MACOMB — The McDonough County Board’s law and legal committee received sample ordinances Monday dealing with the sale of recreational cannabis. The ordinances came from Adams, Fulton, and Peoria counties and the cities of Morton and Peoria.
Committee chairman Rod McGrew asked members to look over the material for discussion in March. He also asked that State’s Attorney Matt Kwacala draw up a draft ordinance for the county. Committee member Joe Erlandson said, “I believe we should allow it and tax at the maximum rate.”
In other business, Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Adam Cremer reported that the arrest of regional machine shop burglars has resulted in the recovery of more than $100,000 in tools. He said the break-ins occurred in McDonough, Warren, and Henderson counties as well as in Burlington and in the Quad-Cities.
“We got lucky,” Cremer said. “Our residents got their stuff back.”He said he believes the tools were stolen to finance a drug addiction and urged people to put their names on all their equipment.
Cremer said a major methamphetamine seizure in Arizona has local implications. “The woman is from Burlington and the man is from Peoria,” Cremer said. “Those drugs were headed to this area.”
The chief deputy also reported that the average county jail population in January was 27 inmates.
The committee also received a report from Veterans Assistance Superintendent Ric Smart that $1,262 was spent last month to help five veterans, and that 17 veterans were driven to medical appointments in Iowa City and in Quincy. Smart said that nine of his 16 volunteer drivers have gone south for their winter vacations.
A written report was received from Dave Schaab of Waste Management indicating that 3,889 tons of material was deposited in the Envirofil Landfill in January. He wrote that 50.88 percent of material came from McDonough County, 18.23 percent from Schuyler County, and 10.85 percent from Fulton County.
Tim Lobdell of Tri-County Resource and Waste Management said township cleanup weekends would resume in April. He said 60,000 pounds of recycled electronics and paint was collected in January.
Lobdell presented five years of trend data indicating that the recycling hit its peak in 2015. He said a survey would be sent out to determine the need for rural recycling. There is presently no source for home recycling collection in the rural area.
Reach Patrick Stout by email at [email protected]
