Sangamon Sun

Sangamon County Board met Nov. 12.

Here is the minutes provided by the Board:

The Sangamon County Board met in Reconvened Adjourned September Session on November 12, 2019 in the County Board Chambers. Chairman Van Meter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Mrs. Williams gave the Invocation and Mr. O’Neill led the County Board in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll Call

Chairman Van Meter asked County Clerk Gray to call the roll. There were 28 Present – 1 Absent. Mr. Bunch was excused.

Flag Presentation to Sherry Barr

Sheriff Campbell addressed the County Board. He then asked Sherry Barr to come to the front. He said flying the flag at half‐staff is a sign of grief and mourning, as well as a sign of respect. On Tuesday October 1st, they lost former Sangamon County Sheriff Wes Barr. The flags at the Sangamon County Building were ordered down to half‐staff. At the night of his services at Camp Butler, exactly at sunset, the flags were removed and folded with honor. On behalf of all the men and women at the Sheriff’s Office and Sangamon County Government, they want to present Mrs. Barr with the flags that flew in honor of her husband. May God watch over and bless her.

Sherry Barr addressed the County Board. She thanked them and said Wes would be so honored and humbled. This community has been absolutely amazing with everything they have done and the outpour for him. It makes her so happy and so blessed that everybody loved him so much. He would feel so honored, humbled, and would thank everyone and he loved everyone. She thanked the County Board.

CASA Presentation – Jen Dowd

Jen Dowd addressed the County Board. She is the Program Director for Sangamon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). The volunteers for Sangamon County CASA advocate for the best interests for abused and neglected children who have been removed from their homes and are in the foster care system. CASA volunteers receive 30 hours of specialized training and are sworn in by Juvenile Court Judge, Karen Tharp. Once they are sworn in, they are assigned a case, possibly two, but no more than that so they can focus all their time on the interests of those children. Once the CASA volunteer is assigned, they meet with the foster child, the biological parents, the foster parents, attorneys, doctors, teachers, and anybody that touches that child’s life. They are then required to submit a reports to the court. Judge Tharp says CASA is there to hold everyone accountable, including her, to make sure everybody is doing what they are supposed to be doing. They are required to commit to 24 months. That is the average time it takes for a case to get through the foster care system. When Ms. Dowd took over the CASA Program in January of this year, CASA had 20 volunteers total. With some recruiting efforts and a couple stories with the news, there are now 23 more volunteers in class, which more than doubles their volunteers. While that is great news, there is still a huge need for volunteers. Currently there are approximately 550 children in the foster care system that need CASA. Her goal is to make sure every child has someone speaking for them. She passed around some brochures and asked the County Board to spread the word about CASA and their need for volunteers.

Chairman Van Meter asked how many more volunteers they need. Ms. Dowd said with the 20 volunteers they have, they serve about 64 children. They have 23 volunteers in training, but there are 550 children that need CASA, so they need quite a few more volunteers. Chairman Van Meter stated they would probably need a couple hundred more volunteers. Ms. Dowd stated that would be fantastic. One case could have five children. Chairman Van Meter asked if one child per volunteer was typical in other counties. Ms. Dowd said it was for one volunteer per case. There are 31 CASA’s in Illinois. They service just Sangamon County, and others serve multiple counties. It is like that everywhere. Chairman Van Meter asked if it was normal to have one child per volunteer. Ms. Dowd stated with the trend they are seeing, there are 3‐5 children per case and one CASA volunteer per case. She thanked the County Board.

Correspondence

A motion was made by Mrs. Williams, seconded by Mrs. Douglas‐Williams, to place Correspondence on file with the County Clerk. A voice vote was unanimous.

Minutes

A motion was made by Mr. DelGiorno, seconded by Mrs. Williams, for approval of the Minutes of October 8, 2019. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motion Carried

Minutes Adopted

Resolution 1

1. Resolution approving an Intergovernmental Agreement with City Water, Light and Power for Utility Relocations on Woodside Road.

A motion was made by Mrs. Fulgenzi, seconded by Mr. Tjelmeland, to place Resolution 1 on the floor. Chairman Van Meter asked County Clerk Gray to call the roll. Upon the roll call vote, there were 27 Yeas – 0 Nays.

Motion Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 2

2. Resolution approving Utility Relocation Costs with Ameren on Woodside Road.

A motion was made by Mr. Fraase, seconded by Mr. Hall, to place Resolution 2 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 2. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motion Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 3

3. Resolution approving the right‐of‐way purchase from Justin Robert Stubbs for the Woodside Road Project.

A motion was made by Mr. Fraase, seconded by Mrs. Deppe, to place Resolution 3 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 3. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motion Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 4

4. 2019‐33 – Lillian Marie Callahan, 1705 Henry Street, Springfield – Denying a Rezoning. County Board Member – Joel Tjelmeland, District #14.

A motion was made by Mr. Ratts, seconded by Mr. Snell, to place Resolution 4 on the floor. Chairman Van Meter asked the professional staff to give a procedural history of the case.

