WEBVTT

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Good evening everyone. We will go ahead and call the meeting to order. I am going to initiate

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Please take the vote for attendance if you would please mark yourself as present.

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Nate, I don't see it counting down.

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We have 12 present and 2 absent. Before we begin, just so we can hopefully eliminate any internet issues with the voting system, if you currently have your phone set on Wi-Fi for the courthouse, if you wouldn't mind please shutting that off.

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We're just not certain that the bandwidth is enough to have everything on at one time. If you have any windows other than

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what we're using for the county board, open on your laptop or iPad if you wouldn't mind closing those.

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We're trying to do whatever we can to make sure that we don't lose connection.

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So thank you for that. I appreciate it. With that, Mr. Jogerst, would you please lead us in prayer? And Mrs. Baker,

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would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance?

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Sheriff, I'm just thankful for a beautiful day. I'm also thankful that there was no possible lack of recent storms.

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I just ask you to help those that are in damage and to get things fixed up again.

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We also ask you for guidance tonight through these items on the agenda that we can make great decisions for those in the county.

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We love you, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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May I please get an approval for tonight's agenda? By Mr. Bush, is there a second? Second by Mr. Diddens. Is there any discussion on the agenda?

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Seeing none, if you would please mark your vote for the approval of the Agenda.

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And that was passed unanimously. Thank you. Moving on to the Consent Agenda.

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Does any Board Member like to remove either A or B for discussion?

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Seeing none, is there a motion to approve A and B?

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by Mr. Newton, second by Mr. Busker. Is there any discussion on A or B in the

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consent agenda? Seeing none, if you would please go ahead and vote for the approval

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of the agenda. That also passes unanimously. Thank you. Is there any public

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Comment this evening. If you wouldn't mind coming up to the podium.

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Alright, if you would state your name and then there'll be three minutes for you. There's a clock right in front of you up in the ceiling.

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Thank you. First of all, thank you to all of you for your public service. I appreciate it.

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My name is Teresa Smith. I'm a consulting dietitian with a nursing facility.

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I have provided dietary consulting services to the nursing center for over 25 years.

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I'm here tonight to make you aware that several of my invoices have not been paid,

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including one from as far back as December of 2024. The total for all of the invoices is

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is $8,450.52.

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In October, I became aware of the sale of the building

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not happening in September.

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I was told invoices could not be paid for that reason.

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In November, I was told there was no ruling from the judge

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regarding the potential sale.

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Again, told no invoices could be paid.

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In December, I was told that the judge ruled

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the sale must go to the referendum

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with no timeline on payout of the invoices.

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could be up to two years.

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In January, I was told that emergency situations came up

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and the invoices could not be paid.

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In February, I was told the county was holding money

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to pay for a potential federal fine

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that the attorneys were hoping to waive.

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Also was told by others in the community

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that invoices had been paid.

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In March, I was told that the county was still forwarding

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or still holding the money for the potential fine,

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but I was offered the opportunity for a settlement.

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A settlement was offered with a March 31st deadline,

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but as far as I know, it was not shared

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with the Finance Committee of the Board.

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In April, I was again told the county was reserving funds

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for that potential federal fine.

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I am being told by outside sources

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that I can file a small claims court

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since I have good documentation

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that the county does have the money

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and that they owe me the money.

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I'm a small independent business person.

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I would hope to settle outside of the courtroom

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with mutual discussion happening.

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I would ask that you allow all of these invoices

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to be paid within the next 30 days.

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Thank you for your time and for your service.

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Thank you very much.

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Is there anyone else?

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I'm Karen Rivers. Since there are new board members here, or I thought there would be,

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I'll quickly review some of my comments from past meetings. In 2018, Stevens County Board

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approved Sultage Renewable Energy out of New Jersey to build a number of solar sites in

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and the County.

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After six years, no.

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After six years, no information from anyone and no new ZBA hearing, the site next door to me named Zimmerman North was built.

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What was built is not what was approved. Approved was a 2 megawatt site with fixed south-facing panels on a 10.23 acre space within a 24 acre area.

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Built was a 2.58 megawatt site with east-west rotating panels on 13 acres.

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The site extends outside of its boundaries and is 30% larger than approved.

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Very high pollen content toxic junipers were planted as a concealing border a year after requests were made that non-toxic spruce be planted instead.

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The junipers are planted single row 20-25 foot apart and conceal nothing.

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It took me a year to get stacks of panels labeled broken removed from the fence next door to me.

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The site is mowed only once a year at the end of August when the weeds are above head height and the invasive plant seeds have blown throughout the area.

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Since fall of 2025, multiple panels no longer rotate and are stuck at a reflective position facing west.

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Over a month ago, a partial row of panels broke off or just fell off their posts and have been lying shattered and broken on the ground ever since.

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Last month I spoke with inspectors at the site who said they were hired by the present

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owners, Harrison Street, due to construction violations and legal issues involving the

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original owner builders, Sultage Renewable Energy.

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I have here photos of the newest issues I just mentioned.

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A properly built and maintained solar site should not be falling apart.

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I again request the site be required

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to be properly maintained.

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I also ask that the county hire a certified inspector

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to determine and correct the issues.

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Are any other soltage renewable energy built sites

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in the same deteriorate condition?

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It's not even two years old.

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I don't know if you folks can see these very well.

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As the panels have fallen,

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West Facing Stuck and Fallen, these are some of these are from my front yard so

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the reflection in my front yard this one is fallen panels covered by snow these

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are the reflection and fallen panels so this is out of my hands you guys have the

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Adam, Moderow, I sit over there. I've been here before to give public comment about the

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various environmental uniqueness to our county, whether it's the the whooping

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cranes that pass through and very few others can boast, or the the pasque

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flowers that grow every spring right across from our new animal control

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facility. Part of the reason I'm able to talk about those things is because we're

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in the middle of a very unique area, the Driftless, and very very simply 12,000

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years ago, a little plus, there was a big glacier around everything except us.

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And along the Mississippi, Wisconsin, this unique area has some of the oldest and

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most unique botanical, geological, and aquatic area that you can find within a

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day's drive. We're known around the world by people that study these kinds of

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things, and it's been very exciting growing up looking at the environment in

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this area. And if you're as excited about that kind of thing as I am, you should

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come to the library on April 27th. There's a movie all about the unique

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features of this driftless area, which includes the land right outside your

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door. Again, April 27th, 630 p.m., right across the street at the library. Hope

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we see you there.

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All right, with that, we'll move on to the appointment of Cindy Lawfer to fill the vacancy in County Board District I.

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This was brought forward by, this nomination was brought forward by the Republican Central Committee.

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Is there a motion to approve?

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So moved.

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By Mr. Diddens, is there a second?

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By Mr. Jogerst, is there any discussion?

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Seeing none, you may go ahead and vote for that appointment.

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That pass is unanimous. Congratulations Cindy. Judge McClannathan, would you mind administering her oath?

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Director, Me. I, Cynthia J. Lawfer, having been appointed to the Stevenson County Board

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District I, in the County of Stevenson, do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support

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the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Illinois,

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and that I will faithfully discharge, I will faithfully discharge, of the duties of the

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Stevenson County Board, of the duties of the Stevenson County Board, to the best of my ability,

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to the best of my ability. Congratulations.

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Thank you Cindy and if you'd like to take your seat next to Mr. Hadley. Thank you.

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Thank you, Judge. All right, the next item is the nominations for Vice Chair. As you're all aware, with the resignation of Mr. Whalen last month, we did announce that vacancy in the opening for that, so we will open up the floor now for nominations for the position of County Board Vice Chair. Each nomination must receive a second. After a nomination is made and seconded, the nominee will be asked whether they accept or not.

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Once all nominations are completed and closed, we will proceed with a roll call vote conducted by name.

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Is there a motion to open the floor to nominations?

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By Mr. Jogerst, is there a second? By Mr. Diddens. Is there any discussion on opening the floor to nominations?

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Seeing none, you may go ahead and vote for that.

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Georgia can you show her please that passes unanimously are there any

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nominations for the role of vice chair of the Stevenson County Board mr. Jogerst

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Is there a second for that by Mr. Diddens? Any discussion on the nomination? Any other

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nominations? Mrs. Baker, do you accept the nomination? All right, very good. Seeing

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that there are no other nominations.

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Is there a motion to close the nominations?

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Mr. Busker, is there a second?

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Mrs. Hayes, any discussion on closing the nominations?

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Seeing none, you may go ahead and cast your vote.

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All right, so the vote to close the nominations has 12 yes and one no.

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So with that, we'll call a roll call vote for the nomination of Nicole Baker as Vice

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Chair.

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Clerk, would you call that vote, please?

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Larry Jogerst.

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Aye.

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Scott Helms.

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Aye.

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Nicole Baker.

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Aye.

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Steve Fricke.

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Yes.

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Cindy Lawfer.

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Aye.

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Ronnie Bush.

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Aye.

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and Daniel Newton.

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Samuel, Newton, Lou Ann, Hayes, Patrick, Busker, William, Hadley, Dale, Diddens, Lynette,

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Williams, Adam, Moderow, 12-A, 1-A. Motion carries. Congratulations. If you

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wouldn't mind coming up and taking my seat for a moment.

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you're gonna have to do that this one this one so Delbert would you mind coming

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up. Thank you, sir. Tonight is one of the nights I really enjoy when I get to do

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this. I'd like to recognize an extraordinary act of generosity, the

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gift of a vehicle to the Stevenson County taxpayers and more specifically to

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of our Animal Control Department.

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To me, at least, this is not just a set of keys

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and four wheels, this is one of the finest examples

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of giving back to the community that I've witnessed

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in 23 years of being in public service.

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Delbert, your employees and yourself,

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the Baccarata Group, the generosity that you have shown

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speaks volumes about the character of yourself

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and all of your employees.

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You didn't just see a need, you acted.

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you didn't just offer help, you set the example.

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And in doing so, showed us all what it means

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to truly invest in our community.

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Moments like this should remind us

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that generosity is contagious.

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One act of kindness can ripple outward,

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inspiring others to give, to help,

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and to believe in the power of community.

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So I would like us to celebrate this incredible gift,

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not just with applause, but with a renewed commitment

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to look for ways that we can each make a difference.

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Whether it's through time, resources,

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or simply lending a helping hand,

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we all have the power to be someone's turning point.

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Thank you again, Delbert.

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And to everyone here, let's keep building a community

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where giving is not the exception, but it's the expectation.

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So on behalf of the Stevenson County Board,

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I would like to present to you

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in the Employees' Bakker Auto Group,

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with this token of our appreciation.

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Thank you.

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Yep.

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Beautiful.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you very much.

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Appreciate you.

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Nice chat.

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All right, with that,

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on to new business and into executive session 5 ILCS 120 slash 2 C 11 litigation

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when an action against affecting or beyond behalf of the particular public

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body has been filed and is pending before a court or administrative tribunal or in

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the public body finds an action is probable or imminent is there a motion

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to go into executive session by mr. did and second by mr. Jogerst any discussion

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on going into Executive Session.

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Seeing none, you may go ahead and cast your vote.

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And that passes unanimously.

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Thank you.

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Turn this over to the Administrator.

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What you already did, didn't you? Yeah. Thank you. April 16th, 2026. Okay. We are now out of executive session and no action was taken.

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Next on the agenda is the Greater Freeport Partnership quarterly presentation presented by Andrea Schultz-Winter and Nicole Hass.

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Good evening.

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Thank you in advance for having us come and present to you.

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Very shortly we will be passing out a hard copy of our quarterly report.

