Kane County Reporter

Kane County Human Services Committee met May 14

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

SURGES, Linder, Allan, Garcia, Gripe, Lewis, Tarver, ex-officios Roth (County Vice Chair) & Pierog (County Chair)

1. Call To Order

Chairman Surges called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM.

2. Roll Call

PRESENT Board Member Clifford Surges

Board Member Michael Linder

Board Member Jon Gripe

Board Member Anita Lewis

Ex-Officio County Board Vice Chair Bill Roth

Ex-Officio County Board Chair Corinne M. Pierog

REMOTE Board Member Deborah Allan

Board Member Bill Tarver

ABSENT Board Member Sonia Garcia

Also present: Co. Bd. Members Bates*, Berman*, Gumz*, Juby, Kious*, Penesis*, Tepe*; HRM Exec. Dir. Lobrillo & staff Davis, Larson; SAO CFO Hunt*; KCAC Admin. Youngsteadt*; ITD CIO Lasky* & staff Kash; Fin. Exec. Dir. Hopkinson; and members of the press and public.

3. Remote Attendance Requests

Chairman Surges announced the remote attendance requests for today's meeting. He asked the Committee if there were any objections to Committee Members Allan and Tarver attending today's meeting remotely. There were no objections.

4. Approval of Minutes: April 9, 2025

RESULT: APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

MOVER: Michael Linder

5. Public Comment

None.

6. Monthly Financial Reports

A. Monthly Finance Reports

Chairman Surges stated the monthly financial reports were on file. No additional report was made.

7. Department of Human Resource Management

A. Monthly Blue Cross Blue Shield Invoice

HRM Asst. Dir. Davis stated the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Invoice included in today's agenda packet is for March 2025. The invoice was within tolerance at $1.5M.

B. Monthly BCBS and MERP Totals

HRM Asst. Dir. Davis stated the totals on the monthly Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) and MERP Reports are for employees, spouses, dependants, and Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP) participants.

C. Monthly Assured Partners Report

HRM Asst. Dir. Davis stated this month's Assured Partners Report consists of the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Global Financial Tracker. HRM Exec. Dir. Lobrillo and Davis addressed questions and comments from the Committee.

HRM Exec. Dir. Lobrillo explained that the County has added funds to reserve in 2024 and has remained in the green for this year. The Human Resource Management Department (HRM) will be speaking with the County's brokers regarding rates for next year and budgeting to take money out of Health Insurance Fund reserves in order to keep rates low. Much discussion ensued.

(Committee Member Lewis arrived in-person at 9:04 a.m.) (Madam Chairman Pierog arrived remotely at 9:06 a.m.) (Committee Member Tarver arrived remotely at 9:08 a.m.)

D. Monthly Applicants and Staff Changes

HRM Asst. Dir Davis stated that a change was made to the exit interview monthly graph. All dates and responses of the exit interviews are listed.

E. Monthly Workers Comp and Liability Reports

HRM Risk Manager Larson shared the fiscal year-to-date claims that have been entered through the claims broker, Cannon Cochran Management Services, Inc.

(CCMSI). He noted that not all claims are entered, such as internal loss that the County has caused. These are tracked separately. Larson has finished criteria generation on how he will be reporting these internal matters to the Committee.

He stated that there has been 19 claims reported to CCMSI. There are another 16 internal claims that are not reflected in the monthly report.

Chairman Surges requested that the total amount paid and total reserve amount be shared. Larson explained that he has been looking into criteria to judge preventable versus non preventable incidents. He noted that he has been marking these internally in the system. He explained that out of the County's total claims, there are a total of 37 liability claims, in which eight were preventable. He will continue to look at each claim's causation to avoid future incidents. HRM Exec. Dir. Lobrillo noted that the totals Surges requested are listed on page 37 of the Committee's agenda packet. Larson addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Much discussion ensued.

8. Compliance

A. Monthly Training Report

HRM Asst. Dir. Davis stated the monthly Sexual Harassment Training Report was on file. She explained that the majority of employees have completed the training. She urged those who have not completed it, to get it done by August 2025.

9. Old Business

None.

10. New Business

A. Authorizing Changes to the Compensation and Position Management Policy Within the Kane County Personnel Policy Handbook

HRM Exec. Dir. Lobrillo explained that this resolution was drafted to address the conversations had on reorganization of departments and the requirement of County Board approval. Within the resolution, clarification was added to try to clarify when County Board approval is needed. If there is an overall reduction in cost, no County Board approval is required. If the reorganization costs more money or if there is a reduction in services, then County Board approval would be needed. Lobrillo addressed questions and comments from the Committee.

Committee Member Allan motioned to postpone this resolution until next month's meeting, Lewis seconded. Discussion ensued. Motion failed by a 2-4 vote.

KC Executive Committee

RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY ROLL CALL VOTE

TO: KC Executive Committee

MOVER: Michael Linder

SECONDER: Jon Gripe

AYE: Clifford Surges, Michael Linder, Jon Gripe, and Bill Tarver

NAY: Deborah Allan, and Anita Lewis

ABSENT: Sonia Garcia

B. Attrition Plan Discussion

Chairman Surges introduced the Attrition Plan discussion. He noted that he sent an email to the County Board addressing his concerns with the implementation of an Attrition Program. He stated that the County could use the term Attrition Program and assign a dollar figure, such as $8M. He summarized the course of the proposed Attrition Program that was presented at last month's Human Services Committee meeting. He explained that once all of the proposed amendments were made to the Attrition Program, the cost savings to the County is approximately $750K. Surges stated that the County has a $29M budget deficit and the $750K in savings would not be cost effective. He spoke on the affects to County departments of an Attrition Program and the fairness of one being implemented for departments, only. Surges asked the Committee for their input on if the County should move forward with an Attrition Program or not. HRM Exec. Dir. Lobrillo noted that currently an Attrition Program has not being drafted. She requested the Committee's input on how to move forward with drafting a possible Attrition Program. Discussion ensued.

The Committee provided consensus to not move forward with an Attrition Program, at this time.

11. Reports Placed On File

RESULT: APPROVED BY VOICE VOTE

MOVER: Michael Linder

SECONDER: Deborah Allan

(Madam Chairman Pierog arrived in-person at 9:47 a.m.)

Committee Member Gripe requested that HRM Exec. Dir. Lobrillo update the Committee on the progress of the Ethics Commission and advisor and department head performance measures. Lobrillo explained that she has prepared job descriptions and has sent them to the County Board Chairman's Office for review. She noted that it is up to the Chairman to move forward with the appointments. Regarding the department head evaluations, Lobrillo explained that she has job descriptions for all department heads gathered and a general idea of what an evaluation would consist of.

Gripe questioned the County's need for an Attrition Program. Lobrillo stated the County is currently under a hiring freeze that was established in 2018. In order for non-grant positions to be hired, the Chairman of the standing committee, in which said department reports to, needs to sign off on it first. Lobrillo addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Discussion ensued.

12. Executive Session (if needed)

None.

13. Adjournment

RESULT: APPROVED BY VOICE VOTE

MOVER: Michael Linder

SECONDER: Anita Lewis

This meeting was adjourned at 9:50 AM.

https://www.kanecountyil.gov/MeetingMinutes/7474/25-05-14.pdf