Kankakee Times

Iroquois County Board met June 10.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The Iroquois County Board met in Regular Session at the Administrative Center in Watseka, IL on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 9 A.M. Chairman Ducat called the meeting to order and asked County Clerk Breein Suver to call the roll.

STATE OF ILLINOIS

IROQUOIS COUNTY

Roll call and votes in Iroquois County

Regular Session, June 10, 2025

Chairman Ducat

On motion to call the roll

Aye: Alt, Bakken, Bard, Behrends, Bence, Crow, Ducat, Geiger, Grant, Huse, Munsterman, Perkinson, Watts, Williams

Absent: McGinnis, Whitlow

PRAYER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Mrs. Munsterman introduced Reverend Doug Minton, Pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church of Milford, IL, who gave the opening prayer after which the Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.

AGENDA

It was moved by Mrs. Crow and seconded to approve the agenda. The motion carried by a voice vote.

MINUTES

It was moved by Mrs. Bakken and seconded to approve the minutes from the May 13, 2025 Recessed Session County Board meeting. The motion carried by a voice vote.

PAYROLL

It was moved by Mr. Williams and seconded to approve the May payroll. The motion carried by a roll call vote.

STATE OF ILLINOIS

IROQUOIS COUNTY

Roll call and votes in Iroquois County

Regular Session, June 10, 2025

Chairman Ducat

On motion to approve the May payroll

Aye: Alt, Bakken, Bard, Behrends, Bence, Crow, Ducat, Geiger, Grant, Huse, Munsterman, Perkinson, Watts, Williams

Absent: McGinnis, Whitlow

COUNTY BOARD SERVICES

Charlie Alt - $255.00

Jamie Bakken - $228.98

Roger Bard - $150.00

Lyle Behrends - $173.08

Mitchell Bence - $150.00

Donna Crow - $331.20

Doug Geiger - $158.40

John Grant - $237.78

Steve Huse  - $213.00

Jody Munsterman - $189.90

Kathleen Perkinson - $314.80

Scott Wattsb - $202.88

Gerald Whitlow- $ 213.00

Raymond Williams- $476.36

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Kira Ebert, Chief of Staff for State Representative Jason Bunting, reported that Peace Meals are back and available in Iroquois County at the following establishments: Cindy’s Roadside Café in Buckley, Cissna Park Restaurant in Cissna Park, The Watseka Table in Watseka, and Bert’s Place in Milford. She also gave details about a Summer Reading Program sponsored by Representative Bunting open to children from Kindergarten to 5th grade.

Michael Thompson, Chebanse Township Road Commissioner and Adam Weber, Ashkum Township Road Commissioner spoke to the Board about the bid that was received from IPC for a bridge in their area. They have been in the process of getting the bridge replaced for the past 11 years. They encouraged the Board to accept the bid for the project now, while there is federal funding secured for a large part of the project. It is anticipated that the amount will only keep increasing and it was also noted the funding will not always be available.

Mrs. Crow welcomed Monte Andrews, the new PCOM for the Tri-County Rural Transportation District consisting of Iroquois, Ford, and Livingston counties. She also introduced Angela Frary, the new Animal Control Administrator.

CHAIRMAN COMMENTS

Chairman Ducat stressed the importance of the bridge project which will be presented later in the meeting and that was discussed by the Road Commissioners present.

OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS

There were no outside organization reports.

MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Mrs. Perkinson, Chairman of the Management Services Committee, gave the report of her committee and moved for adoption. The motion was seconded and carried by a roll call vote.

STATE OF ILLINOIS

IROQUOIS COUNTY

Roll call and votes in Iroquois County

Regular Session, June 10, 2025

Chairman Ducat

On motion to approve the Management Services Committee report

Aye: Alt, Bakken, Bard, Behrends, Bence, Crow, Ducat, Geiger, Grant, Huse, Munsterman, Perkinson, Watts, Williams

Absent: McGinnis, Whitlow

STATE OF ILLINOIS

IROQUOIS COUNTY

County Board, Regular Session

June 10, A.D., 2025

Mr. Chairman and members of the County Board:

Your Committee to whom was referred Management Services would beg leave to submit the following report on the matters before them:

Your Committee met at the Administrative Center on June 2, 2025 at 9:06 A.M. Members present were Kathleen Perkinson, Jamie Bakken, Donna Crow, Roger Bard, Scott Watts and John Grant. Also present, County Board Chairman Paul Ducat, Finance Manager Jill Johnson, Maintenance Supervisor Chris Drake, ETS Director Eric Raymond and County Board member Charlie Alt.

