January 13th, 2004

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Montgomery County Board Minutes For Tuesday, January 13th, 2004 – 8:30 AM The following are minutes of a regular meeting of the Montgomery County Board held at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, January 13th, 2004 in the County Board Chambers of the Historic Courthouse, Hillsboro, Illinois. The meeting was called to order by County Board Chairman Mike Havera. Roll call was taken, 20 members present, 1 absent. Members Present: Nelson Aumann, George Blankenship, Terry Bone, Bonnie Branum, Ronald Deabenderfer, John Downs, Robert Durbin, Mike Havera, Dave Heaton, Edward Helgen, Keith Horn, David Jackson, Dennis Jagodzinski, Frank Komor, Roger Myers, Dale Ogden, Glenn Painter, Don Petty, Mike Plunkett, Bill Sielschott. Member Absent: Charles Hampton. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag was given. Mileage and Per Diem Approval: Motion by Ogden, second by Jackson to approve the mileage and per diem. All in favor, motion carried. Approval of Minutes of Previous County Board Meeting: Motion by Blankenship, second by Painter to approve the Minutes of the Previously Adjourned County Board Meeting held on Tuesday, December 9th, 2003. All in favor, motion carried. CONSENT AGENDA: 1. Circuit Clerk’s Report – Mary Webb was present for questions. 2. County Treasurer’s Report – Ron Jenkins was present for questions. 3. County Clerk and Recorder’s Report – Sandy Leitheiser was present for questions, and reported that the March 16th, 2004 General Primary Election plans were proceeding on schedule. 4. Sheriff’s Report – Jim Vazzi was present for questions, and stated that 42 prisoners were currently housed at the Montgomery County Jail. 5. Health Department Report – Mark Dugger was present for questions. 6. T.B. Department Report – Kathy Tapley was present for questions. 7. Public Defender’s Report – submitted. 8. Probation Office Report – Banee Ulrici was present for questions and she introduced Probation office intern Charlene Turner to the board. APPROVAL OF 8 ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA: Motion by Durbin, second by Aumann to approve the 8 office reports on the Consent Agenda. All in favor, motion carried. COMMITTEE REPORTS: ROAD AND BRIDGE COMMITTEE REPORT: Given by Chairman Bonnie Branum as follows: 1. Safety Committee Meeting Date: Branum reported that there will be a Safety Committee meeting on Thursday, January 15th, 2004 at the Highway Department. 2. Snow Plow Replacement: Branum stated that the Highway Department received bids to replace three snowplows, and that one of the vendors who bid was not able to give a price on a trade-in. The Committee is waiting on that quote so they will be able to award the bid. Motion by Branum, second by Bone to trade in the three old snowplows and purchase three new snowplows at $3,600 each for the Highway Department from the Vendor with the lowest bid. All in favor, motion carried. 3. Black Diamond Road: Branum deferred to Engineer Amy McNeal for a report on the quality of work done recently on the Black Diamond road in Montgomery County. McNeal stated that a bridge was replaced on the Black Diamond road and that due to heavy flooding, the road was raised approximately three feet in some areas. A poor quality of work on the pavement has been reported, and the county is presently working with the project’s contractor and sub-contractor to determine who is responsible for repair costs to correct the poorly surfaced pavement. The State of Illinois has offered to mediate this process, if deemed necessary by the County. FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT: Given by Chairman Bill Sielschott as follows: 1. Percentage Distribution on Petty Offenses Update: Sielschott reported that the Supreme Court judges enacted a procedure to collect a set amount for Automation and Document Storage fees, but a percentage can be collected for other fines and fees for petty offenses such as seat belt tickets; speeding twenty miles over the speed limit; conservation tickets and child safety restraints. The County has been advised by Judge Long and State’s Attorney Roberts to utilize this percentage-based collection, which will increase fee collection revenues for these offenses. 2. Resolution #04-01 Increasing Court Security Fees: Sielschott stated that Judge Long presented a resolution to the Committee to raise the Court Security fee from $15.00 to $25.00, which would become effective beginning February 1, 2004. Motion by Sielschott, second by Downs to approve the resolution to raise the Court Security Fee from $15.00 to $25.00 to become effective February 1, 2004. All in favor, motion carried. (See Resolution Book 4, page 217). 3. Probation Officer Salary Approval: Sielschott reported that Probation Officer Banee Ulrici’s salary needs to be adjusted to reflect the State of Illinois reimbursement percentage of 2.8%. Motion by Sielschott, second by Helgen to adjust Probation Officer Banee Ulrici’s salary to $36,544.76 to meet the State reimbursement percentage of 2.8%. All in favor, motion carried. 