South Central Reporter

Macoupin County Board Economic Development Committee met March 6.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

I. CALL TO ORDER

PRESENT: Armour, Starr, Blank, Kilduff, Klausing, Rosentreter

ABSENT: Payne

Motion by Blank, seconded by Klausing to seat Kilduff at 5:14 pm. All in favor. Motion carried.

II. AGENDA ITEMS

1. Energy Transition Community Grant Program Application Process

Dan Fisher, the Treasurer from the City of Gillespie, spoke about the grant opportunity of the closing or scaling back of a energy producer such as a coal mine. This is obviously something that could work for Macoupin based on the former Shay Mine #1 scaling back or closing. The minimum grant looks to be about $50,000 a sub applicant. Because the mine is unincorporated area of the county, either the county would need to apply or supply a letter of support to any community that would be applying on their own. There are 14 taxing bodies seeking funding and 2 sub applicants who are not taxing districts that are seeking letters of support. There were questions regarding what the money could be used on and if projects that are combined, who would be the main applicant with sub applicants underneath them.

2. Energy Transition Community Grants Letters of Support Approval

Based off the discussion under the previous item, the following motion was made:

Motion by Rosentreter, seconded by Klausing that the county should apply on their own for a grant and would sign any letters of support for other applicants received by the end of business on Monday the 11th.

RESULT: MOTION TO RECOMMEND [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Molly Rosentreter, Member SECONDER: Holly Klausing, Member AYES: Armour, Starr, Blank, Kilduff, Klausing, Rosentreter ABSENT: Payne

3. Resolution regarding burying of power transmission lines in Macoupin County

Jerry Thomas spoke on this request that since Grain Belt Express wants to run power lines through 9 counties in Illinois. He was requesting the county adopt an ordinance that requires those lines be buried through Macoupin County. There had been a resolution passed already, but he was requesting an ordinance be on the books. Armour said he wasn't sure this would be enforceable, but it would be nice to have the county to be on record. Klausing discussed she wasn't sure if the legislation would allow for the County to do this. Garrison said he had reviewed the Christian County ordinance and had found no authorizing statute allowing that.

4. Potential Sale of Property – Trustee Property South of Carlinville

Whitney Strohmeyer with the County's trustee program discussed the potential sale. The trustee would handle the sale in it’s entirety. It would be a sealed bid which could be done as a special sale or at the regular sealed bid auction in late September/early October. The profits from the sale would be split between the taxing districts based on their rates for that property. Since this would be a split of the farmland off from the former land fill site, it would require a survey. The committee felt doing it as part of the regular sale made sense in terms of the existing lease.

Motion by Blank, seconded Klausing to recommend pursuing the sale of the 13 acres through a Trustee sealed bid.

RESULT: MOTION TO RECOMMEND [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: John Blank, Member SECONDER: Holly Klausing, Member AYES: Armour, Starr, Blank, Kilduff, Klausing, Rosentreter ABSENT: Payne

5. Presentation about the Carlinville School District gift of the Aladdin Steel Property Armour said that the Carlinville School District had been gifted the old Aladdin Steel property. They were currently seeking options for what to do with the property. Armour would be attending a walk thru with Dr. Schuchman next week and if Board members wanted to attend they were welcome to do so.

http://macoupincountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=15&ID=3903&Inline=True