Logan County Housing Authority: Tonya Bare
replaces Janet Schultz for a term of July 2005 to June 2007.
Logan County Emergency Telecommunications System Board: Stanley
L. Anderson will fill the term of Bob Mayer; term to April 2006.
Shawn Lawrence will fill the term of Jim Pinney; term to April
2007.
Justin Montgomery has been accepted as the new deputy animal
control warden.
* * *
Prevailing Wage Act
Every year government entities are required to adopt and adhere
to paying specific minimum wages for work they contract out to
laborers. The wage amounts are set forth under the state's
Prevailing Wage Act. Noncompliance with this standard would result
in not receiving various forms of state and federal funds, such as
grants.
The Prevailing Wage Act resolution was on the July agenda, but
after discussion it was decided to postpone adopting it until board
members had a copy to review and they fully understand what it is
they are passing. Of great importance is to review the actual
required wages for various jobs that the resolution would be applied
to in Logan County.
* * *
2005 Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival
Preparations continue for the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival Aug.
26-28. The balloon festival portion will move to the Logan County
Airport grounds.
Illinois American Water has agreed to supply a couple of culverts
and white rock and do the work at the entries that are being
created.
Fencing materials are still being sought. You can contact the
Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce is you have fence posts to
donate.
The carnival, entertainment, food vendors and the beer tent will
be located at the airport grounds as well.
* * *
Committee chairman were asked to talk to the departments they
oversee about staying within their budgets. Unanticipated, high
expenses have bumped several departments over budget. Finance
committee chairman Chuck Ruben issued the directive not only because
the county anticipates a squeeze at the end of this fiscal year, but
also it is illegal, he said. To maintain those budgets, he has
informed the treasurer not to pay out funds until they are
available.
* * *
Approval to negotiate an additional150 days in the juvenile
detention agreement with McLean County was granted. Contracting
reduces costs from $110 to $80 per day. The initial package for the
fiscal year was for 120 days. An additional 100 days were added
earlier this year but have already been used up.
Abraham Lincoln sites in Mount Pulaski and Lincoln continue to
see more visitors who are bound for or coming from the Abraham
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.
The Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County committee has
asked if the county would take over their bookkeeping. They have
been having problems with it for some time.
Ruben recommended to the county board that this would a good
idea. The county will take over issuing checks for them.
The resignation of tourism director Celeste Rogers last month
fell as the area heads into a busy season with the county fair and
the art and balloon fest in August and the Railsplitter Festival in
September. Ron Schilling stepped up to serve as temporary director
of tourism at $1,000 while the committee sorts through applications.
He said it is for one month and that's it.
Schilling is president of Lincoln and Logan County Development
Partnership and just retired as president of Lincoln College in May.
The tourism bureau receives much of its income from the
hotel-motel taxes that are collected by the state. Those figures are
made known monthly, but they are always in arrears from when they
are collected.
It has been observed for the past couple of months that some of
those figures have been falling off. This has been occurring mostly
with locally owned businesses. There are several possible reasons
that this could happen, such as the fact that after 30 days patrons
cease to be identified as a tourist. There is also a threshold of
income the businesses must meet before taxes are drawn that go to
tourism. And one motel, the Budget Inn, had a fire and a new roof
put on.
Tourism committee chair Paul Gleason will be looking into the
matter.
* * *
Bioterrorism preparations
The Logan County Health Department administrator submitted a copy
of the updated bioterrorism plan to the county board for alternative
placement. The hefty notebook will be stored in an undisclosed
location for safekeeping.
* * *
Experts in big cases cost
The number of high-cost court cases has increased in Logan County
this year. Logan County Public Defender Patrick Timoney said that he
would need his budget upped from $3,000 to $10,000 to cover the
added costs. Some of the expense is due to experts who are required
to testify. He is also seeking some state funds to help with the
costs.
* * *
Roads and bridges
Culverts were approved for Sheridan Township at $139,550.60 and
Chester Township at $169,369.10. The county will enter a 50-50
shared construction agreement with Orville Road District. The county
portion is $40,000. It will come out of the road and bridge fund.