Trustin Harrison, professional staff, stated the petitioner has requested a rezoning from “R‐2” Single‐Family and Two‐Family Residence District to “RM‐4” Manufactured Home District.

Steve Keenan, professional staff, stated the Planning Commission recommends denial of the requested RM‐4 zoning. The trend of development for the block bounded by Henry, Woodward, Hoover, and Knox Street extended around the subject property has remained R‐2. Mr. Harrison stated the Zoning Board of Appeals concurs with the staff’s recommendation of denial.

Tracy Goumaz, residing at 2926 S. Woodward Street in Springfield, addressed the County Board. Her mother bought the land from the County and there is nothing on it right now. She owns a trailer and would like to put the trailer on the property. The property is 100x50 and her trailer is 70x40, so it would fit perfectly. She is legally blind, so she is unable to drive. Her mother lives two minutes from her, and she could walk there. Her mother is independent, but she does need help every once in a while. She and her son are right there to help. They need the rezoning to put her trailer there and strap it down on the property.

Dorothy Ciotti, residing at 2935 Woodward Street in Springfield, addressed the County Board. She stated it is a dangerous area with cars coming down Woodward. They just put a stop sign over a block down the street, but when they go around the corner there is not very much room at all. She lives across the street and has a house next to the lot she is talking about. If someone parks on the street there, you cannot see. There are children riding bicycles around there, there are no street lights, and it would make her property value go down.

Dale Ciotti, residing at 2935 Woodward Street in Springfield, addressed the County Board. He agrees with what Mrs. Ciotti said.

Ms. Goumaz gave her rebuttal. She does not understand where the concern for safety is at because her mother does not drive. There is no safety issue in rezoning the property for her mother to live on.

Mr. Ratts asked the professional staff what could be put in place at the property. Mr. Harrison stated the current zoning is R‐2, so it would allow a single‐family residence or a duplex. Mr. Ratts asked what the width of the lot is. Mr. Harrison stated it is 50‐feet wide. Mr. Ratts stated you could not build anything there but you could bring a trailer in. Mr. Harrison stated it would probably be difficult to build something substantial enough to get your rate of return.

Mrs. Ciotti gave her rebuttal. She previously lived at 1800 Henry Street. She has been in this neighborhood for 43 years. She really knows the neighborhood. This rezoning would really bring the value of her property down. Her mother is bringing the trailer that she has and it is an old trailer.

There used to be a house there. She does not know how big the house was, it was not really big, but that was a house. Trailers are different because they are long and narrow. There was a house there, but someone deserted it, and that is how it ended up that way.

Mr. Madonia asked if it would set a bad precedence if they grant this and go against the Zoning Board of Appeal’s recommendation. Steve Keenan stated they looked at this and because of the block it is bounded and by what was mentioned in the staff analysis, yes it would set a negative precedence.

Chairman Van Meter asked for a vote on the adoption of Resolution 4. A voice vote carried. Resolution 4 written to deny a rezoning was adopted and the rezoning is denied.

Motion Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 5

5. 2019‐034 – Tracy L. Withers, 1829 North 32nd Street, Springfield – Granting a Rezoning and Variances. County Board Member – Rose Ruzic, District #18.

A motion was made by Mrs. Ruzic, seconded by Mr. Stumpf, to place Resolution 5 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Stumpf to waive the reading of the professional staff’s report. There were no objections. A voice vote was unanimous for the adoption of Resolution 5.

Motion Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 6

6. 2019‐035 – Gary Ingles, 14879 Sparrow Road, Pleasant Plains – Granting a Variance. County Board Member – Tom Fraase, Jr., District #1.

A motion was made by Mr. Stumpf to withdraw Resolution 6 at the request of the petitioner.

Motion Carried

Resolution Withdrawn

Resolution 7

7. 2019‐037 – Carol Swettman, 5656 Richland Road, Pleasant Plains – Granting a Rezoning and Variances. County Board Member – Tom Fraase, Jr., District #1.

A motion was made by Mr. Fraase, seconded by Mrs. Hills, to place Resolution 7 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Stumpf to waive the reading of the professional staff’s report. There were no objections. A voice vote was unanimous for the adoption of Resolution 7.

Motion Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 8

8. 2019‐038 – Robert Anderson, 1701 N. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield – Granting a Conditional Permitted Use with Conditions and Variances. County Board Member – Jason Ratts, District #10.

A motion was made by Mr. Ratts, seconded by Mr. Miller, to place Resolution 8 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Stumpf to waive the reading of the professional staff’s report. There were no objections. A voice vote was unanimous for the adoption of Resolution 8.

Motion Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolutions 9 – 15

9. Resolution approving the purchase of maintenance software and firmware from Election Systems and Software for the Election Office in the amount of $79,687.88.

A motion was made by Mr. Snell, seconded by Mr. Thomas, to place Resolution 9 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Smith, seconded by Mrs. Small, to consolidate Resolutions 9 – 15. Chairman Van Meter asked County Clerk Gray to read Resolutions 10 – 15.

10. Resolution approving the purchase of required Election publications for the 2020 Primary and General Elections from various vendors in the amount of $72,339.