4. Veterans Assistance Budget Update: Sielschott stated that the Committee reviewed a tentative VAC budget and is taking this information under advisement to allow further research in preparation for the 2004 Budget hearings for this new Commission. Collections for the Veteran’s Assistance Commission will begin in the fall of 2004 as real estate taxes come in, with distribution following later that year. 5. County Mileage Increase Approval: Sielschott reported that the IRS Federal Regulations has raised the mileage rate from .36 cents per mile to .37 cents per mile for county authorized travel, and that the County Board has agreed to increase their mileage rates to reflect the IRS Regulations each year. Motion by Sielschott, second by Aumann to raise the county mileage from .36 cents a mile to .37 cents a mile beginning January 13, 2004 in keeping with the IRS Regulations. All in favor, motion carried. 6. Treasurer’s Report: Sielschott referred members to the annual Treasurer’s Report to check for over-budgeted and under-budgeted County revenues and expenses for the previous Fiscal Year. HWE COMMITTEE REPORT: Given by Chairman Bob Durbin as follows: 1. Rabies Tag Fees Collection Procedure Approval: Durbin reported that County Veterinarians were present at the last HWE Committee meeting to discuss the rabies tag fee increase from $2.00 to $6.00. The Committee and the veterinarians present agreed that a procedure can be implemented so that Veterinarians would not have to purchase a large batch of tags and then wait to be reimbursed by customers. The HWE Committee and county veterinarians present also agreed to meet later in the year to discuss other animal control issues. Motion by Durbin, second by Petty to have County Veterinarians acquire 200 rabies tags from the Treasurer’s Office for 2004 and pay for the first set of 200 tags when the second batch is acquired or on or before the end of the county fiscal year on November 30, 2004. All in favor, motion carried. 2. Animal Control Update: Durbin reported that the Committee will ask the Personnel Committee and the Finance Committee for guidance as they seek to hire a full time County Animal Control Warden. 3. Recycling Center Update: Durbin stated that the committee discussed putting some rock down at the Litchfield recycling drop-off area, with the City of Litchfield providing labor to spread the rock. Durbin reported that $61,439 had been received and deposited for recycled goods in fiscal year 2003. This represents 1,655,679 pounds of recycled material. An additional $9,732.82, which represents 321,904 pounds has been received since December 1, 2003. 4. Household Hazardous Waste Collection: Durbin reported that on June 21st, 2003 the county hosted a household hazardous waste collection at the parking lot of Hillsboro High school, with 180 individuals participating and 55.33 barrels of chemical waste collected. 5. UCCI: Durbin stated the annual spring conference for UCCI will be held February 24th & 25th at the Renaissance Hotel in Springfield. UCCI will reimburse the county $75.00 for each member who attends the conference, and members should see Coordinator Chris Daniels if they are interested in attending. PERSONNEL COMMITTEE REPORT: Given by Chairman John Downs as follows: 1. F.O.P. Union Negotiations Update: Downs stated that the Personnel Committee met for 6 hours on January 9th, 2004 with a Federal Mediator, and will now go to arbitration. 2. Health Insurance Update: Downs stated that there has been no response regarding health insurance yet, but health insurance costs are down from last year, which is good news. 3. County Publication Bids Procedure Change Approval: Downs stated that the committee has decided that all county offices that advertise for bids for services will now give their bid requests to the Coordinated Services office, which will be the only office to submit the bids for advertisement in all newspapers in Montgomery County. Motion by Downs, second by Painter that starting January 13th, 2004 all county bid publications will go to the Coordinated Services office, which will then place advertising in all county newspapers seeking bids. All in favor, motion carried. Member Deabenderfer asked about the cost of this new procedure, and Downs replied that a minimal additional cost will be incurred, at approximately $20 to $30 per ad, and this is an effort to insure publication is made county wide when bids are let. Chairman Havera stated that approximately 6 bids are sought each year for County Projects, so the cost should be minimal. 