South West Illinois News

Monroe County Board of County Commissioners met Monday, May 16.

Here are the minutes as provided by Monroe County:

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

OF MONROE COUNTY, ILLINOIS MAY 16, 2016

The meeting of the County Commissioners of Monroe County, Illinois was called to order at 8:00 a.m. Chairman Terry Liefer, Commissioner Delbert Wittenauer, and Commissioner Robert Elmore were present.

The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Others present included Sheila Wetzler, County Clerk Dennis Knobloch, along with Press Corps representatives – Joe Leicht of the Monroe County Independent and Alan Dooley of the Republic Times. Also present were Vicki Koerber and Leo Stephan.

There being a quorum present, the meeting was called to order by Chairman Liefer.

Chairman Liefer called for public comments. There being none, the regular business of the meeting continued.

Aaron Metzger was present to discuss various Highway Department matters. He said that after review he would like to present an Ordinance to the Board that would regulate the use of any County roadway for a run/walk/bike event. Following some brief discussion, motion was made by Commissioner Wittenauer, with a second by Commissioner Elmore to approve the newly revised Monroe County Roadway Use Ordinance. All voting Aye, none Nay and none Absent.

Motion carried.

ORDINANCE 16-2

BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County that Motor Vehicle Code Section 24-8-10 of the Revised Code or Ordinances of the County of Monroe is hereby amended in its entirety and the following provisions are hereby adopted:

24-8-10 REGISTRATION. All groups of 50 or more planning an event on the Monroe County Highway System are required to obtain a permit from the Monroe County Sheriff at least 30 days prior to said event. No more than 300 participants total per day shall be permitted during events on the County Highway System.

A group is identified as a number of individuals who by invitation, planning or design are using the Monroe County Highway System on the same day, regardless of whether they ride/walk/run in a contiguous formation.

The Sheriff, with the advice and consent of the County Engineer, shall consider relevant factors including, but not limited to, road conditions, traffic volume, construction, special events and compliance with rules during previous events, when determining whether to issue a permit.

The Sheriff shall issue or deny the permit within 10 days of application.

Permit applications shall contain the following information:

(A) The name of the organization sponsoring the event, if any.

(B) The date of the event.

(C) The number of participants estimated to be present during the event.

(D) The proposed route of the event.

(E) The location of all rest stops.

Persons participating in the event shall obey all traffic and other laws of the State of Illinois and all ordinances of the County of Monroe and shall not enter upon private property without permission of the owner.

Participating in a group event without having first obtained a permit pursuant to this section is a violation of this Code.

MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Adopted this 16th day of May, 2016

Mr. Metzger said the State of Illinois is still soliciting proposals for Illinois Transportation

Enhancement projects, and he is proposing a sidewalk/bike/hiking trail that would connect the current Rogers Street trail with new sidewalk being planned as part of the Route 3 bypass project.

This proposed sidewalk would follow Country Club Lane, which is under County jurisdiction.

Motion was made by Commissioner Elmore, with a second by Commissioner Wittenauer to approve a Local Assurance Resolution to apply for ITEP funding for this project. All voting Aye, none Nay and none Absent. Motion carried.

RESOLUTION 16-27

ROGERS TRAIL EXTENSION

PROJECT SPONSORING AGENCY

LOCAL ASSURANCE

WHEREAS, in the interest of improved transportation facilities and safety to the pedestrian and motoring public, Monroe County and the City of Waterloo, propose to improve Country Club Lane, HH Road and North Market Street by installing a concrete sidewalk adjacent to said roadways from the Rogers Street Trail to the future Illinois Route 3 Trail; and WHEREAS, the Illinois Department of Transportation is soliciting projects for the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) and the aforementioned Rogers Trail Extension sidewalk project is a qualifying ITEP Project.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the County of Monroe shall apply for ITEP Funds to help finance said Rogers Trail Extension and that the County of Monroe shall be the Local sponsoring Agency with the City of Waterloo as Co-Sponsor; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Board Chairman be authorized to sign the Local Assurance form and all other documents required for submittal in the application of said ITEP Funds.

