Monroe County Board met Oct. 1.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
The meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Illinois was called to order at 8:00 a.m. Chairman Robert Elmore and Commissioner Vicki Koerber were present. Commissioner Delbert Wittenauer was absent.
The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
There being a quorum present, the meeting was called to order by Chairman Elmore.
Others present included County Clerk Dennis Knobloch and Annmarie Marcuson, along with Press Corps representatives Alan Dooley of the Waterloo Republic Times and Joe Leicht of the Monroe County Independent. Also present was Ron Schultheis and Jason Jones.
PUBLIC COMMENTS – Tammy Toon asked to speak to the County Board. She said that she felt those who overdose on heroin should be arrested and offered treatment for the abuse of that drug. Ms. Toon said she feels that the use of Narcan has enabled heroin users to continue to abuse the drug, and there is no reason for them to consider cleaning up their act. She said she feels this also is sending the wrong message to youth, who now think it is okay to use and abuse heroin, because if they overdose on the drug, someone will show up to save them with Narcan. Ms. Toon said she has personally had to deal with someone close to her who abused heroin, and she feels that arresting these people would help to curb drug abuse. She said people who over indulge with marijuana or alcohol are arrested, and drugs like heroin should be no different. Commissioner Koerber said she agreed that Narcan is simply a band-aid approach to the problem, and she invited Ms. Toon to attend the Monroe County Drug Coalition meeting to be held later today at the Monroe County YMCA.
Aaron Metzger came to the meeting to discuss Highway Department business. He said that it appears there will be funding available to install the right turn lane at Hanover Road and southbound Illinois Route 3. Mr. Metzger said in order to complete the project he will need to contract for project engineering, intersection design, construction drawings, etc. He said he doesn’t have the manpower in his office to complete this work, so he plans to contract with TWM for these services. Mr. Metzger said the estimated cost for the engineering services is $24,990. Motion was made by Commissioner Koerber, with a second by Chairman Elmore to contract with TWM for engineering services for the right turn lane at Hanover Road and southbound Illinois Route 3. Chairman Elmore and Commissioner Koerber voting Aye, none Nay and Commissioner Wittenauer Absent. Motion carried.
RESOLUTION 18-88
APPROVAL OF AN ENGINEERING AGREEMENT WITH THOUVENOT, WADE & MOERCHEN, INC. FOR ROADWAY PLANS FOR THE HANOVER TURN LANE PROJECT
WHEREAS, in the interest of providing improved transportation facilities and the safety of the motoring public the County of Monroe wishes to construct a designated right turn lane from Hanover Road onto southbound Illinois Route 3 designated as Section 18-00052-94-PV; and
WHEREAS, a Federal Grant in the form of Congestion Mitigation Funds (CMAQ) have been received for said Hanover Turn Lane; and
WHEREAS, construction plans, including an Intersection Design Study (IDS), will be required for the completion of the Hanover Turn Lane Project.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Firm of Thouvenot, Wade & Moerchen Inc. (TWM) of Swansea, IL be contracted to provide said construction plans and IDS for an estimated amount of $24,990 and that the County Board Chairman is hereby authorized to sign the Contract Agreement for Transportation Engineering Services authorizing TWM to proceed with said construction plans and IDS; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following funds be appropriated to cover the cost of the Engineering Services:
Matching Tax Funds - $24,990
Passed by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Illinois at Waterloo, this 1st day of October, 2018.
Motion: Koerber Second: Wittenauer
Aye: Two
Nay: None
Absent: Wittenauer
Mr. Metzger said the surface coat on Ames Road was completed Friday, but all of the finish work still needs to be completed. He said he has also received a request to vacate a portion of the old Bluff Road that is not being used following the realignment of Bluff Road, and he is now reviewing that request.
