County Board Signs Off On Altamont/Beecher City Enterprise Zone Project

(EFFINGHAM COUNTY CHIEF DEPUTY SHERIFF PAUL KUHNS AND EFFINGHAM COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN JIM NIEMANN)

Effingham County Board members Monday signed off on an effort by the City of Altamont and the Village of Beecher City to expand and extend the life of the Altamont Enterprise Zone.

Altamont and Beecher City officials are working to get the okay from the affected taxing bodies for an expansion of the Zone to include the Beecher City village limits.

The Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Effingham and the 911 Board. The Board pays both the City and the County for dispatching services.

Board members also approved Shirley Sherwood and David Budde for the Ambulance Oversight Committee and approved the fiscal year 2020 salary schedule for non-union employees.

The Board tabled action on allocating $15,000 to the City/County Committee on Aging until a representative can appear before the Board to discuss how the funds will be used. They also tabled a Memorandum of Understanding involving RLGA, the collector and the County in conjunction with recycling events until State's Attorney Bryan Kibler reviews the agreement to make sure there is no liability to the County, and tabled an ordinance regarding reimbursement of all travel, meal and lodging expenses of County officers and employees until County office holders meet to discuss the issue.

The Board voted to keep their mileage reimbursement rate at 50 cents/mile, approved the bids for road maintenance materials, approved a resolution for maintenance costs under the Illinois Highway Code at $1,347,400; approved a resolution appropriating funds for payment of County Engineer Greg Koester's salary; and approved a subdivision plat for Warner Subdivision in Watson Township.

County Board members recognized Chief Deputy Sheriff Paul Kuhns for 25 years' service with the Effingham County Sheriff's Department. Kuhns said, "It's been a life well-spent. Where else can you go and change people's lives on a daily basis?" For his part, Sheriff Dave Mahon said naming Kuhns his chief deputy was "One of the better decisions I have made."