Carbondale Reporter

Jackson County Real Property Committee met Tuesday, Jan. 10.

The Jackson County Real Property Committee reviews matters related to the county's real and personal property including land-use planning and matters concerning county taxing units. The committee also reviews matters related to roads and bridges and recommends any action to the County Board. The committee meets in the Jackson County House, 1001 Walnut St., Murphysboro.

Here are the minutes as provided by Jackson County:

REAL PROPERTY COMMITTEE

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2017 5:00 PM

JACKSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Call to Order (5:00 PM)

Members Present: Burke, Comparato, Endres, Erbes, Mendoza, Jr., Mueller and Rowe

Members Absent: S. Bost

Also Present: Liz Hunter, Grant Guthman, Maureen Berkowitz, Jeff Doherty, Michelle Tweedy

Approval of Minutes

I. 17-2074 December 13, 2016 Minutes

A motion was made by Erbes, seconded by Comparato, to approve the December 13, 2016 minutes as presented. The motion carried by unanimous vote. Land Use & Economic Development

II. 17-2075 Greater Egypt Regional Planning & Development Commission

III. 17-2077 Jackson Growth Alliance

Doherty presented a report on Real Estate Tax information from Jackson and Williamson counties. He highlighted that there are 70 tax codes from Marion to Carbondale and that the Jackson County tax rate has gone up by about 13% in the last ten years while the Equalized Assessed Valuation has remained flat.

IV. 17-2076 Supervisor of Assessments

a. Grand Tower Energy Center EAV Appeal

b. Best Buy Property Tax Appeal

c. Carbondale Property Tax Appeal

d. Murphysboro Kroger Tax Appeal

Berkowitz informed the committee of each of the current tax appeals that the county has received notice about.

Highway Department

V. 17-2078 SIMPO-Southern Illinois Metropolitan Planning Organization

a. Application for Planning Study

Guthman presented the committee with the application for a planning study and said if anyone has ideas to let him know.

VI. 17-2079 Road Sign Maintenance

VII. 17-2080 Payment of Highway Monthly Claims in the amount of $316,777.14

A motion was made by Erbes, seconded by Mueller, to approve paying the Highway Monthly Claims in the amount of $316,777.14. The motion carried by unanimous vote.

VIII. 17-2081 Apartment 4U LLC-Settlement Agreement and Release for Flood Damage

IX. 17-2099 Preliminary Engineering Agreement-Dillinger Road Safety Project

A motion was made by Mueller, seconded by Erbes, to authorize the Chairman to sign the agreement. The motion carried by unanimous vote.

X. 17-2100 Federal Aid Matching Tax Resolution-Dillinger Road Safety Project

A motion was made by Erbes, seconded by Endres, to approve the matching aid agreement resolution for Dillinger Road. The motion carried by unanimous vote.

XI. 17-2101 Federal Aid Agreement-Giant City Road Bridge Project

A motion was made by Endres, seconded by Erbes, to approve the Federal Aid agreement for Giant City. The motion carried by unanimous vote.

XII. 17-2102 Federal Aid Matching Tax Resolution-Giant City Road Bridge Project

A motion was made by Mueller, seconded by Comparato, to approve the Federal Aid Matching resolution for Giant City Road. The motion carried by unanimous vote.

County Buildings & Grounds

XIII. 17-2082 West Courthouse Steps De-icing

The committee reviewed the letter informing them that rock salt can not be used on the west courthouse steps. Also, Tweedy informed the committee that the hand rails should be installed at the end of the month depending on the weather.

XIV. 17-2083 Delinquent Property Clean-up

The committee discussed the $11,000 bill the City of Murphysboro would like for the county to pay. The committee gave a summary of how this bill came to the county. Then they discussed the ownership of the delinquent property, the amount of money that will be received due to the delinquent parcel clean up ordinance and who is responsible for the bill. Tweedy outlined what some cities are doing with regard to purchasing, cleaning up the properties and then selling them. The committee asked the committee coordinator to contact the State's Attorney's office to see if the county can purchase delinquent properties, fix them up and sell them; and check to see if the delinquent property clean up ordinance can be changed to include the entire county and not just Carbondale and Murphysboro. The consensus of the committee is that the county does not have the money to pay the bill from Murphysboro.

XV. 17-2084 Assist "New Life.New Living.New Beginnings" with homeless housing project

Mueller gave a PowerPoint presentation about Homelessness in America and the county. Her nonprofit is interested in purchasing tax delinquent properties, fixing them up and using them to house homeless veterans and others in the county.

XVI. 17-2085 River Levee Project Update

Rowe presented the committee with an update on the river levee. There were no questions.

XVII. 17-2086 Storage needs for Circuit Clerk office

This item is being held until the building commission is formed.

XVIII. 17-2087 Group Solar Presentation

XIX. 17-2103 Fire Alarm & Smoke Detectors Project - Phase II

A motion was made by Mueller, seconded by Erbes, to approve the replacement of the smoke detectors in the courthouse. The motion carried by unanimous vote.

Old Business

New Business

Adjourn (6:43 PM)

Erbes moved and Mueller seconded to adjourn, motion carried.