421 N. COUNTY FARM ROAD

WHEATON, IL 60187

DU PAGE COUNTY

Human Services

www.dupagecounty.gov

Final Summary

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

9:30 AM

Room 3500A

CALL TO ORDER

9:30 AM meeting was called to order by Chair Greg Schwarze at 9:30 AM.

ROLL CALL

Staff in attendance: Nick Kottmeyer (Chief Administrative Officer), Joan Olson (Chief

Communications Officer), Renee Zerante (State's Attorneys Office), Mary Catherine Wells and

Keith Jorstad (Finance), Henry Kocker (Procurement), Mary Keating, Gina Strafford-Ahmed,

and Julie Hamlin (Community Services), and Anita Rajagopal (DuPage Care Center).

DeSart, Galassi, Garcia, and Schwarze

Cronin Cahill, and LaPlante

PRESENT

ABSENT

PUBLIC COMMENT

No public comments were offered.

CHAIR REMARKS - CHAIR SCHWARZE

Chair Schwarze reminded the committee members that on Thursday, April 23, at 1:30 p.m., he

and staff will be participating in the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) Food Summit. If you

have not already rsvp’d, please let Chair Schwarze know. He expects worthy conversations at the

summit.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

5.A.

26-1257

Human Services Committee - Regular Meeting - Tuesday, April 7, 2026

APPROVED

Dawn DeSart

Paula Garcia

RESULT:

MOVER:

SECONDER:

LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARDS - DUPAGE CARE CENTER

6.A. Mylynda Nicoloff - 15 Years - Lead Pharmacy Tech

6.B. Christine Jorns - 20 Years - Clinical Case Manager

6.C. Cher Williams - 20 Years Clinical Case Manager

COMMUNITY SERVICES - MARY KEATING

7.A.

FI-R-0072-26

Acceptance and appropriation of the 211 Illinois Program Grant PY26, Company 5000 -

Accounting Unit 1765, in the amount of $33,500. (Community Services)

Gina Strafford-Ahmed commented that the 211 grant is funding from the State.

APPROVED AND SENT TO FINANCE

Paula Garcia

RESULT:

MOVER:

Kari Galassi

SECONDER:

7.B.

26-1258

HS-P-0030A-25 - Amendment to County Contract 7791-0001 SERV, issued to Healthy

Air Heating & Air, Inc., for the Weatherization Program, to increase the contract by

$627,473, resulting in a contract total not to exceed $807,473. (Community Services)

Ms. Strafford-Ahmed commented on items 7.A. through 7.C. explaining the

Weatherization unit currently has a multifamily project underway. They have excess

money from the project so the money has to be reallocated to single family homes. All

three contractors were approached and asked how many additional homes they think they

can complete by the end of June 30, 2026. The funds were distributed based on the

vendors’ abilities to complete projects within the time frame.

APPROVED AND SENT TO FINANCE

Paula Garcia

RESULT:

MOVER:

Kari Galassi

SECONDER:

7.C.

26-1259

HS-P-0031A-25 - Amendment to County Contract 7792-0001 SERV, issued to My Green

House HVAC, LLC, for the Weatherization Program, to increase the contract by

$101,206, resulting in amended contract not to exceed $416,206. (Community Services)

APPROVED AND SENT TO FINANCE

Dawn DeSart

RESULT:

MOVER:

Paula Garcia

SECONDER:

7.D.

26-1260

HS-P-0628A-25 - Amendment to County Contract 7790-0001 SERV, issued to Arcos

Environmental Services, for the Weatherization Program, to increase the contract by

$101,206 resulting in an amended contract not to exceed $236,206. (Community

Services)

APPROVED AND SENT TO FINANCE

Paula Garcia

RESULT:

MOVER:

Kari Galassi

SECONDER:

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION - MARY KEATING

8.A.

HS-R-0013-26

Recommendation for approval of a 1st Modification to a Community Development Block

Grant-CARES Act (CDBG-CV) Program Agreement with the Hanover Park Park

District, Project Number CDCV21-04, incorporating newly effective requirements under

the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act.

