Tuesday, September 16, 2014
 
sponsored by

County reviews next budget, office space for Development Partnership, courthouse elevator to shutdown in December, administrators change at Health Department

Send a link to a friend  Share

[September 16, 2014]  LINCOLN - The Logan County board met on Thursday for their scheduled workshop for the month of September. In addition to voting matters, the board discussed important ceremonial items.
The meeting opened with a moment of silence in respect to the anniversary of 9/11.

Finance matters

As part of the Finance Committee report, Chuck Ruben made a motion to allow the Lincoln and Logan County Economic Development Partnership to move their office into the John Logan Building next summer. The Regional Office of Education will be vacating that space. A straw vote resulted in tentative approval.

In addition, Ruben said he wants to pass, and put on display the budget and tax levies for the next fiscal year. The documents would be put on display for the public to see for the next thirty days. Before the thirty days begin, board members can still make amendments to the budget as necessary, but any changes in funding will be have an effect on other areas of the budget. Ruben said that any additional expenses would have to come from somewhere else in the budget.

Board member Andy Anderson said he is planning on bringing forward suggestions for changes at the next board meeting.
 


Board member Pat O’Neill made a motion to remove the funding from the county for the Balloon Fest. O’Neill said he does not agree with the separation of the Balloon Fest and the other events that occurred on the same weekend this year and in the past. Currently, the county provides $5,675 to help fund the festival.

Ruben said that if the funding is removed, it could be reinstated later in the year.

Rohlfs suggested that the line item for the funding of the Balloon Fest could be reclassified as, “say, community improvement. We could have discretion as to perhaps what those dollars go to.” Rohlfs explained that they would be changing the entitlement that comes along with that line item.

Ruben added that such a decision would belong to a committee rather than the whole board, although he did not clarify which committee.

O’Neill withdrew his amendment following the discussion with the intent to consider the alternatives. The board is expected to vote on the budget display later in the month.

At the previous finance meeting, the fund balance for the budget came to a little over $79,000. Ruben said he does not expect to see much of a fund balance after next year, and that building the budget will become a lot more difficult. “We’re back to tightening the belt,” said Ruben. “I want people looking down the road.”

[to top of second column]

Courthouse elevator repairs

Kevin Bateman reported to the County Board that the courthouse elevator will be shut down beginning December 8th. Repairs and upgrades to the system should take seven weeks to complete.

In addition, construction of the new Safety Complex HVAC system would be started on the 15th of September, weather permitting. Bateman said that since the last meeting, he has received a letter stating that the county will be receiving a rebate of $9,850 on the HVAC system.

Health Department administrative changes

David Hepler said that Diana Heyer, the current Health Administrator, received a job offer for the same position with Macon County. Heyer, a resident of Macon County, accepted the position. In response, the Health Department approved the hiring of Don Cavi as the new administrator. Cavi will take the job on December 27th, and he is also the Director of Environmental Health.

“I appreciate the opportunity, and I look forward to working with the Health Department and the community of Logan County,” said Cavi, who was present at the meeting.
In addition, Hepler said that Paul Kasa, a member of the board of Health, has decided to step down after his current term on the board. Hepler said Kasa will need to be replaced at the end of the year.

Board members present at the meeting were David Hepler, Chuck Ruben, Gene Rohlfs, Robert Farmer, Jan Schumacher, David Blankenship, Pat O’Neill, Andy Anderson, Kevin Bateman and Emily Davenport.

[By DEREK HURLEY]

 

< Top Stories index

Back to top