[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6008200,"mediaKeyId","5817627-fab25762b52346c9231c187abd794555","parentId",5817627,"title","Board raises need for IT staffing, software guidance and coordinated payment processing","audioSeconds",1287,"startMs",301000,"endMs",1588000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5817627-fab25762b52346c9231c187abd794555&start=301&end=1588","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5817627-fab25762b52346c9231c187abd794555/thumbnail_301000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6008200/Tazewell-County/Illinois/Board-raises-need-for-IT-staffing-software-guidance-and-coordinated-payment-processing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6008200-7bdfce64333ed8fc5c7da501655dbd26/orig.mp4?Expires=1770572750&Signature=KESiA6N0hFGTp3C-6obZP8RcCD1fLrMPIc~9pgOcyrS~6P3TUvUnRzWt~B4B6EbIZBcn2V8r2MoFI6qi~k03XBOEXt0jjUwjzbj6Iy3EQuySJ3vTMde36Sn0DB6gElELaLKNhJFpThEdJr~jNPGXeGcCYRz6PYLnWpH0~fi~x0n9~z~hZqmYz3klI7UmC6aTFG-4O5wD9u~HiU-HlG0T4KuocHfZWbWWimD8K3irYnWIb52-XxXVCHwwmA2Cw72HIKzpieeIc7BJTu74P70oMghY9IdKgOWpCXbvh8vgO2Y1bbkiv8gkUUYmhNCFX87Op83E46mBOIuXWWTj3eL29w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tazewell County, IL","date","2025-02-22T00:00:00Z","article","Board members said Tazewell County's outsourced hardware support does not extend to software implementation, leaving departments to source vendors and payment processors independently and prompting discussion of hiring or contracting expertise to guide rollouts and consolidate payment processing.

One speaker said the county contracts hardware support to a vendor called Hart for general Microsoft product support, “but they're not there, though, to help guide us implementing software,” and recommended considering a position or consultant to guide software implementations across departments.

Members described a patchwork of department-level software and payment vendors; one board member noted that departments had “just kind of done it on their own” and that there was little centralized knowledge about which payment processors different offices use. The board discussed opportunities to negotiate better rates and coordinated solutions that would support card readers and website payment integration.

The group also discussed grant software as a tool to track applications and reporting; speakers said software can help but that personnel are required to complete applications and compliance work. No formal decision on hiring IT staff or consolidating payment processing was recorded during the discussion.

Next steps described in the discussion included evaluating whether to create a county position for software implementation guidance or to contract that expertise, and to inventory current department-level payment processors to identify consolidation opportunities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tazewell County Strategic Planning 4 2-22-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Members said the county's outsourced hardware support does not include software implementation guidance and that departments use varied payment processors; they discussed centralizing support or hiring staff to implement software and integrate payment processing.","taxTitle","Tazewell County, Illinois","taxId",12888,"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},6008205,"Tazewell County weighs hiring grant administrator after staff limits force some grant rejections",483,508000,991000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5817627-fab25762b52346c9231c187abd794555&start=508&end=991","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5817627-fab25762b52346c9231c187abd794555/thumbnail_508000.jpg","/articles/6008205/Tazewell-County/Illinois/Tazewell-County-weighs-hiring-grant-administrator-after-staff-limits-force-some-grant-rejections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6008205-a7bac5e84a677dc66e55b23f44d0ea02/orig.mp4?Expires=1770572750&Signature=bzSqWYBbNAldM-GoCkBFvuiL5tGMkH7uykQAHykEdrhw-t9gSBuB1~QePtLVFYrIQWzb6rh0Gjc24XftBvCLEqk2x5okPEbwJE5EozmvHPfJXCSPFgSwr065PPkPbytod5Y6YmpqBJWpht4MHnc1Oa4GY4gO5Q9RwDwCsQUQLMODGJD4qkrN2fcImw9XnuJEWNryopqv5nosuyOzsJ4YyZ4EeiYyWEZPkabb81Wncdq0YbfqoYZhr1VtE72XsJnSoivF-JHolK~bD9jm7kRvbrU9ls1LJ1hOZPAI6whO7OiLUjPh56bvcmt6jyOcoc05XLAEO81sVDon9vwd8p5cvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tazewell County board members discussed creating a grant administrator position or using grant software and outside partners to expand grant revenue and manage reporting; members said staffing shortages have forced the county to decline some federal grants.

