Sangamon Sun

Sangamon County Board met Dec. 8

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

The Sangamon County Board met in Regular Statutory Session partially by phone and some members were present in the County Board Chambers. Chairman Van Meter called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Mr. Stumpf gave the invocation.

NOMINATION AND APPOINTMENT OF TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN

A motion was made by Mrs. Scaife, seconded by Mr. Krell, to nominate and appoint Mrs. Williams as Temporary Chairman. A voice vote was unanimous.

REPORT OF CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE

Temporary Chairman Williams stated that Mrs. Scaife, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Bunch are appointed as the Credentials Committee to review the credentials of all the newly elected County Board Members. The Credentials Committee reviewed all of the credentials. Mrs. Scaife stated all of the credentials are in order. A motion was made by Mr. Mendenhall, seconded by Mr. Krell, to approve the credentials report. A voice vote was unanimous. The report was placed on file with the County Clerk.

SWEARING IN OF NEWLY ELECTED COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS

Temporary Chairman Williams asked all newly elected County Board Members to stand for their oath of office. County Clerk Gray swore in the newly elected County Board Members including: Tom Fraase, Jeff Thomas, Craig Hall, Jason Ratts, James Schackmann, Linda Fulgenzi, Brad Miller, Joel Tjelmeland, Annette Fulgenzi, Rose Ruzic, Vera Small, Kevin McGuire, George Preckwinkle, John O’Neill, and Patricia Hayes.

ROLL CALL

Chairman Van Meter asked County Clerk Gray to call the roll. There were 29 Present – 0 Absent.

NOMINATION AND APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN

A motion was made by Mr. Stumpf, seconded by Mrs. Deppe, for the nomination and appointment of Andy Van Meter as County Board Chairman. A voice vote was unanimous.

NOMINATION AND APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIRMAN

A motion was made by Mr. Mendenhall, seconded by Mr. Madonia, to nominate and appoint Mrs. Williams as Vice-Chairman. A voice vote was unanimous.

Mrs. Scaife and the County Board wished a merry Christmas to County Administrator Brian McFadden and Mary Carter, and thanked them for all the hard work they do throughout the year.

Gail O’Neill, director of Public Health, addressed the County Board. She appreciates all the support from all of the County Board members. She stated that Tuesday, December 8th numbers were at 114, so the numbers seem to be going down. There are still 79 people hospitalized on average, but they seem to be doing well. She has two questions that were submitted. The first question was if she could explain the process they follow when the inspector goes to a restaurant or bar and how they base their findings. She explained that when they go to a restaurant or bar where they are open for dining on site, each situation is a little different, whether they have tents, window service, or something like that. The other question was when the inspectors are there, if there is a determination on how many times the air is turned over. Are the inspectors using square footage of space and a CFM of air movement to determine medical requirements? She said they are doing the best they can in dealing with this stuff. Sometimes they will ask the business owners if someone has been in to check the air flow. Their intent is to help these people and help continue their operations, but they want to make sure it is safe.

Chairman Van Meter asked if it is their intent to close the restaurants and bars down when they go there or to help them continue to operate. Mrs. O’Neill said their intent is to help them continue to operate. Some businesses do call them to come out and help them operate safely. Other than that, they respond to complaints. People send them complaints all the time. The ruling for employees wearing masks has been around for a long time, and they are still writing tickets for that. Places are blatantly not cooperating, but still their intent is not to shut these places down.

Dr. Brian Miller, Director of the Sangamon County Board of Health, addressed the County Board. When they get a complaint, it does not mean there is a violation. It means someone had a concern that there might be something going on. They are there to help the community run.

Dr. Vidya Sundareshan, Medical Director for the Sangamon County Department of Public Health, addressed the County Board. Although they have come a long way in the past 9 months, there is still a lot they do not know about this virus. They look at the protocols and guidelines of the CDC and IDPH very carefully, and meet 4 or 5 days a week to review these things. They also meet with different organizations such as SIU School of Medicine and Springfield Clinic, both of whom help with the testing and contact tracing. She is really impressed on how well this community can come together to solve problems. Lastly, she wants to talk about the vaccine. They have some really good safety data. There is a lot of work to do in terms of distributing the vaccine and how they ensure they have good ways of getting the information out there about the vaccine and what it can do. It is going to take some time for the vaccine to take effect, possibly summer or fall of next year. Until then, masking and social distancing is very important. The flu season is going to peak in January, so they want to make sure people get their flu shot this year.

