Knox County officials will study long-term options for the county courthouse following discussion at the March 25 County Board meeting.
The board also approved lowering the speed limit along South Lake Storey Road and continued discussion of major capital spending projects, including work tied to the former Mary Davis Home and the county nursing home.
In his presentation, County Board Chairman Jared Hawkinson said the task force will examine costs, locations and potential funding options, including whether a future referendum may be needed.
“We owe it to the citizens to explore opportunities,” Hawkinson said, noting that bringing the current courthouse up to modern standards could cost an estimated $15 million. Even with that investment, he said, the building would still require additional long-term maintenance.
The proposed task force will include six board members, the chairman and two at-large community members. The task force is expected to deliver recommendations by Dec. 1. Hawkinson said he hopes to have all the members selected to announce at the next board meeting.
During his presentation, the chairman said an adjacent county was building a 50,000-square-foot courthouse for about $40 million. Hawkinson questioned whether investing in “an ancient building that still needs tremendous work” would be more appropriate than simply building a new courthouse.
He said several locations are available, not all in the downtown Galesburg area. He asked whether it would be a “deal-breaker” in a different location.
“Let’s at least put it in real discussion and have a true and vibrant research and provide some results,” he said.
The current Knox County Courthouse was built from 1884 to 1886 after the county seat was changed from Knoxville to Galesburg.
A $25 million courthouse renovation plan discussed by the county in 2010 was never fully implemented, with only partial repairs completed in the years since — leaving many of the building’s underlying infrastructure issues unresolved, according to news reports. Hawkinson also noted that the issue was discussed 15 years ago but had failed to move forward.
The board approved lowering the speed limit on County Highway 30, commonly known as South Lake Storey Road, from 45 mph to 35 mph along a stretch between U.S. 150 and Allison Campground.
The change follows public comments from residents who cited safety concerns after a fatal crash in the area.
“I hope nothing like that ever happens again,” said Janine Glass, whose sister died in a crash on the roadway. “Reducing the speed limit … may help prevent future catastrophic accidents.”
Hawkinson said recent enforcement efforts have already resulted in nearly 200 citations along the corridor since mid-February. Additional signage and continued monitoring are expected as traffic increases with nearby bike path construction.
In discussing whether the speed limit should be lowered to 25 mph, board members decided to leave that debate until current construction was completed to see if it would be needed.
The board also continued discussion of major capital spending projects, including work tied to the former Mary Davis Home and the county nursing home.
Members approved a $558,355 payment related to the Mary Davis Home performance contract and a $330,484 payment for nursing home improvements, bringing total project costs closer to completion benchmarks.
However, board members raised concerns about how much additional work should proceed at the Mary Davis facility, particularly after its closure. Questions were raised about how much the county would have to continue to pay now that the facility has been closed.
Hawkinson said some improvements — such as fire safety systems and roof work — must be completed to meet code requirements, while other planned upgrades may be paused or reconsidered.
“There should still be some savings that we’re not having to spend,” Hawkinson said, adding that a full accounting of remaining work and potential cost reductions is expected in the coming months.
Questions were also raised about materials already purchased for the project and whether unused items could be repurposed or sold, though officials said those decisions will depend on contract terms and inventory reviews.
The board approved the purchase of three Dodge Durango pursuit vehicles for the sheriff’s office at a cost of $84,424 each. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Brian Friedrich said the older vehicles would be rotated to school resource officers.
The motion passed on an 8-5 vote, with Erin Pugh, Jennifer Fredrick, Pamela Davidson, Samuel Cohen and Tracy Robertson voting no. Board members Robert Bondi and Todd Olinger were not present.
The board approved several appointments and reappointments, including Dr. Joshua Carpenter, Doug Gibb, Stephanie Grimes and Susan Vinson to the Knox County Board of Health; Anthony Law and Jantz Spalding to the Housing Authority; Josh Hopping to the Galva Fire Protection District; and Josh Rollins and Roger Newell to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Newell was also appointed vice chair, and Rick Welty was appointed to the Galesburg Sanitary District.
A proclamation recognizing National Public Health Week in April was also adopted.
The Knox County Board will meet next at 6 p.m. April 29 at Galesburg City Hall.
