DuPage County District 3 News for June 2020

June 2020 newsletter for DuPage County Board District 3

View this email in your browser

dupage county news

Message from the Chairman

Chairman Dan Cronin

The events of the past month have certainly caused us all to reflect. And I suppose I am not alone in feeling conflicted by many of my own observations about where our society is, as we continue to strive for racial inclusion and fairness.

On one hand, I am proud of the actions our County has taken toward increased diversity and inclusion. First, we expanded our Strategic Plan, adding a diversity and inclusion goal. Second, we’ve made significant strides, appointing a list of qualified, diverse candidates to local county positions to serve our DuPage residents. Forty percent of candidates (25 out of 61) appointed since January 2019 were women or minorities. Third, our County is a leader in law enforcement training. DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and Sheriff Jim Mendrick have made significant investments in training for crisis and de-escalation techniques that result in calmer interactions and peaceful, positive conflict resolution. Our law enforcement community and county government have worked closely with organizations like the NAACP and Unity Partnership, improving the relationship between police officers and civilians by fostering mutual understanding, erasing negative stereotypes, and developing new pathways for dialogue in the community. Sadia Covert, District 5 County Board member, a state-certified law enforcement instructor, has trained many law enforcement officers in DuPage County in diversity and inclusion.

And yet, it’s difficult to look at recent events and not conclude we have more work to do.

Therefore, I’m asking our diverse DuPage Complete Count Committee, which includes the NAACP, Unity Partnership, representatives of Asian, Hispanic and Muslim organizations throughout DuPage, as well as non-profit organizations, the College of DuPage, Giving DuPage, workNet DuPage, Choose DuPage and representatives of each County Board district, to add to their charge, a special outreach to minority groups. In addition to counting all DuPage residents, I ask the Complete Count committee to utilize the great expertise of its membership to devote one of its upcoming meetings, either in person or by electronic means, to a dialogue regarding diversity and inclusion as a first step.

From that dialogue, I hope to determine some suggestions for concrete actions our County, our businesses and municipal leadership, can take to improve race relations and make every DuPage resident feel welcome and included.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Dan Cronin


COVID-19 Testing Sites

Two new testing sites are being opened and made available to DuPage County residents. A new drive-through COVID-19 testing site opened at the DuPage County Fairgrounds on June 16. All residents of DuPage County can be tested, and no appointment, doctor referral, or insurance is needed.

The DuPage County COVID-19 testing site, which will be accessible through the County Campus’ main entrance off County Farm Road, will be open Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., or until 400 tests are completed each day. The COVID-19 test is free.

To ensure the safety of testing personnel, the test will be done while you are sitting in your vehicle. You must be sitting at a functioning window and cannot exit your vehicle while at the test site. No motorcycles will be allowed to enter. Results should be available in 48 hours.

In addition, DuPage County is supporting a testing site in Willowbrook, which will double the number of individuals who are able to be tested and receive a physical health check. On Tuesdays and Thursdays through August, testing will be available through Pillars Community Health with drive-up testing at Anne M. Jeans Elementary School in Willowbrook. You do not have to be an existing Pillars Community Health patient or enrolled at Anne Jeans School to be eligible.

Testing is available to anyone with symptoms of COVID-19; or anyone with a known exposure to COVID-19 (have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19); or asymptomatic, high-risk patients, first responders, health care workers, or essential workers who wish to be tested.

Limited tests are available, and an appointment is required for this site. To schedule the appointment, please call (708) 745-5277 and follow the prompts. Appointments will be scheduled in the following time slots: Tuesdays 9 a.m. to noon and Thursdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Insurance will be billed; if you do not have insurance, please call Pillars Community Health at (708) 745-5277 to discuss options.

Both DuPage County and the DuPage County Health Department remain committed to address the significant impact and unfortunate loss of life related to COVID-19. Our collaborative efforts continue with healthcare and community partners to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in DuPage County.

To learn more, visit the DuPage County COVID-19 Dashboard: www.dupagehealth.org/covid19data.

Renehan COVID-19 testing site

County Board member Julie Renehan attended an open house June 10 announcing the opening of a COVID-19 testing site on the DuPage County Fairgrounds adjacent to the County campus.


DuPage County Offices Begin Reopening to Public

DuPage County's recovery efforts continue and our offices have started to safely move forward on a path to normalcy. Slowly and safely, we are ramping up in-person employee attendance based on recommendations from the state and our local Health Department.

The safety of our staff and the public visiting our facilities remains our top priority. As such, we will continue social distancing practices and require employees to wear masks while in the office when not able to maintain proper separation. The County will continue to encourage the public to utilize online or telephone interactions with our employees whenever possible.

We will enhance our cleaning efforts to ensure all surfaces are cleaned on a regular basis. We remain focused on implementing hospital cleaning standards in our buildings. Staff have also installed plexiglass barriers in departments that see higher public traffic. The safety of our employees and visitors is paramount.

DuPage County Animal Services has adopted numerous animals to first-time pet owners during this unique time. But soon, employees will begin to return to work, and it may be a shock to pets who have been spending so much time with their owners. DuPage County Animal Services Committee Chairman Brian Krajewski has some tips to avoiding separation anxiety in pets.

Video for avoiding separation anxiety in pets

LGBTQ Pride Month

County Celebrates LGBTQ Pride Month

Chairman Dan Cronin joined County Board members Greg Hart and Pete DiCianni in recognizing LGBTQ Pride Month and presenting a proclamation to Margaret Donahue with PFLAG DuPage and Stephen Kossak with Naper Pride.


Hart Speaks at Naperville Vigil

Hart Speaking at Vigil

DuPage County Board member Greg Hart spoke to attendees at the Naperville Unity Partnership vigil in honor of George Floyd.


RAMP-Up Program Wins National Award

DuPage County has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents.

NACo recognized the Recovery and Manufacturing-A Path Up (RAMP-Up) program in the Community and Economic Development Category. The RAMP-Up program provided manufacturing certification training to individuals in recovery from opioid use and substance abuse, allowing them to obtain meaningful employment, while also providing local employers with a distinct talent pool. The program began with a public-private partnership started by DuPage County’s Workforce Development Division (workNet DuPage) and the Heroin-Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Taskforce.

“One of the greatest challenges facing our community is the opioid crisis, and we are constantly searching for new and creative ways to fight and win this battle,” said County Board Chairman Dan Cronin. “The RAMP-Up Program is a transformative program impacting real change in our communities and changing lives forever. We are grateful for the leadership of our workNet DuPage team bringing forward this creative solution and making it a reality.”

"We must encourage counties, states and the federal government to follow DuPage's lead and consider workforce development as a critical component of combating the opioid epidemic. Through these partnerships, we can provide a path away from addiction and toward a productive future, one job at a time," said HOPE Taskforce Co-Chairman Greg Hart.


Listen Up, DuPage!

Listen Up, DuPage!

Did you know: DuPage County and the College of DuPage have partnered together on a monthly podcast called Listen Up, DuPage!

The podcast goes live the first of every month. This month’s episode goes in-depth on the financial impact of COVID-19, featuring Finance Committee Chairman Bob Larsen and Chief Administrative Officer Nick Kottmeyer.

The podcast has tackled other topics such as crisis communications during the COVID-19 pandemic and an overview of the importance of the U.S. Census.

To listen to the latest episode or any episode from the archives, visit listenupdupage.buzzsprout.com.

MEET DISTRICT 3

Meet District 3