Dr. Graham addressed the County Board. He thinks the community has given a lot of support to the Public Health Department. There is a lot of science behind the idea of social distancing and avoiding crowds. It is very encouraging they have seen a drop in cases. This is because they have tightened the control measures over the last few weeks. They still need to keep doing this for fear of having another relapse.

Mr. Stumpf asked Dr. Sundareshan if she said it would not be until summer or fall of 2021 before they are fully geared up for the vaccinations. Dr. Sundareshan said the vaccines will definitely be ready before then, but by the time they get everybody vaccinated and they start seeing the benefits from the vaccine, it will be summer or fall of next year. That is what she was referring to. They want at least 70% of people vaccinated for good herd immunity. Until then, washing hands, wearing masks and social distancing should be done along with the vaccine measures. Dr. Miller predicts it may be sooner than summer or fall of next year. It is all about the numbers. If they get 50 million vaccines a month, there are 330 million people in the USA, so that is 6 ½ months’ worth of productions. Then it takes time to distribute and get a second dose. Now, when other production companies such as Johnson & Johnson come out with help, then they’re looking at 100 million vaccines a month, which will ramp up production.

Annette Fulgenzi asked if there was a surge from Thanksgiving and if they were past the time the surge would have happened. Dr. Graham said they have not seen a surge yet. It usually takes about two to three weeks to see the full effects, and it has only been 12 days. First, one has to go to the doctor, then get the test, then the test gets reported. Usually it is a minimum of ten days before they start to get the reports. After Halloween, it took about 15 to 20 days before they saw a huge surge, and they are expecting the same result with Thanksgiving. So far, the numbers look encouraging, but it still is not enough to be completely satisfied.

Chairman Van Meter asked if they were looking at the numbers on a daily basis to try and develop a criteria for when they could relax some of the mitigations. Dr. Miller said they are looking at the numbers every day. They look at the precise numbers, averaging numbers, and the trending numbers and they are trying to develop a modeling system to try to determine when they can get to a safer situation where they can have more activity in the community. He said when the numbers get below around 97 cases per day for a certain period of time, that is when they can start thinking about relaxing some of the mitigations. This is a ball park estimate though, do not hang on to the number 97. They are not out of the woods yet.

MINUTES

A motion was made by Mr. Bunch, seconded by Mrs. Williams, for approval of the Minutes of November 10, 2020. A voice vote was unanimous.

MOTION CARRIED

MINUTES ADOPTED

CORRESPONDENCE

A motion was made by Mrs. Williams, seconded by Mr. Bunch, to place correspondence on file with the County Clerk. A voice vote was unanimous.

RESOLUTION 1

1. Resolution approving the State of Illinois Joint Purchase acquisition of a Bobcat T770 Track Loader with attachments.

A motion was made by Mr. Fraase, seconded by Mr. Schackmann, 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 26 Yeas – 0 Nays. Mr. Hall and Mr. O’Neill were not there to vote.

MOTION CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 2

2. 2020-019 – Travis Heck, 1450 Buffalo-Mechanicsburg Road, Dawson – Granting a Rezoning and a Variance. County Board Member – David Mendenhall, District #3.

A motion was made by Mr. Mendenhall, seconded by Mr. Stumpf, to place Resolution 2 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 on the adoption of Resolution 2.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 3

3. 2020-035 – Scott Moss, 6700-6800 Rentshler Road, Rochester – Granting a Rezoning and a Variance. County Board Member – Tom Madonia, Jr., District #9.

A motion was made by Mr. Madonia, seconded by Mr. Smith, to place Resolution 3 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 on the adoption of Resolution 3.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 4

4. 2020-036 – Green View Nursery Inc., 3000 W Jefferson Street, Springfield – Granting a Rezoning and a Variance. County Board Member – James Schackmann, District #11.

