[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6064226,"mediaKeyId","3256550-58a2e5a92c3b4eb8b562b5e096ac6ccb","parentId",3256550,"title","Commissioners decline requests for highway crews to work on private cemetery projects, citing liability and policy","audioSeconds",202,"startMs",1774000,"endMs",1976000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3256550-58a2e5a92c3b4eb8b562b5e096ac6ccb&start=1774&end=1976","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3256550-58a2e5a92c3b4eb8b562b5e096ac6ccb/thumbnail_1774000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6064226/Union-County/Illinois/Commissioners-decline-requests-for-highway-crews-to-work-on-private-cemetery-projects-citing-liability-and-policy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6064226-b094cf478768466f8e602b0292fe4ec1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770403922&Signature=g9PpCvaej7rOcb4-3IwbBbS1oHOC5PhvpurBqkD8Mo3dsEoJRplZqiMBaY1BK9vvKOJXZmfSr~z~0E5hTjlSG-8hf2lu6aqPdK0gNOs1qaHGXgieYulfoDF6XQBlO3b~2VutWVIieeDyvGXW-eirWqWX-U13KjCHmbJWI7XbtAcWlJ91KmRXSiMbLHigc2lJZjW-LVIBvsUWatzmeGB4Q4s3Mm-KwLR2UZ3cCtJdK40HrKmeMEewwidBXlJlwqhMtfBkS-H2nkbiUJjUWp39yCySnLehtaaMXhWb7EDhDiHZWiGAYEVZJ84Xrbted6szg9OXxo45bqF5ICi5~mmG8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Union County, IL","date","2025-05-10T02:27:39Z","article","Several private requests asking the Union County Highway Department to use county equipment and manpower on cemetery work prompted board discussion on May 9; commissioners indicated the county will not perform work on private property.

A commissioner said the county highway engineer reviewed the requests and advised against doing private work. The highway engineer wrote that using taxpayer resources on private property creates the appearance of favoritism, could open the county to liability for damages, and would produce an unmanageable volume of similar requests. The engineer also cited the county’s participation in IPWMAN (an Illinois intergovernmental mutual‑aid network) as relevant to liability considerations.

The commissioner who raised the topic said the highway department already has a backlog of county work and that doing private cemetery projects would be difficult to administer equitably. Board members agreed with the engineer’s recommendation and discussed alternatives such as encouraging private contractors to perform pro bono work or seek charitable donations.

No formal vote was taken; the item was presented as \"other business\" and the board discussed policy direction. Commissioners instructed staff to follow the highway engineer’s guidance and not to authorize routine county equipment or personnel for private property maintenance without a specific, board‑approved policy or indemnity agreements.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Union County Board Meeting 05.09.2025","oneSentenceSummary","Members discussed two requests asking the county highway department to use equipment and personnel on private cemetery work and said the county will not perform work on private property because of liability, resource backlog, and mutual‑aid insurance considerations.","taxTitle","Union County, Illinois","taxId",64206,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6064230,"Board appoints Chris Boyd to Union County Hospital District following Raleigh Hawk's death",63,1705000,1768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3256550-58a2e5a92c3b4eb8b562b5e096ac6ccb&start=1705&end=1768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3256550-58a2e5a92c3b4eb8b562b5e096ac6ccb/thumbnail_1705000.jpg","/articles/6064230/Union-County/Illinois/Board-appoints-Chris-Boyd-to-Union-County-Hospital-District-following-Raleigh-Hawks-death","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6064230-cde6a055c21fe45598910da978896f10/orig.mp4?Expires=1770403922&Signature=m6asTLFNDLYyEK5J9zIB9KWu6c7mZKyGNIk06eciz40Bzmx~sn-53j18XNJPUBNgdMQ~sYM9o-Wkw6h90DVbIb7wbKF8U7lQY4OnojMJAiSclQYI7urZ7ZUf9SeDSYiDLWYqfcqs9-GnMlLyJdZhlKp0Q1IxNWy4T5p71Yj2ttxHbRlZYODZ3qcpzHh-m~tGx4ZdAwrjZA-5TBhJrm6o3eiSJGAyPoU6ZtXarlwtCqhrlnUSc1sSpqiyJ~N-DkEtCxmO~udeyry2fg1t9UOwjGE5~d1ljEGrKIdHCUPTL9Yz9mKDl4jzTizG-iKHWBZCAHf9K6hTvsZnj5u~f8IsQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Union County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution on May 9 appointing Chris Boyd to the Union County Hospital District board to fill the unexpired term of the late Raleigh Hawk.

