DuPage County District 5 Newsletter for Winter 2021

Winter 2021 newsletter for DuPage County Board District 5

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dupage county news
Chavez Little Friends visit

Chavez Visits Little Friends in Warrenville

County Board member Amy Chavez visited Little Friends Director Mike Briggs (at right) and Little Friends Board Vice Chairman Ray Kinney at their new location in Warrenville on Oct. 8. Chavez learned about the services and educational programs Little Friends provides, which include empowering people of all ages with autism, intellectual, and emotional disabilities, and their families to live, learn, work and thrive in their communities.


COVID Vaccines, Boosters Available

The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by getting vaccinated. Vaccines are available for children ages 5 to 11 at several public health locations. Initial vaccination series for ages 12 and up are available at the DuPage County Health Department's Central Office in Wheaton on Thursdays from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Booster shots are recommended for everyone over the age of 18. Residents can receive the booster shot either six months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna series or two months after their initial Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Booster shots for ages are available at the Central Office in Wheaton on Thursdays from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

To register for a vaccination or booster appointment, please visit dupagecountyhealth.qualtrics.com. To find other vaccination locations near you or to learn more about the County’s vaccination efforts, please visit dupagehealth.org/667/COVID-19-Vaccine.


Murray Snow farewell

Board Thanks OHSEM Director for Service

Judicial and Public Safety Committee members, including Sadia Covert and Dawn DeSart, congratulated former DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Murray Snow for his service to the County on Nov. 16. Snow left the County in November to pursue an opportunity in the private sector.


DuPage County Relaunching Rental Assistance Program

DuPage County and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) relaunched an emergency rental assistance program on Dec. 6 for residents who are behind on their rent due to COVID-19.

Eligible DuPage County households may qualify for up to $25,000 in emergency rental assistance for payments from June 2020 through April 2022. Applications and additional details are available at illinoishousinghelp.org. Residents can also call (866) 454-3571 for more information.


The Joint Chiropractic ribbon cutting

Sadia Welcomes New Business to County

County Board member Sadia Covert helped welcome The Joint Chiropractic to Darien in November. She was joined by County Board member Greg Hart, state Sen. John Curran, Darien Mayor Joe Marchese, and owner Naiyara Khan, a resident of District 5.


DuPage County Adopts Long Range Transportation Plan

The DuPage County Board voted unanimously Dec. 14 to adopt its Long Range Transportation Plan guiding transportation investments through 2040.

The Long Range Transportation Plan, known as DuPage Connects, will govern transportation policies and practices at the County for the next 20 years. The $1.6 billion plan creates a vision and mission for the DuPage County Division of Transportation, serving as a guide for infrastructure maintenance, operations, and capital projects.

During the development of DuPage Connects, County staff received more than 700 comments on system safety, congestion, signal coordination, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities and transit needs in DuPage. Those comments are incorporated into the final plan which can be found on the Division of Transportation’s Planning webpage at dupageco.org/transplan.


DeSart attends Veterans Day service

DeSart Attends Veterans Day Service

County Board member Dawn DeSart and state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit attended a Veterans Day event sponsored by Congresswoman Lauren Underwood.


DuPage County Approves FY2022 Budget

The DuPage County Board on Nov. 23 unanimously approved its Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which includes a balanced, $474.3 million spending plan.

The budget includes funds to implement new election equipment for the County Clerk and to continue implementation of the County’s new property tax system, improve critical infrastructure on the County campus, and replace vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life.

DuPage County will fully fund the remaining principal and interest on two debt service funds in the amount of $6.3 million. Paying off this debt early will free up $2 million annually beginning in 2022.

The budget also includes increases in staffing, resources, and funding for the Sheriff’s Office, State’s Attorney, Public Defender, and Probation department due to the passage of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act, which the Illinois General Assembly passed, and the governor signed into law earlier this year.

The County will continue to combat COVID-19 and invest in public health and vaccination efforts using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was passed by Congress in March.

To view the full 2022 County budget document, visit dupageco.org/finance.


Sadia Covert real estate gala

Covert Attends Real Estate Gala

County Board member Sadia Covert attended the annual gala for the Association of South Asian Real Estate Professionals on Nov. 7.


DuPage County Board Approves New District Maps

The DuPage County Board voted Oct. 26 to approve new County Board district boundaries for the next decade.

The County Board is required by state law to complete the reapportionment process every 10 years following the U.S. Census to ensure each County Board district represents a substantially equal number of people. The population deviation between each County Board district is less than 1 percent. By law, the districts must be substantially equal in population, contiguous, and as compact as practical.

The County’s Redistricting Committee was established in January 2021 and held 11 meetings and four open house forums to discuss the maps. In addition to an online portal, allowing for residents to provide feedback.

To view the new maps, please visit dupageco.org/CountyBoard/District_Map/2517.

MEET DISTRICT 5

Meet District 5