County Board Institutes Fines for Truancy

The Effingham County Board Monday instituted a truancy ordinance, providing for fines and community service for truants.

The ordinance, which takes effect immediately involves a graduated fine schedule for repeat violations, which may not exceed $100 or community service, or both, for violators 13 years old and older.  If the violator is under 13 years old, the violator's parents or guardians or legal custodians are subject to fine or community service, or both.

Once a truant has gone through the appropriate school district's intervention process, truants and their parents or guardians or legal custodians will be referred to a Community Accountability Board.  The Board will consist of the Truancy Officer for the Regional Board of Education, the CASA Executive Director, a member of the County Board, and a member of the community at large. 

The fines collected will be split between the appropriate school district and the County.

The County Board Monday also appointed Phillip Toops as Effingham County Program Compliance Oversight Monitor for the county's public transportation system.  Toops' salary is to be paid from grant funds to be received by the County, but the amount has not been set.

County Board Ambulance Oversight Committee Chairman Mike Depoister received permission to add an at-large member to the committee.  Depoister said the person would assist with ambulance inspections and other duties.  Those interested in the position should contact the County Board office.

County Engineer Greg Koester got Board approval for a rural sign upgrade program.  Federal dollars will pay for 90% of the cost and the State will cover the other 10%.  Signs and posts will be paid for by the program.  911 signs and posts are not involved in this program; those are paid for through a separate program.  The townships will be responsible for putting up the new signs, although Koester said some agreement might be worked out with the County to assist in the installations.

The Board approved two bridge improvement projects, one two miles northeast of Teutopolis on 1800th Street, just south of 1800th Avenue, the other a half-mile east of Elliotstown along 600th Avenue. 

Also Monday, the Board:

--was reminded that vehicles are not allowed on airport grounds, even to the Poor Farm Cemetery, without prior clearance from the airport manager

--heard from member Jeff Simpson that the prospects of fracking coming to pass in Illinois are good with our immediate area benefitting as far as hotel and motel accommodations and flights in and out of the region at the local airport

--heard that the Garden Club wants to work on flowers around the gazebo on the lawn of the old Courthouse and that the Boy Scouts and the Elks might team up on materials and labor for repairs to the gazebo...and

--heard from Depoister that the study on the 911 system's efficiency could be ready within two weeks