A motion was made by Mr. Schackmann seconded by Mrs. Deppe to place Resolution 4 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 on the adoption of Resolution 4.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 5

5. 2020-037 – Michael & Melissa Adams, 1700 Block of N. 32nd Street, Springfield – Denying a Rezoning and Granting a Use Variance with a Condition. County Board Member – Rose Ruzic, District #18.

A motion was made by Mrs. Ruzic seconded by Mr. Ratts, 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 on the adoption of Resolution 5.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 6

6. 2020-038 – Christopher & Tiffany Stritzel, 7606 & 7750 Lead Line Road, Loami – Granting a Variance. County Board Member –Craig Hall, District #7.

A motion was made by Mr. Hall, seconded by Mr. Snell, to place Resolution 6 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 on the adoption of Resolution 6.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTIONS 7 – 12

7. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for the Auditor’s Office from Triune Health Group for the purpose of Worker’s Compensation Nurse Medical Case Management in the amount of $116,000.

A motion was made by Mr. Miller, seconded by Mr. Preckwinkle, to place Resolution 7 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Bunch, seconded by Mr. Smith to consolidate Resolutions 7 – 12. Chairman Van Meter asked County Clerk Gray to read Resolutions 8 – 12.

8. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for Information Systems from Levi, Ray, & Shoup, Inc. and other vendors for the purpose of maintaining the County computer network in the amount of $407,820.

9. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for Information Systems from City, Water, Light, and Power and other vendors for the purpose of computer network communication circuits between the various locations in the amount of $57,722.

10. Resolution approving a grant application for Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for the Trade and Trade Case Management Program in the amount of $55,000.

11. Resolution approving the Sangamon County Board of Review to be held in session until the 2020 complaints and subsequent administrative duties are completed.

12. Resolution approving the Tax Levies for the Fiscal Year from December 1, 2020 through November 30, 2021.

A voice vote was unanimous on the consolidation. Mr. Preckwinkle made a motion that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolutions 7 – 12, as consolidated. A voice vote carried. Annette Fulgenzi voted Present on Resolution 10.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED

WAIVER OF TEN-DAY FILING PERIOD

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

MOTION CARRIED

TEN-DAY FILING WAIVED

RESOLUTIONS 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, & 19

13. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for the Coroner’s Office from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine to provide a Forensic Pathologist in the amount of $220,000.

A motion was made by Mr. Tjelmeland, seconded by Mrs. Annette Fulgenzi, to place Resolution 13 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Bunch, seconded by Mr. Smith to consolidate Resolutions 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, & 19. Chairman Van Meter asked County Clerk Gray to read Resolutions 14, 15, 17, 18, 19.

14. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for the Sheriff’s Office from various vendors for the purpose of jail and inmate supplies in the amount of $90,159.

15. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for the Sheriff’s Office from Motorola Solutions for the purpose of connecting to the law enforcement Starcom Network in the amount of $56,856.

17. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for County Administration from Springfield-Sangamon Growth Alliance for the purpose of membership dues in the amount of $500,000.

18. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for County Administration from various legal firms for professional legal counsel in the amount of $250,000.

19. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for County Administration from Verizon Wireless for the purpose of ETSD wireless services in the amount of $168,000.

A voice vote was unanimous on the consolidation. Chairman Van Meter would like to point out that the Springfield-Sangamon Growth Alliance has been asking to come in and make a presentation to the Board; however, they always had other things that have interfered with it. They want to bring them in when it will be easier to ask and answer questions.

Mrs. Hayes had a question on Resolution 18. She would like to know what the legal services are for. Mr. McFadden explained it represents a variety of contracts with firms to do employee legal services such as mediation, arbitration, and collective bargaining. It also represents an amount they set aside each year for various legal services, not related to the Civil Liabilities Committee. They budget this amount each year. Mrs. Hayes asked if the firms were identified in the proposal. Mr. McFadden said the firms were probably identified in what the finance committee reviewed. It is done under a blanket purchase order approach, which gives the county a flexibility to use different firms. He can get her a list of firms they are using.

