SEPTEMBER 17, 2014: Highlights of the September Boone County Board Meeting

Below in black  is the agenda taken from:  http://www.boonecountyil.org/sites/default/files/CBAgenda%2009-17-2014.pdf

Important Highlights as seen by Bill Pysson

5.1.  Marshall Newhouse is appointed to Health Board by a 7-5 vote.  Mrs. Ward spoke at length how the Health Board needed another women or a Latin, to reflect the county’s and clinic’s demographics. Prior to the vote a motion to repost the appointment  for 60 days  was proposed by Bill Pysson.  The motion was defeated 5 to 7.

9.1. The Garden Prairie Peaker Plant special use permit was unanimously.  Neighbors of the proposed facility addressed the board requesting denial.  Board discussion reviewed original decision and clarification what were proper basis for approval and denial.

9.2  Voice vote unanimously approved clarification of the right to build a residence on a   “lot of record”.

9.3  In keeping with the state legislation on medical cannabis only Industrial Zoned property (I-1) is allowed for either growing or dispensing cannabis. Vote was unanimous. 

10.2  Based upon a recommendation of the States Attorney, the county board did not add to the Animal Service referendum the projected cost of borrowing $800,000 for the new building.  Bill Pysson asked if a “resolution” could be passed to answer the question of costs.  The answer was “Yes” however because this resolution was not on the agenda it could not be voted at this meeting. Sadly the advocates of the referendum will not have a cost for this proposed building for another month.

11.1  For the first time—the county’s farmland was leased based upon the highest bid (rather than private negotiation).  Despite a fall in commodity prices in 2014, the lease price increase $30 per acre to $280.  After some discussion regarding the lease terms the vote was unanimous.

21.1 Collective Bargaining Agreement with Correction Departments is approved.

21.2  A proximately $13K compensation settlement was approved.

 

 

Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Boone County Board Meeting
COUNTY BOARD ROOM, 1212 Logan Ave., Belvidere, 6:30 P.M.

