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Main Street lighting project for courthouse
grounds proposal
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[OCT. 17, 2003]
Better lighting for the grounds of the Logan County
Courthouse was one topic on the agenda of Logan County Board, which
met as the board of whole Thursday night. With all 12 board members
in attendance, the $10,000 project proposal was unofficially
approved and will be officially voted upon at the board meeting Tuesday evening.
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According to Dick
Logan, building and grounds committee chair, the project would
hopefully be completed for the centennial celebration of the Logan
County Courthouse in 2005.
Other topics at
Thursday night's meeting included discussion of lost funding for
Community Action Senior Services. Currently, the program offers
transportation for seniors, as well as service nutrition programs,
including Meals on Wheels.
According to
committee chairman Paul Gleason, expenses for the program are not
covered by the meal prices charged to seniors who receive the
service. Federal grants should pick up the balance but fall short in
doing so. Gleason states that Logan County is not currently getting
enough government commodities to provide for this program nor for
the Head Start program.
Gleason reports that
nationwide Head Start programs are being cut -- as much as one
program per state per year. These programs are then being turned
over to private agencies.
Another item on
Tuesday's agenda will be a vote on county-funded testing for sex
offenders in the area. According to board member John Stewart,
Illinois House Bill 3556 was passed to mandate perpetrator
submission to such evaluation. However, Gov. Blagojevich has used
his amendatory veto power to make such evaluations and treatment
subject to fund availability to each local region. Stewart proposes
that the Logan County taxpayers not be burdened with a substantial
unfunded mandate, which could total upwards to $100,000 per year for
testing.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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 Logan County Sheriff
Steve Nichols noted that Graue Chevrolet is bidding for a lease
agreement for new vehicles for the sheriff's department. Currently,
the department is leasing with Ford, which has offered eight
vehicles for $58,000 per year for three years. The county could then
purchase the eight vehicles for $1 each. The sheriff's department
continues to look at options before making a final decision.
The Regional Planning
Commission will have a meeting on Monday, Oct. 20, at 5:30 p.m. to
further discuss zoning in the Hasprey subdivision. According to
committee chair Dr. David Hepler, the recommendations will then be
proposed at Tuesday's meeting. This will be a hearing the public is
invited to attend.
Hepler further noted
that no locally reported cases have thus far been documented
regarding complaints about country homes and their close proximity
to hog farms.
Stewart noted that he
had submitted a case study report from Ohio State University
regarding an 11 percent decrease of value of property located
downwind from hog farms. Hepler then acknowledged this submission
but clarified receiving no similar local reports. The public is
encouraged to continue to submit documentation to be considered as
this debate continues.
Another important item on Tuesday's
agenda will be the vote on the initial draft budget for fiscal year
2004. According to Charles Ruben, financial committee chair, the
budget will be put before the board for a 30-day inspection and then
formally voted upon at November's board meeting. If passed, the
budget would take effect Dec. 1. Further explanation of the proposed
budget will be discussed in detail at the Tuesday evening board
meeting.
[Patricia
Rankin]
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