Fulton County Board Committee Minutes
Fulton County Board Office, 257 West Lincoln Street, Lewistown, IL 61542
Phone 309-547-0901 email csimpson@fultonco.org
Committee: Property, Courts, Public Safety & Campground
Meeting Place: Jane Boyd Building, 260 West Lincoln St., Lewistown, IL
Time: 6:30 pm
Date: June 6, 2023
1. Call to Order
Time: 6:41pm
MEMBERS:
Jim Barclay (present/xxxxxx)
Stan Berry (present/xxxxxx)
Dan Kumer (present/xxxxxx)
Joe Murphy (present/xxxxxx)
Ryan Sloan (present/xxxxxx)
David Widger (present/xxxxxx)
Karl Williams (present/xxxxxx)
Other Board Members: John Spangler
Elected & Appointed Officials: John Young – Campground Superintendent, Chris Helle – ETSD/ESDA Director, Julie Russell – Supervisor of Assessment
Staff: Cindy Simpson – Fulton County Board Administrative Assistant, Audra Miles – Comptroller
Guests: None
2. Roll Call
Roll call was taken, quorum present
3. Call for Additions/Deletions To and Approval of the Agenda
Member Berry moved to approve the agenda with a second from Member Murphy. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
4. Approval of Previous Minutes – May 2, 2023
Member Murphy moved to approve the Minutes from May 2, 2023 with a second from Member Berry. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
5. Announcements, Communications and Correspondence – None
6. Public Remarks – None
7. Claims
a. Discussion/Action: Claims
Member Murphy moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Widger. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
8. Budget
a. Discussion/Action: FY24 Property Budget
Audra Miles Comptroller discussed with the committee the Property budget for FY24. The Finance committee was allocated the actuals from the FY22 budget plus 3% for FY24.
The utilities for 201 West Lincoln need to be added to the FY24 budget. Comptroller Miles discussed the Finance Committee will determine the amount for the Capital Improvements Fund. The Property, Courts, Public Safety & Campground Committee members were asked to review the proposed budget for FY24 and bring any changes back to the July committee meeting.
9. Old Business
a. Discussion/Action: Capital Projects
Member Williams discussed the smoke alarms project at the courthouse is complete.
b. Discussion/Action: Old Dollar General Building – Renovation plans
Member Williams stated the property at 201 W. Lincoln, Lewistown, IL (Old Dollar General). The front windows and doors need to be blocked up. Chairman Spangler suggested shelving for inside the building at 201 W. Lincoln, Lewistown, IL and label each shelving unit with the department name.
c. Discussion/Action: Old Dollar General Building Maintenance Plan
The committee determined water is not needed at the building and will be shut off.
Member Williams will check with TrueGreen about mowing the property.
Member Williams discussed the possibility of hiring a part-time person to help with the additional maintenance and will discuss with Bill Smick and Sheriff Webb.
d. Discussion/Action: Mid Illinois Estimate, Courthouse, Jail – tabled
Member Williams discussed the estimate for the Sally Port at the jail has not been received.
The estimate for the window project for the front of the courthouse has not been received. Member Williams hopes to have the estimates for the Fulton County Board meeting.
The estimate for the courthouse front gate was received and is $10,534.00. The committee discussed the funds can be spent better for other uses. Member Kumer recommended fixing the front of the courthouse first and look at the gate project at a later date.
e. Discussion/Action: Lots behind the Fulton County Board office – tabled
Member Williams will check with Pure Green about mowing the lot behind the board office.
10. New Business
a. Discussion/Action: Resolution: Board of Review Testing
Supervisor of Assessment Julie Russell, discussed the resolution to review the testing is for Board of Review members. The resolution is repealing the resolution from 1984 and the new Board of Review Member would be required to pass the basic assessment test to be a Member of the Board of Review. There are still additional qualification required but this would eliminate extra state testing.
Member Murphy moved to approve the resolution with a second from Member Sloan. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
PUBLIC SAFETY
11. Policies – None
12. Declaration of Surplus Property – None
13. Claims
a. Sheriff
Member Williams reported the Sheriff claims were $32,686.03. Member Kumer moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Sloan. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
b. Jail
Member Williams reported the Jail claims were $34,910.73. Member Murphy moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Sloan. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
c. Animal Control
Member Williams reported the Animal Control claims were $2,791.87. Member Berry moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Murphy. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
d. Merit
Member Williams reported the Merit claims were $568.50. Member Berry moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Sloan. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
14. ESDA
a. ESDA Claims
Director Helle reported the total ESDA claims were $221.65 and $1,683.65. Member Kumer moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Widger. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
15. Old Business – None
16. New Business – None
17. Campground
a. Campground Claims
Superintendent Young reported the Campground claims were $17,380.74, $17,419.02 and $450.28. Member Widger moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Murphy. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
18. Old Business – None
19. New Business – None
20. Fulton County Camping and Rec
a. Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Young reported for May 2023, the Memorial Day weekend was the best weekend ever at the campground. The campground was at 90% capacity for the weekend for the overnight electric area and similar figures in the non-electric sites. There were two groups and people from the Chicagoland area with Young.
