Rock Island Today

Rock Island County Committee of the Whole met Jan. 21.

Here is the minutes provided by the committee:

The Committee of the Whole of the Rock Island County Board met at the above date and time in the Board Chambers on the third floor of the County Building, 1504 Third Ave, Rock Island, IL. Chairman Brian Vyncke called the meeting to order at 5:31 PM. Minutes as follows:

1. Call to order and roll call

Members Present: K. Swanson, L. Moreno, S. Noyd, D. Cremeens, D. Mielke, L. Boswell-Loftin, P. Moreno, R. Morthland, D. Beck, R. Brunk, L. Burns, R. Simmer, D. Adams, J. Deppe, K. Maranda, R. Regan, P. Moreno, E. Langdon, A. Normoyle, JR. Westpfahl, D. Johnston

Members Absent: E. Sowards, R. Oelke

Others Present A. Palmer, L. Ewert, J. Snider, R. Gianinni, C. Przybyla

2. Public Comment

Bill Handle on Courthouse Preservation

Member P. Moreno is present at 5:36 PM

James Martin on tax proposal

Bill Long on increased taxes

Joe Lemon on the tax assessments and the Courthouse

3. Approval of minutes from November 2019 Motion to approve K. Maranda

Seconded: P. Obrien, E. Langdon

Motion carried

4. Condition of Funds Report

Auditor A. Palmer reported on the monthly finances. November 30th is the end of the fiscal year. There are 60 days by law to continue to collect revenue and invoices in the month of December. Schedules A & B,

These amounts will still be spend for trickling in expenses. One payroll was for entirely services in November. The three paycheck month will be in January. There will need to be extra cash to be able to make payroll including Hope Creek.

Grants and donations of spending money. There are a few funds that need supplement for the month of November and are notated in resolutions and transfers.

The court security fund turned out to be $50,000 in cash transferred from the general fund; 236,000 dollars; budget according to past years and what the courts will need for cases.

910000 from general fund was not needed and there is still one month to pay expenses.

Cash balances claim amounts are amounts that change from month to month. The three paycheck month in January will affect the cash balance amounts.

The health department because of cash standings, their grants are flowing. They will be catching up on payments in the outstanding loans. This should be reflected in the nest month as they will be paying past bills in full.

Hope Creek owes on the retirees and liability insurance for unemployment and worker’s compensation. They are slowly catching up on vendor payments with the property tax cycle distributions.

Member Beck asked how many 2 pay period months are within a year.

A. Palmer reported that normally there are two.

5. Staff Reports

Treasurer L. Ewert reported on the supplemental sales tax in the members’ packets received at $319,262.00. There will be more coming in because they are a month behind in posting. Monthly interest is holding at 1.49 percent. In the tax cycle there is a final distribution on Nov 5th. There was a 6th distribution to all taxing bodies at $47,436,470.47. 12 percent stays at the County Level. This distribution 95% of the total tax collected and distributed. The tax sale will be on December. Balancing out the year and the final distribution will be on January 2020.

Hope creek made the tax distribution and borrowed $818,000. There is still money owed to the liability fund for total loan debt 3 million. The last month was 3 million. The one year comparison at this same time total loan was 2.6 million. There is an RFP out for the tax anticipation warrant for the fiscal year.

6. Finance and Personnel Committee report Given by Chairman L. Moreno

7. Governance, Health and Administration Committee Report Given by Chairman B. Vyncke

8. Public Works & Facilities Committee Report Given by Chairman L. Burns

9. Approval of the County Board Agenda Motion to approve D. Adams Seconded

Motion carried

Motion by R. Regan 2nd. Seconded by D. Mielke A roll call vote was taken to strike item 10a.

Chairman Brunk stated that this was to put the item to a voters for consideration and a continued effort to shift burden away from property taxes. He described it as a “user” tax for purchases and would shift the burden from the County residents and the property taxes in addition to other measures.

Member Reagan requested a roll call vote.

Chairman Vyncke stated that this was to present it to the votes.

Roll call vote as follows:

K. Swanson No 

L. Moreno No 

S. Noyd No 

D. Cremeens No 

L. Boswell-Loftin No 

D. Mielke Yes 

P. Obrien No 

R. Morthand Yes 

D. Beck No

R. Brunk No 

L. Burns No 

R. Simmer No 

J. Deppe No 

K. Maranda No 

B. Regan Yes 

P. Moreno No 

E. Langdon No 

A. Normoyle No 

B. Westpfahl Yes 

D. Johnston No 

B. Vyncke No

17 No votes

4 Yes votes

Item 10A will remain on the County Board Agenda.

10. The Committee of the Whole may enter into Closed Session for the following: A roll call vote was taken.

Motion P. O Brien

K. Swanson Yes 

L. Moreno Yes 

S. Noyd Yes 

D. Cremeens Yes 

L. Boswell-Loftin Yes 

D. Mielke Yes 

P. Obrien Yes

R.Morthand Yes

D.Beck Yes

R.Brunk Yes

L.Burns Yes

R.Simmer Yes

J.Deppe Yes

K.Maranda Yes

B. Reagan Yes

P.Moreno Yes

E.Langdon Yes

A.Normoyle Yes

B.Westpfahl No

D. Johnston Yes

B. Vyncke Yes

The committee entered closed session at 6:18 PM

The Committee entered open session at 7:10 PM with a motion by E. Langdon and a second by R. Simmer. A Voice vote was taken.

Board Member Opportunity for Brief Comment

Mr. J. Deppe stated that this Saturday there would be a ceremony at Rock Island Arsenal to lay wreaths on the graves and all are welcomed to attend.

https://pipeline.locaMr. Swanson stated “At our last County Board meeting there was a visitor from our community and is very well respected and she praised all of you for being unflappable in the face of completely fact free, and sometimes willfully misleading public statements made during our public comment period. I want you to know your patience is being noticed. Tonight alone, you had someone compare that pile of soon to be rubble to the Parthenon in Athens. You heard someone opposed to solar energy and bees. And someone else stand here and accuse one of the most respectful people I know of wearing a skirt, which is a form of bullying on your free speech. These are the kind of tactics we have to put up with and I want to join my friend from the community in being unflappable in the face of these scurrilous remarks.Thank you.” 

The Committee of the Whole was adjourned at 7:10 PM with a motion by L. Moreno. Seconded by P. Obrien, R. Morthlandlabs.com/stories/531993557

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