DeKalb Times

City of Dekalb City Council met July 8.

Here is the agenda provided by the council:

A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

National Anthem Played by Bugler Gene Vanden Bosch.

B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Certificate of Recognition Presented to Frank Beierlotzer.

C. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

E. PRESENTATIONS

1. Certificate of Recognition Presented to Tammy Greene

2. 2-1-1 Resource and Referral System Update Presentation by Paul Callighan and Kishwaukee United Way Executive Director Dawn Littlefield.

City Manager Summary: In recent years, 2-1-1 service has been extended to about two-thirds of all Illinois counties including DeKalb County. The purpose of the initiative is to help residents find free and confidential help for health and human services. The service is available for non-emergency needs such as connecting people to agencies offering mortgage insurance, job counseling, tax help, food and shelter, and health resources. Paul Callighan and Dawn Littlefield will be on hand to briefly describe 2-1-1 services to the City Council.

3. Proclamation: Unplug DeKalb Day – July 13, 2019.

City Manager Summary: The attached proclamation highlights a day of activities planned by the DeKalb Park District to encourage local residents to “unplug” from their electronic devices and join others in face-to-face, friendly dialogue and recreation.

4. Nguzo Saba FY2019 Human Services Funding Report by President Jerry Wright.

City Manager Summary: Nguzo Saba was granted $4,000 in funding in FY2018 and FY2019.

F. APPOINTMENTS

1. Appointment of Council Member Carolyn Morris as Council Liaison to the Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission.

2. Appointment of Council Member Tracy Smith as Council Liaison to the Landmark Commission.

3. Appointment of Council Member Scott McAdams as Council Liaison to the Human Relations Commission.

4. Appointment of Virginia Wilcox to the Citizens’ Environmental Commission for the Completion of a Two-Year Term through December 31, 2020.

5. Appointment of Tyrus Wright to the Human Relations Commission for the Completion of a Three-Year Term through December 31, 2022.

6. Appointment of Melissa Gallagher to the Airport Advisory Board for the Completion of a Four-Year Term through December 31, 2022.

G. CONSENT AGENDA

1. Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting of June 24, 2019.

2. Accounts Payable and Payroll through July 8, 2019, in the Amount of $2,218,445.14.

3. Resolution 2019-110 Authorizing the Release of Certain Executive Session Meeting Minutes and the Destruction of Certain Verbatim Recordings.

City Manager Summary: The Illinois Open Meetings Act (OMA) lists the limited subjects that can be discussed in closed portions of public meetings. No action may be taken in executive session, but direction may be given regarding the handling of a specific matter falling within the list of subjects that can be addressed in executive session. Minutes are taken of the discussions in “executive session.” The indexes on the attached pages represent executive session minutes that have been approved by the City Council but not released. Executive session minutes must be reviewed by the Council on a bi-annual basis as provided for in 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(21). The City Manager’s recommendations for releasing or not releasing specific executive session minutes are indicated. All executive session minutes are on file and available for the Council’s review at any time.

As provided for in 5 ILCS 120/2.06(c), the attached resolution authorizes the destruction of the verbatim records of executive session meetings on a date that is no less than 24 months after the City Council approves the meeting minutes and the destruction of the verbatim record for the Executive Session meeting.

City Council approval is recommended. (Click here for further information)

4. Resolution 2019-111 Receiving and Filing the FY2018 Comprehensive

Annual Financial Report (CAFR), Audit Report, and Management Letter.

City Manager Summary: The CAFR, Audit Report, and Management Letter for FY2018 will be reviewed in the Committee of the Whole meeting and may be received and filed by the City Council. The attached resolution provides that opportunity. (Click here for further information)

City Council approval is recommended.

H. PUBLIC HEARINGS

None.

I. CONSIDERATIONS

1. Consideration of Interest by Syndeo in an Airport Lease.

City Manager Summary: Syndeo is an internet services provider and provides the primary internet connection for the City of DeKalb. It is owned and operated by Amit Patel (CEO). Mr. Patel and Dan Halverson, president of DeKalb Fiber Optic, collaboratively service much of the fiber optic infrastructure locally. They have proposed a project that would ensure greater reliability and access for the City’s fiber optic infrastructure.

Currently, several hard-wired fiber-optic “ribs” serve City facilities. One north- south rib runs along Peace Road and has its major terminus in a hand-hold vault at the northeast corner of Peace and Pleasant Street. Another east-west rib runs from this juncture west along Pleasant to the City’s Public Works compound on Market Street, and east to the Airport’s main terminal building. Although encased, the roughly 2,000 strands of fiber in this junction are prey to the appetites of four-legged pests, and uncontrolled temperatures.

Syndeo, in partnership with DeKalb Fiber Optic, are proposing to build two buildings with a total footprint of about 80-feet by 180-feet on Airport land, under a long-term lease to the City of DeKalb. The purposes would be as follows:

a) housing the City’s servers and fiber racks; and

b) providing interior, temperature-controlled space for repairs and maintenance. The location for this building would be immediately north of the present airport maintenance building at 2200 Pleasant Street.

