The Effingham County Board approved an ordinance that allows the collection of Cable Television Franchise Fees from customers in the county. State’s Attorney Bryan Kibler said that cable companies are required by law to pay 5% of their gross to the local government body as a fee to operate in the area. The ordinance passed on Tuesday ensures that Mediacom will continue to deliver the money collected by the fee to the county. Kibler said the ordinance was just housekeeping to clarify the agreement. In past years, the county has collected just over $3,000 from the cable fees.
The board also voted to transfer $45,907 from the contingencies fund to the Sheriff’s Office for the purchase of a new squad car. The money is being used to replace a patrol vehicle wrecked in a crash in December. This transfer accounts for just shy of half of the county’s contingency fund for 2017.
Also approved at the meeting was an ordinance allowing the City of Effingham to put up two large Christmas Ornaments on the Old Courthouse lawn next holiday season. A subdivision was approved for a 14 acre property on 200th Street that would divide the property into seven lots. County Engineer Greg Koester also presented the Motor Fuel Funds Audit for fiscal years 2013, 2014, and 2015. There were no issues found in the audit.