Rose Ann Bense and Dorothy Kohler came to the meeting representing the Monroe County Home and Community Education unit. Motion was made by Commissioner Koerber, with a second by Chairman Elmore to proclaim the week of October 14-20, 2018 as Monroe County HCE Week. Chairman Elmore and Commissioner Koerber voting A ye, none Nay and Commissioner Wittenauer Absent. Motion carried. A proclamation was read in commemoration of the designation. Ms. Bense said they conduct numerous programs that are open to the public and some of the recent ones included a pie crust contest, painting classes, a cultural arts contest and a program on the importance of wills and estates. They presented the Commissioners with a plate of fresh-baked treats.
The following Accounts Payable having been approved for payment, Commissioner Koerber moved that the same be allowed and that vouchers be issued against their respective funds of the County Treasurer for payment. Motion seconded by Chairman Elmore, and so declared. Chairman Elmore and Commissioner Koerber voting Aye, none Nay, and Commissioner Wittenauer Absent. Motion carried.
1st National Bank of Waterloo 8,559.75
Al’s Auto Supply 54.96
Americom Imaging Systems Inc. 234.03
Americom 6,700.68
Ann Rudloff 59.80
Auto Designs by Sebastian 595.00
Brenda Hempen 333.54
Campion, Barrow & Associates 425.00
Carl Wuertz 252.49
City of Waterloo 15,288.03
Columbia Quarry Company 4,495.43
Culligan-Schaefer Water Centers 37.50
Denise Buettner 160.00
Doerr Construction Inc. 2,754.14
East St. Louis Bar Association 100.00
Gillan Graphics 10.00
Harrisonville Telephone Company 3,043.37
John Deere Financial 144.77
Kyle Waddington 259.54
Leon Uniform Company Inc 1,056.63
Marla Rose 900.00
May Pest Control LLC 145.00
McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer, L.C. 1,505.00
Memorial Hospital 928.00
Midwest Occupational Medicine 93.00
Motorola 1,427.00
Nabers Shop 126.31
Oak Hill 9,652.00
Office Depot 19.69
Paylocity Corporation 1,045.00
Platinum Technology Resource, LLC 18,760.00
Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc 240.00
Quality Collision Inc. 900.55
Quill Corporation 345.68
Randy Rudloff 11,050.00
Rejis Commission 506.00
Road District 10 5,000.00
Ronald M. Mueller 232.92
Schlemmer Automotive Inc. 57.13
Scott Schumer 357.38
Security Envelope Company 354.77
Southwestern IL Planning Comm. 10,137.00
Tech Electronics 7,333.25
Total Eclipse 2,362.06
U. S. Bank Equipment Finance 218.00
Waterloo Animal Hospital 887.87
Watson’s Office City 146.82
Zanders Sporting Goods 153.20
AMBULANCE SERVICE FUND
1st National Bank of Waterloo 356.04
ESO Solutions 6,485.00
Gateway FS 47.02
Harrisonville Telephone Company 141.03
Jason Nonn 58.00
Mertz Ford 2,286.45
Motorola Solutions 396.00
Ryan J. Kaylor 150.00
Walmart Community/RFCSLLC 157.05
Wells Fargo Vendor Fin Serv 115.99
WEX 2,357.72
HEALTH TAX FUND
1st National Bank of Waterloo 1,808.49
Coast to Coast Equipment 162.00
Gateway Regional Medical 119.29
Motorola 34.00
Ryan Castello 225.00
Sanofi Pasteur Inc. 2,213.74
HIGHWAY FUND
Aaron Scheibe 184.19
Americom Imaging 350.00
Aramark Uniform Services 2,777.28
Bel-O Sales & Service 693.00
Bobcat of Fairview Heights 75,663.34
Christopher G. Howell 24.52
Dave Schmidt Truck Service 261.58
Dean P. Doerr 200.00
Harrisonville Telephone Company 39.78
Iron Crafters Inc. 88.80
John Deere Financial 521.43
Mike’s Automotive 5,710.97
R&M Oil Company 4,430.20
Schwarze Trailer Repair Inc. 36.55
Warning Lites of Southern Illinois 565.00
Williams Office Products Inc. 12.07
COUNTY MOTOR FUEL
JTC Petroleum Co. 11,430.64
ROAD MOTOR FUEL
Columbia Quarry Company 12,273.40
JTC Petroleum Co. 43,494.61
Mike A. Maedge Trucking Inc. 25,028.13
FEDERAL AID MATCHING FUND
Oates Associates 6,160.00
ROAD BRIDGE
Road District 10 3,225.57
RECORDER’S DOCUMENT STORAGE
Fidlar Technologies 931.24
CIRCUIT CLERK
1st National Bank of Waterloo 1,461.91
Motion was made by Commissioner Koerber, with a second by Chairman Elmore to approve the following minutes. Chairman Elmore and Commissioner Koerber voting Aye, none Nay and Commissioner Wittenauer Absent. Motion carried.
