The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by David Grimes, Quill Correspondent
If the four ambulance services of Biggsville, Stronghurst, Gulfport and Gladstone-Oquawka opt to increase insurance coverage for their EMTs and other personnel, they have the backing of the county board.
Board members approved the motion following Curt Eisenmayer's
ambulance committee report at their January meeting Tuesday morning.
Current coverage is at $10,000 per individual with a yearly premium of $1,700. The additional coverage would increase from $10,000 to $20,000 at an increased cost of $150 per year.
Should the individual services opt for the increase, each service would pay $18.75 toward the $150, with the county providing $75.
"It covers illness as well as accidents or death," said County Clerk Marcella Cisna.
Coverage is provided through VFIS/Midwest of Downers Grove, Ill.
In his building and grounds committee report, Randy Keever brought the need for three new doors to the board's attention.
Two priced to replace ones at the east and south entrances at the courthouse would cost $3,220 and $1,400, respectively. A solid steel door needed at the jail was priced at $199.20.
Board Chairman Marion Brown suggested that the board wait until February to see if grant money might be forthcoming from the state and use that to pay the cost. The county has been waiting to hear word on the grant funding for two years, he pointed out, with an additional two weeks of waiting not being unreasonable.
Brown did recommend that the door for the jail be purchased immediately in order to achieve compliance with an insurance inspection.
The board approved the jail door purchase.
In his report on solid waste, Keever said he had attended meetings in Biggsville and Lomax regarding recycling issues and that he had heard only positive remarks on how the villages and townships intend to deal with putting recycling plans into action.
Stronghurst Village Board members had passed a motion to enter into a recycling agreement with Maple City Recycling Monmouth, at a rate of $2 per household during their January 7, 2002, board meeting, he added.
John Carrier presented three zoning ordinance change recommendations by the Zoning Board of Appeals to board members. The recommendations dealt with relocation of a tank from Stronghurst to north of Biggsville, usage of manufactured homes as accessory buildings in the county and the allowing of anhydrous tanks on farm land.
The board also listened to Doris Sebastian, Gladstone, voice
concerns about her health if a proposed ethanol plant is constructed near Gladstone. Brown said he hadn't heard word from Big River Resources on where they planned to build, the plant or even if the coalition has made a decision yet.
In other business, the board approved:
Vacation claims paid in vacation for November and December, health department claims and inventories of county offices were all accepted.
Richard Work was reappointed to the planning commission for a 3-year term and Gary Martin and Leonard Anderson were appointed to complete the Henderson County Housing Authority Board term of Vincent Carlson and the Henderson County Zoning Board of Appeals term of Robert Seymour, respectively.
Board members Paul Allen, Tom Doran, Bill Stevenson and Leanne Sargeant were absent.
The board next meets at the courthouse on February 12 at 8:30 a.m.