1. Call to Order
1.1 Opening of Meeting
2. Roll Call
2.1 Roll Call
3. Approval of Agenda
3.1 Approval of Agenda
4. Minutes
4.1 Approval of County Board Minutes
5. Appointments and Recognition
5.1 Appointments and Recognition
6. Public Comment
6.1 Public Comment
7. Reports from Community Agencies
7.1 Growth Dimensions
7.2 Council on Aging
7.3 Court Appointed Special Advocate
7.4 Board of Health
7.5 Other (RREDD)
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8. General Consent Items
8.1 Fund Transfers
8.2 Road Projects
8.3 Raffle Permits
9. Standing Committee: Planning, Zoning, and Building
9.1 Motion to Approve Ordinance 14-42 Extending the Special Use Permit for the Garden Prairie Peaker Power
Plant for Powers Venture Group. PZB (4-0); CB()
9.2 Motion to Approve Ordinance 14-43 Amending the Boone County Zoning Ordinance regarding Section
3.2.3.B.3 Lot of Record Language. PZB (4-0); CB()
9.3 Motion to Approve Ordinance 14-44 Amending the Boone County Zoning Ordinance Establishing Medicinal
Cannabis Dispensaries and Cultivation Centers. PZB (5-0); CB ()
9.4 Motion to Approve Ordinance 14-45 Granting a Zoning District Change from B-1 General Business to
Traditional Neighborhood Residential at 1082 Irene Road. PZB (4-0); CB ()
10. Standing Committee: Finance, Taxation and Salaries
10.1 Motion to Approve Claims with the Understanding that Kenny Freeman Abstains from Voting on all Claims
Presented by William Charles and Associates and Karl Johnson Abstains from Voting on all Claims Presented by
HD Supply. (Approved 5-0)
10.2 Motion to Approve the Following Language be added to Describe Animal Services Building Ballot "The Owner
of a $100,000 home would pay about $8.50 each year for three years". (Approved 5-0)
11. Standing Committee: Roads and Capital Improvements
11.1 Motion to Approve High Bid from Ed Kasper for the Farm Rental Agreement in the amount of $280.00/acre,
Contingent on the current tenant, Gerald Hulstedt, having until September 30th to match the offer and remain
the tenant. (Approved 5-0)
11.2 Motion to Approve Resolution 14-46 Allowing Membership of the Rockford Mass Transit District to the
Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning Policy Committee. (Approved 5-0)
12. Standing Committee: Health and Human Services
12.1 Motion to Approve Intergovernmental Mutual Aid Agreement for the Establishment of the Illinois Public
Health Mutual Aid System. (Approved 4-0)
13. Standing Committee: Administrative and Legislative
13.1 Motion to Approve Creation of the "Foreclosure Mediation Fund" for the Foreclosure Mediation Program to be
implemented by the by the 17th Judicial Circuit. (Approved 5-0)
13.2 Motion to Approve Boone County Holiday Schedule 2015. (Approved 5-0)
14. Standing Committee: City-County Coordinating
14.1 Motion to Approve Scope of Work from TRC for Landfill Gas Collection System repairs at Landfill #2 in the
amount of $12,750. (Budgeted)
14.2 Motion to Approve Proposal from CERONI Piping for Landfill Gas Collection System repairs amount to be
determined. (Budgeted)
14.3 Motion to Approve Ordinance 14-47 extending the Boone County Enterprise Zone until July 1, 2016.
15. Standing Committee: Public Safety
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15.1 No Motions
16. Special Committee Reports
16.1 Workforce Investment Board
16.2 Community Building
16.3 UCCI (United Counties Council of Illinois)
16.4 Farmland Protection Committee
16.5 911 Board
16.6 Other Committees
16.7 Scheduled Committee Meetings
17. Unfinished Business
17.1 Unfinished Business
18. New Business
18.1 Drug Court Grant for 2015
19. Informational Items
19.1 Informational Items
20. Executive Session
20.1 Litigation
20.2 Collective Bargaining
20.3 Land Acquisition
21. Anticipated Motions From Executive Session
21.1 Motion to Approve Collective Bargaining with the Fraternal Order of Police for the Correction's Department.
21.2 Motion to Approve Workman's Compensation Settlement with Sandra Rogers.
22. Adjournment
22.1 Adjourn the meeting

L.A. City Council votes minimum wage hike to $15.37 for biggest hotels

 

Los Angeles Times | September 24, 2014 | 12:31 PM

The Los Angeles City Council voted 12-3 today to require the city's biggest hotels to boost pay for their workers to at least $15.37 an hour – one of the highest minimum wage requirements in the U.S.

Mayor Eric Garcetti has said he would sign the plan, which would hand a major victory to organized labor and a defeat to hotel and business leaders who contend it would cut profits and trigger layoffs.

Because the vote was not unanimous, the ordinance will require a second vote next week.

Above is from:  https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/148a927ebf3905d3

 

Home › Employment & Appointments

Boone County government offers a wide and diverse number of direct services to its residents, including law enforcement, correction and detention of law violators, support for the criminal justice system, direct health care, maintenance of essential records, highway maintenance, property assessments, courtroom operations, building and planning services, tax collection for other local governments, and election administration among others. From these many services come many opportunities for employment.

Boone County Government job application can be found here: Job Application

CURRENT OPENINGS:

Public Health Nurse (Coordinator)

The Boone County Health Department is currently hiring a full-time Public Health Nurse to serve as our Maternal/Child Health Programs Coordinator.  Must possess a strong desire to work with children and families.  Bilingual in English/Spanish encouraged to apply.  Must be a registered nurse licensed to practice in Illinois.  Excellent working environment and great benefit package.  No weekends or evenings.  Send resume to Amanda Mehl, Boone County Department of Public Health, 1204 Logan Ave., Belvidere, IL 61008 or submit electronically to info@boonehealth.org.  EOE

Click here to view the full job description.