11. Resolution approving the purchase of goods and/or services from Humphrey’s Market for Community Resources for the purpose of a Monthly Senior Food Box Program in the amount of $57,600.

12. Resolution approving an Intergovernmental Agreement between Sangamon County and Menard County regarding the Menard‐Sangamon Educational Service Region.

13. Resolution approving a contract with Sentinel Technologies Inc. and Information Systems for a modernized backup and disaster recovery program for their Microsoft Systems in the amount of $46,136.

14. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services from CliftonLarsonAllen LLP for the purpose of performing the FY 2019 County and Circuit Clerk Audits in the amount of $92,425.

15. Resolution amending certain sections of the Sangamon County Code Liquor Code.

A voice vote was unanimous on the consolidation. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolutions 9 – 15, as consolidated. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motions Carried

Resolutions Adopted

Waiver of Ten‐day Filing Period

A motion was made by Mrs. Williams, seconded by Mr. DelGiorno, to waive the ten‐day filing period. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motion Carried

Ten‐day Filing Period Waived

Resolution 16

16. Resolution approving the purchase of goods and/or services from ADANI Systems for the Sheriff’s office for the purpose of a Full Body Security Scanner in the amount of $184,750.

A motion was made by Mr. Tjelmeland to withdraw Resolution 16 at the request of the sponsor.

Motion Carried

Resolution Withdrawn

Resolution 17

17. Resolution approving a list of contracts for employee benefits including the Employee Assistance Program and Life Insurance for 2020.

A motion was made by Mr. Krell, seconded by Mr. Madonia, to place Resolution 17 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 17. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motions Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 18

18. Resolution approving the renewal of the agreement with Troxell for the firm’s professional services in the administration of the County’s insurance programs for Fiscal Year 2020.

A motion was made by Mr. Krell, seconded by Mrs. Fulgenzi, to place Resolution 18 on the floor. A motion was made Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 18. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motions Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 19

19. Resolution approving the renewal of the County’s Worker’s Compensation Insurance Policy with the Illinois Public Risk Fund for January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.

A motion was made by Mr. Krell, seconded by Mrs. Scaife, to place Resolution 19 on the floor.

A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 19. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motions Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 20

20. Resolution amending Chapter 5.32 of the Sangamon County Code regarding prohibiting cannabis business establishments.

A motion was made by Mr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Sullivan, to place resolution 20 on the floor. Chairman Van Meter stated there are 4 public speakers signed up to speak regarding this resolution.

Anita Bedell addressed the County Board. She is in support of the resolution to ban recreational marijuana businesses and sales. When the DuPage County Board voted to opt out, they said they cannot control the fact legislators and the Governor chose to legalize the drug, but they can send a message to their constituents they do not want more sales in their county. Marijuana is an illegal drug according to the Federal Government. Studies show an increase in addiction in the number of youths using marijuana. A Colorado study showed the money generated through taxing the sale of recreational marijuana does not cover costs associated with law enforcement or treatment related to marijuana. For every dollar of revenue the county would receive, they would have to spend $4.50. Franklin County also opted out. When asked if they would miss out on a potential new stream of revenue, the Chairman said there are other issues to consider beyond revenue. The issues are: public safety, crime, and health issues. In the states that first legalized recreational marijuana, car crashes rose 6 percent afterwards. There are no reliable tests for impairment of drivers.

The Sheriff has a very large area of the county to patrol already, so this would increase cost and harm. Six years after marijuana was legalized in California and Colorado, the number of drivers doubled that were involved in fatal crashes and tested positive for marijuana. This is a concern. Living near marijuana dispensaries makes youths more likely to use it. Marijuana dispensaries impact crime. A study showed property crime increased 100 more cases a month during the years when marijuana transitioned from medical to recreational in Colorado. People might go to dispensaries looking for crimes of opportunity. There are public safety concerns when there is on‐site consumption of marijuana. People could go in, smoke or eat the marijuana, get in their cars and drive throughout the county. Another problem they have is with marijuana and alcohol. A lot of people are driving not only impaired with alcohol but are using alcohol and marijuana together, which makes it even more dangerous. People could be affected cognitively and perceptually with their motor skills. The national Surgeon General said no amount of marijuana is acceptable during pregnancy or adolescence. So if businesses and sales of marijuana are legalized, the adolescents will think there is no harm because otherwise why would they legalize it. The regulated cannabis market is not without problems. A lot of the vaping problems were caused by marijuana. Some of that marijuana was bought in legal dispensaries. So she asks that the Board supports the resolution. She concluded and thanked the County Board.

