Committee reconfiguration tabled

Bill Grimes

EFFINGHAM — Effingham County Board members have tabled a proposal to reconfigure the board’s committees in an effort to comply with the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

At Monday’s board meeting, State’s Attorney Ed Deters advised the board to spend the next month considering how the board’s committee structure might be changed.

“One thing I don’t want to do is feel like we’re rushing through this,” Deters said.

Deters had proposed last week a reorganization that would enable the board to convene in a “committee of the whole” during some committee meetings at which most board members attend. Those committees most notably include the Legislative, Buildings & Grounds, and Tax & Finance committees.

The board has typically done most of its work in committee, bringing matters to the full board only after a committee recommendation. But an official with the Illinois Attorney General’s office warned county officials in a letter last month that holding committee meetings at which a majority of the full board is present could be construed as an Open Meetings Act violation.

Deters said the committee of the whole proposal was the option that would enable the board to conduct county business closest to the way in which it is done now.

Frequent board critic Ed Hoopingarner questioned the validity of creating a committee of the whole for anything other than specific discussion topics. Hoopingarner, who ran a spirited Republican primary race against board chairwoman Carolyn Willenburg for the District G nomination in 2008, said the concept proposed by Deters would violate Robert’s Rules of Order — the book commonly used as a guide to parliamentary procedure.

“You would have to go into that committee to discuss a specific item,” Hoopingarner said. “It’s not a carte blanche thing.

“That’s in black and white, not just my opinion,” he said.

But Deters said he spoke with an assistant attorney general last week who said the committee of the whole concept would fulfill the requirements of the Open Meetings Act.

“Mr. Hoopingarner’s opinion is not my opinion, nor is it the opinion of the person I spoke to in the attorney general’s office,” Deters said.

Board member Larry Vahling said he was squarely on Deters’ side in Monday’s discussion.

“It appears to me that Ed Deters is our attorney and he’s following the advice given to him by (Illinois Attorney General) Lisa Madigan’s office,” Vahling said.

“I’d rather follow Ed Deters’ advice than Ed Hoopingarner’s advice.”

Willenburg told board members to spend the next month studying how board committees operate and come back with ideas in time for the April 19 board meeting.

Until then, Deters said, board members who attend meetings of committee of which they are not members should refrain from speaking at those meetings.

“I know this will be hard, but I would urge board members not on a committee to refrain from comment at those committee meetings,” he said. “The attorney general’s office wants us to address this issue.

“In the meantime, we don’t want to do what they think is a violation (of the Open Meetings Act).”

In other action Monday, the board appointed Mark Musser to the Tri-County Fire Protection District board and David Probst to the Teutopolis Fire Protection District board.

The board had intended to re-appoint Clarence Habing to the Watson Fire Protection District board, but Willenburg said Monday that Habing had asked not to be re-appointed. She said Watson fire district officials will submit another name to the board in the near future.

The board also approved engineering agreements for rural bridges in West and Union townships. County Engineer Greg Koester said the West Township bridge would be designed by Charleston Engineering of Olney, while the Union Township bridge would be designed by Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick of Springfield.

The board also agreed to renew an agreement with Effingham County Emergency Telephone System (911) board for the latter board’s use of technology specialist Jason Repking on a part-time basis. Under the agreement, 911 will pay the county $10,000 for Repking’s services.

Also Monday, the board:

• Honored the Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City girls basketball team for its fourth-place finish at the Class 1A state tournament.

• Proclaimed March 23 “CEFS Day.” The venerable social service agency was organized 45 years ago that day.

Bill Grimes can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 132 or bill.grimes@effinghamdailynews.comBill Grimes can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 132 or bill.grimes@effinghamdailynews.com.

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