During the special meeting, Director Mark Van Kirkhoff told the committee that several federal and locally funded programs moved into the Development Department this year and are reflected in the 2026 budget.

Van Kirkhoff listed the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the Kane County/Home Elgin HOME consortium among the programs moved to Development. He said the CDBG program year for HUD runs on a federal calendar and that the current annual allocation is about $1,200,000 for the upcoming program year.

The county also took on administration of the Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund (the riverboat fund) and related grant administration. Van Kirkhoff said the riverboat fund supports multiple special funds the department manages, including farmland protection and other grant matches.

Van Kirkhoff said the city of Elgin recently notified the county that it will resume administration of its CDBG program; the county is phasing out Elgin’s CDBG management this fall. He also said the county’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is winding down and will be closed out in January after phasing out this fall.

Other funds described: a National Park Service grant of $750,000 for rural historic building work processed through “Quality of Kane” and similar special funds; a 2016 arrangement under which the county managed Elgin’s CDBG; a farmland-protection request of $750,000 that typically serves as local match for federal funding; and Growing for Kane, a USDA-supported local food program that received a roughly $1.7 million grant.

Van Kirkhoff noted that some planning staff salaries historically funded from the riverboat fund and from other special funds will be used more directly to staff the new federal programs. He also told the committee that some internal transfers and requests will be part of the riverboat budget process.

The committee did not take final action on program budgets at this meeting; Van Kirkhoff said internal requests will be reflected in the riverboat budget and that formal budget decisions will follow the county’s committee and board process.