DuPage County Judicial and Public Safety Committee approves multiple contracts, budget transfers and vehicle purchases

DuPage County Judicial and Public Safety Committee Chair Evans on Jan. 7 led the committee in approving multiple contract awards and budget transfers that will fund probation services, a veterans peer-mentor coordinator, legal publications and public-safety equipment, and move several accounts into the general fund.

The actions, taken by voice votes with no recorded roll-call tallies in the meeting minutes, included new and renewed professional contracts, transfers to cover inmate medication costs and purchases of radios and vehicles. Committee members asked a few clarifying questions about program history and fund sources; Tim McGavin, deputy director of probation, answered questions about the veteran mentor position and fund transfers.

The committee approved a contract purchase order to Northeast DuPage Family and Youth Services for services to youths at risk of domestic violence and trauma for Feb. 1, 2025–Jan. 31, 2026, not to exceed $33,000. The members also approved an independent contractor agreement to hire Raymond W. Johnson as a veteran mentor coordinator to develop a veteran peer mentor program for Jan. 15, 2025–Jan. 14, 2026, not to exceed $37,500. When a committee member asked whether the veterans mentor position was new, Tim McGavin said, “This is an existing program. We've had the position filled previously.”

The committee approved a five-year purchase agreement with West Publishing Corporation to provide legal books and updates (Feb. 1, 2025–Jan. 31, 2030) for a total not to exceed $57,301.20, and approved a one-year professional services agreement with Dr. Mikaela Mosley to complete court-ordered psychosexual evaluations (Jan. 17, 2025–Jan. 16, 2026) for a total not to exceed $23,400. The committee also approved a professional services agreement with Clausen Miller, P.C., for consultation related to collective bargaining involving the chief judge and the 18th Judicial Court, Jan. 10, 2025–Jan. 9, 2026, not to exceed $30,000.

Committee members moved several fund transfers and appropriations. The committee authorized transferring up to $203,068 from the Probation Services Fee Fund to the General Fund for fiscal year 2024 (FIR-8-25). Tim McGavin explained that one transfer involved interest income on the Probation Fees Fund that "by State statute can be transferred into the General Fund." The committee also approved an additional appropriation related to the drug court MICAP fund (listed in the meeting as FIR-9-25); the dollar amount as stated in the meeting packet/remarks was given as “$35,004 $547” (amount not specified in the record). The committee voted to transfer funds within departmental budgets to cover interpreter services ($975), part-time help ($8,000 and separately $20,000), copier lease/accounting ($85,000), equipment and machinery for radio costs ($5,700), and salary adjustments for the law library ($2,919).

A larger transfer approved by voice vote moved $606,000 to reimburse the Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB) for DIDI R system equipment described in the packet as including “2 163 portable radios, 9 mobile radios, and associated chargers.” The transcript wording for the portable radios figure was unclear; the committee record lists the equipment description as written in the packet.

The committee approved a $400,000 transfer from overtime to accounts for drugs, vaccine supplies and medical services to cover inmate medications through the end of fiscal year 2024; meeting discussion noted that much of the originally requested budget was left in general fund contingency and that FY24 jail overtime was lower than FY23 actuals.

On informational items the committee received and placed on file the public defender’s monthly statistical report for November 2024 (item 25-53) and received vehicle replacement purchase orders for the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management issued to Sutton Ford Inc.: unit prices listed were $55,254 and $51,624, for a combined total of $106,878.

During old-business remarks Member (unnamed) asked that an exhibit (Exhibit A) be included in the packet for the veteran mentor coordinator contract; the request was noted by the committee. Chair Evans closed the meeting with a motion to adjourn.

Quotes in this report come from the meeting transcript. Chair Evans opened the meeting saying, “Happy 2025. We got a great committee and we have a long agenda.” Tim McGavin summarized the veteran mentor program status: “This is an existing program. We've had the position filled previously.” An unnamed committee member said of the veterans program, “I think it's a wonderful program, and I'm so glad that you were doing it. And also to let folks know that it's grant funded.”

Votes at a glance: all listed motions were carried by voice vote with no detailed roll-call tallies recorded in the meeting transcript; where dollar amounts or equipment counts were unclear in the transcript or packet, the article notes those items as stated rather than restating them as precise figures.