In a short regular meeting of the Monroe County Board on Monday, commissioners heard good news about the progress of the Monroe County Jail expansion project.

Monroe County Maintenance Director Joe Lewis was on hand with Roger Kinzinger, project manager with Middendorf & Ruess Construction.

Kinzinger said the project is in line to be completed by the end of August, adding, “hopefully better.”

The original completion date was projected for October.

Kinzinger reported the exterior brick work is finished and was washed last week, with window installation to be completed soon, either this week or early next week, and drywall is in the process of being put up and will be finished this week. 

Lewis noted one change from the original plan since his last report. He said the original “Monroe County Jail” lettering from the former exterior will remain on what is now an interior wall rather than being taken down.

Monroe County Board Chairman George Green, who said he has made several trips to the jail to check on progress, agreed with the decision, adding he has been impressed with the progress every time he has visited.

Lewis also thanked the county for use of a generator which allowed air conditioning in the addition that helped with drying of mud and tape during interior work.

Earlier in the meeting, Monroe County Clerk Jonathan McLean spoke on an agenda item requesting a “special application period” for two local businesses which would like to sell fireworks ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.

McLean explained a business at 8818 Summer Road, Columbia, near Route 3 and Hanover Road, and the owners of Short Fuze, who sold fireworks at 6265 State Route 3 last year, had completed the necessary prerequisites to operate the businesses, but the current application period in Monroe County is April 1-15.

To emphasize the strenuous nature of requirements to be met, McLean noted there was one business which was also going to apply, but the location was deemed too close to an underground gas line.

Commissioners agreed to create an application period for the businesses to obtain a permit, although next year the board will revisit the item to either extend or revise the application period via resolution.

McLean reminded any county resident who is planning to have a fireworks display must first obtain a permit from the county clerk’s office and notify the appropriate fire district. 

More details may be found at monroecountyil.gov.   

McLean also separated one item from the approval of county bills, that being a request for the county to pay for software which will eventually be covered by grant funding.

McLean explained that Monroe County Circuit Clerk Lisa Fallon secured a grant for implementation of a new software program to streamline communications between the circuit clerk, state’s attorney, police,  pretrial services and judges.

Monroe County State’s Attorney Ryan Webb said the software would be very helpful in connecting everyone involved and accomplishing the “demands of the SAFE-T Act.” 

Fallon said implementation in the courthouse would take about one year, adding local law enforcement already has the capability to be “wired in” once the program is online.

Commissioners approved a one-time payment of $69,400 with the understanding the money would be reimbursed from grant funding once an invoice was available.

Fallon also pointed out the $10,725 annual cost for the program will also be funded by the grant, meaning the new software will not cost the county anything.

The next meeting of the Monroe County Board is June 17 at 8:15 a.m.