JCJ 12.11.19

Page 1

CURRENT RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER

OPINION: Jerseyville should cool off on water sale: Page A4 NEWS: County board approves appointments: Page A2

PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE

PAID Jerseyville, IL PERMIT NO. 204

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

P.O. Box 407 Jerseyville, IL 62052

JERSEY COUNTY

JERSEYVILLE, IL 62052

INSIDE NEWS Grafton comes alive with Christmas spirit. See page A2 Winter Sports Preview. See pages A3 Jersey Community Hospital awarded grant. See page B5

SPORTS

JCHS football players awarded at banquet. See page B6

WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY, DEC. 13

45 31 High

Low

SATURDAY, DEC. 14

38 20 High

Low

SUNDAY, DEC. 15

30 24 High

Low

ONLINE Visit us on the web at

jerseycountyjournal.com

TOP STORIES ONLINE Dec. 4 - Dec. 11 1. Rain deters some from Downtown Country Christmas 2. Jersey's Santa Claus wins Kringle award 3. Jerseyville tables possible water systems privatization 4. Man collapsed of alleged overdose in courtroom 5. Deer harvest low after ďŹ rst ďŹ rearm season weekend

INDEX Editorial . . . . . . . . . .A4 News . . . . . . . . . . . A2, B5 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . A5 Our Town. . . . . . . . . .A5 Public Notice. . . . . . . . .B5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 OBITUARIES: CLARK, HART, POHLMAN.

JERSEY COUNTY

JOURNAL

Š 2019 All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

DECEMBER 11, 2019

JOURNAL VOL. 17, NO. 50 - 75¢

Concern lingers over Jerseyville water vote By JARAD JARMON Jersey County Journal Jerseyville’s time owning and maintaining the water in the city might be coming to an end, and for individuals who were tasked with providing a citizen’s perspective on the issue, it is concerning. At their meeting last week, the Jerseyville City Council commissioners tabled the potential sale on the water and wastewater systems in the city. Specifically, the action, if approved, would have OK’d “an asset purchase agreement between the City of Jerseyville and Illinois-American Water Company and related schedules and exhibits, for the sale of the Jerseyville water and wastewater systems, subject to the approval of the Illinois Commerce Commission, and authorizing the mayor and the city clerk to sign the same and all related documents as to needed to complete the sale.� While a vote was not taken with one of the commissioners absent at the meeting, many audience members in attendance expressed concern of the potential long-term ramifications of moving forward with the consideration to sell to Illinois-America Water. Among that group was John Hefner of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee— a committee formed a couple of years ago with a goal to determine a citizen’s perspective on the water

and wastewater systems issue. Although the city “breaks even� managing the water and sewer systems in the city, as was stated during the council meeting, the water and wastewater systems in the city are in need of upgrading, which can be a costly endeavor likely resulting increases to the water rates.

“The city can do it cheaper in the long haul than Illinois American Water is going to do it.�

John Hefner Jerseyville Citizens Advisory Committee At the meeting, Hefner urged council members to consider against selling, addressing a letter sent by the committee to the council members. The advisory arm recommended not to sell, arguing the potential sale would not be a good move in the long run — partly because rate increases could go up more than if the city maintained the water. The letter points to a statement from the Bartlett & West, an engineering group said to be employed by the city to look at the options regarding

the water systems in the city, which states that “the average monthly combined water and sewer bill from the (Illinois American Water Company) would be 20 percent to 25 percent higher in the future than if the city maintains ownership.â€? The committee letter quotes other pieces Bartlett & West including: Q “Maintaining ownership allows the city to be in control of future rate increases, and could be a long-term, stable source of income.â€? Q “If the rates are going to increase anyway, it might be beneficial for the city to reap the financial rewards of the rate increase.â€? Q “If the city were to raise rates themselves, instead of (Illinois American Water Company) raising them, the revenue would be on an annual basis, not a one-time payment.â€? For the committee, selling city assets is a “bad moveâ€? and would only provide a “quick, short-term solution.â€? “The city can do it cheaper in the long haul than Illinois American Water is going to do it,â€? Hefner said. “They have to have a certain discipline to raise rates‌ It basically was neglected for 20 years, and it just didn’t keep pace with inflation.â€? Hefner said the rates will go up in any case, and that it would be best to maintain (See, WATER, A2)

Jerseyville Library looks to expand By KRIS SCHEFFEL Jersey County Journal Officials at Jerseyville Library is looking to turn the page with new plans for expansion. Library director Anita Driver announced on Facebook that the library will be applying for grant money from the state for an expansion that has been in the works since 2013. On Monday, Dec. 2, Driver was sent a letter from Mark Shaffer, construction grant consultant at the Illinois State Library, informing her that new funds were going to be available to libraries for construction projects. Funds have not been available since 2013 when the library initially applied for the grant. “In 2013, we applied for a grant for construction,� Driver said. “There were 15 libraries that received funds... We were 19 (on the list).� Driver said they have continued to apply for the grant since then, but there has not been any funds available. But the library has not given up hope, and the persistence may very well pay off. The grant will be available to