Speakers described the grant administrator role as twofold: pursuing additional grant funding and managing existing grant reporting and compliance. One board member said grant software can help track reports and identify opportunities but that a dedicated administrator often does the hands-on work of applying and managing grants.

Speaker 1 said a grant administrator would “manage our current grants and be very useful in that realm, and then they would also help us go get more.” The group debated whether to hire a county employee for the role or contract with regional organizations that provide grant services.

A board member with prior experience administering grants said the county has used outside partners such as NCCI, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission and similar regional entities to avoid adding payroll costs. They cautioned that external providers often serve many counties and that the county must secure the right skill set for its diverse functions.

Board members reported the county has declined at least one Justice Department grant because the sheriff's office lacked staff to meet the grant's reporting requirements. Speaker 8 said the county turned down the Department of Justice funding because “the sheriff would have to hire a person just to record and report all that information,” and the county lacked internal staff to handle the reporting burden.

No formal action to create a grant administrator position was taken in the recorded discussion. Participants suggested next steps include evaluating grant software, assessing external partner capacity, and drafting a job description if the board chooses to pursue a county position.","Board members discussed hiring a grant administrator or using grant software and external partners to increase revenue; they said the county has turned down federal grants because it lacks staff to meet reporting requirements.",{"_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},6008209,"Tazewell County board discusses master facilities plan, considers selling underused annex",710,391000,1101000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5817627-fab25762b52346c9231c187abd794555&start=391&end=1101","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5817627-fab25762b52346c9231c187abd794555/thumbnail_391000.jpg","/articles/6008209/Tazewell-County/Illinois/Tazewell-County-board-discusses-master-facilities-plan-considers-selling-underused-annex","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6008209-1f6e9243b258931c3f3a89bfa23ca553/orig.mp4?Expires=1770572750&Signature=IGdG4aMfM4UIMq1-eITUef6asjIVYE0UFmf9Z2ydLcUsOeL-Cj0vd520mJSQ9ShhR1nWIyXXDiZPl0i7eqtSeNnaxCLfCDRIa8J~jG5fr9MB1ZhImLHROD8M21iWgbK3I~cjau7CRtj2vYhdv2nNN541x~xYBMdg5ijARY5KXj40CukqeDYmPE9CjzkppW~lp4Rz0WMELUZdu4IzuOWOwePterTJ3N8qs4z5if18mhwPZVNV84oO~MJIsy675DY8mvc9rWJ-cq55SpnAT2y2nabOQm~HtLHdyP1JjLneXBBzQPOwFjY1FeG9tRSTvkt6trALVOYgwoOR3G1hZfDdWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tazewell County board members discussed adopting a master facilities plan to track building systems and carry out a capital improvement program, and raised the possibility of selling an underused county annex to free funding for higher-priority projects.

The discussion centered on a software-backed master facilities plan that would inventory components down to air handlers and establish a maintenance schedule tied to budgeting. Supporters said better maintenance planning could prevent recurring emergency repairs and lower long-term costs.

Board member (Speaker 4) said the software would “track all of our different buildings and the different components, the air handlers down to the different components, replace them,” adding that the approach would help the county “get on that good schedule from both [a] budgeting standpoint and also doing the work.”

Speakers noted the county created a capital improvement plan (CIP) fund in recent years and said the master plan should guide how CIP dollars are spent. “We’ve created the CIP fund two years ago,” one speaker said, urging continued progress on projects already budgeted. Several board members linked past emergency repairs to deferred maintenance and said proactive tracking could reduce emergency resolutions.

Participants also discussed an older county building the board previously purchased but now considers ineffective for housing departments. One board member described it as “limping around and costing us money,” and said the county should “dump it or sell it if we can,” to free resources for needed work.

Board members emphasized alignment between the board and department heads, saying projects will succeed only if elected officials and staff agree on priorities. No formal motion or vote on selling the annex or approving a specific master plan was taken during the recorded discussion.

Board members said next steps include developing the software-backed inventory and carrying out projects through the CIP fund, and they urged support for administration when it brings specific proposals for implementation.","Board members discussed a master facilities plan and capital improvement plan to track building components and reduce long-term maintenance costs, including selling an underused county annex to free funds.","actionData","errors"]

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Board raises need for IT staffing, software guidance and coordinated payment processing

Tazewell County weighs hiring grant administrator after staff limits force some grant rejections

Tazewell County board discusses master facilities plan, considers selling underused annex