The Jasper County Board held its regular monthly meeting last Thursday night in Newton, covering a variety of county matters and updates. Here are the highlights:
Financial & Administrative
- May expenses were approved, totaling $358,464.
- Animal Control: The resignation of Animal Control Warden Austin Ferguson was accepted, effective end of June. Applications for the position closed last Friday.
Highway Department
- Approved a preliminary engineering services agreement for a North Muddy Township bridge project.
- Noted that the bridge on County Road 500N over Big Muddy Creek (South Muddy Township) is now load posted at 5 tons due to settlement of a bridge pier.
- Reported that mowing of highway right-of-ways is approximately 50% complete.
Health Department
- Phase 1 renovations at the east end of the Health Department building (paint, flooring, HVAC) are expected to be completed by mid-July.
- The recent audit showed 100% compliance with no findings.
Emergency Services
- The Ambulance Service is now fully staffed.
County Projects & Facilities
- For the County Office Building’s South Entrance & Parking Lot ADA improvements, Stone & Waggoner agreed to cover the cost of extending the parking pavement at no additional charge.
- Work continues on the final draft for the Jasper County Courthouse project.
Appointments & Decisions
- Austin Francis was appointed to the South Central Illinois Regional Planning & Development Commission.
- A motion to issue a letter of support for the Village of Montrose to apply for Energy Transition Community Grant funds was voted down.
Other Announcements
- 2024 County Property Tax bills will be mailed out soon, with due dates in August and September.
- Jasper County remains one of 35 counties in Illinois challenging the state’s 2023 firearms and magazine ban.
- An executive session was held to discuss litigation.
The Board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 17.