A brief Livingston Co. Board meeting

File photo of a previous Livingston County Board meeting this past spring in Pontiac.

Livingston County Board business matters were handled in a timely manner at its meeting on Thursday, July 16. This was done despite having just 11 of the 17 seats filled.

Jack Vietti, chairman of the Rules, Legislation, Veterans and Community Services committee, proposed a resolution to move a polling site in the county. He also called for certification of election judges.

Certification of election judges takes place every year, Vietti said. This routine matter was approved by the 11 members present.

The polling site for Nevada Township will be moving after the 11 board members approved the resolution calling for its relocation. The polling site was at Dwight Country Club, it will now be at the township building, which is located at 21404 East 3100 North Road.

In the Highway Committee report, County Engineer Clay Metcalf explained that the letting process for work on some bridge projects have been completed. Total cost for the projects, that are in Eppards Point, Newtown and Saunemin townships, will cost $118,000.

Metcalf also said that a joint funding agreement has been reached for a structure replacement in Newtown Township.

Seth Welch, vice-chairman for the Finance Committee, reported that semi-annual reports for the county clerk and the circuit clerk were filed. These were unanimously approved.

The board approved a resolution to authorize a transfer of $20,000 in the General Fund to cover costs of unforeseen contingencies. It also approved an intergovernmental agreement with McLean County regarding the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program.

The one item that drew a question was the salary for the public defender. Linda Ambrose of District 3 posed the question regarding the salaries for the state’s attorney and the public defender.

Welch said that the state’s attorney’s salary was increased by the State of Illinois. Because of this, the public defender’s salary was required to increase. State statute indicates that the public defender in a county of 30,000 or more making less than 90 percent of the state’s attorney salary must be compensated with state help. The state is required to cover 66 2/3 percent of the salary.

Ambrose asked for clarification on the salaries. State’s Attorney Anthony Tomkiewicz salary is listed at $220,317.87. This means that Public Defender Bill Bertram’s salary will be $205,486.17.

In matter on the consent agenda, the appointment of Clark Reamer and Pam Stone to the Mental Health 708 Board was approved.