The Monroe County Board on Monday approved a resolution in support of designating the grouping of some 550 Native American mounds in the region as a national historic park or monument.

Ed Weilbacher and Suzanne Kutterrer-Siburt gave a presentation on behalf of Heartland Conservancy, which is spearheading the effort.

They told how the Mississippian Native American nation, centered n this region, stretched down the Mississippi River and was the cultural center of North America a thousand years ago.

The known past and present mounds in the area – with more being identified all the time – represent the largest such concentration in the world, they said.

In other news from the meeting, Monroe County Highway Engineer Aaron Metzger told commissioners that resurfacing work on Hanover Road has been completed. He said resurfacing work on Floraville Road was delayed due to a material shortage, but was expected to be finished Monday.

Oak Hill director Kim Keckritz and office manager Elizabeth Smith, gave their report on the Oak Hill Center. Keckritz announced that while her initial assessment of operations in March indicated a negative financial flow, when several back payments came in, the month’s results were  positive.  She also indicated that financials have been good to date this year, with higher revenues and lower expenses than projected.

Smith reviewed her efforts to better report on Medicaid items, including for people in the pending status.  That occurs when people who have been paying privately for extended care exhaust their own resources and transition to Medicaid.  Smith said that Illinois is tightening its procedures to ensure quicker payments.

Keckritz cited good figures for managing personnel turnover at Oak Hill. She said these figures are being factored into bonus payments for high quality patient care, which can result in better financial performance.

Commissioners last week completed an assessment of workman’s comp insurance. This reassessment will result in reduced costs for workman’s compensation insurance, commissioners said.

In other action, the board approved a recommended list of people for election judges appointments for another two years.  Other resolutions passed included: David Krebel, George Obernagel, Ron Taake and Ed Schaefer were appointed to the County Noxious Weed Committee;  Aaron Metzger was reappointed to the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Commission Executive Committee; Jerry Geolat was reappointed to the Monroe County Electrical Board, and recent Kaskaskia River Lock and Dam master Jim Hill was appointed to the Tourist Board.