DeKalb Times

City of Sycamore City Council met Nov. 8.

Here is the minutes provided by the council:

ROLL CALL

Mayor Lang called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and City Clerk Mary Kalk called the roll. Those Alderpersons present were: Virginia Sherrod, David Stouffer, Chuck Stowe, Alan Bauer, Nancy Copple, Rick Kramer, and Pete Paulsen. Alderman Steve Braser was absent. City Attorney Keith Foster was also present.

INVOCATION – Carl Beekman, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, gave the invocation.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Led by North Grove Girl Scout Program Students Abby Hardesty, Eleanor Hooper, Ava Roots,

Brynnlan Long, Emma Meier, Layla Jankovich, Layna Berry, Marlee Miller, Natalie Zamora and Sophia Phillips.

Mayor Lang thanked Cub Scouts Pack 102 members Brent, Aiden, Caden, Jayden, and Damien for their attendance.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

MOTION

Alderperson Kramer moved to approve the agenda and Alderperson Sherrod seconded the motion. VOICE VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Alderpersons voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

APPOINTMENTS

AUDIENCE TO VISITORS

CONSENT AGENDA

A. Approval of the Minutes for the Regular City Council Meeting of October 15, 2018. B. Payment of the Bills for November 5, 2018 in the amount of $2,069,809.71.

C. Annual Report on the Financial Condition of the Police and Fire Pension Funds.

MOTION

Alderperson Bauer moved to approve the Consent Agenda and Alderperson Stowe seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Sherrod, Stouffer, Stowe, Bauer, Copple, Kramer, and Paulsen voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND BILLS

Mayor Lang thanked everyone who attended Pumpkin Festival and thanked all the departments including Public Works, Fire, and Police for their hard work.

REPORT OF OFFICERS

City Manager – Brian Gregory said he echoed the praise and thanks for another great Pumpkin Festival. He said that it is great to see all the Not-For-Profits and all the city staff behind the scenes work together for Pumpkin Festival. It embodies small town America. He thanked Morningstar Media for allowing the Business Matters insert in the Invironments Magazine each month. The November edition will talk about industry, the gateway, and the downtown areas. In preparing for this article, he counted over 30 businesses that are either new businesses in our downtown or moved locations to expand their operations. He said that Public Works continues to install the branding signage in our parking lots. Monday is the next Plan Commission meeting where there will be an action item for a conditional rezoning for the Old Mill Park Development. There will be a public hearing on that and there will also be a workshop for parcel north of Mt. Hunger Road for a concept plan review, both brought by Brian Grainger. He said the next City Council meeting will start the Property Tax Levy discussion. Metronet is continuing to work in the City and they hope to have a small portion live in the next 30 days.

Police Chief – Jim Winters said they are in the process of closing out a grant for $5,000 from the Katz Foundation in which they purchased safety equipment, safety traffic vests, new mats, bike patrol uniforms, bike inspections, and new laptop for their training room, which also serves as their Emergency Operation Center (EOC). He said that they are finishing up their reaccreditation process through Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP). As they did four years ago, they are going for Tier One status again, which has 67 industry standards on how law enforcement agencies should operate. He recognized and thanked Officer Dana Allen who is the lead on this. Assessors will be onsite in the next two or three months and they will work to get reaccredited through that process.

Assistant Fire Chief – Todd Turner said that we had a relatively safe Pumpkin Festival on the fire side, with only a couple mishaps during the Pumpkin Run and only five calls during the parade. The Open House that was held on October 20th was very well attended and said that Firefighter Ian Wheeler and the public education group did a fantastic job organizing it. The Not for Profit, Sycamore Fire Preservation Company, will hold their annual Pancake Breakfast Saturday, November 10th at Fire Station #1 from 8am to 11am.

Director of Public Works – Fred Busse said pricing for road salt this year is $65.58 per ton which is up 30% over last year’s price. He requested 2000 tons this year and is committed to an 80% buy. It’s challenging to forecast the amount needed since it’s required to turn in the request in March, but they will hold the pricing if we need to buy at the 120% level.

