The Morgan County Commissioner met in quick fashion this morning. The majority of the meeting was opening of sealed bids for the county’s weatherization program through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in collaboration with MCS Community Services.
The county paid their monthly bills, with most of the outgoing costs going towards outfitting a new Sheriff’s Department vehicle according to Commissioner Chair Ginny Fanning: “We have received bills in the amount of $47,904.50. Quite honestly the only really big thing out of that, about 25% of it, is to GTSI for $10,232.25. I believe that was to outfit one of the new cars that the Sheriff’s Office got, so I think that was for the [Dodge] Durango.”
Morgan County Planner Dusty Douglas opened up 7 sealed bids for the upcoming Weatherization Program. Douglas says that people in Morgan, Scott, and Cass County can apply to the program to make their homes more energy efficient. Douglas says that opening of the bids is a required process by DCEO: “The Weatherization Program has been around, I guess, for about 25 years through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Our agency at MCS [Community Services] administers it for Morgan, Cass, and Scott counties. This is the annual going out and asking for bids on all the materials that will be used. Through the years, they have a pretty good idea in conjunction with the state what is going to be needed, so most of that is purchased up front and allocated per job as the year progresses.”
Douglas told the commissioners that an organized bid sheet on what the bids exactly were for will be presented on July 26th. Commissioner Chair Fanning noted that 4 of the 7 companies placing bids were from Jacksonville. Companies making bids on the program were: Whole Energy & Hardware of Chaska, Minnesota; Benoist Brothers Supply Company of Springfield; Conner Company of Jacksonville; Energy Federation, Incorporated of Kaukauna, Wisconsin; R.P. Lumber Company of Jacksonville; Buchheit of Jacksonville; and Trone Appliance Center of Beardstown.
Fanning also said that the budget hearings for the county will come to an end on Friday after two hearings were held last week. The budget will be posted for 30 days for public inspection once the hearings are complete.