Jeremy Angland, county staff, updated the Public Safety Committee on efforts to address abandoned and nuisance properties across Lee County.

Angland said the recent nuisance-properties meeting drew representatives from the health department, building and zoning, board members and administrators. He listed projects in progress at the Lee Center School site, Aldina School and the Aldina infirmary/nursing home, and said the county is working with the cities of Dixon and Amboy on other residential-property efforts.

"We are working with a local developer that is interested in acquiring that property, potentially raising the building, and developing some duplex residential, or single family properties there at that site," Angland said about Lee Center School.

Angland also urged other municipalities in Lee County to identify nuisance or abandoned properties that could use county assistance and said some work will be funded through the Strong Communities grant. "We will have to have all funds expended by November," Angland said, warning the grant timeline is short and that projects must move quickly to get into the pipeline.

Committee chair praised the interagency coordination and said enforcement forms and procedures have improved. No formal action or funding allocations were taken at the meeting; staff will continue project-level work and outreach to municipalities.