Board votes to make zoning/economic director and other duties full time for Davis-Kavelman

 

[July 27, 2022] 

At the Logan County Board’s Regular voting meeting on July 19, 2022, the board voted unanimously to move Economic Development Director Beth Davis-Kavelman to full time effective July 20, 2022.

In moving Davis-Kavelman to full-time, the board is adding the Logan County Zoning Officer, Regional Planning Commission Director and the Zoning Board of Appeals Administrator duties to her Economic Development, Enterprise Zone Administrator, and Grant Writer responsibilities.

This decision is in effect until November 30, 2022, when the Board would reassess the two positions or until a full-time Zoning Officer/Regional Planning Commission Director, Zoning Board of Appeals Administrator is hired.

Davis-Kavelman said “We have many, great economic development projects in progress at the present time, as well as at least five to six more coming our way towards the end of December 2022/January 2023. It takes working cooperation with both the Zoning Officer and the Economic Development Director, as well as the Logan County Board and its partners, to see these projects to fruition in a timely manner.”

Currently, Davis-Kavelman said that Logan County is receiving a great reputation for its willingness to open the doors to economic development within our county and property taxes should drop due to the business growth coming into our county.

Meanwhile, the Logan County Board is seeking to fill the position of Zoning Officer/Regional Planning Commission Director.

The person in this position is responsible for various routine and complex zoning tasks, which include administering permits, understanding local ordinances as well as state & federal regulation. The zoning officer would also be responsible for scheduling public hearings for Logan County Zoning Board of Appeals, working closely with the county's economic development director, and serving as the director of the Regional Planning Commission. GIS work may also be assigned.

Required qualifications for Zoning Officer/Regional Planning Commission Director include and bachelor's degree in urban planning, economic development, business or public administration. Two years of experience in urban planning, economic development, or a similar field is also part of the criteria.
 

Other qualifications include exceptional written and verbal communication skills along with efficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, PowerPoint. Knowledge of GIS mapping is expected for the zoning work needed.

Anyone applying for the position must have the ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure. Responsibilities include developing and posting agendas for the Regional Planning Commission meetings and submitting monthly reports to the county board. Attendance at monthly committee meetings would be expected.

Updates on projects in the county

Mulligan Solar has completed construction and is now operational.

Three other projects are nearing the permitting stage.

Trajectory Energy has submitted two conditional use permit applications and plans to go through public hearing in August. These applications are for two different community solar projects: Stovepipe Solar and Red Bird Solar.

Kiersten Sheets of Trajectory Energy, a developer of solar project, shared an update at a recent planning and zoning committee meeting.

In the proposed sites, Sheet said both have the required infrastructure for constructing a solar project. Primm Road and Highway 10 each have a three-phase connection line a project can tap into.
 

Greg Vander Kamp, a representative of the Invenergy/Top Hat Wind Farm Project, recently updated the planning and zoning committee on plans as well.

Invenergy has already completed several steps to get ready for applying. They have conducted the necessary studies at terminal locations and negotiated with landowners. They have completed all the environmental surveys.

Additionally, interconnection studies are completed. Invenergy/Top Hat has an interconnection agreement with COM-ED for the transmission line they will be connecting to.

Vander Kamp said they are hoping to be ready for a ZBA hearing soon.

On another topic, Navigator Heartland Greenway, LLC has expressed interest in developing a Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) system in the county. At a recent workshop, representatives from the company talked about some of their plans. They are at the beginning stages of planning and want to explore options for developing CCUS in the county.

At the July meeting, the county appointed of Professor William Roy, PhD, as a consultant concerning a carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) System.

Navigator will hold an open house on the second floor of the Orr Building on August 11.

[Angela Reiners]

For economic interest in Logan County contact:
Elizabeth Davis-Kavelman
Logan County Economic Development Director/
EZ Administrator/Grant Writer/Asst. Zoning Officer
628 Broadway Street
Orr Building, 2d Floor
Lincoln, Illinois 62656
217.671.7046