The conceptual proposal was brought before the Airport Advisory Board on Tuesday, June 25. The Board favored the concept and recommended that the Council consider it in more detail. The purpose of this consideration is to brief the Council about the concept. If acceptable in principle, the Council could task Syndeo, DeKalb Fiber Optic, and the City staff to come back with a more detailed proposal for the Council’s further consideration. (Click here for further information)

J. RESOLUTIONS

1. Resolution 2019-112 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Purchase Agreement with the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District for the Purchase of a Vehicle in the Amount of $57,500.

City Manager Summary: The Public Works staff have requested authorization to purchase one used 2004 Sterling L7501 Vactor 2110 vacuum/jetter combo truck from the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District (KWRD) in the amount of $57,500. KRWD intends to replace their vehicle with a new Vactor in July and reached out to Bryan Faivre last year to see if there was any interest on the part of the City in purchasing the used Vactor.

The City staff have inspected the vehicle and have found it to be in outstanding condition. The vehicle has very low mileage with limited hours of use and would be a beneficial addition to the City’s Public Works fleet. As a value reference, the purchase price for KWRD’s new Vactor truck is $367,000 and similar used vehicles with greater mileage hours of use range in value between $80,000 and $120,000. The KWRD has offered the City a very generous opportunity to enhance its fleet.

If approved, Public Works would replace two current fleet vehicles that have exceeded their useful life. One is a 1991 Vacall truck that is no longer operational. Neither the suction apparatus of the main pump nor the water pump function. The rear auxiliary engine is also in very poor condition. In addition, due to the age of the vehicle, the parts are either obsolete or very expensive to find. The truck has limited value and would be scrapped or sold through government surplus. A 1998 Flusher truck would also be replaced. The truck is functional; however, it is in poor condition and the expected remaining life of the vehicle is limited. This truck has an estimated value of $10,000 to $20,000.

The purchase of a combination vacuum/flusher truck would increase efficiency by allowing jetting and vacuuming to take place simultaneously. Some additional benefits include the following:

• Safety – Vactor operations are performed from the front of the vehicle. This provides a much safer work environmental than working from the rear of a vehicle by creating a buffer between the worker and traffic.

• The Vactor has modernized tubing, which is lightweight and easy to maneuver, reducing the risk of injury.

• The Vactor has an extendable and adjustable boom making accessibility to manholes and catch basins much easier and more efficient.

• The vehicle can be utilized for excavation in areas of limited access due to underground utilities (water main breaks, service line repairs etc.)

City Council approval of this very collaborative opportunity is recommended. (Click here for further information)

K. ORDINANCES – SECOND READING None.

L. ORDINANCES – FIRST READING

1. Ordinance 2019-047 Amending Chapter 10 “Landlord-Tenant Regulations”, Section 10.08 “Landlord/Tenant Handbook”.

City Manager Summary: The “Landlord/Tenant Handbook” is Appendix A to the City’s Landlord-Tenant Regulations, which are described in Chapter 10 of the DeKalb Municipal Code. The Handbook was first approved by the Council in November 2001 and has been periodically revised since. The attached draft proposes only minor revisions to update the language of the Handbook. The revisions have been vetted by the DeKalb Area Rental Association (DARA), the City’s Business Coordination Committee, City Attorney Matthew Rose, Crime- Free Housing Inspection Coordinator Carl Leoni, and other City staff.

City Council approval is recommended. (Click here for further information)

2. Ordinance 2019-048 Authorizing a Special Services Agreement with the DeKalb Municipal Band for Services Beginning January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019, in an Amount Not to Exceed $38,250, and Amending the Budget for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2019 (FY2019).

City Manager Summary: In 2018, the City established a Special Services Agreement with the DeKalb Municipal Band (“Band”). The City Manager is seeking authorization to renew the Special Services Agreement with the Band for 2019 and process payment for services in an amount not to exceed $38,250.

Due to budgetary constraints, funds allocated to the Band have been reduced significantly over the past two fiscal years. In FY2017, funding for the Band was budgeted at $53,250. That amount was reduced by $10,000 in FY2018 to $43,250. Funding was reduced further in FY2019 by another $10,000 to $33,250. While budgetary constraints still exist, greater cost savings have been identified in other areas, making it possible to restore some funding to the Band. Staff has evaluated several areas of the budget and has identified that $5,000 is available in budget line 100-15-16-62900 – Personnel Recruitment Services. That budget line includes an expenditure of $5,000 for executive relocation expenses, which was included in the budget before it was determined that the new City Manager would be a local candidate who did not require relocation expenses. Based on this savings, the City Manager recommends funding the Band at an amount not to exceed $38,250 for FY2019. The additional $5,000 is presently needed to replace the folding chairs whose padding has deteriorated rapidly in recent years. The Band has also recently raised $5,000 to offset an increase in the musician scale.

