County Board Approves Enterprise Zone Expansion; Gets Word About Settlement of Civil Suit

Effingham County Board members Monday approved an expansion of the Effingham City/County Enterprise Zone. The expansion will include the land owned by Stevens Industries, including a rail siding, south across US Route 40 from the main Stevens plant in Teutopolis. 

Stevens officials requested the expansion of the zone to accommodate an expansion of their Teutopolis operation that will mean 15 additional jobs. Inclusion in the Enterprise Zone will qualify Stevens for tax benefits including materials used on the expansion project.

Board members were briefed by State's Attorney Bryan Kibler on the settlement of a civil suit brought against the County that will cost the County $5,000. Kibler said the County admits no wrongdoing in the settlement. He said if the case went to trial, it could mean as much as $36,000 in attorney fees.

The lawsuit was filed by Kirk Allen of the Edgar County Watchdogs against the County after a Freedom of Information Act request was filed by Allen for a document that Kibler said the County could not produce. Kibler said that was because a third party administrator had possession of the document in question, and would not turn it over.

Kibler said the case has drawn interest statewide since it could change case law regarding Freedom of Information Act requests in Illinois. 

Kibler said he and County Board Chairman Jim Niemann have the authority to move ahead with finalizing the case; he was simply making the Board aware of the action and wanting to address any questions about the matter.

The Board reduced the number of seats on its Ambulance Oversight Committee by one. The move gives the committee an odd number of seats. In committee, the Board discussed filling one seat to replace retired Effingham Fire Chief Bob Tutko with another person from the fire service, but to eliminate a seat that had been filled by a member of the general public.

Board members also approved the purchase of a SUV for Animal Control for up to $23,000, and approved a $3,000 donation of hotel/motel revenue to Poss Music Works for a stage for concerts at Lake Sara. The Board also approved the salary of the County Public Defender for the next year. State law requires that in counties with a population of 30,000 or more, such as Effingham County, the public defender's salary must be at least 90% of the State's Attorney's salary.

Board member John Perry voted No on the measure, saying it's too much money.

Also Monday, Effingham County Clerk Kerry Hirtzel announced to the Board that his office, and the offices of County Treasurer Paula Miller and County Supervisor of Assessments Pam Braun would be closed this Friday to make way for the EffingHAM-JAM. The statement released by Hirtzel said that the event requires street and parking lot closures that would be inconvenient for his employees and those wishing to use the affected offices.

Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns said the County Office Building would be open Friday, though for access for the public to his office and to public restroom facilities in the building.

Miller announced that the property tax cycle is moving ahead, and that property tax bills should go in the mail within the next two to three weeks.