County Board Meets

Effingham County Board members have approved an amended ground ambulance service ordinance.

County Board Chairman Jim Niemann said the amended ordinance includes a definition of just what is a ground ambulance service. The definition was taken from the contract between the County and Altamont Ambulance Service, the current emergency ground ambulance service for most of the county.

Niemann said the measure permits another ambulance service to perform transfers in the county, and requires a letter of authorization from the County to establish and operate a service in the county in case another service would be interested in operating an emergency service in the county once the County's existing contract with Altamont Ambulance expires. Altamont Ambulance now has exclusive authority to operate an emergency ground service.

Gieseking and Stewardson Ambulance Services still have authority to operate in their domains.

Board members honored Anna Sophia Keller of St. Anthony High School for her state cross country championship, and honored Mona Durbin for her 25 years' service to the County in the Probation Department.

The Board discussed whether to renew health insurance coverage through Health Alliance, and then decided to meet with their Health Advisory Committee before making a decision due to a hefty premium increase involved in the renewal. The Board did renew property/casualty insurance coverage with CIRMA at the same premium as the past year.

The Board approved an ordinance establishing the capacity of fulltime personnel in the Sheriff's Department, both deputies and court security personnel. The capacity is required by law, so the Board approved an ordinance capping the number of fulltime deputies at 17 and the number of court security personnel at three...the number of people currently employed. There is a provision to hire part-time personnel as needed.

There was discussion of a loan so the Effingham County 911 Board can purchase new equipment, but no action was taken as 911 is still finalizing its needs and just what certain equipment will cost. The Board also delayed action on a monument on the lawn of the old Courthouse in memory of State Police personnel killed in the line of duty. The project is being proposed by Sunrise Rotary, rather than the aging sign at the Layton Davis Building in Heartville. Sunrise Rotary is still working on the dimensions of the memorial.

The Board also named Mike Schutzbach to a new term on the 911 Board, Leonard Waldhoff to the Housing Authority Board, Jackie Witges to the Health Board, and Ernest Garbe, Mike Brown and Carolyn Willenburg to the SCIRP and DC Board.