Resident protests highway committee's verbal restriction

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Benton Street resident Tadd Nelson claims the county made a discriminatory decision on his request for a double culvert system on his two-acre lot. Nelson told the Grundy County Board during the regular monthly meeting Tuesday evening there are no written restrictions in the county regarding double culvert drainage systems. However, he said the five-member County Highway Committee verbally denied his request to install the system on his property. Nelson said he was told the verbal restriction has been in place the past 15 years. Had he known the committee would deny his request, Nelson said he would not have purchased the two-acre lot south of the Illinois River. He said after the committee denied his request, he found five other properties in the county with double culvert systems. Nelson said he approached the County Highway Department a second time with his findings, but that his request was again denied. “I feel all landowners should be treated equally,” he told the county board. Nelson said he believes verbal zoning restrictions should be forbidden. He said his property would not be used for commercial purposes. He also noted more than 50 properties in the county have multiple culvert drainage. Nelson protested the fact only requests that are OK'd by the appropriate committee come before the full county board for its approval. “Three or four committee members shouldn't have the final decision when you have 18 members on the full board,” he said. “It's unfair for the board to hold me to a provision that's not even written down.”

Veteran saluted Ben Kelly of Morris was recognized by the board as the Grundy County military veteran of the month. The World War II Air Force enlistee was introduced by board member Ken Iverson, who quoted the lead and end paragraphs from Kelly's writing of his experience. “It makes me feel so good to realize our later generations haven't forgotten the military personnel who served our nation during World War II, which resulted in eventual surrender of the German Third Reich and the Japanese Imperial forces,” Iverson read. “It is truly amazing how a war can reshape one's destiny, but if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change a thing except eliminate the war.” In thanking the board for the recognition, Kelly said he stayed stateside during the war because of a vision issue, and did not see combat.

Other business In other business during the meeting, the Grundy County Board: € Reappointed Michael Wright to the Grundy County Housing Authority; Michael Perino to the Braceville Fire Protection District; and Monica Mack to the Godley Public Water District. € Appointed Heidi Miller as director of the County Land Use Department. € Placed on file the resolution setting compensation for election judges. The base pay will be $140, schooling $40, ballot pickup $10 and ballot return $25. € Approved the order for, and list of grand jurors, plus the grand jury's routine inspection of the county jail. € Approved a request by County Engineer Craig Cassem to undertake half the cost of replacing a steel culvert on Kinsman Road, south of Indian Trail Road in Norman Township. The total cost is $40,000. € Approved spending up to a maximum of $10,000 in fees to Patrick Engineering for appearing at the public hearings on the proposed Kendall County landfill. € Placed on file the request by Linda and Charles Herman, 10940 S. Dwight Road, to operate a bed-and-breakfast in their home in an agriculture-residential zoned district in Goodfarm Township.