Lake County FNA Committee Meeting - December 4, 2025

The Financial and Administrative Committee convened on December 4, 2025, to address a wide range of topics including consent agenda items, emergency appropriations, election logistics, capital projects, naming policies, and the commemoration of Illinois' 250th anniversary. The committee approved the vast majority of its agenda items following discussions on fiscal sustainability, election accessibility, and strategic planning. A motion was made to adjourn the meeting to January 8, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Approved items 8.1 through 8.35, excluding item 8.19 (State's Attorney funding) and item 8.23 (postponed from PWT committee).
• Approved item 8.19: An emergency appropriation of $98,000 from the State's Attorney's asset forfeiture fund to cover 6% of salary and benefits for 10 felony Assistant States Attorneys due to a grant delay caused by a federal government shutdown. The committee noted the $82,000 portion is a stopgap, with the remaining $16,000 retained in the fund to reduce general fund burden.
• Member Main expressed strong opposition and concern regarding the process, arguing that this funding need was known during the recent budget cycle and that using one-time funds for operating expenses is unsustainable, stating, "I'm not gonna support this" due to the perceived lack of prior budgetary accounting. Member Clark expressed support, viewing the appropriation as an appropriate "gap filler" to avoid using temporary funds from the general fund.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments or testimony were requested or recorded during this session.

Discussion Items

• Election Polling Sites (Item 8.36): The committee discussed an ordinance amencing 36 of 431 voting sites. Members debated the shift away from schools and municipal buildings toward churches due to parking and security constraints.
  • Member Main expressed full support for moving away from schools due to safety and logistical challenges, noting that schools are becoming less appealing for voting.
  • Member Main also expressed full support for seeking municipal buildings where possible but noted that many lack sufficient parking, whereas churches often have the necessary capacity.
  • Member Altenberg expressed support for moving away from schools to avoid disruption to students but voiced strong opposition to relying on churches for general elections, preferring "municipal buildings, buildings that are familiar to people" to avoid concerns about public money being used for religious facilities, stating a preference for "just better option" in municipal sites.
• Solar Photovoltaic Array (Item 8.37): Approval was granted for a $758,101 contract to install a 220-kilowatt solar system at the Joaquin campus.
  • Chair Hart expressed full support, citing the project's alignment with community values and the need to combat high pollution rates in Waukegan.
  • Member Clark expressed full support, emphasizing the financial benefits of renewable energy amidst rising utility costs and federal reductions in renewable infrastructure, stating, "it is just gonna save us so much money."
  • Member Bolitzik expressed full support, noting that the cost-effectiveness of clean energy makes it superior to other energy forms.
• Facility Naming Policy (Item 8.38): The committee deliberated on a policy for naming Lake County facilities, agreeing to exclude roads from the current scope but include them in future study.
  • Member Main expressed full support for the criterion that the named individual must be deceased, stating, "the person needs to be deceased." Member Main also expressed a preference against naming buildings after people at all, favoring events or places instead.
  • Member Clark expressed full support for requiring the individual to be deceased and for raising the nomination threshold from three to a minimum of ten board members or a majority of the quorum. Member Clark expressed support for adding a requirement that the honoree must have provided service specifically to Lake County.
  • Member Volitzik expressed a position of "I don't think we should be naming buildings after people," preferring to name events, places, or structures like bridges/rooms instead.
  • Member Peters expressed 100% alignment with the position that buildings should not be named after people.
  • Member Hewitt expressed agreement that individuals must be deceased and that buildings should not be named after living people, emphasizing the need for names to stand the test of time.
  • Member Hewitt also expressed a preference against naming buildings after people entirely, suggesting that the county should remain un-named (e.g., "Lake County Conference Center").
• Jock Report & Procurement Strategy (Item 8.39): Director Carr reported on the Job Order Contract (Jock) performance and future procurement strategy. Local Lake County contractor participation was noted to be down to 24%, primarily due to the departure of a previous local vendor (Homestead).
• CFO Director's Report (Item 8.40): CFO Tusek reported on intrafund line item transfers approved as of November 30, 2025, noting that these are executed throughout the year as needed and more frequently during the fiscal year end.
• Police ICOPS Agreement (Item 8.41): The committee approved a four-year collective bargaining agreement for the Animal Care and Control Unit, including wage increases and weekend pay differentials. Member Main requested a clearer summary of the overall cost, noting the cost was relatively low (less than $50,000 in the first year).
• Drainage District Dissolution (Item 8.42): Approval was granted to dissolve the Avon Fremont drainage district. Member Hewitt expressed concern regarding the process, stating a need for the Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) to review implications first, noting, "I really would like to see this dissolution have a process where there's, you know, where this committee gets something from SMC."
• Illinois 250 Anniversary (Item 9): Staff proposed a plan to participate in the Illinois America 250 anniversary, including a board resolution, website creation, monthly events, and a resident education program. Members Clark and Hewitt expressed full support, with Hewitt suggesting a Civics Academy as a potential component and Clark urging immediate action to leverage the timeline.
• Open Enrollment Recap (Item 9): HR Director Adcock reported on 2026 benefit changes, including a 10.1% rate increase for PPO plans and a shift to 26 pay period deductions for premiums.

Key Outcomes

• Approved Item 8.19: Emergency appropriation of $98,000 granted.
• Approved Item 8.36 (as amended): Voting sites for 36 precincts amended to include St. Mark's Church instead of Be Cool Events; precincts 305-308 removed.
• Approved Item 8.37: Contract with Verde Solutions for $758,101 solar project authorized.
• Approved Item 8.38 (Policy Direction): Consensus reached that nominations for facility naming must be made by a majority of a quorum of the board, the honoree must be deceased, and buildings should not be named after living people. The committee deferred a final decision on whether to ban building naming entirely but directed staff to draft an ordinance reflecting the deceased requirement and higher nomination thresholds.
• Approved Item 8.41: Successor collective bargaining agreement for ICOPS Animal Care and Control Unit authorized.
• Approved Item 8.42: Dissolution of the Avon Fremont drainage district authorized; will proceed to the County Board for final resolution.
• Approved Item 11.1: Settlement authority granted for case number 220218W014.
• Approved Item 11.2: FNA executive session minutes from November 6th approved.
• Motion to Adjourn: Meeting adjourned until January 8, 2026.