At the Nov. 12 circuit-wide meeting, staff presented October bills for each county and the circuit voted to pay them. Susan (probation staff) said October bills totaled $9,654.38 for LaSalle County, $3,071.35 for Bureau County and $1,376.02 for Grundy County. She noted routine expenditures such as vehicle maintenance, laptops (two new laptops for LaSalle at $3,180.20), copier contracts, and training; she also said the Bureau County Aid to Dependent Children account balance is $239,082.09.

The presiding officer called for a motion to pay bills; a motion and second were recorded and the motion carried by voice vote.

After the billing discussion the presiding officer announced a court-safety action: "The chief judge's office is gonna buy [panic buttons] out of LaSalle County, and then we're gonna disperse it. We're gonna bill proportionally on the fair share because it goes across the circuit." He said judges were given the option and that 11 of 13 judges indicated they wanted the personal security buttons. The presiding officer said he did not yet have a total cost but that members should expect the line to appear on future fair-share billing.

Members asked whether the devices were preventive or a response to incidents; the presiding officer characterized them as preventive and reactionary — intended to secure a rapid security response if activated. He said the device is personal to each judge and will function wherever the judge is on courthouse property or in transit to the courtroom.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, which passed by voice vote; the next circuit meeting was scheduled for Dec. 10, 2025.