County Board Formally Opposes HB 2495

(EFFINGHAM COUNTY 4-H YOUTH AMBASSADORS POSE WITH BOARD CHAIRMAN JIM NIEMANN AT MONDAY'S MEETING)

The Effingham County Board Monday formally went on record in opposition to Illinois House Bill 2495, a measure being considered in the General Assembly regarding the status of unborn life.

The measure, authored by Board Chairman Jim Niemann and approved by the Board 9-0, "condemns the content of HB 2495 and rejects the efforts to remove individual rights from any group, class, or category of individuals, based upon age, development, sex, race, creed, religion, disability, or other protected status, and we direct the County Clerk to transmit a copy of this resolution to the Governor, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, the House and Senate majority and minority leaders, and the sponsors of House Bill 2495".

The local resolution says it's "in the interest of the public welfare of all individuals to protect the dignity of life without regard to age, gender, race, sex, religion or other classification of humans". The measure alleges House Bill 2495 "declares fertilized egg, embryo or fetus does not have independent rights under the law of this state" and alleges the measure "denies the rights of the father of the unborn child of having any consideration in the abortion decision process."

Also Monday, the Board approved a request from Darrel Gressel of Big D's Septic Service of Watson. Gressel's request is to dispose of non-hazardous waste generated from restaurant grease traps on his property. Board approval was preliminary to seeking a permit from the IEPA to allow the disposal. Gressel's request explained that the sludge will be spread on farmground, where it will break down and then will be covered with crops. Gressel said the cost of removing the substance from grease traps is going up, as is the cost of transporting the grease to a disposal facility.

Board members heard from Effingham County Chief Deputy Sheriff Paul Kuhns that the replacement elevator for the Effingham County Office Building is to be shipped this Thursday. Once received, it's expected to take another four to six weeks to make the new elevator operational.

The Board also approved a Veterans Memorial license agreement with Effingham American Legion Post #120, keeping the Memorial grounds in the hands of the Post for use as a memorial site. It's a perpetual lease of the property. Also approved was an Emergency Ready Profile from Howard Manuel of Servpro, a $2,500 donation from hotel/motel fund dollars for the Southern Illinois Shrine Circus that will appear here on June 5-6; a payment of $35,750 to Gibson Teldata for a new phone system being installed in the County Office Building and the County Government Center; and a grant application for informational signage along the TREC Trail expected to total $1,000/sign for four or five signs. The Board also approved the annual agreement with U of I Extension for $93,000 as approved by voters several years ago.

County Board members approved the purchase of a computer and software from Koch Air LLC for heating and air-conditioning controls in the County Government Center for $7,715; okayed the public transportation ordinance for funding for the coming fiscal year and related agreements with CEFS Economic Opportunity Corporation; reappointed County Sheriff David Mahon to the County 911 Board through the end of Fiscal Year 2022; heard from County Clerk Kerry Hirtzel that Election Judge training is set for Tuesday and a Public Test of the voting equipment on Wednesday; and heard from Board member Heather Mumma that there have been six adoptions at the Animal Shelter since the weekend, and zero deaths at the shelter since the first of December.

The Board was visited by the Effingham County 4-H Youth Ambassadors, who recognized Local Government Week earlier this month by presenting Board members with plates of cookies.