JOLIET – The Will County Board is pleased to announce that three major infrastructure projects are included in the federal infrastructure improvement bill currently working its way through Congress.

“Government works best when we work together,” said Speaker of the Will County Board Mimi Cowan (Naperville). “The County has been working hand-in-glove with our congressional representatives to ensure that the people of Will County have a seat at the table when it comes to federal infrastructure spending.”

The three projects included in the draft legislation are $1.5 million requested by Congressman Rush for improvements on 80th Avenue from 191st to 183rd Street, $2.7 million requested by Congressman Foster for improvements to Gougar Road from Laraway Road to Francis Road, and $2.1 million requested by Congresswoman Newman and Congressman Foster for improvements to Weber Road from 135th Street to Airport Road. 

JOLIET—Will County Board members today applauded the decision by Moody’s and Standard and Poor (S&P) to maintain the investment grade rating for Will County bond sales. Moody’s pegged Will County at an Aa1 rating while S&P issued an AA+ bond rating. Both are considered investment grade ratings.
​
“The decision by S&P and Moody’s to keep our high bond ratings is a feather in our cap that will pay dividends to our taxpayers down the road in the form of more favorable interest rates on debt that we take on,” said Chairman of the Will County Board Finance Committee Ken Harris (Bolingbrook.)

JOLIET – An elderly resident of the Fairmont neighborhood in Will County Board District 9 received some much needed help cleaning up her property after she reached out to her County Board Representative Annette Parker (Crest Hill).

“People had unfortunately been dumping garbage on this resident’s property for some time and she was unable to remove the debris because of her age and health,” said Parker. “Many elderly people also don’t have the means to hire a cleanup service and so this resident asked if I knew of any help that might be available.”

JOLIET – The Will County Board ad-hoc CARES Act Funding Committee today approved another $1 million in relief funding for small businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants in the amount of $10,000 are available to businesses that have not already received CARES relief.
​
“The County Board has been working non-stop to deliver pandemic relief funds to residents, businesses, and nonprofit organizations,” said County Board Speaker Mimi Cowan (Naperville). “Even as we distribute the last of the CARES funds, we are looking at how to allocate the latest round of federal relief for Will County.”

JOLIET – The Will County Board took action today on several issues including federal COVID relief funding, and the renewable natural gas plant at the Prairie View Landfill. The board is also awaiting bid responses for the construction of the County Morgue which are due by the end of the month. 

“Although the pandemic continues to take priority for the County Board, we are also moving forward on several other projects as we lay the groundwork for our county to grow responsibly into the future,” said County Board Speaker Mimi Cowan (Naperville). 

JOLIET – The Will County Board Executive Committee began discussions about how to allocate $133 million directed to the County through the American Rescue Plan recently passed by Congress. The $1.9 trillion federal legislation directed $360 billion dollars toward state, county, tribal, and local governments for relief from the hardships brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
​
“There is no question that we have gone through the hardest year that any of us have experienced,” said Will County Board Speaker Mimi Cowan. “The American Rescue Plan presents us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to provide assistance now to our residents, and we intend to maximize these dollars by targeting efforts that will leverage other resources and create opportunities for growth into the future.”

JOLIET—The Will County Board took another step toward providing rental assistance to county residents that have been impacted by the pandemic. The Board authorized an intergovernmental agreement at their March board meeting with the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) to coordinate Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) for individuals and families struggling to pay rent in Will County.
​
As part of the pandemic relief plan, the United States Treasury granted $20.6 million to Will County for rental assistance. The County will work with IHDA, which also received a grant from the federal government, so services are not duplicated and maximum relief is provided for residents. The ERA will provide direct financial assistance for rent and utilities. 

JOLIET – The Will County Board gave the go ahead to begin the process of issuing general obligation bonds for construction of a renewable natural gas production facility at the Prairie View Landfill. The action is a first step as Will County moves to harness millions of dollars of methane gas produced by the landfill and convert it into compressed natural gas that can be widely sold on the open market. It is estimated that when fully operational the facility will generate as much as $12 million per year for the Will County’s general fund.
​
“Today’s action is another step towards diversifying our revenue base in Will County which will help fund vital public programs by using our existing resources, in this case methane gas produced by the Prairie View Landfill,” said Mimi Cowan, Speaker of the Will County Board.

 JOLIET – The Will County Board is urging residents to participate in an online survey to share their input regarding land use in the region as the Board continues on their path toward finalizing the Moving Will County plan. This survey comes on the heels of the February 24th public workshop where plans for land preservation and development were shared with the public.   The survey can be found at www.MovingWillCounty.org. 
​
“Transportation, distribution, and logistics centers have brought a dramatic change to Will County and we need our residents to share their ideas and concerns for preservation and development here,” said Will County Board Speaker Mimi Cowan (Naperville). “The plan we are working on will help decide the trajectory of development in our communities for decades and it is vital that those plans reflect the needs of County residents.”

JOLIET—The Will County Board today voted to begin negotiations with the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) to coordinate Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) for individuals and families struggling to pay rent in Will County. The United States Treasury granted $20.6 million to Will County for rental assistance. The County will work with IHDA, which also received a grant from the federal government, so services are not duplicated and maximum relief is provided for residents. The ERA will provide direct financial assistance for rent and utilities.
​
“Countless residents have suffered great financial hardship during the COVID pandemic, and this type of direct housing aid can go a long way towards returning them to a sound financial footing,” said Mimi Cowan, Speaker of the Will County Board.