Preparations For Courthouse Renovation Continue

By Alex Haglund

The Washington County Board met for their regular meeting for the month of January on the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the Washington County Courthouse. This will be the second-to-last meeting held at the old courthouse before its renovation begins and county offices are moved to the Nashville Community Center.

Building Committee Chair Gary Suedmeyer stated that they were planning on moving county offices out to the Community Center during the first three weeks of February, one office per week. The next county board meeting, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10 will be the last held at the courthouse.

County office holders have a large task ahead of them, especially due to the amount of records contained in the courthouse which will need to be moved.

“If anyone wants to see the scope of this project,” said board member Dave Ibendahl, “head down to the basement and see what’s all down there to be moved.”

Suedmeyer also told board members that the county would be having a surplus sale and stated that if board members were particularly attached to the chairs they sit in during the meetings, they should claim them.

Personnel

County Board chairman David Meyer stated that the personnel committee was in the process of hiring a new employee to replace the Health Department’s environmental health specialist Jamie Jones who has tendered her resignation.

Meyer stated that the committee would likely have an announcement to make regarding the position at the next meeting of the board.

The personnel committee also appointed Gary Reynolds to fill the unexpired term of James Baldwin on the board of the Masonic Cemetery. The term runs until July 1, 2017.

The board also approved certifying the newly elected position of supervisor of assessments to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF).

Highway

County Highway Director Mitch Burdick stated that the county will be seeking bids for the bridge project on County Highway 11 soon.

Burdick also said that the county will soon be seeking aggregate bids for the year. Then, the county will begin seeking bids for oil in March.

Finally, Burdick stated that, “We’ve gotten all of our salt for the year,” adding, “and I hope I won’t have to use any of it.”

Zoning

The board approved rezoning of 2.11 acres by Bill Krohne from agricultural to rural residential.

The zoning committee had given Krohne a favorable recommendation due to plans to erect a stick-built home there in the near future.