Kendall County faces another year battling COVID-19

County’s efforts against virus address both cause and effects

Kendall County officials prepare for a meeting in the county board meeting room on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. (Lucas Robinson - lrobinson@shawmedia.com)

YORKVILLE – The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic – both its cause and effects – will figure prominently in 2022 for the Kendall County government.

While the county’s health department doubles down on efforts to get people vaccinated and boosted, the administration will focus on distributing grant money to help small businesses and nonprofits deal with the pandemic’s financial impact.

Meanwhile, other county offices, ranging from the county clerk to the state’s attorney to the sheriff’s office, will work to catch up on work that was slowed by the pandemic and deal with the virus going forward.

COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11, booster shots for qualifying seniors and front-line workers, along with third doses for the immunocompromised, have been the new focus of the health department.

The department has been providing the free vaccinations from its headquarters at 811 W. John St. in the Kendall County government campus.

Those seeking vaccination doses for themselves or their children should register for an appointment on the health department’s website at kendallhealth.org. Those without internet access or who have difficulty using a computer may call 630-553-9100.

While the new focus is on children, booster shots and third doses for the immunocompromised, the health department continues to administer first and second doses of the vaccine for those who waited.

Meanwhile, the county is working to help small businesses and nonprofit agencies that have taken a financial beating from the effects of the pandemic.

The county will be distributing more federal American Rescue Act Fund grant money.

County Administrator Scott Koeppel said the application process for small businesses is expected to get underway in January, with the county now working on guidelines for what types of expenses and losses business owners may be reimbursed.

The budget calls for distributing $2 million in the COVID-19 relief funds to small businesses in Kendall County in the coming year.

Also included in the budget is $1 million for nonprofit agencies and organizations serving Kendall County residents.

In 2021, the county handed out $440,000 in grant money to 25 area nonprofits from the previous year’s budget.

The nonprofits have been squeezed from both sides during the pandemic, unable to hold fundraising events because of lockdowns, while faced with an increased demand for their services because of the pandemic’s stressful effect on people’s lives.

The money is designed to help the nonprofit agencies cover payroll, utilities, mortgage payments and other expenses.

Beyond the grants to small businesses and nonprofits, much of the COVID-19 relief money is being budgeted to help the county work its way through the ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic.

For example, $200,000 is being budgeted for the purchase of a mobile clinic van for the Kendall County Health Department. The van will provide services to the county’s most vulnerable residents, Koeppel said.

Another $35,000 is being allocated to the county clerk’s office for improvements to make voting safer during next year’s election.

The county has used the grant money to hire additional employees to help clear up the backlog of court cases in the judicial system. They include a public defender, two prosecutors and two more employees for the circuit clerk’s office.

In addition, budget and finance analyst had been added to the county administration.

Meanwhile, the county has many new projects on its plate.

Among these are plans for seeking a $12 million state grant to construct a new facility to house its on-demand transit service.

Kendall Area Transit operates 17 vehicles serving residents of the county, with a priority of providing mobility for seniors and those who are disabled.

The Kendall County Board has authorized the administration to apply for the grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation to construct a building that will serve as transit agency’s headquarters, dispatch center, maintenance garage and vehicle storage facility.

Currently, KAT operates its vehicles from three locations in Yorkville, including the Kendall County Highway Department on Route 47, the old courthouse parking lot downtown and the Kendall County Government Center campus on John Street.

Koeppel said the county is still considering alternatives for a location to build the new KAT facility.

Demand for the transit service has grown considerably, Koeppel said, and is vital for seniors and disabled persons who need to make trips for medical appointments, banking and other day-to-day business.

Also on the minds of County Board members will be the 2022 elections.

All 10 members of the County Board will be up for election, as happens every decade after the results of the census are received.

Because population growth was very evenly distributed across Kendall County over the past 10 years, there will be no need to reapportion the voting districts.

The 10 County Board members are elected from two districts, with five members from each.

District 1 covers the western side of the county and is the geographically larger of the two.

It includes most of Yorkville, portions of Montgomery and Sandwich, Plano, Bristol, Millbrook, Plattville, Newark and Lisbon.

District 2 includes Oswego, Boulder Hill and portions of Yorkville, Montgomery, Aurora, Plainfield, Minooka and Joliet.

After voters render their decisions, the board will draw straws to determine who will serve two-year terms and who will get a four-year stretch.

With the staggered terms of office decided, half the board will be up for election every two years until the next census.

County Board members from District 1 include Judy Gilmour, Amy Cesich, Scott Gengler and Ruben Rodriguez, all of Yorkville, and Brian DeBolt of Plano.

District 2 is represented by Scott Gryder, Robyn Vickers and Dan Koukol, all of Oswego, Matt Kellogg of Yorkville and Elizabeth Flowers of Montgomery.

Gryder serves as County Board chairman, a post voted upon by the board members.