Beth Rogers addressed the County Board. She thanked the Chairman and the Board. She resides in Springfield and on January 1st, 2020, recreational marijuana is set to be legal in Illinois. She is urging the County Board to please ban cannabis related businesses in unincorporated areas of Sangamon County. The sales and use of recreational marijuana will have a harmful impact upon our communities. In 2014, Colorado legalized marijuana. She went to Colorado in 2014 to visit family and she could point out who was under the influence of pot and who was not. It was obvious who the people were out in public who seemed to be in a haze and stoned. The following is from the Illinois Family Institute: “To understand the effects that marijuana legalization will ultimately have in Illinois, we need look no further than Colorado to see a cautionary tale of unintended consequences of legalization. In six years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes, who tested positive for marijuana, doubled. There have been increased rates of marijuana related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and higher rates of violent crime. The cost of legal pot is not worth the cost of families, communities, and lives.” The social cost of recreational marijuana will outweigh any tax benefits such as drug impaired driving and increased rates of addiction in youths and adults. Legalizing marijuana is not a smart public health or public safety strategy in any state or in our nation. Even the Springfield Chief of Police and Sangamon County Sheriff have shown many concerns about the legalization of recreational weed. A few years ago, she went down to the Illinois State Police and got a stack of coloring books for her Sunday school kids and one of the pages says “Just say no to alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.” It is the most commonly abused drug in our country and around the world. Our government should not be in the business of promoting recreational drugs. She believes the people in this society do not need a buzz from a substance just for fun and leisure. Our government is also set up in a way that gives counties and municipalities the option to make their own decisions. So she is asking the Board to please not make a decision in favor of businesses setting up shop just because recreational pot use was recently passed through our State Legislature. Please make the right decision because once that decision is made, it will affect future generations as well. She is urging the Board to do the right thing and please consider banning marijuana related businesses in Sangamon County. Ms. Rogers concluded and thanked the County Board for their time.

Darrell Strong addressed the County Board. He is opposed to this resolution. He believes it is constructed improperly in the way it is worded. One of the things mentioned in the resolution is it is put as cannabis, not marijuana. Cannabis can also be hemp and hemp oils, not just marijuana. The farming community and the Department of Agriculture on the State Fairgrounds may not have been talked to. He would like to ask Mrs. Annette Fulgenzi if she has contacted the Department of Agriculture on how this would affect them statewide since the Department is at the State Fairgrounds in her district. If she would like to answer that after the speakers, then she may. One of the problems with this is the whole farming community is going to be set back. They can at least take advantage of the hemp industry. He understands there are many people afraid of the impairments normal people would do under marijuana consumption that would be improperly handled, just like alcohol addicts drinking too much and making bad decisions. There are other people in this community that do not have this problem and there others who use marijuana medically to help themselves. There are all different types of situations. Another problem with this resolution is he noticed it mentions the Junior College.

Under Illinois provisions, they allow a program for learning and teaching classes on the use and effects of cannabis. He does not know whether anyone has talked to them on this issue and how this affects them since they are included in this bill. He thinks there needs to be more work on this resolution if they decide to follow through with banning the use, transport, sale, and growing of the plant even for medical purposes. He also asked what transportation it affects. In the resolution it talks about prohibiting commercial transportation. In Sangamon County there is I‐55, which is a major thoroughfare in Illinois. Marijuana will be legal in Illinois and there is going to be transportation of cannabis going through there. IDOT and the State Police Department have to deal with this. How should they react to Sangamon County having it illegal for transportation of commercial vehicles in transit when the rest of the state does not? He asked the County Board to look at this resolution closer and possibly rewrite it for January’s meeting. Look at the effects of legalizing marijuana in Illinois before making a decision. Talk to the vendors and get input from them to have a better judgement on how this should be refined. He would also like to say he knows a lot of people that use marijuana and it really helps them medically. They were afraid to come in because after January 1st there are going to be a lot more people speaking up. Mr. Strong concluded and thanked the County Board.

Minister Gary Pearce addressed the County Board. He is here to represent himself, but he is also a member of the Ministerial Alliance of Springfield and Vicinity. Their president wrote a letter which was put in the paper, as well as spoke on WMAY. He is not here representing them, he is here representing himself and his thoughts on marijuana. He hopes he is understanding this right in that the Board is against the legalization of marijuana. He is also an alcohol and drug counselor, and he sees patients every day. He sees some where this has destroyed their lives and their children’s lives. This is one reason he became an alcohol and drug counselor. He used to work with children, and he was trying to figure out what was going on with them, and it had to start at home. He remembers his own upbringing and being exposed to drugs and alcohol, so this is what he wants everyone to really focus on. He knows they are all adults and they have a right to make their own decisions. He has made his own decisions and not all of them have been very good decisions. He wishes he had never touched a joint, but it passed his way. Marijuana slows your progress in life, stops you from being motivated, and impairs the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe is developing until you are 26 years old. This is the part of the brain affecting rational thinking and decision making. What they are seeing right now in the neighborhoods of Sangamon County, Springfield, and all throughout Illinois is shooting and gun violence. This is coming from young people smoking more toxic weed than when he was a young man.