Treasurer/Asst. to the City Manager – Adam Orton said the Annual Report for the Pension Funds is on the Consent Agenda tonight and said overall, it was a good year for both pensions. As of April 30th, the Police and Fire Pension Funds had total assets of $13.77 million and $14.64 million respectively. There was a slight change in the assumptions as a recommendation from the actuary, so the investment return assumption is now 7.25%. The current funding percentage is 64% for the Police Pension and 63.2% for the Fire Pension. The target is 100% funding as a target number, but the state law requires that they are 90% funded by the year 2040. Both funds had good returns this year at 7.44% for Police and 7.14% for Fire.

Building & Engineering Director – John Sauter said site work continues at the new DeKalb County History Museum and the interior underground mechanicals and concrete floor were completed last week. The goal is to get the building buttoned up before the weather takes a turn for the worst. They did a final inspection at Willow Real Estate and they opened for business last week. They are at 45 single family permits as of the end of October. Last year at this time they were at 43, so they’re ahead of last year’s pace and he said he is pretty sure they’ll eclipse last year’s total of 46 single family permits for the year.

Mayor Lang said all the good things that City Manager Brian Gregory mentioned in the Business Matters piece in the Invironments Magazine have a lot to do with Building and Engineering, so he thanked them for all the hard work.

John Sauter said thank you, it’s a team approach for sure.

Director of Human Resources – Maggie Peck said that with a lot of retirements coming up in the future, she and City Manager Brian Gregory, have developed some succession planning as they have already implemented the Assistant Superintendents back into Public Works. With that, they just finished a six month onboarding session covering the vision, policies, procedures, and other things that are needed to be successful in their positions. Identifying deficiencies in other areas, she developed the “Sycamore U” program. This will be offered to all City of Sycamore employees and is not just about education, but about the employee and promoting continued growth for the employees. She reviewed the pamphlet that she handed out, explaining that they have partnered with Kishwaukee College and have outlined four classes that will be taught at the Sycamore Center. With a C grade or better, employees will be eligible for the city’s tuition reimbursement program.

Alderman Bauer asked if the class will still be held if only a few employees sign up.

Maggie Peck said they are looking to run the classes with ten students. It will be opened to City of Sycamore employees, local businesses who want to participate (not eligible for tuition reimbursement), and then Kishwaukee College students, if need be.

Mayor Lang said this is not just a program to make better employees, but make better citizens, too.

City Engineer – Mark Bushnell said the DeKalb Sycamore Area Transportation Study (DSATS) has purchased and started using video traffic counters. Previously, this work was contracted out. By completing this in house, DSATS will have paid for the Counters by the end of the second year. It will also allow us to perform traffic counts at more locations and at different times throughout the year. The other benefit is to add locations at any time during the year.

REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES

Finance – Alan Bauer - no report

Public Safety – Pete Paulsen - no report Public Works – Chuck Stowe - no report

PUBLIC HEARINGS - None ORDINANCES

A. Ordinance 2018.05—An Ordinance Amending the Combined Annual Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 in the City of Sycamore, Illinois. First and Second Reading.

City Manager Brian Gregory said the city amends its budget twice a year, once being in the fall after the prior year is audited and numbers are presented. Auditors presented the financials at the October 15th Council meeting so there is now a revised FY19 budget online that shows the actuals from FY18 and reflects the amendments.

He said that the majority of the proposed amendments reflect the actual costs of this summer’s capital projects, carry over expenses that were budgeted and unspent last fiscal year, or revenues and expenditures associated with grant awards. He also mentioned that the city’s revenues exceeded the expenditures so with the surplus, they recommend an additional contribution of $25,000 to each of the Police and Fire Pension funds to help meet the requirement of funding it at 90% by year 2040.

Alderperson Copple asked who the part time engineering assistance is.

City Manager Brian Gregory said it is engineer Adam Baumgartner who does some work in preparation for the street program.

MOTION

Alderperson Bauer moved to waive First Reading and Alderperson Stowe seconded the motion.

VOICE VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Alderpersons voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

MOTION

Alderperson Bauer moved to approve Ordinance 2018.05 and Alderperson Stowe seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Sherrod, Stouffer, Stowe, Bauer, Copple, Kramer, and Paulsen, voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

RESOLUTIONS

A. Resolution No. 767—A Resolution Amending the Lease Agreement Between the City of Sycamore and Mr. G’s Music for a Space in the Lower Level of the Sycamore Center in the City of Sycamore, Illinois.

