Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS
February 8, 2018 Volume 51, Number 17 - $1.00
Wrestlers Advance
Statue History
Science Classes
Five Hawk wrestlers have advanced to the Oregon Sectional this Friday, Saturday. B1
Read about the other man behind the Black Hawk statue. B5
The Oregon Park District teams up with NIU Lorado Taft Educators for classes. B3
County board hires jail construction manager Gilbane to design, build new $25M jail By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com A construction company based in Providence, Rhode Island, will be working on the design and building of the new Ogle County Jail. At a special meeting Jan. 30, the Ogle County Board approved hiring Gilbane Building Company for the
design and construction of the jail in the 100 block of South Sixth Street in Oregon, across from the judicial center. Board chairman Kim Gouker said Gilbane, which has offices in numerous locations around the world, including Chicago, will work closely with Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc., the firm hired in November for the architectural and engineering design of the 70,000 square-foot facility. “The first phase is to develop a schematic design,” Gouker said.
“Once we have that we can develop the actual cost of the jail.” The cost for the 180-200 bed jail has been estimated at $25 to $28 million. Gouker said he expects to have the design in 30 to 60 days. He said Gilbane and HOK have collaborated on several projects, including the DeKalb County Jail expansion, which is nearing completion. Construction on the new jail is expected to begin this fall. The county board and Oregon City
Council reached an agreement in December that transferred jurisdiction over the 100 block of South Sixth Street in Oregon from the city to the county. That allowed the county board to move forward with its plans to close the block and connect the new jail to the existing judicial center across the street. Part of the agreement is that the county will pay for street improvements near the courthouse, judicial center, and new jail. It will pay to repave Jefferson Street
from Fourth to Sixth Street, Fifth Street from Washington to Jefferson, and Sixth Street south to Madison, and replace gutters and sidewalks in those blocks. County board chairman Kim Gouker, of Byron, said the county will also pay to reroute sewer and water mains affected by the street closure. The total cost for those projects is estimated at $600,000. The street transfer still needs the approval of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Board rules to keep plant’s worth the same Taxes Paid in 2017 for Byron Generating Station
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Treasure Hunt Kathy Kramer, of Sterling, looks over a hand-pieced table runner offered for sale by vendor Lavonne Anderson Saturday at the February Find Antiques & Collectibles Market at the Mt. Morris Moose Lodge. Photo by Vinde Wells
The Ogle County Board of Review stood pat last week on the assessed value of Exelon’s Byron Generating Station. At a Jan. 30 hearing, BOR members agreed with Supervisor of Assessments Jim Harrison that the plant’s value should remain at $546 million, the same as last year. In an appeal filed last fall, Exelon Generation officials asked for the assessment to be “not greater than” $308.9 million. At the hearing, attorneys for the utility presented a new appraisal of the plant setting its value at $158 million. However, MR Valuations, the appraiser for the Byron School District, set the value at $647.8 million. Last year Exelon’s appraiser Duff & Phelps submitted an appraisal for $296.9 million. “I find it difficult to believe the value of this property dropped by half in one year,” Harrison said after the hearing. Exelon paid $37.6 million in real estate taxes in 2017 to 11
Byron Schools............ $21.1M Ogle County............... $4.29M Rock Valley College... $2.62M Byron Forest Preserve...................... $2.43M Oregon Park District....................... $2.39M Byron Fire......................$2.38 Byron Library..........$859,465 Oregon Schools........$756,098 Rockvale Roads.......$508,163 Rockvale Twnshp.....$170,189 Byron Museum..........$95,636 Kish College..............$91,183 TOTAL ..................... $37.6M taxing bodies, which include the Byron School District, Ogle County, Rockvale Township, Oregon School District, Oregon Park District, Byron Fire District, Rock Valley College, Byron Public Library District, Byron Museum District, Byron Forest Preserve District, and Kishwaukee Community College. More than $21 million of that went to the Byron School District. Turn to B5
Cooperation keeps state’s human services office local DHS office moves to a new location By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com Cooperation among government officials recently kept a state agency from leaving Oregon. Mayor Ken Williams said he received an anonymous call a few months ago informing him that the Illinois Department of Human Services was planning to close its office in downtown Oregon and move it to Rock Falls. “That would have meant that the office that serves Lee and Ogle Counties wouldn’t have been in either one,” he said. After doing some checking, Williams found out that the agency manager in Oregon had retired, and
the manager in Rock Falls said they learned that had taken over. DHS needed more space “My feeling was that than the downtown location at 106 N. Second they were planning to St. provided. consolidate,” he said. They had advertised According to the DHS their need only on the website, the agency state website, and no one provides “streamlined responded. access to integrated Williams and Gouker services” to residents invited the officials “who are striving to move from welfare to work and The Department of Human Services recently moved from to some to Oregon to economic independence, downtown Oregon to a new, more spacious location at 1001 take a look at what the community has to offer. and others who face Pines Rd. Photo by Vinde Wells They also went into multiple challenges to “Together Ken, Kim, and I helped action to personally find self-sufficiency.” Concerned about local residents’ make the case that DHS should suitable locations. They found just the right spot at loss of convenient access to those remain in Oregon,” Demmer said. services, as well as the loss of jobs, “It’s important not just for the 17 1001 W. Pines Rd. in the former Williams contacted Ogle County employees who will keep their jobs Dawson Subscriptions building. Al Millhouse, of Mt. Morris, had Board Chairman Kim Gouker and in Oregon, but also for the hundreds of people who go to the office for purchased the 45,000 square-foot State Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon). Demmer set up a conference call services and help. Thankfully our building last September and was between the three of them and state arguments worked.” willing to rent DHS as much space During the conversation, Williams as they wanted and remodel it to suit DHS officials.
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B8 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Library News, A3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, B3 Property Transfers, B4 Senior Center News, A3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B4
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Zoning Permits, B4
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
their needs. “Al has experience renting space to state agencies, and he knew want they wanted,” Williams said. “I toured it and I’ve got to say it’s an absolutely beautiful facility. They [DHS officials] like it so well that they are thinking of bringing more offices here.” Millhouse said DHS is located in 7,300 square feet in the front of the building. He is developing plans for how the remainder will be used. Williams and Demmer expressed satisfaction at how the situation turned out. “The upshot is that we were looking at losing 17 jobs,” Williams said. “Now they’re actually looking to hire some more people. I’m very happy they’re staying in town, and I’m sure the people they serve are, too.” “It was good to have city, county, and state government working together,” Demmer said.
Deaths, B5 Edgar J. Engelkens, Patricia A. Rosenbalm, Donald D. Spangler