It will become even more toxic once it is legalized. He is pretty sure, as a man of God, God makes everything good. So marijuana in its natural form may have some benefits and uses. But once the “scientists” and connoisseurs of cannabis get ahold of it and they manipulate the plant, there is going to be toxicity out of this world. 2020 is around the corner. People better buckle their seatbelts because it is about to get wild. He should be happy and joyful, which he sometimes is, but when he sees people dying, not from marijuana but other hard drugs, he is not. Marijuana is a gateway drug. He is an alcohol and drug counselor and it does lead to other drugs. Some people build a tolerance up where they can no longer get high off marijuana and they end up using cocaine. Then they go from the cocaine to the crack and heroin. That is what they are dealing with right now, the opioid epidemic. Earlier this year in Florida, children ate some cannabis gummy bears at school and they all got high. They ended up having to go to the hospital. Young people do not think and their rationality is gone. On Halloween, leave children at home because once marijuana is legal and all these gummy bears and suckers have THC in them, there will be some in children’s Halloween bags. At the City Council they said there were going to be four medical dispensaries and two recreational marijuana dispensaries. Once they open, they will be just like poker machines. Mr. Pearce concluded and thanked the County Board.

Mr. Smith, sponsor of the resolution, thanked the Chairman and everyone who came out and addressed the Board on this issue. He would like to discuss the background of bringing this resolution to the board. As Illinois legalized the recreational use of marijuana, they also gave lower levels of government the opportunity to opt out of that decision. There is a reason why they gave them the option to make their own decision. As he began to consider the issue and look into the facts behind recreational marijuana, there are a few states who have gone before Illinois. They have a few years of history under their belt. He wanted to find out what has been happening in those states. As he began to investigate those statistics, they compelled him to bring this issue forward, and he is asking the County Board to opt out of marijuana businesses. A lot of these issues have already been addressed earlier and he thanks the speakers for bringing them up. The issues he is talking about are traffic related fatalities, impaired driving, and people getting into vehicles with others who are impaired. He has looked at the statistics about what has been happening in these places where they have allowed recreational marijuana, and those statistics are not favorable. There is an increase in marijuana related traffic deaths and the increases are pretty significant. From a public safety standpoint, they need to consider this. Since 2013, violent crimes have increased over 18 percent, property crimes have increased over 8 percent, and a District Attorney in El Paso County made this statement: “Marijuana is the gateway drug to homicide in our community and across our state and people need to start recognizing that.” They also see on the crime side a black market increase after legalization. The reason for this is because the Black Market does not have the heavy tax they are talking about being able to impose here in Sangamon County. Seizures have increased over 1,000% from pre‐legalization to post‐legalization. Mr. Pearce also mentioned the brain development issues. Mr. Smith stated that is a serious concern for him. There are statistical drops in IQ for those who steadily use marijuana in their developing years. The pre‐frontal cortex part of the brain serves as the brake pedal for the brain. It brings rational thought and allows one to think things through an issue. This is not fully developed until 25 or 26 years old, and so it is being damaged. Businesses are concerned about the detrimental effects on businesses. The medical district is seeing more ER visits and the fact that emergency departments are unable to collect payments has increased by 192 percent.

Mr. Smith stated there are many more statistics, but he felt like these statistics show us an industry we should not support and he asks for support of his resolution to prohibit marijuana related businesses in unincorporated Sangamon County. He concluded and thanked them.

A motion was made by Mr. Mendenhall, seconded by Mr. Preckwinkle, placed to amend Resolution 20. Mr. Mendenhall stated he would like to first add the word “certain” to the beginning of the proposed chapter titles, so it would read “Chapter 5.32 Certain Cannabis Business Establishments Prohibited.” Second, he would like to add the word “certain” to the beginning of the title of Chapter 5.32.020 so that it reads “Chapter 5.32.020 Certain Cannabis Business Establishments Prohibited. Third, as delineated in the handwritten line through the words below the following Adult‐Use Cannabis Business Establishments are stricken from Section 5.32.020: Adult‐Use Cannabis Infuser Organization or Infuser, Adult‐Use Cannabis Processing Organization or Processor, Adult‐Use Cannabis Craft Grower, Adult‐Use Cannabis Cultivation Center, and Adult‐Use Cannabis Transporting Organization or Transporter. These will all be removed from the resolution. If this resolution is approved, the only thing that will be denied within the organization will be the dispensing organizations.

Chairman Van Meter clarified that the purpose of this amendment is to alter Mr. Smith’s resolution so that only the sale to the public of marijuana is prohibited. Mr. Mendenhall stated this is correct.

Mr. Stumpf stated his committee has been working on this for quite a bit of time with Regional Planning. They have worked up some language and then they were going to talk about voting on this at the next meeting before January 1st. Since then, Mr. Smith brought forward this resolution and they heard it during their committee meeting. Their committee, just as all the discussions have gone, was basically split right down the line. It was a 5‐3 vote. Had it been 4‐4, he would have voted yes to promote this to the full County Board for this very discussion. As chairman of the committee, he had issues with prohibiting infuser organizations, processing organizations, craft growers, cultivation centers, and transporting organizations from conducting business in this county. At the same time, the state is allowing this process and the legalization of recreational marijuana for the entire state of Illinois. He has an issue with that. This was just brought to them this evening regarding the Adult Use Cannabis Dispensing Organizations. If Mr. Mendenhall’s amendment only prohibits the sale of marijuana for now in this county, then he does not have a problem with that because they are talking about the unincorporated areas of Sangamon County. If Springfield, Grandview, or any other municipality in this county decides to allow the sales of marijuana, they cannot prohibit that. They can also come back and tweak this if they need to, like they do with other resolutions and statutes throughout the county. Even though it was just proposed tonight, the original proposal Mr. Smith gave their committee was a week and a half ago. In light of that, they would still have Regional Planning working on different languages they want to insert or take out. He thinks it would be prudent tonight to vote yes for Mr. Mendenhall’s amendment if the Board agrees they want to restrict the sales in the unincorporated areas for now and see how this plays out over the next six months to a year, but allow infuser organizations, processing organizations, craft growers, cultivation centers, and transporting organizations. It is simple, if people want to buy recreational marijuana in Springfield and take it back out into the county and smoke it, they will legally be able to do so. They cannot prohibit that by state law after January 1st. He thanked them.