Passed by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Illinois at Waterloo, this 16th day of May, 2016. Motion: Elmore Second: Wittenauer Aye: Three Nay: None Absent: None

Mr. Metzger said that IDOT does not want to consider a stoplight as part of the Kaskaskia Road realignment project, but the Planning Commission would not issue a recommendation for approval of that project without the stoplight. He said he is continuing with the review for that project with the hope that some type of compromise can be reached prior to the start of construction on the Kaskaskia Road realignment project. Mr. Metzger said the resurfacing of Bluff Road and Maeystown Road will take place later this week, and the bid for the Hecker drainage project will be let this week.

Representatives of the CTS Group came to the meeting to discuss the proposed Monroe County Energy Audit. Also present for the discussion were Dan Borisuk, Brian Hooten and Aaron Metzger. Ellie Blankenship of CTS said that once the County Board gives the company the instructions to proceed with the detailed analysis, they will study the designated County facilities and come up with a list of possible improvement measures and the associated costs. She said their company will also meet with local contractors to determine those interested in working on the potential projects, and she figured the report would be ready to submit to the County Board within 60-90 days of the notice to proceed. Commissioner Wittenauer said he would like to see CTS also include a long-range plan for the County facilities, and Ms. Blankenship said that would be part of the package. CTS will provide a list of the potential projects that will include the estimated expense, as well as the proposed energy savings for each component of the project.

Chairman Liefer said he would still like to have reference contact information for prior CTS clients. Ms. Blankenship said there will be a dedicated Project Manager from CTS who will oversee this project. She said it is important that there is coordination of scheduling and communication between the County and CTS, and they accomplish their goals through phased projects and flexibility. Commissioner Wittenauer said it would be good if we could include all of the proposed projects in the Fall budget discussion.

Motion was made by Commissioner Elmore, with a second by Commissioner Wittenauer to execute a “Letter of Intent” between Monroe County and CTS for the execution of an Energy Audit and Analysis. All voting Aye, none Nay and none Absent. Motion carried.

The minutes of the May 2, 2016 regular meeting and the May 5, 2016 Special Ambulance Committee meeting were both approved upon motion by Commissioner Wittenauer, with a second by Commissioner Elmore. All voting Aye, none Nay and none Absent. Motion carried.

The following Accounts Payable having been approved for payment, Commissioner Wittenauer moved that the same be allowed and that vouchers be issued against their respective funds of the County Treasurer for payment. Motion seconded by Commissioner Elmore, and so declared all voting Aye, none Nay, and none Absent. Motion carried.

