Gallatin County Board Member Takes Aim at Fowler, Regional Port District and Scates Group Intermodal River Terminal; Scates Responds

Some in Gallatin County are furious after the latest social media post from board member Warren Rollman.  In it, Rollman suggests State Senator Dale Fowler is corrupt, calling him a bedfellow of the Shawneetown Regional Port District and Scates Group Intermodal River Terminal.  Rollman says Senate Bill 3654, sponsored by Fowler, if passed, would “completely trample” local government rights giving the port “near dictatorial power” over any public or municipal owned property within 1 1/3 miles from the Ohio River.

Patrick Scates, when asked for a response, says what Senate Bill 3654 actually does is allows the Port district to grant itself an easement “only on publicly owned land” to build a conveyor across the levee and wharfage and over Main Street to reach the fertilizer center.  He says it only allows the Port to do that to fulfill the purpose of the Port District of commerce and economic development.  Additionally, the legislation would allow the Port District to vacate 2 alleys Old Shawneetown is claiming are on the property it’s leasing from Scates Group, but Scates says have never been alleys in the last 3 decades.

At the center of the disagreement is Viserion Grain.  Rollman says “Old Town” and Viserion have a lease agreement in which the grain elevator pays the village $100,000 per year.  Additionally, the village has offered a $50,000 per year lease to the Scates group.  The rub, according to Scates, is that in that lease agreement, it’s states Viserion gets final approval.  Furthermore, he says it states no truck traffic from the fertilizer facility could use a public street vital to the operation of the new facility.  Scates anticipates the new facility will offload 60,000-100,000 tons per year which breaks town to $.50 center per ton.  Scates says the agreement with Viserion pays $99,000 per year while loading an estimated 1.1 Million tons per year, or just $.09 cents per ton.  Scates says the Port District will still pay the appropriate dollar amount per ton set by what Viserion pays the village of Old Shawneetown.

You can read full statements from both Rollman and Scates below.  Senator Fowler, Viserion, and representatives from Old Shawneetown have yet to weigh in.

Warren Rollman – Gallatin County Board Member (social media post):

Exposing the sordid power grab from bedfellows State Senator Dale Fowler, the Shawneetown Regional Port District, and the Scates Group Intermodal River Terminal

Attached is a synopsis of Illinois Senate Bill 3654, which is sponsored by our state senator, Dale Fowler. This bill, if passed, would completely trample the rights of our local governments. The Port would have near dictatorial power over any public or municipal owned property that is within 1 1/3 miles from the Ohio River and lies in the Village of Old Shawneetown, Shawnee Township, and Bowlesville Township. Also affected would be four separate roads owned by Gallatin County itself, as well as the rights of the Shawnee Water Authority.

This bill would give the Port power that is “superior to the authority of ANY unit of local government within the property.” Specifically, it would allow the Port to permanently shut down public roads, unilaterally break easement contracts, and discard any ordinances or resolutions passed by the local units of government in regard to their own property.

Currently, Old Shawneetown has a lease agreement with the Viserion Grain elevator, in which Viserion pays Old Town $100,000/year. This money is used to provide basic societal functions and levee maintenance in Old Town. Senator Fowler’s bill would allow the Port to break this contract, and then impose their own “charge of throughput” at a monetary rate set by the Port. This money would then go into the Port’s bank account, NOT Old Town’s.

The Port Board consists of seven members who are all politically appointed. Governor JB Pritzker himself is in charge of four of these appointments. In contrast, the five local units of government affected by this bill consist of a total of 25 representatives elected by the voters of Gallatin County. None of these local units of government have been contacted, much less consulted, about this bill. Why would Senator Fowler want to cast aside the will of the people, in favor of political appointees?? The answer is simple—stack the Port Board with lackeys who will give the Scates Group whatever they want, with no opposition. Then Senator Fowler will be able to have a nice photo op in front of the taxpayers’ nearly $22 million dollar “investment.”

The Port already has eminent domain power over private property, but the land they need for the Scates Group project is owned by local governments. Because the Port cannot use eminent domain to take public property, they have enlisted Senator Fowler to give them what are essentially public property eminent domain rights.

Even for those of you who do not live in the areas covered by this particular senate bill, be forewarned. The passage of this bill would set a very dangerous precedent, in which unelected bureaucrats would have almost limitless power over your local governments. If you aren’t affected now, your time may come in the future.

Senator Fowler should immediately withdraw his sponsorship of this heinous, undemocratic bill.

For the record, the Scates Group/Port originally offered Old Town $5,000/year to lease property from the town. Old Town has a standing offer of a $50,000/year lease if the Scates Group/Port would sign. They have refused. The taxpayers have dumped $22 million into this project, and the Scates Group/Port is unwilling to give a relatively paltry 50k back into the county. Please. Because the Scates Group/Port refuses to reach an honest, fair deal with Old Town, they have decided to use this senate bill as a way to screw the town.

—Warren Rollman