Lake County Law and Judicial Committee Meeting - October 7, 2025
Lake County Law and Judicial Committee Meeting - October 7, 2025
The Lake County Law and Judicial Committee met on October 7, 2025, at 11:50 AM. Chair Cunningham presided with a physical quorum present. The committee considered several resolutions related to contracts, grants, and personnel matters, all approved unanimously. The meeting concluded with member remarks about recent hate symbols in a district and expressions of inter-board collaboration.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made.
Discussion Items
8.5 – Juvenile Health Care Contract (Well Path LLC) The committee authorized a contract with Well Path LLC (Nashville, TN) in a base annual amount of $491,160 for healthcare services at the Lake County Hughes Juvenile Detention Center and the PACE resident program. Lisa Wolf (Finance Director, 19th Circuit Court) and James Edwards (Director of Juvenile Probation and Detention Services) presented the item as a continuation of existing services. They noted that 23 vendors were solicited, three responded, and Well Path was selected based on services and price. The contract is for two years with one-year renewals. In response to a question about out-of-town vendors, staff confirmed the corporate base is Nashville but local staff are residents. The motion passed unanimously.
8.6 – Inmate Medical Care Contract (Well Path LLC) The committee authorized a contract with Well Path LLC for inmate medical care at the Lake County Jail in an estimated annual amount of $4,657,248. Katie Latis (Contract Manager, Sheriff’s Office) explained the current contract expires November 30, and the Sheriff’s Office visited Kenosha County Jail to evaluate an alternative vendor, ultimately determining Well Path was a better fit. The contract includes 24/7 coverage, a fixed annual cost for two years, and has enabled on-site dialysis and physical therapy, reducing external transports. The jail received Well Path’s Facility of the Year award in 2023. The cost increase from the previous contract is approximately $34,100, including a 3% wage increase. The motion passed unanimously.
8.7 – Intergovernmental Agreement for School Resource Officer (Beach Park School District) The committee authorized an intergovernmental agreement with Beach Park School District for part-time contracted police services in the amount of $52,065.13. Jim Chemnik (Sheriff’s Office) and the Sheriff presented the item as a renewal. In response to a question about stopping the program due to staffing shortages, the Sheriff expressed strong support for the School Resource Officer (SRO) program, emphasizing that building positive relationships with students is critical. He stated he would place SROs in every school if resources allowed. The contract is for one year because Beach Park Middle School requested a full-time officer, but the Sheriff’s Office is waiting until staffing permits. Members commented on the importance of continuity and trust-building. The motion passed unanimously.
8.8 – Law Enforcement Camera Grant The committee accepted a grant from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board in the amount of $54,432 for body-worn cameras. The grant funding offsets previously budgeted costs and will be deposited into the general fund. The motion passed unanimously.
8.9 – Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Grant The committee authorized an intergovernmental award with IDOT for a STEP grant estimated at $237,950.59 for 2026. Staff clarified that the grant has been awarded but not yet loaded into the state portal, so approval is contingent upon final acceptance. The grant funds overtime for high-visibility traffic enforcement during six required campaigns to reduce fatalities and serious injuries. The motion passed unanimously.
8.10 – Emergency Appropriation from Money Laundering Forfeiture Fund The committee authorized an emergency appropriation of $24,200 from the State’s Attorney’s office money laundering forfeiture fund to pay salary and benefits for the part-time Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) Director for the remainder of fiscal year 2025. Joe Gravitter (Chief Deputy of Administration) explained the office is awaiting approval of a budget modification to become a subgrantee of the Illinois Innocence Project CIU grant, expected by end of November. The motion passed unanimously.
8.11 – Reallocation of Contractual Funds to Full-Time Employee (Children’s Advocacy Center) The committee authorized a headcount increase at the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center by reallocating contractual funds to one full-time employee for a mental health worker position. Carrie Flanagan presented the request, noting the position will provide on-site therapy for children after forensic interviews to address a waiting list. No additional county funding is required; funds are reallocated from an existing VOCA grant. The motion passed unanimously.
Approval of Executive Session Minutes The committee approved two sets of executive session minutes from November 7, 2023 and November 28, 2023, by separate motions, both passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- All resolutions (8.5 through 8.11) were approved unanimously.
- The committee approved executive session minutes from two dates in 2023.
- Member remarks included thanks to the Sheriff’s office for a quick response to swastika graffiti on road signs over the weekend, and expressions of collaboration and mutual support among board members, particularly between Member Altenberg and Chair Cunningham.
