May is quickly coming to a close, which brings about many festivals in Tazewell County! The Washington Cherry Festival kicked off tonight and continues through this weekend, and the Tremont Turkey Festival quickly follows (June 7 through 9). I will be attending both, and hope to visit with as many of you as possible. Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention and thank all of the communities which hosted various Memorial Day tributes, parades, and ceremonies throughout the County this past weekend, too (rain or shine). We owe so much to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great nation, and I hope all of you get a chance to attend at least one event every year.
The County Board met tonight, and we had several interesting topics for discussion. For those who may not be familiar with our procedures, our committees can meet during full County Board meetings (called "in-place" meetings), and a lot of tonight's issues began in that setting.
For example, the Land Use Committee met "in-place" to make the recently-passed 9-1-1 Addressing Ordinance more practical for commercial and industrial properties with multiple entry/exit points.
I also wanted to thank the Special Waste Review Committee for having Chris Coulter of Peoria Disposal Company ("PDC") come to discuss various requests for use of the Indian Creek Landfill to house different types of non-hazardous materials. While two "one-time" requests were approved, the Board voted against deliveries of a by-product created when an algae is generated for bio-fuel production. For those who may not be aware, Section 32A of a Host Agreement entered into between the County and PDC requires Committee and Board approval of the management of non-hazardous waste at Indian Creek.
Representatives of our County's "Economic Development Technical Committee" reported on its progress for developing an Economic Development Plan for Tazewell County. This is in conjunction with our area's Focus Forward CI ("Central Illinois") group, and we look forward to the Committee's final report on areas of opportunity for our County.
It was also a pleasure to see Executive Resolution E-13-73 approved on tonight's consent agenda. This resolution was passed in support of the Tazewell County Resource Center's participation in the Illinois Department of Transportation's Consolidated Vehicle Procurement Program. If successful, TCRC will be able to replace its aging para-transit vehicle and provide primary transportation for their resident program, allowing continued access for vocational, recreational and medical needs. A special thank you to Chairman Zimmerman and Administrator Freilinger for taking my request to Executive Committee.
