SPRINGFIELD - February 26, 2013. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon thanked the House Executive Committee today for passing marriage equality legislation in a 6-5 vote. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), would provide equal marriage rights to all people throughout Illinois.

"Today's vote puts Illinois on the verge of making history, becoming a state that treats all people and relationships equally," Lt. Governor Simon said. "Now is the time for Illinois to become the 10th state in the nation to recognize and protect the rights of all loving couples and their families. I have been a longtime supporter of marriage equality and have worked closely with Sen. Steans, Rep. Harris and members of the House and Senate to send this bill to the Governor and put Illinois on the right side of history."

Senate Bill 10, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), passed out of the Senate Feb. 14 and now moves to the full House for consideration. If passed by the House, the bill would head to the Governor's desk to be signed into law.

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Committee of the Whole - 8:00 am
Board Room, 1st Floor, Administrative Center

1. Roll Call: Cusack, Earnhardt, Hancock, Minard, Sunderbruch

Presentation

2. Presentation of Certified Sites Program by Quad Cities First.

Facilities & Economic Development

3. Approval of property tax abatement on County Tax Deed properties. (Item 3)

Human Resources

4. Approval of changes to Human Resources Policy Y. (Item 4)

5. Approval of personnel actions. (Item 5)

Finance & Intergovernmental

6. Discussion of quarterly financial summary report. (Item 6)

7. Approval of quarterly financial reports from various county offices. (Item 7)

8. Approval of budget amendment to the FY13 County Budget. (Item 8)

9. Approval of the FY14 County Budget. (Item 9)

10. Approval of support for The Putnam Museum's application for the STEM Learning Center Project. (Item 10)

11. Approval of FY 2013/2014 Iowa Department of Transportation Budget and five year construction program. (Item 11)

12. Approval of the purchase of additional software licenses and modules from collective data. (Item 12)

13. Approval of classification and staffing adjustments as discussed during the fiscal year 2014 Budget Review Process. (Item 13)

14. Approval of adjustment in salary for non-represented county employees for fiscal year 2014. (Item 14)

15. Approval of Fiscal Year 2014 Compensation Schedule for County Elected Officials and Deputy Office Holders. (Item 15)

16. Approval of FY14 Z Schedule. (Item 16)

17. Approval of salary increase for the Civil Service Commission's Administrator. (Item 17)

18. Approving appointment of the Scott County Engineer as the Scott County Weed Commissioner. (Item 18)

Other Items of Interest

19. Discussion of Board Members annual visits with County Departments (Item 19)

20. Other items of interest.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Regular Board Meeting - 5:30 pm
Board Room, 1st Floor, Administrative Center

ROCK FALLS, IL - The Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
Meeting will be held February 28, 2013 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at Milledgeville State Bank
located at 451 North Main Avenue in Milledgeville, IL.

In 2012, economic development agencies from Carroll, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, and Whiteside
counties partnered with Northern Illinois University's (NIU) Center for Governmental Studies
and received a grant from the Economic Development Administration to conduct two surveys of
the region's businesses. One study was to assess the competitiveness of wages and benefits paid
to workers in the region. The second study was to assess the extent of underemployment that
exists in the region and the opportunities to educate and leverage that resource. The surveys have
now been concluded and the team will be sharing the results at the Regional CEDS Committee
Meeting. Norm Walzer, Senior Research Scholar at NIU's Center for Governmental Studies, will
be presenting on the findings and analysis of two studies. He will also be discussing how the
project will be concluded in the next few months.

For more information, please contact Theresa Wittenauer, Economic Development Coordinator
for Blackhawk Hills, at 815-625-3854 or by email at theresa.wittenauer@blackhawkhills.com.

About Blackhawk Hills

Blackhawk Hills is a not-for-profit organization based in Rock Falls, IL, that serves Carroll, Jo
Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, and Whiteside counties in northwest Illinois. Services include
community planning, development assistance, natural resources conservation and protection
support, and grant writing and administration. Blackhawk Hills is sponsored by local county
boards and Soil and Water Conservation Districts and is overseen by an 18-member council,
consisting of three representatives from each of the six counties.

Questions about Blackhawk Hills may be directed to theresa.witteanuer@blackhawkhills.com at
(815) 625-3854 or theresa.wittenauer@blackhawkhills.com.

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

 

2:30 p.m. Gov. Branstad signs Senate File 106 into law

Governor's Formal Office

State Capitol

Des Moines, IA

 

Senate File 106: an Act updating the code references to the Internal Revenue Code and decoupling from certain federal bonus depreciation provisions, providing certain taxpayers additional time to file a claim for refund or credit of individual income tax, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

 

 

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