Meeting Summary and Briefs: Montgomery County Board for March 10, 2026

Montgomery County Board Meeting | March 10, 2026

The Montgomery County Board met on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, to tackle a heavy legislative agenda dominated by renewable energy and infrastructure concerns. The Board approved updated wind and solar siting ordinances in response to new state mandates, facing pushback from residents concerned about a proposed 100-turbine project. In a related action, the Board unanimously passed a resolution supporting Illinois SB2842 to prohibit CO2 pipeline developers from using eminent domain. The Board also advanced several infrastructure measures, including a road use agreement for a solar farm in Farmersville and engineering contracts for bridge replacements in Butler Grove and Hillsboro Townships.

Taylor Springs ASARCO Clean-Up
MCEDC Executive Director Kaitlyn Fath reported that a site tour of the Taylor Springs ASARCO Superfund site held on March 6 was well attended. The environmental remediation project will begin cleaning up approximately 200 residential sites this summer. The US EPA estimates the total timeline for complete remediation will take between four and eight years, at a total cost of $60 million.

Workers Compensation Premium Refund
The county received a substantial refund following a recent Workers Compensation audit. Finance and Budget Committee Vice Chairwoman Connie Beck reported that Treasurer Nikki Lohman secured a premium refund of $11,444 from the Illinois Public Risk Fund (IPRF). The refund was credited to the diligent auditing work performed by Chief Deputy Treasurer Trish Roemelin.

Green Diamond Bike Trail Parcel
The Board unanimously approved a $3,000 agreement with Nail Land Surveying of Litchfield to survey parcel 03-21-381-004. Development & Personnel Committee Chairman Chad Ruppert stated that the survey work is a necessary step to complete the formal transfer of that specific section of the Green Diamond Bike Trail over to the Village of Waggoner.

Animal Control Update
Animal Control Warden Tricia Papin reported that the facility’s population had spiked recently, noting 16 dogs and pups—six of which arrived in a single day—and seven cats and kittens at the facility. However, numbers improved following a highly successful adoption event held at Rural King. Papin also noted that the department is currently advertising to fill a staff vacancy and is planning a public rabies clinic for April 11, 2026.