Kris Scheffel/Jersey County Journal

BASKETS FOR A CAUSE

Shoppers at the Ambulance Association’s Christmas Bazaar peruse over 30 donated baskets as part of the event’s basket raffle. The Bazaar is part of the Jersey County Business Association’s 12 Days of Christmas, which runs until Dec. 13.

libraries across the state with an application deadline of March 31, 2020. “So, we’ve got some work to do before then,� Driver said. New plans need to be drawn up as the older ones have become outdated in the six years since the initial application. “We do have plans, but they need to be redone,� Chris Maness, cataloger, said. “They are too old.� “When we did that in 2013, Lewis and Clark wanted space,� Driver said. “It (the expansion) was going to be bigger. They wanted 6,000 square feet.� The library has also acquired a property on its southwest corner in anticipation of a potential expansion, which will offer new possibilities for the expansion. In addition, material costs will need to be recalculated. “Cause in six years, I don’t know the cost of construction materials,� Driver said. The reasons driving these plans are largely centered on a need for space, be it for meetings, computers or storage. “We are so stuffed,� Maness said. “We have three people in one office, and the meeting room is tiny. We are blowing

up.� An adjacent but connected building would be constructed at the center of where the parking lot now sits. This building, Maness said, would serve primarily as a meeting space. “People need it,� she said. “There’s no place in town to meet.� “The need for meeting spaces is tremendous,� Driver said. “It’s not being met in our town.� The current meeting room would then become a computer and media room. Driver said this is a central goal, to get the computers out of the circulation area and into a computer lab. “Most of the people coming here are looking to use our computers,� she said. In addition to these changes, there are some wish list items the library hopes can be included in the plans. The need for storage is almost as dire as the need for meeting space. “It took us an hour and a half to get out Christmas stuff,� Maness said. Currently, there are two sheds in the parking lot, but the growth of the library’s collection is far outpacing its ability to keep up. (See, LIBRARY, A2)

Jarad Jarmon/Jersey County Journal

LISTING

THEM OFF

Crosby Lucas, 2, lists some of the things he is wanting for Christmas this year to one of Santa Claus’s representatives, Andrew Jackson, at the Grove Memorial Park in downtown Grafton. Santa and Mrs. Claus visited with local children during the Santa’s Chocolate Express in the city Saturday. Participants got a piece of chocolate at participating businesses along Main Street when they entered. More photos from the event can be found on A2.

Locals could feel impacts of new SNAP requirements By KRIS SCHEFFEL Jersey County Journal On Dec. 4, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, at the direction of President Donald Trump, announced new work requirements for recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. These changes will go into effect April of 2020 and could impact hundreds across the tri-county area. The new rules limit SNAP benefits to three months within a 36-month period, unless the individual meets certain work requirements. These rules apply to those considered to be “able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD),� and excludes those with disabilities, who are pregnant, have dependents or are 50-years-old or older. There are currently hundreds of individuals across the tri-county area that fall into the definition of ABAWD including 287 in Jersey, 200 in Greene and 52 in Calhoun. Meghan Powers, director of communications at the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), said that this definition technically excludes those with physical limitations, severe mental disabilities or a drug dependence. Mental disabilities, in particular, she said, are not always identified when an individual applies for SNAP. “Many SNAP participants face serious barriers to employment, such as mental illnesses, substance use disorders, justice involvement and significant physical limitations, and would not be able to meet the work requirements,� she said.

�This is cruel, and my administration has fought him (President Donald Trump) at every turn.�

J.B. Pritzker State of Illinois Governor The new rules require any ABAWD to complete 80 hours of work, work training or volunteer work within a month in order to qualify for SNAP benefits. According to a press release, these changes are what the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) considers to be a return to the intent of the original legislation signed into law in 1996. “Government can be a powerful force for good, but government dependency has never been the American dream,� Secretary Perdue said in a press release. “We need to encourage people by giving them a helping hand but not allowing it to become an indefinitely giving hand.� The administration based the work requirements on changes in the unemployment rate, which it says has dropped to its lowest in more than 50 years. According to the USDA’s press release, the unemployment rate is currently 3.6 percent with 7 million job openings. These figures are based on statistics gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and their use, according to critics of the changes, can often be misleading if not put into proper context. For example, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), which is responsible for the 7 million job openings that the USDA reported, is based on a sample set of 16,000 non-farm businesses and governmental establishments across the U.S. during a month. The BLS recognizes that this figure is an estimate and contains inherent variability. The unemployment rate considers “all those who did any work for pay or profit during the survey reference week,� including those (See, SNAP, A2)

‡ )DPRXV 6HDVRQHG 3ULPH 5LEV ‡ &KDPSLRQ + % +DPV ‡ +ROLGD\ 0HDW %XQGOHV ‡ *LIW &DUGV IRU DQ\ GROODU DPRXQW

Jerseyville

2S@SD 'VX )DQRDXUHKKD

Alton

+@MCL@QJR !KUC KSNM

'.412 ,.- %1( @L OL Ĺž 2 3 @L OL Ĺž 24- @L OL


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.