City Manager Brian Gregory Mr. G signed a six month lease with a renewal option back in August and has expressed interest in utilizing the adjoining room to serve as a waiting area for patrons and their parents. The attached agreement amends the lease to include the adjoining room for an additional $200 per month.

MOTION

Alderperson Stowe moved to approve Resolution 767 and Alderperson Kramer seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Sherrod, Stouffer, Stowe, Bauer, Copple, Kramer, and Paulsen, voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

B. Resolution No. 768— A Resolution Authorizing Disposal of Certain City Property.

City Manager Brian Gregory said this memorializes the vehicles below that were traded in and have left the fleet.

A 2011 Chevrolet Impala and a 2013 Ford Explorer were traded-in to Veto Enterprises:

• The City was given $4,500 credit for the 2011 Chevrolet Impala which has an average NADA trade-in value of $3,275.

• The City was given $9,500 credit for the 2013 Ford Explorer which has an average NADA trade-in value of $9,175.

He said the trade-in credit was used to purchase equipment to outfit three new 2018 Ford Interceptors

MOTION

Alderperson Stouffer moved to approve Resolution 768 and Alderperson Kramer seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Sherrod, Stouffer, Stowe, Bauer, Copple, Kramer, and Paulsen, voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

C. Resolution No. 769—A Resolution Pledging Financial Commitment and Administration for the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School Program.

City Manager Brian Gregory the Safe Routes to School is the program that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) periodically opens for assistance to provide funds to support the five “E’s” of walking and cycling. These E’s include Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Evaluation, and Enforcement. The program offers 100% funding for each application up to $200,000 for projects increasing accessibility to elementary and middle schools. He thanked City Engineer Mark Bushnell who spearheaded this and worked with the Police Department in identifying the areas where connections could be made and qualify for the Safe Routes to School Program. The two routes that are being proposed are:

1. An existing pathway in disrepair along the north side of Freed Road on private property. Funds would be used to reconstruct the pathway to meet ADA guidelines. The project cost is estimated at $63,875.87.

2. A path along East Maplewood Drive east of IL Route 23. There are two gaps in sidewalk that once completed, would provide an ADA accessible route. The estimated cost for this segment is $28,313.86 and would be covered by the grant, if awarded.

He thanked City Engineer Mark Bushnell for his work on preparing and submitting it to IDOT.

MOTION

Alderperson Copple moved to approve Resolution 769 and Alderperson Paulsen seconded the motion.

Alderman Paulsen said he is thrilled to see the Freed Road path being proposed and hopes the young oak trees along there can be preserved.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Sherrod, Stouffer, Stowe, Bauer, Copple, Kramer, and Paulsen, voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

D. Resolution No. 770—A Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Exercise a Lease Extension and Amendment with Northern Illinois University for Property on North Cross Street in the City of Sycamore.

City Manager Brian Gregory said the City of Sycamore entered into a land lease agreement with Northern Illinois University in November of 1998 for a portion of the property where the Public Works facility is located on North Cross Street. The lease was for a period of twenty-years and includes successive twenty-year options thereafter. The original annual rent was $1,342.80 and is adjusted each year by CPI. The rent for the year beginning November 15, 2018 will be $2,071.56. The lease payments would go toward the purchase price if the City were to purchase the property. He said the action allows the City Manager to finalize and execute the extension and any amendments or clarifications.

MOTION

Alderperson Kramer moved to approve Resolution 770 and Alderperson Sherrod seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Sherrod, Stouffer, Stowe, Bauer, Copple, Kramer, and Paulsen, voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

CONSIDERATIONS

A. Consideration of an Administration Recommendation to Award a Contract to GEOTHINK, LLC for Testing, Evaluation and Characterization Reporting of Subsurface Materials Beneath the Raised Platform on the Former Harvester Square Property.

