 Of primary importance to decide is the next fiscal year budget. The
budget begins Dec. 1.Finance chairman Chuck Ruben presented
several corrections and recommended amendments to line items in
several courthouse departments and the highway department budgets.
Ruben said the changes would result in a net reduction of $16,427.
The amendments were all tentatively approved by straw vote.
Several other adjustments were agreed on, and the board indicated
that it would pass the budget Tuesday night.
The board has created a new position for a county administrative
assistant. Following an executive session to discuss a legal matter
of personnel with Logan County State's Attorney Jonathan Wright,
four candidates were interviewed last Thursday. The board made an
offer to an individual after the meeting. The name has not been
released yet. Her hiring is expected to be approved at the Tuesday
night adjourned session.
Mark Hilliard, administrator of the Logan County Department of
Public Health, told the county board he had determined that related
to the county cuts in the health department's budget, the local
Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program would need to be shut
down. He announced this last month, and the Board of Health had
agreed and voted since then to discontinue the program.
Hilliard sent in related paperwork to the state office that
supplies the grant funding.
He received a call Wednesday afternoon from the Office of Women's
Health expressing their pleasure at the work that the Logan County
department's administrator and staff had done with the program as a
charter lead agency.
The state office was disappointed that the program would be
discontinued here and offered to make up a shortfall of $42,000 for
Logan County to continue the program for this year.
The state would be sending a new amended grant agreement. The
grant runs through June next year. "It avoids laying off three
employees in that area," Hilliard said.
With the time at hand to pass an annual budget, Ruben questioned
whether the health department would be under the same budget
regulations as the county. "It is illegal to change more than 5
percent of the budget," he said.
Hilliard said he would look into the matter and hoped to return
with more confirmed information concerning the grant and budget
requirements.
Airport committee chairman Gene Rohlfs announced that there are a
couple of hangars that were privately built at the Logan County
Airport 25 years ago, with the land leased to the owners, Eric Hill
and Kevin Lessen. These hangars will be turned over to the county
soon and be made available to rent.
Rohlfs suggested that the rental rate for the larger hangar be
set at $180 per month and the smaller hangar be let for $76 per
month.
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Jan Schumacher reported on several activities by the buildings
and grounds committee. It was recommended to contract Flippers with
a bid at the same rate as last year for this year's snow removal at
county properties.
Bill Martin recommended that a riprap project around a bridge in
Elkhart Township be approved at $8,500.
Ruben recommended that the board agreed to pass the annual
abatement ordinance. Ruben explained that when the bonds to pay for
major criminal cases (the Harris brothers' murder trials) were
passed last year, it was with the plan to pay back the money out of
a sales tax. But if the county were not able to do that, property
taxes would be raised enough to cover payment. This year the sales
tax would be used.
Bid packets are being prepared for the county to hire someone to
do an actuary report assessing the county's liability for people who
are retired and going to retire. This is a three-year requirement.
The county would go out for bids on hiring someone.
Schumacher explained that at no cost to the county, Landmark, a
consulting company that the county had worked with previously, had
prepared an exterior lighting study for the Logan County Courthouse.
There would be an actual mock-up with lighting performed to see
how the proposed lighting would look. The date for that trial has
not been set yet.
There is no money right now to implement a new lighting system,
but grants and funding could become available in the near future.
A new project underway is a study for the HVAC system for the
Logan County Safety Complex. Replacing the roof would also be looked
at in this project, Schumacher said. A pre-bid meeting has been set
for Nov. 21.
Board member Pat O'Neill reported that Community Action had a
four-hour meeting the other day. Community Action is hiring now.
Public transportation has increased its numbers of service. On
Friday there will be a Foster Grandparent recognition at Friendship
Manor. Also, more "meals on wheels" are being served.
The board tentatively approved closing the courthouse at noon on
Christmas Eve.
Jan Schumacher said that the CIRMA insurance for property,
liability and workers' compensation would be an annual premium of
$225,818.
In other business, Martin announced that Ms. Langley was granted
a liquor license to reopen Lawndale Tap.
The board also agreed to quitclaim deeds for Richard Marrow,
Robert Monts and David Marten, and a tax sale for Jeffrey Renfro.
Terry Carlton was absent for the evening.
[By JAN YOUNGQUIST] |
