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Logan County Board
December Workshop Meeting
[December 15, 2025]
On Wednesday, December 10th,
the Logan County Board held their monthly Workshop meeting. Held
before the Regular Board meeting each month, this meeting allows for
the board to bring forward items and make motions to place on the
agenda for the regular meeting. The Workshop meeting was held in the
second-floor courtroom of the Logan County Courthouse at 6:00 p.m.
It was attended by nine of the twelve members, with one attending
virtually until they arrived later in the meeting. Present members
were Chairman James Glenn (who was virtual), Vice Chairman Dale
Nelson, Lance Conahan, Michael DeRoss, Kevin Knauer, Bob Sanders,
Kathy Schmidt, Gil Turner, and Jim Wessbecher. Absent members
included Hannah Fitzpatrick, Joseph Kuhlman, and Keenan Leesman.
Nelson led the meeting and started by asking Turner to lead the room
in a prayer. Turner shared that a county employee’s daughter was
currently in the hospital and so made sure to pray for them. Turner
then led the room in the Pledge of Allegiance as well. The previous
month’s minutes were approved, and Nelson asked the board if they
would mind moving some insurance presentations until later in the
meeting, as Glenn, who was en-route to the meeting, wanted to be
present for them. No one objected, so the change was made.
Nelson next called on Conahan, the chairman of the Building and
Grounds Committee, to give his committee report. Conahan brought
forth two change orders, one for three of the doors on the first
floor of the courthouse, and one for the modernization of the
exterior elevator at the courthouse. The cost of these change orders
was $125,000 and $150,000 respectively. Motions were made to move
these on to the regular board meeting. To read more on these orders,
please see
LDN’s article on the Building and Grounds Committee meeting from
earlier this month.
Conahan also gave an update on
something that was discussed at the aforementioned committee
meeting. The contract with Bill Walter, of MRTS, is set to expire
soon. There was some discussion at the committee meeting on whether
the contract would have to be renewed, as well as adding clear
language as to when it would end. Conahan shared that they met with
State’s Attorney Brad Hauge and was informed that they did not have
to renew it since the Courthouse Restoration project was still
incomplete. They also stated that as soon as the last four items are
finished, those being concrete replacement outside, the clock and
clock lights, the stone facade repair, and the tile floor repair,
the contract would be considered complete.
Conahan also shared that they met with Logan County Treasurer Penny
Thomas. According to Thomas, the restoration budget for the next
fiscal year, so long as all the four restoration projects get
complete, will be $4.28 million. This should leave about $900,000 in
the fund once the restoration is finished.
The next committee was
Transportation, whose chairman is Wessbecher. There were four items
with motions made to send them to the regular meeting. None of these
items were discussed. The first item was for an agreement with the
Illinois Department of Transportation to use federal money to pay
for the salary of the county engineer for 2026. The second item was
to set the salary of the county engineer at $134,742 for 2026, and
use funds from the Motor Fuel Tax to pay for the county’s share. The
third item was to take $95,000 from the Motor Fuel Tax fund to cover
“payroll related expenditures in 2026.” The final item was for an
agreement with Veenstra and Kimm for $35,175 to “design replacements
for two box culverts near Elkhart.”
Turner also asked about hunting on the county farm. According to
him, someone was supposed to speak to Hauge. Glenn stated that Hauge
still had to review some documentation, and that he is going to
follow up later this week.
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Next was the
Zoning and Economic Development Committee report, whose chairman
is DeRoss. There was only one item brought forward, a letter
from the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), to revise a fee schedule
for future energy projects to the county. In short, the change
would allow application fees to be charged in the amount of
$5,000 per megawatt that is expected to be generated, up to a
state specified amount. This would be significantly higher than
the current amount of $500 per application and would generate a
significantly higher amount of money for the county. The letter
stated that the ZBA approved this change unanimously, and so a
motion was made for the change. It was seconded and moved on to
the regular meeting.
The Safety Committee was next, with
Knauer as its chairman. Knauer brought two motions forward, both
appointing people to the Emergency Telephone System Board. These two
individuals were Hillary Cherry and Chris Boose. Both motions were
seconded and moved on.
After that was Finance, with Schmidt being the chairman. Schmidt had
one motion and one update. The motion was to approve a $4,900
donation to the Atlanta Public Museum from the Community Benefit
Fund (CBF). This motion was also moved forward. To read more on this
motion, please read
LDN’s article from the December Finance Committee meeting. The
update Schmidt gave regarded a $100,000 payment that was made from
Top Hat Windfarm to the Sheriff’s department. To read more on this
annual payment, please read the article from the Finance meeting.
This then brought the board the Executive and Personnel report,
which included the insurance presentations. The first two motions
made were regarding raffles for the Fraternal Order of Eagles, with
both moving forward. The next item was a change to the county
handbook regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The
change states that county employees may not use AI for confidential
information.
Next were the insurance presentations, of which there were two.
These presentations were lengthy, and not able to be fully recounted
here. In short, the county is considering partnering with a new
insurance broker after not being fully satisfied with their current
broker. After hearing presentations from five brokers, including
their current one, the committee narrowed it down to two. One of the
brokers would have the county join a larger co-operative to lower
costs for the county as well as the employees. The second group,
while they also have a co-op option, presented options that would
have the county working with Blue Cross Blue Shield to lower their
yearly premium increases while keeping their current plans.
After hearing from both, the board had a discussion over the
presentations, including asking county employees present which of
the two they like more. The general consensus seemed to be that the
second presentation was the preferred one, and a motion was made to
approve this company as the new insurance broker for the county.
Glenn then gave a Chair’s Report. He stated that there is a new rule
stating that wind turbines cannot be within a certain mile radius of
railroads. According to Glenn, there are turbines from the Pike
Creek Windfarm that are too close by 1/10th of a mile, and it is
being determined whether something will need to be done.
With there being no public comments, and everything else on the
agenda having been addressed, the board then voted to go into
executive session.
[Matt Boutcher]
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