GENERAL FUND

A T & T Mobility 2,110.69

Advantage Software 599.00

Ally Wolf 134.56

Americom 479.00

Beneflex 1,154.50

Charles Suarez Treasurer 280.00

Charter Communications 54.13

Coast to Coast Computer Products 13.01

Columbia Quarry Company 828.98

Conrad Press Ltd. 816.50

Cory Comte 315.00

Crash Data Services 2,060.00

Culligan-Schaefer Water Centers 100.58

DataTronics 41.00

Ed Roehr Auto Radio Co. Inc. 3,240.86

Egyptian Stationers Inc. 482.48

Fike & Fike Inc. 500.00

Gateway FS 1,938.82

Goodin Associates Ltd. 190.00

GreatAmerica Financial Services 152.49

Harrisonville Telephone Company 364.98

Honeywell Inc. 10,855.75

Information Technologies Inc. 1,615.50

K&D Printing 813.50

Kristina Kennedy 265.10

Leon Uniform Company Inc. 442.93

M P S Industries 892.50

Melissa A. Hunter 100.57

Monika Tiemann 162.50

Monroe County Electric Coop Inc. 437.50

Motorola 2,160.12

Nabers Shop 75.00

Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. 213.53

Quill Corporation 734.78

Red Bud Illinois Hospital Company 600.00

Reliable Sanitation Service Inc. 482.45

Richland Pet Cremation & Memorials 16.75

Robert Hill 35.00

Secure Document Destruction 40.00

Sidebarr Technologies 300.00

SLU Care 150.00

St. Elizabeth’s Hospital 225.00

St. Louis Area Maps Inc. 1,440.00

The Lowenbaum Partnership LLC 1,680.00

Thomson Reuters-West Publishing Corp. 952.97

U.S. Bank Equipment Finance 267.72

Vision Medical 194.62

Vision Websoft 2,000.00

Waterloo Lumber Company Inc. 5.99

Watson’s Office City 458.17

Wightman Pharmacy 727.38

AMBULANCE SERVICE FUND

Coast to Coast 561.60

Foster Coach Sales Inc. 87.30

Illinois Department of Public Aid 100.00

Mertz Ford 180.50

Midwest Warehouse & Storage Inc. 100.00

Moore Medical Corp. 592.31

Motorola Solutions 396.00

Nabers Shop 225.00

Quill Corporation 21.95

Trizetto 82.20

Warner Communications Corp. 268.50

Wex 1,342.68

Zoll Medical Corporation 170.29

HEALTH TAX FUND

Coast to Coast 1,262.50

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals 1,896.63

Motorola 34.00

Stericycle Inc. 262.74

HIGHWAY FUND

Al’s Auto Waterloo 214.83

Ameren Illinois 49.13

DataTronics 188.00

Don Edler 4,200.00

Fountain Water District 30.50

Gateway FS Inc. 823.45

Hartmann Farm Supply Inc. 200.00

Luby Equipment Services 332.90

Maclair Asphalt Co. Inc. 965.02

Monroe County Electric Cooperative 737.35

Nabers Shop 245.38

R.M. Webster & Associates Inc. 467.80

Reliable Sanitation Service Inc. 807.88

Safety-Kleen Systems Inc. 321.86

Sidebarr Technologies 99.00

Watson’s Office City 34.99

Williams Office Products Inc. 8.49

Woody’s Municipal Supply Company 212.86

ROAD MOTOR FUEL

Columbia Quarry Company 4,616.66

ROAD BRIDGE FUND

Monroe County Highway Fund 4,561.88

Road District No. 3 2,312.47

G.I.S. FUND

Laura Henry 55.08

RECORDER’S DOCUMENT FUND

Fidlar Technologies 1,834.78

Kim Keckritz was present to discuss Nursing Home business. She said they could use a new truck at the Nursing Home for their Maintenance Department, so if one becomes available at the County level, she would appreciate being considered. There was discussion of the census within the various areas of the Nursing Home. Ms. Keckritz said that all of the plan documents for the proposed Rehab Unit have been forwarded to IDPH She said the Employee Handbook has been updated, and has been forwarded to Lowenbaum Law for their review. Ms. Keckritz said that in order to alleviate injury, they have ordered a “Camel” – a type of lift instrument that will pick up patients from the floor following a fall. This device is similar to an air mattress that you move the patient onto, and then the device is inflated to raise them off the floor. She said work continues on the Magnolia Terrace website, that will be separate from the regular Oak Hill website. The monthly Nursing Home bills were approved upon motion by Commissioner Wittenauer, with a second by Commissioner Elmore. All voting Aye, none Nay and none Absent. Motion carried.

Dennis Knobloch reported that the Bicentennial activities continue to go well, with another bus tour just recently completed. He said that plans are also nearly complete for the Ceremonial County Board meeting to be held in Harrisonville on Saturday, June 4th, and he is looking forward to the participation of the County Board and numerous County officials.

Motion was made by Commissioner Wittenauer, with a second by Commissioner Elmore to approve a Courtyard/Bandstand permit for the Optimist Club of Waterloo for their Annual Car Show to be held on Sunday, June 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All voting Aye, none Nay and none Absent. Motion carried.

Motion was made by Commissioner Wittenauer, with a second by Commissioner Elmore to reappoint Aaron Metzger to the Southwestern Illinois Regional Planning Commission Executive Committee. All voting Aye, none Nay and none Absent. Motion carried.

RESOLUTION 16-28

BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Illinois that Aaron Metzger, 8005 Andy Road, Waterloo, Illinois be reappointed to the Southwestern Regional Planning Commission Executive Committee for a term of one year with term to commence on June 1, 2016 and term to expire on May 31, 2017 or until a successor is appointed and has qualified.

Passed by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Illinois at Waterloo this 16th day of May, 2016.

