County approves extending special use permit for quarry | Belvidere Daily Republican

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

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:  County approves extending special use permit for quarry | Belvidere Daily Republican

Tax Levies for Boone County’s various township have been announced

The following is just a sample of the differences in levies to show the reader the vast difference between school district levies and city versus unincorporated areas.

Bonus Township outside of the City of Belvidere is one of the lowest levies:

Here is Bonus township with School District 200 as your school rather than District 100. That is 13.8% higher as far as the entire levy rate.

If you live in the City of Belvidere and in Bonus Township the rate jumps to 10.344420. That is 22.6% higher levy.

The highest levy rate in the county is the Village of Capron:

Job Opening at Boone County Soil and Water

The above is taken from the April 26, 2013, Boone County Journal, page 9. it is available on line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2013/Boone-County-News-04-26-13.pdf#page=1

How highly rated are Boone County High Schools?

Well here are high ranking schools in McHenry County.

Three McHenry County high schools made the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings as top high schools in the state.

Cary-Grove (50), Richmond-Burton (53) and Marengo (61) all made the Illinois rankings, which listed the top 69 high schools in the state.

All three schools scored above or near the Illinois average in student-to-teacher ratio, college readiness, math proficiency and reading proficiency....

Click on the following for more details:  Northwest Herald | Three area high schools make U.S. News and World Report list

Hononegah is the only Winnebago-Boone County listed in the top 62. 

The actual listing are available at:  http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/illinois/rankings?int=c0b4c1

High school juniors in Illinois take the Prairie State Achievement Examination, which assesses reading, math and science skills. Learn more from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Illinois has many schools ranked in 2013 among the U.S. News Best High Schools, including 19 gold medal schools, 50 silver medal schools and 69 bronze medal schools. Although the capital of Illinois is Springfield, the state's biggest city is Chicago, home to the Chicago Public Schools.

Top Ranked IL Schools

To be eligible for a state ranking, a school must be awarded a national gold or silver medal.

SEE Hononegah #44.  All of Boone County’s high schools are much lower as far as college readiness scores. All are in single digits. Hononegah is at 31.2.

 

 

Boone County real estate transactions recorded April 8-12 | Belvidere Daily Republican

 

BOONE COUNTY – Following is a list of the Boone County real estate transactions recorded during April 8-12.

Recorded April 8

502 East Ave., Belvidere, $74,000, Betty L. Smith heirs to Jason E. Tornero and Elizabeth A. Woznicki.

2579 Anderson Dr., Belvidere, $182,500, Peggy R. Matz Karlson, trustee to David R. Langan and Barbara A. Langan.

1015 Johnson Ct., Belvidere, $154,900, Steven J. and Christine M. Devlieger to Ryan P. and Kimberly A. Minnihan.

2629 6^th St., Belvidere, $156,000, Louis J. Caputo and Susan D. Caputo to Leslie Marie Anderson Trust.

1020 Caswell St., Belvidere, $86,000, Signature Preferred Properties, LLC to James Lembke.

Recorded April 9

200 Brandywine Dr. SE, Poplar Grove, $60,000, Judicial Sales Corp. to Secretary of HUD.

119 Staffordshire Dr., Poplar Grove, $42,000, US Dept. of HUD to Norman and Christina Hamilton.

432 Sherman Lane, Poplar Grove, $129,790, US Dept. of HUD to Daniel Shank and Melissa Shank.

229 Briar Cliff St. SW, Poplar Grove, $55,000, US Dept. of HUD to Anthony R. Tripoli.

1904 Paddock Ct. Unit 12, Belvidere, $72,000, Derby Run LLC to Mark Wagner.

1401 Douglas Ct., Belvidere, $90,000, Roberta Callahan, Trustee, to Marcten, LLC.

448 Stone Hollow, Poplar Grove, $120,000, Federal National Mortgage Assoc. to Elizabeth A. Long.

Recorded April 10

412 Talladega Dr., Poplar Grove, $90,000, Ohio Investments LLC to Jennifer M. Creviston.

Recorded April 11

961 S. Main St., Belvidere, $42,000, US Dept. of HUD to Norma Cortes.

10803 Shaw Road, Belvidere, $80,000, Bankord Family Trust to Grant and Michelle Hulstedt.

115 E. Jackson St., Belvidere, $43,000, Federal National Mortgage Assoc. to Lucia Magana.

Russellville Road -39 acres, Capron, $354,087, Donald Busch, Michael Busch to Raymond K. Love and Phyllis M. Love.

Russellville Road –40 acres, Capron, $360,000, Donald Busch, Michael Busch to Joshua Waddell.

THE FOLLOWING IS TAKEN FROM:  Boone County real estate transactions recorded April 8-12 | Belvidere Daily Republican

Belvidere Chrysler plant leadership to change - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

By Alex Gary

Kurt Kavajecz, the longest-tenured plant manager in the history of Chrysler Group LLC's Belvidere assembly plant, is moving to Auburn Hills, Mich., to head the company's manufacturing engineering for general assembly.

He will be replaced by Eric Schimmel on May 1. Schimmel most recently was the head of material logistics management for Chrysler in Auburn Hills.

Kavajecz was named plant manager in late 2000 and has been in charge during some very turbulent times. During his tenure:

Click on the following for more details:  Belvidere Chrysler plant leadership to change - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Governor Quinn Signs Property Tax Relief Law

SB 1894 increases the Senior Homestead Exemption – property tax breaks for Illinois residents age 65 and older – from $4,000 to $5,000. Seniors in the city of Chicago will have the increase applied to their taxable year 2012 taxes, due in 2013. All other counties will benefit from the increase beginning next year.

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Illinois.gov - Illinois Government News Network (IGNN) - Search the News Results