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Will County committee delays vote on Joliet Township transportation agreement tied to deflection grant
Summary
Committee members questioned language and contractual indemnity in a draft intergovernmental agreement that would reimburse Joliet Township for transport services under a deflection grant. A motion to postpone the item passed on a roll-call vote.
The Will County Public Health & Safety Committee postponed consideration of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Joliet Township that would reimburse township vehicle services under a county deflection grant.
Committee members raised legal and policy questions about the draft language, including how the agreement describes the populations to be served and provisions on indemnity and attorney fees. County legal counsel said the draft is legally sufficient but that some policy and contractual terms are typical negotiation points for intergovernmental agreements.
Why it matters: the IGA would allow the sheriff—s office to use grant funds to pay Joliet Township to transport participants in the sheriff—s deflection program (for example, rides to job interviews or counseling). Committee members said clear language tying the service to the deflection grant and to Joliet Township—s role as a transport vendor should be included; some members also urged separating the resolution from the full contract for clarity.
What happened in the meeting: a member moved to postpone further action to allow review and possible redrafting. The roll-call vote on postponement recorded Freeman voting no; Julie Berkowitz yes; Dean Schlappman yes; Hickey no; and Chair Butler yes. The motion carried and the item will return for reconsideration.
Discussion highlights: Julie Berkowitz said the resolution text did not clearly reflect the grant—s targeted purpose and the intended client population; other members asked whether Joliet Township had already approved the agreement and queried how grant funds would be disbursed. Deputy Chief Dan Jungels and county counsel explained that the deflection grant is administered by the sheriff—s office and that Joliet Township would be paid on a reimbursement or invoicing basis for transport services. The county—s state—s attorney said the IGA uses standard intergovernmental cooperation authority and that contractual indemnity and fee clauses are normal negotiable elements in an IGA.
Next steps: committee members asked the sheriff—s office and legal counsel to confer with Joliet Township, correct scrivener—s errors and return with a revised resolution and, if appropriate, a separate IGA for final action. One committee member noted the deflection grant is time-limited and asked staff about any operational delay; Jungels said a postponement of at least a month was likely.
Ending: the committee voted to postpone so members could review the agreement language and receive clarifying information about the grant, scope and indemnity provisions before final approval.
