A new position in the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office is being created because of the opening next year of the county's Justice Center Annex.
The Tazewell County Board on Wednesday approved the position of director of court security as part of a reorganization of court security.
When the annex is built, there will be courtrooms in both the county courthouse and annex.
The person hired for the new position will inherit the duties of the chief bailiff, so there will not be an increase in the county's roster of full-time employees.
The director of court security's annual salary will be about $81,700, beginning Dec. 1, which is the start of the county's 2026-27 fiscal year.
Down goes another boiler
In other action, the board:
• Approved the emergency replacement of a boiler at the McKenzie Building that failed. The other boiler in the building is near failure and also will be replaced. Low bidder Ruyle Mechanical Services of Peoria will replace both boilers and install new ones. The project cost for the boiler that is near failure is slightly more than $93,770. The project cost for the failed boiler is slightly more than $76,100. The boilers provide heat to both the McKenzie Building and county courthouse.
• Approved a project to replace the service counter in the circuit clerk's office in the county courthouse. Benchmark Cabinets & Millwork and Foster-Jacob Electrical Contracting, both of Peoria, will do the work for about $54,300. County Administrator Mindy Darcy said the project may come in under budget.
• Approved a bicentennial logo for the county. Screen Graphics of Pekin designed the logo at the request of the county's historical preservation committee, and will be paid $350. The county will celebrate its 200th anniversary this year.
• Sent its sympathy to the Marion family on the death this month of Lloyd Marion, 94, of Groveland, longtime caretaker of the Tazewell County Farm. Robert Marion of East Peoria, Lloyd's son, will farm the property during the 2027 season.
• Approved grants of $14,000 for Creve Coeur, $23,000 for Morton, $28,000 for Washington, $50,000 for East Peoria, more than $63,640 for rural villages and townships, and nearly $96,360 for Pekin for curbside recycling collection programs.
• Acknowledged a $750 donation from the Marquette Heights Men's Club to the county's Emergency Management Agency.
• Approved a nearly $90,000 contract for low bidder R.A. Cullinan & Son of Tremont for seal coat treatment of roads in the Deer Creek Road District. Motor fuel tax funds will pay for the work.
'Time is of the essence'
Highlights from public comments Wednesday:
• Elton Rocke of Pekin, a member of the Tazewell County Data Center Opposition Facebook group that opposes the proposed data center in Pekin, said several group members will be traveling to DeKalb to check out the data center there. Also, the Country Club Estates homeowners association in Pekin has called an emergency meeting to discuss the project that would be built close to the subdivision. Rocke also admonished the county board to move quickly on zoning regulations being discussed for proposed data centers on county property because "time is of the essence."
• Chris Setti, CEO of the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, said during an update on how his organization is helping the county that groundbreaking will be held in April for Epic Medical's medical equipment plant in Pekin.