City Manager Brian Gregory said that Tom Mangan, Principal of GEOTHINK, LLC, is present and explained that when the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District was established in 2000, one of the primary areas was the old Harvester Square complex. In 2012, the City worked through several mitigations procedures with Mr. Mangan’s assistance and received a No Further Remediation (NFR) status. The NFR status means that no additional action is necessary, but requires that the concrete barrier on the raised platform area be maintained and the property be used for commercial or industrial purposes. The raised platform is situated mid-block and bisects the property reducing functionality and aesthetics. As the TIF District is nearing expiration in 2023, the removal of the raised platform is the most significant remaining project. The City of Sycamore currently owns that portion of the property and the removal of the raised platform would make it much more valuable to private interest. He said they solicited quotes from two professional companies to do soil borings, testing, and evaluating the subsurface areas and to create a budget to take it to street level. GEOTHINK, LLC had the lowest quote at $19,994 as the other quote received was over $28,000. He said that although the quote came in under $20,000, which is technically within the City Manager’s spending authority, he felt it prudent to bring to Council for discussion because it is right at that limit and because it involves TIF funds which are brought to the Council for discussion. He noted that our TIF is small currently and generates approximately $91,000 per year.

Alderman Stouffer asked why the big price difference in quotes.

City Manager Brian Gregory said it is hard to know, but may be the familiarity that Mr. Mangan has worked with the City through this. The quotes were reviewed and there was no real difference in the scope or quality of the service, just the price difference.

MOTION

Alderperson Stouffer moved to approve Consideration to award a contract to GEOTHINK, LLC and Alderperson Copple seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Sherrod, Stouffer, Stowe, Bauer, Copple, Kramer, and Paulsen, voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

B. Consideration of a Request by George Spartz, Owner of the Property Located at 1371 Brickville Road, to Connect to the City’s Sanitary Sewer System.

City Manager Brian Gregory said Mr. Spartz, owner of property located at 1371 Brickville Road, recently approached the City about connecting to the sanitary sewer system. This is just outside of the City limits and is not contiguous to allow for annexation at this time. Neighbors on the North and South of his are connected either to the City’s water system only or water and sewer systems. Some of the neighboring properties entered into pre-annexation agreements with the City in the late 1990’s and have never been contiguous in order to annex. Given these agreements are soon to expire, it seems illogical to enter into a similar agreement with Mr. Spartz if the Council is inclined to allow connection. If they are not contiguous, they cannot be annexed. He said with the surrounding properties serviced by the City, staff does not have concerns allowing the property at 1371 Brickville to connect. Staff recommends that an agreement be executed and recorded on the property that acknowledges that sewer will be billed at the non-resident flat rate, all connection fees are paid and that the current owner or any future owner be required to petition to annex to City limits if the property ever becomes contiguous. He said that Alderman Stouffer suggested to put in the agreement, that the Council will allow it as long as one of the neighboring or adjacent properties has City services.

Alderperson Copple asked how close the subject property is to City Limits.

City Manager Brian Gregory said he’s on Brickville, north of Maplewood. Some of the properties to the North and South are on either water or water and sewer. He is in the middle of the six or seven properties that have one of the City services.

Director of Building & Engineering John Sauter said he likes the idea as long as the property next to it that has service. We don’t want to encourage a property a mile out of town or arbitrarily connecting to services. This falls in line and is a unique situation as there are other properties around it having service.

City Engineer Mark Bushnell said the sanitary sewer is available right in front of this property now. The original plan was to have a similar agreement as with the neighbors, where if one person annexes, everyone else will. With those pre-annexation agreements expiring, it makes no sense to enter into a similar agreement with Mr. Spartz.

City Manager Brian Gregory said they cannot allow this administratively, it takes direction and action from the Council because the code outlines that someone would need to be in the city limits. The Council can make an exception.

Alderman Stouffer said he would like to see some unique language with this because everything else is already set up around them.

MOTION

Alderperson Paulsen moved to approve the request of Mr. Spartz and Alderperson Kramer seconded the motion.

VOICE VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Alderpersons voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

Mayor Lang said he thinks this is the right thing to do.

C. Consideration of an Administration Request for a Closed Session to Discuss Pending Litigation, Personnel Matters and Collective Bargaining.

MOTION

Alderperson Kramer moved to enter into Closed Session at 8:03 p.m. and Alderperson Stouffer seconded the motion.

VOICE VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Alderpersons voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

MOTION

Alderperson Stowe moved to return to Open Session meeting at 8:32 p.m. and Alderperson Stouffer seconded the motion.

VOICE VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Alderpersons voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

OTHER NEW BUSINESS

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION

Alderperson Stowe moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:33 p.m. and Alderperson Paulsen seconded the motion. VOICE VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Alderpersons voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

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