APPOINTMENT VACANCIES:

The following are volunteer Boards of the County of Boone that have vacancies:

THERE ARE NO VACANCIES AT THIS TIME ~ PLEASE CHECK BACK

9-18-2014 UPDATE on Plote CASE

 

No action until November 13, 2014.

The above is taken from:  http://www.judici.com/courts/cases/case_history.jsp?court=IL004015J&ocl=IL004015J,2014CH170,IL004015JL2014CH170D1 This reference should also update the reader concerning current status.

If you want a history of the case and its background see the August 29, 2014 Boone County Journal; portions of which are shown below.

Study: Recovery eludes long-term unemployed

Paul Davidson, USA TODAY 5:31 a.m. EDT September 22, 2014

More than 20% of Americans laid off the past five years are still unemployed and one in four who found work is in a temporary job, according to a survey out Monday.

The report underscores that despite a sharp drop in long-term unemployment recently, many people out of work at least six months are still struggling to recoup their former wages and lifestyles. Those idled for years face an even tougher road back to employment.

"While the worst effects of the Great Recession are over for most Americans, the brutal realities of diminished living standards endure for the 3 million American workers who remain jobless years after they were laid off," says Carl Van Horn, director of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

The center conducted the survey of 1,153 Americans, about 300 of them long-term unemployed, from July 24 to Aug. 3.

The ranks of the long-term unemployed have fallen by 31% the past year to 3 million. But many of those hired are in temporary or part-time slots, or full-time positions that pay less than their previous salaries.

For more of the story:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/09/22/rutgers-survey-long-term-unemployed/15901129/

Belvidere-Rockford bus service could end next summer

BELVIDERE — Residents who are accustomed to travelling between Rockford and Belvidere by bus may have to find a different set of wheels next summer.

Rockford Mass Transit District’s bus service to Belvidere could end in 2015.

The route was launched in 2011 and about half of its funding comes from a nearly $175,000 federal Job Access Reverse Commute grant that will expire early next summer.

The remainder of the route’s costs are paid for with state and local funds.

Lisa Brown, a Rockford Mass Transit District representative, said the Belvidere route costs approximately $372,000 a year to operate.

Once the grant money is depleted in 2015, Brown said that 65 percent of the route’s operation costs will be covered with state funds. The remaining 45 percent, roughly $170,000, would need to be picked up by Belvidere or other local funding sources.

RMTD, Belvidere and Boone County representatives will not decide officially whether to continue funding until after Jan. 1.

Belvidere Mayor Mike Chamberlain said that even though the bus service’s ridership has been slowly increasing, it is still not high enough to justify keeping the route without federal funding.

According to Brown, 15,168 people rode on the Belvidere route between June 30, 2013 and June 30, 2014. The year before, 14,455 people rode the Belvidere bus.

The Job Access Reverse Commute grant program was established to mitigate transportation issues for welfare recipients and people with low income seeking to obtain and maintain employment.

In lieu of a fixed-route bus service, Chamberlain has informally floated the idea to eventually seek federal grant funding to link Rockford and Belvidere through a shuttle bus service that would depart from a park-and-ride lot at the east-side Rockford bus transfer station.

The shuttle bus would bring Rockford riders to the proposed Belvidere Amtrak station. Chamberlain said there has not been any formal discussion on that proposal, and it would be unlikely for a shuttle service to be begin operating before frequent commuter rails between Rockford and Chicago are established.

“It would be very advantageous to have a shuttle bus that runs from Rockford to Belvidere,” Chamberlain said. “When you’re looking at multimodal transportation that serves a significant portion of the population, that’s looked upon favorably by the federal government when it comes to funding.”

Ben Stanley: 815-987-1369; bstanley@rrstar.com; @Ben_J_Stanley