September 17, 2018 regular session minutes
September 17, 2018 closed session #1
September 17, 2018 closed session #2
September 19, 2018 – budget hearings day #1
September 20, 2018 – budget hearings day #2
Motion was made by Commissioner Koerber, with a second by Chairman Elmore to approve a request from the City of Waterloo for use of the Courtyard and Bandstand for the Annual Waterloo Trunk or Treat event on October 31 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Chairman Elmore and Commissioner Koerber voting Aye, none Nay and Commissioner Wittenauer Absent. Motion carried.
Kevin Koenigstein came to the meeting to discuss several budget issues. He said the County is on pace to complete the current fiscal year with $7.4 million in revenue. He said he expected that the revenue should be about $7.7 for the next fiscal year. There was a detailed discussion of the fee and receipt income for the upcoming year. Commissioner Koerber asked how much money is collected by the County in gaming revenues. Mr. Koenigstein said it is about $20,000 annually. Commissioner Koerber said she would like to see that amount set aside each year for Courthouse/Courtyard beautification and maintenance.
Amy Roever, Board of Review and Marge Francois, Chairman of the Monroe County Board of Review, came to the meeting to discuss details of the work of that group. The other members of the Board of Review – Mark Altadonna and Dan Schumer had sent responses to the Commissioners regarding their thoughts and concerns about the functions for the Board of Review. Ms. Roever said she would like to see some clarification from the Commissioners on the job description and salary reimbursements for the Board of Review members.
Marge Francois said that she has been on the Board of Review for about 10-12 years, and she currently serves as Chairman of that group. She said the late assessments caused some problems this year, and the Board of Review members agreed to work as quickly as possible to move the tax process along for the benefit of the taxing districts. Ms. Francois said once the assessments are sent out, the taxpayers have 30 days to file a complaint with the County, and then appointments are set for each complaint. Ms. Francois said they have encountered some filters that have filed their complaints beyond the 30-day limit, and she is still trying to determine if that is allowable under state statute. She said the taxpayers have the option of meeting with the Assessor or the Board of Review to review their assessment. Ms. Francois said if the Board of Review members worked a full day, they were previously paid a “per diem” for the morning hours and a “per diem” for the afternoon hours. She said they really need guidelines from the Commissioners on how that should be handled.
Commissioner Koerber asked if the Board of Review is under the control of the Assessor’s Office. Amy Roever said yes, it is. Commissioner Koerber said she would like to see how the Board of Review is handled in some of the surrounding Counties. Ms. Francois said she has talked to St. Clair and Randolph Counties, and in Randolph County the Board of Review members are also reimbursed for continuing education up to $500. The number of file reviews was discussed. Ms. Francois said this year there were about 500 complaints filed, but many didn’t require extensive review. She said there were about 200 full appraisal reviews that required extra work by the Board of Review.
Ms. Roever said if the taxpayer is not happy with the decision of the Assessor and/or the County Board of Review, they can appeal their assessment to the Illinois Department of Revenue Board of Appeals. This process can take several years for completion, and she said the members of the local Board of Review are sometimes called in to review files and submit more documentation. Commissioner Koerber said Mr. Schumer said it may help him if some of the Board of Review meetings were in the evening since he works full-time during the day, and she said she would still like some information from surrounding Counties of the same size as Monroe.