A county official stated the appointment will fill the vacancy left by Hawk’s death and the term expires June 30, 2025. A motion to approve the resolution was made and seconded; the transcript records a roll‑call vote with Commissioners Harville, Pitts, Miller, Bierstadt and Gould each recorded as voting yes.

No additional details about Chris Boyd’s background or duties were provided in the meeting transcript. The board noted there is at least one other opening on the Hospital District board and requested that commissioners and members of the public suggest candidates for appointment.

The resolution was approved by vote during the meeting. The board did not discuss any changes to Hospital District policy or funding during the appointment.","The commissioners approved a resolution appointing Chris Boyd to serve the remainder of the late Raleigh Hawk’s term on the Union County Hospital District board through June 30, 2025.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6064234,"University of Illinois Extension presents annual report; county to sign local agreement",725,927000,1652000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3256550-58a2e5a92c3b4eb8b562b5e096ac6ccb&start=927&end=1652","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3256550-58a2e5a92c3b4eb8b562b5e096ac6ccb/thumbnail_927000.jpg","/articles/6064234/Union-County/Illinois/University-of-Illinois-Extension-presents-annual-report-county-to-sign-local-agreement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6064234-bde5bc5e26bab376162d3a5ffc4d2455/orig.mp4?Expires=1770403922&Signature=SHb3IqgQfDVVA2jiAQ3S-X69sqFd5~3VWtbnBunSXjan~IwB5ESqraUDARPxg8jov5xOTYTBWHP3BMFeMp7RgRfuMtvMtZfjAMv7AGA8ULl70GB-Pjja8QsIH-klpr0E3PFthXqthG31TSBEv77CrqT6DVCzaaIyNklLQU~iqZNvlVBmD5vpOg2HOcfAjdbh2yzWz4A5JGlfBdEGORfVD3NiP5wPZxQZIKB7f57XxDvLwXt-8iHX2PNfFSi-~PpSon4SM0k7Kllyel656X~NFE4IhLwaobwdhtBp1NZ8ZhfzOFIfyGO2bd496lfE2QKt8CMwI9VFV4bvopf4TPJlbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","University of Illinois Extension staff presented an annual report to the Union County Board of Commissioners on May 9 and said a budget/agreement copy is ready for the board to sign.

Christie Stout, who identified herself as representing 4‑H youth development for the Extension unit, said 4‑H enrollment across the unit of five counties is about 1,200 and that Union County’s membership is about 400. \"We have taken 4‑H not just in the county with clubs, but we're also working within many of the schools,\" Stout said.

Ysay Atesoyi, who described himself as the county SNAP‑Ed (nutrition education) educator, said the SNAP‑Ed team grew from three to six staff during the past year, enabling more partnerships with food pantries, schools, churches and human‑services organizations. Atesoyi said SNAP‑Ed is federally funded and that county contributions support, rather than replace, federal dollars.

John Chaddellis, community economic development educator, said Extension work includes programs to help small grocery stores and fight food‑desert conditions and that the unit can provide research and partnership development for county economic initiatives.

Extension staff noted they have opened a larger office space in Union County and left the board copies of an annual report and the agreement; a staff member said one copy of the agreement remained for the county to sign. The board discussed its ongoing financial contribution; one commissioner said the county’s budget includes roughly $40,000 in support for Extension and voiced continued support for the partnership.

