Highway Department Hires Randy Farthing
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ When the Perry County Unit Road District was established two years ago there were nine laborers in the department and 17 total employees. After one retirement and another on leave for disability, the district found itself short-handed.
The work force is smaller, but not the work load. The department placed an ad in the newspaper seeking applications for a position. Thirty-five applications were received, and County Engineer Doug Bishop said he had expected even more.
County commissioners deliberated over the applications in executive session and approved the hiring of Randy Farthing. Bishop's recommendation came with the remark that Farthing was the most qualified among the applicants.
Other items on the agenda:
Approved a motion amending the county's employee contract with Laborers' International Union. Starting wages were left out of the wording of the initial contract and added as an addendum.
County Engineer Doug Bishop discussed the closing of Acorn Acres Road, located in the southeast portion of the county near Old Du Quoin. When the road was sold in January 2000, Bishop said that the road commissioner at the time followed all legal procedures to pass the road to a private owner. The road is currently cabled off.
The annual report of the Youth Court program was discussed. The program brought in over $5,000 in funds while handling 18 cases over 2008. The number of cases for the Youth Court has decreased since 2007 because the program is so effective, according to State's Attorney David Stanton.
Tabled a resolution ratifying the chairman's appointments of three members to the County Board of Health. Invitations that were sent to prospective members to be appointed were not yet returned.
Becky Tracy with the Solid Waste Management Department discussed discontinuation of paper recycling at St. Bruno's, among other places. The company in charge of the recycling is located in E. St. Louis. The company cannot get rid of the stock or recycled paper that they have, partially used for insulation, since the number of homes being built has drastically decreased. Chairman Bobby Kelly added that Pinckneyville was the second largest contributor of the recycled paper program. The company will continue to pick up paper for recycling until March 4 and the school and county are currently trying to find a new company to take their place. Jeff Ashauer added that the state has approved the funds for Pinckneyville to have its own recycling center, but that he will wait to buy the equipment until the funds are actually available.
Tracy also stated that the Solid Waste Department was in court on a trash dumping case last week with a successful outcome and fine.. Tracy made a statement to the public, "We are not out to fine people, we just want to get stuff cleaned up."