Committee adds 60‑day termination notice and approves service agreement with Dr. J. Scott Denton

The McLean County Justice Committee adopted an amendment adding a 60‑day written‑notice requirement to the termination clause of a service agreement with J. Scott Denton, MD, and approved the amended agreement by voice vote.

Member Rose Mendoza proposed the amendment to change the contract language so the second sentence in the term paragraph would read that “the agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty or liability at any time during the term of the agreement upon 60 days written notice.” The committee adopted the amendment by voice vote and then approved the full agreement.

Coroner Yoder described the amendment as formalizing the working relationship the office already had with contracted physicians. Coroner Yoder told the committee the agreement language aligns with indemnification practices required by state statute. Dr. J. Scott Denton, MD, who was referenced in the packet as the contracted physician, thanked the committee and said the indemnification protection “allows the county to indemnify me for my work,” which he described as important in Illinois’ legal environment.

After brief questions about expected utilization, the committee approved the amended service agreement by voice vote.

The committee also approved a coroner surplus property resolution (declaring an older vehicle plate surplus so it can be reallocated to a neighboring county) and an emergency appropriation ordinance to stabilize the coroner’s FY2025 budget.

The service agreement amendment and approvals were completed as part of the meeting’s regular agenda.