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Record of Proceedings

Lake County Technology Committee Meeting Summary - May 29, 2026

Committee Meetings — Friday, May 29, 2026
BodyLake County, Illinois
SessionCommittee Meetings
DateFriday, May 29, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 59:23

Original source
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0:12

Good morning.

0:14

Today is what is today?

0:15

Oh, it's May 29th, 2026, and I call the Lake County Technology Committee meeting to order at 8:33 a.m.

0:22

In addition to being able to attend in-person remote attendance has been made available to the public via Zoom at the link on the agenda.

0:28

This meeting is being recorded through Zoom.

0:31

Can you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance?

0:34

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

0:42

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:48

All right.

0:52

Member Altenberg is gonna be here in a few minutes.

0:56

Vice Chair Kasmin here.

0:58

Chair Clark.

0:59

Here.

1:00

Member Dan Ford.

1:02

Absent.

1:04

Member Frank?

1:05

Here.

1:05

Okay.

1:06

Member Peterson.

1:07

She gave yeah, she gave notice that she would be absent today.

1:10

And Member Robert.

1:10

Also gave us she would be absent today too.

1:12

And we do have Member Altenberg coming in a few minutes.

1:15

And until then, we do not have quorum.

1:18

But we will be getting quorum.

1:19

It's coming.

1:20

So because of that, we are going to start with some present.

1:23

We'll start with addenda to the agenda.

1:24

Oh, yeah.

1:25

Is there any addendum to the agenda?

1:26

No addenda to the agenda.

1:27

Is there any because we can still do this part?

1:29

Are there any public comments?

1:30

No public comments.

1:31

All right.

1:31

So Chair's remarks says we're gonna start with our broadband update.

1:35

So, which is I believe item nine point two.

1:41

Welcome.

1:42

Good morning.

1:46

Good morning.

1:47

Kay Crandall, Digital Equity Manager.

1:50

Hello, Kim Lunt, digital equity coordinator.

1:56

All right.

1:58

Well, good morning, everyone.

1:59

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on our programs and initiatives.

2:04

Um we are going to uh focus on several of our strategies here, including public Wi-Fi, device distribution, our digital navigator program, digital literacy programs, our digital equity coalition, and our marketing initiative.

2:25

Starting with public Wi-Fi.

2:27

So uh as you may know, we have been working on two public Wi-Fi projects, one with the city of Waukegan and one with the city of North Chicago.

2:35

And we have passed an intergovernmental agreement with the city of North Chicago.

2:39

And so we've been working and collaborating with the city on those efforts uh to launch the public Wi-Fi network.

2:47

And so right now we're working on the project implementation timeline and equipment orders.

2:53

And so um we've been able to spend some time while we're planning uh those pieces to um look at the community outreach and engagement.

3:04

And so um we're working on some instructional signage and um making sure that we have uh information to get out to the community about how to access the network.

3:15

And uh so we're really excited about this collaboration and to see things moving forward.

3:20

Can I ask one question about that?

3:22

I've had some um really great you know feedback from people in the community.

3:25

And so they were wondering how to log on.

3:27

So that's what I told them.

3:28

So there's going to be signs like in public areas, and so it really is free public Wi-Fi access, right?

3:34

People come in that whole area that we have, there'll be information in people just log on right there.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Technology and Innovation█████████████████████████████████████████████74%
Records Management████7%
Transportation Safety████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure███5%
Public Safety██3%
Procedural██3%
Personnel Matters█2%
Summary of Proceedings

Lake County Technology Committee Meeting Summary - May 29, 2026

The Lake County Technology Committee met on May 29, 2026, at 8:33 a.m. at the Central Permit Facility in Libertyville, with remote attendance via Zoom. The meeting was called to order by Chair Clark. Members present: Vice Chair Kasmin, Chair Clark, Member Frank, and later Member Altenberg. Members absent: Dan Ford, Peterson, and Robert. The committee reviewed updates on broadband initiatives, approved four resolutions, and received an update on the ERP system implementation.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

Broadband Update (Item 9.2)

