News

Randolph County Board approves poker run ordinance

Posted September 14, 2014 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler The Herald Tribune

CHESTER -- After Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation in June that changed fee structures for charitable poker runs, the Randolph County Board of Commissioners followed suit on Friday.

With a unanimous vote of 3-0, the board approved an "ordinance establishing a system for the licensing of organizations to operate poker runs in the county of Randolph, Illinois."

"This is to put us in compliance with the new law signed by the governor," said Board Chairman David Holder.

Signed by Quinn at Black Diamond Harley-Davidson in Marion on June 10, Senate Bill 3312 placed poker runs under the Raffles Act, which is the jurisdiction of county governments. It had previously been under the Gaming Act, which is overseen by the state.

A fee of $25 will be charged per event in Randolph County.

Organizers must apply for a license at the County Clerk's office beforehand and under Section IV of the ordinance, licenses shall be issued only to "bona fide religious, charitable, labor, business, fraternal, educational or veterans' organizations that operate without profit to their members and which have been in existence continuously for a period of 5 years immediately before making application for a license."

The organizations are to have a membership engaged in "carrying out their objects" during the entirety of the five-year period.

The section further states the County Board can also approve a license to non-profit organizations it determines are organized for the sole purpose of "providing financial assistance to an identified individual or group of individuals suffering extreme financial hardship as the result of an illness, disability, accident or disaster."

Furthermore, the County Board can waive the five-year requirement if the local organization seeking the license is affiliated with and chartered by a national or state organization that meets the five-year requirement.

"(Randolph County State's Attorney) Jeremy Walker put it together off the standard, which is to be expected," Holder said.

Board member Marc Kiehna said the changes are to make sure 100 percent of the funds raised go to the organizations and prevent people from pocketing the money themselves.

"This tightens it up," he said.

In other action, the board approved a pair of delinquent tax resolutions and approved a road naming ordinance for a private road extending east from Zion Church Road near Sparta.

The new road, which has not been named before, will now be known as Harbaugh Road.

Highway Department

Randolph County Engineer Michael Riebeling reported to the board on the county's road salt situation, which has been a major topic of discussion across the state.

"We have no salt at this time, but we have 220 tons on the way," Riebeling said. "This is coming from a different supplier. I believe this is coming from Kansas."

EMA Resource Trailer

Nancy Schilling, Randolph County Emergency Management Agency coordinator, informed the board that the EMA resource trailer discussed at the board's meeting on Aug. 28 has a $1,000 insurance deductible on it.

The former Illinois Terrorism Task Force trailer contains a generator, radios and other equipment and is air conditioned, Schilling said.

Kiehna asked if the money existed in the EMA's budget to cover the insurance cost if the trailer was stolen and Schilling said the department did at the current time.

Schilling said other agencies are bidding for the trailer and there were no guarantees Randolph County would get it.

Contract negotiations upcoming

Holder told the assembled media that contract negotiations with the Fraternal order of Police, which represents sheriff's deputies, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents correctional officers, are to begin soon.

The contracts for both unions are due to expire on Dec. 1.

Article Categories
News