County OKs road and bridge improvements; enhanced 911 cell phone calls 1 step away; fuel pump temporarily shut down at airport; new on-site wastewater disposal regulations; and more

(Originally posted Wednesday afternoon)

[May 21, 2009] 

Road and bridge improvements and repairs

Terry Werth, road and bridge chairman for the county, presented the following measures, which were all approved by the Logan County Board on Tuesday evening:

• Request for aid from county bridge fund to help Atlanta Township repair erosion under a bridge at 2400th Street -- $6,000.

• Preliminary engineering services by Henderson & Associates for bridge repair over Kickapoo Creek on Nicholson Road, not to exceed $17,273. 

• Preliminary engineering services by Hutchison Engineering for a box culvert replacement on County Highway 10 (Elkhart to Mount Pulaski), not to exceed $32,500. 
  
  Last week it was announced that the state had awarded an economic development grant of $2 million for sections of the road that affect the expansion and continued operations at the Viper Mine. The road connects Elkhart to Mount Pulaski and provides access to Interstate 55 and Illinois Route 121. (See article: County planning and actions pay off. Major Elkhart-to-Mount Pulaski road project moving forward)

Fifth Street Road

Bret Aukamp, county highway engineer, has been working with the city of Lincoln to find funding for the urban section of the Fifth Street Road project. A joint request was submitted to U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock. 

Box culvert construction along the rural section of Fifth Street Road will begin soon. A bid for several culverts came in under estimate at $270,000. In committee last month, Aukamp explained that the culverts could be installed now, with major renovations on the road to come later.

The county received a significant grant to cover the costs of this portion of the project. (See article: County receives funding for Fifth Street Road improvements)

911 expansions and developments

Dan Fulscher, emergency management director, reported that the upgrades to the communications room and emergency operations center are going well and are expected to be completed in June.  

Also in progress is the second phase of wireless 911 communications. Two companies have been working diligently and expect completion by June 15. This phase integrates the Logan County Geographic Information System and 911 mapping and will provide "enhanced 911," which will identify the location of cellular calls anywhere around Logan County soon. 

Pump problem

The fuel pump at the Logan County Airport was shut down on Monday. The pump is a self-serve style that dispenses aviation fuel. An automated credit card reader initiates operation.  

The county's auditors recently noticed a discrepancy of approximately $19,000 between pump transactions and bank statements for last year. 

Carlton said in a note today: "Currently we have notified the sheriff, our insurance companies, pump manufacturer and our bank about the mismatch in the transactions. It is the response from the credit card company that authorizes the pump-to-pump fuel. It appears that it is very random, but when it does (have a problem), it is messed up for the whole day."

He said that the pump company would be here Wednesday to discuss the problem. "We are very concerned about this and are aggressively researching it, but at this time we don't know where the problem is at," he said. "One of our goals is to get the airport pump operating again this weekend, as with the Memorial Day traffic there is a great opportunity for fuel sales."

Briefs

The county has received a $19,210 energy lighting grant for the courthouse.

Logan County has extended the juvenile detention contract with McLean County for 175 more beds.

Sewer ordinance revision

The Logan County Department of Public Health presented modifications to the ordinance regulating on-site wastewater disposal in Logan County. Matt Ringenberg, director of environmental health, said that the department acts as an agent for the state. Illinois Environmental Protection Agency changes to surface discharge regulations led to the review and revision process.

The revised "Logan County Private Sewage Ordinance" specifies more control in areas such as the trickle to streams; sets limits to properties where there isn't an alternative system; and requires that more information, such as soil investigation, be collected for the effects of septic systems on groundwater. The ordinance calls for subdivisions to have borings on 1-acre areas, particularly where there are soil type changes; addresses variations on slopes with subsoil or surface discharge; and integrates usage of soil type layers and global positioning found in the new GIS.

The health department has been working with local contractors, helping them understand the new changes and establishing a certification to install private wastewater systems. The local contractors are up to speed, but out-of-town contractors are still a concern, Ringenberg said.

The ordinance was first approved by the Logan County Board of Health and received unanimous approval from the county board on Tuesday. (See ordinance.)

Chairman's report

During his chairman's report, Carlton announced that he would be appointing an information technologies committee. Carlton believes it is time to begin development of an IT department. It has become more evident every year that the county is in need of someone who is knowledgeable in computer systems and familiar with other technology. This person might even oversee phone systems and copiers.

Carlton suggested that the county may want to integrate the initial GIS work into the IT position as well. As the GIS gets rolling and requires more time to add and update information, a separate GIS person would need to be hired.

Carlton said that he would ask Bill Martin to lead the IT committee. Various department heads would also be asked to sit on it, including Aukamp, Fulscher and Sally Litterly, county clerk and recorder.

"We're kind of up against some things with GIS," Carlton said. The committee will probably meet monthly once it is established, but may require more than that to get started, he said. He'd like to see the IT plans laid out in time to be included in the next year's budget.

In the nearing future

Last week, board member David Hepler presented two possibilities on the horizon for Logan County.

Ameren may approve land for use that would allow for a bicycle trail over the Salt Creek bridge on the Lincoln beltway. The land would allow the bridge to have 10-foot shoulders, which would help with a bike trail, he said. It was not known if the land would be a donation.

Hepler also informed board members that at the Logan County Regional Planning Commission he had heard an introduction to a wind farm plan that would have over 100 towers with the potential of $2 million to $3 million in revenue for local government. This is a tremendous opportunity for the schools, he said. The New Holland-Middletown school district would see the most benefit.

[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]