APPROVED AT COMMITTEE

Dawn DeSart

RESULT:

MOVER:

Kari Galassi

SECONDER:

DUPAGE CARE CENTER - JANELLE CHADWICK

9.A.

26-1261

Recommendation for the approval of a purchase order issued to Redsail Technologies,

LLC, for software and software maintenance for the data system in the Pharmacy

Department, for the Care Center, for the period of May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027,

for a total contract amount not to exceed $20,000. Per 55 ILCS 5/5-1022(d) exempt from

bidding - IT/Telecom purchases which do not exceed $35,000. (DuPage Care Center)

APPROVED

RESULT:

MOVER:

SECONDER:

AYES:

Paula Garcia

Kari Galassi

DeSart, Galassi, Garcia, and Schwarze

Cronin Cahill, and LaPlante

ABSENT:

9.B.

26-1262

Recommendation for the approval of a purchase order issued to Seqirus USA, Inc., for flu

vaccines for the DuPage Care Center Residents, for the period of April 22, 2026 through

November 30, 2026, for a total Contract amount not to exceed $18,491.05, per MMCAP.

(DuPage Care Center)

APPROVED

RESULT:

MOVER:

SECONDER:

AYES:

Paula Garcia

Kari Galassi

DeSart, Galassi, Garcia, and Schwarze

Cronin Cahill, and LaPlante

ABSENT:

9.C.

26-1263

Amendment to Contract 8275-0001 SERV, issued to EZ Way, Inc., for repair and

maintenance of the EZ Way patient lifters, for the period June 1, 2026 through May 31,

2027, to increase encumbrance in the amount of $8,000, to include harnesses with leg

straps, resulting in a new amended contract total of $22,998. (DuPage Care Center)

APPROVED

RESULT:

MOVER:

SECONDER:

AYES:

Dawn DeSart

Kari Galassi

DeSart, Galassi, Garcia, and Schwarze

Cronin Cahill, and LaPlante

ABSENT:

10.

11.

RESIDENCY WAIVERS - JANELLE CHADWICK

No residency waivers were offered.

DUPAGE CARE CENTER UPDATE - JANELLE CHADWICK

Anita Rajagopal, Assistant Administrator of the DuPage Care Center, stated that the residents

were being vaccinated for covid today. Covid vaccines are not mandatory but a lot of education

is given regarding covid and the vaccines and over 75% of the residents participate. Staff have

the ability to receive vaccinations also.

Construction is still on schedule for the resident dining in the 1 South wing. The Care Center

expects to begin the next phase in mid-May.

The Care Center was selected again to be part of Northwestern Medicine’s Preferred Provider.

The Care Center had to apply to be a preferred provider and then complete a presentation before

the selection was made. They are in the process of working on the contract.

12.

COMMUNITY SERVICES UPDATE - MARY KEATING

Mary Keating, Director of Community Services, stated the Community Services Block Grant

(CSBG) Advisory Committee meeting is today at 11:30. The committee members are all

members of the advisory committee. Ms. Keating would appreciate their attendance.

There will be a presentation by Home DuPage which conducts the home buyers and credit repair

programs. The meeting will be held at Jubilee Furniture on North Avenue east of Schmale

Avenue in Carol Stream.

Ms. Keating reminded all that Early Giving is up and running online for Giving DuPage Days.

Member Galassi asked about a social graphic and a link to send out to constituents regarding

Giving DuPage Days. Ms. Keating will have the information sent to all the county board

members.

Member DeSart asked where the Giving DuPage donations would go if donated to Community

Services. Ms. Keating replied there are about 45 agencies that participate and donors can choose

their agency to donate to. Giving Dupage days is a platform for organizations to use as a

collective community-wide funding event. Ms. Keating explained Dupage Social Service

Association (DSSA), 501c-3 organization attached to Community Services, provides small

amounts of financial assistance for residents that may not be eligible for other programs.

13.

14.

15.

OLD BUSINESS

No old business was discussed.

NEW BUSINESS

No new business was discussed.

ADJOURNMENT

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:53 AM.