In 2018, the City first proposed an agreement similar to that which is utilized for the funding of our social services agreements. Based on such a format, the City and Band are seeking to renew that agreement for 2019. Until such time as the Band achieves its 501c (3) not-for-profit status, the DeKalb County Community Foundation (DCCF) has agreed to act as the fiscal agent on behalf of the Band. In 2018, the City made payment directly to DCCF, which then dispersed funds accordingly to the Band and its members.

The attached ordinance would authorize an updated agreement and the payment of funds from the City to the Band, through the DeKalb County Community Foundation.

City Council approval of the budget revision and the Band agreement is recommended. (Click here for further information)

3. Ordinance 2019-049 Amending the Fiscal Year End December 31, 2019 (FY2019) Budget to Execute a Loan from the Water Fund for the Installation of a Fire Suppression System at 924 Greenbrier Road.

City Manager Summary: On May 14, 2018, Council approved Ordinance 2018- 019, amending Chapter 14 “Rooming Houses” by adding Section 14.22 “Greek Housing Fire Safety” to the Municipal Code. As part of that discussion, Council also provided direction that the City’s Water Fund could be utilized to loan up to 80% of qualified Greek organization sprinkler installation project costs to property owners, if owners agreed to a five-year term at an interest rate of 5.25% and agreed to the use of a special service area as backup payment for the loan.

City staff worked with owners of various Greek properties to determine the level of interest in utilizing the loan program. Red Door, LLC confirmed interest in obtaining a loan from the City for the purposes of installing a fire suppression sprinkler system at 924 Greenbriar Road. City staff developed an agreement with Red Door, LLC to fund work in the amount of $37,425, which was 80% of total project costs. That agreement was approved by the City Council on September 24, 2018 upon passage of Ordinance 2018-049. Because the loan represented an unbudgeted expense to the Water Fund, the enacting ordinance included an amendment to the FY2018 Budget.

Terms of the loan agreement required that Red Door, LLC complete installation of the sprinkler system and pass all required inspections and tests prior to payment of the loan. While much of the installation had been completed before the end of 2018, the property did not pass all required inspections and tests until June of 2019.

Now that the property owner has fulfilled their obligations of the loan agreement, the City is prepared to make payment. Because the FY2018 Budget is closed and audited, the payment must be made from the FY2019 Budget. This expenditure is not included in the FY2019 Budget; therefore, a budget amendment is needed.

City Council approval is recommended. (Click here for further information)

4. Ordinance 2019-050 Authorizing a Special Use Permit for a Video Gaming

Establishment at 122 E. Hillcrest Drive (RLDR, LLC).

City Manager Summary: The applicant, RLDR, LLC represented by Rasim Spaijoski “Simo”, is proposing to establish a “Video Gaming Establishment” in a 1,566 sq. ft. tenant space in a multi-tenant commercial building located along the south side of E. Hillcrest Drive, just east of N. First Street. The address of the proposed tenant space is 122 E. Hillcrest Dr. The subject site is.66 acres and zoned “GC” General Commercial District. A “Video Gaming Establishment” is a special use in the “GC” District. Simo is the owner of Fanatico’s Restaurant on Blackhawk Road and intends to be the operator of the proposed video gaming establishment.

On March 1, 2018, the existing number of liquor licenses for gaming establishments was seven, but within two months, three City Council actions were taken to expand that number to 10, including the following:

• Maisy’s at 854 S. Fourth Street

• Fatty’s at 1221 W. Lincoln Highway, and

• Fanatico’s at 110-124 E. Hillcrest Drive (Subject Site)

Each of these three vendors needed to file a license application within 30 days and had six months to obtain the licenses and a special use permit. Fanatico’s was unable to follow through within the required timeline and so its application became null and void. The applicant recently indicated an interest to pursue the re-approval of the video gaming establishment. On May 13, 2019, the City Council approved an amendment to the Municipal Code to allow for an increase in the fixed number of liquor licenses for video gaming establishments to allow for the use on the subject site. One of the conditions of the Council’s approval was the granting of a special use for the video gaming establishment.

For the subject property, the City staff recommended to the Planning and Zoning Commission that conditions be added that would require, within 30 days after approval by the City Council, that the parking lot be restriped, two handicap parking signs be installed, and three shade trees be planted in the parkway along E. Hillcrest Drive. These conditions were intended to enhance the appearance of the site and bring it into further compliance with the UDO.

The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing regarding the petition at their meeting on June 19, 2019. By a vote of 5 to 0 (Commissioners Buckley and Maxwell were absent) the Commission recommended to the City Council approval of a special use permit for the video gaming establishment at the subject site subject to the conditions outlined in Principal Planner Dan Olson’s attached memorandum.

City Council approval of the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation is requested. (Click here for further information)

M. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS 1. Council Member Reports

2. City Clerk Report

3. City Manager Report

N. EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO 5 ILCS (120/2)

Approval to Hold an Executive Session in Order to Discuss:

1. Purchase or Lease of Real Property as Provided for in 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5). O. ADJOURNMENT

https://www.cityofdekalb.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07082019-1649