The meeting was called to order.

It was moved by Scott Watts and seconded by Donna Crow to approve the agenda. Motion carried by a voice vote.

During public comments, ETS Director Eric Raymond addressed the committee regarding an issue with the 911 communications tower stating EMA Director Scott Anderson installed his weather station on the communications tower without any discussion or permission being granted. Raymond said he has requested Anderson remove the weather station from the tower as there is the potential to disrupt emergency communications. The weather station device is currently running horizontally in front of one of the new Starcom antennas. Raymond added there are many other places in and along the outside of the building where the device can be mounted. Raymond said Anderson recommended he contact Motorola to confirm if there will be any challenges or disruptions. Raymond has not been in contact with Motorola yet. Finance Manager Jill Johnson said she spoke with County Board Chairman Paul Ducat regarding the matter and Anderson has intentions to relocate the weather station. Lastly, Raymond reported the go-live date for Starcom was May 27th and there has only been one known challenge with reception.

Maintenance Supervisor Chris Drake’s report included the following:

• Heat pump in the USDA breakroom needed charged.

• Carpets were cleaned and tile floors were stripped and waxed in the USDA Office over the holiday weekend.

• Depending on the budget, Drake would like to have the hallway floors in the Administrative Building stripped and waxed as well.

• Parking lots at the Administrative Building are scheduled to be seal-coated and striped this summer. Drake will inform staff in advance so they can make alternate parking arrangements.

• The Jail experienced some drain issues that Drake was able to take care of.

• Maintenance trucks were serviced.

• Flowers were planted at the Courthouse.

• Outback Pumping is a new vendor that will be used at the Jail replacing Hiltz. Watts provided an update on the County Farm stating the crop is up on all fields, grass is coming up where the waterway was seeded and the mowing has been done. Watts said he would like fertilizer to go out for bid in August.

The committee discussed long-term maintenance Capital Improvement projects for the next budget year. Drake stated all building roofs are in good condition. The steps at the Courthouse need repaired. Johnson added that the parking lots are on an every three year rotation and $20,000 is budgeted each year for heat pumps. In addition, the Truist loan (BB&T – SmartWatt project) is paid from the capital expense line. Beginning in 2026, additional payments can be made to this loan. Johnson is including an additional payment of $43,410 as requested by the County Board when the loan first originated and will also budget an additional $10,000 each year. Sheriff Clint Perzee is getting estimates for repairs to the Jail basement floor. Items to consider for the Animal Control Building include additional kennel runs. Johnson would also like to revisit installing guillotine doors in the kennel runs as previously requested. Drake added that the HVAC system is in good working order and the roof is also in good condition. The interior of the building has damage from the animals. Crow stated there is believed to be a market for grooming services and the building has the potential to add this service. Further discussion will be held at the Health committee meeting.

Management chairman Kathleen Perkinson provided an update on the boardroom configuration stating the room was rearranged this morning. The next step is to work with AreaWide on the AV system. The committee provided their feedback on the arrangement of the boardroom.

The committee reviewed the claims. It was moved by John Grant and seconded by Jamie Bakken to pay the claims, subject to County Board approval. A roll call vote was taken. Motion carried.

There was no old business.

There was no new business.

As there was no further business to come before the committee, it was moved by Crow and seconded by Bakken to adjourn at 9:43 A.M. Motion carried.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

s/Kathleen Perkinson

s/Jamie Bakken

s/Donna Crow

s/Roger Bard

s/Scott Watts

s/John Grant

STATE SENATOR CHRIS BALKEMA

State Senator Chris Balkema was present to speak to the Board about the happenings with the General Assembly in Springfield. He introduced Anna HagAn, who is working as an intern with his office this summer. He confirmed that he will be opening an office in the Administrative Center in Watseka. He encouraged all in attendance to reach out to him or his staff with any questions or concerns and confirmed that he is eager to get back to work in Springfield for the people within the 53rd Senate District.

FINANCE/IT

Mr. Watts, Chairman of the Finance/IT Committee, gave the report of his committee and moved for adoption. The motion was seconded and carried by a roll call vote.

