Kankakee Times

Iroquois County Board met Dec. 7

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

The Iroquois County Board met in Organizational Session at 9 A.M. The meeting was conducted electronically, via Zoom, under Phase 4 of the Governor’s Plan to reopen the State of Illinois and Executive Order 2020-59. The phased opening and executive order were issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they require social distancing measures to be taken to stop the spread of the highly contagious virus and also suspend certain provisions of the Illinois Open Meetings Act to allow for public bodies to continue their course of business during the public health emergency.

County Clerk Breein Suver called the meeting to order. As there were no objections, she confirmed that she would be moving Article III, Approve Agenda after Article VI, County Clerk Calls the Roll, on the agenda in order to administer the Oath of Office to the newly elected County Board members before any vote would be required.

PRAYER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Mrs. Offill introduced Reverend Roy Johnson, Pastor of the First Christian Church in Watseka, who gave the opening prayer after which the Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Supervisor of Assessments Bob Yergler spoke to the Board about a letter that was sent out by his office with assessment change notices. The letter was an explanation of the implementation of the land use map layer in the GIS Mapping system effective for Assessment year 2020 payable 2021. The assessment notices were sent to note the change in assessment from the old manual calculation of acreage to the computer calculation of acreage. The land use is broken down in different land uses, such as: Cropland, Pasture, Homesite, Waterland, etc. Bob confirmed that farmland assessment is very complex and he realizes many members of the Board have been receiving phone calls regarding the assessment changes; he would like all callers to be directed to the Assessment Office with any questions.

OATH OF OFFICE

County Clerk Breein Suver administered the oath of office to newly elected County Board members that were present, including: Chad McGinnis, Michael McTaggart, Barbara Offill, Ernest Curtis, David Penny, Thomas Lynch, Sherry Johnson, and Kevin Coughenour. Charles Alt and Kevin Bohlmann will take their oath at a different date.

County Clerk Breein Suver called the roll.

On motion to call the roll

Aye: Bard, Behrends, Bowers, Coughenour, Curtis, Duby*, Ducat, Huse, Johnson, Lynch, McGinnis, McTaggart, Offill, Penny, Shure, Young*, Zumwalt

Absent: Alt, Bohlmann, Crow

*indicates Board member in attendance via Zoom

It was moved by Mr. Ducat and seconded to approve the agenda. The motion carried by a roll call vote.

On motion to approve the agenda

Aye: Bard, Behrends, Bowers, Coughenour, Curtis, Duby, Ducat, Huse, Johnson, Lynch, McGinnis, McTaggart, Offill, Penny, Shure, Young, Zumwalt

Absent: Alt, Bohlmann, Crow

NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIRMAN

It was moved by Mr. Ducat and seconded to nominate John Shure as Chairman of the County Board. As there were no further nominations for Chairman of the County Board, it was moved by Mr. Bard and seconded to close nominations for Chairman of the County Board. John Shure was elected Chairman of the County Board by a roll call vote.

On motion to confirm John Shure as Chairman of the County Board

Aye: Bard, Behrends, Bowers, Coughenour, Curtis, Ducat, Huse, Johnson, Lynch, McGinnis, McTaggart, Offill, Penny, Shure, Young, Zumwalt

Nay: Duby

Absent: Alt, Bohlmann, Crow

NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIRMAN

It was moved by Mr. Bowers and seconded to nominate Lyle Behrends as Vice Chairman of the County Board. As there were no further nominations for Vice Chairman of the County Board, it was moved by Mr. Bard and seconded to close nominations for Vice Chairman of the County Board. Lyle Behrends was elected Vice Chairman of the County Board by a roll call vote.

Chairman Shure

On motion to confirm Lyle Behrends as Vice Chairman of the County Board Aye: Bard, Behrends, Bowers, Coughenour, Curtis, Duby, Ducat, Huse, Johnson, Lynch, McGinnis, McTaggart, Offill, Penny, Shure, Young, Zumwalt

Absent: Alt, Bohlmann, Crow

ADOPTION OF ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER

It was moved by Mr. Coughenour and seconded to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order for conducting County Board meetings. The motion carried by a roll call vote.

STATE OF ILLINOIS

IROQUOIS COUNTY

Roll call and votes in Iroquois County

Organizational Session, December 7, 2020

Chairman Shure

On motion to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order for conducting County Board meetings Aye: Bard, Behrends, Bowers, Coughenour, Curtis, Duby, Ducat, Huse, Johnson, Lynch, McGinnis, McTaggart, Offill, Penny, Shure, Young, Zumwalt

Absent: Alt, Bohlmann, Crow

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

Chairman Shure presented the following committee assignments. While the assignments were being reviewed, Chairman Shure went over the general meeting schedule for County Board Committees. It was moved by Mr. Curtis and seconded to approve the assignments as presented.

Chairman Shure

On motion to approve the committee assignments

Aye: Bard, Behrends, Bowers, Coughenour, Curtis, Duby, Ducat, Huse, Johnson, Lynch, McGinnis, McTaggart, Offill, Penny, Shure, Young, Zumwalt

Absent: Alt, Bohlmann, Crow

Iroquois County Board Committee Assignments - FY 2021

Management Services……………. Behrends, Alt, Bohlmann, Bowers, Ducat, Johnson, Zumwalt

Health………………………………. Offill, Bard, Coughenour, Curtis, Duby, Lynch, Zumwalt

Tax, Planning, & Zoning……….…. Bard, Zumwalt, Coughenour, Curtis, Duby, Offill, Lynch

Judicial & Public Safety……….…. Behrends, Ducat, Bard, Crow, Huse, McGinnis, Penny

Finance…………………………..… McTaggart, Alt, Bowers, Curtis, Huse, Johnson, Young,

IT………………………………..….. Young, McTaggart, Bowers, Huse, Shure

Transportation & Highway……..... Alt, Young, Crow, Ducat, Johnson, McGinnis, Zumwalt

Policy & Procedure…………...….. Shure, Behrends, Alt, Bard, Offill, McTaggart, Young

Negotiations………………..…..…. Shure, Alt, Bowers, Ducat, Young

First named is Committee Chair

Second named is Committee Vice-Chair

COUNTY OFFICIAL BONDS

County Clerk Breein Suver read the bond amounts for the newly elected County Officials. They are as follows: Circuit Clerk $100,000; County Clerk $5,000; County Recorder $10,000; Coroner $5,000; and State’s Attorney $5,000. It was moved by Mr. Coughenour and seconded to approve the bonds of the newly elected County Officials. The motion carried by a roll call vote.

Chairman Shure

On motion to approve the bonds of the newly elected County Officials

Aye: Bard, Behrends, Bowers, Coughenour, Curtis, Duby, Ducat, Huse, Johnson, Lynch, McGinnis, McTaggart, Offill, Penny, Shure, Young, Zumwalt

Absent: Alt, Bohlmann, Crow

ADJOURMENT

As there was no further business to come before the Board, it was moved by Mr. Bowers and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 9:26 A.M. The motion carried by a roll call vote. The next County Board meeting will be held at the Administrative Center, Watseka, IL on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 9:00 A.M.

http://www.co.iroquois.il.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Organizational-Session-County-Board-December-7-2020.pdf