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As you see, our areas are outlined by our strategic focus areas.

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But also this evening, we will be highlighting

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some economic data.

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We will be talking about a workforce alignment initiative.

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And we'll be highlighting a few other initiatives and highlights

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from the first quarter.

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So national economic trends, we see

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that inflation is at 3.3%.

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And that's as measured by the consumer price index.

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And while consumer sentiment has plunged 11%,

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this is the lowest point since post-World War II.

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So what we see is that there is a lot of uncertainty

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in the market.

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How that translates is when there's

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uncertainty in the market, consumers typically

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will delay or not make larger discretionary purchases.

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It will affect their behavior.

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We'll also see within businesses that they

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might hesitate to make larger investments because they're

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waiting and see.

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As we have the cost of everyday goods are increasing,

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we don't know when that will relax or weaken.

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People will most likely delay making any investment.

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We saw that reflected in our business retention visits

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as we talked with businesses that they are thinking about

00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:30.960
and planning for some investment in the future,

00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:34.600
some expansion, but they're not making any immediate plans

00:32:34.600 --> 00:32:39.280
to do so because of these uncertain times.

00:32:39.280 --> 00:32:42.360
With that, we also track economic development

00:32:42.360 --> 00:32:45.640
or economic employment data.

00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:48.600
Each month, we report to our board

00:32:48.600 --> 00:32:50.400
figures that we get from Illinois Department

00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:51.760
of Employment Security.

00:32:51.760 --> 00:32:53.760
Highlighted on the screen tonight

00:32:53.760 --> 00:32:58.080
is unemployment numbers for January of 2026, both for

00:32:58.080 --> 00:33:02.240
Stevenson County as a whole and Freeport, city of Freeport.

00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:05.800
What we have consistently seen over the last 12 months is that

00:33:05.800 --> 00:33:12.480
there are more people unemployed looking for work, there are,

00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:15.800
I'm sorry, less people looking for work than there are unique

00:33:15.800 --> 00:33:17.800
job postings within Stevenson County.

00:33:17.800 --> 00:33:18.800
So there's a disconnect.

00:33:18.800 --> 00:33:23.360
We have more open positions than we do people looking for work.

00:33:23.360 --> 00:33:29.440
Our unemployment has raised just slightly from January of 2025.

00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:32.880
But we have consistently, again, seen over the last 12 months

00:33:32.880 --> 00:33:35.600
that we will have more unique job postings in Stevenson

00:33:35.600 --> 00:33:40.080
County than we have people looking for work.

00:33:40.080 --> 00:33:43.760
And oftentimes, those median wages in the last 12 months

00:33:43.760 --> 00:33:48.160
have fluctuated anywhere from the upper $28, $27 per hour

00:33:48.160 --> 00:33:53.160
to in March of 2026, it was $32.16 per hour.

00:33:54.320 --> 00:33:59.000
So that equates to a $66,900 annual salary.

00:33:59.000 --> 00:34:01.040
So almost $67,000.

00:34:01.040 --> 00:34:01.960
Just to keep that.

00:34:01.960 --> 00:34:12.960
Just to keep that in perspective, a median household income for Stevenson County is $64,000.

00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:18.840
So what I often hear people say is that there are not good jobs, well-paying jobs in Stevenson

00:34:18.840 --> 00:34:19.840
County.

00:34:19.840 --> 00:34:24.440
What I'm here to tell you tonight is that yes, there are.

00:34:24.440 --> 00:34:31.119
It is our job as the partnership to help with that disconnect and help provide a linkage

00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:39.039
between our talent here and our employers as well to try to make that match.

00:34:39.039 --> 00:34:46.240
Moving on, we've consistently seen this over the last 12 months.

00:34:46.240 --> 00:34:50.039
And we have embarked upon a workforce alignment strategy.

00:34:50.039 --> 00:34:55.800
We had a kickoff meeting last week to really start bringing all the partners around the

00:34:55.800 --> 00:35:00.440
Table, Education Manufacturers, Larger Employers,

00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:03.300
Health Care, Education Institutions,

00:35:03.300 --> 00:35:07.639
to talk about the difficulty in finding employees.

00:35:07.639 --> 00:35:10.720
What we've consistently seen are elevated turnover rates,

00:35:10.720 --> 00:35:15.079
retirements are outpacing workforce entry,

00:35:15.079 --> 00:35:20.960
and commuter workforce is not translating into residency.

00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:22.699
So this isn't just a blip on the radar.

00:35:22.699 --> 00:35:32.539
We need to do something different if we want a different result.

00:35:32.539 --> 00:35:37.059
And I would say ultimately always remembering that we want the job here in Stevenson County,

00:35:37.059 --> 00:35:43.619
but we also want that job to translate to a paycheck that comes to a driveway of Stevenson

00:35:43.619 --> 00:35:45.159
County.

00:35:45.159 --> 00:35:47.340
It's a bigger ROI.

00:35:47.340 --> 00:35:52.360
That paycheck helps pay for property taxes, sales tax generation.

00:35:52.360 --> 00:36:16.360
We also know that talent retention and recruitment is complex work. Besides jobs, people, housing, child care, and transportation, quality of life, all of these problems and solutions are mutually reinforcing and they need to be worked on concurrently to reinforce our workforce talent recruitment and retention strategies.

00:36:16.360 --> 00:36:25.300
So, we established some shared goals to stabilize and grow our prime workforce age 25 to 44.

00:36:25.300 --> 00:36:30.320
We want to reduce that industrial turnover, increase that working age population, that

00:36:30.320 --> 00:36:38.099
25 to 44 age cohort, expand workforce training programs that could include apprenticeships.

00:36:38.099 --> 00:36:40.240
We know that we need housing here as well.

00:36:40.240 --> 00:36:44.619
We need a place for those workers to live and we want to reduce that commuter leakage

00:36:44.619 --> 00:36:51.860
by 10%. When someone commutes into the community for a job, it's more likely that they might

00:36:51.860 --> 00:36:59.820
leave that job to work for a place that's closer to their home. So if we can convert

00:36:59.820 --> 00:37:07.579
those commuters to residence, they're more likely to stay. In our meeting, these are

00:37:07.579 --> 00:37:13.220
the proposed next steps in our current work. Highlighted on the screen, you see our two

00:37:13.220 --> 00:37:15.300
Boulded, Bullet Points.

00:37:15.300 --> 00:37:17.619
That's where we started to focus our work,

00:37:17.619 --> 00:37:20.059
to review the responsibilities of employers,

00:37:20.059 --> 00:37:24.539
our public partners, and educational institutions

00:37:24.539 --> 00:37:26.659
and how we retain and attract that talent.

00:37:26.659 --> 00:37:29.039
And we dove into that in the meeting.

00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:30.500
The other thing that we're looking

00:37:30.500 --> 00:37:33.179
at is educational and training alignment for current needs

00:37:33.179 --> 00:37:34.780
and our future opportunities.

00:37:34.780 --> 00:37:37.380
How do we really connect with seniors

00:37:37.380 --> 00:37:39.500
that are going to be graduating in a month?

00:37:39.500 --> 00:37:42.780
We know that many of them have different paths ahead of them.

00:37:42.780 --> 00:37:45.820
Some of them will be entering into the workforce in a month

00:37:45.820 --> 00:37:50.019
and they'll be looking to connect and to gain a job.

00:37:50.019 --> 00:37:53.220
Also, how do we help employers tell the story of career

00:37:53.220 --> 00:37:56.019
laddering they have within their own institution?

00:37:56.019 --> 00:37:59.699
At this meeting was shared by a Freeport-based manufacturer

00:37:59.699 --> 00:38:05.880
that, of his five shift leads that are making over $100,000

00:38:05.880 --> 00:38:09.380
a year, four of them started on the floor.

00:38:09.380 --> 00:38:12.019
And their highest formal education

00:38:12.019 --> 00:38:14.740
as a High School Diploma, any additional training they've

00:38:14.740 --> 00:38:16.260
received on the job.

00:38:16.260 --> 00:38:18.539
So there are wonderful opportunities here.

00:38:18.539 --> 00:38:21.019
But how do we make sure that those are talked about

00:38:21.019 --> 00:38:24.420
and that seniors, high school students, and even younger

00:38:24.420 --> 00:38:29.500
students understand that there are great opportunities here?

00:38:29.500 --> 00:38:32.900
And while we know we need to continue building a workforce,

00:38:32.900 --> 00:38:35.260
Shovel Ready Sites is still a strategy

00:38:35.260 --> 00:38:38.460
of our long-term economic development plan.

00:38:38.460 --> 00:38:40.340
We have received a site readiness grant

00:38:40.340 --> 00:38:41.460
from the state of Illinois.

00:38:41.460 --> 00:38:46.639
We are continuing work on executing that grant and currently are in environmental assessment

00:38:46.639 --> 00:38:48.659
on greenfield sites.

00:38:48.659 --> 00:38:53.699
That will help us in terms of when we go to market those sites, we know that due diligence

00:38:53.699 --> 00:38:55.519
activity is already done.

00:38:55.519 --> 00:39:00.380
So the timeline for an investment or shovels getting in the ground is shortened because

00:39:00.380 --> 00:39:02.820
that due diligence work is already done.

00:39:02.820 --> 00:39:07.159
Additionally, the City of Freeport has broken ground on Well 12, which opens up another

00:39:07.159 --> 00:39:11.599
and other area of the community for potential retail and commercial industrial corridors.

00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:16.440
We are actively having conversations with those landowners to get their appetite and

00:39:16.440 --> 00:39:20.039
temperature on potential development.

00:39:20.039 --> 00:39:23.699
And next but not least is Opportunity Zones.

00:39:23.699 --> 00:39:30.039
So part of our work in the Greater Freeport Partnership is always advocating for our region

00:39:30.039 --> 00:39:37.099
if there are additional economic development tools that could come to our area.

00:39:37.099 --> 00:39:41.659
Such as the Opportunity Zone, this will be coming up for renewal in June and the partnership

00:39:41.659 --> 00:39:47.619
has secured several letters of support from local businesses, developers, companies to

00:39:47.619 --> 00:39:52.739
demonstrate the economic potential of having an Opportunity Zone if it were to be expanded

00:39:52.739 --> 00:39:56.699
into the other eligible census tracts within the City of Freeport.

00:39:56.699 --> 00:40:01.960
Ultimately, the Governor will decide which tracts are added into the Opportunity Zone

00:40:01.960 --> 00:40:04.220
later this year.

00:40:04.220 --> 00:40:10.780
on the screen tonight are the eligible census tracts that could be included in the Opportunity

00:40:10.780 --> 00:40:11.780
Zone.

00:40:11.780 --> 00:40:17.179
It is our goal as the partnership to do everything we can to position the community and Stevenson

00:40:17.179 --> 00:40:25.420
County so that those census tracts are added into the Opportunity Zone as a potential investment

00:40:25.420 --> 00:40:31.500
tool for future development in those areas.

00:40:31.500 --> 00:40:40.260
And with that, I'm going to turn it over, presentation over to Nicole, who's going to talk about hotel and conference center attraction.

00:40:40.260 --> 00:40:44.220
I'd feel left out if I didn't continue the conversation about development and building things.

00:40:44.220 --> 00:40:49.460
So that's what we're going to talk about, even though I usually talk to you about tourism things.

00:40:49.460 --> 00:40:57.260
You have seen in your packets that our occupancy rate, our rate at which our hotels are full, fluctuates.

00:40:57.260 --> 00:40:59.340
Quarter one, they were down a little bit.

