The End of 2014

It is hard to believe we are less than three weeks from the start of 2015!  Over the last two months, the Tazewell County Board met at regular and special meetings to address numerous items, including:

-  Passing the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget (October 29th Meeting)

-  Approving the purchase of a storm siren replacement (Oct. 29)

-  Approving a new County Administrator Employment Agreement (Oct. 29)* 

-  Receiving an update on the status of the Pekin Landfill Cap (November 19th Meeting)

-  Receiving a presentation from NOAA certifying the County as "Storm Ready" (Nov. 19)

-  Passing a Resolution Supporting New State Transportation Capital Program (Nov. 19) 

On December 1, the Board gathered at the special time of 9:00am for its re-organizational meeting.  This meeting is required to seat those members elected at the November 4, 2014, General Election.  At that meeting, new County Board Member Mary Jo Holford of Washington was seated along with several of us who were on the previous Board, but were up for election.  I greatly look forward to working with her.

Last night, the County Board gathered to (among other things) hear a report on the safety of the Arcade Building in Pekin.  This report is related to a study the Board commissioned on the County's space needs.  The Board agreed that an immediate plan for the continued safety of the public and the tenants will take a priority while staff will look at the preservation of County records housed in the basement of the building.

* We welcomed Wendy Ferrill as our new County Administrator at our meeting on December 10, as she started on December 8.

Mid October 2014 - Budget Update

On October 14, the Tazewell County Board held a hearing on the tentative budget for Fiscal Year 2015.  As noted on my last post, this hearing was an opportunity for Board members to ask specific questions about the upcoming year's budget.  

After discussion, the Board approved a revised, tentative budget.  The latest version will be presented for final approval on October 29, 2014, and is available for your review now. 

If you have any questions about the tentative budget, please do not hesitate to contact me between now and the 29th.

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In other news:

1) Early voting begins soon in Tazewell County for the November 4, 2014, general election.  Click here to find locations near you.

2) In addition to voting for various local, state, and federal offices, you are also being asked to vote on amendments and an addition to the Illinois Constitution.  If you have not seen one of the blue mailers sent out by the Secretary of State explaining the proposed Constitutional changes, an online version is available here. 

July, August, and September...oh my!

My apologies for letting three months go by without updating you from the latest proceedings of the Tazewell County Board.

The agendas from those meetings are on the county's website (here), but here is a brief rundown of a few of the major items at issue:

July

Resolution HS-14-17 was approved after prior passage out of the Health Services Committee.  This Resolution approved the bid for the Pekin Landfill project.  I personally want to thank the members of the Health Department, Landfill Subcommittee, Health Services Committee, and Board of Health who took the time to talk with me about this situation.

August

Resolutions P-14-23 and P-14-24 were approved after prior passage out of the Property Committee.  These Resolutions approved the bid for the demolition of the structure on Elizabeth Street and for a new HVAC unit for the Health Department.

September

Resolutions E-14-97 and E-14-98 were approved after prior passage out of the Executive Committee.  These Resolutions call for the abatement of real estate taxes for new improvements within what could become two new enterprise zones in Tazewell and Woodford Counties.  These Resolutions were required before applications for these two new zones were submitted to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.  To learn more about enterprise zones, feel free to contact me or go the DCEO's website.    

Looking ahead to October, the Board will review and act on its annual budget.  I still consider myself new (enough) to the Board that it is hard to fully appreciate how much work goes into this process.  Between the countywide office holders (especially our Auditor Vicki Grashoff), staff, Finance Committee, and countless others who put these figures together, discuss and debate the various levels, and then present them all to the full Board, I cannot begin to adequately express my gratitude.

If you are interested in reviewing the Tentative Budget for Fiscal Year 2015, you can view it here.

June 2014 Board Meeting

The Tazewell County Board met on June 25, 2014.