Carla Heise, along with other members of the Monroe County Ambulance Service, came to the Board meeting in recognition of Emergency Medical Services Week, 2016. Motion was made by Commissioner Wittenauer, with a second by Commissioner Elmore to declare May 15-21, 2016 as Emergency Medical Services Week. All voting Aye, none Nay and none Absent. Motion carried. The following Proclamation was read – “Few moments are as terrifying as those when medical emergencies strike. But thanks to the courageous efforts of all who provide emergency medical services (EMS), citizens know they and their loved ones will be cared for in their hours of greatest need. As we mark Emergency Medical Services Week, we thank these selfless women and men of Monroe County EMS. This week, we celebrate the EMS providers who risk their own lives and health to protect the well-being of others. At scenes of accidents and natural disasters, in times of personal crisis and national tragedy, they offer essential services and demonstrate strength and resilience. May we never forget that an efficient, high-quality EMS system is crucial to ensuring care during any emergency. Therefore, we the Commissioners of Monroe County, Illinois, in recognition of this event do hereby proclaim the week of May 15-21, 2016 as Emergency Medical Services Week.” Leo Stephan left the meeting.

Commissioner Wittenauer said he was not happy with the most current assessment of his farm ground. He said he thought there was a system in place for a stepped increase in the farmland assessment values, and on his recent assessment, the values jumped from 25-50%, depending on the various parcels. There was some discussion regarding the system for valuing farm properties, but it was decided they would have to contact Carl Wuertz for clarification. Once again there was discussion of possible membership in the Waterloo and Columbia Chambers of Commerce.

Jennifer Duensing, Carol Kuntz and Jim Hill were present to discuss Fort de Chartres. They said that with the current State budget situation, no money has been forthcoming for the maintenance and activities at the Fort. Ms. Duensing said they now are depending on multiple volunteers for the maintenance of the facility including weekly mowing. Ms. Kuntz said that they have also started a private group to raise funds to help sponsor the various events at the Fort including the Annual Rendezvous. Mr. Hill said they are also doing everything possible to include the Fort in all of the promotional information and events related to the Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail. The group said they were interested in any monetary, community and moral support they could get from the County Board. Chairman Liefer said even if the County Board was willing to make a monetary contribution, it would be difficult based on current budget constraints. The Commissioners said they would do whatever they could to help spread the word about the plight of the Fort, and to try to convince businesses, organizations and individuals to help in any way they possibly can.

Kevin Koenigstein came to the meeting to discuss the County Human Resource situation. Chairman Liefer said that since Linda Lehr is no longer employed by the County, something needs to be done so the County has someone to handle Human Resource issues. Chairman Liefer said after discussions with those involved, he would like to make a recommendation that Annmarie Marcuson, employed by the Treasurer’s office, be appointed as the County’s Human Resource Officer. Commissioner Wittenauer said he didn’t understand why we previously cut Ms. Lehr’s hours in the interest of economics, when she was the one who was doing the Human Resource work, but now we need to put someone else in that position. He also said that he would not support this move if it meant that the Treasurer’s office would then have to hire a new fulltime person, because by the time we’re done, we’ll be spending even more on personnel than we were before this job revision. Kevin Koenigstein said in order to assist with the overall budget situation, he would not be hiring any part-time help this year. Commissioner Wittenauer said he told Ms. Marcuson she should quit taking on more jobs just to impress people. Commissioner Wittenauer said he also misses the assistance he received from the County Coordinator. Chairman Liefer said he feels we will now have someone who is more familiar with the required labor laws and regulations, and the County will not be open to employment problems. Motion was made by Commissioner Elmore, with a second by Chairman Liefer to appoint Annmarie Marcuson as the Monroe County Human Resource Officer. Chairman Liefer and Commissioner Elmore voting Aye, none Nay and Commissioner Wittenauer Abstain. Motion carried.

Dennis Knobloch reported that employees of his office met with Kevin Koenigstein and employees of his office regarding the situation with Zobrio and their support of the new cash management and payroll programs. More research is being done to see if the County can switch to having support directly from the software company – Blackbaud, rather than receiving support from Zobrio, the third-party company, that has had a continual change of employees, and has not completed the installation and implementation of the financial programs as requested by the County. They will continue to gather information and report back to the Board on the status of this issue.

