Meeting Events

Meeting: ivblcnatmh0.stephenson_county_il_public_property_safety_committee_meeting_6-9-26

Meeting date: 2026-06-09

Meeting type: public_property_safety_committee

This is a deterministic derived artifact, not official meeting minutes. Related records may be grouped for review while complete machine provenance remains in the JSON artifact.

Decisions and Votes

• Approval of tonight’s agenda

  • Summary: Motion to approve the agenda was made by Busker and seconded by Hayes.
  • Evidence: “Approval of tonight’s agenda, moved by Mr. Busker, seconded by Mrs. Hayes.”
  • Source timestamp: 00:47

• Review and approval of meeting minutes for May 12th, 2026

  • Summary: Motion to approve the meeting minutes for May 12th, 2026 was made by Busker and seconded by Lawfer.
  • Evidence: “Review approval of meeting minutes for May 12th, 2026, moved by Mr. Busker, second by Ms. Lawfer”
  • Source timestamp: 01:03

• Renewable claims financial review — Passed

  • Summary: Motion to approve renewable claims was made by Newton and seconded by Busker.
  • Evidence: “Motion to approve. Second. Moved by Mr. Newton, seconded by Mr. Busker.”
  • Evidence: “Any questions? All in favor? Aye. All opposed? Aye.”
  • Source timestamp: 01:55

Procedural Actions

• Opening Prayer

  • Summary: The committee opened with a prayer.
  • Evidence: “Newton, could you leave us in prayer? Let us pray.”
  • Source timestamp: 00:09

• Agenda Approval Question

  • Summary: No questions were raised regarding the approval of the agenda.
  • Evidence: “Any questions? All are clear.”
  • Source timestamp: 00:47

• Public comment period

  • Summary: No public comments were received, allowing the committee to move on.
  • Evidence: “Public comment, any public comment? Seeing none, we move on.”
  • Source timestamp: 02:04

Projects

• County Boardroom historical display
  • Summary: New pictures detailing the courthouse in different phases (starting with one erected in 1837 and torn down in 1840) and original jail photos were added to the County Boardroom.
  • Evidence: “And the last thing I have, we’ve added some new picture to the County Boardroom that I’ve been working on for about three to six months with the Historical Society. You’re going to see the courthouse in different phases throughout the years, starting with the first one, which was erected in 1837 and it was torn back down in 1840.”
  • Source timestamp: 04:39

Presentations and Reports

• Report from Senator Parks regarding Sheriff’s Office activities

  • Summary: Senator Parks reported on field training program status, prime suppression unit stats, and new business items including an overweight vehicle citation and a water main break at the jail.
  • Evidence: “Good evening. We have two that are in the field training program where they’ve been there a lot of month and they’re doing well… The great news is, is the water department was able to reroute the water. We did not have to have a boil order.”

• SBA assistance outreach efforts

  • Summary: The SBA loan interest program has a decision window of over a year for businesses and just over three months for residents.
  • Evidence: “I was wrapping up things and Lena. We were working very closely with AIMA and the Small Business Administration. It’s time to extend loan interest loans to those individuals and businesses in Lena that would need that help… Businesses have, I want to say, over a year to decide. Residents have a little over three months to decide if they want to get into the program.”
  • Source timestamp: 05:31

• EMA coordinator meeting attendance

  • Summary: The committee attended an EMA coordinator meeting in Davenport, Iowa, which reviewed practices for issuing warnings and watches.
  • Evidence: “We attended a EMA coordinator meeting at Davenport, Iowa. It was a workshop type thing where they explained and they reviewed all of their practices as far as putting out warnings, the thresholds for the warnings and watches and so forth and so on.”
  • Source timestamp: 07:15

• Pearl City tornado damage assessment

  • Summary: The biggest issue in Pearl City from the tornado was power along Highway 73, with some substantial damage to trees and slight damage to some buildings around the high school campus area.
  • Evidence: “Their biggest issue was the power along Highway 73, and there was some substantial damage to trees and slight damage to some buildings and around the high school campus area.”
  • Source timestamp: 13:48

• Comparison of community closeness

  • Summary: The speaker noted the closeness of communities like Pearl City, Maine, and Stratford School in Dakota compared to larger areas.
  • Evidence: “One thing about the small, like, Pearl City and Maine and Stratford School both, in Dakota and Pearl City, I notice how the closeness that community is.”
  • Source timestamp: 14:41

• Corner’s report on hail damage truck

  • Summary: The Corner reported that the truck damaged by hail from the Lena storm is back in service.
  • Evidence: “So the Corner reports that the truck that had to do hail damage from the Lena storm is now back in service.”
  • Source timestamp: 15:06

• Corner’s report on personal vehicle use

  • Summary: The speaker thanked Deputy Corner, Duane Coleman, and Tom Kemple for using their personal vehicles while the truck was down for a week.
  • Evidence: “He wants to put out special thanks to Deputy Corner, Duane Coleman, and Tom Kemple, for using their personal vehicles while the truck was down for a week.”
  • Source timestamp: 15:20

