SSMMA Newsletter April 21, 2023

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April 21, 2023

www.ssmma.org

SSMMA Mayors Fight to Restore LGDF

SSMMA mayors traveled to Springfield this week with one goal in mind: convince Springfield leaders to restore Local Government Distributive Funds (LGDF)— derived from local taxpayers through personal and corporate income taxes— back to local governments this session. Joining other mayors from around the state, five SSMMA mayors testified during State Representative Anthony DeLuca’s unprecedented Subject Matter Hearing of the House Cities and Villages Committee on the need to fully restore LGDF to the promised 10% funding level (up from current level of 6.16%). Testifying on the impacts that the past decade of reduced levels of LGDF funding have had on their community and the Southland region were Mayor Roger Agpawa (City of Markham), Mayor Fred Bilotto (City of Blue Island), Mayor Christopher Clark (City of Harvey), Mayor Jada Curry (Village of Lynwood), and Mayor James Ford (Country Club Hills).

The mayors provided moving testimony on the needs of their community and expressed a common message: return more LGDF funds to local municipalities so that investments can be made in the community. On behalf of the 45 SSMMA member municipalities, they conveyed our region has lost out on over half a billion LGDF dollars that could have been put to good use to replace lead service lines, buy police body cameras, demolish blighted buildings, repair roads and aging infrastructure, and rebuild neighborhoods. They also informed officials that restoring LGDF dollars would lessen the property tax pressures on homeowners and businesses alike—something desperately needed due to the high tax burden faced by property owners in the south suburbs.

Thank you Mayors Agpawa, Bilotto, Clark, Curry, and Ford for your strong advocacy and leadership in Springfield on this important issue! Watch Subject Matter Hearing proceedings here.

Read more about the Subject Matter Hearing and mayor’s testimonies below:

• Column: Southland mayors, lawmakers lead fight to get state to restore towns’ shares of income tax revenues

• DeLuca Leads Hearing on Importance of LGDF, Urges Increase to Support Communities

• Mayors, municipal leaders call for restored share of state income tax

Numerous other SSMMA mayors and managers were present at the hearing and for other important meetings with legislators and Governor Pritzker during the two days in Springfield.

Thank you ALL for asking state lawmakers to prioritize the restoration of LGDF funding this year! View photos here.

Getting Water Infrastructure Projects into the Pipeline

SSMMA is pleased to have convened a U.S. EPA/IL EPA Water Infrastructure Funding Workshop earlier today (Friday, April 21st) to ensure south suburban municipalities: 1) learn about resources provided by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; and 2) understand how to access new, significant water infrastructure funding and technical support for their community.

Representatives from over 30 municipalities in attendance heard from U.S. EPA, IEPA officials, and technical advisors that are being deployed to assist communities with full service support in order to successfully secure funds—and complete projects. In addition to information about funding levels and eligible projects, attendees learned some application basics, how to access technical assistance, and who to contact for answers to technical questions, big or small.

Learn more about today’s workshop and the resources available to municipalities NOW and for years to come made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). More information on the materials presented today is available on SSMMA’s website, along with a list of agency contacts.

Next, watch your inboxes for announcements on upcoming technical assistance sessions on project planning, how to maximize multiyear funding opportunities, and how to get started on reduction of lead service lines. Dates under development. Questions? Contact US EPA and IEPA program staff or Sarah Kobetis at Sarah.kobetis@ssmma.org or Leslie. Phemister (Rauer) Leslie.phemister@ssmma.org for more information. Photos from the workshop can be seen here.

Public Health Information

Business & Residential Resources

• Gov. Pritzker Announces $175 Million Available in B2B Grants for Restaurants, Hotels and Creative Arts Businesses. Learn more.

• Pritzker Administration Relaunches "Opening Doors" Homebuyer Assistance Program With Additional $8 Million. Learn more.

• Illinois Small Business Grants are now open for 2023-2024. Learn more.