After several in-place committee meetings, and a helpful report from Finance Committee Chairman Tim Neuhauser on preliminary thoughts for our 2015 budget, the Board approved (among other things):

1) the designation and use of the former Pekin Times lot for juror parking (which should help with a growing problem of long walks and minimal parking for our jurors); 

2) a revised contract with the Hay Group, which will allow for a uniform, objective procedure for job reviews of all county employees; and

3) the appointment of Board Member Brett Grimm to the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.

We also learned that the Board will hear from GovHR in the near future, the company hired to assist our search committee for a new County Administrator.    

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In addition to the latest Board happenings, please take note the Illinois State Board of Elections recently launched an online Voter Registration Application Tool.  The Tool (found here), is designed to allow a real-time application or to update your existing registration. 

There is also a mobile version available, which you can access on your smartphone/tablet.

May 2014 Board Meetings

The Tazewell County Board met twice in May.

The first gathering on May 7, 2014, was a special meeting to originally discuss a space/needs study created for the County, but also included debate on the new International Building Code implemented in early 2014 and the need to create a search committee for the hiring of a new County Administrator upon the resignation of Michael Freilinger.

At present, all three issues are being reviewed at the Committee level.  For example, the Land Use Committee has reaffirmed its commitment to regularly review those areas of the Building Code that are not mandated by state law and work with area contractors to see what may or may not need to be amended during this initial implementation.

The Board then held its regular May meeting tonight.

The first order of business was the filling of the vacancy left by the passing of Member Mel Stanford.  The Board welcomed East Peoria resident Seth Mingus to the Board, and I am personally very excited to work with him.  I have had the pleasure of seeing Seth in action as a Fondulac Township Trustee, and know he is very thorough in his analysis of an issue and is not afraid to weigh in on tough decisions.

Among other things tonight, the Board:

1) heard a presentation from members of the new Economic Development Council and Focus Forward Central Illinois (FFCI).  For more information on these area economic initiatives for Central Illinois, click here;

2) voted to approve a physician-hospital organization agreement with Methodist/Unity Point for County Employees; and

3) learned of those Members appointed to the Search Committee for our new County Administrator.  Chairman Zimmerman advised the Request for Qualifications for the position has been posted to the County website and the Committee will meet in the near future.

The meeting ended with an opportunity for the Board to thank Mr. Freilinger for his work for Tazewell County.  I had just over a year to work with Mike, but it was obvious he legitimately cared about the best interests of the County and I wish him well in his next chapter.

April 2014 Board Meeting

The April 30, 2014, meeting of the Tazewell County Board started with a moment of silence for Member Mel Stanford, who recently passed away.  It saddens me to write of yet another Board Member's passing, but I am very hopeful our Board continues on in a way that would make Mel and Terry proud.

The meeting then shifted to various items of business, including:

1) the unanimous adoption of a proclamation recognizing the 7th Grade Boys' Basketball Team of Washington's Central School for an undefeated, state championship season;

2) the settlement of two workers' compensation cases; and

3) the setting of salaries for the offices of County Clerk, Treasurer, Sheriff, and Circuit Clerk.  

The Board also heard from a concerned resident regarding its recent adoption of the International Building Code and its impact on area contractors in the unincorporated areas of the County.

A special meeting of the Board has been set for May 7, 2014 (6:00pm), at which time the Board may address the Building Code along with the creation of a Search Committee for a new County Administrator (upon the resignation of Michael Freilinger) and discussion on the Space Needs study completed by the Farnsworth Group.

My thanks again to Chairman Zimmerman and the Board for passing the proclamation for Central School:

March 2014 Board Meeting

The March 26, 2014, meeting of the Tazewell County Board began with a proclamation declaring April 19 as a day of awareness for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia ("CDH") in Tazewell County. Board Member Andrew Rinehart presented the proclamation, and noted that many residents of the County have (or know someone whose family has) been influenced by CDH.  The proclamation was passed unanimously.  For those wanting to know more about CDH, please visit www.cherubs-cdh.org.

