County Board Amends Peddlers Ordinance, Approves Appointments

(SEVERAL EFFINGHAM COUNTY 4-Hers WERE IN ATTENDANCE AT MONDAY'S EFFINGHAM COUNTY BOARD MEETING FOR THE PROCLAMATION OF OCTOBER 4-10 AS NATIONAL 4-H WEEK. COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN JIM NIEMANN IS SEATED. 4-Hers LEFT TO RIGHT ARE NATHAN HILL, CRAIG LOGAN, ANGEL HARRINGTON, MICKALA KLAY, TAYLOR HARTKE AND ALEX HARTKE)

The Effingham County Board Monday amended its ordinance regulating itinerant merchants.

The reason for the change? County officials discovered that while they can require the permits, they can't charge for them. The ordinance governs sales by solicitors, itinerant merchants, contractors, vendors, peddlers and canvassers.

The Board also accepted the audit findings of the past fiscal year from West and Company, contributed $1,000 from the Community and Economic Development line item toward the 2015 Effingham County Manufacturing Days, approved the holiday schedule for 2016, and agreed to collect $620 in delinquent taxes on a parcel of land on the edge of Heartville.

Board members appointed Ed Hoopingarner and Jane Reinheimer to new terms on the Economic Development Advisory Board and appointed Ross Martin as a public safety member to the County 911 Board. Martin, who fills a vacancy due to the resignation of Effingham Fire Chief Joe Holomy from the Board, is a 12-year member of the Dieterich Fire Department and is currently serving as assistant chief. County Board Chairman Jim Niemann said it had been some time since someone from the southeast part of the county had served on the 911 Board so asked Rob Arnold, who represents the area on the County Board to find someone from the area to serve.

The Board approved a bridge replacement on St. Francis Road, north of Teutopolis, for $80,000; approved a plat of Willenborg Subdivision, a 17-acre tract being divided into six lots along 1100th Avenue and 200th Street west of Dieterich; and approved a bridge aid petition from Moccasin Township for a culvert on 1400th Avene, four miles north of Altamont, for $4,500.

Board members welcomed local 4-Hers who were on hand for declaration of National 4-H Week in Effingham County, set for October 4-10; heard from Board Vice-Chairman Dave Campbell that they are still seeking businesses interested in expanding for loan funds; heard from Arnold that the Tax and Finance Committee will meet Wednesday at 7pm to start work on the next budget; learned from Niemann that he and EMA Director Pam Jacobs made a presentation to the Annual IEMA Meeting in Springfield on how the blizzard was handled locally two winters ago.