• Corner’s report on paint transfer inspection

  • Summary: The speaker advised Tom that he should inspect the paint transfer area since it is not anyone’s and to ensure the bumpers are still good.
  • Evidence: “Paint transfer was all, I did mention to Tom that he should have to go take a look at it since it’s not anyone’s, we have a faulty driver, just make sure the bumpers are still good and all that.”
  • Source timestamp: 15:20

• Corner’s page website update

  • Summary: The Corners page on the website will be updated to include the revised report request FOIA form.
  • Evidence: “The corners page on the website. Corners page will be updated to include the revised report request FOIA form.”
  • Source timestamp: 15:53

• FOIA form update necessity

  • Summary: The update to the FOIA form was necessary because an outdated form with outlisted fees was used, preventing the Stevens County court from legally charging fees.
  • Evidence: “This update became necessary after an issue arose in which an outdated form with outlisted fees was used for the public access counselor, the PAC and the attorney general’s office, uh, the Stevens County court could not legally charge fees because it was not posted.”
  • Source timestamp: 16:13

• Morgue air filtration system maintenance status

  • Summary: The air filtration system in the morgue requires a new filter; the last recorded service was in 2020, and the unit is overdue for both annual filter replacement and semiconductor sensor replacement (required every five years).
  • Evidence: “He learned that the last recorded service was in 2020. The unit is overdue for both annual filter replacement, which is annual, and for a semiconductor sensor replacement required every five years, the sensor detects when filters are saturated with solvent and triggers an alarm for safety.”
  • Source timestamp: 16:50

• Morgue UV disinfectant lighting system remote control

  • Summary: The remote control for the board equipped with a UV disinfectant lighting system could not be found.
  • Evidence: “Well when you use the lighting system, it’s done with a remote control because you can’t be in the room when you turn it on as it kills all the germs and bacteria, the remote control could not be found.”
  • Source timestamp: 17:25

Metrics

• Overweight vehicle citation details

  • Summary: A vehicle was cited for being 28,000 pounds overweight with a gravel load on a truck.
  • Evidence: “We’ll keep everyone posted to see how that goes. I’m not sure how it proceeds through the court system with us doing it, but we will find out. 28,000 Pound overweight with a gravel load on a truck.”
  • Source timestamp: 02:39

• Jail water main break details

  • Summary: The water department verified the leak was from the main and rerouted the water within a few hours, preventing the need for a boil order.
  • Evidence: “I called the water department. They verified that it’s here to be the main… The great news is, is the water department was able to reroute the water. We did not have to have a boil order.”
  • Source timestamp: 04:11

Discussion

• DLOX center status

  • Summary: The actual disaster loan outreach center (DLOX) at the Lee Legion Olin Nina has been shut down.
  • Evidence: “but the actual disaster loan outreach center, they call it DLOX, that was at the Lee, Legion, Olin, Nina has been shut down.”
  • Source timestamp: 06:15

• IEMIN for SBA nurse systems

  • Summary: The speaker thanked IEMIN for their outstanding work with SBA nurse systems.
  • Evidence: “I’d like to thank IEMIN for SBA nurse systems. They were outstanding.”
  • Source timestamp: 07:15

• Warning dissemination methods

  • Summary: The speaker discussed various ways to disseminate information, noting that while television and phones are used, they want stakeholders and decision-makers in Stephenson County to get the most up-to-date information.
  • Evidence: “They’ll send it out, obviously you get television, get through your phone, all kinds of different apps. But again, you know, as far as Stephenson County, I want to make sure that the stakeholders and decision-makers get the most up-to-date information.”
  • Source timestamp: 07:55

• Severe weather forecast

  • Summary: The speaker mentioned possible severe weather from tonight through Thursday evening.
  • Evidence: “We have some severe weather possible tonight, tomorrow through Thursday evening, I believe, coming in.”
  • Source timestamp: 08:08

• Definition of NIMH

  • Summary: The speaker clarified that NIMH stands for National Incident Management System, which is the federal government’s program outlining the chain of command.
  • Evidence: “What does NIMH stand for? National Incident Management System. It’s the federal government’s, uh, program that we follow in major instance, okay. And it outlines the chain of command and outlines who is in charge.”
  • Source timestamp: 09:38

• Lena tornado incident review

  • Summary: The speaker recounted that during the Lena storm event, things went exceptionally well, resulting in no injuries to people.
  • Evidence: “For the town, the village of Lena. I thought things went exceptionally well and most importantly nobody was injured, nobody was hurt from the storms.”
  • Source timestamp: 10:26

• Lena tornado damage details

  • Summary: The speaker noted that footage showed a third tornado nearly half a mile wide with 135-145 mph winds hit Lena.
  • Evidence: “on the backside of the storm as it hit Lena, the third of that tornado was nearly a half mile wide. So 135,145 mile an hour wind.”
  • Source timestamp: 10:26

