The Monroe County Board was one of many groups that had to give way to the weekend blizzard, but they kicked off the 2014 slate of meetings Tuesday morning at 8 a.m., one day later due to snow.

County highway engineer Aaron Metzger presented a five-year projection for road work in the county. Plans for 2014 include resurfacing Floraville Road from Waterloo to the county line and Hanover Road from Route 3 to D Road; sidewalk, curb and guttering at Lakeview Drive; Long Lake Road bridge replacement; work on the Route 3 at Old Red Bud Road intersection; phase 3 of resurfacing the road in the Eagle Lakes Subdivision; and work on Old Orchard Lane that will qualify for public maintenance.

Metzger also reported the letting of a contract for structural repairs to the Lake Mildred Outlet Bridge on Bluff Road.  The bridge was damaged this past summer when a vehicle drove into the railing, damaging the rail and a supporting beam.

Repairs will be made by Perry County Construction, Inc., of Carterville, at a cost of $44,820.

He next updated the board on progress to build a pad to support an emergency generator that provides power to the courthouse during a power emergency, and presented a resolution to pay for design work to date.

Metzger also noted that this year is the 100-year anniversary of the designation of the first Illinois Superintendent of Highways and concurrent legislation directing counties to designate county engineers. He said the first Monroe County Engineer, Albert Gardner, served 35 years from 1913 to 1948.

In other action, the commissioners approved construction contracts negotiated by the Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention District Council for work on levees in Monroe County.

The work is needed to bring the levees up to standards that will permit lower cost flood protection insurance under FEMA regulations.

The board also passed several resolutions. Bernard Vogt was re-appointed to another term on the Monroe County Regional Planning Commission; Kevin Koenigstein was appointed to a term as a Trustee for Palmier Cemetery and Wes Hoeffken was appointed to the Monroe County Local Emergency Planning Committee.

The Monroe County Board will meet again Tuesday morning, Jan. 21, due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday – weather permitting.