It's been a busy, productive week and it's only Thursday! Immediately after Tuesday's first County Board Meeting of the year, I attended my first Advisory Board Meeting--Public Health & Human Services Advisory Committee. Updates from the Human Services provider organizations, as well as agency reports were an excellent overview for me as a new member to the Board.
And, in an effort to get up to speed with the various departments and functions of Cook County, I met with several more departments. I appreciate the willingness and time being taken by the various department heads to give me a broad understanding of their work, personnel and challenges.
County Department Tours
County Attorney Tim Scannell was gracious enough to spend a couple of hours with me yesterday to discuss the Office of the County Attorney's roles and responsibilities, both criminal and civil. We also discussed the County Attorney's relationship to the County Board, sub-committees, the City of Grand Marais, and the public.
Sherriff Mark Falk and I met this morning for several hours regarding the Sherriff's Department and its operations. Sherriff Falk also gave me an overview on the NE Regional Radio Board and the ARMER project. I will be the delegate to that board, with Sheriff Falk as alternate, so it was very helpful to learn more about ARMER and other communication challenges faced by law enforcement.
As a way to learn more about the Cook County Soil & Water Board, District Manager Kerri Fabius invited me to attend this afternoon's Cook County Soil & Water regular board meeting. It was a good meeting to attend with a Soil Survey Report Presentation from USDA-NRCS Scientist Roger Risley.
And, last Monday, I attended a reception for Judge Michael Cuzzo in the Cook County Courtroom. The event was a comfortable way to meet Cook County's newly elected Judge as well as others working in Court Administration and related areas in Cook County.
