Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS July 23, 2015 Volume 48, Number 21 - $1.00
Alumni Games
It’s Fair Time!
At the Band Shell
Polo played in an alumni football game and Oregon is preparing for theirs. B1
The Ogle County Fair and 4-H Fair is right around the corner. Insert
Archtop Brownie will perform July 24 and the Kable Band is on stage July 29. A6
County board debates how fund should be used By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com The Ogle County Board debated Tuesday how funds in the Long Range Planning Fund should be used before okaying projects totaling $861,691. Board member Don Griffin, Oregon, who is chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, asked the board to approve the list of projects to be paid from the Long Range Planning
Fund. However, board member Ron Colson, Mt. Morris, protested because, he said, a resolution approved by the board on Nov. 16, 1999 earmarked the money in the fund to be used only for large capital improvements. In the past, the fund has been used to pay for the $15 million judicial center in 2005, the $7.5 million courthouse renovations in 2010, and the $4 million public safety complex this year.
“I have no problem with any of these projects, but the resolution is still binding,” — Ron Colson, Mt. Morris Colson made a motion to postpone the vote on the projects until the board’s August meeting. He said he objected because the Griffin’s list includes maintenance projects. The list includes a new roof on the Pines Road Annex
and repaving its parking lot; demolition of the old sheriff’s building, converting that area into a parking lot, and installing exterior LED lighting; redoing the parking lots at Focus House, the jail, courthouse, judicial center, and west of the Oregon United Methodist Church;
repairing the lower ADA entrance to the courthouse; and replacing the exterior steps on both sides of the courthouse. “I have no problem with any of these projects, but the resolution is still binding,” he said. Colson said the intent of the resolution was to pay for only building projects from the fund. Revenues in that fund come from the host fees paid by garbage collection firms to dump refuse in the landfills
Shelter may be built yet this year
Turn to A2
IDOT says no to changing speed limit
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com After several years of wrestling with a deteriorating shelter at Dillehay Park, a Mt. Morris official is hoping to have a new one up in the near future. Village trustee Shane Pope said Tuesday that he hopes a new shelter can be in place by the end of this year. Pope, who is chairman of the Parks Committee, has been working with local contractor Ted Gesin to draw up an agreement to hire him as general contractor for the project. Pope told the board July 14 that the cost of the project, including Gesin’s services is estimated from $97,000 to $107,000. Included in the cost is a shelter kit from Cedar Forest Products, Polo, for approximately $30,000, the concrete slab, and other materials, as well as the labor costs. Pope said he plans to bring
within the county. The fees amount to approximately $3 million per year. Colson said he asked state’s attorney Eric Morrow to go over the resolution to determine if it is still in effect. Morrow verified that it is. “This resolution has not been superseded or modified,” he said. Board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, said the resolution also says the fund
Village officials hope to replace the aging main shelter at Dillehay Park with a new one before the end of the year. Photo by Vinde Wells
the matter to the board for approval in the near future. He said hiring Gesin to manage the project is a good solution because the village doesn’t have enough employees to put the shelter kit together and do the other necessary preparations. “We have only two parttime employees for the parks,” he said. “Ted is local, and he’s willing to help us out, even with our budget
constraints.” The main shelter at the park has been in deteriorating condition for several years, and vandalism occurred in its restrooms. The roof of the shelter was removed some time ago because it was in poor condition, and the restrooms are kept locked with portable restrooms are available nearby. What’s left of the old
shelter will be removed to make way for the new one. The Park & Recreation Board has discussed options for repairing or replacing the shelter for several years, but lacked the funds for the project. In another parks-related matter, former Park & Recreation Board member Joyce Carr told the board July 14 that its recent action to replace board members
does not comply with state statutes. “Actually all boards and committees have term limits, and we haven’t been complying with that,” she said. At its June 23 meeting, the board approved an ordinance that put limits on the terms of Park & Recreation Board members. Turn to A2
The speed limit on Ill. 64 at the west edge of Mt. Morris will not be changing. Village trustee Don Sorenson told the village board July 14 that after reviewing the traffic flow coming into town, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) officials said no to the village’s request for stepped down speed limits. “We got a letter from IDOT. The results of the study did not warrant a change,” Sorenson said. IDOT officials agreed to do a traffic survey after police chief Jason White contacted them a few weeks ago asking for a review because the speed limit goes from 55 mph outside the village limits immediately to 30 mph inside the village. That results in traffic sometimes coming into the village at a fast speed, posing safety issues. Village president Dan Elsasser, who did not attend the meeting, said June 23 that officials have asked that the speed be stepped down gradually from 55 mph to 45 mph outside the village, so that vehicles are moving slower when they enter the 30 mph speed zone.
Underground tanks removed from former gas station By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com Nothing unexpected was discovered after county workers removed six underground tanks last week at a former gas station in Oregon. The Ogle County Highway Department dug up the underground tanks July 16 at 501 W. Washington St. These tanks stored fuel and other gas station chemicals. “We knew there were six tanks and that is what we found,” said Ogle County Engineer Curtis Cook. “Two of the tanks were partially filled with sand and the smaller tanks had a little product but not a lot. We found what we expected.” The highway department did exploratory digging to
verify what was under the property before the final excavation began. Several soil samples were taken throughout the process. “I am waiting on the test results to see if there was any other contamination to the soil,” said Cook. “We have two piles of potentially contaminated material.” When the level of contamination is verified, Cook will then know how to properly dispose of the material. The soil underneath the tanks was also tested to make sure there was no additional contamination. “We want to make sure there are no issues with the property,” said Cook. “You want to do what you can to make sure the site is clean.” The Ogle County Board
In This Week’s Edition...
approved a multiple phase project to demolish the former gas station and turn the property into a parking lot. The first phase of the project was to remove the former Jackass BBQ building from 501 W. Washington St. and add parking spaces. This included the removal of underground tanks, left from the gas station, that were discovered on the property. The board approved a resolution in June to accept a proposal for $15,283 from Stiles Inc., Loves Park, to remove five underground storage tanks from the property. Phase two will include the demolition of the house next door, once the lease expires with that renter. A date has yet to be set for that action. The county purchased
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
this house at 102 S. Fifth St. from Scott and Barb Spoor for $99,500 in December of 2013. At that time the board entered into a three-year lease with attorney Robert Lowe, who has his office there. The final phase will be completing the entire parking lot, which will have 39 spaces. Costs for the project were estimated at $203,500 for the first phase. The final two phases have an estimated cost of $161,950 to complete. The county board approved a bid on Tuesday from O’Brien Civil Works, Inc., Polo, for $144,386 to blacktop the area, which is currently gravel. The board agreed that the cost must not exceed $145,000.
Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B5 Pine Creek News, A3 Property Transfers, B4
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4
A 6,000 gallon gasoline storage tank was unearthed July 16, along with five other underground storage tanks at the corner of Washington and Fifth Streets, Oregon, once was location. More recently the site was the Jackass BBQ and before that Scoop’s sub shop. Excavating equipment removed the tanks and contaminated soil from the site, which will be a parking lot. Photo by Vinde Wells
Cook said the contractors could start in August and have the parking lot completed by Oct. 1.
The Washington Street property will provide additional parking for the Judicial Center, festivals, and events in Oregon.
Deaths, B6 Vicky C. Fisher, Melody Martinez, Harlan E. Rothermel
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com