00:40:59.340 --> 00:41:04.000
and I'm gonna tell you too that that number is reflected also

00:41:04.000 --> 00:41:05.860
by the fact that one of our hotels

00:41:05.860 --> 00:41:07.900
has been undergoing major renovation.

00:41:07.900 --> 00:41:11.280
So they haven't had as many hotel rooms available.

00:41:11.280 --> 00:41:12.960
But with all of that said,

00:41:12.960 --> 00:41:15.239
the graph that you see up on the screen tonight

00:41:15.239 --> 00:41:18.960
actually represents our hotel leakage numbers.

00:41:18.960 --> 00:41:21.840
So when you see it dip down low, those are in,

00:41:21.840 --> 00:41:25.220
and I apologize on that screen, it's really small,

00:41:25.220 --> 00:41:29.860
but it goes from January of 2019 up until January of 2025.

00:41:29.860 --> 00:41:31.500
When it dips low, that's the first quarter.

00:41:31.500 --> 00:41:34.780
So we don't have as many visitors staying

00:41:34.780 --> 00:41:36.699
in Freeport in the first quarter.

00:41:36.699 --> 00:41:39.019
In the years that that doesn't dip as low,

00:41:39.019 --> 00:41:42.300
it's primarily because we have more commercial stays,

00:41:42.300 --> 00:41:44.780
more business stays midweek.

00:41:44.780 --> 00:41:48.019
On the peaks where you see it being a little higher,

00:41:48.019 --> 00:41:50.139
that is during the peak tourism season,

00:41:50.139 --> 00:41:53.579
usually May through October or somewhere in there about,

00:41:53.579 --> 00:42:02.220
That number that you're seeing is actually the number of hotel rooms that we lose to other cities because we don't have room for them.

00:42:02.220 --> 00:42:11.460
If you count the three major hotels that we have here in all in Freeport, but also all in Stevenson County, there's only 202.

00:42:11.460 --> 00:42:22.380
So when we have a major event, and I'm not talking that it has to be that major, we are totally selling out of hotel rooms and we're pretty much giving that revenue to Stockton, Monroe.

00:42:22.380 --> 00:42:25.340
you'd have to go all the way south to Dixon or Sterling.

00:42:25.340 --> 00:42:27.220
And then vacation rentals as well,

00:42:27.220 --> 00:42:29.820
that's not taken into consideration here.

00:42:29.820 --> 00:42:34.059
So it has become apparent that we are losing revenue

00:42:34.059 --> 00:42:37.300
to other markets and we wanna try to broaden the scope

00:42:37.300 --> 00:42:40.860
of what we can offer visitors by attracting another hotel.

00:42:40.860 --> 00:42:43.539
In addition, we don't just want any new hotel,

00:42:43.539 --> 00:42:45.860
we would really like a conference center.

00:42:45.860 --> 00:42:47.900
We all go to conferences for our jobs

00:42:47.900 --> 00:42:50.820
or you get attracted this time of year.

00:42:50.820 --> 00:42:54.340
We don't have anywhere here in Freeport or Stevenson County

00:42:54.340 --> 00:42:57.180
that we can host a meeting with an attached hotel.

00:42:57.180 --> 00:43:00.019
Our meeting room for any of our existing hotels

00:43:00.019 --> 00:43:01.900
is only 25 people.

00:43:01.900 --> 00:43:05.140
That is one way that we can attract new business here

00:43:05.140 --> 00:43:06.340
in that off time.

00:43:06.340 --> 00:43:10.099
And then the overflow from that hotel

00:43:10.099 --> 00:43:14.140
will generate business for our other existing hotels.

00:43:14.140 --> 00:43:16.480
We are working on identifying sites

00:43:16.480 --> 00:43:19.059
where the incentives that Andrea just spoke of

00:43:19.059 --> 00:43:22.059
would come into play, as well as additional amenities.

00:43:22.059 --> 00:43:24.739
We don't want to put a hotel where there's nothing else to do.

00:43:24.739 --> 00:43:27.579
We want you to have food, gas, or maybe having

00:43:27.579 --> 00:43:30.659
another attraction nearby so that you get out and see

00:43:30.659 --> 00:43:33.860
the rest of the area.

00:43:33.860 --> 00:43:39.019
Also, we had to use a little reason to give you food.

00:43:39.019 --> 00:43:42.940
So I wanted to talk about our sister city partnership,

00:43:42.940 --> 00:43:45.619
the city of Freeport with Lidditz, Pennsylvania.

00:43:45.619 --> 00:43:48.659
This is something that Tim Connors,

00:43:48.659 --> 00:43:50.940
We dubbed him our Community Liaison.

00:43:50.940 --> 00:43:52.100
You'll see in the pictures right there,

00:43:52.100 --> 00:43:54.340
he's actually in Lidditz right now.

00:43:54.340 --> 00:43:58.500
We have presented Lidditz with a key to the city

00:43:58.500 --> 00:44:00.559
that has a gold pretzel on the end.

00:44:00.559 --> 00:44:02.220
And in turn, oh, you can't see.

00:44:02.220 --> 00:44:12.220
and in turn, oh you can't see because my picture is in the way, you can over there, they gave us one made out of a pretzel and that should be returning to us hopefully in one piece.

00:44:12.220 --> 00:44:30.220
This is a really great feel-good moment because Lidditz is home to the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in the country, but if Bill or Beck would have stayed in business, they would have been older, but this one is still running.

00:44:30.220 --> 00:44:34.700
So we want to continue to build this sister partnership

00:44:34.700 --> 00:44:37.860
because it helps engage us with a new audience

00:44:37.860 --> 00:44:38.940
of people out there.

00:44:38.940 --> 00:44:42.420
It's bringing new promotion and positivity to the region.

00:44:42.420 --> 00:44:45.220
We're getting people from Pennsylvania now

00:44:45.220 --> 00:44:47.020
who know about Freeport, Illinois,

00:44:47.020 --> 00:44:49.940
and it's one more way to continue our idea

00:44:49.940 --> 00:44:52.820
of Pretzel City USA.

00:44:52.820 --> 00:44:55.700
With that in mind, we start talking a little bit more

00:44:55.700 --> 00:44:58.300
about that because we will actually have pretzels.

00:44:58.300 --> 00:45:13.100
We will start to distribute Tom Sturgis pretzels right here in Freeport as well as having the Freeport Pretzel Company, which is a soft pretzel small business that is going to be opening and selling pretzels at Pretzel Fest and a lot of other festivals coming this summer.

00:45:13.600 --> 00:45:19.400
So please mark the Great Pretzel Bite along with Pretzel Fest on your calendars for April 25th.

00:45:19.600 --> 00:45:24.500
We're going to all take a bite together at 10 o'clock downtown Freeport on Chicago Avenue.

00:45:24.500 --> 00:45:35.500
Also, our community guide should, if I was a Benton woman, I'd say it's going to show up on Monday because I'm not going to be here and that's usually when those big deliveries show up.

00:45:35.500 --> 00:45:46.500
But the community guide is forthcoming. That is the cover that we have for this year. Simply Stevenson County is also the name of our tourism campaign for 2026.

00:45:46.500 --> 00:45:50.500
In that guide, we are highlighting 100 years of Highway 20,

00:45:50.500 --> 00:45:52.960
along with 100 years of Freeport High School.

00:45:52.960 --> 00:45:56.260
Those are two of the editorials in that book.

00:45:56.260 --> 00:45:57.760
Also for the tourism campaign,

00:45:57.760 --> 00:46:00.680
we continue to promote exactly what we are,

00:46:00.680 --> 00:46:04.140
which is relaxing, a place you can explore,

00:46:04.140 --> 00:46:06.140
and definitely a place where you belong.

00:46:06.140 --> 00:46:09.180
So it's outdoor recreation, retail restaurants,

00:46:09.180 --> 00:46:12.800
and events to those who are 25 to 45 in major metros,

00:46:12.800 --> 00:46:14.920
more than 50 miles away from here.

00:46:14.920 --> 00:46:28.920
We use a lot of social media tools, but also billboards, a little bit of print, and a lot of other really scrappy ways to get our name out and about for Freeport and Stevenson County.

00:46:28.920 --> 00:46:32.920
Thank you.

00:46:32.920 --> 00:46:37.920
Any questions?

00:46:37.920 --> 00:46:43.920
Mrs. Hayes, I'm going to have you go first. Mr. Diddens, if you wouldn't mind pressing your button.

00:46:43.920 --> 00:46:49.120
Mrs. Hayes, go ahead. Thank you, Chairman. Hi ladies. I just have a

00:46:49.120 --> 00:46:52.640
quick question. I've actually been getting some questions from some of my

00:46:52.640 --> 00:46:59.360
constituents about this. Downtown Freeport, we keep losing business. What is the plan

00:46:59.360 --> 00:47:07.840
that you have in place to turn that around? So one of the things that we are

00:47:07.840 --> 00:47:12.040
actively working on is there was a visioning session done with downtown

00:47:12.040 --> 00:47:15.520
Business Owners and Building Owners to talk about how to,

00:47:15.520 --> 00:47:17.680
what's the vision that we have for downtown?

00:47:18.840 --> 00:47:21.760
So coming out of that, we're part of a recast program

00:47:21.760 --> 00:47:24.000
this year to work through that visioning

00:47:24.000 --> 00:47:27.280
and looking at how we can support existing businesses

00:47:27.280 --> 00:47:30.160
in downtown, as well as bring in some small scale

00:47:30.160 --> 00:47:32.040
manufacturing, and I'll give an example

00:47:32.040 --> 00:47:34.000
of some small scale manufacturing we're thinking of,

00:47:34.000 --> 00:47:35.680
like a Langley and Company, right, where they're

00:47:35.680 --> 00:47:37.720
fabricating and they're making their own goods,

00:47:37.720 --> 00:47:39.680
and then they're selling them as well.

00:47:39.680 --> 00:48:09.680
What we're seeing is it's a period of transition, but I know of eight different projects, probably nine since the storm affected Steve Shlom's building, unfortunately, eight different projects of private investment of buildings that have been recently purchased, enterprise zone applications that have been filed because there's going to be investment being made. So while it has been dormant in some areas, we do see that

00:48:09.680 --> 00:48:13.520
that's going to start turning around because people are investing money and that there

00:48:13.520 --> 00:48:15.560
are some new businesses opening.

00:48:15.560 --> 00:48:23.440
I know that we have been working with a couple of key locations to move people into, so we're

00:48:23.440 --> 00:48:32.080
hoping that there will be exciting news on that front, but better days ahead.

00:48:32.080 --> 00:48:37.880
And the other thing that we are also looking at, there will be more to come on this because

00:48:37.880 --> 00:48:44.460
We're evaluating, we had applied for a grant to develop a small business incubator.

00:48:44.460 --> 00:48:49.000
We did not get that grant, so we're going back to that business plan and looking at how

00:48:49.000 --> 00:48:54.680
we could still put together an incubator space without grant dollars.

00:48:54.680 --> 00:48:59.980
And so we are evaluating some existing spaces in downtown to see what would work and how

00:48:59.980 --> 00:49:01.160
it would cash flow.

00:49:01.160 --> 00:49:04.240
We have to run that like a business as well.

00:49:04.240 --> 00:49:05.240
Thank you for your question.

00:49:05.240 --> 00:49:06.240
Anything else, Mrs. Hayes?

00:49:06.240 --> 00:49:07.240
Nope, that's it.