STATE OF ILLINOIS

IROQUOIS COUNTY

Roll call and votes in Iroquois County

Regular Session, June 10, 2025

Chairman Ducat

On motion to approve the Finance/IT Committee report

Aye: Bakken, Bard, Behrends, Bence, Crow, Ducat, Geiger, Grant, Huse, Munsterman, Perkinson, Watts, Williams

Absent: Alt, McGinnis, Whitlow

STATE OF ILLINOIS

IROQUOIS COUNTY

County Board, Regular Session

June 10, A.D., 2025

Mr. Chairman and members of the County Board:

Your Committee to whom was referred Finance/I.T. would beg leave to submit the following report on the matters before them:

Your committee met at the Administrative Center on June 2, 2025 at 10:00 A.M. Members present were Scott Watts, Kathleen Perkinson, Doug Geiger, Charlie Alt, Jamie Bakken and Donna Crow. Also present, County Board Chairman Paul Ducat, Finance Manager Jill Johnson, County Clerk Breein Suver, Sheriff Clint Perzee, Treasurer Kurt Albers, ETS Director Eric Raymond, Supervisor of Assessments Mia McCammon, County Engineer Alan Harwood, Superintendent of Veterans Assistance Jennifer Ingram, Chief Deputy Kallie Riddle, Suzie Werner with HomeStar Insurance and Jeff Facer and Adam Sadorus with AreaWide Technologies.

The meeting was called to order.

It was moved by Doug Geiger and seconded by Donna Crow to approve the agenda. Motion carried by a voice vote.

There were no public comments.

Suzie Werner with HomeStar Insurance reported the medical loss ratio is currently at 105.4%, which is a decrease from last month’s 140%. The closer this number gets to 80%, the better our renewal will be in December.

Jeff Facer with AreaWide Technologies revisited the new EDR (End-Point Detection and Response) tool that was discussed last month. The software was approved last month but was not communicated to AreaWide. Facer also discussed the age of the servers. Facer said we are currently running a 2012 R2 which has not been supported by Microsoft for several years. This poses a major weakness in our security and needs to be upgraded. Lastly, Facer discussed the KnowBe4 education tool which sends out fake emails. The employee must make an educated decision on whether or not to open the email. Training is provided in the event the email is opened. Finance Manager Jill Johnson stated that KnowBe4 is renewed every year and is currently set up for emails to be sent monthly. We also have the capability of designing the emails that are sent. ETS Director Eric Raymond let Facer know that the link sent in the educational emails is protected by Mimecast.

The department heads gave their monthly reports. They are as follows:

• Finance Manager Jill Johnson reported the FY2023 audit has been closed, and she is working on the FY2024 audit. A meeting with the auditors is being held next Monday to review fund balances. Budget worksheets and budget hearing schedules were sent to department heads. Johnson said she also sent revenue and grant fund information. Budget hearings are scheduled for June 23rd in the County Board room and June 24th in the employee breakroom.

• Sheriff Clint Perzee reported the go live date for Starcom was May 20th for the radio system. There were some issues at dispatch, but they are being worked through. The annual DOC Jail inspection report was received with no deficiencies and commendations on the Jail, staff and progress made. Verizon phones have been distributed to the patrol deputies. Daniel Brutlag was hired for the open Corrections position. Currently, the Sheriff’s Department is fully staffed. Applications are being accepted through June 19th for Deputy Sheriff’s to form a hiring list. The physical agility portion of the process will be held January 21st and the written exam will be held the following Saturday. Shon Johnson will officially retire from his Correctional Officer position on June 5th marking 27 years of service for Iroquois County. Lastly, Perzee said he was approached by a County Board member inquiring about the flooring project at the Courthouse and Jail. Perzee said the tiles, which are asbestos tiles, are starting to come loose in some areas of the floor and will need to be addressed. Perzee asked Johnson to add the project to the capital improvement list. Perzee also spoke with a certified asbestos abator, and they offered to provide us with a cost estimate. Once removed, a decision will need to be made on the type of flooring that will replace the tiles.

• Treasurer Kurt Albers reported Devnet printed and mailed the property tax bills on May 19th. Collection of payments has begun with due dates of July 7th and September 8th.

• County Clerk Breein Suver reported she is working on the FY2026 budget for her department. An IVRS grant is received each year from the State Board of Elections, but Suver said she will not know the amount received in time for budget hearings. The reimbursement for election judges from the consolidated

election was received in the amount of $9,295 which amounts to $65 per election judge. We also received reimbursement for the death certificate surcharge grant for FY2024 in the amount of $1,297. The surcharge is received from a portion $2 that is collected from each certified copy of a death certificate we issue. This money can be used for equipment or services for the production of death certificates.

