Lake County commissioners approve routine resolutions, appoint two Lakeland trustees after public comment

The Lake County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 6 approved a bundle of routine resolutions — covering engineering and environmental contracts, a construction change order, purchase orders and payments — and appointed two people to the Lakeland Community College Board of Trustees following a public comment urging the reappointment of an incumbent trustee.

A resident who identified himself as Dale Fellows urged the commissioners to reappoint Nancy Fellows to a full term on the Lakeland board, citing her prior public-service experience and recent work on budget corrections at the college. “She jumped in with both feet, learned an enormous amount of information about Lakeland,” Fellows said, identifying his address in Willoughby Hills. He told commissioners he believed Nancy Fellows had helped the board take corrective financial measures after state auditors and accreditors flagged problems.

The commissioners then voted on appointments and a slate of administrative resolutions. The board appointed Deanna DeMore Elsing and Morgan R. McIntosh to five-year terms on the Lakeland Community College Board of Trustees, effective March 7, 2025, expiring March 6, 2030. The vote on Elsing included one abstention; the vote on McIntosh also included one abstention.

The meeting otherwise moved quickly through departmental and finance items with little discussion. Resolutions adopted included agreements with Bell Environmental Engineering Incorporated for engineering and air-compliance services at the Lake County Solid Waste Facility, a change order increasing a Shivers Construction Company contract for the Arcola Creek trunk sewer project by $84,497.20, authorization to advertise for chemical bids for utilities, approval of job and family services vouchers, and multiple routine finance actions including payment of bills and purchase orders. All of those resolutions were approved by recorded roll call votes.

Commissioners also discussed broader policy concerns in general remarks after departmental reports, including a proposed county resolution criticizing recent state property-tax actions and a reference to HB 15; those remarks urged state legislators to pursue broader property-tax relief for seniors rather than targeted exemptions. No formal county-level policy on HB 15 was adopted at the Feb. 6 meeting; the board indicated it may prepare its own resolution for a future session.

The board scheduled a workshop and noted changes to its meeting schedule would be posted online. It then recessed into an executive session on personnel, discipline and pending litigation. The public meeting will reconvene after that executive session, the clerk said.

Votes at a glance

- Agreement with Bell Environmental Engineering Inc. for 2025 engineering and environmental service support for the Lake County Solid Waste Facility — approved (roll call recorded as: Commissioner Beveridge: Aye; Commissioner Plutchnick: Yes; Commissioner Regovich: Yes).

- Agreement with Bell Environmental Engineering Inc. for 2025 air compliance services for the Lake County Solid Waste Facility — approved (same roll call pattern).

- Change order No. 4 with Shivers Construction Company, Arcola Creek trunk sewer project 454S2021, increase $84,497.20 — approved.

- Authorization to advertise for bids for chemicals for the Lake County Department of Utilities (bid opening 03/05/2025) — approved.

- Job and Family Services vouchers, warrant dated 02/21/2025, $610,305.45 — approved.

- Planning Commission recommendation accepted: designate Christopher Bernard as alternate to Planning Commission member Timothy C. Brotzman — approved.

- Adoption of Lake County travel policy for elected officers and employees — approved.

- Revision of Board of Commissioners regular meeting schedule beginning 01/09/2025 — approved.

- Amendment of Board workshop schedule and public-comment rules for workshops beginning 02/06/2025 — approved.

- Appointment: Deanna DeMore Elsing to Lakeland Community College Board of Trustees (term 03/07/2025–03/06/2030) — approved (Commissioner Beveridge: Aye; Commissioner Plutchnick: Abstain; Commissioner Bregovich: Yes).

- Appointment: Morgan R. McIntosh to Lakeland Community College Board of Trustees (term 03/07/2025–03/06/2030) — approved (Commissioner Beveridge: Aye; Commissioner Plutchnick: Abstain; Commissioner Reganovich: Yes).

- Finance: payment of bills as listed, $10,313,487.88 — approved.

- Payment to CT Consultants Inc., $8,407.37 — approved (one abstention recorded on the roll for that item).

- Approval of purchase orders as listed, $1,515,040.77 — approved.

- Resolution increasing appropriations for various general and non-general fund accounts — approved.

What happened and why it matters

Most items on the Feb. 6 agenda were routine administrative matters that the board approved by roll call, moving county business forward on contracts, procurement and finance. The meeting drew attention when a resident urged the board to reappoint an incumbent Lakeland trustee, emphasizing recent financial challenges at Lakeland Community College and the trustee’s experience. The board nonetheless appointed two new trustees for five-year terms; one commissioner recorded an abstention on each appointment.

What’s next

The board indicated it may draft a formal resolution to send to state legislators on property-tax concerns discussed in general remarks. A workshop is scheduled for Feb. 20, and the revised meeting schedule will be posted online, the clerk said. The public session recessed into executive session on personnel, discipline and pending litigation and will reconvene afterward.