00:49:07.240 --> 00:49:37.240
Thanks for the presentation. You're welcome. Just to kind of piggyback on Ms. Hayes' remark, I've heard some complaints about the rents going up downtown. So I'm wondering, the city is spending a lot of money or grants to improve downtown. If that's the reason why the rents are going

00:49:37.240 --> 00:49:41.160
up, are we kind of shooting ourselves in the foot?

00:49:41.160 --> 00:49:45.520
I don't know that I've had any property owner tell me

00:49:45.520 --> 00:49:47.400
that the reason that the increase in rent

00:49:47.400 --> 00:49:50.240
is due to infrastructure improvements in downtown.

00:49:50.240 --> 00:49:52.320
OK.

00:49:52.320 --> 00:49:56.040
So without having specific examples,

00:49:56.040 --> 00:49:58.800
I probably can't answer your question directly.

00:49:58.800 --> 00:50:02.080
But what I would say is oftentimes

00:50:02.080 --> 00:50:04.120
we're asked by a business who might

00:50:04.120 --> 00:50:34.120
Evaluating Spaces for Lease. Again, we don't act as a realtor, but we can look at data and say this is on average price per square foot and give them guidance in terms of this is what we're seeing within the market. If you're being asked to pay more or less than that, it's something that you should evaluate. Okay. Yeah, this is all third-hand, so I don't have any specifics. But my question is, when you are meeting with the business owners

00:50:34.120 --> 00:50:48.120
Do you include the, you know, the high school, you know, the teachers and the education and the government agencies to talk to them about what they need for employees?

00:50:48.120 --> 00:50:59.120
So yes and no. I'm going to answer that question in two parts. Typically, I will have a one-on-one meeting with the business and I will go to their place of business and I would treat any information that they share with me as confidential.

00:50:59.120 --> 00:51:03.200
and that's why I would report out in aggregate if they have plans for

00:51:03.200 --> 00:51:07.360
development I look at it akin to somewhat of a pregnancy announcement if

00:51:07.360 --> 00:51:12.800
you will it's not my news to share but it is my the partnerships work to

00:51:12.800 --> 00:51:17.520
support their goals and endeavors that being said if one of those meetings I

00:51:17.520 --> 00:51:22.200
hear they're really struggling and they need training programs or they want to

00:51:22.200 --> 00:51:27.300
connect with certain regulatory agency then that's my follow-up task I make

00:51:27.300 --> 00:51:31.300
make sure that those connections are made and those conversations are being had.

00:51:31.300 --> 00:51:35.420
Also, I would say in this Workforce Alignment meeting and other meetings we have geared

00:51:35.420 --> 00:51:39.900
towards specifically manufacturers, we do have everyone in the room.

00:51:39.900 --> 00:51:47.020
We have representation from Highland, Freeport School District, City of Freeport, as well

00:51:47.020 --> 00:51:53.220
as HR or President, Plant Managers of those employers so that everybody's in the room,

00:51:53.220 --> 00:51:54.840
everybody can hear from one another.

00:51:54.840 --> 00:52:02.480
It means a lot more for the educational institution or government to hear it sometimes directly

00:52:02.480 --> 00:52:07.440
from the employee or the place of business than it might be from us.

00:52:07.440 --> 00:52:08.440
Okay.

00:52:08.440 --> 00:52:09.440
Very good.

00:52:09.440 --> 00:52:10.840
So both of those conversations are happening.

00:52:10.840 --> 00:52:11.840
Okay.

00:52:11.840 --> 00:52:12.840
All right.

00:52:12.840 --> 00:52:13.840
Just one more quick question.

00:52:13.840 --> 00:52:17.680
Nicole, I think you said that we have three hotels in town.

00:52:17.680 --> 00:52:22.480
When I reference three, I can bring my prezels with me.

00:52:22.480 --> 00:52:28.360
When I reference three hotels, that is, yes, we have three more.

00:52:28.360 --> 00:52:32.820
However, the, what do I want to say?

00:52:32.820 --> 00:52:37.820
Fluctuation in the number of rooms that are available

00:52:37.820 --> 00:52:45.820
or consistently available or ready for occupancy

00:52:45.820 --> 00:52:48.360
varies greatly in the other three.

00:52:48.360 --> 00:52:51.660
So it's really hard for me to give you comparison data

00:52:51.660 --> 00:52:57.580
Using those other three hotels if that makes sense because I couldn't get a very it would be skewed

00:52:57.940 --> 00:53:01.380
Okay, because what there's a holiday in out by Samuels isn't there?

00:53:04.140 --> 00:53:10.620
No, not the one that tore down there's a super eight there's a super eight right yeah, I was gonna say are you making a joke?

00:53:10.620 --> 00:53:16.620
I thought it was a holiday inn, one of those offshoots.

00:53:16.620 --> 00:53:19.620
Yes, it was. Super 8. Super 8, okay.

00:53:19.620 --> 00:53:23.620
Yep, there's a Super 8 out there as well as Townhouse and West End.

00:53:23.620 --> 00:53:26.620
I wasn't talking about the old holiday inn.

00:53:26.620 --> 00:53:28.620
Well, thank you.

00:53:28.620 --> 00:53:30.620
Anything else, Mr. Diddens?

00:53:30.620 --> 00:53:33.620
No, thanks. Mr. Newton, go ahead.

00:53:33.620 --> 00:53:39.620
Thank you, Mrs. Chairman. Quick question, in my district, I'm going to say District B and maybe others districts too,

00:53:39.620 --> 00:53:43.020
There are a lot of homes that have been torn down.

00:53:43.020 --> 00:53:46.539
And I'm sure that that adds to the misery

00:53:46.539 --> 00:53:48.580
of not having enough homes.

00:53:48.580 --> 00:53:51.460
Is there any discussion about building anything

00:53:51.460 --> 00:53:55.780
on the maybe 100 lots that are just empty?

00:53:55.780 --> 00:53:57.420
Yeah, it's a good question.

00:53:57.420 --> 00:54:01.020
So the partnership has been participating

00:54:01.020 --> 00:54:02.300
for probably over a year.

00:54:02.300 --> 00:54:06.000
participating for probably over a year with the NAACP,

00:54:06.000 --> 00:54:08.740
which is leading this effort and other organizations

00:54:08.740 --> 00:54:12.100
on a housing coalition group.

00:54:13.240 --> 00:54:15.140
From some stakeholder engagement sessions

00:54:15.140 --> 00:54:18.400
that we had with the public last year,

00:54:18.400 --> 00:54:19.640
feedback we heard from that,

00:54:19.640 --> 00:54:23.340
we really distilled the larger coalition's work

00:54:23.340 --> 00:54:25.200
into three main focus areas,

00:54:25.200 --> 00:54:28.340
housing improvement, housing growth,

00:54:28.340 --> 00:54:32.940
and homeowner tenant education.

00:54:32.940 --> 00:54:36.660
I would include in that would be financial literacy

00:54:36.660 --> 00:54:40.260
as part of a homeowner or first time home buyer program.

00:54:40.260 --> 00:54:42.180
Where the partnership is focusing its effort

00:54:42.180 --> 00:54:44.580
is in the housing growth.

00:54:44.580 --> 00:54:47.960
We see having housing units that are affordable and safe

00:54:47.960 --> 00:54:52.260
are key to having workers here in economic development,

00:54:52.260 --> 00:54:54.860
as well as providing jobs in the construction

00:54:54.860 --> 00:54:56.500
of those homes and units.

00:54:56.500 --> 00:55:05.900
So what we're actively doing right now is working with the City of Freeport and evaluating what areas of the community should be added into the Enterprise Zone.

00:55:05.900 --> 00:55:14.660
Currently, the Northwest Illinois Enterprise Zone is the only incentive tool we have to spur residential development.

00:55:14.660 --> 00:55:23.220
So we're looking at areas of the community that already have infrastructure, that there's already water and sewer, that there's roads, so on and so forth.

00:55:23.220 --> 00:55:28.180
Part of that work is looking at infill lots.

00:55:28.180 --> 00:55:29.980
So you're going to have different types of housing.

00:55:29.980 --> 00:55:32.060
Different size of housing is allowed by zoning

00:55:32.060 --> 00:55:35.280
in different areas based upon size of the parcel.

00:55:35.280 --> 00:55:37.980
So it is an ongoing conversation in terms

00:55:37.980 --> 00:55:40.140
of different types of housing units

00:55:40.140 --> 00:55:45.060
are going to be more appropriate in different areas,

00:55:45.060 --> 00:55:48.660
if that makes sense, based upon the size of the lot.

00:55:48.660 --> 00:55:55.900
What the enterprise zone will do is work with some property tax abatement as a benefit of

00:55:55.900 --> 00:56:01.580
the zone, three years at 100% the level of that investment.

00:56:01.580 --> 00:56:05.780
You don't have to pay sales tax on the building materials and within the City of Freeport

00:56:05.780 --> 00:56:08.740
the building permit fee is waived.

00:56:08.740 --> 00:56:14.039
So those are all three benefits that come with the enterprise zone that help draw down

00:56:14.039 --> 00:56:17.539
that cost of infrastructure, that cost of that investment.

00:56:17.539 --> 00:56:22.620
Because we know there is still a disconnect between the cost of construction and what

00:56:22.620 --> 00:56:24.580
the home will go for here.

00:56:24.580 --> 00:56:30.900
So that gap needs to be bridged, if you will.

00:56:30.900 --> 00:56:36.100
So what I would anticipate, you're going to see me later on this year coming back to you

00:56:36.100 --> 00:56:40.220
as one of the participating units of government in the Northwest Illinois Enterprise Zone

00:56:40.220 --> 00:56:46.100
asking for your approval to amend the boundaries of the Enterprise Zone to incorporate more

00:56:46.100 --> 00:56:51.740
Areas of Freeport. We're also doing the same thing in Lena and I've just had a

00:56:51.740 --> 00:56:56.580
conversation with German Valley about the same. Thank you. You're welcome.

00:56:56.580 --> 00:57:01.860
Sorry that might have been a 50 cent answer for more than you wanted to know.

00:57:01.860 --> 00:57:02.700
No.

00:57:02.700 --> 00:57:03.539
I'll sign.

00:57:03.539 --> 00:57:04.360
Yep.

00:57:04.360 --> 00:57:05.200
Anything else, Mr. Newton?

00:57:05.200 --> 00:57:06.500
Thank you, Chairman.

00:57:06.500 --> 00:57:07.560
Anyone else?

00:57:10.600 --> 00:57:12.400
Okay, ladies, you're welcome to stay

00:57:12.400 --> 00:57:15.100
at the proclamation, if you could give me just a moment.

00:57:15.100 --> 00:57:16.700
Oh, sure.

00:57:16.700 --> 00:57:19.380
Chairman's report, Mr. Bush, Mr. Newton,

00:57:19.380 --> 00:57:21.380
thank you very much for representing students

00:57:21.380 --> 00:57:23.740
in the county down in Springfield this week.

00:57:23.740 --> 00:57:26.660
I greatly appreciate your effort with that.

00:57:26.660 --> 00:57:27.980
I do want to make a quick comment.

00:57:27.980 --> 00:57:29.980
The solar panels that were referenced

00:57:29.980 --> 00:57:36.700
and the public comment I have confirmed with Director Beth Williams for those pictures were

00:57:36.700 --> 00:57:45.140
quite old and any tests repair or broken items are no longer out at this field and they all

00:57:45.140 --> 00:57:48.140
have been fixed.

00:57:48.140 --> 00:57:53.580
Finally, I want to express my appreciation to Cole Baker, willing to step up as Vice

00:57:53.580 --> 00:57:54.580
Chair of the Board.

