Menard County Board of Commissioners met July 31

Menard County is named for Pierre Menard, who was the first Lieutenant Governor of Illinois | http://www.courthouses.co/

By Angelica Saylo Pilo

Aug 30, 2025

Menard County Board of Commissioners met July 31

Here are the minutes provided by the commission:

The Menard County Board of Commissioners met on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 8:00 AM at the Menard County Courthouse, 102 South Seventh Street, Petersburg, Illinois.

Commissioners Bob Lott, Ed Whitcomb, Troy Cummings, Rich Brauer, and Dalton Whitley were present. A quorum was present. County Clerk Marty Gum, County Coordinator Dara Worthington, State’s Attorney Gwen Thomas and County Treasurer Molly Bettis were also present. Chairperson Lott called the meeting to order.

Commissioner Whitcomb moved to approve the Consent Agenda which consisted of the Regular Board Minutes from July 8, 2025, the revised Executive Session Minutes from June 26, 2025, and the monthly department expense reports from June 2025.

Commissioner Brauer seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

Executive Session

Commissioner Whitcomb made a motion to enter Executive Session as allowed by (5 ILCS 120/2)(C)(11) Litigation and (2) Collective Bargaining. Commissioner Cummings seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously at 8:02 AM.

Scheduled/Unscheduled Guests

Ben Hart, President and CEO of Heritage Operations Group, LLC was present concerning the existing management agreement in place between his business and Menard County for Sunny Acres Nursing Home. There was discussion on the new Administrator and her request to remain a Menard County employee instead of a Heritage Operations Group employee as outlined in the management agreement. Mr. Hart will further explore this.

Further lengthy discussion was held on a future agreement as it relates to the proposed increase in the rate that Heritage currently receives for their management services.

Each of the commissioners expressed concerns regarding the performance of the nursing home overall and specifically relating to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Mr. Hart will return to the board with specific responses and means to address the different areas of concern expressed.

The Board of Commissioners expressed their individual thanks to Ben and the Heritage Group.

County Zoning Officer’s Report/Request for Board Action

Zoning Officer Joe Crowe was in attendance and gave a brief overview of his office activities which included: monthly permits issued, inspections performed, Pike Creek, meeting with the Village of Greenview, building codes, and the progress with the ordinance committee.

County Supervisor of Assessments Report/Request for Board Action

Supervisor of Assessments Dawn Kelton was unable to attend as scheduled.

County Engineer’s Report/Request for Board Action

Engineer Dowd was in attendance and requested approval of a construction engineering contract with Veenstra & Kimm for Section 21-00056-09-PV (Athens Blacktop, Segment F). Commissioner Cummings made a motion to enter into the agreement and Commissioner Whitley seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

Engineer Dowd provided an update on his departmental activities which included: Athens Blacktop Segment F, openings of the Sangamon Valley Trail, information on White’s Crossing work, the Montgomery bridge, the county’s road use agreement, and repair to Gudgel Bridge Road as a result of rainfall.

County EMS/EMA Chief’s Report/Request for Board Action

Chief Kolbe Huss was in attendance and distributed his monthly reports. Huss offered a solution to an IT issue at Animal Control. Chief Deputy Hollis interjected a possible solution. Chief Huss was instructed to contact Dr. O’Brien with options and costs before moving forward with any action.

County Sheriff’s Report/Request for Board Action

In Sheriff Oller’s absence, Chief Deputy Ben Hollis was in attendance and reported that the current jail census stood at approximately nine inmates with those inmates being from Cass, Sangamon and Menard Counties. Chief Deputy Hollis provided an update on departmental staffing, training, and vehicle purchasing.

Additionally, as Menard County Fair Board President, Hollis provided a brief overview of the 2025 county fair and plan for demolition and construction of a new livestock quonset.

County Treasurer’s Report/Request for Board Action

County Treasurer Bettis was in attendance and gave a brief overview of her office activities. Bettis reported that the deadline for the first installment of the property tax collection had passed. Bettis reported on an issue with residents of Tallula not receiving their tax bills and her making herself available at Tallula to print tax bills and receive payments from residents. An update on the FY23 audit was provided along with plans for the FY26 budget preparation.

County Clerk’s Report/Request for Board Action

County Clerk Marty Gum was in attendance with nothing to report.

County Coordinator’s Report/Requests for Board Action

Coordinator Dara Worthington was in attendance. Worthington gave an update on the new charges from Microsoft for the mail server and possible solutions to the problem.

More information will be forthcoming.

Worthington provided an update on following: Menard County Courthouse truss work, the Hope Trust conference and dividend to be received, two Illinois Department of Public Health updates, a proposed appointment to the Athens/Fancy Prairie Fire District, an FY23 audit update, information on the Ford Senior Transportation van repairs, solar companies seeking property for development, Medicaid rates for recipients at the nursing home, the DCEO grant revision, remodeling projects at the courthouse and annex, proposed windows for Sunny Acres Nursing Home, and the recent meeting with Central Illinois Services.

Individual Board Members - Report/Requests for Board Action

Commissioner Brauer provided an overview of the UCCI conference which he had attended the previous week. He shared information on solar and wind farms and indicated that the conference was good.

Commissioner Whitley requested information on salaries of elected officials and dates by which salaries needed to be set before individuals take office.

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