These are your two newest members of the County Board

The St. Clair County Board on Monday approved two appointments to the board to bring it back to a full 29-members.

St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern appointed Willie Dancy, of East St. Louis, to fill the term of Oliver Hamilton, who resigned after pleading guilty to federal wire fraud charges for spending $40,000 of township money for personal expenses. Dancy will represent District 3.

Dancy serves as the president of the East St. Louis Park District board of commissioners and works as a warehouse coordinator for East St. Louis School District 189.

He also serves as a Democratic committee man.

“I hope to work with each and everyone of you all for the betterment of St. Clair County,” Dancy said during the board meeting.

Kern appointed Susan Gruberman of Belleville, to fill the term of Angela Grossmann-Roewe, who was elected to the county’s board of review. Grossman-Roewe was the county board member for District 12.

“I’m looking forward to serving the residents of the 12th District,” Gruberman said. “I know I have some big shoes to (fill) following my predecessor.”

Gruberman currently works as an accountant for St. Clair Township. She previously worked as an controller for the Illinois Health and Sports Foundation in Belleville, and as an accountant for Kerber, Eck & Braeckel, LLP in Belleville.

She also currently serves as treasurer of the St. Clair Township Democrat Club and is a Democratic precinct committee woman.

The terms of Hamilton and Grossman-Roewe, both Democrats, were slated to end in 2018.

In other action

County Board members renewed the contract with Janet Linton, of the Belleville Animal Clinic, to be the veterinarian for the county animal services.

Under the renewal, Linton will be paid $19,200 for the year. In addition to the fee, among her duties is performing spay/neutering surgeries for up to $75 each for the county adoption center, performing pre-release exams for $16 per animal, and $55 for spay/neuter surgeries for pet population clinics.

Animal Services Director Jim Jacquot said the cost of having Linton as the vet is the same as 2016.

“She does a great job for us,” Jacquot said.

Water district appointment

County board members approved on the appointment of Robert Stahlschmidt to the Prairie DuPont Public Water District board. Stahlschmidt will finish the term of Robert Little Eagle, who resigned.

The term ends in May 2020.

Auto repair, rebuilder denied

County board members denied a request from Bradley and Debra Curtis to be able to have an auto repair/rebuilder shop on their property along Beare Lane outside of Millstadt.

The Zoning Board recommended the request be denied because the property is in an agricultural zoned area and the surrounding area is predominantly residential uses, woods and agricultural fields. The area also has no public water or sewer systems.

In a memo to County Board members, zoning board members said roads in the area aren’t adequate to accommodate commercial traffic.

County Board member Michael O’Donnell voted against the denial.

Before the County Board voted, Debra Curtis asked the members to reconsider. She said she and her husband had no plans to sell vehicles they fixed at their house, and they have a state-certified paint booth and use environmentally friendly paint.

“We just want to fix a few cars,” Curtis said.

“We have gone over and above to make it safe for everyone,” she added said.

Stormwater testing

In order to comply with a federal regulation, St. Clair County officials hired RJN Group to set up a program to conduct stormwater runoff testing for $2,020.

RJN Group will also be paid $525 per site visit when taking samples to test, said Anne Markezich, director of building and zoning for the county.

The cost is being shared with the city of O’Fallon, O’Fallon Township and Caseyville Township, Markezich said.

The company will test for suspended solids, nitrogen, phosphorous, fecal coliform, chlorides, and oil and grease, according to county documents.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is requiring municipalities with more than 25,000 people to actively sample water after rainfall, said Dallas Alley, who is coordinating the project for the county.

Part of the federal Clean Water Act requires states identify waters that do not meet applicable water quality standards.

Alley added that municipalities such as Belleville, Cahokia, Caseyville, Dupo, East St. Louis, and O’Fallon are among the towns working the county on this requirement.

Sampling will take place once a quarter, after a quarter inch of rain, Alley said.

“You have to sample, keep track and report back to the EPA,” Alley said.

This story was originally published January 30, 2017 at 9:37 AM with the headline "These are your two newest members of the County Board."