Tuesday, December 31, 2013

DuPage Public Transit Committee Committed to Railroad Safety in 2014

The Daily Herald reports that 2013 sees spike in train vs. car, pedestrian collisions.

 As Chairman of the DuPage County Public Transit Committee one of our goals for 2014 is making sure we have safe railroad crossings.  Dan Thomas, Principal Planner for the Division of Transportation has implemented a Metra Station Survey tool used by the Active Transportation Alliance in Kane County and adapted it to our needs in DuPage County.  Mr. Thomas has begun the survey.  

 In addition to Mr. Thomas working on the survey, I have been attending the meetings of the DuPage Railroad safety Council.  The DuPage Railroad Safety Council is made up of railroad officials, government officials, engineers, educators and private citizens who have a deep concern for safety at railroad crossings. The Council was founded on April 30, 1994 as an outgrowth of a Railroad Safety Conference called by the Chairman of the DuPage County Board. Since that time, the Council has met regularly to examine ways to heighten awareness and improve safety conditions at railroad crossings and to work with civic and railroad leaders to stop preventable accidents along railroad right of ways.

 You can read the full story from the Daily Herald  here.

You can learn more about the DuPage County Public Transit Committee here.

Information about the DuPage Railroad Safety Council is posted here.


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Monday, December 30, 2013

Kick Off Fundraiser for Pamela Miles DuPage County Board District 3



Very honored to be hosting this event along with Tony Michelassi and Laurie Nowak for Pamela Miles - DuPage County Board District 3



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DuPage County to host informational meetings for Human Service Grant Fund applicants

My Suburban Life reports the following


DuPage County will host two informational meetings in January about the Human Services Grant Fund, according to a county news release.

Nonprofits interested in applying for a grant can attend meetings at 2 p.m. Jan. 3 and at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 8 in room 3-500B in the DuPage County JTK Administration Building at 421 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton.

The fund was created to assist organizations that cater to the human services needs of county residents, and will distribute $1 million to recipients this year, the release said.  You can find more information here.
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Sunday, December 15, 2013

This Week's Meetings


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Friday, December 13, 2013

Reboot Illinois/Citizens Club of Springfield Tax Forum Part 1






Reboot Illinois Forum on Tax Reform is a great source of information.  You can view the 6 part series in the following posts. Thank you Reboot Illinois for understanding the importance of having a fair and balanced forum.   




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Reboot Illinois/Citizens Club Tax Forum Part 2: Ralph Martire's opening ...

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Reboot Illinois/Citizens Club Tax Forum Part 3

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Reboot Illinois/Citizens Club Tax Forum Part 4

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Reboot Illinois/Citizens Club Tax Forum Part 5

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Reboot Illinois/Citizens Club Tax Forum Part 6

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Thursday, December 12, 2013

New Initiative Provides Grief Counseling for DuPage Coroner’s Deputies



County Board member Tony Michelassi (D-District 5) is working to make things better in DuPage County.  


New Initiative Provides Grief Counseling for DuPage Coroner’s Deputies
 
Wheaton … In an effort to help people cope with grief and mourning following the death of a loved one, the DuPage County Board recently allocated $2,500 for grief counseling for the Coroner’s staff.
 
Prompted by personal events, County Board member Tony Michelassi (District 5) worked with DuPage County Coroner Dr. Richard Jorgensen on the initiative to train deputy coroners in grief counseling.
 
“My family has experienced two instances where there was a death at home and a coroner’s department in another county was involved. In both cases, my relatives thought there was something missing with the way their local coroner’s deputies handled the situation. Obviously these are scenes with extreme emotions and I thought it was important to give our DuPage deputy coroners the tools to help families manage their grief,” said Michelassi.
 
Coroner Jorgensen said the new initiative will allow 10 of his employees to receive grief counseling training.
 
“I greatly appreciate the County Board’s proactive approach in providing additional grief counseling for the deputy coroners. While I firmly believe our staff is extremely professional, I welcome the opportunity for them to enhance their skills as they help families during some very difficult times,” said Jorgensen.
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Monday, December 9, 2013

This Week's Meetings


This Week's Meetings 

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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

COUNTY GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG JEAN KACZMAREK TO RUN FOR DUPAGE COUNTY CLERK IN 2014




COUNTY GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG JEAN KACZMAREK 
TO RUN FOR DUPAGE COUNTY CLERK IN 2014 
Kaczmarek Promotes Returning Electoral Process to County Clerk’s Office


WHEATON, IL – In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote in Illinois, good-government advocate Jean Kaczmarek is pleased to announce her candidacy for the Democratic position of DuPage County Clerk in the 2014 election.

Kaczmarek, a 25-year Glen Ellyn resident and first-time candidate, filed campaign paperwork on Monday for the open seat at the same government agency she has voluntarily scrutinized closely for nine years – the DuPage County Election Commission. 

“For years, I have been calling for returning the Election Commission back to the County Clerk’s office,” said Kaczmarek, who regularly attends the Commission’s board meetings. 

DuPage County has the only county-wide electoral board in Illinois that is independent of the County Clerk’s office. A separate Election Commission was created 40 years ago by an ordinance passed by the County Board. Ten weeks after the vote, the Election Commission was formally disconnected with the County with one significant exception –its funding. The 2014 budget for the Election Commission is $4,211,582.00. 

“If you ask any county clerk outside of DuPage what their number one responsibility is, he or she most definitely would say ‘administering the electoral process’”, Kaczmarek said. “The positions of clerk and deputy clerk are paid far better in DuPage than any other county in Illinois – collectively $300,000 in salary and stipends, plus full benefits – yet they have the least amount of responsibility. We’re not getting our money’s worth.”

Kaczmarek says the return of the Election Commission to the Clerk’s office aligns with the DuPage County’s ACT initiative – accountability, consolidation and transparency –which was introduced in 2012. “I had hoped that the Election Commission would have been consolidated with the County by now,” she said. “It simply makes good fiscal sense.”


You can read more about Jean here.
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Sunday, December 1, 2013

This Week's Meetings


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