Logan County Board decides on wind farm, public transportation, board pay and precincts

[June 22, 2011]  Last evening, the Logan County Board made several major decisions affecting local farmers, rural landscape and economics; also transportation, board pay and election territories.

The board unanimously approved conditional use permits for the Sugar Creek One wind farm. The permits would be issued subject to completion of a list of conditions set by the county's zoning appeals board.

The list includes items that came out of the public hearing process as well as outstanding requirements determined by Logan County zoning officer Will D'Andrea and highway engineer Bret Aukamp.

At last week's board of whole, D'Andrea said the majority of concerns were with interference with National Weather Service radar. Sugar Creek representatives have been working with the National Weather Service and the Emergency Management Agency on measures acceptable to the NWS.

The company expects to be ready to make application for 116 building permit requests in 2012.

Public transportation coming to Logan County

Also gaining unanimous board support was an agreement to serve as grantee for a new public transportation system.

Community Action took the lead in developing the transportation plan and would be its administrator-manager.

The plan has been under development in conjunction with Menard and Mason counties since 2007. Menard pulled out just last week, which makes Logan and Mason the recipient of the $130,000-a-year grant that would provide a new form of low-cost transportation that has not been available previously.

Travel would be made available on call within communities, and destination trips to outside the area would be scheduled, including twice-a-week trips to Peoria and Springfield. More details would come forward on that in the near future.

Board compensation

In the form of a resolution, Jan Schumacher brought forth the recommendation for a change in Logan County Board member compensation:

Whereas:

• Offering a benefit for Logan County board members that is not desired by all who serve on the board creates inequity in compensation.

• The cost of health insurance premiums for Logan County employees and board members continues to increase greatly each year.

• The Logan County Board seeks to reduce as many expenditures as possible.

• The Illinois Constitution does not allow a change in salary during an elected official's term.

Recommendation:

• Individuals newly elected, re-elected or appointed will not be treated as employees of Logan County with respect to group insurance coverage.

• Active members of the board would be paid $60 per diem (meetings in one day) plus mileage.

Rick Aylesworth seconded the motion.

Finance chairman Chuck Ruben further explained that the mileage rate is set by the finance committee and that it can be changed at any time. Generally the rate is the same as that used by the state.

The total amount paid out for board members will not change. Ruben took the total amount that is currently being paid out to board members, including insurance benefits that some board members partake in, and then redistributed it evenly to all board members as a per diem.

The resolution passed 9-3.

Voting "yes" -- Terry Carlton, David Hepler, Bill Martin, Andrew Meister, Gene Rohlfs, Ruben, Schumacher, Bob Farmer, Rick Aylesworth.

Voting "no" -- Andy Anderson, Kevin Bateman, Pat O'Neill.

The new board member compensation plan would begin Dec. 1, 2012, and stand for 10 years.

Precincts

Reducing the county's 45 precincts to 28 precincts was unanimously approved. This would save the taxpayers more than $10,200 every election.

Last month the board re-approved six districts for board member representation, with slight changes in boundaries for population changes. That information is available now on the county's GIS, using the county board overlay.

The new precincts would also be viewable on the county's GIS soon.

[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]

Past related articles

• Logan County Board to make big decennial decisions: precincts and board member compensation

• Sugar Creek One wind farm heads to county board for final approval

• Community turns out for 1st public hearing on Sugar Creek One wind farm

• New wind farm enters local building permit process

• County board to decide salaries and benefits for next 10 years

• County gets start on decennial matters: district and precinct lines, board pay and benefits

More information

• Sugar Creek One project