Health Department to Go to Four Day/Week Operation if No State Budget

The Effingham County Health Department plans to go to a four day a week operation if a new State budget is not in place soon.

Health Department Administrator Rebecca Merten reported at Wednesday's Effingham County Board meeting that the Department will be closed on Fridays, beginning the week of August 3. Department employees will also be paid just four days a week.

(DYLAN MILLS AT WEDNESDAY'S EFFINGHAM COUNTY BOARD MEETING)

The Health Department is one of the county agencies most dependent upon state funding.

Also Wednesday, County Board Chairman Jim Niemann reported that the County is filing suit against local resident Charles Mayhood, doing business as Mayhood Construction, in a dispute over rent paid for space in the Lincolnland Building. The area has been utilized by the Veterans Assistance Commission. The County is seeking a reimbursement of around $30,000 in rent money.

The Board discussed new financial software, but held off a decision on which vendor to select until they can get more information from other counties that use the vendors. Votes were approved, though, to grant the Effingham County Fair $3,000 in hotel-motel tax revenue for security at the fair, and for online training subscriptions for $1,750/year.

Preliminary engineering agreements were approved for two railroad crossing improvements in Moccasin Township. Union Pacific Railroad will install lights and gates at the crossings on 1400th Avenue and 1300th Avenue, with the township agreeing to improve the approaches to the crossings.

Board members approved a contract with Laborers Local #1197, representing employees in the County Probation Department; purchased an ad on the County Chamber and Visitors Bureau map; and approved the layout of monuments on the lawn of the old Courthouse, with an existing monument flanked by a monument honoring emergency service providers and a monument honoring fallen District 12 Illinois State Police troopers.

The Board allocated $750 to Franklin County for costs related to their juvenile detention facility; amended the County liquor ordinance to allow those 18 and older to work behind the bar rather than those 21 and older; and agreed to buy two rather than one squad cars for the sheriff's department with the funding for the second vehicle coming out of contingencies.

Shirley Sherwood was named to succeed Larry Thies on the Ambulance Oversight Committee; the Board heard that a kitty of $10,000 has now been repaid in their economic development budget; learned that the county public transportation system finished the fiscal year in the black; and approved work by Dylan Mills on the Courthouse Gazebo as his Eagle Scout project.