  • Kay Crandall (Digital Equity Manager) and Kim Lunt (Digital Equity Coordinator) presented an update on digital equity programs. Key points:
    • Public Wi-Fi Projects: Intergovernmental agreements with Waukegan and North Chicago are in place; equipment orders and project implementation timelines are being finalized. Community outreach materials (signage, window clings, bilingual materials) are being developed. Ribbon-cutting events are planned. Members expressed excitement and asked about network naming, utilization reports (dashboard via CDW, accessible through end of 2026), safety information, and translation.
    • Device Distribution: Upcoming laptop distribution event June 26–27, 2026, for eligible Lake County residents enrolled in NORSTAR. Next distribution planned for October 2026. Over 1,500 laptops distributed to date (as of May 2026).
    • Digital Navigator Program: One open role, to be filled through MGT. Monthly metrics: In April 2026, served 363 residents through 434 sessions, distributed 52 laptops. Cumulative: over 1,500 laptops. New metric showing 3.89 hours of participant engagement for every 1 hour of digital navigator instruction (15,000+ hours participant engagement vs. 4,000 hours instruction).
    • Digital Equity Coalition: Meeting on May 19, 2026, had 42 attendees from 20 organizations. Included updates from Illinois Office of Broadband, partner highlights, and collaborative goal-setting.
    • Outreach: Expanded toolkit, social media, multilingual materials. Chair Clark praised the program as ahead of others, and members noted the transformative impact of the ARPA-funded initiatives.

Item 8.1 – Co-File Technologies Agreement (Digitization of Microfilm)

  • Motion by Altenberg, second by Frank. The resolution authorizes a one-year agreement with renewal options with Co-File Technologies (Dallas, TX) for digital solutions and records management for the Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Estimated annual cost: $400,000 first year, $300,000 subsequent years.
  • Discussion: The contract is for digitizing microfilm records (simplex only) to improve image quality. The Clerk's office has three sets of microfilm; this covers only one set. The digitization will take many years due to funding constraints. Members noted the importance of readable records and the value of higher-quality imaging, even at higher cost. The motion passed unanimously.

Item 8.2 – DLZ Illinois Inc. Agreement (ITS Passage Design)

  • Motion by Frank, second by Altenberg. The resolution authorizes a design contract with DLZ Illinois Inc. (Chicago, IL) for the 2026 ITS Passage Field Elements Phase II design engineering services to expand and enhance the Lake County Passage intelligent transportation system infrastructure. Maximum cost: $1,334, with appropriation of $160,500 from the quarter percent sales tax for transportation funds.
  • Discussion: John Nelson (Assistant County Engineer) explained the design includes replacing damaged fiber, installing underground fiber optic enclosures, adding cameras on poles (for monitoring traffic, flooding, water levels), and replacing old analog cameras and switches. Members asked about the value of the county's own system vs. third-party data, privacy policies (no recording, only snapshots retained for 10 days), and sharing of data with partners (911 centers, EMA, municipalities, Waze, Google, etc.). The system includes 700 of the county's 750 traffic signals. The motion passed unanimously.

Item 8.3 – Global Telink (ViaPath) Agreement (Inmate Technology)

  • Motion by Altenberg, second by Kasmin. The resolution authorizes a contract with Global Telink Corporation d/b/a ViaPath Technologies (Falls Church, VA) to provide inmate phone, video visitation, tablets, and mail scanning for the Lake County Jail. Zero-dollar contract (no taxpayer funding). Current contract expires August 1, 2026. Incumbent vendor.
  • Discussion: Katie Latis (Contract Manager, Sheriff's Office) and Chief Klaus explained the contract includes an on-site technician, one-to-one tablet ratio, and no change in equipment or pricing. Mail scanning: only non-legal mail is scanned off-site by a third party; legal mail handled in-house. Tablets use cellular data with Wi-Fi backup. Members asked about costs: FCC eliminated commissions on phone/video calls, but a 2-cent cost recovery fee goes to inmate welfare; premium tablet content (movies, games) has a 5-cent/minute fee; messaging is 25 cents per message. Inmates receive one free 30-minute video visit and two free phone calls per week. The contract significantly reduced costs from previous $2.71/minute for first minute. The motion passed unanimously.

