In This Issue
· DuPage River Access
· College Savings with Illinois Treasurer: Tomorrow!
· Document Shredding Day
· August Coffee & Conversation
Dear Friends,
In the past few weeks since our last update, I along with your 41st District staff and interns have been concentrating much of our work reaching out to the community—meeting you where you are in your neighborhoods, community centers, and local events. Thank you for having us and sharing your thoughts with us. Please always feel free to reach out if you’d like me to visit with your group to give a legislative or any other district- or state-related update.
We do these visits for a few main reasons: to make sure you know how to contact us, to let you know about upcoming events, and to understand what’s on your mind and how we might best serve you. One area of concern we’ve heard is around keeping public access to the DuPage River. While the work here remains ongoing, I’ve included below an update on how I and a group of other local legislators have been progressing.
You’ve also given us much feedback on the types of events and services you want to see from our office, so I’m especially excited to be hosting a College Savings Plan Seminar with the Illinois State Treasurer on Tuesday, August 10, as well as a Document Shredding Day on Saturday, August 14. We hope to see you at these upcoming events!
Sincerely,
Janet
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DuPage River Access
We’ve received many inquiries from our community about public access to the DuPage River following recent stories (for example, here and here) in local media. A number of your local legislators and I have been working with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to understand and find a resolution to this issue. I’ve included below a copy and link to the joint letter we penned in support of continued public access to the DuPage River.
Our research remains ongoing given the complexity of this issue. According to IDNR, the DuPage River is not a public body of water, though portions of it are owned by public entities, such as municipalities, park districts, and forest preserves. Those public entities may allow the public access to the river at public launch areas or other means, but permission to access those publicly owned properties along the river does not make the entire DuPage River a public body of water.
A recent petition that seeks to have the DuPage River listed as a public water body is one important step in potentially addressing this situation. I continue to work with my General Assembly colleagues, our local municipalities, and IDNR and will provide updates as we understand how to best proceed.
College Savings with Illinois Treasurer: Tomorrow!
Illinois' Bright Start 529 College Savings Plan is one of only three 529 plans in the nation rated Gold by Morningstar. This is what one of my Morningstar colleagues wrote about our state’s plan:
“The Illinois Bright Start Direct-Sold College Savings Program boasts an impressive fund lineup, strong plan oversight, and competitive fees. It remains a top choice for college savers and retains its Morningstar Analyst Rating of Gold."
Please join me tomorrow (August 10) at 6 pm in a conversation with Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Morningstar’s lead 529 researcher, Madeline Hume to learn more about what makes this plan so special.
Document Shredding Day
Senator Laura Ellman and I are happy to be sponsoring a free community document shredding day this Saturday, August 14 at the 95th Street branch of the Naperville Library. This drive-up, on-site paper shredding event will take place from 10:00 am to noon, or until the shredding truck reaches capacity. This free service is for residents and is limited to three boxes per car.
August Coffee & Conversation
On the last Saturday of every month, we host a Coffee & Conversation for our community. July’s coffee was the first hybrid-version of this get-together, and we had great chats on ways to address environmental waste and recent pet store-related legislation, among other topics. These are casual ways to share your concerns and learn about what’s going on in the district and in Springfield, so please consider joining us at this month’s Coffee & Conversation!
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