Mr. Preckwinkle made a motion that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolutions 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, & 19, as consolidated. A voice vote carried. Mrs. Williams voted Present on Resolution 13.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 16

16. Resolution approving a grant application for CASA of Sangamon County from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority for the CASA of Sangamon County Program in the amount of $228,826.

A motion was made by Mr. O’Neill, seconded by Mr. Preckwinkle to place Resolution 16 on the floor. Chairman Van Meter stated the Finance Committee wishes to withdraw the Resolution. Mr. Preckwinkle confirmed. Resolution 16 is withdrawn.

MOTION CARRIED

RESOLUTION WITHDRAWN

RESOLUTION 20

20. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for the Auditor’s Office from Illinois Counties Risk Management Trust for the purpose of Worker’s Compensation Insurance coverage in the amount of $692,519.

A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle, seconded by Mr. Krell, to place Resolution 20 on the floor. Mr. Preckwinkle would like to acknowledge the Auditor’s Office, Mr. Bunch’s Workplace Safety Committee, and Employee Services for the great work they have done to help bring down the cost of the workman’s compensation insurance. The County will save over $138,000 because of the great work of all these people. Mr. Bunch would like to say they were rewarded a big award because they have cut down accidents by 65 to 70%. That is the purpose of this committee.

Mr. Preckwinkle made a motion that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 20. A voice vote was unanimous.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 21

21. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for the Auditor’s Office from CHUBB – Federal Insurance Company for the purpose of Commercial Property Insurance in the amount of $145,363.

A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle, seconded by Mr. Bunch, 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 procurement of goods and/or services for County Administration from Neuhoff Media and other vendors for the purpose of a mass media campaign in the amount of $22,500.

A motion was made by Mr. Madonia, seconded by Mr. Smith, to place Resolution 22 on the floor. Mr. Madonia said they are going to allocate this money to help restaurants and bars to promote their services and to help people support these businesses through a public service campaign through the media and Facebook.

Chairman Van Meter asked if all bars and restaurants could take advantage of this. Mr. Madonia said this is correct. They will have to contact the County or the radio stations to put their ads in, but all bars and restaurants may take advantage of this. Chairman Van Meter wanted to clarify that they are not the ones administering this but the radio stations are. Mr. Madonia said this is correct. There are three radio stations and Facebook who are going to be promoting this.

Mr. Preckwinkle asked if there was a cost to the bars and restaurants for having ads placed. Mr. Madonia said there was no cost to these businesses. That was the whole point of this. They do not want to add anymore burden to these people. Chairman VanMeter asked if the money appropriated to this was only enough until the next County Board meeting, at which time they will reassess and appropriate more funds if needed. Mr. Madonia said yes that is the goal for this, but hopefully it will not be necessary and these businesses can open to at least 25% by then.

Mr. Stumpf said there were going to be 1,700 ads and approximately 30,000 video views on Facebook for the month.

Annette Fulgenzi clarified this was going to be open to people in the City of Springfield as well as people in the unincorporated areas. Mr. Madonia said it will be open to anybody and everybody who needs help in Sangamon County. Annette Fulgenzi asked how they were going to notify the bars and restaurants. Mr. Madonia said the radio stations and Neuhoff would take care of letting the businesses know. He said this is so important for these businesses.

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

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTIONS 23 – 29

23. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for Court Services from B. I. Incorporated for the purpose of providing adult/juvenile electronic monitoring equipment and surveillance in the amount of $32,500.

A motion was made by O’Neill, seconded by Mr. Fraase, to place Resolution 23 on the floor. A motion was made by Mr. Bunch, seconded by Mr. Smith to consolidate Resolutions 23 – 29. Chairman Van Meter asked County Clerk Gray to read Resolutions 24 – 29.

24. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for Court Services from Memorial Behavioral Health for the purpose of providing a full-time Behavioral Health Specialist at the Sangamon County Jail in the amount of $82,455.

25. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for Court Services from Memorial Behavioral Health for the purpose of providing diagnostic and therapeutic outpatient services in the amount of $50,000.

26. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for Court Services from SIU School of Medicine for the purpose of conducting an evaluation of treatment services in the amount of $35,198.

27. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for Court Services from SIU School of Medicine for the purpose of providing administrative support to SIU-SOM personnel in the amount of $35,336.

28. Resolution approving the procurement of goods and/or services for Court Services from Advanced Correctional Healthcare for the purpose of providing medical services for detention residents in the amount of $83,826.

29. Resolution approving the FY2021 purchase of salt from the State of Illinois Joint Purchase Program.

A voice vote was unanimous on the consolidation. Mrs. Hayes asked what Resolution 28 was for. Mr. McFadden said it was a contract with ACH to provide medical services to the residents of the juvenile detention center. It is primarily for healthcare services with a small mental health component. They contract with ACH as well for the same services in the County Jail next door. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolutions 23 – 29, as consolidated. A voice vote carried. Mr. Ratts voted Present on Resolutions 24 & 25. Mrs. Williams voted Present on Resolutions 24, 26 & 27.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 30

30. Resolution approving the separation of the Public Health, Solid Waste and Zoning Committee into two committees, the Public Health Committee and the Zoning and Land Use Committee.

A motion was made by Mr. Stumpf, seconded by Mr. Smith, to place Resolution 30 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 30. A voice vote was unanimous.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 31

31. Resolution modifying the fee schedule to provide a reduction in the cost of food and liquor licenses due to the COVID pandemic.

A motion was made by Mr. Madonia, seconded by Mr. Smith, to place Resolution 31 on the floor. Chairman Van Meter stated the purpose of this resolution is to reduce the amount the bars and restaurants have to pay in licensing fees for this COVID year. A motion was made by Mr. Madonia, seconded by Mr. Smith to amend Resolution 31 to give a 50% reduction for licensing fees for bars and restaurants. A voice vote was unanimous on the amendment. Mr. Madonia thanked Brian McFadden and Jeff Wilhite for their hard work on this. A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle that the roll call vote for Resolution 1 stands as the roll call vote for Resolution 31, as amended. A voice vote was unanimous.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 32

32. Resolution approving a contract between the Sangamon County Board of Health, the Menard County Board, and the Menard County Board of Health for the provision of public health services.

A motion was made by Mr. Preckwinkle, seconded by Mr. Smith, to place Resolution 32 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 32. A voice vote was unanimous.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTION 33

33. Resolution allowing Sangamon County to participate in the service program of the Office of the State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor.

A motion was made by Mr. O’Neill, seconded by Mrs. Scaife, to place Resolution 33 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 33. A voice vote was unanimous.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED

OLD BUSINESS

A. Resolution 5 – Tabled 9/8/20

2020-013 – Lincoln Labs, LLC, 5859 W. State Route 97, Pleasant Plains – Granting a Conditional Permitted Use with Conditions. County Board Member – Tom Fraase, Jr., District #1.

A motion was made by Mrs. Williams, seconded by Mr. Bunch, to take Resolution 5 off the table. A voice vote was unanimous. Jessica Scaife, professional staff, stated the committee would like to withdraw Resolution 5. A motion was made by Mr. Stumpf to withdraw Resolution 5. There were no objections.

Mr. Bunch asked if this means they want to postpone this resolution. Chairman Van Meter stated they are finished with this resolution. It is withdrawn, not postponed.

MOTIONS CARRIED

RESOLUTION WITHDRAWN

NEW BUSINESS

A. Resolutions

There were no new resolutions.

B. Appointments

There were no appointments.

The nominations for appointment in January were also submitted.

C. Procurement/Grant Notifications

- Grant application to Regional Planning for the FEMA Grant in the amount of $65,243.33

- Purchase of chairs and desks for expanded COVID needs in the Public Health Department in the amount of $48,751.57.

REPORTS OF COUNTY OFFICIALS, REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES,

REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES, COMMITTEE REPORT ON CLAIMS

A motion was made by Mr. Bunch, seconded by Mrs. Williams, 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 Mr. Bunch, seconded by Mrs. Williams, to recess the meeting to January, 12 2021 at 6:00 p.m. A voice vote was unanimous.

MOTION CARRIED

MEETING RECESSED

https://www.sangamoncountyclerk.com/County-Board/documents/December82020Minutes.pdf