County Board Beefs Up Quorum for Meetings

Effingham County Board members have beefed up the quota needed to hold meetings, either of the full Board or when the Board meets as a committee of the whole.

The prior quorum was five for the nine-member board, but the Board Monday upped the number needed to six.

The Board also allocated Personal Property Tax Replacement funds to the funds that had earlier been abated for receipt of the monies; allocated hotel/motel tax funds for fireworks celebrations--$1,500 for Lake Sara and $1,000 for Dieterich; abated collection of the airport fuel surcharge through the end of the fiscal year; endorsed a request for $20,000 from Promark Advertising from the Small Business Stabilization Program; and tabled a decision on how to finance an energy savings program until next month.

The Board appointed Tony Siemer to the Airport Commission, Janelle Eck to the Housing Authority, and Dr. Christopher Balda, Michael Williamson and Dan Niemerg to the Board of Health; and concurred in the award of a bid to replace the Lake Sara Bridge to Depew and Owen Builders of Centralia for $362,188. 

Supervisor of Assessments Pam Braun reported that the County received a tentative property tax multiplier of 1.000; County Engineer Greg Koester reported that the Winterrowd and northwest of Altamont culvert replacement projects have been completed; and Chief Deputy Sheriff Paul Kuhns reported that work on the County Office Building elevator should be completed in two weeks. The Board also endorsed a Revive Our Economy proclamation suggested by St. Rep. Darren Bailey.