|
Road work
approved
A bid of $10,400 was accepted from
Ozyurt and Stone for engineering services. The work is to be done in
Chester Road District. A double box culvert needs to be installed.
Elkhart Hill Road, which received a
temporary patch and seal this past summer, will be receiving more
extensive rehabilitation next year. The project will be funded with
$100,000 in motor fuel tax. Logan County's assistant engineer, Brett
Aukamp, will design the project in-house this winter. When
completed this road should last 10 years or more.
The lowest bid of $20,060 was
awarded for construction on a section of road in Lake Fork Township.
Motor fuel tax funds, in the amount
of $187,000, will also be used for improvements at the intersection
of County Highway 10 and 800th Avenue (Coal Haul Road). Due to the
special needs of this intersection, the engineering will be
contracted out. A fee not to exceed $17,500 was approved for design
services from Cummins Engineering Corp.
GIS
progression
Last spring, pictures were taken of
the entire county, using digital cameras mounted over a window in
the bottom of a plane attached to a computer and the Global
Positioning System.
Out of that flight the county now
has a more accurate and updated map of the entire county. That map
will be the basis of many layers of information useful for a
multitude of purposes. It will aid the county in identifying
properties for land use and taxing. Most currently, local officials
are looking forward to the map to aid in economic development.
The next step the Logan County map
will go through is what is referred to as parcel mapping. Engineers
use software and information to fill in details such as roads and
property boundaries.
The geographic information system
development is a state-mandated project. Every county in the state
is required to do a county survey using GIS. The state keeps
extending the date of completion. It is now to be completed by 2006.
The county has received 80 percent
reimbursement from the state of Illinois for $30,000 for aerial work
that was performed. An increase in recording fees supplies the
county's share in the expense.
When completed, the project will
probably be put online for access by anyone. Some layers could
contain sensitive information that certain county departments need
to access. In that case the information would be protected by an
access code.
Furry
friends
Homeless animals will be kept warm
this winter. Pluth Heating and Cooling is installing a new furnace
at a cost of $6,240 at the animal control facility.
The animal shelter continues to
collect aluminum cans to help offset feeding their charges. The cans
raised $217 last month.
There were 65 animals to start
October. Then 64 cats or dogs were added, 11 were reclaimed, 21
adopted, 19 euthanized, five died, and 13 transferred. The month
ended with 60 cats and dogs in holding, looking for good homes.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
County
planning and improvements
Work on a new comprehensive county
plan has begun. Regional Planning Commission members began the
process by simply floating ideas at their first meeting.
The plan was last updated in 1978,
nearly 20 years ago, and is 250 pages long. The push to do the new
update was made in recognition that many parties -- city, county,
economic development partnership -- are ready and willing to work
together to market our area. Current and accurate information is
needed to do this.
Video
machines licensed
Liquor license holders must purchase
a license for every amusement device they have in their
establishment. This is a new regulation that will be enforced soon.
Snow
removal
A bid of $435 to remove snow from
county properties was accepted from the second-lowest bidder.
Larson's was awarded the bid. A bid of $390 was received from Triple
S Construction, located outside Logan County, but Vicky Hasprey and
Terry Werth said they would prefer the job done by someone within
the county.
Ten letters of violation were sent
out to residents with junk vehicles sitting on their property.
County zoning officer Budd Miller ran a campaign to get properties
cleaned up in unincorporated areas of the county, following a number
of complaints.
Recycling
electronics
Electronics recycling hits it big in
Logan County. Patrick O'Neill reported that 3.25 tons of TVs, 2.25
tons of computers and a total of 17 tons of electronics were turned
in at the October recycling.
Recycling for Illinois thanked the
county for their participation in what they deemed "a very
successful event." They look forward to coming back.
The recycling reduces hazardous
waste in landfills.
Tires
The Oct. 2 tire collection resulted
in 5,074 tires, with 33 percent from agricultural use.
Tires were sent to the tire
shredders and from there to ADM in Decatur. At ADM the material is
either burned for energy or turned into crumb that is used for
street curbs. It has excellent expansion and contraction properties.
County board chair Dale Voyles
thanked Dr. David Hepler and his family for his years of service and
their sacrifice of time.
Voyles did not seek re-election and
comes to his end of term as well. He is a candidate for mayor of
Lincoln.
Newly elected board members will be
sworn in at 9 a.m. on Monday at the Logan County Courthouse.
[Jan
Youngquist] |
