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Tuesday, September 8, 2009 9:38 PM CDT
Lacking financial reports halt pair of
appointments to mental health board
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
dfopay@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — The Coles County Board on Tuesday delayed a pair of normally routine appointments after a board member said he was concerned that the appointees weren’t being accountable.
The board voted 8-3 to table appointments to the county mental health board until its October meeting. Two current members of the mental health board, Woody Kramer and Pete Love, were up for appointment to another term.
Those kinds of appointments are usually recommended by the board to which the appointments are being made with little discussion, if any, by the county board. But on Tuesday, member Phil Wilson noted that the mental health board hasn’t made financial reports to the county board as an audit recommended.
“The county board knows precious little about the activities” of the mental health board, Wilson said. He added that when the county makes appointments, it’s “one of the few opportunities” to question members or potential members and learn more.
After the vote to table the nominations, Chairman John Bell said it’s “imperative” that a county board committee meet with Kramer and Love before the board next meets in October. Bell joined members Dan Lawrence and Stan Metzger in voting against tabling the nominations; board Vice Chairman John Hurst wasn’t at the meeting.
Also Tuesday, the board agreed to pick up the extra cost of dropoff recycling programs for Ashmore and Humboldt. The fee for each time dropoff bins are emptied increased with the county’s new contract with Veolia Environmental Services for operation of the program.
The board’s Health and Safety Committee recommended that the county pick up the additional $45 for each time a bin is emptied. Committee Chairman Marc Weber said recycling in the two villages has “increased dramatically” and the county has money from solid waste funds that the villages don’t have.
“They want to stay in the program but they’re not going to be able to afford it,” Weber said.
Oakland also participates in the dropoff program but the city is negotiating with the Oakland school district concerning its use of the program, so it was not included in Tuesday’s proposal.
In another vote, the board agreed to hire Paris attorney Mark Isaf to help State’s Attorney Steve Ferguson with eminent domain proceedings for land for a road to Interstate 57.
Member Doyle Anderson, chairman of the board’s Road and Bridge Committee, said Isaf has experience working on eminent domain cases and Ferguson wanted the help because he’s never handled such a case. The committee thought the county would save more in the long run by having the additional attorney, he said.
The board in July authorized Ferguson to start the proceedings because negotiations with Freda Christen of Mattoon haven’t led to an agreement on land she owns along County Road 1000N. Work is planned to improve that road so it will access the county’s newest interstate interchange but the county needs the right-of-way along Christen’s property for work to take place there.
In addition, the board awarded a contract to AJ Walker Construction Co. of Mattoon to replace a culvert on Old State Road in Lafayette Township. The county and the township will share in the cost of about $29,300, with the county paying 40 percent.
Also, newly appointed Supervisor of Assessments Mac Shoopman received the oath of office from Circuit Judge Gary Jacobs during the meeting. Shoopman starts on Sept. 15.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 238-6858.
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The Question wrote on Sep 9, 2009 8:46 AM: