JOLIET - Upcoming federal legislation, strategies to combat homelessness and the opioid crisis, and experience management were hot topics at a national conference for county officials in October. The 2017 Large Urban County Caucus Symposium (LUCC) is an annual gathering for leaders from counties with a population of 500,000 or more to share and brainstorm ideas with fellow county officials.
 
Will County Board Member and LUCC Vice-Chair Denise Winfrey (D-Joliet) attended on behalf of the Will County Board.
 
"As Vice-Chair of LUCC I had the pleasure of helping organize much of this year's symposium," said Winfrey, who helped emcee the event. "Our panels covered a number of topics and upcoming litigation that is affecting counties across the country, including Will County. In particular, the opioid crisis was a big topic of discussion for us."
 
LUCC is part of the National Association of Counties (NACo), and includes county executives, governing board members, and other senior elected officials. LUCC's mission is to address urban challenges and contribute to national policy discussions. A few topics discussed at this year's symposium include: Fiscal Forecast for Urban Counties; The Economics of Disaster: Achieving Mitigation and Ensuring Equality; and Accelerating Sustainable Social Change Through Impact Investing.
 
The symposium took place in Salt Lake County, Utah.
 
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JOLIET - The Will County Board today approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Romeoville to create a Pharmaceutical Take-Back program for residents. The partnership will provide residents with the ability to safely dispose of prescription and nonprescription drugs. A 2002 study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that drugs flushed down the drain often ended up in local waterways.
 
"Just like with electronics, we're finding out that drugs and medications can't simply be tossed down the drain or in a landfill," said Don Moran (D-Romeoville). "This partnership with Romeoville will give residents the ability to dispose of extra medications in a safe and easy way."
 
Romeoville's police department is authorized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to take back controlled substances. They will coordinate with Will County, which has special collection containers for unwanted medications from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), to host Pharmaceutical Take-Back events.
 
"I encourage all residents to keep an eye out for these events," said Beth Rice (D-Bolingbrook). "You can bring in old inhalers, over-the-counter meds, anything collecting dust in your cabinets."
 
Residents can bring in prescription and nonprescription medications;  medicated shampoos, soaps, and creams; inhalers and aerosol medications; and mercury thermometers. The partnership will continue for three years or until IEPA ceases funding for containers.

JOLIET— The Will County Board today adopted a plan to address the explosive growth of freight shipping in the region. Developed in conjunction with the Will County Center for Economic Development (CED), the Will County Community Friendly Freight Plan makes a number of recommendations that will balance the booming shipping industry with the quality of life that residents expect.
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Since 2005, employment in the freight industry has grown by 138% in Will County, with a further 33% expected job growth by 2026. That growth has strained infrastructure and frustrated residents who have to battle heavy traffic on local, county and interstate roads. The plan emphasizes that further investment in infrastructure is necessary to address traffic congestion, and keep the county safe and economically competitive. 

JOLIET— Members of the Will County Board toured the new Public Safety Complex today as the building enters its final phases of construction. Construction is slated for completion in December, and some offices will move into the building as soon as September 1, 2017.
 
“It’s exciting to see the building take shape after so many months of planning and deliberation,” said Ray Tuminello (R-New Lenox), Chair of the Capital Improvements Committee. “Everyone has been working hard and is eager to see the Complex open in December.”

JOLIET— Will County Board members from District 7 will host an informational session on Opium Awareness and Suicide Prevention on Thursday, August 31. Dr. Kathleen Burke, Will County's director of Substance Use Initiatives, will lead the session at Homer Township Public Library, starting at 6:30 p.m. The session is open to the public.
 
"Opioid abuse is a national crisis affecting people across the country, including here in Will County," said District 7 representative Steve Balich (R-Homer Glen). "Hopefully through discussions like this one people will learn how to spot addiction and learn what to do if they need help."
 
The Will County Board recently approved the second year of funding from a grant from a five-year grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) to fight opioid addiction. Will County hired Dr. Kathleen Burke earlier this year as the director of Substance Use Initiatives to assist with coordinating programs associated with the grant.
 
"Dr. Burke is extremely knowledgeable and a great resource for the County," said Mike Fricilone (R-Homer Glen), also of District 7. "I encourage anyone with questions or concerns about opioid addiction or suicide prevention to come on out. Help us by attending our event. Every life matters."

JOLIET— The Will County Board is not ceding any ground in its fight against the opioid crisis, an epidemic that has now spread across the country. At its most recent meeting, the Board voted to approve a second year of funding from a five-year grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) to fight opioid addiction.
 
“We’re fortunate in Will County that we caught on to the opioid crisis early,” said Judy Ogalla (R-Monee), chair of the Public Health Committee. “This grant from the Department of Human Services bolsters our fight, but we still have a ways to go. We will continue to battle this epidemic with all of the tools available.” 

​JOLIET--  Two Will County Board members took a trip to the nation's Capital recently in order to speak with a Congressional Delegation and U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) on behalf of Will County residents. Board Speaker Jim Moustis (R-Frankfort) and Board Member Suzanne Hart (R-Naperville) met with eight different legislators over the course of two days to discuss Will County’s transportation and infrastructure projects, as well as the County's response to the nationwide opioid crisis.
 
"It’s important to meet with our legislators face-to-face to have more meaningful discussions about the needs of our constituents," Moustis said. "We were especially pleased with the bipartisan support we received for our Friendly Freight Mobility Plan." 

WILL COUNTY – The Will County Emergency Management Agency has announced the launch of a new emergency preparedness smartphone app entitled Ready Will County. This application will enable residents to create and manage personal emergency plans in the palm of their hand.
 
“Almost everyone has a smartphone these days, and the capacity of these phones is increasing rapidly,” said Will County Executive Larry Walsh. “You can manage your schedule and personal information from your phone, so it makes sense to have your emergency plans and information readily accessible through your phone, too.”