Ryan Weber came to the meeting to discuss various issues. He said following discussion with the Sheriff, the contract for the radio tower will be extended, and paperwork will be completed to reflect that. He also said that by now everyone probably knows that the recent flooding disaster in December, 2015 – January, 2016 was not approved for Federal relief status, so there will be no reimbursement for the local expenses involved with that event. He said there was also a problem because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said they would cover the cost of the rock that needed to be placed on top of the levee to insure the stability of the structure, but they have now said they are not willing to pay for that rock. That expense will now have to be passed on to the Levee District. Commissioner Wittenauer said he was not comfortable doing that, especially to the Columbia Levee District, because they are in financial distress at this time. Motion was made by Commissioner Wittenauer, with a second by Commissioner Elmore to approve payment of $3,994.69 from the County budget to cover the cost of rock, with the agreement that this is a onetime situation for the County, and they will not be in the habit of paying for Levee District expenses in the future. All voting Aye, none Nay and none Absent. Motion carried. 

Jim Hill, Paul Ellis and Kevin Koenigstein came to the meeting to discuss the restructuring of the County Economic Development Committee. Mr. Hill said the decision was made by the County Board to pursue an Economic Development Corporation with private investors, and a Transition Committee was appointed by the current Monroe County Economic Development Committee. Mr. Hill said the group chose him to serve as Chairman, Chuck Pittman to serve as Vice Chairman and Kevin Koenigstein to serve as the group’s Treasurer. Once an Executive Director is appointed for the agency, that individual will serve as the Secretary for the newly-formed group. A posting was put in the Waterloo Republic-Times requesting applications from anyone interested in serving as the Executive Director of this new group, and today, Monday, May 16 is the deadline for those submissions. Mr. Hill said the group received their State Corporate Charter on April 26, and last week the budget and by-laws of the group were approved. He said they still need to execute an agreement with the County. They are currently soliciting fund memberships from individuals, businesses and municipalities, and Mr. Hill reported that those efforts have been successful so far – many pledges have been received. He said the next meeting of the group is June 22, and they hope to be able to have much of the structure of the group in place by then. Mr. Hill said the group was structured as a 501C3, because the members felt this would make it more attractive to those businesses who were being asked to make contributions to this Economic Development effort. He said they are hoping the County acts quickly in reviewing the submittals and selecting the Executive Director for the group. Mr. Hill said the current Committee has prepared a 3-year viability budget and business plan for the effort. Commissioner Wittenauer said he hopes the new Executive Director and Committee have just as much success as Nora Feuquay did previously, and he said he felt one thing that was even more important about Ms. Feuquay’s efforts, was the way that she helped the applicants with preparation of business plans and budgeting, and many times either helped to make the applicant more successful, or convinced the applicant that they really didn’t have a proper plan in place to succeed. Chairman Liefer asked what the current situation was with the outstanding Economic Development loans. Kevin Koenigstein said there are three existing loans, and they should be paid in full at the end of four years. He asked the County Board what they wanted done with the balance in the Economic Development Committee fund – approximately $10,000. There was discussion among the Commissioners as to whether the funds should go to the new ED group or if they should go back to the County. There was also discussion that those funds could possibly pay back the County for some of the funds previously advanced to the Committee. Another question was whether the former Economic Development Committee would be required to take action on the disposition of those funds prior to dissolution of that Committee. Paul Ellis said he thought the intent of the prior Committee was to roll the leftover funds to the new Economic Development group. Dennis Knobloch said he felt this should be researched by someone to make sure the proper legal steps are being taken. Chairman Liefer asked if the County was going to pay the salary of the Executive Director, or if this would be done by the newly-formed Committee. Kevin Koenigstein said that had been discussed, and the Committee felt it made more sense for the County to handle hiring and paying the Executive Director, bill the Economic Development Corporation and be repaid quarterly for the salary expense of that position. Paul Ellis said it is much easier for the County to provide benefits like insurance, pension, etc., than for the Corporation to have to go out and make these arrangements for just one employee.

The County Board felt that there were too many unanswered questions. Research will be done to answer some of these questions and concerns, and attempts will be made to come up with some type of resolution at the next County Board meeting on Monday, June 6.

There being no further business to come before the Board, motion to adjourn was made by Commissioner Elmore, with a second by Commissioner Wittenauer. All voting Aye, none Nay and none Absent. Motion carried.