Friday, June 18, 2010
 
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County briefs: Zoning violators will feel the bite; building permits tailored for private-use wind towers; policy and procedures settled

Waterway safety, gaming machines and finances discussed

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[June 18, 2010]  It was a relatively short and quiet time this month when the Logan County Board met for its board-of-whole committees and the adjourned session.

Two ordinances and a resolution were brought to a vote. Much had been said on each of the following subjects in prior meetings. Zoning violations have been a frequent subject of meetings and past discussions. The need for new building permits for smaller wind towers has been under discussion for some time; an earlier proposal was sent back to committee for review and more detail. And, there were several long discussions in committee and at board-of-whole meetings about bringing the policy and procedures resolution up to modern times.

Zoning amendment adds detail for a fine against violators

The modified Zoning Ordinance 14.3 now reads as follows:

Misc

Any person, firm, or corporation who, after notification of violation and method of correction, continues to violate and/or refuse to obey any provision of this ordinance, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor, and shall be fined two hundred and fifty dollars ($250.00). Each day a violation exists or continues shall constitute a separate offense.

In short, if individuals are found guilty in court, they will have to pay $250 for each day a violation is not corrected after being informed of it.

The zoning ordinance amendment adding a $250 fee for violations was approved 11-0.

New intermediate wind tower building permit fees

A new building permit structure was added to the zoning ordinance to aid in the development of intermediate-sized wind farm towers. There was nothing specific in place for smaller wind turbines. What was available was cost-prohibitive. The new structure was designed for wind towers that are typically for private, noncommercial use and under 2 megawatts.

The amendment follows the Illinois statute structure, using electrical energy production potentials divided as follows:

  • 0 to 10 kilowatts

  • 10.1 to 40 kilowatts

  • 40.1 kilowatts to 2 megawatts

Approved 11-0.

Policy and procedures resolution

This resolution was first approved in April for 30 days of public display. Due to the way meeting dates fell, June was the first opportunity to vote on the matter.

The document of several pages serves as a companion to Robert's Rules of Order and adds more definition for board direction, such as for bid letting, meeting order, public comment time and other board orders.

The revised policy and procedures resolution was also approved 11-0.

There are 12 members of the board. John Stewart was absent for the evening.

Appointments

The board also unanimously approved Garland Gehrke to the review board.

County waterways remain dangerous; state intervention sought

During the General Assembly report, board chairman Terry Carlton said that he met on Wednesday with Rep. Rich Brauer and discussed the Salt Creek incidents. The county is seeking solutions to keep people from getting on area creeks when conditions are life-threatening.

The numbers have been added, and in a three-year period Logan County has had an inordinate number of water rescues. There have been 27 rescues in 36 months, and four deaths. What's worse is that many of these incidents were avoidable.

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Local officials are trying to focus on prevention. They've tried posting warning signs at waterways and have made announcements in the media. The signs have been taken down almost as soon as they have been put up, presumably by those the warning is there to protect.

Not only are officials interested in saving lives through prevention, but they must also consider safety of the rescue personnel. Often debris-filled floodwaters have put first responders' lives at risk.

In addition, the extensive manpower and long hours that are needed reduce the number of personnel available to attend to other incidents. It takes a toll on manpower and on finances from all departments.

Waterways are currently very dangerous and everyone is asked to stay off them.

Citizens should also remain vigilant of weather conditions. Saturated ground and heavy rains have caused and could cause more flooding of roadways.

Licensed county gaming and video machines vs. state gambling machines

Gloria Luster said that June 18 is the last day for liquor licenses. Gaming and video machine licenses for those entities would also be due at the same time.

After the meeting Luster said that for some establishments, there has been some confusion between the county's video and gaming machine licenses and the gambling machines that the state of Illinois is planning to deploy soon.

No machines currently in establishments in Logan County or elsewhere in Illinois now are supposed to have a payout. The video and gaming machines in Logan County can continue as they have been and will still be licensed through the county. They must have the county license sticker on them.

The state will be offering licensed gambling machines that have a payout for winnings.

The grant Santa is coming again

Emergency Management Agency and 911 Dispatch director Dan Fulscher was happy to share that he received word this week that Logan County would be receiving a grant of $148,100 that completes the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System radio work portion of the new 911 system.

[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]

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