JERSEY: Work underway on new elections space

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By Carissa Sitki

The Jersey County Board met on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. where it was announced by County Clerk Pam Warford that the remodel of the new elections/voting area in the basement of the Government Administration Building (formerly the job center) is underway.

The project was approved at the Tuesday, Jan. 11, meeting and carries a cost of $49,800 which will be funded through American Rescue Plan money.

The space is in the process of being converted into a space with a front desk where two to three voters can check in at once and eight can vote at a time. The back room will provide a large storage space for voting materials and equiptment, according to Warford who spearheaded the project. There will also be a separate area for early voting.

When Warford first heard that early voting was going to be expanded, she pushed for expanding Jersey County’s election space. “This is something I’ve had in mind for this space for quite awhile.” she said.

“This will provide the county with more room to conduct our elections,” Board Chairman Don Little said.
The large space, according to Warford, will also make it easier to safely space out voters to decrease COVID-19 spread. “There will be plenty of room for social distancing in here during elections,” she said.

Warford said that she also plans to have a ballot box installed on the exterior of the building where voters can securely drop ballots, which will fall directly into a box in the storage room of the new election facility.

The room will be updated with new doors, per recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security. “The box will make it easy to drop off ballots,” she said. “It will be safe and secure and there will be very limited access to the room.”

Additionally, there will be a kitchen located in the area, which will serve as a break room for the whole building. The room will have appliances and places to sit. “There hasn’t been a break room like this before, so we’re pretty excited about it,” Warford said.

Work is still underway, with drywall and other construction. Warford estimates that the project will be finished by the end of March and ready to be used for the June elections.

In other business, the Board approved the County’s Cyber Security reports and recommendations. Included in the motion was an IT contract with Chris Griffin along with providing him an email address and the Jersey County Cyber Policy. Griffin has done various IT work for the County Clerk, Sheriff’s Office, Circuit Clerk, and 911 service. He will not be a full time employee, but, rather, will provide his services as a contracted individual at a rate of $50 per year, which according to Little, is “standard” for this type of work.

“If issues arise, an office employee, or appointed individual, will fill out a help ticket and Griffin will come by to see what the issue is and resolve it,” said Little.

The updates to the software and Griffin’s IT support will make the county more secure, according to Little.

“We started on this project early last year based on other municipalities getting their systems locked by hacking or opening ransomware emails,” he said.

The project is not expected to carry a heavy financial burden. “I think we’ve finally got something in place that will be workable and cost efficient,” Little said.

Several items pertaining to public safety were approved: two radios for Elsah’s police department in the amount of $7,014.80; six computers for Sheriff’s Department squad cars in the amount of $16,968; the purchase of two tasers; and the purchase of ammo at a cost of $384.97 for 9 mm pistols and $495 for rifles.

These purchases will be taken from the Public Safety Fund. Three other items were tabled: X-ray for corrections, one cell update, and in-car video camera system.

The Board adopted an ordinance which enacted a Code of Ordinances for the County. The book is categorically organized with dates pertaining to all of the county’s Ordinances. Copies will be kept at all county offices. “This will make it so that things can be easily updated and maintained,” said Warford.

Other approved items:
■ Resolution of sympathy to the family of William “Ed” Koenig, former member of the Jersey County Board.
■ Petition for aid- Richwood Township- Pleasant Road School- Section 21-09113-00-BR.
■ Animal Control report.
■ Committee minutes of December 2021 and January 2022.

The Jersey County Board will meet again on Tuesday, March 8, at 6 p.m.