Annette Fulgenzi stated the point of sale is not the place the effects of cannabis or marijuana takes place, so she thinks they are discriminating against other businesses in their community. One of the gentlemen remarked about the content of the marijuana being sold at dispensaries. She stated there is very strict testing requirements, so the products being sold in dispensaries are less likely to have those very high levels than the things being bought on the street or being grown at home. They cannot regulate home grown marijuana. Legalizing marijuana does take away from the illicit drug market and the ones that are laced. They know about that from the Jail Committee where they have heard about a lot of deaths where different types of drugs are laced with things people did not intend on buying. About the precedent of traffic accidents and the studies that say traffic accidents increased, there is data that shows they did not take into consideration the increase in cell phone use at the same time. They correlate at the same time. She believes the statistics may be slightly skewed. She stated there is something called social equity as well in the bill that allows a big portion of Sangamon County to have bonus points in order to start new businesses in the cannabis industry and they would be denying those people who have been more persecuted for cannabis crimes their opportunity to operate businesses under social equity, and to have that advantage of getting one of these businesses and turning their lives around. Another thing she feels strongly about is they are denying their constituents the same legal business opportunities people in incorporated Sangamon County have. That is not a fair thing for them to do as elected officials to penalize their constituents who may want to go into this business.

Mrs. Hills stated their committee was first approached on this at their October meeting, which was like the 3rd week of October. They began a brief discussion with Molly working toward this. Two weeks later they received a two‐day notice they were getting this amendment and were called to a special meeting on Thursday, and today they have another amendment. She would like to have their committee take the time, do this right, figure this out, and bring something back before January 1st. Their committee was working on this and they really did not get to do their job. It was taken away from them.

A motion was made by Mrs. Hills, seconded by Mr. Ratts, to recommit Resolution 20 and the amendment back to the Public Health and Zoning Committee.

Mr. Ratts asked Mr. Stumpf his definition of a “Lengthy discussion” at the Thursday meeting Mrs. Hills just described. What was the lengthy discussion they had? How long was it out of the hour and a half meeting? Mr. Stumpf stated first of all, when he did ask for people’s thoughts that night, there was a little bit of talk, but not much. What he was referring to was Molly from Regional Planning has been working on some language for a while. He agrees with Lisa Hills, they were already heading down this road, drafting some language with Regional Planning. They were not sure if they were going to get it together by the December meeting but possibly by the January meeting at the latest. Then right in the middle of that process, Mr. Smith developed this resolution to bring before their committee. Since they have a January 1st deadline with the State of Illinois, it was prudent to listen to what he had to say. If the Board decides to push this back to their committee then he is fine with that. They can finish what they were planning on doing with Regional Planning and try to finish their draft language and move it forward for next month. He is also okay with voting on Mr. Mendenhall’s amendment. Mr. Ratts stated he feels their special meeting should have been to hammer out the details as a committee and bring it before them as a board. Their emergency meeting should have been us as a board formulating rules or bringing a resolution to the board.

Mr. Hall stated as a longtime member of the Board, he believes in committee forms of government. He has watched committee forms of government work and he has watched grand‐stand forms of government not work. Mr. Smith did a nice job of presenting balanced information. Mr. Hall stated he has a very rural area in his district which touches four other counties. How he communicates and listens is by traveling through his community. They have rural newspapers go out once a week. This is how they receive information and get information out. People receive the newspaper on Thursday or Friday. Since their meeting was just last Thursday, it would have been impossible to get this information to them before the meeting tonight. He believes the committee form of government is a good idea.

Mr. Smith stated the special committee meeting was just to address this resolution. The committee had the opportunity to vote the resolution down but instead it was forwarded to this board tonight. He would like this to be acted on this evening. The option could be to go ahead and vote on the resolution to opt out, then take the time to evaluate the issue. But let’s not automatically opt in. let’s opt out and then if there is further discussion, and if anyone wants to bring up any issue, then they have the right.

Chairman Van Meter asked for a vote to recommit Resolution 20 and the amendment back to the Public Health and Zoning Committee. Chairman Van Meter asked County Clerk Gray to call the roll. Upon the roll call vote, there were 18 Yeas – 8 Nays – 1 Present. Those voting Nay were: Mr. Fraase, Linda Fulgenzi, Mr. Mendenhall, Mr. O’Neill, Mr. Preckwinkle, Mr. Smith, Mr. Sullivan, and Mrs. Williams. Mr. Snell voted Present.

