This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly
News and Views
e-newsletter reports on Governor Pritzker signing federal borrowing legislation, links to ISACo letters requesting that the Governor sign two bills into law, includes information about disaster proclamations issued by the Governor following civil unrest, provides information about a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) final rule concerning the Clean Water Act (CWA), shares information about Phase 3 of the
Restore Illinois
plan, announces the release of small business stabilization grants, advertises an upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) webinar opportunity, asks county officials to follow us on social media, spotlights ISACo corporate partner Wight & Company and invites counties to join ISACo.
COUNTIES COUNT!
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Governor Signs Federal Borrowing Legislation
On May 29, 2020, Governor JB Pritzker signed SB 2099 into law as P.A. 101-0630 (
linked here
).
The new law authorizes the Governor, with the approval of the Comptroller and Treasurer, to borrow up to $5 billion from the Federal Reserve Bank. This revenue source will be utilized as a line of credit upon which the state can draw when necessary. Legislators indicated they hope to be able to repay amounts drawn using revenue from a possible future federal relief bill that provides funding to states and local governments. Consequently, the SFY 2021 budget situation could become dire in the absence of another federal financial relief bill.
Illinois is expected to be the first state or local government to access funds from the Federal Reserve Bank.
A deal scheduled to be finalized on Friday, June 5, 2020, would obligate the state to sell $1.2 billion of one-year general obligation certificates directly to the federal Municipal Liquidity Facility (MLF).
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ISACo Requests Favorable Action on Legislation
ISACo has written two letters to the Governor asking that he sign legislation into law.
SB 685 (
linked here
) authorizes counties to waive interest penalties for delinquent property tax payments for the 2019 taxable year. Our letter of support is
available via this link.
The Governor signed the bill into law as P.A. 101-0635.
SB 2135 (
linked here
) amends the Open Meetings Act (OMA) to allow public bodies to conduct meetings by audio or video conference during a disaster declaration. Our letter of support is
available via this link.
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Governor Pritzker Issues Disaster Proclamations for 14 Counties Following Civil Unrest
Governor JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation for 14 counties in Illinois to expedite the use of state resources, personnel and equipment to help local governments.
The counties include: Champaign, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Macon, Madison, Sangamon, Will, Lake, Peoria, Rock Island, Williamson and Stephenson.
The Governor activated members of the Illinois National Guard to support various jurisdictions throughout the state in their work to protect communities. In addition to the soldiers from the Illinois National Guard and troopers from the Illinois State Police, the State Emergency Operations Center is monitoring operations throughout the state and fulfilling requests from local governments. The Governor’s Proclamations are available
here
and
here.
The disaster proclamations are applicable for 30 days.
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EPA Proposes Rules Limiting State and Local Authority Over the Clean Water Act
Summarized from the National Association of Counties (NACo):
On June 1, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final rule to revise Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The rule would establish a tighter timeframe and criteria for states to review permits for energy infrastructure.
The rule requiring an expedited review process is motivated by concerns expressed by the Trump Administration and industry groups that states have used the Section 401 process to put additional requirements on or deny energy infrastructure siting projects.
Section 401 of the CWA gives states the responsibility to “certify” that proposed projects meet water quality standards. Of concern is that the final rule curtails the historic authority of states over water resources within their boundaries.
State Section 401 certification approvals are required before the federal government may sign off on CWA Section 402 and 404 permits, Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner (FERC) hydropower licenses and Rivers and Harbors Act Section 9 and 10 permits. The rule is scheduled to go into effect 60 days after being published in the Federal Register.
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State Reaches Phase 3 of the
Restore Illinois
Plan
All four regions of the state have reached Phase 3 (Recovery) of the Governor's plan to re-open the state.
Under Phase 3, the rate of infection among those surveillance tested, the number of patients admitted to the hospital and the number of patients needing ICU beds is stable or declining. Manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops and salons can reopen to the public with capacity and other limits and safety precautions. Gatherings limited to 10 people or fewer are allowed. Face coverings and social distancing are the norm.
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Small Business Stabilization Grants Awarded
On Friday, June 5, 2020, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced the first round of grants awarded as part of the new Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program, just over a month after the program was launched. The fund was created to support small businesses in downstate and rural counties across Illinois that have experienced a negative impact due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The first $1.3 million in grants have been allocated to 65 businesses spanning 28 downstate communities. To support small businesses in downstate and rural counties across Illinois, DCEO repurposed $20 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to create the Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program. Through the program, small businesses of up to 50 employees can partner with their local governments to obtain grants of up to $25,000 in working capital.
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Upcoming NACo Webinar
The National Association of Counties (NACo) has scheduled the following webinar with content related to COVID-19:
Serving the Homeless Population and Those in Need While Re-Opening the County for Business
(Tuesday, June 9, 2020 from 1 pm – 2 pm)
Engage with Sonoma County executives as they discuss how they have pivoted in the face of COVID-19 challenges while continuing to serve the needs of homeless individuals and families as well as others in need. This has created unprecedented demand for County services all while they are preparing to safely re-open businesses and organizations in the County.
Click here to register.
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Follow ISACo on Social Media
A great way to stay current on issues affecting or of interest to counties is by following ISACo on social media. Please follow our Facebook page and Twitter feed and join the conversation!
@Isacoil
@IsacoTweets
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Corporate Partner Spotlight
This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with Wight & Company.
For more than 80 years, Wight & Company has helped clients create exceptional, enduring buildings and spaces that enrich people's lives. Wight also specializes in providing professional services for transportation and infrastructure projects for counties, municipalities, state agencies and private landowners.
Click on this link
to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available through ISACo's Corporate Partner Program.
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The Key to ISACo's Success is YOU!
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Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?
ISACo is a statewide association whose mission is to empower county officials to provide excellent service to their residents.
ISACo member counties are comprised of forward-thinking public servants who recognize that the challenges confronting county governments require new and innovative ideas, collaborative solutions and collective advocacy at the state and federal levels of government.
Members of the association will benefit from education and training opportunities, peer-to-peer networking, shared resources and robust representation before policymakers at various levels of government. ISACo creates and connects county officials to these opportunities and successfully equips them to make counties ideal places to live, work and play.
If your county is interested in discussing membership in ISACo, please contact Executive Director Joe McCoy at (217) 679-3368 or jmccoy@isacoil.org. Thank you for your consideration.
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News and Views
is a service provided by ISACo for county officials and staff. Please feel welcome to share with interested parties. You can contact ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy at jmccoy@isacoil.org or (217) 679-3368 if we can be of service. Thank you for your support of ISACo.
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