County Board Legislative Committee Discusses Waste Transfer Station

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Published on February 8 2021 3:16 pm
Last Updated on February 8 2021 3:33 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

The Effingham County Board Legislative Committee Monday heard that action will be delayed on a solid waste transfer station on the west end of the county.

Chris Sutter of Countryside Disposal said that there is a house within 1,000 feet of where he plans to locate the transfer station, and said he is being advised that a residence can't be that close to the station.

Sutter plans to locate a truck along the east side of Illinois 128 between Moccasin Road and Illinois 33 at Beecher City. Once the truck is filled, it will be driven to a landfill to be emptied.

Sutter told committee members that his engineer has work to complete before the project can move forward.

The committee discussed a proposed rule change in Illinois concerning compulsary education. The Illinois Board of Education is recommending the change in standards that some view as vague and encouraging "far-left political activism". 

County Board member Norbert Soltwedel and Board Chairman Jim Niemann both spoke in opposition to the proposal which could lead to teachers losing their certification if they fail to go along.

The State Board of Education is slated to vote on the measure on February 16. The County Board's Tax and Finance Committee will consider the issue at their meeting on Thursday.

Committee members also moved to Thursday's meeting the police reform bill passed in the lame duck session of the state legislature. Niemann said the issue of qualified immunity for police officers was removed from the bill, but said the issue could be revisited in the spring legislative session in a new bill. He said if the County was reponsible for liability of officers, what would that cost the County, but also said "I don't want to leave officers hanging" without liability coverage.

Niemann also said he expects the report from hearing officer Larry Clark on the January hearing on a proposed new landfill east of Effingham this week. The guidelines indicate the County Board will have to vote on the landfill siting issue by the end of March.