• Illinois Department of Natural Resources offers a list of grants. Learn more.

• Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) offers a list of FY23-24 grant opportunities for eligible organizations. Learn more.

• Check out the latest list of Federal and DCEO grant opportunities here.

• Check out Will County's small business assistance resource page.

News from Community Partners

South Suburban Communities Among Awarded Projects Under the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program

• Congratulations to the City of Blue Island, the Village of Flossmoor, the Village of Homewood, and the Village of Park Forest for being among the 2023 award projects under The Illinois Transportation Enhance Program!

Learn more.

• Community members and municipal staff are invited to attend a free training on May 17 at 9:00am-12:00pm to learn more about green infrastructure.

• The event will be held at Fays Point Marina

in Blue Island, IL.

Learn more.

• IDOT Safe Routes to School is excited to announce that a new 2023 Funding Cycle for Infrastructure and Non-infrastructure projects will be available beginning August 1st through October 2nd.

• Find more information here.

• Rep William Davis, along with co-host SSMMA, invites you to Earth Day Electronics Recycling event on April 22 from 9am-12pm.

• For more info contact Rep. Davis District office at 708-799-7300. This event is free to the public and small businesses.

South Suburban College to Open the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials

• Cook County has partnered with South Suburban College to create the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM Center). This is a permanent recycling drop-off facility available to Cook County residents that helps divert millions of pounds of waste and other hard-to-recycle items from regional landfills and water systems

• The CHaRM Center will officially open on April 22. SSC will host a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event from 8am-3pm at SSC.

Learn more.

Job Postings & Requests for Proposals

• SSMMA offers a list of local job opportunities and RFPs throughout the south suburban region directly on our website.

• Municipalities and organizations can send job openings and proposals here to be publicly posted.

SPC News

SPC Spring Auction a Success!

• Thank you to the Village of Park Forest, the Village of Tinley Park, and the Tinley Park-Park District for making the April 18 Surplus Vehicle and Equipment Auction a success! Twenty-three vehicles were sold with preliminary sales figures of $117,850. Upcoming live Auctions are scheduled for July 18 and October 17. In addition, America’s Auto Auction hosts online sales on par with other government surplus Internet auctions. For questions or additional information,

please contact Berry Ellis, 312-371-5993 or berry.ellis@americasautoauction.com.

Save the Date for the SPC Vendor Showcase!

• After a 3-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) is excited to announce the return of the SPC Vendor Showcase! The event will be held on Wednesday, July 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Oakton College, 1600 E. Golf Road in Des Plaines. This is a free event for attendees and thanks to our partners at Sourcewell, anyone can attend their presentation and earn one contact hour toward Continuing Education Units

(CEUs) with The Institute for Public Procurement (NIGP).

The Vendor Showcase will be held in Oakton’s Performing Arts Center (PAC) with parking available in Lot A, just outside the PAC. The SPC Vendor Showcase schedule is as follows:

• 10:00am-12:00pm: Vendor Fair in the PAC Lobby, vehicle demonstrations in Parking Lot A

• 12:00pm-1:00 pm: Sourcewell Presentation in the Footlik Theater

• 1:00pm: Box lunch provided by Sourcewell

The SPC Vendor Showcase presents a unique opportunity for local government officials from the SPC’s participating councils of government and others to meet one-on-one with SPC vendors at one time.

Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC), DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference (DMMC), South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA), and Will County Governmental League (WCGL) members and staff will be onsite to learn about the products, services, and solutions offered by the SPC to help you better serve your communities. Vendors will have individual display areas where you can discuss all of your joint purchasing needs.

Additional information and registration forms will be sent soon. In the interim, please contact NWMC Purchasing Director Ellen Dayan, 847-296-9203 or edayan@nwmc-cog.org with any questions.

Click here for more information about the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative and to view the current SPC Catalog.

Have something you'd like included in our next newsletter? Email it to news@ssmma.org.