• Supervisor of Assessments Mia McCammon reported she is working on the FY2026 budget for her department. State’s Attorney Mike Quinlan approved a resolution, and action will be taken at the Tax/Planning & Zoning committee meeting tomorrow. The resolution is to authorize the County to charge a fee to the townships and multi-townships that are not completing their assessment work.

• ETS Director Eric Raymond reported a resignation in the 911 Center. The vacancy has been posted, and interviews will begin soon. There were some challenges with Starcom but they are being remedied. Currently there are 8 dispatchers in the 911 Center. Full staff is considered to be 9 dispatchers, but Raymond is requesting approval to hire a 10th dispatcher. Charlie Alt added that he has been overseeing the 911 Center for many years now and recognizes that Raymond is very busy. He believes that a 10th dispatcher is needed.

County Engineer Alan Harwood provided the committee with salary information provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Harwood was hired at a salary of $136,000 for the period of July 15, 2024 through December 31, 2024. Harwood’s salary increased to $140,000 for the period of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025. IDOT determines what they deem to be the minimum recommended salary. Harwood is paid with Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funds. If his salary is at least 95% of the required minimum rate, then MFT is reimbursed 50% by federal funds. For FY2025, the recommended minimum salary is $138,700 with Harwood’s salary being set at $140,000. Harwood said the trend is for the recommended salary to increase by 2%. Harwood will be requesting a 2% salary increase during budget hearings.

Discussion was held on the loan request from Veterans Assistance. Superintendent of Veterans Assistance Jennifer Ingram stated she was notified approximately two weeks ago by the Treasurer’s Office that the Veterans Assistance account was overdrawn. County Board Chairman Paul Ducat approved a loan of $15,000 and Ingram is requesting an additional $30,000 to be paid back over the next three years. The previous loan given to Veterans Assistance has been paid in full. Ingram said she believes the issue lies with her cash flow and when the tax distributions are made. There have been a few unexpected expenses such as an increased phone bill and cremation fees for indigent veterans. Johnson suggested adding an additional miscellaneous line item rather than budgeting to the penny and also believes there should be more communication between Veterans Assistance and the Treasurer’s Office about fund balances. Johnson also suggested monthly payments be made rather than a lump sum. County Board Chairman Paul Ducat inquired about the members that serve on the Veterans Assistance Board. Ingram will provide the committee with a list of board members and stated that Charlie Alt is a liaison. The Veterans Assistance board is aware of the discrepancy. Lastly, Ducat inquired on the hiring of additional staff. A full-time employee was hired at $34,560 per year and this addition was budgeted. It was moved by Crow and seconded by Jamie Bakken to advance $45,000 from the General Fund to Veterans Assistance to be paid over the next three fiscal years. A roll call vote was taken. Motion carried.

The committee continued discussion of hiring an additional telecommunicator in the 911 Center. ETS Director Eric Raymond stated he is looking to hire a 10th dispatcher to reduce the amount of overtime. Bakken asked Raymond to explain the shift schedules and how hiring an additional employee will reduce overtime. Raymond explained that the dispatchers work a 6-day week with 4 days on and 2 days off. There are 2 dispatchers working per shift. The starting salary for a dispatcher is $20.20 per hour with an average new hire cost of approximately $51,000. Raymond also said the ETS Board supports the hiring of an additional employee. The current overtime budget is $90,000 and Raymond would like to reduce this to $70,000. Currently, part-time staff are not permitted per the FOP contract. Johnson inquired about the assistant that was budgeted. Raymond said the position was budgeted but the position was not filled. He will be including the position again for the upcoming budget year. Finance Chairman Scott Watts asked the committee for a motion on hiring an additional telecommunicator. No motion was made.

The Finance Committee reports received by the department heads were discussed. Watts will speak with the Treasurer’s Office about submitting their reports to the committee in addition to the County Board. The vendor list provided by Johnson will be distributed quarterly.

There were no Finance chairman comments.

The committee reviewed the claims. It was moved by Bakken and seconded by Crow to pay the claims subject to County Board approval. A roll call vote was taken. Motion carried. There was no old business.

There was no new business.

As there was no further business to come before the committee, it was moved by Bakken and seconded by Crow to adjourn at 11:27 A.M. Motion carried by a voice vote. All of which is respectfully submitted.

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