Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Health Department offers free water testing for residents affected by flood waters | Belvidere Daily Republican

 

BOONE COUNTY – The Boone County Health Department is offering free water testing to residents whose wells may have been affected by flood waters. Residents may pick up sterile bottles to be filled and returned for analysis, and obtain information about disinfecting wells at the Health Department, 1204 Logan Ave., Belvidere. The department is urging residents on private wells to have their water tested after the flood waters have receded.

Click on the following for more details:  Health Department offers free water testing for residents affected by flood waters | Belvidere Daily Republican

April 17th board meeting did have a lively discussion regarding the Flora Neighborhood Plan and other Planning Department issues

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Click on the following for more details:  County’s Flora Neighborhood Plan dead issue – for now | Belvidere Daily Republican

AND here was another concern Bill had.

Did the Chairman or other board members attempt to negotiate “fees” from Quality Aggregate behind closed doors?

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“Quality Aggregates of Illinois has received an extension of a special use permit to operate a quarry and related activities on 226 acres at 2758 Wheeler Road in Flora Township.

The action taken April 17 by the Boone County Board, in an 11-0 vote with one abstention, included extended hours of operation within the A-1, agricultural preserving zoning district.

Part of Courier’s memo mentioned tipping fees, which usually are assessed garbage collection companies for the refuse they bring into a governmental landfill. That caused District 1 board member Bill Pysson to ask where the tipping fee matter came from, since it had never been discussed at any of the ZBA or PZB meetings.”

"Outside the process?

“I think someone is going outside the process,” he said, at least partially answering his own question. He said he attended all of the meetings and “didn’t hear any discussion about it.”

Terrinoni said he had no proposal to present concerning tipping fees.

“This happens all the time,” board Chairman Bob Walberg said.

But Pysson countered, “I don’t think it’s appropriate for county board members to bring up something that’s new.”

Click on the following for more details of this BDR story: County approves extending special use permit for quarry | Belvidere Daily Republican

One million for Town Hall Road bridge draws resident’s question | Belvidere Daily Republican

 

Most recently resident Bill Wolf asked about the $1 million the township has in its new budget for the Town Hall Road bridge. He wondered why it continued to be in the budget year after year, with no construction occurring.

“I think you’re kidding yourselves,” he told the board at its April 9 meeting. “I think you should spend that money on something else.”

Township Supervisor Pat Murphy said that money only can be used for the Town Hall Road project. “The city (of Belvidere), Growth Dimensions and the

Click on the following to read all of the story:  One million for Town Hall Road bridge draws resident’s question | Belvidere Daily Republican

County’s Flora Neighborhood Plan dead issue – for now | Belvidere Daily Republican

 

That prompted District 3 county board member Kenny Freeman. at the end of the county board’s April 17 meeting, to ask what happened to the matter.

That set off debate among the other county board members, with District 1 member Bill Pysson saying the process and agenda issue follows should be determined by the will of the board, not the will of the chairman.

He was referring to board Chairman Bob Walberg, who associate planner Gina DelRose said had told ZBA Chairman Norm Stimes to pull the item.

Walberg said the matter should not have been on the agenda because the ZBA tabled it at the Nov. 27, 2012 meeting. Tabling the matter made it “a dead issue,” he said.

Click on the following to read all of the story:  County’s Flora Neighborhood Plan dead issue – for now | Belvidere Daily Republican