, most of the spring 2020 events were postponed. IEPA has scheduled six (6) sites for the fall with additional events being scheduled for the spring of 2021. As with past events, all IEPA HHW collections are contactless for the safety of participants. Additional safety tips are included below the schedule.
In addition to the fall schedule, IEPA is announcing partnerships with several hub locations, where HHW collection events will be held once each year. Those hubs will then be supplemented with other more remote collection partners based on the need to adequately cover the State. Hub partners include the City of Springfield, the City of Effingham, Champaign County, Jackson County and Peoria County. The City of Springfield will be the first hub partner hosting this fall, while the remaining partners have spring dates planned.
Residents participating in these events are encouraged to bring chemical cleaners, oil-based paints, thinners, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, kerosene, weed killers, insecticides and pesticides, old or outdated medication and similar hazardous household products. Fluorescent and other high-intensity discharge lamps may also be brought to the collections.
ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED include latex paint, explosives, propane tanks, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, agricultural chemicals and business wastes. A complete list of household hazardous wastes that are and are not accepted is available via this link.
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Will County Office of Substance Use Initiatives Distributing Free Naloxone
A Rapid Response Naloxone Program Team, through the Will County Office of Substance Use Initiatives in the County Executive Office and funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services, is distributing naloxone to active users in high risks areas of Will County.
In just two months, over 800 people were trained and each received two doses of Narcan (a brand name for Naloxone), the powerful antidote that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose
ISACo's Summer 2020 County Quarterly Newsletter (available via this link) includes articles about efforts to combat the opioid crisis.
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Criminal Sentencing Reforms/Law Enforcement Personnel Collective Bargaining
The Illinois Senate Special Committee on Public Safety and the Senate Criminal Law Committee will hold a joint hearing on Tuesday, September 15 at 1 pm to discuss sentencing reforms with respect to truth-in-sentencing; mandatory minimums; three strikes enhancements; and re-sentencing after decriminalization. The hearing will be conducted using Zoom and can be viewed on the General Assembly website at www.ilga.gov.
Representative Carol Ammons (D-Champaign) filed HB 5830 (available via this link) to make various changes to collective bargaining for peace officers, the process to file a complaint against a peace officer and interrogations of peace officers.
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Upcoming NACo Webinars
The National Association of Counties (NACo) has announced the following upcoming webinars:
New and Improved Live Healthy Prescription, Health and Dental
Discount Program
(Monday, September 14, 2020, from 1pm – 2pm CST)
Join NACo to learn how the Live Healthy Prescription, Health and Dental Discount Program has been enhanced for participating counties and their residents. Now more than ever, saving feels better.
Residents now have access to increased Rx savings, additional opportunities to save and a new telemedicine service. Counties can now customize the program marketing materials with a self-service portal with quicker fulfillment service. The Live Healthy Discount Program is provided at no cost to NACo members and has saved county residents over $713 million since 2004.
NACo Tech Xchange presents The Cybersecurity Leadership Academy & The Cybersecurity Collaborative
(Tuesday, September 15, 2020, from 1pm – 2pm CST)
The Cybersecurity Leadership Academy and the Cybersecurity Collaborative (CSC) are supplemental initiatives to the NACo Tech Xchange to equip leaders with the necessary knowledge and expertise to proactively strengthen America’s counties to better defend and protect themselves, their communities and our economy from cyberattacks. Please join the discussion to hear from the leaders and members of the Cybersecurity Leadership Academy and the Cybersecurity Collaborative on their experience of both programs.
The Cybersecurity Leadership Program is an online 12-week collaborative readiness program led by CISOs and thought leaders who deliver a proven framework and insights on leading and securing an organization's most important assets. This program equips participants to become the most effective cybersecurity leader possible.
NACo Tech Xchange: Fall Virtual CIO Forum Series
(Wednesday, September 16, 2020, from 11am – 3pm CST)
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) Forum, normally held during the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative and Annual Conferences, is now pivoting to a virtual opportunity for county technology leaders across the country.
Join NACo this fall for a three part CIO Forum Series. Each event focuses on the theme of innovation. Hear success stories from counties and NACo corporate partners, network and participate in digital trivia.
NACo National Call with U.S. House Majority Staff on the House’s Surface Transportation Reauthorization
(Thursday, September 17, 2020, from 1pm – 2pm CST)
Please join the National Association of Counties (NACo) and senior majority staff from the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee – Highways and Transit Subcommittee for a national membership call to learn more about the Committee's recent work to advance a long-term surface transportation reauthorization and how counties can take action to support the endeavor.
The committee’s legislation – found in the first four divisions of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act – passed the U.S. House of Representatives on July 1, 2020, and must now be conferenced with the Senate’s version, which to date remains only a highway bill.
Hear from staff on potential paths forward and what action we can expect from the 116th Congress on surface transportation as we approach the current law’s expiration on September 30, 2020. Call attendees will also have an opportunity to participate in a Q&A session.
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Message from ISACo Partner AT&T
ISACo would like to share the latest information on the Access from AT&T program. This program provides low cost internet service to eligible households participating in the National School Lunch Program and Head Start. School districts, nonprofits and other community partners who work regularly with low income households might benefit from this information.
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Corporate Partner Spotlight
This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with Comcast.
Comcast Corporation is a global media and technology company with three primary businesses: Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Sky. Comcast Cable is one of the United States’ largest video, high-speed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the Xfinity brand. NBCUniversal is global and operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and Resorts. Sky is one of Europe’s leading media and entertainment companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content through its pay television services. It also provides communications services, including residential high-speed internet, phone, and wireless services. Sky operates the Sky News broadcast network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original content and has exclusive content rights.
With more than 6,000 local employees, Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region (https://chicago.comcast.com) serves customers in central and northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan.
Click on this link to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available through ISACo's Corporate Partner Program.
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The Key to ISACo's Success is YOU! |
Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?
ISACo is a statewide association whose mission is to empower county officials to provide excellent service to their residents.
ISACo member counties are comprised of forward-thinking public servants who recognize that the challenges confronting county governments require new and innovative ideas, collaborative solutions and collective advocacy at the state and federal levels of government.
Members of the association will benefit from education and training opportunities, peer-to-peer networking, shared resources and robust representation before policymakers at various levels of government. ISACo creates and connects county officials to these opportunities and successfully equips them to make counties ideal places to live, work and play.
If your county is interested in discussing membership in ISACo, please contact Executive Director Joe McCoy at (217) 679-3368 or jmccoy@isacoil.org. Thank you for your consideration.
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News and Views is a service provided by ISACo for county officials and staff. Please feel welcome to share with interested parties. You can contact ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy at jmccoy@isacoil.org or (217) 679-3368 if we can be of service. Thank you for your support of ISACo.
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