Menard County Board of Commissioners met July 11

By Angelica Saylo Pilo

Sep 14, 2023

Menard County Board of Commissioners met July 11.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The Menard County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at the Menard County Courthouse, 102 S. Seventh Street, Petersburg, Illinois. Commissioners Bob Lott, Ed Whitcomb, Jeff Fore, Troy Cummings, and Rich Brauer were physically present. A quorum was present. County Coordinator Dara Worthington, State’s Attorney Gabe Grosboll, and Sheriff Mark Oller were also present. Treasurer Pam Bauser and County Clerk Marty Gum were absent.

Chairperson Bob Lott called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

Commissioner Brauer moved to approve the Regular Minutes and Executive Session Minutes from June 27, 2023, meeting along with the July 5, 2023, Special Joint Public Building Study Group Meeting Minutes. Commissioner Cummings seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

Scheduled/Unscheduled Guests

Sue Shoemaker came before the board to voice her concerns with the management at Sunny Acres Nursing Home. Commissioner Cummings addressed some of the concerns presented.

Scheduled County Elected Officials and Staff

Zoning Department’s Report/Request for Board Action

Joe Crowe, Zoning Officer and Gwen Thomas, Zoning Administrator were both in attendance.

Ordinance 27-23 – Menard County Non-Commercial Solar Ordinance Commissioner Whitcomb motioned to approve the ordinance while Commissioner Cummings seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

Zoning Officer Crowe reported that his office had been contacted by Will Douglas from Cordelio Power to discuss his company’s interest in locating in Menard County. Crowe reported that this is the company that is currently erecting wind turbines in Mason County.

It was reported that T-Mobile will be putting up a new 255 foot cell tower in Tallula. Due to the location of the tower on the property secured, neighboring property owners will not need receive mailings notifying them of this project.

Crowe reported on an Athens City Council informational meeting he had recently attended that pertained to possible annexation of three different subdivisions into the city. Discussion ensued.

The zoning officer reported on flood plains issues, possible solar activity in the eastern part of the county and proposed further zoning enforcement.

Highway Department’s Report/Request for Board Action

Corey Dowd, County Highway Engineer, requested a consensus of the Board for adjustment to the truck driver for the Oil Fund’s hourly wage. The commissioners unanimously agreed to adjust the hourly rate as proposed by Dowd. Further reporting was provided on departmental projects.

Sheriff’s Report/Requests for Board Action

Sheriff Mark Oller was in attendance and provided the board with an update on departmental activities. The current jail census has a total of seven male inmates and one female inmate. Sheriff Oller also advised the Board on a time capsule which was placed at the Menard County Courthouse when it was being constructed. Upon discussion, Sheriff Oller was directed to further explore possible methods of retrieving the capsule.

Treasurer’s Department Report/Requests for Board Action

In the Treasurer’s absence, Coordinator Worthington presented the Board with the Treasurers Semi-Annual Report as of May 31, 2023, along with financial reports.

State’s Attorney Report/Requests for Board Action

State’s Attorney Grosboll was in attendance and presented the Board with an overview of the ARPA Committee meeting relating to the City of Athens held prior to the board meeting. Grosboll reported that the proposed city well project was stalled but that the city was requesting the balance of the funding be paid to them. It was the recommendation of the ARPA Committee that a new intergovernmental agreement be created along with new benchmarks to reflect the activity with well #8 rather than well #9.

Grosboll further updated the commissioners on new farm lease legislation as it relates to the county farm and the beginning steps for possible bonding for funding building or restoring structures.

County Coordinator’s Report/Requests for Board Action

Coordinator Worthington was in attendance and discussed items such as: Countryside Estates Open House on July 15 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Menard County Farm Bureau dinner at the Menard County Fair, the DCEO grant approval as well as the need for a revision to the budget and Scope of Work, the Village of Oakford’s proposed ARPA project, the Ameresco visit to view the courthouse dome, the mandated annual Sexual Harassment training, and an updated ARPA project funding spreadsheet.

Individual Board Members – Report/Requests for Board Action

Commissioner Cummings advised the Board that Sunny Acres Nursing Home billing questions should be straightened out.