McLean County took the first step to pause an intergovernmental agreement with Bloomington and Normal, voting Thursday to stop collecting money from the municipalities for a three-month period.
The amendment to the agreement — that also must be approved by Bloomington and Normal — will forgo the money that would come in during April, May and June, said McLean County Board Chair Elizabeth Johnston.
The move comes at the request of the cities as the three bodies continue to discuss how to spend money raised from a 1% sales tax instituted in 2016 for mental health and public safety purposes. Since that time, the county has amassed $21 million in unspent funds, prompting Bloomington and Normal to question the parameters of agreement.
Discussions on how to revise the decade-old intergovernmental pact began about a year ago and collapsed into a public standoff during the summer.
County officials hope to use the time to come to an agreement about the future of the program, though no intergovernmental meetings have been set.
“It would be my hope that we could come to resolution as soon as possible so we could get busy doing the great work of serving our community,” said county administrator Cassy Taylor.
Data centers
In another matter, the board approved zoning changes to address data centers that could potentially locate in McLean County.
Last week, the county zoning board approved the measure. On Thursday, it passed the full county board on a voice vote without debate or dissent. The changes would allow data centers in M1 and M2 manufacturing districts, with an eye on avoiding sacrificing farmland.
Because some authority around the centers — the larger of which are sometimes called “AI farms” — lies with the state, there’s some ambiguity in the McLean County amendment.
In an email after the meeting, Johnston said, “The county continues its diligence in researching best practices for implementing protections in the absence of authority to fully regulate industries. We focus on what we are allowed to regulate within our role.”
Sheriff’s department technology
The board also approved a 10-year, $4.8 million “comprehensive technology agreement” with Axon Enterprise Inc., of Scottsdale, Arizona, that will consolidate technology, including tasers, body cams, car video and numerous other department systems under one vendor and platform.
Purchased separately, the services would cost an additional $3.9 million, said Sheriff Matt Lane.
In addition to the tasers and cameras that will now also be worn by corrections officers, Axon will supply interview room recording and storage systems, digital evidence management platforms and both outdoor and indoor drones.
The county has most of these things now, Lane said, but this adds AI integration to help tag and organize evidence, and provide unlimited cloud storage.
Lane described the system as “seamless,” allowing the department to enter and process evidence, share with the state’s attorney’s office, and even the public.
“If you witness something and you record it, then I can give you a link and you can send it directly to evidence,” he said, eliminating the need to confiscate phones in those instances.
Regional superintendent search
The board appointed Johnston to sit on a board to pick the next regional superintendent of schools for McLean, DeWitt, Livingston and Logan counties.
Current superintendent Mark Jontry, who has served since 2008, is retiring May 1. His replacement, chosen by the county board chairs of the four counties, will serve the remainder of his term, ending June 30, 2027.
The board lauded Jontry’s work over the years, with Johnston praising his work at state and local levels, with community partnerships and his pursuit of grant opportunities for teachers and administrators, and business partnerships.
Jontry also is a past president of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendent of Schools.
In other business, the board:
- Approved using 32 acres of an 80-acre tract between Shirley and Bloomington for a solar farm. The land, owned by David and Wilma Kieser, will be leased by New Leaf Energy for a 5-megawatt commercial generation facility.
- Approved a $2.1 million contract with Rowe Construction to resurface Leroy School Road.
- Approved a $1.6 million bid from MSI, of Galesburg, to modernize HVAC systems and the McLean County Law and Justice Center.
