The Marion County Board Tuesday night reviewed plans for a single-use unisex bathroom to be added on the third floor of the courthouse when the men’s and women’s bathrooms are renovated.
The change is being made to comply with state statute.
Ameresco Director Gene Mackey says the unisex bathroom can be added by eliminating of a janitor’s closet and taking some space from the women’s bathroom. The unisex bathroom will include one handicapped-accessible toilet and a sink with a lockable door. With the concurrence of the county board, plans will not be drawn to include the unisex bathroom.
The board also discussed the upcoming Phase III renovation work that includes renovation work in the county clerk and state’s attorney’s office, along with improvements to the security entrance all at the courthouse as well as renovation work at the sally port entrance for prisoners at the Marion County Jail.
Building Committee Chair Dr. Creighton Engle wants to have a plan to pay for the work in place before moving forward. He hopes at the next meeting to be able to discuss other sources of revenue to pay for the project other than the ARPA federal grant that is already more than $300,000 over expended. Engle says the regular building fund and the ongoing quarter-cent public safety tax can be put into the payment mix. County Clerk Steve Fox has agreed to pay for the $62,000 renovation in his office through his own funds.
Mackey also discussed Ameresco’s first bill to the county for $2-million for work already completed on the $4.6-million first phase of the project. He reports the bill represents 53-percent completion of work minus a 10-percent retainage to address punch list items at the end of the project. Mackey agreed to provide a breakdown of the bill to make it more understandable to the board and any public filing freedom of information requests. Mackey says the goal is to have the first phase of the work at the courthouse, public service building, and jail completed by the end of the year.
The board agreed to revisit the issue of giving the eight fire districts in the county some funding from their COVID relief money. They are looking at $10,000 per department with Supervisor of Assessments Mark Miller paying $20,000 of the $80,000 amount from his accounts for 911’s help on the recent flyover for new property assessments maps. The issue will be placed on the next agenda.
The board approved the purchase of two new commercial dryers for the Marion County Jail at a cost of $15,980. The two original commercial dryers are no longer working.
The board named Steven Bradley to the University of Illinois Extension Board and reappointed Doug Monical to the Iuka Fire Protection District Board.
