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County commissioners send courthouse steps project out for bid

Posted February 13, 2015 10:00 pm

By Pete Spitler The Herald Tribune

CHESTER -- The crumbling concrete at the main entrance of the Randolph County Courthouse may be an eyesore for not much longer, as the County Board of Commissioners voted on Friday to send a repair and security upgrade project out for bid.

According to Quadrant Designs Principal Architect Michael Schneider, the project has an estimated cost of "over $50,000" with completion expected by June 15.

"It will be repairing and replacing concrete that has crumbled," said Schneider in a phone interview with the Herald Tribune on Friday. "(The commissioners) needed to add these bollards, so now was a good time to do concrete work."

Bollards are short, vertical posts that can be constructed out of steel or concrete and are typically used to direct road traffic or prevent passage of motor vehicles.

And it is the latter use that the commissioners are intending to use the bollards for at the courthouse entrance, with eight expected to be installed.

"In the building assessment report last year, one of the biggest issues was security," Schneider said. "The intent is to keep the courthouse functional the way it is now."

The county has received a $75,000 grant from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to help with the cost of the project. During Friday's county board meeting, Schneider estimated that it will take a month to approve the bids.

"One thing about it is it is a one-time expenditure," said Commissioner David Holder. "You do it once and forget about it for an extended period of time."

Construction on the project could begin in March. Randolph County Sheriff Shannon Wolff asked the commissioners about the possibility of it interfering with the Drew Peterson proceedings and was told by Board Chairman Marc Kiehna that workers will be informed not to work on the project during that timeframe.

Also during the meeting, Randolph County Clerk Pat Laramore reported the Nov. 4 general election cost the county $45,831.44, with more than $30,200 going toward election judge costs.

Laramore said judges were paid $150 each if they were trained, plus a small mileage fee for picking up supplies and returning supplies.

The county was reimbursed $8,550 for election judge costs and paid out $821.84 in overtime. An additional $20,178 was spent on supplies.

"This is what it costs in my office to do it," Laramore said. "There's not much I can do to change it. Mileage can go down a bit, but judges are the main cost of it."

Slightly more than half (11,518) of the county's 20,792 registered voters participated in the general election, with a cost per vote of $3.98.

According to data provided to the media, the county's most expensive election since November 1992 was the March 2004 primary election, which cost a total of $79,113.07 at $13.38 per vote.

That year, then-State Sen. Barack Obama won the primary election to secure his Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.

Four years later, he would be elected president.

Also during Friday's meeting, County Treasurer Justin S. Jeffers presented the annual financial report for the period beginning December 1, 2013 and ending November 30, 2014.

"These statements reflect the bank ledgers in our books to the penny," Jeffers said, who added that his office will not publish the report, but anyone who wishes to receive a copy can contact his office to receive one.

Among the figures highlighted by Jeffers are reimbursements made to the Randolph County Care Center by the State of Illinois. Reimbursements were slightly over $135,000 in fiscal year 2014, which Jeffers said were $68,000 less than fiscal year 2013.

"Some of these issues are state-related as far as why those amounts are less," Jeffers said.

Total budget disbursements for the period were $7,534,706.95 compared to $7,988,005.92 in receipts. That left the county with a balance of $453,298.97 as of Nov. 30.

"We anticipated declining fund balances as (the county) was running a deficit," said Holder, who is the board's budget director. "I'm anticipating we will not have such a drop in fund balances by the end of this fiscal year."

Overall, Jeffers said he was pleased with the comprehensiveness of the report.

"From being here as shortly as I have, it's put together well," said Jeffers, who was elected treasurer in the November general election. "They money coming in (from the state) was less than last year, but we just handled the money."

General assistance claims for the period were $1,400. Holder said the board has received its first invoice from the Human Service Center for administrative costs.

The invoice amounted to $18,000. The county has budgeted $12,000 of that amount with the remainder coming from Southern Illinois Mental Health Services.

"By the next two-week period, we will start to see administrative costs start to appear," Holder said.

Care Center

Randolph County Care Center Administrator Ken Slavens reported he is waiting for auditors to tie up the center's final financial information and told the commissioners they will receive a monthly report in the future.

Kiehna asked Slavens to provide the board with a report on the center's physical therapy department and also its laundry service.

"Just give us a scope of the job you do down there," Kiehna said.

The Care Center reported 67 residents for the period.

Health Department

Randolph County Health Department Administrator Thomas Smith reported to the board on an employee donation expenditure to St. Mary's School. Employees donate $1 on Fridays to be able to wear blue jeans to work.

"This is going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Gateway Chapter," Smith said. "We're just adding to (St. Mary's) donation."

The Society's Gateway Chapter serves Southern Illinois, eastern Missouri and all of Arkansas.

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