No formal vote on the agreement is recorded in the transcript; Extension staff said they provided the documents and that one copy awaited a signature. The presenters asked commissioners to use the annual report for further review and to contact Extension staff about partnerships and program needs.","University of Illinois Extension staff updated the board on 4‑H enrollment, SNAP‑Ed expansion and community economic development work and provided the county with an agreement for signature and an annual report.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6064239,"Union County says it will draft commercial solar ordinance amid project inquiries",581,329000,910000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3256550-58a2e5a92c3b4eb8b562b5e096ac6ccb&start=329&end=910","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3256550-58a2e5a92c3b4eb8b562b5e096ac6ccb/thumbnail_329000.jpg","/articles/6064239/Union-County/Illinois/Union-County-says-it-will-draft-commercial-solar-ordinance-amid-project-inquiries","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6064239-b527dec7077a38726b0c9cd4ee5d44d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770403922&Signature=hV9nyYCxtgp0i7AMDJ~6HxfzvLzZ~6RQf0tUJuYZWdq8R9RFj5ldijWCfS90U1K0KS3OOh0uCDSNh0P8WFNGCnPRfDg~tAMPSDhBG4uGjzeiQdYIx3Sv9pyYq14GVYsmSvE2-euXxuRtzB8xqHFenaLMbXrf2dlWFuYxbbcEQBz9MBwHpsI5inLjM3Cu8zgyURGR0W6nHCUpv8eTsRT7lPGsdeNXv8R8JddI~cfmR2DVHofaNPNUlehHCX-vbwjXNVNt3eVykbHLz24nQkB9MvJCJ-R2okrdEyOpu~txgFeEbjphdyANYAhpgR643giZ4BT6VuA4IVy6uveYsEkdwQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A commissioner at the Union County Board of Commissioners meeting on May 9 said the county will draft a commercial solar ordinance after multiple inquiries about solar farms.

The commissioner told colleagues the draft would set building-permit requirements, insurance minimums and other construction standards for commercial solar projects and that staff expect to present a proposed ordinance at the board’s next meeting so developers and landowners have a framework to follow.

The board member said inquiries ranged from what they described as a roughly 1-acre project to news reports of very large developments elsewhere — including a project the speaker described as roughly 2,500 acres in southeastern Missouri — and that the county needs rules scaled to both small and very large proposals. \"I expect we'll have a proposed ordinance, draft for the board to consider at the next meeting,\" the commissioner said.

County staff described several topics they intend to address: whether a traffic evaluation is required for a proposed site, potential impacts to agricultural operations and wildlife, glare and runoff concerns, and a graduated fee schedule for permitting. The speaker said the county is looking at examples from other Illinois counties, naming Johnson, Massac and Randolph as reference points.

Staff said permit fees under consideration would be graduated by scale; the speaker described a base permit figure \"about $2,500\" for smaller projects and said costs would rise incrementally for projects larger than 1 megawatt. The board member said there is a separate property-tax treatment that applies to commercial solar farms but that the county would not be the assessor of that tax.

No ordinance was adopted at the meeting. The board member characterized the item as a staff-directed ordinance-drafting effort and not a final policy decision. The board did not vote on regulatory language, tax treatment or permit fees at the meeting.

If the board adopts an ordinance later, it would set local construction and permitting rules; staff cautioned commissioners that technical and scientific questions — for example, on hydrology or localized climate effects cited in some literature — may require outside expertise or state-level guidance.

The board asked staff to continue research and to return with a draft ordinance at the next regular meeting for formal consideration and possible introduction.","County commissioners discussed creating a countywide ordinance to regulate commercial solar farms, including permitting, insurance, grading and traffic review, and said staff will present a draft at the next meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners decline requests for highway crews to work on private cemetery projects, citing liability and policy

Board appoints Chris Boyd to Union County Hospital District following Raleigh Hawk's death

University of Illinois Extension presents annual report; county to sign local agreement

Union County says it will draft commercial solar ordinance amid project inquiries