January 28, 2022
www.ssmma.org
News from SSMMA
SSMMA Presents Legislative Priorities to Government Leaders
"We’ve long held to a unified vision for the Southland: a stronger, more economically vibrant, and competitive region," said Richton Park Mayor Richard Reinbold, SSMMA's Legislative Committee Chairman, during the Association's annual Legislative Program held via webinar on Friday, January 28, 2022.

"Our goal this year for our region is to secure resources, spur investment, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, and accelerate transformational inclusive economic growth in the South Suburbs."

Reinbold presented SSMMA's overarching priority goals for the south suburban region, which are:

  1. Restore Local Government Distributive Funds (LGDF) to 8% (HB 4169/SB 3010)
  2. Pass the Southland Reactivation Act (HB 1842/SB 2178)
  3. Implementation of a robust Capital Program that addresses the backlog of projects and accelerates investment in the Southland.

"Restoring LGDF payments to local communities to 8% is an important step for local governments and allows for stability and certainty in budgeting and responsibly funding basic services, infrastructure investment, and public safety costs," emphasized Mayor Reinbold during Friday's legislative webinar.

SSMMA urged legislators to support bills to help municipalities in the Southland continue to improve the quality of life for residents through economic development and stability. See the 2022 State Legislative Priorities for more information.

Earlier this week, Thornton Mayor Robert Kolosh, President of SSMMA, joined local leaders from surrounding counties and across the state to issue a letter to Governor Pritzker requesting his support for HB 4169 and SB 3010 to increase LGDF to 8% with the automatic appropriation of these funds.

"SSMMA would like to thank our Southland delegation for collaborating with us and working to advance these Southland priorities," said President Kolosh as the webinar concluded.

If you have questions about SSMMA's 2022 Legislative Priorities please contact President Robert Kolosh, Legislative Chairman Rick Reinbold, or SSMMA Executive Director Kristi DeLaurentiis.

Visit SSMMA Legislative page for the full recording of the 2022 legislative webinar, and to learn more about the associations' priorities.

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Transportation Committee Meeting - February 8th at 2:00pm

Housing and Community Development Collaborative Meeting - February 10th at 9:00am

Click here to view SSMMA's 2022 meeting schedule.
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SSMMA ARPA Resource Page
• SSMMA now offers an American Rescue Plan Act resource page for community leaders to access the latest information about program criteria and updates for Cook and Will County municipalities.

SSMMA 2020 Census Data Page

• Access the most recent 2020 Census data for the SSMMA region on the newest data web map or census dashboard.
COVID-19 News
As vaccination efforts across south suburban Cook continue, the percentage of vaccinated south suburban residents is progressing slowly. SSMMA's COVID Vaccine Tracker shows that the current regional vaccination rate is 52.4%, compared to 66.0% statewide.

  • As of January 28th, the seven-day average positivity rate for the SSMMA region is 8.64%, versus 9.5% for Suburban Cook County.


  • Find regional vaccination rates and vaccine clinics directly at ssmmacovid.org.
State and Local COVID-19 Information
• Cook County organizations can request rapid antigen tests directly from CCDPH.

• As of January 3rd Cook County Department of Public Health issued a new mitigation order regarding the vaccine mandate.

• Will County Health Department & Community Center allows residents to schedule first-time vaccinations and booster shots directly on their website.
Community Vaccination Information
• The mass vaccination site in Matteson has re-opened from 8am-6pm Tues-Sat and from 10am-4pm on Sunday. Walk-ins are welcome.

• All Cook County Health Community Centers are offering Pfizer vaccines for children 5+.

• South Suburban College is partnering with IDPH to provide all three vaccinations and PCR testing Mon-Sat from 8:00am-4:00pm.

• Cook County Department of Public Health is partnering with Kaizen Health for the Destination to Vaccination program to assist residents with rides to get their vaccines.
Business & Residential Resources

• Find a list of federal and DCEO grant opportunities here.

• The Pritzker Administration has announced $45 million in grants through the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) Program for eligible organizations. Learn more.

• Illinois residents impacted by COVID-19 are still eligible to receive rental assistance through the Department of Human Services. Learn more.

• The Cook County Community Recovery Initiative offers resources and assistance to residents and businesses. Learn more.

• Will County offers resources for residents and businesses impacted by the pandemic.
January News from Our Community Partners
Office of Congressman Bobby Rush Announce FEMA Grant Opportunity for Local Fire Departments in Illinois
• The Office of Congressman Bobby Rush has announced the Fire Prevention & Safety Program directly available to fire departments and non-profit organizations through FEMA.

• The application deadline is Friday, February 18th at 5:00pm.

• Find additional information and application details here.






• CEDA has launched a Low Income Household Water Assistance (LIHWA) Grant Program designed to assist low-income households in Cook County with the payment of their water and wastewater utility bills.
• Elevate is looking for contractors to work with the City of Chicago Roof & Porch Repair Program. The selected pool of contractors will complete 200 jobs in 2022.

• Submissions are due by February 14th.

Cook County Announces Call for Invest in Cook and Community Development Block Grant Program Applications
• Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways is now accepting applications for the Invest in Cook and Community Development Block Grant Program.

• The application deadline for both programs is Wednesday, March 16th at 5:00pm.
SPC News

Granite POTS Replacement Webinar a Success!

  • On Friday, January 21, Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) Telecommunications Vendor Granite Government Solutions (Contract #205) held a webinar on Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) replacement solutions.

  • Given significant cost increases recently imposed to continue servicing POTS lines and as more and more carriers move to abandon these legacy copper phone lines, it makes sense to examine how to save money on replacement solutions. Led by Granite Senior Sales Executive Frank Ventrella, the webinar was attended by 18 municipalities and agencies.

  • Each month, Granite will host free webinars for SPC participants to discuss topics pertinent to the telecommunications industry and the SPC program. The topic for February’s webinar will be SIP – Advanced Data Solutions. Invitations to the webinars are sent to NWMC Assistant Managers, Finance Directors, IT Directors, and purchasing Agents.

  • If someone else in your agency would like to attend, please have them contact NWMC Purchasing Director Ellen Dayan, edayan@nwmc-cog.org to be added to the list. For more information on upcoming webinars or to review the complete lineup of services offered by Granite, please contact Frank Ventrella, 630-649- 0823 or fventrella@granitenet.com.

View the current SPC Catalog here.
Have something you'd like included in our next newsletter? Email it to news@ssmma.org.