Lake County Technology Committee Meeting - February 27, 2026

The Lake County Technology Committee met on February 27, 2026, at 8:30 AM via Zoom and in person. Chair Clark called the meeting to order with the Pledge of Allegiance. Committee members present: Altenberg, Cassman, Clark, Frank, Peterson, Roberts. Member Dan Forth was absent. The meeting covered several technology resolutions, a policy adoption, and an update on the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• Item 8.1 – Consent Agenda: Approved by motion by Frank, second by Altenburg, with no opposition.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

• Chair's Remarks: Chair Clark reported that several members attended the NACo conference and learned about AI, data centers, and other technology topics.
• Item 8.2 – Joint Resolution – Court Technology Modernization Grant: Lisa Wolf, Director of Finance for the 19th Circuit Court, presented a $50,000 grant from the Supreme Court of Illinois. Funds will be used for: upgrading the kids' corner paging system (currently not designed for the court tower), implementing surface tablets for pretrial services (replacing clipboards and paper to automate data collection and reduce errors), replacing computers at the juvenile detention facility’s education program, and updating language interpreting devices for courtrooms. Wolf noted that last year's grant was $1.3M, but future grants are expected to be smaller due to tightened budgets. The resolution also includes an emergency appropriation. Approved.
• Item 8.3 – Joint Resolution – Oracle BOSS Application Support Contract Renewal: Chris Blanding (CAO) and Mike Maslan (Applications Manager) presented a renewal contract with TD Sinex of Herndon, Virginia, for $310,032 to support the legacy ERP system (BOSS). The contract covers functional support, quarterly patches, and configurations for legislative changes (e.g., no tax on overtime). The vendor will also assist with data conversion for the new Workday system and support BOSS during decommissioning. Questions arose about how long two systems must run; that decision is pending based on audit and data accessibility needs. Approved.
• Item 8.4 – Joint Resolution – Network Hardware Replacement Project: Eric Carlson (CTO for Legon) presented a contract with Logic Hallis of Downers Grove, Illinois, for $306,654 to replace end-of-life network switches that were not replaced during a previous refresh. The new hardware will meet security patching standards. Approved.
• Item 8.5 – Joint Committee Action – Contract Modification for Patching Software: A contract modification with SHI of Somerset, New Jersey, for $38,066 to add a secure remote access tool to the existing patching platform. This will consolidate multiple remote support tools into one, reducing security risks (e.g., attackers exploiting remote software) and improving operational efficiency. Approved.
• Item 8.6 – Joint Resolution – Acceptable Use Policy: Chris Blanding and Eric Carlson presented a modernized acceptable use policy, replacing a policy last revised 10 years ago. The policy was developed collaboratively with IT leaders across the county, using the State of Illinois’ NIST-based policies as a foundation. It applies to anyone connecting to the Lake County network, including vendors. Discussion focused on socialization and enforcement: members suggested requiring employees to sign off, using AI-generated quiz questions, and creating a tutorial with questions for each section to ensure understanding. Blanding noted that the county uses a “carrot method” (reminders, training) rather than cutting off network access. The policy will be included in onboarding and training programs. Approved.
• Item 8.7 – Joint Resolution – Identification and Authentication Policy: This IT security policy sets standards for unique user IDs, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and privileged account management. Developed similarly with county IT groups, it is an internal governance policy not requiring user sign-offs. Members noted that such policies are important for network security and insurance compliance. Approved.
• Director’s Report – ERP Project Update: Chris Blanding provided an update. The project is in the use case alignment phase, working across county departments to streamline processes ahead of workstream configuration. A governance charter has been distributed to over 100 project members, defining goals and decision-making. The go-live date, previously penciled for September 1, 2026, may be pushed back by 4-8 weeks to allow time for alignment and rework. A final decision is expected within the next week. Collaboration remains strong. The project is still on track for its funding deadline.

Key Outcomes

• All items (8.1 through 8.7) were approved unanimously by voice vote.
• The committee adopted the new Acceptable Use Policy and the Identification and Authentication Policy.
• The ERP project go-live date may be delayed; a final decision is expected by early March 2026.
• The next meeting was scheduled for April 3, 2026.