The Clinton County Board approved a number of purchases, heard updates on road projects and assorted financial information related to county business.
Board members approved motions presented by District 4 Representative Craig Taylor from the Zoning/Subdivision committee for final plats for Pine Tree Estates in St. Rose Township and Fuehne Hills Subdivision in Sugar Creek Township.
District 1 Representative Larry Johnson reported that the county, nine months into the fiscal year, has incurred health insurance costs totaling $1,178,244.17 putting the county $128,224.17 over budget, or at 12.2 percent.
Insurance reimbursements have cost the county $743,895.85 which puts them at $306,104.20 under budget or at 29.2 percent. The liability fund, which went unchanged this month, is at $553,256.74. The workers’ compensation fund was also unchanged and has a balance of $227,526.
Taylor, in animal control business, noted that a new law taking effect in January 2020 will require all house cats to be vaccinated. There will be limited animal control services since animal warden Don Deiters is off work.
There is a temporary worker filling in “but there might be some time where there’s nobody available” though they will have a night person.
Treasurer Denise Trame requested approval of the monthly budget and financial report, which District 2 Representative Brad Knolhoff voted against.
Trame told the board gaming funds collected for July totaled $3,738.66, and she noted that the second installment of real estate taxes were due this past Monday.
The board approved expenses for an assistant state’s attorney, Seth Pauling, to attend the Illinois Impaired Driving Summit on Nov. 13 and 14 in DuPage County at a cost of $139 per night for two nights.
The board approved the purchase of new tax software, with supervisor of assessments Linda Mensing explaining the county would keep its current tax software until June 1 and will have the new software prorated for that.
The cost over five years would be $307,650 paid to Computer Information Concepts.
The cost savings would amount to over $150,000 over that five-year period, compared to costs with the county’s current tax vendor.
District 3 Representative Deb Wesselmann had questions at Monday’s Clinton County Board meeting regarding the processes surrounding the hiring of a new health department administrator and the filling of positions on the board of health, which oversees the Clinton County Health Department.
District 5 Representative Rafael Him told the board about the partnership between Clinton and Bond County health departments, with the hiring of Bond County administrator Sean Eifert as Clinton County health department’s interim administrator, until Sept. 23, when the Bond County Board of Health will vote to see if they want to continue the partnership.
A budget was set to have been turned in this past Tuesday and Eifert has been working with assistant administrator Marian Voss, Him told the board.
Him has claimed that Dr. Deanna DuComb, who is a member of the health board of directors, has repeatedly overstepped her bounds.
Him has stated he has a problem with the fact that DuComb reportedly took home applications for the administrator’s position, and that he has an ethical issue with her doing that and her reportedly posting an advertisement seeking applicants for the position.
DuComb did not attend Monday’s county board meeting; she was at the Sept. 5 board of health meeting.
Wesselmann credited Eifert with keeping board members up to speed on what is going on with the health board and health department.
Wesselmann said there had been frustration with the previous administrator, Cheryl Lee, with the process of advertising for the administrator’s position and said “the openness of the whole process was a little sketchy.”
by Bruce Hixon
for the Breese Journal
To the left — Central junior Shane Becker looks for a first down to his left in the first quarter of the Cougars’ 3-point win at Freeburg on Friday. Becker had three catches for 90 yards and one touchdown. Central will host Carlyle this Friday. (Photo by Bruce Hixon) They did not make a lot of big plays on offense, but they made enough. Their defense often bent, but did not break. That combination was just enough to get the Central Cougars into the win column for the first time this season as they held off the previously unbeaten Freeburg Midgets 14-11 on Friday in Cahokia Conference play.
“It’s one we really needed to get. We had never started 0-2 since I’ve been here prior to this season. Obviously we didn’t want this year to be the first we went 0-3. Hopefully now that we have the first one out of the way we will be able to build on it,” said Central coach Brian Short.
The Cougars were hit hard with injuries in the week two loss to Salem, but patched enough holes especially on the offensive side to wrestle the Roots Rivalry Plaque away from the host Midgets (2-1 overall, 1-1 in conference play).
One of those positions was at the quarterback spot where Landon Geragosian replaced Kyle Athmer. Geragosian made an immediate impact when he threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Shane Becker on the Cougars’ third offensive play from scrimmage and provided Central with a lead it would not relinquish. Geragosian had a solid night overall as he completed eight of 16 attempts for 124 yards with one interception.
Strangely Central had just 10 additional yards of offense for the remainder of the first half, but clung to a 7-3 halftime advantage as Freeburg kicker Payton Lyon split the uprights on a 27-yard field goal attempt midway through the second quarter. However, Lyon was wide left on a 32-attempt with 59 seconds left in the first half that would have brought the Midgets within a point.
“Thank goodness for the big play because we were unable to get anything at all going on offense in the first half outside of that touchdown pass,” said Short.
| Fri., Sept. 13 |
447.06 |
| Sun., Sept. 15 | 446.63 |
| Tues., Sept. 17 | 446.30 |
| Sept. 11 | .00" |
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| Sept. 13 | .00" |
| Sept. 14 |
.00" |
| Sept. 15 | .00" |
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| Sept. 17 | .00" |
