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State Journal-Register: AFSCME contract suit may not be heard until next year
It’s been so long now that some of you may have forgotten that the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees still doesn’t have a new contract with the state to replace the one that expired in June 2015.
The dispute was expected to have an appellate court hearing by now. It hasn’t, and it won’t for a while yet.
Daily Herald: Board members: McHenry chairman's hiring, lease decisions lacked transparency
Several McHenry County Board members are criticizing how the board chairman and county staff have handled issues they believe should have been made more transparent.
In what Chairman Jack Franks called a “political ploy,” a faction of the board called for special meetings Thursday and the following Tuesday to discuss two staff hirings, as well as a request for qualifications for the potential lease of the Valley Hi Nursing Home. On both issues, board members say decisions were made without following proper protocol or communicating with the public and the county board.
Northwest Herald: Developer proposes multimillion-dollar solar farm near Marengo
A clean-energy developer is eyeing a 110-acre agricultural lot just outside Marengo for a solar farm.
SunEast Development, Enel Green Energy and Energy Renewal Partners are planning the project together under Marengo Solar LLC. The $25 million to $30 million development plan calls for about 60,000 solar panels on the site, which is close to a large ComEd substation, said Reed Willis of SunEast Development.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Bloomington uses hybrid approach for legal services
The city of Bloomington uses a unique hybrid legal team that includes an in-house assistant city attorney and outsourcing its top attorney position and primary legal services to a Springfield-based law firm.
The city has reduced its dependence on outside legal firms with higher hourly rates because an arrangement with Sorling Northrup provides Bloomington with access to the firm’s pool of 30-plus attorneys, as needed, at a pre-set discounted rate, said City Manager David Hales.