Fulton County Board Committee Minutes
Fulton County Board Office, 257 West Lincoln Street, Lewistown, IL 61542
Phone 309-547-0901 / Fax 309-547-3326 / 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: January 3, 2023
CALL IN INFORMATION:
Call in number: (425) 436-6382
Meeting code: 5189940 #
1. Call to Order
Time: 6:34pm
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: Chris Helle ESDA Director, John Young – Campground Superintendent, Julie Russell – Supervisor of Assessment, Justin Jochums – States Attorney
Staff: Cindy Simpson – Fulton County Board Administrative Assistant
Guests: None
2. Roll Call
Roll call was taken, quorum present
3. Call for Additions/Deletions To and Approval of the Agenda
Member Murphy moved to approve the agenda with a second from Member Berry. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
4. Approval of Previous Minutes – December 6 – Property & Courts, December 13, 2022 – Public Safety & Campground
Member Berry moved to approve the minutes from December 6 – Property & Courts, December 13, 2022 – Public Safety & Campground with a second from Member Kumer. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
5. Announcements, Communications and Correspondence – None
6. Public Remarks
Name: Sue Scott
Address: Dunfermline, IL
Topic: Village Of Dunfermline Warning Siren
Speaker did not attend the meeting.
Chris Helle Director of ESDA, stated he will work with the Village of Dunfermline regarding their siren issue. Member Williams stated he received a call regarding the Smithfield siren not working for approximately 5 years. Director Helle will look into the issue and report back to the committee.
7. Claims
a. Discussion/Action: Claims
Member Berry moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Murphy. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
8. Old Business
a. Discussion/Action: Capital Projects Fund – Pulled
b. Discussion/Action: Property Repairs – Pulled
Member Murphy moved to pull agenda items 8a and 8b with a second from Member Berry. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
9. New Business
a. Discussion: Property tour of Jail and Courthouse – Tabled
b. Discussion/Action: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District contract discussion
Member Williams discussed the lease with MWRD. Justin Jochums, States Attorney, stated members that agreed to the lease agreement are no longer working for the county.
Supervisor of Assessment, Julie Russell, stated the 4 parcels the campground is paying taxes on for 2021 total approximately $9,000.00. Russell stated the taxes for the additional house on the property is approximately $2,000.00 per year. Superintendent Young stated the house the additional property taxes are being paid is in disrepair and the county has no access to the property. One additional issue is the crop land is included on the assessment of the property with the house and the county does not receive any income from the land being farmed.
Member Williams does not see why the county would have to pay taxes on farm ground that the county is not receiving cash rent or income from. Member Williams would like to have a discussion with MWRD regarding these issues in the future.
PUBLIC SAFETY
10. Policies – None
11. Declaration of Surplus Property – None
12. Claims
a. Sheriff
Sheriff Webb reported the first Sheriff claims were $721.98. Member Murphy moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Kumer. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
Sheriff Webb reported the second Sheriff claims were $12,568.68. Member Murphy moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Kumer. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
b. Jail
Sheriff Webb reported the total Jail claims were $7,081.04. Member Kumer moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Murphy. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
c. Animal Control
Sheriff Webb reported the first Animal Control claims were $720.81. Member Kumer moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Widger. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
Sheriff Webb reported the second Animal Control claims were $454.01. Member Kumer moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Widger. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
d. Merit
Sheriff Webb reported the total Merit claims were $605.00. Member Kumer moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Murphy. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
13. ESDA
a. ESDA Claims
Director Helle reported the total ESDA claims were $350.82. Member Kumer moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Murphy. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
14. Old Business
15. New Business
a. Discussion/Action: Resolution: Jay Valencia – Appointment – Merit Commission
Member Kumer inquired if Jay Valencia is a Democrat to replace Todd Fletcher. Member Williams stated the appointment is a Democrat.
Member Murphy moved to approve the resolution with a second from Member Barclay. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
b. Discussion/Action: Filing Complaint with Board of Review
Campground Superintendent John Young discussed the house on the property that the county is paying taxes on. Young stated the house needs to be demolished.
Members inquired who would pay to demolish the house. Chairman Spangler stated there are discussion needed with MWRD regarding the property and the lease agreement.
Member Murphy moved to approve Superintend Young to file a complaint with the Board of Review regarding the property taxes for the additional house on the campground leased property with a second from Member Widger. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
16. Campground
a. Campground Claims
Superintendent Young reported the first Campground claims were $4,632.44. Member Berry moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Murphy. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
Superintendent Young reported the second Campground claims were $43.62. Member Berry moved to approve the claims with a second from Member Murphy. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
b. Web claims
17. Old Business – None
18. New Business – None
19. Fulton County Camping and Rec
a. Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Young reported over 20% of the campground campers have paid for the 2023 camping season. The final date to pay the campground contracts is January 15, 2023. The numbers are similar for the power bills being paid.
Communications with Mid-Century have resolved the easement issues and the fiber optics project is starting to progress.
The campground wait list is currently 43 for the 2023 season. The campground has eight electric sites and three non-electric sites open to the public and seven electric sites and two non-electric sites available for the campers 2023 bidding cycle.
Superintendent Young gained permission from MWRD’s legal department December 29, 2022, to do an inspection of the house across from the Little Sister Loop boat ramp. The house was not secure and all the basement windows are out. There is mold and animal feces present in the house and the house is uninhabitable. Young hopes to file a complaint with the Board of Review to reduce the taxes the campground pays.
Spoon River Electric Co-op’s rates will be going up approximately 10% in 2023 per the letter received on December 16, 2022.
The Campground is working on the 2023 calendar of events and the tentative list of events and dates are subject to change. There will be both live and passive programs. A finalized list will be coming out soon.
April
• Come Fly a Kite
• Morell Mushroom Contest*
May
• Veterans’ Fishing Derby
• Natural Scavenger Hunt*
June
• Family Fishing Derby
August
• Back-to-schoolpalooza
September
• Fart Squirrel 5K Color Run for Charity
*passive programming
20. Executive Session: – None
21. Misc. – None
22. Adjournment
Time: 7:19pm
Member Kumer moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:19pm with a second from Member Sloan. Motion carried by roll call vote (7-0).
Minutes Property Public Safety Campground Jan 3 2023
