The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Joy Swearingen, Quill correspondent
Carthage– Two visitors asked to speak at the Hancock County Board meeting Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Tim Etter of rural Hamilton expressed his concern for the potential hazard of poorly maintained Frontier telephone equipment.
He described exposed wires around poles, and broken and open pedestals for telephone service.
“They are required to keep their equipment in good condition. I don’t want to see anybody get hurt. It is a safety issue,” Etter said.
Etter has presented his concerns to the Hamilton city council.
“The main thing is to have the state’s attorney make notification to Frontier and explain to them that the county has serious concerns with their issues and problems,” said board president, Mark Menn.
Dallas Neff of LaHarpe talked about his concern for solar farm projects being considered in the county. He noted that the reason for proposed solar farms is to reduce the need for fossil fuels and to lower carbon dioxide.
He brought information showing that plant life, trees and crops need a certain level of CO2.
“I have been reading books on this and for most of the earth’s history, the CO2 levels were many times higher than they are at this present time. All plant life grows better, faster and is more productive with higher CO2 levels,” Neff stated.
Menn thanked Neff for his comments.
The board approved the first payment of $160,000 from ARPA funds to W.L.Miller for work on the Connable road. Highway Committee report to the board indicated work is progressing but going slowly.
County Engineer, Elgin Berry, said the county is in daily contact with the contractor. He said they have 80 working days to complete the project. Working days are calculated by conditions favorable to doing the construction work. He noted that during one rainy week, only half of one day was considered a working day.
The board accepted the resignation of Kasey Mehaffy as supervisor of assessments.
They gave the finance chairman authority to negotiate with former supervisor of assessments, Dale Bolton, to serve as interim assessor at $50 per hour for limited number of hours. Bellwether, a consulting firm used by the county, will seek help from other nearby counties to cover the county’s needs until a new assessor is appointed.
Bellwether was hired as administrator for overseeing solar and wind power projects proposed in the county. Jake Johnson of Bellwether said he is developing a detailed check list covering the state requirements for the projects, so the board can be assured all needs are covered.
A contract with Bellwether was approved, giving them 10 percent of the filing fees for projects they review.
The board approved the salary for the circuit clerk at $64,015, which must be set ahead of the election.
New i-Pads and keyboards were approved for each county board member, to replace the old pads they are currently using. Each tablet costs $299. Two options for add-on keyboards were offered.
The board also approved purchasing computer equipment for IT director, Jeff Dedey, to use in his home office. Dedey does not have an office in the courthouse, and has been using his own equipment. He will buy two monitors, an i-Pad and keyboard, and a printer. This is property of Hancock County.
A resolution giving authority to sell the county property used for the dog pound was approved. Dates on an earlier resolution have passed. This resolution has unspecified dates for the sale of the property.
The board approved the DOAP (Downstate Operating Assistance Program), agreement for Hancock County Public Transportation.
Stephanie Swisegood was named PCOM (Program Compliance and Oversight Monitor) for Hancock County Public Transportation. She replaces Melita Finney who has served in the position for the past 20 years.
In other action, the board: