Grundy County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Grundy County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Nuclear safety and emergency preparedness planning
The Local Emergency Planning Committee reported three hazardous-material incidents in the past month: spills in Seneca and Morris and an overpressurized rail car handled with a controlled release. A Morris Hospital disaster exercise is set for October 1.
Sheriff's Office communications contract
The county is considering having Simple Communications take over contractual IT work for the sheriff's office, since in-house technical staff have thinned out. It's only a placeholder in the tech budget — the contract still has to come before the board.
Bond Debt Retirement Schedule
The commission's Series 2015 bonds make their last debt service payment on Dec. 1, 2026, and the Series 2016 bonds finish Dec. 1, 2027. That means the county buildings financed by those bonds will soon be fully paid for.
FY2027 Public Building Commission Budget
The tentative FY2027 general fund budget is $24.6 million, up 5.27%, driven by cost-of-living adjustments, health insurance, software implementation and placeholders for union negotiations and sheriff IT contracts.
Land use budget shortfall
Permit revenue is running $120,000 short because last year's solar petition wave didn't repeat — but savings from the retired land use director and contract review engineers make up most of the difference.
Zoning code text amendment
The county's year-long overhaul of several UDO sections is finally headed to the full board after typo fixes. It shapes how land uses are regulated countywide.
I&M Canal restoration and tourism
Grundy County pulled in $119 million in visitor spending — third-highest around. Local leaders are working on an intergovernmental deal with IDNR to fix leaking sections of the I&M Canal, including the stretch near Gebhard Woods that won't fill with water.
Tyler Tech Software Implementation
The county's GIS system is getting a roughly year-long overhaul — new server, rewritten scripts, republished services — after some drive failures. This is the mapping data behind everything from property lookups to planning.
2026 Tax Levy Proposal
The projected 2026 property tax levy is a 3.01% increase, but finance director Matt Melvin says his goal is to land below that once the budget process wraps. The five-year budget forecast guides the target.
SKK Assessor Consulting Contract
The assessor's office contract with SKK Consulting would renew for a year at $8,500 a month, up $2,000, because Stephanie has been working full-time-plus through heavy tax protests and will focus more on commercial assessments.
Animal control operations and adoptions
The shelter has 34 animals and adoption numbers have jumped to about 130 this year from 50-60 last year, helped by housing cats at Four Paws. Wardens are helping another county with a 60-plus-dog hoarding rescue.
County Road Maintenance and Capital Projects
Residents say the 55 mph limit and lack of flashing warning signs at Sheryl and O'Brien Roads nearly caused a fatal crash, and semis trying to reach the Love's truck stop from Brisbane Road are blocking lanes. The county highway engineer says the intersection is Kendall County's, and Route 6 is state jurisdiction.
Transit ridership record and driver shortage
GTS hit a record 18,668 rides in FY26 and can't hire drivers fast enough. A new full-time admin assistant would be cross-trained to drive, dispatch, and cover office duties, filling a two-hour daily dispatch gap starting October 1.
Health Department Budget and Subsidy
The county didn't approve the department's full budget request, and the Community Foundation denied a grant for exam tables and equipment, saying those should come from the county budget. The department plans to seek capital improvement funds from the county.
Mobile Flu Clinics and At-Home Shots
Flu clinics have reached Elliott Manor, Saratoga Towers, the Gardner resource center, and New Hope Presbyterian in Coal City, plus employee shots for 24 county workers. A new at-home flu shot program serves homebound residents.
Behavioral Health Division Reopening vs. North Central Lease
The county is pursuing state licensure to reopen its behavioral health division, but North Central Behavioral Health may lease much of the county building and offer far broader services to Medicaid clients. Board members wrestled with whether to keep funding the restart or rely on North Central — and where the money would come from, since the county cut behavioral health from the approved budget.
Medicare Open Enrollment and SHIP Counseling
Traditional Medicare Part D premiums in the area jumped from $0 to at least $55 a month, and counselors expect a wave of calls. A November 6 seminar with Medicare expert Sandy Leith is being promoted.
Cornfest Hand-Washing Compliance
The environmental health division warned the Cornfest committee that required hand-washing stations were missing again this year and will send a certified letter requiring them next time.
STI Testing Program Launch
The health department rolled out new STI testing with standing orders signed by Dr. Howd. Staff are still working out billing and advertising.
Active TB case management in Grundy County
One resident is being treated for active tuberculosis through the health department and Sunny Hill TB Clinic, using direct-observation therapy. All of the person's contacts have tested negative, which means the spread risk appears contained.
WIC Fiscal Review Finding
A state fiscal review of the WIC grant found one issue: missing annual employee evaluations. The department is working with HR to adopt an evaluation policy.
Conversion of former church to climate-controlled self-storage
Storage-facility owners Sean and Heather Egglin converted their vacant former church building into climate-controlled storage in 2024 but needed the special use permit formally updated to get final occupancy and close out their bank loan. The board granted the modification with four extra conditions.
UDO text amendment cleanup
A months-long rewrite of several sections of the county's Unified Development Ordinance came back to the board after the county board caught grammatical errors in September. With content unchanged, the board again recommended it forward.
Livestock setback variance for horse barn on narrow lot
A landowner wanted to keep horses on a three-acre lot too narrow for the county's 100-foot livestock setback. The board agreed the L-shaped parcel left no compliant building spot and granted the variance, letting roughly three horses be housed about 40 feet from the property line.
Gorman Road Full-Depth Reclamation Extra Work Costs
The Garman Road rebuild is about 99% done but ran roughly $300,000 over after crews found hidden field tiles and drainage problems; the board authorized $160,000 in local funds to finish and pay the contractor.
