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Saturday, August 8, 2015
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Local social service agencies impacted Tri-County Opportunities, senior center, VAC feeling the crunch By Goldie Rapp grapp@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — The budget impasse in Springfield is now impacting local social service agencies that serve low income residents, disabled folks and senior citizens. Many agencies have been forced to lay off staff, reduce services and even close its doors to those in need. Tri-County Opportunities Council, which serves nine counties, began laying off staff on Monday, Aug. 3. The organization provides a wide-array of assistance programs to low-income families and the homeless through its Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). Tri-County Opportunities Council CEO Terri Lawrence confirmed just between the case management and emergency services the council
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BCR photo/Goldie Rapp
Local senior citizens recently enjoyed a hand at a card game at the Bureau County Senior Center. The senior center is just one social service agency that is now being impacted by the budget impasse in Springfield. Many agencies have had to cut programs, lay off staff and even close its doors until a state budget is passed.
New state law could slow wind projects State grabs regulatory control from counties By P am E ggemeier Shaw News Service
A bill has been signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner that shifts regulatory control over wind farm projects from counties to the state. The passage of Illinois House Bill 3523 creates the Wind Energy Facilities Construction and Deconstruction Act. It was signed into law July 24, and is effective immediately. The bill was an initiative of the Illinois Farm Bureau, which wanted at least minimum standards in place statewide to bring consistency to the regulation of siting, building and removing commercial wind turbines. A key element dictates that an agriculture impact mitigation agreement between developers and the agriculture department must be in place before a project can proceed locally. Farm Bureau said the agreement isn’t necessarily all-encompassing, but it does streamline minimum protections for landowners. “This just sets minimum standards for setup and decommissioning, and Year 169 No. 95 One Section - 20 Pages
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puts financial protections in place for landowners,” said Bill Bodine, associate director of state legislation for Illinois Farm Bureau. The agreements will address such property restoration issues as compaction of soil and drain tile systems. “The counties can have more restrictive standards, and landowners can negotiate something beyond what’s in the agreement, but this brings some consistency to widely varying county regulations,” Bodine said. Farm Bureau said the law doesn’t reinvent the wheel – similar agriculture agreements are already used for other energy projects such as pipeline transmission. Conforming changes provisions dictate state law will trump parts of county and city code regarding wind farms. Although the new law doesn’t apply to wind farms already built or permitted, it will affect projects planned in the area. The law includes projects seeking an extension or renewal of its special use permitting with local gov-
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Bureau County hosts conservation expo By Goldie Rapp grapp@bcrnews.com
OHIO — The first-ever Bureau County conservation expo was hosted this week at Thacker Farms, just outside of Ohio. The three-day event allowed area farmers to explore conservation and land improvement practices including cover crops, grassed waterway, tile drainage, filter strips and more. The expo was organized by the Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association (ILICA), the Wetlands Initiative (TWI) and other partners. Janet Doubet, ILICA’s executive director, said being able to have the chance to host the expo to allow farmers to see some of the conservation practices now being done helps rid their hesitance on the ideas they may have about the new applications. The highlight of the event was watching the construction of a CP39 wetland on the Thacker property, which will be used to naturally capture and remove excess nutrients from tile drainage. Doubet said with the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy now being the buzz in the farming industry, many
farmers are being directed to look at more conservation practices like the constructed wetland. The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy is a state effort to improve water quality at home and downstream by reducing nitrogen and phosphorus levels in lakes, streams and rivers. The strategy lays out a comprehensive suite of best management practices for reducing nutrient loads from wastewater treatment plants and urban and agricultural runoff. “With these shows, when you get the volunteers and grants, it provides the opportunity to install the wetland at a minimum cost to the landowner, to participating agencies and you have the ability to do the monitoring and come up with the real hard data that’s going to drive promoting the practice down the road,” Doubet said. Jill Kostel, TWI senior environmental engineer, further explained everyone — from urban activities to rural activities — have to do their part with the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. “What we’re trying to say is nutrient run-off is a success. Productivity is a
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