Will County passes Fiscal Year 2025 budget, prioritizing public safety
The Will County Board approved a balanced $832 million Fiscal Year 2025 budget at its meeting on Thursday, Nov. 21, according to a news release from the county.
The budget includes $558 million for special funds which are specifically designated for items such as motor fuel taxes, departmental fees, and other board-governed entities, as well as $273 million in the corporate fund to be used for county operations.
Public safety and judicial operations were prioritized, comprising 62% of the operating budget. That will allow for 19 new judicial and public safety positions – 13 of which will be court security officers, to allow moving current employees in courthouse deputy roles to move to patrol and response positions.
The budget also spells out a five-year capital improvement plan allowing for $8.5 million in projects in the next fiscal year, the most costly of which is converting the county-owned building at 1300 Copperfield in Joliet into a unified Veteran Assistance and Support Center – a $3.5 million project. A new consolidated county website is also being planned.
Image courtesy: Will County
Local athletes land on All-State football teams
The All-State football teams have been announced by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association. Benet Academy quarterback Ryan Kubacki Jr was named to the class 5A first team.
In class 8A, Naperville Central wide receiver/defensive back Garrett Nichols was selected as an honorable mention, while defensive lineman Jake Stanish was named to the 8A first team. The Redhawks fell in the 8A semifinals to York on Saturday night by a 20-15 score.
Naperville North quarterback Jacob Bell was also named to the class 8A first team.
Naperville police join statewide safe-driving enforcement campaign for Thanksgiving
The Naperville Police Department is joining statewide law enforcement efforts in the “Click It or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaigns ahead of and through the Thanksgiving holiday.
The stepped-up patrols began Nov. 22 and will run through Dec. 2. Officers will be keeping a watchful eye to make sure motorists and passengers are correctly secured in their seats. They’re also reminding motorists to make sure to plan for a safe ride home if they plan to drink alcohol while out at holiday gatherings, whether by designating a sober driver, using a taxi or rideshare service, or taking mass transit.
The NPD says if you spot a drunk driver, you should pull over to a safe location and call 911 to make a report.
New day care facility proposed in River Woods Office Campus
A new day care facility could be constructed within a 16-year-old development in Naperville that originally was envisioned solely as an office complex. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday gave a favorable recommendation to the proposed construction of a 14,000-square-foot day care center within the River Woods Office Campus.
Cypress School, a start-up early childhood center, has announced plans of opening a facility within the office campus site at 628 N. River Road. The school’s operations plan includes full-time, part-time and summer camp options. The facility would be open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and would have the ability to accommodate up to 200 children throughout the day with a staff of 30-35 teachers.
The petitioner, BHC Construction LLC, is seeking approval from city officials for a change in the original planned unit development documents linked to the River Woods Office Campus. Citing a national trend, BHC representatives have indicated there is less demand now for office space than there was in 2008 when the project was first announced. The city council will review the proposal and cast a binding vote at an upcoming meeting.
District 203 summer school changes
The Naperville School District 203 board of education last Monday moved forward with a framework for next year’s summer school program. Several changes will occur, including four new school locations for K-12 programs: Kingsley and Prairie elementary schools, Lincoln Junior High School and Naperville North High School.
A range of enrichment and academic support programs are again anticipated in next year’s program, which is slated to kick off in early June, shortly after the end of the traditional school year, and run into July.
