Wednesday, June 19

[JUNE 19, 2002]  In a meeting that lasted less than 40 minutes, the Logan County Board on Tuesday night received fiscal 2001 and midyear 2002 financial updates, approved a zoning ordinance change and a rezoning petition, and heard descriptions of 10 needed highway projects.

Finance Committee representative Roger Bock said the county’s revenues for the first six months of the fiscal year that began Dec. 1, 2001, are $273,000 less than budgeted. This amounts to 12 percent less than the anticipated income. Included in the total are shortfalls of about $128,000 in taxes, $98,000 in fines and $47,000 in interest earned.

Not quite offsetting the 12 percent that revenues are down, expenditures are also under budget. Dale Voyles, also on the Finance Committee, announced that expenditures for the first six months are 9 percent below budget expectations. If revenues were on target, about $2.9 million would remain to be spent.

Compounding the problem, provisions in the state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 bring more bad news on the revenue side. Finance Committee chair Rod White said he has heard reports that the state will quit paying counties a percentage of the photo use tax. This is a tax on photographs developed in the county. In the 2002 budget, the county projected income from the photo use tax of $134,000. To date it has received only 36 percent of that, or about $48,240. If the state stops paying a percentage of the photo use tax on July 1, revenues for the current year will be down another $55,000.

The final audit report from Sikich Gardner & Co. of Springfield for fiscal year 2001 shows a general fund deficit of $257.025 with $4,168,736 in revenue. In 2000, by comparison, revenues were $4,408,661 and positive balance $585,752.

The county general fund balance was $3,071,187 on Nov. 30, 2000, and $2,812,516 on Nov. 30, 2001. The May 2002 cash statement shows $1,934,444.

In the first of two zoning matters, the county board voted 9-3 to delete a zoning ordinance requirement that the county engineer approve the water plans of people applying for building permits and "certify in writing that an adequate and safe supply of water will be provided." The provision has not been followed as stated, and deleting it protects the county from liability.

The Logan County Health Department, rather than the county engineer, plays a role in assuring safe water. The department issues permits for private wells and inspects them once they are drilled.

Board member Cliff Sullivan was absent from the meeting. Those voting against the deletion were Lloyd Hellman, Bock and White. White explained that he is not in favor of allowing property owners to sell lots without a guarantee that water is available.

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In the other zoning issue, the petition of Darin and Deanna Crane to rezone 1.5 acres northwest of Beason from agricultural to country homes use was approved 10-2. The Cranes purchased the lot from his father, Donald Crane, as a home site. Hellman and White opposed the measure.

County Engineer Tom Hickman is in the process of prioritizing county highway projects in a five-year plan. He listed the following 10 projects, along with their projected costs:

•  Fifth Street Road — Rebuild the road with an asphalt overlay: $4.5 million.

•  Elkhart Hill — Overlay and replace curb on one-half mile: $150,000.

•  Primm Road intersection with the Elkhart-Mount Pulaski blacktop — Mill off asphalt, rebuild base and overlay: $30,000.

•  Cornland Road near Illinois 54 — Mill off asphalt, rebuild base and overlay: $50,000.

•  Nicholson Road near Epperson subdivision — Pulverize and overlay three-fourths mile section: $210,000.

•  County highway between Illinois 54 and Mount Pulaski — Pulverize and resurface: $275,000.

•  Delavan blacktop north of U.S. 136 to county line — Surface overlay: $150,000.

•  County highway 3 north of San Jose to the county line — Resurface one-half mile: $75,000.

•  County highway 12 — Triple concrete box culvert: $180,000.

•  Kennedy Road in Elkhart — Not yet costed but maybe $300,000. The county will pay half if the village of Elkhart then takes over and maintains the road.

In the process of completing the five-year plan, other projects may be added to the list, and the order may change.

In other business the board voted to renew airport liability coverage with Facer Insurance for a premium of $4,160. Board member Jim Griffin opposed the measure because the insurance was not bid out.

Gerald Gehrke of Lincoln was unanimously reappointed to the Board of Appeals.

[Lynn Shearer Spellman]

[JUNE 19, 2002]  If you suffered damage from storms from April 21 to May 23, you may be eligible for assistance. You may be eligible to receive FEMA and state benefits if you live in one of the 68 declared counties. If you have insurance coverage but still have unmet disaster-related needs, you may receive assistance.

Available assistance includes:

•  Disaster housing grants to cover temporary rent or make essential repairs to damaged homes.

•  U.S. Small Business Administration loans to repair homes, replace personal property and assist businesses.

•  Grants for serious needs not met by other programs.

To receive assistance available under the presidential disaster declaration signed on May 21, you need to apply. This may be done by calling the toll-free registration number, (800) 621-FEMA (3362). For callers who use TTY, the number is (800) 432-7585. These numbers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Before you register, it helps to have the following information ready:

•  Your Social Security number.

•  A list of damages and losses you suffered.

•  The name of your insurance company and your policy number.

•  For direct deposit, your bank information as indicated on a deposit stub.

If you have insurance, please call your agent prior to making application.

Disaster recovery assistance is available to any individual without regard to sex, religion, national origin, age, disability or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, you should contact the FEMA number above.

Individuals and small business owners who suffered damages may be eligible for assistance from FEMA, other federal agencies, the state of Illinois and voluntary agencies. These assistance programs are available to those located in the counties that were designated major disaster areas by President Bush on May 21.

Disaster housing assistance: Housing assistance to individuals and families whose permanent homes were damaged or destroyed by the storm. Types of aid include grants for alternate rental housing, emergency repairs needed to make a residence habitable, and mortgage or rental assistance in cases where the disaster has caused extreme economic hardship. Funds are also available for mitigation measures to minimize the effects of future disasters.

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Individual and family grant program: Grants to individuals and families to meet serious disaster-related needs and necessary expenses not covered by insurance or other federal, state or voluntary agency disaster assistance programs.

Disaster unemployment assistance: Weekly benefits to individuals out of work due to the disaster, including self-employed people, farm owners and others not covered under regular unemployment benefits.

Home and personal property disaster loans: Disaster loans to homeowners and renters for restoring or replacing underinsured or uninsured disaster-damaged real and personal property. Funds are also available for mitigation measures to minimize the effects of future disasters. (Available in declared counties.)

Business disaster loans: Disaster loans to repair or replace destroyed or damaged business facilities, inventory, machinery, equipment, etc. not covered by insurance. (Available to large and small businesses in declared counties.) Loans also may be available to small businesses for working capital to assist them during the disaster recovery period. (Available in declared and contiguous counties.)

Tax assistance (federal): Allowable deductions on income tax returns for underinsured or uninsured casualty losses that were suffered on home, personal property and household goods. Amended returns may be filed for a previous year’s filing so that disaster victims can receive a tax refund. Call the IRS at (800) 829-1040 for more information.

Farm assistance: Emergency loans or grants to farmers who were operating and managing a farm at the time of the disaster. Loans are limited to the amount necessary to compensate for actual losses to essential property and production capacity.

[News release]

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