00:57:54.580 --> 00:57:59.100
I appreciate that very much and I'd also like to express my condolences to you and your

00:57:59.100 --> 00:58:04.820
and your family for the loss of your father-in-law about a week ago or so.

00:58:04.820 --> 00:58:07.019
With that, I'll move forward to the proclamations.

00:58:07.019 --> 00:58:11.860
The first is an approval of the proclamation declaring National Economic Development National

00:58:11.860 --> 00:58:16.020
Travel and Tourism Week of February 3rd in the night of 2026.

00:58:16.020 --> 00:58:19.020
Andrew, would you like to read that?

00:58:19.020 --> 00:58:20.020
I would.

00:58:20.020 --> 00:58:23.020
I swear it has time.

00:58:23.020 --> 00:58:24.020
There you go.

00:58:24.020 --> 00:58:25.020
All right.

00:58:25.020 --> 00:58:29.700
The Greater Freeport Partnership works on behalf of Freeport and Stevenson County as the economic

00:58:29.700 --> 00:58:34.020
development and tourism partner to promote and grow our region.

00:58:34.020 --> 00:58:38.700
And whereas economic development and tourism promote economic well-being and quality of

00:58:38.700 --> 00:58:44.820
life for their communities by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth,

00:58:44.820 --> 00:58:48.380
enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base.

00:58:48.380 --> 00:58:54.300
And whereas economic development and tourism fuel industry and will continue to be an essential

00:58:54.300 --> 00:58:55.300
and John.

00:58:55.300 --> 00:58:58.300
We have been working with the state and the county to develop a central part of Freeport

00:58:58.300 --> 00:59:03.300
and Stevenson County's economy, development and workforce as an essential industry that

00:59:03.300 --> 00:59:10.300
leads to economic growth, benefits businesses and fosters mutual understanding and whereas

00:59:10.300 --> 00:59:17.300
economic development and tourism enable success for all industries including manufacturing,

00:59:17.300 --> 00:59:23.300
agriculture, defense, healthcare and more by driving sales growth, innovation, education

00:59:23.300 --> 00:59:26.260
Nation, and Freeport and Stevenson County forward.

00:59:26.260 --> 00:59:29.860
And whereas economic development and tourism stimulate

00:59:29.860 --> 00:59:32.340
and incubate entrepreneurism in order

00:59:32.340 --> 00:59:36.020
to help establish the next generation of new businesses,

00:59:36.020 --> 00:59:39.060
which is the hallmark of the American economy.

00:59:39.060 --> 00:59:41.960
And whereas economic development and tourism

00:59:41.960 --> 00:59:44.460
are engaged in a wide variety of settings,

00:59:44.460 --> 00:59:47.980
including rural and urban, local, state, provincial,

00:59:47.980 --> 00:59:51.079
and federal governments, public-private partnerships,

00:59:51.080 --> 00:59:54.200
Education, and a variety of other institutions.

00:59:54.200 --> 00:59:57.240
And whereas economic development and tourism

00:59:57.240 --> 00:59:59.960
attract and retain high quality jobs,

00:59:59.960 --> 01:00:01.640
develop vibrant communities,

01:00:01.640 --> 01:00:04.400
and improve the quality of life in their regions.

01:00:04.400 --> 01:00:07.840
And whereas economic development and tourism

01:00:07.840 --> 01:00:10.000
support vibrant and safe communities

01:00:10.000 --> 01:00:11.820
in Freeport and Stevenson County

01:00:11.820 --> 01:00:14.960
by generating state and local tax revenue

01:00:14.960 --> 01:00:18.420
and support essential services such as education,

01:00:18.420 --> 01:00:21.560
Emergency Response, Public Safety, and more.

01:00:21.560 --> 01:00:24.460
And now, therefore, be it resolved

01:00:24.460 --> 01:00:28.520
that the Stevenson County Board does hereby proclaim

01:00:28.520 --> 01:00:31.380
May 3rd through 9th, 2026,

01:00:31.380 --> 01:00:33.300
as National Economic Development Week

01:00:33.300 --> 01:00:37.300
and National Travel and Tourism Week in Stevenson County,

01:00:37.300 --> 01:00:40.380
and urge the residents of Stevenson County

01:00:40.380 --> 01:00:43.980
to recognize the critical role these industries play

01:00:43.980 --> 01:00:46.520
in the sustainability and growth of our region.

01:00:48.420 --> 01:00:49.260
Thank you.

01:00:49.260 --> 01:00:50.860
Is there a motion to approve?

01:00:50.860 --> 01:00:53.780
So the motion, the motion, Moderow, second by Mr. Diddens.

01:00:53.780 --> 01:00:54.900
Any discussion?

01:00:56.140 --> 01:00:57.820
Seeing none, you may cast your vote

01:00:57.820 --> 01:00:59.900
for the approval of the proclamation.

01:01:09.820 --> 01:01:11.460
Passes unanimously, thank you.

01:01:11.460 --> 01:01:12.280
All right, thank you.

01:01:12.280 --> 01:01:13.120
Thank you, Andrea.

01:01:13.120 --> 01:01:13.960
Appreciate it.

01:01:13.960 --> 01:01:16.180
We have three other proclamations.

01:01:16.180 --> 01:01:18.820
I will go ahead and read those quickly.

01:01:18.820 --> 01:01:22.900
The first is a proclamation of abate

01:01:22.900 --> 01:01:26.100
declaring May as Motorcycle Awareness Month.

01:01:26.100 --> 01:01:28.860
The County of Stevens, Illinois proclamation by the Chairman,

01:01:28.860 --> 01:01:30.700
whereas safety is the highest priority

01:01:30.700 --> 01:01:32.900
for the highways and streets of our County.

01:01:33.820 --> 01:01:36.060
Excuse me, let me get my microphone on.

01:01:42.380 --> 01:01:44.860
All right, whereas safety is the highest priority

01:01:44.860 --> 01:01:47.120
for the highways and streets of our county and state,

01:01:47.120 --> 01:01:48.940
and whereas the great state of Illinois

01:01:48.940 --> 01:01:51.620
is proud to be a national leader in motorcycle safety,

01:01:51.620 --> 01:01:55.039
education, and awareness, and whereas motorcycles

01:01:55.039 --> 01:01:58.680
are a primary common and economical means of transportation

01:01:58.680 --> 01:02:02.039
that reduces fuel consumption and road wear,

01:02:02.039 --> 01:02:03.960
and contributes in a significant way

01:02:03.960 --> 01:02:07.039
to the relief of traffic and parking congestion,

01:02:07.039 --> 01:02:09.340
and whereas it is especially meaningful

01:02:09.340 --> 01:02:11.520
that the citizens of our county and state

01:02:11.520 --> 01:02:14.060
be aware of motorcycles on the roadways

01:02:14.060 --> 01:02:17.060
and recognize the importance of motorcycle safety.

01:02:17.060 --> 01:02:19.740
And whereas the member of ABATE of Illinois

01:02:19.740 --> 01:02:23.460
incorporated a brotherhood aimed towards education,

01:02:23.460 --> 01:02:27.180
continually promote motorcycle safety, education,

01:02:27.180 --> 01:02:31.140
and awareness in high school driver's education programs

01:02:31.140 --> 01:02:34.260
and to the general public in our county and state,

01:02:34.260 --> 01:02:36.300
presenting motorcycle awareness programs

01:02:36.300 --> 01:02:39.780
to over 120,000 participants in Illinois

01:02:39.780 --> 01:02:41.660
over the last nine years.

01:02:41.660 --> 01:02:45.740
and whereas all motorcyclists should join a bait of Illinois

01:02:45.740 --> 01:02:49.180
in actively promoting the safe operation of motorcycles

01:02:49.180 --> 01:02:53.579
as well as promoting motorcycle safety, education,

01:02:53.579 --> 01:02:55.980
awareness and respect of the citizens

01:02:55.980 --> 01:02:58.060
of our county and state.

01:02:58.060 --> 01:02:59.900
Whereas the motorcyclists of Illinois

01:02:59.900 --> 01:03:02.940
have contributed extensive volunteerism and money

01:03:02.940 --> 01:03:06.280
to national and community charitable organizations

01:03:06.280 --> 01:03:08.480
and whereas during the month of May,

01:03:08.480 --> 01:03:12.400
All roadway users should unite in safe sharing of roadways

01:03:12.400 --> 01:03:14.240
within the County of Stevenson

01:03:14.240 --> 01:03:16.200
and throughout the great state of Illinois.

01:03:16.200 --> 01:03:19.720
Therefore, I, Scott Helms, Chairman of the County of Stevenson

01:03:19.720 --> 01:03:21.200
in the great state of Illinois,

01:03:21.200 --> 01:03:24.800
in recognition of 39 years of obeyed of Illinois

01:03:24.800 --> 01:03:29.800
and over 352,318 registered motorcyclists statewide

01:03:30.560 --> 01:03:34.000
and in recognition of the continued role Illinois serves

01:03:34.000 --> 01:03:37.720
as a leader in motorcycle safety, education, and awareness

01:03:37.720 --> 01:03:41.260
You hereby proclaim the month of May this year, 2026,

01:03:41.260 --> 01:03:43.880
as Motorcycle Awareness Month.

01:03:43.880 --> 01:03:45.320
Is there a motion to approve?

01:03:45.320 --> 01:03:47.119
By Mr. Jogerst, is there a second?

01:03:47.119 --> 01:03:49.220
By Mr. Fricke, is there any discussion?

01:03:50.460 --> 01:03:52.220
Seeing none, you may cast your vote

01:03:52.220 --> 01:03:55.300
for the approval of that proclamation.

01:03:55.300 --> 01:04:05.220
and that passes unanimously. Thank you. Next is a proclamation for the National Day of Prayer. Whereas

01:04:05.220 --> 01:04:10.660
Stevenson County Board recognizes that the United States of America was founded on the precepts of freedom,

01:04:10.660 --> 01:04:16.100
liberty, diversity, and the right of people to acknowledge God according to the dictates of their own

01:04:16.100 --> 01:04:22.820
consciousness. And whereas since our nation's founding, Americans have turned to God in times of trial for

01:04:22.820 --> 01:04:24.820
and the Chief Executive Officer of the United States of America.

01:04:25.480 --> 01:04:31.160
We work together for wisdom, courage, direction, comfort, and at the same time to express gratitude.

01:04:31.160 --> 01:04:43.940
And whereas this is a time of international distress, we give thanks for the men and women of our military who stand as watchmen on the wall to defend our nation and the future of democracy and civilization.

01:04:43.940 --> 01:04:48.940
tightening and distressed we give thanks that the United States of America has been blessed

01:04:48.940 --> 01:04:50.380
beyond measure.

01:04:50.380 --> 01:04:56.260
We are continually grateful for our families, the abundance of our land, and our inalienable

01:04:56.260 --> 01:04:58.120
rights and liberties.

01:04:58.120 --> 01:05:03.039
And, whereas, the President of the United States of America has called on all citizens

01:05:03.039 --> 01:05:09.080
to seek God's continued guidance, grace and protection for this land and to reaffirm the

01:05:09.080 --> 01:05:39.080
and the role of prayer in our society and to honor the religious diversity that our freedom permits by recognizing the first Thursday of May 2026 as National Day of Prayer with a theme of glorify God among the nations seeking him in all generations and text of, tell of his glory among the nations his wonderful deeds among all the peoples. Therefore, in recognition of Stevenson County's need for inspiration, strength, guidance, and divine direction, I, Scott,

01:05:39.080 --> 01:05:44.720
Helms, Chairman of the Stevenson County Board, do hereby proclaim Thursday, May 7th, 2026,

01:05:44.720 --> 01:05:47.760
as National Day of Prayer in Stevenson County.

