County Receives Youth And Adult Alternatives To Incarceration Grants
By Stephanie Malench
smalench@timestribunenews.com
The Madison County Board held its monthly meeting on September 15 at the County Administration Building.
State’s Attorney Tom Haine thanked everyone for their support and moment of silence last month after the passing of his father, former State’s Attorney Bill Haine. He asked that everyone continue to keep his mother in their thoughts as they had been married over 50 years.
A recommendation to appoint Paul Nicolussi to replace Heather Mueller-Jones in the 27th District was postponed until next month due to the fact that many board members had not even know that she had resigned until the end of last week and feel the decision can wait.
A motion to appoint Stephen Lathrop to a new four-year term on the Granite City Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Board failed due to a lack of a motion.
The following appointments passed: Nick Mason to the Wood River Drainage and Levee Districts replacing Ronald Carnell who passed away; Michael Cushing to the Troy Fire Protection District Board replacing Donald “Joe” Leach who resigned; John Gusewell to the Prairietown Fire Protection District Board replacing Gerald Schaefer who resigned; Bob Faulk to the Granite City Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Board; and Mayor Tom Stalcup of Wood River to the Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission replacing Cheryl Maguire who was the previous mayor.
An intergovernmental agreement was approved by the board between Madison County and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to set up a permanent household waste collection facility in Wood River.
The center will be open twice a month by appointment only for residents to drive through and drop off leftover oil-based paints, cleaning solutions, etc.
The county announced that it received two grants for the Adult Redeploy Illinois Program and Juvenile Redeploy Illinois Program in the amounts of $181,828 and $563,008 respectively.
The adult program was established “with the purpose of establishing a continuum of local, community-based sanctions and treatment alternatives for non-violent offenders who would otherwise be incarcerated” and the Juvenile program was created “with the purpose of providing psycho/educational assessments and intensive case management services to reduce or eliminate the practice of committing juvenile offenders to the Illinois Department of Juvenile justice for the sole purpose of psychological and risk evaluation and reducing full commitments whenever possible”.
The Board approved a request by the Madison County Historical Society (MCHS) to end its lease and funding agreement. According to Jon Parkin, the Museum Administrator, The County has been the biggest contributor to the museum since the formal lease was signed in the 1970s.
As part of the arrangement, the county leased the 3 buildings from the museum and paid the MCHS approximately $250,000 each year for rent and Parkin’s salary. Parkin said that the MCHS board approached the county board about ending the relationship because of the inability to secure other funds (such as grants) when the relationship between the nonprofit and the government arms was murky.
County Administrator Dave Tanzyus said the decision was mutual as some county board members had previously brought up the idea, but the MCHS board was not ready. County Board Member Erika Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) wanted to thank Parkin for the great job he has done as the museum’s administrator the past five years.
The county board agreed to pay the museum $300,000 to settle all outstanding obligations when the termination takes effect on November 30, 2021.A resolution was approved authorizing a substantial amendment of the Community Development Action plan due to an increase in funding of $2,990,930 in funding for the Community Block grant and $973,905 in HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) program funds.
The county also applied for a federal grant in the amount of $838,697 to distribute through the Low-Income Home Water Assistance Program for residents throughout the county that are in danger of having their water shut off to their homes.
The Madison County Employment and Training Department was awarded a Title 1-E grant in the amount of $200,000 to provide training in the supply chain/logistics sector which is being split equally between SIU-Edwardsville, Lewis and Clark Community College, Southwestern Illinois Community College and Kaskaskia Community College.
The next meeting will be held in the Madison County Administration Building on October 20 at p.m.
