The Will County Board Public Health & Safety Committee on Thursday heard urgent requests for facility and funding support from two of the county’s key public-facing departments. The committee took no final action on the requests but signaled support for future consideration.

Will County Animal Protection Services detailed a critical space shortage at its current facility, which officials said was never designed to house animals and is now hampering operations. Administrator Anna Payton described the building as severely overcrowded and plagued by infrastructure failures, a situation that has forced the suspension of its public adoption program. The department, which is self-funded through rabies tag registrations, will return to the county with a formal capital request for a new building. (A full story on this presentation is available.)

The committee also heard from the Will County Health Department, which is requesting a $1 million increase to its property tax levy to save 11 jobs. Officials said the positions, including nurses and disease investigators, were funded by temporary federal grants created during the pandemic that are now expiring. Without the levy increase, they warned of deep cuts to core services like high-risk pregnancy support, immunizations, and communicable disease control. (A full story on this request is available.)

West Nile Virus Detected in Joliet
The Will County Health Department has detected West Nile virus in three separate mosquito batches collected near the Sunny Hill Nursing Home campus in Joliet. According to a report from Sunny Hill Administrator Maggie McDowell, two positive tests came from mosquitoes trapped directly behind the nursing home. The facility is taking extra precautions, including ensuring residents using outdoor patio areas in the evening have insect repellent applied by staff to protect the vulnerable population from potential exposure.

Health Department Highlights Outreach Efforts
The Will County Health Department continues its community outreach, participating in four different events last weekend alone, according to a report from health official Elizabeth Bilotta. The department is also celebrating National Health Center Week from August 3-9. Recent highlights include the opening of a second milk depot for nursing mothers at the department’s Bolingbrook office and a CBS News story that featured the work of its environmental health interns in combating West Nile virus.

Committee Approves July Minutes
The committee voted unanimously to approve the meeting minutes from its previous regular meeting on July 3, 2025. The motion was made by committee member Mica Freeman (D-Plainfield) and passed with a roll call vote.

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