County Board Approves Enterprise Zone Incentives

Effingham County board members Monday voted to support changes in the Effingham/Effingham County Enterprise Zone incentives. 

The changes incorporate a residential housing component for both single-family homes and multi-family residential structures built in the zone. The incentives include property tax abatements and elimination of sales tax on building materials used on the projects.

There were no dissenting votes. That included Norbert Soltwedel and Doug McCain, who had voted against the incentive earlier in committee. Soltwedel said he liked some parts of the plan, but said he was voting in favor "even though I have serious questions whether it will be successful." McCain asked whether the success of the plan could be monitored and City Enterprise Zone Specialist Sasha Althoff said they do that on a regular basis. Board member John Perry arrived at the meeting after the vote on the Enterprise Zone was taken.

There were disappointing results on the request for proposals on an improvement project on the Courthouse Museum lawn. One proposal was received on construction of a concrete courtyard and rainwater drainage, and no proposals were received on the removal of the current gazebo and construction of a new gazebo. 

The proposal on the concrete courtyard and drainage was received from A&R Mechanical of Urbana for $196,308. The matter will be referred to the Board's Tax and Finance Committee.

The Board approved two $100,000 disbursements of ARPA funds for childcare research. One of the disbursements will go to the Village of Dieterich for the daycare center to be located in the Wright Family Center, while the other will be used for stabilization grants for childcare providers in the county.

Also approved was the expenditure of $24,328.42 in ARPA funds cameras, radios and computers for the County Coroner's Office, and the expenditure of $141,471 in ARPA for new cooling towers for the County Government Center. The Board also approved the proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins December 1 for layover until the November meeting, and scheduled a proposed Truth in Taxation hearing for the fiscal year tax levy to be held on Novmeber 7th at 4pm. Also approved was a request for quotes for audit services.

The Board approved a jurisdictional transfer between the County and between Union and Lucas road districts. The County will have less roadway to maintain without any loss of revenue, while the road districts, whose funding is based on road miles in the districts, will receive more funding. The transition will be phased in over the next four years.

Board members approved Lakeside Roofing of Collinsville to put a new roof on the Effingham County Office Building for $177,868; approved $15,000 of ARPA funds for funding for SAFE; approved earmarking of up to $50,000 of ARPA funds to Heartland Human Services with further consideration by the Board's Tax and Finance Committee; approved $10,000 of ARPA funds to fund a One Hope United program in schools; approved earmarking $495,600 in ARPA funds for one month so Tax and Finance can review a request for funds from fire districts in the county to cover the cost of a new communication system; approved earmarking $345,000 of ARPA funds for purchase of buses and operational costs so Tax and Finance can also review this request; amended the county budget to create a line item under the Dive Rescue department for maintenance of their building; and formally dissolved the ARPA committee with further consideration of ARPA funds being routed through the Tax and Finance Committee.

The Board voted to allow usage of the first floor meeting rooms in the County Office Building for a Hometown Christmas celebration on December 3rd, and voted in support of a resolution opposing the SAFE-T Act. 

Board member Dave Campbell said there is a little over $60,000 available in the Revolving Loan Fund for new and expanding businesses, and County Clerk Kerry Hirtzel said a public test of election equipment is set for October 28. The Board also approved a plat of Devore Subdivision, okayed an engineering agreement with Milano and Grunloh for work on Moccasin Road, and approved a local public agency engineering services agreement.