421 N. COUNTY FARM ROAD  
WHEATON, IL 60187  
DU PAGE COUNTY  
Strategic Planning Committee  
Final Summary  
www.dupagecounty.gov  
Tuesday, March 5, 2024  
8:30 AM  
Room 3500A  
1.  
CALL TO ORDER  
8:30 AM meeting was called to order by Chair Sadia Covert at 8:30 AM .  
2.  
ROLL CALL  
Other Board members present: Member Lucy Chang Evans; Member Kari Galassi; Member  
Patty Gustin.  
Staff in attendance: Jason Blumenthal (Policy and Program Manager); Joan Olson (Chief  
Communications Officer); Rene Zerante (State's Attorney's Office).  
Also present (remote): Michelle Kennedy and Karen Whichard, BerryDunn  
Covert, Cronin Cahill, Krajewski, LaPlante, and Rutledge  
Yoo  
PRESENT  
ABSENT  
3.  
4.  
PUBLIC COMMENT  
No public comments were offered.  
CHAIRWOMAN'S REMARKS - CHAIR COVERT  
Chair Covert noted that the purpose of today's meeting was to ask the committee for a vote to  
approve the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan and then forward the plan to the County Board to vote on  
approval on March 12.  
5.  
APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
APPROVED  
RESULT:  
Cynthia Cronin Cahill  
Sheila Rutledge  
MOVER:  
SECONDER:  
5.A.  
24-0851  
Strategic Planning Committee - Regular Meeting - Tuesday, February 20, 2024  
6.  
OTHER ACTION ITEM  
6.A.  
SP-R-0001-24  
Adoption of the 2024-2029 DuPage County Strategic Plan  
Jason Blumenthal thanked the committee for its work during the past year in the task of  
updating the DuPage County strategic plan and commended BerryDunn for its  
partnership in developing and designing the final plan. He added that BerryDunn  
consultants Michelle Kennedy and Karen Whichard were present via Zoom to address  
questions and comments from the committee members. Chair Covert also thanked Jason  
and the BerryDunn team for their hard work and noted that she is very pleased with the  
outcome and the new strategic plan for 2024-2029.  
During the committee members' review and discussion of the strategic plan, Members  
Cahill and Galassi questioned why the section titled "Strategic Priority: Safe Community"  
did not address reduction in crime as a matter of public safety. Member Galassi added  
that addressing crime was a top priority based on earlier feedback from the public across  
all demographics and should also be reflected in the strategic plan. Mr. Blumenthal  
explained that this strategic plan provides direction only for the departments that are  
within the County Board's jurisdiction, and does not include the departments and  
agencies that deal with crime-related issues, such as the Sheriff's Office, State's Attorney,  
Public Defender, Probation and Circuit Court. Member Cahill responded the County  
Board has direct control over the budget and can allocate funds for public safety. She  
emphasized that this should be included under the Strategic Priorities for "Fiscal  
Responsibility" and "Safe Community." Mr. Blumenthal proposed adding a strategic  
objective for properly allocating resources to the county's judicial and public safety  
agencies to ensure safe communities for DuPage with outputs prioritizing a decrease in  
crime rates.  
At the conclusion of the discussion it was agreed that the strategic plan be amended to  
include the language related to allocation of funds for community safety. The amended  
plan will then be presented to the Strategic Planning Committee for approval in two  
weeks (March 19) and forwarded to the County Board for approval the following week  
(March 26). Member Krajewski then moved to table Resolution SP-R-0001-24 to March  
19, 2024. Member Cahill seconded; motion approved upon roll call vote, all ayes.  
TABLED  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
SECONDER:  
AYES:  
Brian Krajewski  
Cynthia Cronin Cahill  
Covert, Cronin Cahill, Krajewski, LaPlante, and Rutledge  
Yoo  
ABSENT:  
7.  
8.  
9.  
OLD BUSINESS  
No old business was discussed.  
NEW BUSINESS  
No new business was discussed.  
ADJOURNMENT  
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:55 AM.