A DuPage County committee approved a five-year, $1.71 million contract to build disaster recovery infrastructure for the court system, one of several law enforcement and court services deals advanced at its Tuesday, June 16 meeting.

The Judicial and Public Safety Committee greenlit the deal with Logicalis, Inc., along with smaller contracts for violence prevention coordination, probationer job placement, and a new deputy coroner position. All still require full County Board approval.

Kevin Vaske, presenting the Logicalis contract, described it as "infrastructure to run the court system remotely in the event of a disaster," responding to a question from committee member Dawn DeSart. The contract covers the Clerk of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court, which handles cases across DuPage County, including for residents in Downers Grove, Woodridge, and Westmont. It runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031.

Committee member Yeena Yoo moved to approve the contract, seconded by Michael Childress. The county used a national cooperative purchasing agreement rather than competitive bidding to procure the deal.

Other contracts approved

The committee approved a grant-funded, one-year contract paying Diana Hightower up to $43,472 to coordinate the Family Violence Coordinating Council, which addresses intimate partner abuse, child abuse, teen dating violence, and elder abuse across DuPage County. That contract runs July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Michael Childress moved approval; Saba Haider seconded.

A $32,000 contract with Kelly Graham to identify job placements for unemployed probationers drew extended discussion. Committee members questioned how the program's success would be measured. The only metric described in the minutes: initial surveys sent at the end of the one-year contract period, which runs June 30, 2026, through June 29, 2027. Brian Krajewski moved approval; Yeena Yoo seconded.

The committee also approved a $50,000 sole-source contract with JusticeText, Inc. for audiovisual evidence management software for the Public Defender's Office, running July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

New deputy coroner sparks debate

A resolution adding one full-time deputy coroner drew what the minutes called a "lengthy discussion" about high staff turnover. Data provided by the Coroner's Office showed no significant increase in caseload, and committee members recommended that Coroner Lukas or a representative attend future meetings in person. Brian Krajewski moved approval; Yeena Yoo seconded. An $8,500 budget transfer covers salary and benefits for the new position.

Severe weather update

Committee Chair Lucy Evans opened the meeting by noting that severe weather in Naperville and Lisle the week of June 9 caused no serious injuries in DuPage County. She thanked the county's Department of Transportation, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and GIS department for their response.

What's next

All four major contracts were forwarded to the Finance Committee, which reviewed them at its Tuesday, June 23 meeting. No individual vote tallies were recorded in the June 16 minutes; only movers and seconders are listed. The contracts require full County Board approval before taking effect.