The Board then recognized Bob Marshall for almost 30 years of service to the County's Animal Control Department.  I will not only miss his reports to the Health Services Committee, but also the fine work he did for the County.  

Among other items discussed on March 26 -

1) The Board debated and approved a five year collective bargaining agreement with the Sheriff's Department Control Room Operators;

2)  The Board heard from a representative of Enbridge with an update on the extensive pipeline construction project which continues throughout the County (including District 3) and the Midwest.  

The Board received handouts from Enbridge regarding ways to communicate with the company, both during normal conditions and in emergencies.

As a reminder, public communication with Enbridge is possible by:

Email: USpublicawareness@enbridge.com

Toll Free: (877) 799-2650

Mail: Public Awareness Program Manager, 1100 Louisiana, Suite 3300 Houston, TX 77002

Website: enbridgeUS.com/publicawareness

Facebook: facebook.com/enbridge

Enbridge reminds those planning to dig to contact the national "Call Before You Dig" telephone number prior to any excavation on your property, especially those directly impacted by the pipeline.  Simply dial "811," which will allow professional locators to the site to mark approximate locations within 2-3 business days.

February 2014 Board Meeting

BOARD MEETING

The theme of the February 2014 County Board Meeting could be described as investing in the future.  We not only welcomed a local Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy to our meeting, but then took our first vote of the night to fill the vacancy (in District 1) on our Board.  I am excited to work with Joe Wolfe, and also welcome him to our Board.

Additionally, the Board considered and approved:

1)  a one-time request for supplemental funding for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.  We have several board members who serve as Commissioners for this body, and our Board's vote allows Tazewell to join Peoria and Woodford County in expressing support for the body to renew its focus on obtaining state and federal funding for transportation, planning, and water resources; and

2)  approved a formal policy that the County will follow when extending economic incentives to businesses seeking to establish or increase their presence in our area.

EARLY VOTING

We have also just received word of dates and locations for early voting for the March 18 Primary Election throughout the County.  While the full list of sites is available on the County's website, I am including those sites located in District 3 for your convenience:

Mackinaw

Wednesday (March 5) at the Village Hall (100 Fast Avenue) from 7-10 am and 4-7 pm.

East Peoria

Thursday (March 6) and Friday (March 7) at the Park District Building (201 Veterans Road) from 7-10 am and 4-7 pm.

Saturday (March 8) at the Park District Building from 9 am-12 pm.

Washington

Thursday (March 13) and Friday (March 14) at the Township Hall (58 Valley Forge) from 7-10 am and 4-7 pm.

Saturday (March 15) at the Township Hall from 9 am-12 pm.

January 2014 Board Meeting

The January 29 meeting of the Tazewell County Board started with mixed emotions.  We first celebrated the service anniversaries for county officials and employees at the beginning of the meeting (including a special thank you to retiring County Engineer John Anderson), followed by Chairman Zimmerman asking those in attendance for a moment of silence to remember our colleague and friend, Board Member Terry Von Boeckman, who passed away late last year.  I did not personally get a chance to work much with Terry, but when he would work with "the new guy," he always had encouraging words for me when I would ask questions or was trying to learn about a county issue.  He will be missed.

Among other things on the agenda tonight, the Board:

1) approved numerous intergovernmental agreements for animal control services with municipalities throughout the county;

2)  approved a resolution opposing the passage of Illinois House Bill 924, a bill pending in the General Assembly which would greatly hamper the ability of smaller, local businesses to bid on government projects;

3)  approved a resolution to waive permit fees for reconstruction of property damaged in the November 2013 tornado; and

4)  discussed the efforts undertaken by the Subcommittee on the Pekin Landfill formed from members of the County Health Services Committee.  This Subcommittee has worked very hard to ascertain what options are available for containing the landfill, which was left vacant by a private corporation many years ago. After some general discussion, the Board reached a consensus to have the Subcommittee come back with specific cost information and options so a final decision on whether or not to take further action would be in the County's best interest.