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The appeal was filed Tuesday by the
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council
31. Joining AFSCME as parties to the appeal were parents and the
local union president, Don Todd.
The filing asks the Logan County
Circuit Court to rule that the planning board did not follow its own
rules on when to allow a facility to close. The union also filed a
separate motion asking the court to stay the board’s decision until
the appeal can be heard.
On Thursday, planning board members
cited a lack of state funds as the primary reason to approve the
closure. Gov. George Ryan cut LDC’s appropriation even after the
facility was fully funded by the state legislature.
Roberta Lynch, deputy director of
Council 31, pointed out that the board’s mission is to ensure
adequate health care services throughout the state.
"Nowhere in the Health Facilities
Planning Act does it state that the board should consider how to
fund a facility," said Lynch. "The planning board’s rules are very
clear: Closing facilities must ensure that residents have
alternative services in the area. Despite the department’s own
admission that it is sending LDC residents as far away as Chicago,
the board approved the closure."
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Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, of the
59th District noted that the funding problem was inflated by DHS in
its presentation to the board.
"DHS clearly has the authority to
transfer up to $100 million in appropriations this year — far in
excess of what is needed to fund LDC," Bomke said. "Additionally, I
and several of my colleagues have committed to working for a
supplemental appropriation during the upcoming veto session."
LDC is moving residents out at a fast
clip. Of the 153 residents remaining at the facility last week, 78
have been moved out already.
Lincoln Parents Association
co-president Linda Brown added, "Unless a judge intervenes, DHS will
move the remaining residents out by the end of the month."
Background
on the governor’s effort to shutter Lincoln Developmental Center and
Zeller Mental Health Center, along with eliminating services for the
developmentally disabled at Singer Developmental Center, is
available at the union’s Internet site,
www.afscme31.org, using the
search term "Lincoln Developmental Center."
[AFSCME
Council 31 news release]
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Issues concerning a county coordinator
and courthouse security cameras were sent to committee.
Following the lead of the city council
on Monday night, the board voted to include 4.77 acres on Fifth
Street Road and Lincoln Parkway in the Lincoln/Logan County
Enterprise Zone. Logan Lanes and American Legion Post 263 occupy the
site.
In July the board took a straw vote in
favor of the inclusion. Since then the Regional Planning Commission
has held a public hearing at which all speakers favored the
proposal. Following the two local votes, the issue goes to the
Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs for
certification.
The enterprise zone is intended to
encourage job creation. The rebuilt American Legion Post is expected
to employ three people full time and five part time. Logan Lanes
representatives have said their planned expansion will add two or
three new employees.
Dan Fulscher, 911 director, read a
resolution to honor those who died on Sept. 11, 2001. On the first
anniversary of the tragedy, Logan County citizens are asked to fly
flags at half-mast, wear black armbands and remember each of the
four moments when a plane struck by observing a minute of silence.
The four times are 8:45, 9:03, 9:41 and 10:10 a.m. In addition,
church bells are to be rung and emergency vehicle lights and sirens
turned on during those four minutes. Schools are asked to describe
the strikes on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the crash in
Pennsylvania before observing the moments of silence.
Circuit Clerk Carla Bender informed the
board about a bid from Viscon Networking Innovations to provide
virus protection for county computers. The bid totals $11,443.26 but
is divided by department. Each office is to be billed to protect its
workstations and hard drives plus one-ninth the cost of shielding
the e-mail system. All officials have already approved payment from
their budgets except Sheriff Tony Solomon. Bender will cover the
cost of the sheriff’s department’s one computer in the system.
The county board voted 8-3 to use
building and grounds monies to pay for virus protection for board
secretary Joanne Marlin’s computer. Doug Dutz, Paul Gleason and Jim
Griffin opposed the measure. Dutz said he does not think it is legal
to vote on an item not specifically listed on the agenda. Chair Dick
Logan said the issue was included in the Building and Grounds
Committee report. Roger Bock and Gloria Luster were absent from the
meeting.
Another bid brought by Bender was sent
to Building and Grounds. George Alarm in Springfield bid to provide
four security cameras for the courthouse. Two would be placed on
counters in Bender’s criminal and civil division offices and two on
the second and third floors of the courthouse rotunda.
Bender said she wants the cameras to
protect her staff, who deal frequently with people who have just
heard unpleasant news, such as jail sentences or fines. She offered
to pay half the cost from her budget. The price to lease the
equipment is a one-time fee of $2,643 plus $80 a month for service
and parts. The cost for outright purchase is $4,900.
In another issue ultimately sent to
committee, chair Rod White and Dale Voyles of the Finance Committee
asked for board direction on whether to continue researching the
issue of hiring a county coordinator. After discussion, Logan
directed the question to the Insurance and Legislative Committee.
Voyles, who chairs that committee, objected and said the issue would
resurface at Finance.
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Voyles and Dave Hepler circulated a job
description modeled on the coordinator in Livingston County.
According to the draft, the coordinator would report to the county
board chair and be responsible for such functions as budgeting,
purchasing, communication and controlling expenses. Costs would
include salary of about $45,000 plus up to that amount again in
benefits and office expenses.
"It will be new money," said White,
asking for direction even though he does not expect a vote on the
position this year. "I don’t want to put it in the budget unless the
board says to look into it." If the board votes to hire a
coordinator, the Finance Committee will have to find the funds.
White said no one knows yet whether any other position would be
eliminated or modified.
Voyles argued that the position would
increase efficiency. A county coordinator could avoid duplication of
effort and provide a readily available spokesperson for the county.
The board’s responsibility is to give direction and set policy, he
affirmed. The coordinator would implement decisions and run the
day-to-day operation.
Hepler and Cliff Sullivan supported
researching the concept. Sullivan echoed Voyles in saying a
coordinator could reduce the load on board members. Logan, however,
disagreed. "I think a board member is here to work, not just to
vote," he said as he directed the issue to committee.
In other business the board
• Voted to hire Hanson
Professional Services to apply a porous friction course to one
runway at Logan County Airport. In cracked areas, a new base will be
laid and covered with an inch of asphalt containing coarser
aggregate so water does not stand on the runway. The treatment,
planned for 2003, is expected to extend runway life by eight to 10
years. According to the 90-5-5 funding formula, the county’s share
of the approximately $300,000 project is $15,000 or less.
• Learned that the Finance
Committee has heard budget requests for fiscal year 2002-03 from The
Oasis senior center, Community Action and Healthy Communities
Partnership ($80,000 total), Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of
Commerce ($25,000), J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum ($4,750), and
Logan County Soil and Water Conservation District ($4,000, with
$4,000 to be returned to the county for its soil survey). All but
the Hawes request duplicate 2001-02 budget items. The Economic
Development Council is asking for a $670,000 loan to buy ground for
a commerce park, with repayment to come from lot sales. Half the
lots must be sold to retire the loan.
• Heard that Dick Logan,
Lincoln Mayor Beth Davis and Highway Superintendent Tom Hickman met
with staff of Sen. Peter Fitzgerald to ask for $13.5 million from
the federal government to improve Fifth Street Road. Logan said
money is available in 2004 for secondary roads.
• Learned that, because
distributions from the state are getting caught up, county revenues
are nearing budget projections for this date, and expenses are 3
percent below budget.
• Approved Logan’s
appointment of Sullivan to the Finance Committee and White and Dutz
to the team to negotiate the Health Department contract.
•
Heard that Illinois FIRST money for the
Indian Mother statue project and for playground equipment for Scully
Park is expected in the next few weeks. The workday at Scully Park
has been rescheduled to Sept. 14.
[Lynn
Shearer Spellman]
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