Health Department updates County Board on state budget-related issues
<span>With the ongoing budget impasse in Springfield showing no signs of coming to a resolution anytime soon, Randolph County Health Department Administrator Tom Smith updated the County Board last Friday on the situation his agency is facing.</span>
<span>"We're looking at cutting services and how long that will last," he said.</span>
<span>Smith said he is planning on meeting with staff members on Oct. 9 to discuss the situation and decide what's important.</span>
<span>Smith said the core programs for the agency to be able to function include communicable disease control investigations, private sewage disposal/inspection and inspection of private water supplies/food supplies and administration.</span>
<span>"We've already been cutting back," he said. "I've been doing some bill work because we can't replace people."</span>
<span>In other health department news, Smith said flu vaccines start Oct. 1.</span>
<span>"The (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has sentinel hospitals," he said. "People come in with the flu and are tested to see what strains are prominent."</span>
<span>Smith said most vaccines are between 60 percent and 85 percent effective.</span>
<span>"We don't really know what it's going to do until it's in action," he said.</span>
<span>Randolph County Engineer Mike Riebeling said the county's oil and chipping program is done for the year after completing a project in Road District 1. The commissioners also approved the purchase of a new work vehicle for him.</span>
<span>During the board's previous meeting, Riebeling said his current vehicle has 294,000 miles on it and is need of significant repair.</span>
<span>"Since you have the funds and are OK with that, we're going to let you do that," said Board Chairman Marc Kiehna.</span>
<span>In other action, the board approved two new appointments. Shane Sulser was appointed to the Kaskaskia Island Levee and Drainage District Board, a three-year term that expires in 2018.</span>
<span>Lane Curten was also appointed to a three-year term to the Prairie du Rocher and Modoc Levee Drainage District expiring August 31, 2018.</span>
<span>The commissioners also set their fourth quarter meeting dates. The board will meet Oct. 9 and 23; Nov. 6 and 20, all at 9 a.m.</span>
<span>Its December 1 meeting, during which the annual budget is discussed, will begin at 3 p.m. The commissioners will hold their final regular meeting of 2015 on Wednesday, Dec. 30.</span>
<span>The next meeting of the County Board is scheduled for Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. at the Randolph County Courthouse.</span>
Roundup
<span>General assistance for the period was $1,945.62.</span>
<span>The Randolph County Care Center was reported to have 63 residents, two of which arrived Friday afternoon.</span>
<span>An agenda item to discuss Circuit Clerk fees was tabled as Randolph County Circuit Clerk Sherry Johnson could not attend the meeting.</span>