Kristy A. Masching

The board meeting featured the presentation of certificates of appreciation for volunteers who assisted with an electronic waste recycling event. Committee reports were provided for finance, agriculture and zoning, veterans affairs, property, and the sheriff, jail, and licensing committee. Key actions included approving a resolution for the appellate prosecutor, adjusting county clerk office hours during the primary election, and granting extensions for solar farm projects due to engineering review delays. The board also discussed maintenance issues regarding building heating and structural roof repairs before moving to an executive session regarding collective bargaining matters.

The meeting included reviews of special use permit extension requests for several solar farm projects, specifically Granite Solar, LLC, Old 66 Solar, LLC, and Junegrass Solar, LLC. The committee received updates on solid waste management, including landfill operations and litter mitigation efforts along I-55, as well as an update on the E-Recycling event. Discussions were held regarding zoning text amendments related to commercial wind, solar energy, energy storage, and data centers. Additionally, the committee reviewed a decommissioning plan for the Heritage Prairie Wind, LLC project and addressed property cleanup issues at a junkyard site.

The committee discussed and approved electrical upgrades at the Public Safety Complex, which will be funded through a contingency transfer. Additionally, the committee approved funding requests for the Opioid Litigation Abatement Program submitted by the probation department. Members engaged in a discussion regarding the costs and viability of school resource officer and town contracts, noting that future agreements should account for inflation adjustments. The committee also reviewed the monthly finance report and approved the payment of submitted bills.

The committee discussed the FY2025 audit, which resulted in an unmodified opinion with no findings, and recommended it for board approval. The FY2026 budget amendment, including wind farm fund transfers, a 1% salary adjustment, and building and highway repairs, was tabled for further review. The committee approved FY2027 salary adjustments and allocations, including a 3.75% increase for non-union personnel. Additionally, the committee reviewed the monthly finance report and approved the submitted bills.

The committee discussed and recommended several action items for full board approval, including a Federal-Aid Agreement for resurfacing CH 16, a Road Use Agreement with Illinois Generation, LLC, an engineering agreement for a bridge project in Pike Road District, a resolution for reconstruction and resurfacing of CH 11, and a bridge petition for timber pile repairs in Reading Road District. The committee also approved a stipend for the Assistant County Engineer due to technical staff vacancies and additional duties, and reviewed and approved payment of claims.