Meeting Transcript
We'll start the lower underitiation meeting on uh October the 7 on Tuesday at 11 50 at 10 56 in addition to being a do we have anybody I ain't got to read that then the kind of board rules and the open meeting act by remote. I don't have to read that because I'm about to okay. I do have a physical quo. We do not have yeah, I have a physical quo. Um can I get a roll call, please? Oh must get you fledge in the United States of the matter and for which it stands one nation under God and divisible with liberty and pass all right okay. Now I can do a roll call, member Altenberg here, Chair Cunningham here, member Dan Forth, Member Kenesnik, Member Kyle, Member Peterson, Vice Chair Roberts here. Okay, we got a physical corner is there's an identity to the there's not there's in a public comment and not on there's not no public comment chair remarks. I have so much, but I'm gonna save it. Unfinished business. There's not I need a motion for the new bin in 8.18.4 motion by Kenisha, Member Kenesha, second by member Ma. Okay. Sure, you want a voice vote on that one? Yeah, I don't can I have a voice vote. Oh motion been approved. No, no polls. Okay. Okay, well, back to the uh regular agenda. 8.5. This is from the 19th Judiciary and Circuit Court, and this is a joint resolution authorizing a contract with Well Path LLC Nashville, Tennessee in the amount in the base annual amount of 491,160 for juvenile health care and the Lake County Hughes juvenile detention center and phase set resident program. Okay, and this motion by Mama Altenberg, second by Member Kenisha. Okay, all right. Hi, good morning, Lisa Wolf, Director of Finance for the 19th Circuit Court. Good morning, I'm James Edwards. I'm the director for juvenile probation and attention services for the 19th Judicial Circuit. Yes, this contract is um for the healthcare services. It is uh really a continuation of services as our current contract expires November 30th. Um, as it notes, we did send it out to 23 different vendors and received responses from three, and we did conduct interviews um with um all things considered uh the services and price points. Well path was by far the winner. Um, we will be entering into a two-year agreement with one year renewals, and we're we're looking to we're looking forward to continuing our partnership. Okay. Now these vendors are they out-of-town vendors uh correct, yes. Uh in town business. Both they both. Oh, okay. Okay. If there's any question for the committee. Okay. with one year renewals and we're we're looking to we're looking forward to continuing our partnership okay now these vendors are the out of town vendors uh correct yes uh in town vent both they both oh okay okay if there's any question for the committee okay all in favor as have it not opposed motion been approved thank you thank you okay sheriff's office and this is um business management sheriff office gym chemnik and contract manager sheriff of cate led and this is a joint resolution authorizing contract with the well pet Nashville Tennessee in the estimate annual amount of 4 million six hundred and fifty seven dollars and two hundred and for eight for inmate medical care at the lake county jail and I need a motion motion by Robert second by uh Mel McCow you own good morning everyone Katie Latis I'm the contract manager for the sheriff's office um we are also bringing forth to you a contract with well path it would be a continuation essentially of the contract and the services that we are receiving now from them um we did our current contract with them expires on November 30th and um we did visit Kenosha County jail um members of the sheriff's office and part of the purchasing team um to meet with the Kenosha Sheriff and their jail command staff to discuss the other vendor that did reply to our RFP um ultimately we did decide that well path was a better fit for Lake County um the annual cost of this contract is 4,657 and that includes 247 coverage um the annual cost will be fixed for two years the jail medical staff is responsible for providing all health care and prescription management services for our inmates once they're booked into our jail uh the jail medical staff consists of local residents but the corporate is based out of Nashville um we've partnered with workforce development when we drafted the RFP to ensure that the hourly rates that the medical staff is receiving is competitive within Lake County um in the past if an inmate needed specialty services our external transport officers would need to bring the inmate to a secondary location for treatment and since working with Wellcat um we've actually brought dialysis treatments and physical therapy on site to reduce the need for external transports and our jail won well paths award for facility of the year in 2023 for the outstanding work that was performed in the jail um we have a very strong relationship well with well path and we're in constant communication with them essentially every day almost all day um and I have Jim here with me if anyone has any questions here yeah so um it's a difference of 34100 and that does include a three percent increase from from the wages that they're making now thank you any more questions from the committee motion to be in carried all in favor aye aye as have it none opposed thank you okay 8.7 and this a joint resolution approved and intergovernment agreement with the IGA for part-time contraction police service by an amount among the beach park school district county and the lake county sheriff in the amount of 52065 13 and this here is I think this is a renewal here because we already had this contract for many years with Beach Bar and I need a motion motion by member Roberts second by memo Altonberg yes ma'am um is it my understanding that you're short staffed at the sheriff's office first of all Jim Chairmanick from the sheriff's office yeah um yes we are short staffed um and I also have the sheriff with me and uh Lieutenant Balmus who uh heads up our community resources which oversees our SRO program so I I guess my question is have you ever considered stopping this program and having the schools hire their security privately and then you can bring those officers back into the fold at the county at the sheriff's office no ma'am I'm sorry no ma'am you asked the question have we considered contracting out with the schools and my response is no ma'am our relationship with the school school resource officer is a positive interaction with the students the school like us being there No, ma'am. I'm sorry, no ma'am. You asked the question, have we considered contracting out with the schools? And my response is no ma'am. Our relationship with the school, school resource officer is a positive interaction with the students, the school like us being there, and as though saying, I'd rather interact with the students now than later on when they're 18 and 19 years old. It's build better working relationships. The students are happy to interact with the police, and in this climate that we have right now, our students, our people, young people are not very receptive of interacting with the police. And by us being in the school, it builds a positive interaction with uh with the students, and I go to the schools and I see how the students interact with my officers, and also the staff of the school tell me we're so glad you're here, sheriff, and we wish we can have these officer full time. If I had the resources, every school within the county that I'm responsible for, they will be a school resource officer. I just don't have the resources, but I'm glad there are schools who's willing to work with us and put our um school resource officers in play to interact with the students. You're welcome, ma'am.
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