County Board to Proceed w/Courthouse Parking Lot Repairs

The work will cost $28,830 and will be paid for with hotel-motel funds since the parking lot is often used for events that attract people to the County. The project will remove the top two inches of asphalt and then resurface and stripe, place parking blocks where they are now located and place handicapped parking signage where appropriate.

The Board approved the purchase of four parcels of property needed for the westerly extension of West Evergreen Avenue past Nazarene Church Road at a cost of about $83,000 with another 11 parcels yet to be acquired, and purchased two parcels of property needed for the replacement of Winterrowd Bridge near Winterrowd at a cost of $4,800. Also approved was a preliminary engineering agreement for work by Charleston Engineeers on a bridge along 2100th Street, three miles southwest of Dieterich.

Phil Toops, who oversees the public transportation system for the Board, said work is being finalized for the takeover of CSS routes as of July 1; Board Vice-Chairman David Campbell said a third loan administed by the County's Economic Development Advisory Board has been closed as the full loan has been repaid; and Chief Deputy Sheriff Paul Kuhns reported that completion of the elevator renovation project is estimated for the second week of June.

The Board allocated $1,000 in hotel/motel funds for the Dieterich 4th of July fireworks display; an ordinance was approved establishing civil fees and criminal and traffic assessments to be charged by the Circuit Clerk's office with a review planned after six months; a postage meter was purchased for the County Office Building; and an agreement was approved for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Innovation and Technology to share space on the second floor of the Coutny Office Building.

Appointments to boards and committees were approved including David Campbell and Heather Mumma to the Liquor Commission; Scott Brumleve as a trustee of the Teutopolis Fire Protection District; Charles Braasch to the Board of Review; Dr. Nanci Huels as the county veterinarian; Ronald Voelker, Cletus Bloemer and Todd Wachtel to the Agricultural Area Board; and new city police chief Jason McFarland or his designee to the vacant Public Safety position on the 911 Board to succeed former chief Jeff Fuesting.

The Board also voted to oppose the planned increase of the minimum wage to $15/hour. Board Chairman Jim Niemann said the legislation says wages should be based on the income of each county or region, not the state.