Motions Carried

Resolution Recommited Back to Committee

Resolution 21

21. Resolution approving amendments to the Fiscal Year 2019 Sangamon County Budget. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle, seconded by Mrs. Williams, to place Resolution 21 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 21. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motions Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 22

22. Resolution approving the Annual Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for the County of Sangamon, Illinois for the Fiscal Year December 1, 2019 through November 30, 2020.

A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle, seconded by Mr. Stumpf, to place Resolution 22 on the floor.

Sangamon County Administrator Brian McFadden addressed the County Board. He thanked everyone involved in putting this budget together. He could not have done this without Terry, Mike, Tim, and Dan. Those men have been incredibly helpful and deserve the credit as they do most of the work.

Mr. McFadden stated he would like to start by talking about what is going on with the current Fiscal Year 2019 budget which they are about the close out at the end of the month. Things look very good at this time. They are trending under payroll, commodities, contractual is a little over, and so things are looking good as they come to the end of the FY 2019. The numbers for the FY 2020 budget, all funds being 112,000,000 versus $112,700,000 versus $109,000,000 the year prior, is about a 3 million dollar increase which is 2.8 percent. The General Fund is up a little less than that, still in the range they usually aim for. This budget was built on the same principles they have always had. First, everything is based upon revenue. They have two approaches when it comes to revenue, be cautious and be conservative. Second, do not spend what you do not have. Third, they always plan for the worst, they do not hope for the best. And fourth and foremost, the County Administrator is always right. Again, this is a balanced budget, it allows them to live within their means, allows them to pay their bills on time, and it is financially sound and affordable pensions and healthcare. The debt is very limited and getting smaller every year. They are able to maintain reasonable reserves, they have consolidations in this budget to help streamline things, and they are operating under the constraints of tax caps and under property tax rates which are still lower than they were 25 years ago. Property taxes are their top revenue source, this year it has come in at $33.5 million, which is about a 1 million dollar increase. This is about a 3 percent increase, which is less than what they saw last year. Last year was around 4 percent. The one thing most people care about is what is this going to do to the tax rate. The projected rate that will be used to apply to individual property owners for their tax bill will be about 2 tenths of 1 percent above what it is this year. This is very minimal nominal growth in the property tax rate which is what they always like to see. Sales tax they always try to be conservative with because they are not seeing a huge rebound there, but the other taxes are coming back a little bit strong.

Personal property replacement tax is up almost nine percent, income tax is up around ten percent, use tax is up significantly, video gaming tax is up twelve percent, but unfortunately sales tax is their largest revenue source after the property tax and it is still lagging behind. Fines and fees are up five percent, but that is really misnomer because most of that has been driven by the increase in the telephone surcharge for 911. This is going to bring in almost a million dollars in new surcharge revenue. That really accounts for most of their fine and fees increase. The General Fund fine and fees are actually down $500,000. From a budget to budget perspective, they are being extremely cautious there because of the change in the way they are collecting those court fines and fees and they are not quite sure what that is going to generate. So as in the past, when in doubt, do not budget it, wait and see until you have some history behind it. Grants are down as well. That is mostly coming from WEIA, which has lost a couple positions, and the grant funding was reduced by about $300,000. The initial state reimbursement is up. Something they have seen consistently over the last decade is cuts in those state reimbursements, and the state budget restored a lot of those cuts. State reimbursement primarily goes to paying for probation salaries in the Juvenile Detention Center.

So it is kind of a mixed bag with revenue. Overall, they have to get the EAV up because it would take the pressure off of the individual rates assigned to the property tax owners. As far as state tax distribution, historically it is pretty leveled out. There is a little bit of growth this year. Sales and income tax combine in this FY 2020 budget to about $11.2 million. If they go back to FY 2008, before the Great Recession, it was $11.4 million. They still have not come out of that hole they fell into during the Great Recession, but they are getting there slowly over time.

This is an unusual year for expenses and benefit head counts because they are projecting 14 additional positions being created with this budget. The bulk of those are coming through Community Resources. They have brought some of the township employees in to help administer the General Assistance program, so there are employees. There are five new temp agency positions they are converting to full‐time. With County positions, they are going to save money by doing that and there is an additional Ameren Intern Program. The CAC has four grant funded positions they have added. Public Health has three grant funded positions and Court Services has two grant funded positions. The theme being picked up here is the positions they are creating, with the exception of one in Information Systems, are all grant funded. The rule is, if the grant goes away, then the positions go away, so they feel comfortable in adding those. Highway had the largest reduction which was three. They had three Maintainers in order to generate some cost savings that was used by Mr. Smith and the Collective Bargaining Committee to settle that contract and get rid of some longevity issues. WEIA cut two positions as well due to their reduction in funding. There are no layoffs in this budget at all. They have not had that situation since he has been here.

