Report to the People # 135 by Phil Chapman County Board District Three
The purpose of this report is to provide information and aid in government transparency.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Utilize Madison County Properties More Effectively: Madison County failed to effectively maintain and use its properties for a number of years. Although we’ve acted to repair the Jail, Detention Center, and Sheriff’s Firing Range, we can do better. This report details some of the challenges Madison County faces today. Aging Buildings: The Administration Building, Wood River Hospital, and Hillsboro Annex need upgrades to provide sufficient and modern space for the county work force. Of these three, (3) the Administration Building and Hillsboro Annex seem best suited for changes and repair. At the request of the Facilities Chairman Board Member Chris Hankins and I met with Chris Milton Acting Facilities Director to prepare possible solutions to the issue of more effective building use to save tax payer dollars.
Incarceration and Mental Health Issues: Judiciary Committee Member ‘Doc’ Holliday raised the issue the national ‘Stepping Up’ program to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jail during the Sept 4 meeting The county will research this issue. Sheriff personnel report there is a plan in place to assist inmates’ mental health issues. T he jail entered into an agreement with ACH to provide medical care have one of their employees in our jail for 20 hours a week to deal with inmate mental issues that may need attention. The jail instituted a 3 part screening (triage) for our inmates. This includes; (1) screening by the arresting officer, (2) screening by the booking officers, and, (3) screening by the medical staff. We will research this issue. PTELL: Many question what PTELL is and if it works. Want to learn more? The following references may prove useful. 1. https://files.illinoispolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Ed_finance_8.23.pdf 2. Article by Ted Dabrowski, Erik Randolph, and John Kligner entitled; Growing Out of Control: Property Taxes Put Increased Burden on Illinois Tax Payers. Shadow Wood Subdivision: I voted with the unanimous majority on the Planning and Development Committee to uphold the Zoning Board’s Denial of the variance for Shadow Wood Subdivision in Troy. The vast majority of citizens in the area voiced opposition citing; overcrowding, school overcrowding, water run off problems, and fears of traffic congestion. Seemingly there was no support from local Troy office holders.
Opinions expressed in this section are solely those of the individual authors and do not represent the views of RiverBender.com or its affiliates. We provide a platform for community voices, but the responsibility for opinions rests with their authors.
