County board adopts resolution opposing railroad route

By Bob Balgemann

REPORTER

First with a letter and now with a resolution, the Boone County Board has made it abundantly clear that it opposes a portion of the proposed 278-mile Great Lakes Basin Railroad route coming through Boone County.

The vote was 11-0 in favor, with board Chairman Bob Walberg abstaining, during a special board meeting held June 29.

Two residents addressed the issue, encouraging the board to reaffirm its opposition as well as that of the community. The board on May 18 approved a letter of opposition.

The second speaker suggested that anyone voting against the resolution should resign from the board “for you are not honestly representing the deep concerns of the people who elected you.”

Earlier, a motion to approve Version II of the resolution was made by board member Sherry Giesecke and seconded by board member Brad Stark,

Not long after that board member Cathy Ward called for the question.

Before a vote was taken, board member Denny Ellingson said he wanted to make a comment, adding he could do that because there had been no second to the motion.

Board member Sherry Branson quickly offered a second.

“I still have the floor,” Ellingson insisted.

He said the board had followed procedure relative to the issue and if it took a little longer than others, well, that was fine. “This is the third time we’ve had expressed opposition” to the rail line’s route, he said.

Branson then interjected that she didn’t like the second version of the resolution “…in opposition to the proposed Great Lakes Basin Railway route through Boone County, Ill.”

She said she thought the first version was much stronger than the revision, which the board voted on that night.

The four paragraphs setting forth the whereas-clauses are the same. However, the second of two paragraphs in the “It Is Therefore Resolved by the County of Boone as follows” is different.

The first version said: “The County of Boone urges the Surface Transportation Board to deny the proposed Rail Line as it relates to Boone County, Ill.”

The second version said: “Boone County opposes the proposed Wisconsin Subdivision route due to its impact on our citizens and the environment.”

Walberg countered that board members made it clear that they wanted an abbreviated resolution. They wanted it to reflect what was in the letter.

The fourth whereas-clause of the resolution does that. It states the county board opposes the rail line route “for the reasons set forth in a letter dated May 18, 2016…”

That letter contains six subheads with each following paragraph setting forth concerns about the project.

However, Branson said the change “opens it up for us to allow that train into our county.”

Still, when it came time for a vote, she said she would support the second version because it was worded that the county board opposed the proposed route.