County board member harpoons state over IMRF proposal

By Bob Balgemann

REPORTER

Usually, when there’s a big turnout at a Boone County Board meeting, it’s because a group of residents is concerned about something.

Such was the case on Wednesday, Jan. 18, with the subject being issuance of a special use permit for a proposed peaking power plant along Interstate 90.

However, there was no parade of speakers to the microphone that night because a last-minute change in procedure caused the matter to be referred to the regional planning commission for discussion.

It wasn’t a waste of time for those who stayed on after that announcement. They picked up information about their county they might not have been aware of before that evening.

In addition, a county board member had his own concern about him and his colleagues being able to join the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF).

That possibility was a discussion item for the board meeting of the county administrative and legislative committee. It was regarding Public Act 99-900, signed into law by Gov. Bruce Rauner in August 2016.

Committee Chairman Marshall Newhouse said that in order to participate in IMRF, a county board member would have to devote at least 1,000 hours of county business each year. Those board members elected or appointed after August 2016, would not be eligible to participate.

He said the only one who might meet the 1,000-hour qualification would be the board chairman, in this case Karl Johnson.

“The question is whether this board is interested,” committee Chairman Newhouse said. “If so, it would have to go back to committee for a recommendation.”

There was no response from the 11 other board members present.

“That was the same amount of discussion that was at the committee level [in January],” Newhouse said. “There was not a huge interest.”

“The silence is defeating because this is so dumbfounded. This is typical of what we see coming out of Springfield. Why would any of us here want to partake in this? That’s not why we’re here. If anyone came in with that in mind, they shouldn’t be here because they’re not here for the people’s best interests,” Board member Brad Stark said. “This is so simple a ‘no’ that I feel bad that we wasted the ink to put it on paper.”

“Anyone else?” Chairman Johnson asked.

No one responded, so Newhouse continued on with the next recommendation from the Monday, Jan. 9 meeting.

Also at the Wednesday, Jan. 18 meeting, the board and those in the audience heard an update on how the Boone County Council on Aging is faring, as it continue to provide a variety of activities for senior citizens at the Keen Age Center on Henry Lucklow Lane.

“Everything is going along very well,” board liaison Denny Ellingson said. “The state is still behind in payments [of support], but once that’s caught up I think it [ the council] will be in a stronger position than last year.”

Amanda Mehl, administrator of the Boone County Health Department, continued her monthly reports on how the department serves residents.

She focused on the breast feeding support program, which benefits new mothers and their children. Human milk boosts a baby’s immune system, helping youngsters fight a variety of potential health problems and it helps mothers heal faster after giving birth, she said.

The department now employs local moms part-time for the breast feeding peer counseling program. One of the counselors is bilingual.

In addition, she reported on a new initiative the department has with Swedish American Hospital. Staff members visit all moms who gave birth at Swedish American Hospital and provide them with information on a variety of topics, helping them transition from the hospital back to the community.

The department has received statewide recognition for the work of its staff in both of those programs, she said.

Boone’s Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) currently has 27 advocates who are serving 56 children. A fundraising pancake breakfast is coming up Feb. 25 and, on Sept. 14, the annual celebrity roast will be held at the Belvidere Community Building downtown.