To Meet or Not To Meet: Committee Meetings Changed to Regular Meetings

By Mike Nester For The Prairie Advocate News

MT. CARROLL – There was one tough decision the Carroll County Board made during its Jan. 19 regular monthly meeting at the courthouse during a light agenda. The 15-member board debated whether or not to gather on Feb. 2.

The board recently decided to eliminate committee meetings and hold two monthly meetings. Some board members felt a meeting was unnecessary because of the light agenda and said money would be saved by eliminating pay for board members, including mileage.

Board member Sharon Hook said business was light in January and February but would pick up as the year went on.

“If you don’t want to come to meetings, then don’t run for office,” said board member Paul Hartman during the light-hearted debate.

The board voted 9-6 to hold the meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 2.

Highway Supervisor Kevin Vandendooren presented the board with a plan to construct a new pole building at the County Highway garage to serve the Animal Control office as well as the Highway Dept. The request was initially made for a small 12’ x 12’ storage shed for the Animal Control office but Vandendooren decided to pool resources to benefit both departments.

Under the plan, which was approved by a vote of 10-5, the new building will be approximately 24’ x 36’ at a cost not to exceed $12,500. Funds will used from Animal Control ($2,500 for the budgeted shed) and another $10,000 would come from the Highway Dept. He said funds were available in the budget.

According to Vandendooren, the new building would allow two more highway department vehicles be stored inside and also increase the animal control storage to a 12’ x 20’ area. As a cost saving measure, construction will be done by the highway dept. He said he had all summer to work on the project and the board would be informed of specifications as well as the exact cost.

The county board finalized its contract agreements with the Carpenters Union and the Teamsters Union, granting a three percent pay raise this year and a three percent increase next fiscal year. County administrator Mike Doty said both unions had agreed to the terms.

Carroll County Treasurer Diane Powers informed the board of a change by THE National Bank regarding accounts with over $250,000 that will no longer draw interest. The county has approximately 55 accounts at the bank and Powers said she is in the process of contacting area banks to move the accounts. She said some accounts will remain at THE National Bank due to its location and also to allow citizens the ability to pay their property taxes at the financial institution.

The County Board unanimously passed a resolution which would bring broadband fiber to Chadwick. Under the current plan, Chadwick was by-passed as the route from Milledgeville to Lanark traveled along Rt. 40 and Otter Creek Road, bypassing Chadwick. County Board President Rod Fritz said Chadwick business owners had expressed concern about being omitted in the proposed project route.

Under the new proposal, the fiber line would continue on Rt. 40 to Chadwick and then up travel Taylor Road and Beede Road, making its way to IL Rt. 64 west of Lanark. According to the plans presented to the county board, the new project would add an additional 3.35 miles of cable but board members agreed that bringing the broadband fiber line to Chadwick would be a great benefit.

In other business the county board:

* Heard a report from Carroll County Assessor Annette Gruhn regarding an early assessment of some property in the county. She presented the board with a state law, citing her legal obligation to assess the property and cited previous instances where the county had reassessed before the required four-years. She said the reassessment was required to keep up with the decline in property value, similar to 2003 when a reassessment was done early to keep with the rising costs of property.

* Sent a letter to the Quad City Foreign Trade Zone declining their invitation to join their service area and said they would continue operating the FTZ at the former depot on its own. The letter did state the County Board would be willing to work with the Quad City FTZ to market the area.

* Approved a credit card for the courthouse janitor, Dennis Bittner, to purchase supplies for the courthouse and other projects. The credit limit was set at $1,000.

* Approved a resolution supporting Carroll County Businesses with federal contracts. The resolution was originally drafted to support the proposed F-35 project, making parts for the Lockheed-Martin F-35 jet, but it was changed to include all federally-funded contracts.

* Appointed Ed Knirlberger of Mount Carroll and Arlen Dahlman of Savanna to the 708 Board or “Community Mental Health Board” and named Mike Melhus of Savanna to the Jo-Carroll Enterprise Zone board.

* Released all executive session minutes to the public for the last six months. The minutes will be posted on the county’s website.

* Learned all county board members need to pass an Open Meetings Act test on-line, now required of all public officials in the State of Illinois.

* Approved a $4,404.75 transfer from Social Security to the CC Health Dept. and $6,347 from IMRF to the CC Health Dept. Both of these transfers were reimbursements and standard transfers, according to Fritz.