4. Prisoner Medical Expense Update: Downs stated that the committee has been discussing ways to reduce the on-going high medical expenses for prisoners in the county jail, and that a Health Professional Group representative will be at the January 29th Personnel Committee meeting to explore some options to reduce these costs. BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE REPORT: Given by Chairman Glenn Painter as follows: 1. Historic Courthouse Office Relocation Approval: Painter stated that the committee has decided to move the Coordinated Services Office from the basement to the second floor of the Historic Courthouse. The Coordinated Services office will be located in the two rooms behind the County Board room and the Regional Office of Education’s Learning Express Department will move to the north side of the second floor with the other Regional Office of Education services. Motion by Painter, second by Myers to approve moving the Coordinated Services Office to the second floor into the offices behind the County Board room and to relocate the Learning Express Department to the north side of the second floor with the other Regional Office of Education services. All in favor, motion carried. ESDA/AMBULANCE COMMITTEE REPORT: Given by Chairman Dennis Jagodzinski as follows: 1. December Ambulance Call Report: A summary of monthly operations for December 2003 is as follows: Total calls: 337; Total amount billed: $117,460.50; Total amount collected: $59,178.20. 2. Director Holmes Report: Jagodzinski reported that the first HazMat meeting will be held on January 29th, 2004 at the Nokomis Fire Department at 7:00 PM. The Illinois Emergency Management Association has increased ESDA’s budget by $1,000.00 for this fiscal year, but the money may not be available until the 2005 fiscal year. ESDA received approval from the Illinois Fire Service Institute for grant funded HazMat Tech Training classes, which will be held on July 16th, 17th, 18th, 23rd, 24th, and 25th, 2004. Director Holmes has had several requests for a second weather spotter’s class, which will be held on March 23rd, 2004 at 7:00 PM at a location yet to be determined and taught by James Kramper from the National Weather Service in St. Charles. Montgomery County will host a Table Top exercise funded by IEMA at the Holiday Inn – Carlinville discussing Weapons of Mass Destruction and Mutual Aid preparedness among counties and in the surrounding areas. Jagodzinski stated that Director Holmes will be attending a four-day training session given by IEMA Advance Incident Command and Exercise Design on January 21st, 22nd, 28th & 29th, 2004. Jagodzinski also informed members that Judge Long has asked ESDA to set up a county office emergency procedures list in case of fire in county buildings and implement fire drills and fire extinguisher training with all county office employees on a regular basis. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE REPORT: Given by Chairman Mike Plunkett as follows: 1. GIS Oversight Committee Update: Plunkett reported that Bob Tegeler from NRCS came to the GIS meeting and reported that the new Soil Survey project will start in the spring of 2005 and should be completed and delivered in 2006 or 2007. The County is currently using Soil Survey data from 1969. 2. Route 66 Bike Trail Feasibility Study: Plunkett reported that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has completed a feasibility study on the proposed Route 66 Bike Trail, which would be located between Litchfield and Mt. Olive and cost approximately $400,000 for about 2.3 miles of trail. IDNR recommends that even though the property belongs to IDOT the cost of maintaining the trail should be a cooperative effort between all city, county, state and federal resources. APPROVAL OF 7 COMMITTEE REPORTS: Motion by Painter, second by Downs to approve the 7 committee reports. All in favor, motion carried. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT: Given by County Board Chairman Mike Havera as follows: ANNOUNCEMENTS: Havera reported that the county calendar is now complete, and members should have calendars in their packets. Havera also reported that a special Coordinating Committee meeting will be held on January 14, 2004 at 4:00 PM in the County Board room to discuss Public Safety issues. APPOINTMENTS: Motion by Myers, second by Plunkett to approve the reappointment of Stanley Hughes as a Trustee to the Three County Public Water District Board. Mr. Hughes’s term will begin immediately and expire August 1, 2006. All in favor, motion carried. Motion by Painter, second by Horn to approve the reappointment of Frank Whitlock as a Trustee to the Three County Public Water District Board. Mr. Whitlock’s term will begin immediately and expire August 1, 2006. All in favor, motion carried. PAY BILLS: Motion by Komor, second by Blankenship to pay all approved bills. All in favor, motion carried. For an itemized listing of bills paid, refer to the Accounts Payable Book for FY 2004. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Chairman Havera opened the meeting for public comments. Montgomery County citizen and Hillsboro restaurant owner Jerry Milanos spoke to the board on behalf of food vendors regarding the Food Sanitation Ordinance. Mr. Milanos stated that he is strongly against the proposed Food Sanitation Ordinance fee implementation for Food Service Permits and Inspections, and that he was glad that the board voted it down a few years ago when it was suggested. He urged members to vote it down if it is introduced again. ADJOURN: Until the Regular Monthly Meeting on Tuesday, February 10th, 2004 at 8:30 AM. Motion by Blankenship, second by Painter to adjourn the Full Board Meeting. All in favor, motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 9:30 AM.