01:05:47.760 --> 01:05:52.519
I invite all Stevenson County residents to pray for God's protection, for peace throughout

01:05:52.519 --> 01:05:58.560
the world, and to seek a moral and spiritual renewal and to express gratitude for our blessings.

01:05:58.560 --> 01:06:03.600
I urge the citizens of Stevenson County to join in observing this day with appropriate

01:06:03.600 --> 01:06:07.519
programs, ceremonies, and activities.

01:06:07.519 --> 01:06:11.120
Is there a motion to approve this proclamation?

01:06:11.120 --> 01:06:16.840
Mr. Newton, seconded by Mr. Busker, is there any discussion?

01:06:16.840 --> 01:06:30.039
Seeing none, you may cast your vote.

01:06:30.039 --> 01:06:34.360
And that passes with one no vote.

01:06:34.360 --> 01:06:40.640
The final proclamation is for National Telecommunications Week, whereas emergencies can occur at any

01:06:40.640 --> 01:06:47.240
time that require police, fire, or emergency medical services, and whereas when an emergency

01:06:47.240 --> 01:06:52.880
occurs, the prompt response of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics is critical to

01:06:52.880 --> 01:06:58.039
the protection of life and preservation of property, and whereas the safety of our police

01:06:58.039 --> 01:07:04.280
officers and firefighters is dependent upon the quality and accuracy of information obtained

01:07:04.280 --> 01:07:08.600
from citizens who telephone the Stevenson County Communication

01:07:08.600 --> 01:07:09.800
Center.

01:07:09.800 --> 01:07:12.720
And whereas the Public Safety Telecommunicator

01:07:12.720 --> 01:07:16.480
is the first and most critical contact of our citizens

01:07:16.480 --> 01:07:19.120
that they have with emergency services.

01:07:19.120 --> 01:07:21.519
Whereas the Public Safety Telecommunicator

01:07:21.519 --> 01:07:25.640
is the single vital link for our police officers and firefighters

01:07:25.640 --> 01:07:28.039
by monitoring their activities by radio,

01:07:28.039 --> 01:07:31.360
providing them information, and ensuring their safety.

01:07:31.360 --> 01:07:34.600
and whereas the Public Safety Telecommunicators

01:07:34.600 --> 01:07:37.100
of Stevenson County Communication Center

01:07:37.100 --> 01:07:39.840
has contributed substantially to the apprehension

01:07:39.840 --> 01:07:42.240
of criminals, suppression of fires

01:07:42.240 --> 01:07:44.240
and treatment of patients.

01:07:44.240 --> 01:07:48.240
And whereas each dispatcher has exhibited compassion,

01:07:48.240 --> 01:07:50.760
understanding and professionalism

01:07:50.760 --> 01:07:53.960
during the performance of their job over the past year.

01:07:53.960 --> 01:07:56.400
Therefore, be it resolved that the County of Stevenson,

01:07:56.400 --> 01:07:58.840
Illinois declares the week of April 12th

01:07:58.840 --> 01:08:01.360
through the 18th of 2026

01:08:01.360 --> 01:08:03.360
to be National Telecommunicators Week

01:08:03.360 --> 01:08:05.280
here in Stevenson County

01:08:05.280 --> 01:08:06.920
in honor of the men and women

01:08:06.920 --> 01:08:09.039
whose diligence and professionalism

01:08:09.039 --> 01:08:12.420
keep our county and citizens safe.

01:08:12.420 --> 01:08:14.820
Is there a motion to approve that proclamation?

01:08:16.440 --> 01:08:17.360
Cindy, thank you.

01:08:17.360 --> 01:08:20.860
And seconded by Mrs. Hayes, any discussion?

01:08:22.539 --> 01:08:23.520
You may cast your vote

01:08:23.520 --> 01:08:25.420
for the approval of that proclamation.

01:08:28.840 --> 01:08:47.840
And that passes unanimously. Thank you very much. We have two appointments. Would the board like to take these together or separately? Together? Anyone have an objection to that?

01:08:47.840 --> 01:08:53.840
The first is the approval of the appointment of Warren Lobb to the Otter Creek Utility District.

01:08:53.840 --> 01:08:58.039
and the second is the approval of the appointment of Nicole Baker to the Extension Board.

01:08:58.039 --> 01:09:00.039
Is there a motion to approve both?

01:09:00.039 --> 01:09:05.239
By Mrs. Hayes, second by Mr. Diddens. Any discussion on those appointments?

01:09:08.340 --> 01:09:10.340
Seeing none, you may cast your vote.

01:09:10.340 --> 01:09:27.140
and then both appointments pass unanimously. Thank you. Moving on to Action Items and Information

01:09:27.140 --> 01:09:32.199
from Standing Committees. First up, Finance. Mr. Jogerst, you're filling in that role this

01:09:32.199 --> 01:09:38.739
month, it appears you have three action items. I'm going to get your microphone

01:09:38.739 --> 01:09:52.300
turned on. Oh, don't push anything. There you go. There we go. Alright, the first one

01:09:52.300 --> 01:09:58.199
up is the approval of manual claims for the Sheriff's Department. There was two

01:09:58.199 --> 01:10:02.820
Claims, one for Motorola and the other one was training expenses and the total

01:10:02.820 --> 01:10:12.220
is $28,829.80. Mr. Bush, is there a second? Second by Mr. Busker, is there any

01:10:12.220 --> 01:10:21.539
discussion on this? Seeing none, you may go ahead and cast your vote for approval.

01:10:28.199 --> 01:10:33.199
and that pass is unanimous. Your next item, please.

01:10:33.199 --> 01:10:38.720
Yeah, we're gonna have a discussion on the resolution establishing the salary for

01:10:38.720 --> 01:10:45.880
the Office of the County Treasurer, first one, and the Administrator passed out the

01:10:45.880 --> 01:10:53.920
packet for that. We did talk about that as finance, that you want to come up with

01:10:53.920 --> 01:10:58.920
the number here and get this passed for both these positions

01:10:59.280 --> 01:11:01.860
in May, correct?

01:11:01.860 --> 01:11:02.699
That's correct.

01:11:02.699 --> 01:11:06.220
180 days prior to being sworn in for the roles.

01:11:06.220 --> 01:11:09.619
Right, so we're actually establishing the salary

01:11:09.619 --> 01:11:12.380
for the office, not the person, so.

01:11:12.380 --> 01:11:17.300
All right, so I think the last, in the finance meeting,

01:11:17.300 --> 01:11:19.560
we didn't have the last page there.

01:11:21.280 --> 01:11:22.760
We'll talk about that one next,

01:11:22.760 --> 01:11:25.600
but we've got a,

01:11:25.600 --> 01:11:28.960
basically the two positions are currently

01:11:28.960 --> 01:11:30.600
on the same schedule.

01:11:30.600 --> 01:11:34.280
However, I think two years ago, the County Clerk,

01:11:36.560 --> 01:11:40.119
County Clerk was, it says County Circuit Clerk.

01:11:42.039 --> 01:11:44.100
I'll have the County Administrator address.

01:11:44.100 --> 01:11:47.100
I had asked to have these discussion items placed

01:11:47.100 --> 01:11:50.360
on the agenda for the Treasurer and the County Clerk,

01:11:50.360 --> 01:11:52.960
just so that the entire board has a chance to weigh in

01:11:52.960 --> 01:11:55.319
on this prior to it going back to finance

01:11:55.319 --> 01:11:57.600
for approval next month.

01:11:57.600 --> 01:12:00.400
I did ask that the resolutions for the Treasurer

01:12:00.400 --> 01:12:03.980
and the County Clerk be put in there for the prior four years

01:12:03.980 --> 01:12:06.280
as well as what was approved two years ago

01:12:06.280 --> 01:12:09.760
for the Circuit Clerk to give everyone an idea

01:12:09.760 --> 01:12:11.880
of what had been done previously.

01:12:11.880 --> 01:12:15.760
So if Mr. Jogerst, if you'd like the Administrator

01:12:15.760 --> 01:12:16.920
to discuss it further

01:12:16.920 --> 01:12:19.159
or if you'd like to handle it either way.

01:12:19.159 --> 01:12:35.860
So if you look at the current resolutions for County Clerk and for Treasurer, where their

01:12:35.860 --> 01:12:41.360
starting was each year it was a 3% annual increase.

01:12:41.360 --> 01:12:47.300
A note in there is that they were bumped up to 24% of their insurance premiums because

01:12:47.300 --> 01:12:53.380
this would have been back in 2022 prior to the rest of the county coming up to that percentage.

01:12:53.380 --> 01:13:01.699
The resolutions prior to that, they had a 4% increase year after year and were paying 20%

01:13:01.699 --> 01:13:04.420
of their premiums.

01:13:04.420 --> 01:13:12.860
The Circuit Clerk's resolution is in there showing that when her new resolution was put

01:13:12.860 --> 01:13:19.340
and so into effect it was bringing it up to where the other two positions currently were.

01:13:19.340 --> 01:13:26.220
The remaining years on that resolution are 3% increases as well.

01:13:26.220 --> 01:13:30.180
And the insurance for the Circuit Clerk is already set at 24%.

01:13:30.180 --> 01:13:35.020
Correct, correct.

01:13:35.020 --> 01:13:36.980
So we're doing it a little differently this year.

01:13:36.980 --> 01:13:40.380
It's still going back to finance in May and we'll still come back to the Board for final

01:13:40.380 --> 01:13:45.260
General Approval in May, but giving the entire board an opportunity to weigh in prior to

01:13:45.260 --> 01:13:51.260
it going to finance, as opposed to just having one opportunity per se in May.

01:13:51.260 --> 01:14:02.260
If anybody has comments, questions, anything that you'd like to ask, please feel free to

01:14:02.260 --> 01:14:12.860
questions, anything that you would like the Administrator to look into, and it's the same

01:14:12.860 --> 01:14:14.579
for the County Clerk, correct?

01:14:14.579 --> 01:14:15.579
Correct.

01:14:15.579 --> 01:14:16.579
Yep.

01:14:16.579 --> 01:14:17.579
Anyone?

01:14:17.579 --> 01:14:21.180
Mrs. Williams, I apologize.

01:14:21.180 --> 01:14:26.060
Thank you.

01:14:26.060 --> 01:14:31.060
Does the state declare that we have to have

01:14:32.860 --> 01:14:36.619
our elected officials at any particular level?

01:14:36.619 --> 01:14:38.420
Not for these elected positions.

01:14:38.420 --> 01:14:41.579
Not for these elected positions, okay.

01:14:41.579 --> 01:14:43.739
And you're saying that the difference between,

01:14:43.739 --> 01:14:48.420
let's say, 2024 and 2025 was just nothing more

01:14:48.420 --> 01:14:51.739
than a cost of living increase, is that correct?

01:14:51.739 --> 01:14:53.820
In their current resolutions?

01:14:53.820 --> 01:14:55.100
Yes. Yeah.

01:14:55.100 --> 01:14:59.100
Okay, so we didn't necessarily bump them up

01:15:00.100 --> 01:15:02.020
to get them to a level.

01:15:02.960 --> 01:15:06.720
So the Circuit Clerk's resolution,

01:15:06.720 --> 01:15:09.180
they're staggered by two years.

01:15:09.180 --> 01:15:10.560
Right.

01:15:10.560 --> 01:15:13.480
That's why we included the previous resolutions as well.

