Logan County Board to support high school business program, endorses letter to Springfield to keep local coal contract, makes appointments

[November 30, 2015]  LINCOLN - When the Logan County Board met in Regular session in November they approved several appointments and raffles, voted on two budget amendments, discussed whether to give money to an education program, and heard brief updates from committees.

Committee updates

The board discussed donating $1,000 a year for the next three years to the Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities program in which high school students learn to start their own business.

Jan Schumacher made a motion that they take the money out the special fund, but Ruben said it did not fit the parameters set in that fund. After discussion and questions about where the funds should come from, Ruben said they should just pass a motion to donate the funds and determine later which area it will come from. Schumacher amended the motion to say that the funds would come out of an appropriate fund.

In other updates, Pat O'Neill said that Community Action may need to lay off some foster grandparents until the end of the year due to grant funding issues and hours. O'Neill said without a state budget, it is hard to keep the program going. He said the Community Action Board is working to see how to offset it.
 

The Department of Logan County Public Health's administrator, Don Cavi, said the health department is looking at options for the dental clinic used by 20 percent of people in the county. He said the low reimbursement rates for medicaid, limited funding, and overhead for the clinic are a challenge. Cavi said he has talked to providers in Springfield about taking over the dental clinic while keeping it here in Lincoln and working on a lease agreement to help with overhead.

Cavi also said that since there is extra office space at the health department, he is considering bringing in some primary care providers to operate a primary care clinic. He said his board will look at proposals at their January meeting.

The board authorized Chairman Hepler to add his signature to a letter from the Sangamon County Board addressed to Springfield Mayor James O. Langfelder and City Water Light and Power (CWLP) Chief Engineer Doug Brown since CWLP has considered changing coal vendors.

The letter says:

In light of recent developments with CWLP exploring the purchase of coal from vendors other than the Viper mine in Logan and Sangamon Counties, we wanted to express to you our dire concerns of what this potential change in suppliers will do to the economy and jobs in Logan and Sangamon County. There are 350 people working at Viper Mine and without your contract, the mine will most definitely have to close. We ask you to consider the consequences of going elsewhere for coal for CWLP and to keep your business ties closer to home here in Logan and Sangamon County. It is our hope that the City of Springfield and CWLP will continue its relationship with Arch Coal/Viper Mine. Keeping the mine open will enable many residents in Logan and Sangamon County to remain employed.

Appointments

The board appointed Mike Rohrer and Todd Walker to the Logan County Board of Health, William Meyer to the Logan County Housing Authority, and Bret Farmer to Logan County Zoning Board of Appeals.

The board also approved appointees from several area agencies to the Transportation Advisory Committee. Andy Anderson will be the board representative on that committee.

In addition, the board established their own public transportation committee made up of board members Kevin Bateman, David Blankenship, Andy Anderson, Pat O'Neill, Dave Hepler and Chuck Ruben.

Chairman Hepler appointed Scott Schaffenacker to the Logan County Regional Planning Commission, Dave Blankenship to the Building and Grounds Committee, and Emily Davenport to the Executive Committee to help with continuity as Schumacher leaves.

The next county board meetings will be the Workshop on December 10th and Regular on December 15, 2015, each at 7:00 p.m. at the Logan County Courthouse.

[Angela Reiners]