They often talk about the fundamental foundation of the County budget, and Worker’s Compensation is one of the things that has always kept them in good sound fiscal shape. As he said, head count is up this year, but that is grant funded, so it is not being impacted by tax dollars. Payroll is up a little over 2 percent. The Sheriff’s Office is down almost 4 percent, so those are all good signs. Worker’s Compensation has been an incredible story over the last ten years. Both premiums and claims have dropped. They have an unusual incline this year, the premium has gone up despite the fact the claims are still dropping. They feel part of that story is the averaging used to come up with their premium. They had a couple bad years and lost a couple good years, but they have fewer claims, just more expensive claims. A one year uptick is no reason to throw up a red flag. It is something they will keep an eye on. Claims are down from ten years ago at about 77 percent. Worker’s Compensation, payroll, health, and pensions are things that can get away from you pretty quick.

There is an uptick in IMRF employer costs as well. This is primarily driven by a decision by IMRF with the changes in their investment earnings. Past investment earnings projections are based upon a 7.5 percent return. This year they lowered it to 7.25 percent, which impacted them about $325,000. They did have a chance to protest that and they are one of the few counties who did not. IMRF works wonderfully. You pay the bill when it shows up, and you don’t get to play games with investment projections or with other benefits. That system is financially sound for that very reason. The cost is being upticked with the 16 new positions, but primarily that is being driven by the change in investment policy done at IMRF. The total cost of pensions in All Funds in the budget is about $586,000, which is up about 11 percent.

The employer’s contribution towards health insurance is up about 4 percent, about $586,000. Prescription drug costs are up 11 percent. Another thing he wants to mention is debt, which they have been incredibly conservative with. Their outstanding debt load for 2020 is going to go down by $1.6 million to $14.7 million, which is almost a 10 percent reduction. They are allowed around $140 million, so they are nowhere near coming near that cap. Debt service is down as well by 7 percent. That is primarily due to the fact they paid off the Animal Control Center. That saved them $80,000 per year in debt service. They also refinanced some bonds which saved them about $60,000 to $70,000 per year. They may look at an additional bond issuance next year when they begin work on the transportation center and train station facility to be construction next door.

Revenue has been kind of mixed. Some things have been trending up and some down. On the expenditure side there is not really one thing driving it. This is a balanced budget, they are paying their bills on time, and are doing all the things they always do.

Mr. Hall asked if MFT tax went down another 3 percent. Mr. McFadden stated he may be looking at the expenditure side. MFT is scheduled to go up because of the changes the state made, but the MFT is being treated like they did the 911 Surcharge last year. They are not going to put it in the budget until they have a year’s experience with it.

A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 22. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motions Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 23

23. Resolution approving a contract with Tusa Consulting Services to conduct the Rural Fire Radio Feasibility Study in the amount of $27,100.

A motion was made by Mr. Mendenhall, seconded by Mrs. Williams, to place Resolution 23 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 23. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motions Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 24

24. Resolution approving a contract with OnSolve Mass Notification System for the purpose of a Mass Notification System in the amount of $75,000.

A motion was made by Mr. Mendenhall, seconded by Mr. Krell, to place Resolution 24 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 24.

A voice vote was unanimous.

Motions Carried

Resolution Adopted

Resolution 25

25. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services from Hanson Information Systems for the Circuit Clerk’s Office for the purpose of disaster recovery in the amount of $31,159.20.

A motion was made by Mr. O’Neill, seconded by Mr. Thomas, to place Resolution 25 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 25. A voice vote was unanimous.

Old Business

There was no old business.

New Business

A. Resolutions

There were no new resolutions.

B. Appointments

Appointment of Henry “Patt” Patterson to the Sangamon County Building Code of Appeals for a term expiring November, 2020.

Appointment of Declan Binninger to the Sangamon County Building Code of Appeals for a term expiring November, 2020.

Appointment of Keith Moore to the Sangamon County Building Code of Appeals for a term expiring November, 2020.

Appointment of Tony Smarjesse to the Sangamon County Building Code of Appeals for a term expiring November, 2020.

Appointment of Vincent King to the Woodwreath Cemetery Board for a term expiring November, 2025.

A motion was made by Mrs. Williams, seconded by Mr. DelGiorno, for approval of the appointments. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motion Carried

Appointments Adopted

The nominations for appointment in December were also submitted.

C. Procurement/Grant Notifications

There were no procurement/grant notifications.

D. Approval of the 2020 County Board Meeting Schedule

A motion was made by Mrs. Douglas‐Williams, seconded by Mrs. Williams, for approval of the 2020 County Board Meeting Schedule. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motion Carried

Meeting Schedule Adopted

Reports of County Officials, Reports Of Standing Committees, Reports of Special Committees, Committee Report on Claims

A motion was made by Mrs. Williams, seconded by Mrs. Ruzic, to place the Committee Report on Claims on file with the County Clerk. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motion Carried

Reports Filed

Recess

A motion was made by Mrs. Williams, seconded by Mrs. Small, to recess the meeting to December, 10 2019 at 7:00 p.m. A voice vote was unanimous.

Motion Carried

Meeting Recessed

https://www.sangamoncountyclerk.com/County-Board/documents/November122019_000.pdf