The Shelby County Board on May 8 approved hiring Crystal Watkins to manage the countys rural transportation compliance and oversight program, a post the county said has been dormant since 2022.

Board members said the position will be employed by the county under public safety and that pay and benefits will be paid from existing grant funds. Presenters said the position was budgeted and that last-year and current allocations for the program total roughly $1,700,000 (as described in the meeting), with about $700,000 noted for the prior year. Board members described the role as initially requiring 30–35 hours per week, potentially rising as the new hire brings program operations up to speed.

The county reported it has worked with CEFS to maintain compliance in recent months while restarting the program. Presenters said CEFS had applied for the grant in prior years and would continue handling some grant responsibilities initially, but ultimate responsibility will fall to county administration (referred to as PCOM in the transcript). The board noted the search produced two resumes and recommended Watkins based on relevant grant-management and compliance experience.

The salary had not been finalized in the meeting; the presenter cited a proposed range of roughly 29 to 35 (transcript numbers presented without explicit units, implying thousands) and said a formal salary agreement would be negotiated with the recommended candidate. Board members emphasized the immediate priority is bringing the program into compliance with Illinois Department of Transportation requirements and pursuing additional opportunities to deploy grant funds in the county.

Board members approved the hiring and moved on to the next agenda item; staff will complete a formal employment agreement and report implementation details to the board.