Item 8.4 – CDW Agreement (End User Visibility and Performance Monitoring)

  • Motion by Kasmin, second by Altenberg. The resolution authorizes a contract with CDW (Vernon Hills, IL) in the amount of $73,954 for an autonomous digital experience management (ADAM) tool.
  • Discussion: Chris Blinding (CIO) and Eric Carlson (CTO) explained the tool provides visibility into end-user experience, not just network uptime. It helps identify whether issues are network, application, or local (e.g., Wi-Fi). The tool is an agent integrated into the existing Palo Alto platform. It will enable faster resolution (industry estimate of 50% faster) and proactive alerts. Members noted the value for remote workers and reducing ticket back-and-forth. The motion passed unanimously.

ERP System Update (Item 9.1)

  • Patrice Evans provided an update on the Workday implementation. Key points:
    • High-level timeline: Currently in deep configuration, with end-to-end testing beginning at the end of June. The test tenant build starts June 8.
    • A four-day on-site workshop with implementer Strata was held last week for test scenario building.
    • Project risks: Significant work on configuration for HR/HCM and finance pillars, including the Foundation Data Model (chart of accounts). Configurations must be finalized soon to build the tenant.
    • Acknowledged that the system will not be perfect at go-live (December 1, 2026), but prioritization ensures critical functions (payroll, etc.) work. Post-production support will address refinements.
    • Members expressed appreciation for the team's effort and noted the transformational nature of the project.

Key Outcomes

  • Item 8.1 (Co-File Technologies): Motion carried unanimously.
  • Item 8.2 (DLZ Illinois): Motion carried unanimously.
  • Item 8.3 (Global Telink/ViaPath): Motion carried unanimously.
  • Item 8.4 (CDW): Motion carried unanimously.
  • Executive Session: The committee entered an executive session (pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(8)) to discuss security procedures and personnel/equipment responses to potential danger. Motion by Altenberg, second by Frank, approved by roll call: Altenberg, Kasmin, Clark, Frank all in favor.
  • Director's Report: IT Deputy Director Terry Kath was recognized for her 11.5 years of service as she departs for personal reasons. Members thanked her for her contributions.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned; next meeting scheduled for July 31, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning. Today is what is today? Oh, it's May 29th, 2026, and I call the Lake County Technology Committee meeting to order at 8:33 a.m. In addition to being able to attend in-person remote attendance has been made available to the public via Zoom at the link on the agenda. This meeting is being recorded through Zoom. Can you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right. Member Altenberg is gonna be here in a few minutes. Vice Chair Kasmin here. Chair Clark. Here. Member Dan Ford. Absent. Member Frank? Here. Okay. Member Peterson. She gave yeah, she gave notice that she would be absent today. And Member Robert. Also gave us she would be absent today too. And we do have Member Altenberg coming in a few minutes. And until then, we do not have quorum. But we will be getting quorum. It's coming. So because of that, we are going to start with some present. We'll start with addenda to the agenda. Oh, yeah. Is there any addendum to the agenda? No addenda to the agenda. Is there any because we can still do this part? Are there any public comments? No public comments. All right. So Chair's remarks says we're gonna start with our broadband update. So, which is I believe item nine point two. Welcome. Good morning. Good morning. Kay Crandall, Digital Equity Manager. Hello, Kim Lunt, digital equity coordinator. All right. Well, good morning, everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on our programs and initiatives. Um we are going to uh focus on several of our strategies here, including public Wi-Fi, device distribution, our digital navigator program, digital literacy programs, our digital equity coalition, and our marketing initiative. Starting with public Wi-Fi. So uh as you may know, we have been working on two public Wi-Fi projects, one with the city of Waukegan and one with the city of North Chicago. And we have passed an intergovernmental agreement with the city of North Chicago. And so we've been working and collaborating with the city on those efforts uh to launch the public Wi-Fi network.

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