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) ordinance
The county unanimously adopted a state-mandated ordinance regulating industrial-scale battery facilities, keeping local control before an expected wave of BESS applications next year. It includes tough fire standards, decommissioning plans and ethical sourcing requirements.
EDPA 1 CPV surplus distribution
Under a 2017 intergovernmental agreement, the county will distribute $2,009,525 in tax-year-2025 surplus to taxing bodies, keeping $313,285 for the general fund. It was a 20-year agreement, so roughly 17-18 years remain.
Trustee certificate cancellations
Three parcels held by the county trustee since 1999 are being purchased, cancelling the certificates and putting the properties back on the tax rolls — good news for the tax base.
Health Department finances
The Health Department is running at 86% of its subsidy budget with three months of the fiscal year left, spending $83,884 more than it took in during September.
Union contract negotiations and county employee wages
The board met behind closed doors to discuss union contract negotiations. No recommendations or decisions came out of the session, so nothing changed for residents this time.
Commercial solar development in Grundy County
A new lawsuit alleges the county improperly extended a special use permit for the Goose Lake Solar project after it expired. Solar cases are now believed to number seven or more, and while they don't carry big dollar payouts, the legal defense costs are driving up the trust's losses.
Proposed senior center at county Administration Building
Public Health Administrator Tania Schwer pitched converting unused space in the county admin building into a senior center, saying no additional funding is being requested and survey data from the Senior Expo shows demand. She plans to present to the County Board with letters of support.
Advisory referendum on consolidating townships, schools and fire districts
Three Felix Township polling places — the township hall, Diamond Village Hall, and New Hope Church — are merging into one at the Coal City Methodist Church. The committee recommended the change unanimously and the full board votes June 9.
VAC administrative assistant staffing
The Veterans Assistance Commission wants more office help now that it has space in a new building — support for phones, transportation coordination, intake and records. The committee rejected the full-time version on cost grounds but backed a permanent part-time position up to 29 hours a week, with budget tweaks needed before it goes to the full board in November.
November 3 general election preparations
Early voting is underway at the courthouse with extended hours coming to Minooka Village Hall and the Coal City Library Annex, vote-by-mail processing happens every Wednesday morning and is open to the public, and specimen ballots hit mailboxes this week.
Minooka hotel tax abatement extension
The dual-brand Holiday Inn Express and Candlewood Suites in Minooka got extra time under its tax abatement because of weather, a storm, and redesigns after adding the second brand. The abatement doesn't kick in until the hotel has a full assessed year, so extending the deadline doesn't cost the schools, village, or other taxing bodies anything extra.
Grundy County Transit Center Design
The committee approved the design of the new transit center so it can go to IDOT for pre-bid concurrence — one of the final steps before the roughly $5.25 million facility goes out to bid.
SalClay Truck & Trailer Repair Access Variance
SalClay's request to be excused from county corner-clearance access rules at its proposed Dupont Road/Verona Road location was tabled at the company's own request until October 22. Local businesses spoke in support of SalClay at the August meeting.
Veterans Assistance Commission services
The VAC helped local veterans file 57 claims so far this fiscal year and granted about $18,800 in financial assistance, plus runs hundreds of rides to Hines and Joliet VA facilities.
Regional education office staffing
The regional education office welcomed a new full-time attendance caseworker and added a one-day-a-week professional learning specialist to support local schools; a previously tabled position needs resolution by October.
County self-insurance fund health and claims
The county's insurance trust is losing roughly $870,000 this fiscal year, mostly from legal fees tied to solar litigation and rising insurance premiums. A $700,000 county contribution will replenish the reserve but won't fully cover the loss, and officials say contribution levels may need rethinking if costs stay high.
Employment practice claim against circuit clerk's office
A former circuit clerk's office employee filed an EEOC/human rights complaint alleging harassment, age discrimination, and inadequate training before termination. If she receives a right-to-sue notice, it could become a lawsuit against the county.
Special event liquor license for Sportsmen for Charity
The committee approved a $200 special event liquor license for the charity's September 13 event at Cardinal Transport in Coal City.
ETSB staffing transition
911 dispatch (ETSB) is hiring four telecommunicators from 16 applicants due to retirements and resignations, and a hiring committee with a recruiting firm is working to replace director Kevin Bogard as he shifts into sheriff's operations.
FY27 sheriff's squad purchase
The sheriff needs five new marked squads for FY27, and the low bid came in about $14,000 under the $255,000 budgeted. It now goes to the full County Board on July 14 for final approval.
GEDC Marketing Proposal for Economic Development
The Grundy Economic Development Council pitched taking over the county's economic development marketing in-house rather than hiring outside marketers. A meeting to consider their proposal is set for June 16.
Election Equipment Payoff Saves About $80,000 a Year
The county makes its final payments on voting equipment this year, meaning it now owns the machines outright — freeing roughly $80,000 in future budgets. The clerk is negotiating a maintenance agreement with the vendor.
FY27 Budget Requests Previewed
Departments rolled out their first-round FY27 budget asks: a $70,000 contractual increase in the assessor's office, a $70,381 new ERP software line in technology, and mostly flat spending elsewhere. Nothing was approved — finance committee review comes next.
Amendment to water-well Ordinance 2015-001
The board approved wording changes to the county's water-well code update and recommended the amended ordinance to the County Board for a final vote. Private well owners could see updated permitting and inspection rules if the County Board adopts it.
New state Medicaid program impact on reimbursements
Board members discussed a state Medicaid program taking effect January 1 that could dramatically affect the health department's reimbursements. Members were urged to attend the state's webinar and prepare to help confused recipients.