If not already a West-Win member

please consider joining us!

Sheila Rutledge Stepping Down from County Board

DuPage County Board Member Sheila Rutledge submitted her resignation on Tuesday, effective upon the adjournment of the County Board meeting on Aug. 26, 2025.

Rutledge has served as a County Board Member since 2018. She currently serves as Chair of the Environmental Chair and co-Chair of the Affordable Housing Solutions Committee. In April, Rutledge won election as Winfield Township Supervisor. We thank Member Rutledge for her service and wish her well as she focuses on her new role.

Her vacant seat will be filled by Chair Deborah Conroy with the advice and consent of the County Board. The new appointee must be from the same political party – Rutledge is a Democrat. The newly appointed Board member will serve the remainder of Rutledge’s term, which expires Dec. 7, 2026.

Residents of District 6 who are interested in seeking appointment to the County Board should email a resume and letter of no more than 300 words outlining their interest to Chair Conroy at chair@dupagecounty.gov. The deadline for submission will be 4:30 p.m. June 20. A map of the district boundaries can be found on the DuPage County website.

– Valuable Information –

Open Burning of Landscape Waste in Unincorporated DuPage County

What’s not allowed?

The burning, of any garbage, debris, refuse, landscape waste in an open fire.

What are the exceptions?

• Fire fighter training, extinguisher training; Use of an air curtain destructor; Prairie & ecological landscape burns; Disposal of disaster debris as authorized by State, County or local authorities.

• “Recreational fires” are defined as an outdoor open fire for entertainment, leisure or cooking purposes, and which does not require a governmental permit. Recreational fires must be outdoors, but in all instances shall comply with the following:

  1. Fuel for a Recreational fire shall be limited to the burning of clean, seasoned, dry firewood. For the purpose of this Section, “clean, dry firewood” shall include dried logs and dried branches without leaves or greenery. “Firewood” shall not include grass, brush, roots, or other similar vegetation, construction materials, treated woods, plywood or pressure-treated wood.

  2. Recreational fires shall not use any fuel that produce excessive smoke, cinders or other emissions characteristic of non-seasoned wood.

  3. A Recreational fire shall not be used to dispose of any garbage, debris, refuse or waste (including landscape waste).

  4. Recreational fires shall be controlled burns. For the purpose of this Section, “controlled burn” or “controlled burning” shall mean a fire that is physically contained by fire pit, grill or other recognized containment method, and which is under constant, direct adult supervision at all times a flames or glowing embers are visibly present.

What are the penalties?

A person shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500.00) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), pursuant to 55 Illinois Compiled Statutes 5/5-1113. In addition to any fine imposed under this article, the court may order that the person convicted of such a violation remove and properly dispose of any illegally disposed yard waste, may employ special bailiffs to supervise such removal and disposal, and may tax the costs of such supervision as costs against the person so convicted.

https://www.dupagecounty.gov/government/departments/environment_and_sustainability/open_burning.php

Contact DuPage County 630-407-6700