Health and Community Service Committee Meeting - July 29, 2025

The Health and Community Service Committee convened on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at 8:32 AM. Chair Park presided with Vice Chair Altenburg and members Castle, Conning, Dan Force, Kinesek, and Casman present. Member Maine was absent with notice. The meeting was conducted in person with remote access available. The committee approved a consent agenda and discussed multiple workforce development grants, a supplemental grant, a memorandum of understanding, and received reports from the Workforce Development Director and County Administrator.

Consent Calendar

• Item 8.8 (Consent Agenda): Motion by Vice Chair Altenburg, second by Member Kinesek, passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

• Items 8.2–8.4 (DCEO Workforce Grants – Taken Together): Director Jennifer Sereno presented three joint resolutions:
  • 8.2: Accepting the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Program Year 2025 formula grant of $8,516,791 – a 24% increase over the prior year due to higher unemployment rates in Lake County. Funds support 30 staff positions, operations, and participant services (60% direct to participants, including over $1M in tuition, $1M in training wages, $500K in employee training, and over $600K in youth contracts). Pilot projects in manufacturing, AI, and apprenticeships were noted.
  • 8.3: Accepting a DCEO Quest grant modification of $135,000 to serve an additional 13 individuals in training and six with employer training wages.
  • 8.4: Accepting a DCEO Rapid Response grant of $350,000 to respond to layoff events. Since May 2024, 12 WARN events impacted over 1,000 workers; the grant will assist 28 impacted workers, 75 businesses, and support tuition and training wages.
• Item 8.5 (Supplemental Grant – $232,774): Director Sereno explained this state-funded grant allows pilot programs without federal restrictions. The focus is on a program for young adults (high school graduates) not in employment or education, providing job readiness, life skills, digital literacy, and connections to apprenticeships or work-and-learn programs in professional services (customer service, accounting, marketing, graphic design).
• Item 8.6 (MOU and Cost-Sharing Agreement): A joint resolution approving the Workforce Development Board MOU and cost-sharing agreement with the Job Center of Lake County. The job center has 14 partners; the facility cost is $228,000 (covered largely by College of Lake County). Workforce Development occupies the most space and will receive $51,000 back from partners.
• Item 8.7 (Director’s Report): Director Sereno presented the Job Center annual report:
  • 21,000 individuals served in the past year (phone calls, visitors, outreach events, kiosks).
  • 8 kiosks placed at various locations (e.g., libraries, townships) for self-service access to job postings and partner links.
  • 10 Job Center on the Move locations in townships and libraries.
  • 125 U.S. Navy recruits assisted in transitioning to civilian workforce.
  • Summer Youth Program: 172 students placed at 30 worksites (including county departments), earning $15/hour for 20 hours/week over 6–7 weeks. Over 1,000 applications received; 150 students participated in a digital literacy program through the Lake County Digital Growth Initiative, earning a laptop.
  • Upcoming events: job fair on August 12, “Getting Hired After 50” Zoom event on August 7, and employer compliance training on August 20/22.
  • Members expressed strong support: Member Casman thanked Director Sereno for “inspiring work” and praised dynamic outreach. Member Cunningham requested that workforce development events be shared via board newsletters to reach residents. Another member (serving on Workforce Board) commended staff and noted that the WIOA funds increase aligns with national advocacy.
• Item 9 (County Administrator Report): County Administrator Patrice Sutton updated the committee on the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementation. Key points:
  • The project is in the “messy middle” with end-to-end testing beginning. Grant management, payroll, and compliance reporting are being integrated.
  • Staff augmentation in HR and finance is in place; departments are working extra hours.
  • Introduction of Regina Tuchek, new Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance.
  • Member Cunningham praised the ERP system and highlighted that Lake County’s technology committee passed four resolutions at NACo.
• Member Remarks: A member noted a new COVID-19 strain circulating and advised testing if symptomatic.

Key Outcomes

• All motions (Items 8.2–8.4, 8.5, 8.6, and 8.8) passed unanimously. No opposed votes were recorded.
• No executive session was held.
• The next committee meeting is scheduled for August 5, 2025, where open and closed meeting minute recommendations will be reviewed.