There was once again some discussion regarding the compensation for Board of Review members. Ms. Roever said she was told by Carl Wuertz that he talked with Chairman Elmore and Annmarie Marcuson, and they verbally agreed to change the “per diem” definition to one full day of work, rather than a half day as it has been in the past. Chairman Elmore said we need to stay with the original pay scale until there is more discussion and any necessary changes are made.
Meredith Perkins of the Davey Resource Group came to the meeting to discuss the trees on the Courthouse grounds. The County Board had previously discussed working with this group to develop a plan for the trees. Ms. Perkins has prepared a grant proposal in the amount of $9,400 that will be submitted to the Morton Arboretum. The total project cost will be $20,098 and will include $10,698 in local match dollars. Included in the project are the planting of (10) trees on the Courthouse grounds, and the planting of a tree on Arbor Day, plus the maintenance of all the trees. Part of the funds ($4,400) will be paid to Davey Resource Group for a tree inventory and map of the site identifying all of the trees and detailing current conditions, plus a management plan and recommendations to provide inventory data analysis, along with an outline of specific actions to improve the health and quality of the Courthouse trees. Motion was made by Commissioner Koerber, with a second by Chairman Elmore to proceed with the grant application. Chairman Elmore and Commissioner Koerber voting A ye, none Nay and Commissioner Wittenauer Absent. Motion carried.
Brian Hooten came to the meeting to discuss the underground fuel tank for the backup generator at the Jail. A new generator was installed in May, 2018 that has its own 350-gallon tank attached, so there has been discussion about remediation of the old underground storage tank. Mr. Hooten said the tank still holds about 1,400 gallons of fuel, and something will need to be done with that. He said the fuel has been in the tank for a while and would need to be “polished” before any future use, at a cost of $1,800. He also said he has talked to several companies about reclaiming that fuel, and the cost of the County for doing that would be about 45 cents per gallon, yielding about $600 for the County. Mr. Hooten said he has talked with several contractors and also with the State Fire Marshall, and the recommendation is to abandon the tank in place, because of its proximity to the Jail building’s foundation. The cost to abandon the tank in place ranges from $9,000 to $13,000. Motion was made by Commissioner Koerber, with a second by Chairman Elmore to allow Mr. Hooten to continue with the process to abandon the jail generator fuel tank in place and remove the existing fuel in the tank. Chairman Elmore and Commissioner Koerber voting Aye, none Nay and Commissioner Wittenauer Absent. Motion carried.
Mr. Hooten said he had several other projects he would like to complete before the end of this budget year. He said the Annex Building parking lot needs to have cracks filled and then be sealed. The approximate cost is $6,000. Motion was made by Commissioner Koerber, with a second by Chairman Elmore to proceed with the necessary repairs to the Annex Building parking lot. Chairman Elmore and Commissioner Koerber voting Aye, none Nay and Commissioner Wittenauer Absent. Motion carried.
Mr. Hooten said he would also like to repair the relief air and louvers on the basement HVAC system. He said these louvers stick open and allow a lot of cold air in during the Winter, lowering the temperatures in the basement utility room below freezing at times. Motion was made by Commissioner Koerber, with a second by Chairman Elmore to proceed with the replacement of the relief air and louvers in the basement utility room. Chairman Elmore and Commissioner Koerber voting Aye, none Nay and Commissioner Wittenauer Absent. Motion carried.
Chairman Elmore said there was a meeting of the Enterprise Zone Committee last week, and there are still problems with the Zone map designation. There is a Public Hearing meeting scheduled for October 25 at 6:00 p.m. at Red Bud City Hall.
Commissioner Koerber said she has been working on some vacancies on the County Planning Commission, and she expects to have some recommendations for appointment at the next County Board meeting on October 15.
There being no further business to come before the Board, motion to adjourn was made by Commissioner Koerber with a second by Chairman Elmore. Chairman Elmore and Commissioner Koerber voting Aye, none Nay and Commissioner Wittenauer Absent. Motion carried.
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