County Board to take courthouse repairs issue to voters
<span>The Randolph County Board of Commissioners are letting the voters decide the next step for the Randolph County Courthouse.</span>
<span>The 42-year-old structure has a laundry list of problems, including its roof and heating and cooling systems - the majority of which are original to the building.</span>
<span>Voters, as part of their March 15 primary election ballot, will be asked to authorize $2.95 million in repairs to both the courthouse and the Randolph County Jail.</span>
<span>"Our courthouse has been a source of pride for county residents with its unique architecture and scenic location, but the building's infrastructure has been deteriorating to the point where we have to act soon," said Board Chairman Marc Kiehna in a news release given to the media prior to Friday's meeting of the board. "The infrastructure systems have far outlived their useful life expectancy.</span>
<span>"Repairs have become very costly in recent years, and updating old outdated systems to new energy efficient standards could save taxpayers thousands of dollars as well."</span>
<span>Proposed repairs under the project, which is being handled by Honeywell International, include new roof sections, replacing the existing heating and air conditioning systems, and installing energy-efficient temperature controls.</span>
<span>The improvements are expected to save the county an estimated $60,000 a year in energy and repair costs. Also planned are cell and plumbing improvements at the jail to meet safety standards.</span>
<span>Randolph County Sheriff Shannon Wolff, who was in attendance during Friday's meeting, said he supports the referendum.</span>
<span>"The sanitation in the jail is an issue that needs to be addressed," he said.</span>
<span>The new bond will be repaid over 10 years with an estimated 12 cent bond levy. The county currently levies 14 cents for bond payments that will be completed in two years.</span>
<span>After the meeting, Commissioner Dave Holder advised the media that while the bond levy will be reduced with the new bond, it will only affect the line item specific to the county, not taxpayers' overall bills.</span>
<span>"No one wants to see more government borrowing, but the only way for the county to complete these repairs is by issuing bonds," Holder said in the same news release. "With our previous bonds paying off, the timing for this request couldn't be better."</span>
<span>Quadrant Design architect Michael Schneider noted that the $2.95 million is being seen as a not-to-exceed number.</span>
<span>"I believe we've done our homework," Kiehna said during Friday's meeting. "We've taken our time to consider what would be the best way for us."</span>
Roundup
<span>The board set its new quarterly meeting dates of Jan. 8, Jan. 22, Feb. 5, Feb. 19, March 4 and March 18, all at 9 a.m.</span>
<span>The board also approved the 2016 holiday schedule for Operating Engineers Local 399.</span>
<span>The board authorized Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker to collect unpaid monies from the Department of Revenue and Comptroller for State's Attorney, Assessor and Public Defender funds.</span>
<span>County Engineer Michael Riebeling presented the board with several bids for road district maintenance.</span>
<span>The commissioners approved Barr Trucking's bid of $25,500 ($8.50 per ton of gravel) for Road District 1 and Beelman Logistics' bid of $17,860 ($8.93 per ton) for Road District 4.</span>
<span>Holder told the media after the meeting that the county has three bond issues out - one for the Randolph County Health Department and two for the collapse of the Illinois Counties Insurance Trust (ICIT).</span>
<span>The county owes $1.64 million as a result of the collapse, with the bonds to terminate on January 15, 2018.</span>
<span>The next session of the County Board will be Dec. 30 at 9 a.m.</span>
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