The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by Jacob Irish, The Quill
OQUAWKA- Albert Renken, Chairman of the Henderson County Board, called the meeting to order Tuesday, July 14 at 8:30 a.m. The board accepted the Henderson County Health Departments claims for June.
Board member Angela Myers mentioned that the Health Department is doing well with the guidance of the board of health. During the Health Department s report, Myers announced that the HCHD will officially find out whether or not the HCHD has been selected to administer WIAAA programs.
Melinda Clark took the floor to present a solution to update the Geographical Information System (GIS). Clark stated that the county needs to find $2,000 to update the county s Orthophotography.
Orthophotography is the aerial imagery of the land. These photos are used to help the county develop detailed models of property lines, soil types, land use, etc. According to Clark, the GIS has not been updated since 2004. This is a problem because the land has changed a considerable amount since 2004 due to the flood of 2008 and the construction of the new four lane Highway.
In order to raise the necessary funds to get the GIS up to date, Clark has proposed a $10 increase for each land survey recording. This would raise the price per recording from $25 to $35. Clark believes that with this change, Henderson County will be able to afford the GIS improvements by 2019.
Due to the complexity of the GIS and the work that Clark does, the board has decided to table the subject until they have time to sit down and get a better understanding of the GIS, and the proposed fee increase.
The board has approved two Highway resolutions. Highway crews will soon begin replacing a pipe in Biggsville that washed out. Altogether this project will cost the county $3,600. Highway crews will also be working to repair a culvert in Media.
The board has decided to replace the tree in front of the court house with an Autumn Blaze Maple. Board member Lafary will be finding donations to pay for the purchase of the new tree. So far, CGB has donated $200 for the beautification project.
There were talks about what to do with the cannon sitting near the entrance of the Henderson County Court House. At this point the cannon s paint job is beginning to fade and chip. Board Member Renken has been given an offer from a gentleman to paint the cannon for free if the paint is provided.
Lafary and the rest of the board would like to know the story behind the cannon. At this point none of the board members know the history of the cannon. The board discussed potentially donating the cannon to the Oquawka Park. If this were done, Lafary recommended that the board think about replacing the cannon with a plaque illustrating the history of the Henderson County Court House.
As for now, the board has decided to go ahead and paint the cannon until another decision is made.
After three months, the board has still hasn't made a decision in regards to the new security camera upgrades. However, there will be some other maintenance that will be done to the court house in the near future.
The board plans to have the supporting beams, beneath the ground level tile bug bombed to prevent any further termite damage. Laffary noted that if this is done soon, the floor could last up to 30 more years without any major renovation.
The court house will also be getting a new gutter system to get water away from the foundation of the building. Altogether, the gutter project will cost the county $275.
The board has tabled an amendment to the employee handbook that will make employees using county vehicles fill out a log for each use of the two vehicles.
Attorney McClintock recommended that the board table the motion until he has time to review the handbook for other necessary changes.
The Gladstone and Stronghurst recycling centers will be closing up shop within the next month. The board will be working on finding a solution to the closings.
The County Farmland Assessment Review Committee is still looking for two Henderson County farmers to join the committee.
The board adjourned their open meeting and went into an executive session in regards to personnel/ litigation.
The meeting began with the board's approval of both the May and June minutes. The board also approved all claims paid in June of 2015.