There were no incidents reported to the office over the holiday weekend, however the weeks before there were several incidents.
1. May 15, 2023, a loud argument between a couple of day visitors was ended. Apologies were exchanged at my direction.
2. May 16, 2023, a loud fight between a couple who were camping in the electric area was ended. There was a second fight reported later in the day. The couple did not stay for the week. They had planned to leave on the May 19.
3. May 19, 2023, while conducting site inspection on non-electric sites, the conditions of one site was found to be so poor, a 30-day notice was issued. The certified letter has not been signed for by the site holder. Young anticipates a new abandoned camper situation and will have to clear the site. The family had not accepted the notice as of June 4, 2023.
4. May 20, 2023, a seasonal camper reported an assault. The Fulton County Sheriff’s office was contacted and a deputy was dispatched. The two individuals involved were spoken to by the officer. The campground is not pursuing further action in this case.
5. May 21, 2023, an argument at 2:30am involving some overnight guests and a seasonal camper was reported the following afternoon by two families visiting the area from Minnesota. The couples left a day early, refunds were issued. No action could be taken against the parties as the reports came in so late.
6. May 22, 2023, a seasonal camper anonymously reported possible sewage being dumped on another seasonal site. After an investigation was completed, it was found there were no violations. A stagnant pond near the sites is likely the cause of the mistaken septic smell.
7. May 22, 2023, a fire was left unattended and burned a large section of wetlands behind a site on Meadow Lane. Buckheart Fire Protection District was dispatched and brought the fire under control. The seasonal camper was given a verbal warning about maintaining his fire and fire pit.
8. The campground is waiting to see if a camper on a non-electric site corrects their site violations. The family was given more time beyond the normal to accommodate their limited abilities. Young reported as of May 31, 2023, all of the site violations have not been corrected. The camper is all but abandoned at this time.
9. Nines site were mowed at the holder’s expense. The next round of rough cuts is coming this week on a small round of un-mowed sites. For all campers who have not mowed once this season, threir site will be mowed and invoiced to the camper.
The campground worked very hard to improve the reputation of this campground. Visitors from the Midwest have found us, Memorial Day weekend was a great indicator. Superintendent Young ask all incidents be reports promptly to the campground office anytime day or night and to call the campground office immediately at 309- 219- 2041.
June 15, 2023, the landline will be shut down and the only phone contact is 309-219-2041 associated with the campground.
The abnormally dry period of weather has made road work limited to cold patch work. Mowing has been reduced as the heatwave intensifies. Trimming and clearing is on-going.
The skid steer was picked up on May 31, 2023 and was kept for an extra week due to the number of projects that it was needed for. Several drainage projects were completed, and work on the playground was completed, as was some trail clearing.
The campground will be refunded for the underlayment for the playground and this is an ongoing process by the distributor. The playground project will finish up the dirt work, and setting the holes for the poles to be set in the next couple of weeks.
The results of the Phase I environmental study were completed and submitted to MWRD (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District) as required. The Phase II environmental study was commissioned and will be conducted in the coming weeks. The cost is approximately $8,300.00 with contingencies; the price could be $9,500.00. The campground received the refund check on the fiber optic project that could not reach a conclusion.
The campground waiting list for the second half of the 2023 season is seven and the 2024 waiting list is fourteen. There are three electric and four non-electric campsites open to the public at this time. The next bidding list for campers will be the first couple of weeks in July.
A big thank you to the great people at Hitchcock’s Scrapyard, for donating two steel plates which finish up roadwork on Little Sister Loop.
The winner of the campground Morel Mushroom contest was Brittany Spiesz with a 6.5” tall mushroom.
June started hectic with clean up from the Memorial Day weekend. The on-going heat had five of the seven guests for the first weekend of the June cancel. Saturday, June 3, a campers’ well failed and Superintendent Young was able to get a temporary fix completed.
Seasonal programming reminder:
Saturday, June 10, the Fifth Annual Family Fishing Derby! Registration: 7:45 am at the Pavilion. Winner of May’s Scavenger Hunt will be announced on June 10.
21. Executive Session: – None
22. Misc. – None
23. Adjournment
Time: 7:30pm
Member Berry moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:30pm with a second from Member Widger. Motion carried by voice vote with all voting ayes.
