Ogle County Board: Facilities update presented

At its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16, the Ogle County Board heard a long-range planning and facilities update from Board Member Don Griffin.

Griffin presented a video to the board on a proposed memorial circle plaza on the south end of the old courthouse, the former site of the previous Ogle County Jail.

The project would be broken into three phases due to needed funds and would involve fundraising. Three benches for the project have already been donated. The first phase would include a statue on a podium with a circular concrete sidewalk surrounding it, connecting to existing sidewalk. Landscaping and shrubbery would be included as well.

The second phase would include a curved walkway into the memorial from the east, with a total of seven benches. The third phase would include landscaping and trees and shrubs, along with a canopy, the most expensive aspect of the project.

Griffin said the county is ready to go out for bids for the first phase of the project.

“There are great opportunities for things like outdoor meetings and music in this space,” Griffin said.

Griffin also told the board that he recently heard from an insurance adjuster that painting in the old courthouse basement will be covered by insurance. The old courthouse will also soon undergo a roof replacement, which will see a bid opening Sept. 24.

TCOC more optimistic about federal funding

The board heard a presentation from Tri-County Opportunities Council Executive Director Jill Calkins on services her organization offers to nine area counties and potential federal funding impacts it could soon see.

TCOC offers five programs, including a Community Services Block Grant to provide education and employment resources, a weatherization assistance program to increase energy efficiency and safety in homes, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to assist households with energy costs, Early Head Start and Head Start programs to provide early childhood education and health services, and a Foster Grandparent Program as a way for 55 and older volunteers to serve youths in the community.

TCOC works to fight poverty and address immediate needs and build long-term stability for local families and individuals. Calkins said sustained funding is essential to protecting vulnerable households and building thriving communities.

In Ogle County in fiscal 2024, TCOC provided assistance to 1,284 families with LIHEAP, 127 families with housing, three families with furnaces, seven families with weatherization, 38 families with early childhood education, and provided its other services of transportation, food, personal hygiene products, scholarships and more.

Federal funding is in question nationwide for organizations like TCOC, which serves 5,500 square miles of Illinois.

“We’re a little bit more optimistic than we were a few months back, looking at the way appropriations are coming out,” Calkins said. “But until those things are finalized, we’ll be paying attention to how we can provide services to the residents of our communities.”

Circuit clerk’s pay raised

The board unanimously approved a 2% increase to the Ogle County circuit clerk’s salary to $94,164 for 2026. The circuit clerk’s salary was previously $92,318. The circuit clerk also receives a state stipend of $6,500.

The salary structure approved Tuesday did not provide salary numbers for the circuit clerk for 2027 and 2028. The circuit clerk’s salary will be reviewed annually due to an “unusual circumstance,” Board Member Marcia Heuer said.

Permit will allow house to be used as short-term rental

The board unanimously approved a special-use permit to allow a class-one short-term rental house on agricultural-zoned land at 4432 N. Illinois Route 2 in Rockvale Township. The existing home is located on 5.21 acres of land. Board Member Lyle Hopkins said the home will be used as an Airbnb.

“It’s not a public road back into this place,” Hopkins said. “The way they talked and the way they go through Airbnb to get people to rent it, it sounded like they had things under control to run a good business.”

Board member Benjamin Youman said short-term rentals in unincorporated areas of Ogle County require special-use permits through the county, but those located in cities like Rochelle are not required to get a special-use permit to rent out a home short-term.