01:15:13.480 --> 01:15:16.239
So for the Circuit Clerk,

01:15:16.239 --> 01:15:20.500
the previous one was 2020 through 2023.

01:15:20.500 --> 01:15:21.340
Right.

01:15:21.340 --> 01:15:23.440
The new one is 24 through 27,

01:15:23.440 --> 01:15:28.199
whereas the other two positions were 2018 through 2021.

01:15:28.199 --> 01:15:31.520
Well, and I also, another question, please.

01:15:31.520 --> 01:15:33.159
Go ahead.

01:15:33.159 --> 01:15:35.360
Just maybe more of a comment.

01:15:35.360 --> 01:15:40.360
I see that we are well above, you know,

01:15:40.360 --> 01:15:46.440
well, maybe $5,000 above the 2026 statewide salary

01:15:46.440 --> 01:15:47.680
and fringe benefit.

01:15:47.680 --> 01:15:50.400
So it's not like none of them are being underpaid

01:15:50.400 --> 01:15:51.720
at this point.

01:15:51.720 --> 01:15:56.720
it would be my comment, based on this report, it appears.

01:16:00.020 --> 01:16:01.280
That's all.

01:16:01.280 --> 01:16:04.039
I guess I would just say one thing,

01:16:04.039 --> 01:16:05.539
when you talk about cost of living,

01:16:05.539 --> 01:16:07.400
I would deal in percentages,

01:16:07.400 --> 01:16:10.880
not necessarily what you may consider to be cost of living,

01:16:10.880 --> 01:16:14.800
and also reference the budget policy

01:16:14.800 --> 01:16:16.560
that's approved every year.

01:16:16.560 --> 01:16:18.199
When you think of it in those terms,

01:16:18.199 --> 01:16:20.320
as opposed to just cost of living,

01:16:20.320 --> 01:16:22.640
and that could be if you're counting the CPI

01:16:22.640 --> 01:16:24.199
or what you're looking at.

01:16:24.199 --> 01:16:25.400
Okay.

01:16:25.400 --> 01:16:28.960
And as Mr. Jogerst said, keep in mind

01:16:28.960 --> 01:16:31.720
you're valuing the position, not the individuals

01:16:31.720 --> 01:16:32.800
that are within that.

01:16:32.800 --> 01:16:34.680
Anything else, Mrs. Williams?

01:16:34.680 --> 01:16:35.520
Nothing.

01:16:35.520 --> 01:16:38.199
Okay, Mr. Hadley, go ahead.

01:16:38.199 --> 01:16:42.600
So my big concern is, is over the years

01:16:44.039 --> 01:16:47.260
we've seen where the state regulates us

01:16:47.260 --> 01:16:50.300
to pay the state's attorney a certain amount of money,

01:16:51.560 --> 01:16:56.060
then the public defender, and now the sheriff.

01:16:57.600 --> 01:17:00.300
I know there's been bills in Springfield

01:17:01.340 --> 01:17:05.220
to set salaries for the rest of the elected,

01:17:05.220 --> 01:17:06.739
county elected officials too,

01:17:06.739 --> 01:17:10.500
but they've been defeated down in Springfield.

01:17:10.500 --> 01:17:14.020
All I can say to the Finance Committee, slow down.

01:17:14.020 --> 01:17:15.539
We need to slow down here

01:17:15.539 --> 01:17:20.539
because these jobs could all get up over $100,000 a year.

01:17:20.980 --> 01:17:25.820
And the public is complaining when we have legislators

01:17:25.820 --> 01:17:30.820
giving themselves raises and this is not the time.

01:17:32.980 --> 01:17:37.980
I've seen where Ogle County went during the four-year period,

01:17:39.579 --> 01:17:43.579
zero, zero, and then maybe a 2%, a 2%, you know.

01:17:43.579 --> 01:17:48.579
but all I can say is I will not next month support anything

01:17:49.699 --> 01:17:54.699
that's going to inflate these raises up real high

01:17:55.220 --> 01:17:56.500
and stuff like that.

01:17:56.500 --> 01:17:58.500
So that's all I got to say, Chairman.

01:17:58.500 --> 01:18:00.060
Thank you.

01:18:00.060 --> 01:18:01.940
Mrs. Hayes, go ahead.

01:18:03.260 --> 01:18:05.539
I'm gonna agree with Mr. Hadley.

01:18:06.699 --> 01:18:09.460
I do think that we need to take into consideration

01:18:09.460 --> 01:18:10.300
what the cost of living,

01:18:10.300 --> 01:18:13.800
I think we need to decide that first, right?

01:18:13.800 --> 01:18:15.720
The cost of living, if we're saying that we're giving them

01:18:15.720 --> 01:18:18.420
a cost of living increase, I don't know.

01:18:18.420 --> 01:18:21.500
I mean, last year we were very, very generous

01:18:21.500 --> 01:18:23.539
with cost of living increases.

01:18:23.539 --> 01:18:26.260
Didn't feel like that compared to what the economy did,

01:18:26.260 --> 01:18:31.260
but we will work our way into some exorbitant salaries

01:18:33.340 --> 01:18:37.100
that are not sustainable if we continue to give

01:18:37.100 --> 01:18:45.180
Every year, the maximum, and once we give them to the elected officials, we have to give them to everybody.

01:18:45.180 --> 01:18:55.180
So, I'm not sure which comes first, the cart or the horse, but I'm just, again, cautiously saying to the Finance Committee,

01:18:55.180 --> 01:19:03.300
please be careful with that. We don't want to get too much too fast. We will go bankrupt.

01:19:03.300 --> 01:19:04.539
Anything else, Mrs. Hayes?

01:19:04.539 --> 01:19:06.260
That's it. Thank you, Chairman.

01:19:06.260 --> 01:19:08.960
Anyone else?

01:19:08.960 --> 01:19:12.100
Mr. Jogerst, do you have anything to add?

01:19:12.100 --> 01:19:14.739
Well, we've got to think about the rest of the budget

01:19:14.739 --> 01:19:16.980
that we're going to be working on here

01:19:16.980 --> 01:19:21.260
in the middle of the year, and then all the supplementals

01:19:21.260 --> 01:19:23.060
and all that other stuff that comes with it.

01:19:23.060 --> 01:19:26.180
So hopefully we get out in front of it this year.

01:19:26.180 --> 01:19:29.520
Instead of, you know, we come down the end of the wire,

01:19:29.520 --> 01:19:31.440
we have nothing for supplementals, you know,

01:19:31.440 --> 01:19:33.820
for roads and the things that a lot of people want.

01:19:33.820 --> 01:19:38.820
So yeah, there's more needs than there is money, obviously.

01:19:39.060 --> 01:19:44.060
So that's all I have for the Finance Committee.

01:19:44.140 --> 01:19:47.920
Anything else, Georgia, on this item?

01:19:47.920 --> 01:19:49.579
I don't have anything else really to share,

01:19:49.579 --> 01:19:52.340
but if anyone has questions, reach out.

01:19:52.340 --> 01:19:54.060
Yeah, next month we'll also be considering

01:19:54.060 --> 01:19:56.720
the budget policy, which will be for non-elected

01:19:56.720 --> 01:19:59.220
and non-union employees.

01:19:59.220 --> 01:20:02.100
What did we do the last few years, 4%?

01:20:02.100 --> 01:20:03.440
Three. Three?

01:20:03.440 --> 01:20:05.100
The year before it was four.

01:20:05.100 --> 01:20:06.280
Year before, okay.

01:20:07.980 --> 01:20:11.579
So again, please reach out to the Finance Committee,

01:20:11.579 --> 01:20:12.860
reach out to the Administrator

01:20:12.860 --> 01:20:15.000
if you have thoughts or ideas.

01:20:15.000 --> 01:20:17.199
So thank you for participating in this tonight.

01:20:17.199 --> 01:20:21.039
I know it's not normal, but I think it's good

01:20:21.039 --> 01:20:23.000
and worthwhile for us to do that.

01:20:23.000 --> 01:20:25.440
Anything else out of Finance, Mr. Jogerst?

01:20:25.440 --> 01:20:26.739
That is all, Chairman.

01:20:26.739 --> 01:20:28.239
All right, very good, thank you.

01:20:28.239 --> 01:20:30.440
Appreciate you filling in this month.

01:20:30.440 --> 01:20:32.600
We'll move on to Public Property and Safety.

01:20:32.600 --> 01:20:40.680
Mr. Bush, no action items, information out of your committee, sir? No? Okay, all right, very good.

01:20:40.680 --> 01:20:43.880
Go ahead, Mr. Hadley, if you want, press your button.

01:20:43.880 --> 01:20:49.720
Just one quick question. Has the Sheriff talked anything about the gas prices going up and

01:20:49.720 --> 01:20:55.400
his line item and everything's going all right with his line item on the gas?

01:20:55.400 --> 01:21:00.360
Yes. Is he monitoring that close? I believe so. It doesn't look like in the near future the

01:21:00.360 --> 01:21:06.680
Prices might not go down the rest of the year a little bit. So although I think yesterday the price oil went down below

01:21:06.800 --> 01:21:12.039
$100 a barrel. I didn't check today, but you know fingers crossed. Okay. Thank you. You bet

01:21:12.480 --> 01:21:18.360
One quick thing with the sheriff. It was brought up in public works about overweight trucks

01:21:19.760 --> 01:21:23.560
Specifically, I think Kent Road and Dale you can correct me if it's not the right road

01:21:23.560 --> 01:21:28.880
I did reach out to the sheriff and ask if we have people that are certified to

01:21:28.880 --> 01:21:31.400
to operate scales.

01:21:32.320 --> 01:21:35.159
They're putting trucks on that road

01:21:35.159 --> 01:21:38.239
going to the cheese factory, I believe, in Kent

01:21:39.520 --> 01:21:42.760
that are well over the 80,000 pound limit.

01:21:42.760 --> 01:21:43.600
Way over.

01:21:45.159 --> 01:21:47.239
I believe the state police pulled someone over

01:21:47.239 --> 01:21:48.699
and Dale, correct me if I'm wrong,

01:21:48.699 --> 01:21:51.400
but I believe they issued a $35,000 ticket

01:21:51.400 --> 01:21:52.840
for being overweight.

01:21:52.840 --> 01:21:53.840
That was a different case.

01:21:53.840 --> 01:21:57.539
Different case, but it's still a $35,000 fine, correct?

01:21:57.539 --> 01:22:27.539
Gotcha. All right. The good news is the sheriff reached out to the state police who does the training for that. And they are willing to train the Crime Suppression Unit to operate scales. The option or the I'm sorry, the object is not to issue fines. It's to make sure the trucks are not destroying the roads that are overweight. We're not trying to make money on this, but seems

01:22:27.539 --> 01:22:31.460
like the only way to get them to stop overloading these trucks is to hit them

01:22:31.460 --> 01:22:35.100
in their pocketbook. So just to give you an update on that, the Sheriff is working

01:22:35.100 --> 01:22:42.300
on that. With that, we'll move on to administration. Mr. Jogerst, no action

01:22:42.300 --> 01:22:44.619
items. Any information out of your committee?

01:22:44.619 --> 01:23:14.619
Okay, all right, thank you. We'll move on to court says, can't talk after all those proclamations. Court Services, Mr. Diddens, do you have any items? And if you do, could you please press your microphone button? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't have any action items, but we did hand out $10,000 for the Youth Diversion Fund that

01:23:14.619 --> 01:23:23.100
Collected. We had six businesses that applied for that met the criteria for the

01:23:23.100 --> 01:23:31.780
for the grant. High Hope, Hope Wins, Ramp, Sounds of Good News, Voices, and that's

01:23:31.780 --> 01:23:38.900
five there should be six. Which one? Boys and Girls Cup, thank you. I had Ramp twice.

