The following is taken from the October 11, 2013 Boone County Journal, pages 6 & 8, available free of cost at merchants across the county and on-line at: http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2013/Boone-County-News-10-11-13.pdf#page=1
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Boone health board approves 55 percent pay increase - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL
By Jennifer Wheeler
Rockford Register Star
Pay hikes for Health Department staff
Boone County's Board of Health approved more than $56,000 worth of raises of half of the department's staff. When leaders originally voted on the hikes, they did not know who would be receiving them or at what amount.
EmployeeFiscal year 2013 wage
New wage effective Sept. 1
Percentage increase Cynthia Frank$78,280$80,116.142.34 percent Amanda Mehl$53,044.94$61,829.3016.56 percent Sandra Romanek$35,650.94$55,526.3855.75 percent Mary Alice Peterson$17.88/hour$21.13/hour18.17 percent Esmeralda Avila$11.14/hour$13.13/hour17.86 percent Patricia Nunez$11.47/hour$13.46/hour17.34 percent Carmen Rodriguez$17.63/hour$20.09/hour13.95 percent Theresa Woods$18.50/hour$18.80/hour1.62 percent Suzanne Schweitzer$19.50/hour$22.77/hour16.77 percentHealth department directors, the financial manager and the public health administrator ultimately decided who received the raises. They based their decisions on what nearby communities paid and a 2001 salary study conducted by the Illinois Department of Public Health.As a result, most employees were given between a 13 and 18 percent hike in pay, effective Sept. 1.Financial manager Sandra Romanek and public health administrator Cynthia Frank, who helped craft the salary adjustments, even gave themselves raises. Their wages went up by $19,800 and $1,800, respectively.
Read more: http://www.rrstar.com/article/20131010/NEWS/131019945#ixzz2hNl6qYGh
Township assessor’s office makes personnel changes | Belvidere Daily Republican
Anita Taylor, deputy assessor and certified appraiser, had resigned effective Sept. 27. She had been with the township for more than two years….
On Sept. 30, Helnore said she hired Jessica Muellner, a member of the Boone County Board of Review since 2009 to fill the vacancy.
“Jessica is well qualified and has strong credentials to do this job,” the assessor said. “Jessica accepted our offer and began working for the township on Oct. 1.”
Her job title is residential deputy assessor and she was sworn in Oct. 2 by Boone County Clerk Mary Steurer.
McHenry County Blog publishes story about Boone County’s “tootsie roll ordinance”
The following is taken from Cal Skinner’s Blog, McHenry County Blog. Cal is glad not to be regulated by the Boone County Health Department.
The article is available at: http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2013/10/08/boone-county-candy-police/
Boone County Candy Police
Posted on 10/08/2013 by Cal Skinner
I know more than one family who has moved from McHenry County to Boone County.
It’s cheaper to live there.
But, alerted by former McHenry County resident and Democratic Party Board member Bill Pysson’s “Boone County Watchdog,” I discovered a reason to be glad I’m living here.
The Boone County Board of Health has decided to require organizations handing out packaged candy and bottled water to get a license.
Lots of entries distribute lots of candy at the Marengo Settlers Days Parade.
A Belvidere Daily Republican article caught my interest.
It says the Board of Health was going to continue requiring organization to get licenses, but would discontinue the $75 charge.
Opponents call it “the ‘Tootsie Roll’ thing. It’s stupid,” to put it in the words of Boone County Board member Marion Thornberry.
He was referring to some Boone County Fair exhibitors who had to get a Health Department permit to hand out pieces of wrapped candy.
The article describes talk on the County Board about abolishing the Health Department.
I called the McHenry County Health Department and learned there are not similar plans in McHenry County.
Good thing, too, because Marengo Settlers Days Parade is this Sunday, October 13th at 2 PM.
It is a wonderful parade, made pretty close to spectacular by the many marching bands who have a competition at the high school after the parade.
Here are the photos and commentary McHenry County Blog published on the 2011 parade:
- Marengo Settlers Day Parade – More County Board Politicians & Other Entries – Part 1
- Settlers Day Parade – More County Board Politicians & Other Entries – Part 2
- Settlers Day Parade – More County Board Politicians & Other Entries – Part 3
Here’s what the Illinois Department of Public Health had to say on the subject:
“Per the Food Service Sanitation Code Part 750, a food service establishment includes ‘any such place regardless of whether consumption is on or off the premises and regardless of whether there is a charge for the food.’
“A local health department may permit any establishment it considers to fall under this definition.
“The Code is the minimum requirement for food service.
“Local health departments can customize their programs as long as they are at least as stringent as the Code; they cannot be less so.
“Due to staffing levels or funding, some local health departments must devote staff to regulate higher-risk establishments (high relative risk of causing food-borne illness.)”
Truck parking special use may return to county board | Belvidere Daily Republican
Written by Bob Balgemann
CALEDONIA – Miadenko Josipovic’s request for a special use permit to allow him to park a semi-cab and trailer on his Caledonia Road property will be on the Boone County Board agenda for its Oct. 16 meeting.
His request was for the county board to reconsider its 10-1 vote Sept. 18 to deny his request.
For the board to actually discuss the matter one of the 10 members who voted no will have to ask for reconsideration of the item…..
But Josipovic said Oct. 2 that driving a truck is his livelihood and he’s on the road five days a week.
It was Courier who suggested the issue be placed on the Oct. 16 county board meeting. That would give those who voted no an opportunity to ask for reconsideration.
Health Budget Reductions
BELVIDERE –
Board of Health vice chairman Jim Cox told the full board Sept. 30 that they are waiting to hear how much of a cost of living (COLA) increase the county will be granting to its employees.
“With two percent, we’re looking at a shortfall of $34,000 in the grant fund and $33,000 in the general fund, for a total of $67,000,” he reported.
Board member Allen Sisson said the $67,000 deficit probably would not acceptable to the health board’s finance committee. He thought the maximum it would allow would be $25,000.
Health Department Administrator Cynthia Frank received permission to send that information to the county’s finance, taxation and salaries committee, “so they can see we’re working on it.”
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