 The full county board was given copies at Thursday evening's board
of whole. Committee chairmen are asked to pay particular attention
to the audit figures for the departments that their committee
oversees. Any errors will be submitted for correction, and the audit
will then go before the full board for acceptance.
The audit could be concluded by the end of July, Barrick said.
Finance chairman Chuck Ruben gave Barrick highest praises. "All
the county officers bragged on the people that you brought in," he
said. He offered his thanks in a sincerest tone: "It's been a
pleasure."
LDN will have further details on the audit after the board has
reviewed it.
Next year's budget
The process of developing next year's budget begins at the end of
this month. The finance committee will be hearing requests for funds
from county departments, agencies and others. The hearing will take
place July 27 and 28 from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the first-floor
county board room.
Candidate for District 6 seat
Terry Carlton, county board chairman, announced that although he
would not be present on Tuesday, he would be asking for a vote on
Kevin Bateman to fill the open District 6 board seat.
Bateman introduced himself as a lifelong resident of Lincoln. He
said he always kept up interest in county and city government but
didn't have the time to be involved. "Right now I do," he said.
He has been involved with running Little League baseball and has
coached youth basketball.
In his work experience he has been running auto parts and service
stores and departments. His current employer is Landmark Ford in
Springfield.
He said that once he began working, he never had to look for a
job. "They always came about," he said. He has not made applications
or resumes in recent years but has always been contacted by
businesses to come work for them.
As his strengths, he said that he keeps his departments under
budget and finds ways of doing things. "I get my department to work
together as a team, so there's no one person who does it all," he
said.
Committee meetings moving
It was announced that evening meetings of county board committees
that currently meet in the Logan County Courthouse are being moved
to the Blue Room in the public safety complex. The public is still
invited to attend these meetings and would be admitted through the
secure front door of the complex, located at 911 Pekin St.
The location change is being made due to security concerns.
During meetings after hours, there is no security at the courthouse.
The doors have been kept unlocked for public access. However, there
has been no supervision of the building outside of the meeting room.
The two full board meetings will continue to be in the
courthouse. The board of whole meets on the Thursday before the
third Tuesday of each month, and the adjourned board meets on the
third Tuesday, both at 7 p.m. Security is supplied at the courthouse
during those two meetings.
Highlights of committee reports heard during Thursday's board
of whole:
Airport -- Fuel sales are increasing. Last month, 1,215
gallons of fuel were sold. Some 400 gallons per month had been sold
previously. The fuel bought during a time of high prices was reduced
to $4 per gallon a couple of months ago to spur sales.
[to top of second column]
 |
 Animal control -- Chairman Gloria Luster reported that annual
community contract renewals are being completed. Mount Pulaski,
Lincoln, Middletown and Hartsburg contracts have been signed, and a
couple more are expected soon.
The facility passed its annual inspection by the Department of
Agriculture and received positive comments. "They were impressed
with the low odor this year and care of the animals," Luster said
The next fiscal year's goal is to get new kennels. Dr. Sanborn is
researching what kennels would be the best choice. The new kennels
are estimated to cost over $30,000.
Building and grounds -- Chairman John Stewart announced that the
county had secured grants for lighting upgrades at the safety
complex and courthouse. The Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity offered the grant funding through its Clean Energy
Foundation.
Total project costs:
-
Safety complex,
$16,731
-
Courthouse, $29,608
Grants received:
-
Safety complex,
$12,155
-
Courthouse, $22,206
Out of pocket:
-
Safety complex,
$4,176
-
Courthouse, $7,400
Stewart credited work by Jan Schumacher and Carlton in getting
the grants.
Decisions are narrowing for the replacement of the Civil War
soldier monument. The committee expects to assist with some funding
for this project and some funding for the kennels needed at animal
control.
Chamber of commerce -- Chairman Jan Schumacher said that
plans for the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival are falling into place.
All the balloon sponsorships are in. Entertainment sponsorships are
still available.
Community Action -- Chairman Pat O'Neill said that the Head
Start program received a grant and was able to purchase two new
buses.
Law enforcement -- Sheriff Steve Nichols reported a problem
with heating and cooling at the safety complex. A 15-year-old
compressor has been leaking. The minimum bid for a new compressor
was $115,000. It would cost $12,500 to repair the old one.
The system has had multiple repairs made by many different
companies. This has in some cases created additional problems. R.A.
Mechanical is now helping to resolve some of the accumulated
problems, the sheriff reported.
Schumacher suggested looking into if there would be a grant
available for going green in the building.
Planning and zoning -- Chairman David Hepler was absent.
Planning and zoning officer Will D'Andrea said that the regional
planning commission and the zoning appeals board both approved
increasing wind turbine tower heights and setback distance from
permanent structures. The tower height limit would be 750 feet, with
a corresponding setback of 1,000 feet.
Road and bridge -- Chairman Terry Werth was out sick. Bob
Farmer reported that three bids were received for the County Highway
10 (Elkhart-Mount Pulaski blacktop) project. Illinois Paving won the
low bid at $4,453,000. "As soon as the state says it's OK, it's a
go," he said.
Joint solid waste -- Chairman Pat O'Neill said that the
previous recycling center has suspended service. New recycling
service providers are being sought, but the choices so far are at a
considerably higher cost.
[By
JAN YOUNGQUIST] |