01:23:38.900 --> 01:23:48.000
Anyway, they all got $1,666.66. We just gave everybody an equal amount.

01:23:48.000 --> 01:23:53.220
Last year I think we only had one or two that applied, so this year it was much

01:23:53.220 --> 01:23:59.220
better turnout and it's all good for the community. It's all aimed at children, so

01:23:59.220 --> 01:24:04.100
it's all good. Thank you, that's it.

01:24:04.100 --> 01:24:06.360
Good. Thank you. That's it.

01:24:06.360 --> 01:24:07.660
Thank you, Mr. Diddens.

01:24:07.660 --> 01:24:08.900
Move on to Nursing Center.

01:24:08.900 --> 01:24:12.060
Mrs. Baker, no action items, information?

01:24:12.060 --> 01:24:14.340
Yes, so the report was in your packet.

01:24:14.340 --> 01:24:16.100
Census is 71.

01:24:16.100 --> 01:24:19.260
The facility completed their annual survey.

01:24:19.260 --> 01:24:21.100
The team has reviewed all the findings

01:24:21.100 --> 01:24:22.780
and the POCs were submitted

01:24:22.780 --> 01:24:24.900
and assisted by the regional team.

01:24:24.900 --> 01:24:29.700
Agency hours remain low of 250 hours

01:24:29.700 --> 01:24:31.020
for the month of March.

01:24:31.020 --> 01:24:32.780
And they had their annual Easter egg hunt

01:24:32.780 --> 01:24:36.820
on September 4th with a fair turnout, and that's it.

01:24:36.820 --> 01:24:39.020
Mr. Bush, did you have any questions?

01:24:39.020 --> 01:24:42.060
Yeah, I just kind of want to piggy off what the...

01:24:42.060 --> 01:24:44.300
Can you speak into your microphone, please?

01:24:44.300 --> 01:24:46.180
I have it on, just speak into it.

01:24:46.180 --> 01:24:51.340
Just want to talk, continue talking about this lady that

01:24:51.340 --> 01:24:55.500
came and asked concerning of not getting paid.

01:24:58.220 --> 01:25:02.300
Funding-wise, she mentioned that there is funds to get paid.

01:25:02.780 --> 01:25:06.380
I will let Administrator Newcomer address that.

01:25:06.380 --> 01:25:09.820
I believe she had communication with that individual.

01:25:09.820 --> 01:25:11.579
Yes.

01:25:11.579 --> 01:25:22.660
Currently, the unspoken for balance is $1,978.68 in that fund.

01:25:22.660 --> 01:25:25.740
There is money that comes in and out,

01:25:25.740 --> 01:25:28.340
because that is still the fund where the Medicare Medicaid

01:25:28.340 --> 01:25:31.940
money comes in that goes to serenity.

01:25:31.940 --> 01:25:37.620
There is also the money that is being held for the IDPH fine.

01:25:37.620 --> 01:25:41.780
And there's a payment agreement with one of the vendors that

01:25:41.780 --> 01:25:44.860
was approved through the board that those dollars are sitting

01:25:44.860 --> 01:25:48.380
in that account, but unspoken for funds.

01:25:48.380 --> 01:25:50.100
That is the balance.

01:25:50.100 --> 01:25:54.060
Is there any way that we could reach some kind of agreement

01:25:54.060 --> 01:25:58.740
or compromise or whatever with her?

01:25:58.740 --> 01:26:03.200
So, she was asked with the rest of the vendors if she wanted

01:26:03.200 --> 01:26:07.620
to offer a settlement the month that we went back to the local

01:26:07.620 --> 01:26:13.420
vendors that did, the committee had decided to prioritize the

01:26:13.420 --> 01:26:15.960
local vendors that offered settlements.

01:26:15.960 --> 01:26:20.039
At that time she said she wanted to wait and get the full amount

01:26:20.039 --> 01:26:23.420
that was out to her.

01:26:23.420 --> 01:26:27.420
After that, the next round, she is still in the category as

01:26:27.420 --> 01:26:30.060
is prioritized next for a payment.

01:26:30.060 --> 01:26:31.180
She did offer a settlement.

01:26:31.180 --> 01:26:36.100
It was just the next month when the funds were not available.

01:26:36.100 --> 01:26:40.340
She's in the prioritize next category.

01:26:40.340 --> 01:26:42.940
But there's a number of people that I think the committee

01:26:42.940 --> 01:26:48.900
or there need to be discussion if we make an exception

01:26:48.900 --> 01:26:50.820
for one person.

01:26:50.820 --> 01:26:53.220
How do we decide which person in that category

01:26:53.220 --> 01:26:56.380
is the person that gets paid?

01:26:56.380 --> 01:27:15.380
Well, I'm in agreement with that, but like, you know, she has sent email out to, I know I received the email, I don't know about nobody else, but I think that at least she came tonight and expressed her concerns, so at least we could at least have some type of communication or something, you know, to talk with her, to see how we can solve this, you know.

01:27:17.380 --> 01:27:25.380
Part of the issue we have as well is she has threatened litigation. Once she does that, anything we say or do is potential.

01:27:25.380 --> 01:27:35.900
We do defer to our liability company. Anything else Mr. Bush? Mrs. Baker,

01:27:35.900 --> 01:27:41.620
anything else? All right, I'm gonna shut some microphones off here real quick. We

01:27:41.620 --> 01:27:47.539
will move on to planning and development. Mr. Fricke, you have one action item I

01:27:47.539 --> 01:27:52.320
believe, and I'm gonna turn your microphone on. There we go. Thank You Mr.

01:27:52.320 --> 01:27:58.380
Chairman, I do. I'm excited to ask for this approval of a temporary use permit

01:27:58.380 --> 01:28:02.579
for the Pearl City Historical Organization for the use of Black Hawk

01:28:02.579 --> 01:28:10.020
Park to celebrate their hundredth year of being the organization of history for

01:28:10.020 --> 01:28:15.280
Pearl City and the area and they're excited to be able to use our park to

01:28:15.280 --> 01:28:22.300
promote the Black Hawk monument and that area as well as part of what they do in

01:28:22.300 --> 01:28:25.800
at the Pearl City Historical Organization.

01:28:25.800 --> 01:28:29.039
This temporary use permit was passed in our committee

01:28:29.039 --> 01:28:31.340
and with that, I would move to approve.

01:28:31.340 --> 01:28:33.579
There he goes, is there a second to Mr. Fricke's motion

01:28:33.579 --> 01:28:36.720
by Mr. Hadley, is there any discussion?

01:28:39.920 --> 01:28:42.320
One thing I will say, if you've checked your email

01:28:42.320 --> 01:28:45.620
this afternoon, a large oak tree did blow over

01:28:45.620 --> 01:28:47.500
out at the monument.

01:28:47.500 --> 01:28:50.360
We did contact liability, we're just making sure

01:28:50.360 --> 01:29:00.360
Director, that getting heads up from them if we need to close the park up until it's removed, we're working with Township to see if they can find someone to help us remove it.

01:29:00.360 --> 01:29:08.360
It's too large of a tree for Mr. Remmers to remove. We've had this happen in the past, so we're moving quickly to see if we can't get that resolved.

01:29:08.360 --> 01:29:15.360
We're not saying we're closing the park. We're just finding out from liability what their recommendation is until it's removed.

01:29:15.360 --> 01:29:19.360
Any other discussion?

01:29:19.360 --> 01:29:22.640
Seeing none, you may go ahead and cast your vote for the approval.

01:29:31.600 --> 01:29:33.120
And that passes unanimously.

01:29:33.120 --> 01:29:35.039
Mr. Fricke, do you have any other items?

01:29:35.039 --> 01:29:36.760
I do not at this time, Mr. Chairman.

01:29:36.760 --> 01:29:37.280
Thank you.

01:29:37.280 --> 01:29:38.120
All right, very good.

01:29:38.120 --> 01:29:38.620
Thank you.

01:29:38.620 --> 01:29:40.880
We'll move on to Public Works.

01:29:40.880 --> 01:29:44.560
Mr. Newton, I believe you have two items.

01:29:44.560 --> 01:29:48.079
I need to turn your microphone on here.

01:29:48.079 --> 01:29:49.579
You have the floor, sir.

01:29:49.579 --> 01:29:51.380
Thank you, Chairman.

01:29:51.380 --> 01:29:56.039
For your consideration tonight, we have HD 2606,

01:29:56.039 --> 01:30:00.180
approval of bid for Township Bridge preparation.

01:30:00.180 --> 01:30:03.760
It's a covert replacement on North Shippey Road

01:30:03.760 --> 01:30:06.480
in West Point Township, and I so move.

01:30:06.480 --> 01:30:07.320
Thank you.

01:30:07.320 --> 01:30:08.880
Is there a second by Mr. Jogerst?

01:30:08.880 --> 01:30:10.680
Is there any discussion on this?

01:30:13.420 --> 01:30:15.420
Go ahead, Mr. Hadley.

01:30:15.420 --> 01:30:16.820
How many bids have we received?

01:30:16.820 --> 01:30:18.280
How many votes on this?

01:30:21.320 --> 01:30:22.280
Four or five.

01:30:22.280 --> 01:30:23.280
Four or five?

01:30:24.280 --> 01:30:25.120
Oh, okay.

01:30:25.120 --> 01:30:27.680
So this was the lowest bid then?

01:30:27.680 --> 01:30:28.520
Correct.

01:30:28.520 --> 01:30:29.600
Okay, thank you.

01:30:29.600 --> 01:30:30.760
All right.

01:30:30.760 --> 01:30:31.960
Any other discussion?

01:30:34.360 --> 01:30:36.960
Seeing none, you may cast your vote for approval.

01:30:46.820 --> 01:31:04.820
That passes unanimously. Your next item Mr. Newton. Thank you. We have also a bid or one bid for that was passed or that came in for kennels for the new animal control and I so moved to approve those, that bid.

01:31:04.820 --> 01:31:13.820
Okay. Is there a second by Mr. Busker? Any discussion? I believe that was the only bid that was received, correct? It was. Okay.

01:31:13.820 --> 01:31:17.820
All right, seeing no discussion, you may cast your vote for approval.

01:31:27.820 --> 01:31:31.820
That also passes unanimously. Any other information of your committee, Mr. Newton?

01:31:31.820 --> 01:31:36.820
No, I've asked the engineer to stay on for five years, but he has not agreed to that.

01:31:36.820 --> 01:31:39.820
So thank you, Mr. Chairman, that's it.

01:31:39.820 --> 01:31:41.820
All right, thank you.

01:31:41.820 --> 01:31:47.820
All right, is there a motion to adjourn until 6.30 p.m. on May 21st, 2026?

01:31:47.820 --> 01:31:53.820
Which permit? We did not vote?

01:31:53.820 --> 01:32:01.820
Permit. We did. I thought we did. I'll check with the...

01:32:01.820 --> 01:32:05.820
I was certain we voted.

01:32:05.820 --> 01:32:06.820
Boarded.

01:32:06.820 --> 01:32:15.140
All right, is there a motion to adjourn?

01:32:15.140 --> 01:32:18.820
Mr. Bush, seconded by Mrs. Hayes.

01:32:18.820 --> 01:32:21.220
You may vote to adjourn.

01:32:21.220 --> 01:32:34.140
That is approved unanimously.

01:32:34.140 --> 01:32:35.140
Thank you everyone.