• Community response to disaster

  • Summary: The speaker noted the absence of looting and praised the community’s response.
  • Evidence: “And there wasn’t a looting or anything either, was there? Which is very nice, it just tells a lot about the community too.”
  • Source timestamp: 11:40

• Helpful resources identified after disaster

  • Summary: The speaker noted that in addition to local efforts, organizations like Red Cross and Salvation Army provided help.
  • Evidence: “It’s amazing the amount of different organizations, community organizations that come out Red Cross, Salvation Army, local organizations that come out with Help, and the resources that we have that you don’t really know that you have until you have something like this.”
  • Source timestamp: 13:04

• Pearl City tornado damage assessment

  • Summary: The biggest issue in Pearl City was power along Highway 73, with substantial damage to trees and slight damage to some buildings near the high school campus.
  • Evidence: “Their biggest issue was the power along Highway 73, and there was some substantial damage to trees and slight damage to some buildings around the high school campus area.”
  • Source timestamp: 13:48

• Morgue air filtration system responsibility

  • Summary: A committee member questioned who will be in charge of changing the filter moving forward.
  • Evidence: “moving forward, is there, who will be in charge of making sure that we get the filter changed?”
  • Source timestamp: 18:20

• Morgue system operation history

  • Summary: The speaker stated that the previous operator was not the Sheriff’s office and that Tom discovered the issue when an alarm went off, revealing a plugged filter.
  • Evidence: “Not the sheriff’s office. So when that system was put in, it was operated by the, or what we had learned, which I have no idea. I have not gone into that morgue. I have no reason to, I’ve not done any investigation. There’s an alarm that goes off in there. And thank God, Tom, after all this Time said, what is that alarm? And people said, we don’t know. He got into there and found out it was the filter system, that it was the filter that had been plugged.”
  • Source timestamp: 18:41

• Plan B for morgue maintenance

  • Summary: A committee member questioned what the Plan B is since annual filters have not been checked in six years.
  • Evidence: “What’s our Plan B? I don’t know. We’ve spent six years, we’re supposed to have annual filters. What’s our Plan B?”
  • Source timestamp: 19:21

• Morgue and Evidence Handling Procedures

  • Summary: The speaker stated that the coroner or deputy coroner must understand how the systems in the morgue work because it holds evidence.
  • Evidence: “So the plan B is going to have to be the coroner or the deputy coroner has to to understand how those systems work.”
  • Source timestamp: 21:08

• Safety Committee Establishment

  • Summary: The speaker inquired about establishing a safety committee for the public safety building, courthouse, and jail.
  • Evidence: “So we’re going to ask, uh, the other question I was going to ask is if there’s a safety committee for the public safety building courthouse jail, anything like that”
  • Source timestamp: 22:06

• Coroner’s Office Procedures

  • Summary: The speaker noted that the coroner or deputy coroners are the only people who can understand how the morgue systems work.
  • Evidence: “And that could be part of what you, that’s what your regular procedures would help with, yeah.”
  • Source timestamp: 23:23

• Policy Development for Coroner’s Office

  • Summary: The speaker stated that the new coroner will need to create a policy regarding access to the morgue.
  • Evidence: “I think he’s going to have to come up with the exact same thing where he’s going to have to have a policy on how things have to go.”
  • Source timestamp: 24:31

• Coroner’s Association Resources

  • Summary: The speaker suggested that resources regarding policies might be available through a coroner’s association.
  • Evidence: “Nice thing is, I don’t know that we’ll have to recreate the wheel here. I think there’s probably a coroner’s association.”
  • Source timestamp: 25:04

Proclamations and Recognitions

• Sheriff Steve Stoll’s performance during the Lena incident
  • Summary: The speaker complimented Sheriff Steve Stoll for his professionalism and leadership during the evolution incident in Lena.
  • Evidence: “I’d like to take the opportunity to compliment our Sheriff Steve Stoll. I worked side by side with him during that whole evolution incident in Lena. And I’m going to say flat out that we probably had the best sheriff in Illinois. Not in Illinois, but in Illinois. He is an outstanding individual.”
  • Source timestamp: 08:33

Follow-ups

• NIMS class for elected officials

  • Summary: The speaker stated they are still looking into scheduling a NIMS class for elected officials for October or November.
  • Evidence: “I know I promised a NIMS class for elected officials. We did not get the timing done on that. We’re still looking in October and November.”
  • Source timestamp: 09:02

• NIMS 300 and 400 classes

  • Summary: The speaker noted requests to put on NIMS 300 and 400 classes, intended for police officers, fire officers, and potentially school/hospital administration officials, planned for the fall.
  • Evidence: “And we also has been requested to put on a NIMS 300 and 400. Those are classes mostly for police officers, fire officers, and like maybe administration officials for schools and hospitals.”
  • Source timestamp: 09:12

• Written Procedures for Department Operations

  • Summary: The speaker sent text messages asking George if the elected coroner would put together written procedures for everything in the department.
  • Evidence: “So I just sent George two text messages asking for, to ask, because the coroner’s an elected official, if they would put together written procedures for everything in the department.”
  • Source timestamp: 21:39