Hot on the heels of two Kankakee County Board members tendering resignation letters, two other board members have resigned, though not for any hot-button reasons. The two newest resignations are a result of board members moving out of their districts.

Amanda Armer-Irps, of District 28, emailed a resignation letter dated September 3. In her letter, she stated she would be “relocating outside the area.”

“It has been a privilege to serve on the County Board, and I am grateful for the experiences and contributions we have shared,” Irps wrote.

Peggy Sue Munday, of District 21, attended the September 9 meeting but had handed Chairman Matthew Alexander-Hildebrand her resignation effective September 10. She would be moving to Aroma Park from Bradley, out of the jurisdiction of her district, and the vacancy officially would be declared at the next meeting.

“You notice the little nod I put in there, too, ‘I’m leaving my abode’ – for my friend, Mr. Snipes, who lived in a different abode and stayed on the board. I am doing the correct thing and leaving my abode and leaving the board, so there can be no argument there,” Munday said at the meeting, which elicited laughter from the chairman and some board members. 

Munday had called for District 18 board member Robert Ellington Snipes’ resignation after she discovered he was not living within the district in 2023.

“Thank you all for the experience, you have been great to work with and, even though we maybe didn’t always agree on something, we still were able to work through it in a professional way – and I appreciate you all,” Munday added.

Vacancies Filled

Last month, Joseph Swanson, who represented District 14, cited the same reason for departing the board. In July, Chris Tholen, of the 10th District, had resigned, but he did so after failing to file a timely statement of economic interest.

The Kankakee County Board did fill the vacancies for Districts 10 and 14 at the September 9 meeting, appointing Roger Koerner Jr. to fill the District 10 seat and Kenneth Lewellen to fill the District 14 seat. 

Board Chairman Alexander-Hildebrand explained the board received three applications for each of the two vacant seats and, after interviewing the candidates, Koerner and Lewellen were chosen. 

Koerner, a pilot and business owner of Koerner Aviation, also teaches welding at Kankakee Community College. Lewellen is a Panduit retiree.

Multiple reappointments and appointments to drainage districts were made. Thomas Peterson was reappointed to the Regional Planning Commission, and Anshu Bansal, DDS, was appointed to the Board of Health. The board also adopted a change to the county code, section 2-62, which pertains to board committees.

There are several vacancies for committees, including the Historic Preservation Commission, Regional Planning Commission, and Kankakee County Housing Authority, various drainage districts, the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, and more.

The board extended its appreciation and issued several certificates of appreciation: Michelle Zummallen (10 years, Highway Department), Josh Craine (15 years, Sheriff’s Department), Harry O’Neil (20 years, Sheriff’s Department), Evan Gregg (25 years, Probation Department), Scottie Brooks (25 years, Maintenance Department), and Randall Turner (35 years, Probation Department). Each certificate was accompanied by a brief verbal dedication of each employee, noting their service to the county.

Other Business

The Kankakee County Board approved an architectural contractor for the Kankakee County Courthouse, not to exceed $250,000.  The historic courthouse was completed in 1912 and features Italian Renaissance and Beaux-Arts architecture. The proposal outlines the scope of work related to courthouse renovations.

After a brief executive session, the board voted to authorize Nugent Curtis Real Estate, LLC, to manage offers for certain real estate at 1270 Stanford Drive, Kankakee.

The board approved claims for July 2025, totaling $10,556,015.28.

The board approved three Zoning Board of Appeals cases that all had been recommended for approval: ZBA Case #25-05 – Variance for lot width in Rockville Township; ZBA Case #25-06 – Rezoning from R1-Residential to C2-General Commercial in Bourbonnais Township; and ZBA Case #25-07 –  Rezoning from A1-Agriculture to RE-Rural Estate in Limestone Township.

Kankakee County’s benefits administration now will be moved to Paylocity, the county’s current payroll vendor, after the board’s approval. The new package includes benefits administration of COBRA, HSA, and FSA, and the payroll services it had been providing. The new contract results in a 20 percent reduction in fees for the services.

The board also approved a professional services agreement with Hampton Lenzini & Renwick, Inc., for design engineering services for bridge replacement on County Highway 14 in Momence.

Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.