City of Sycamore City Council met Feb. 3.
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: Pete Paulsen, Virginia Sherrod, Chuck Stowe, Alan Bauer, Steve Braser, Nancy Copple, and Josh Huseman. Alderman Rick Kramer was absent. City Attorney Keith Foster was also present.
INVOCATION – Pastor Kevin Spears, Fellowship Baptist Church, gave the invocation.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Led by the West Elementary School K-Kids
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
MOTION
Alderperson Braser motioned to approve the agenda and Alderperson Huseman seconded the motion.
VOICE VOTE
Mayor Lang called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Alderpersons voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.
AUDIENCE TO VISITORS
CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approval of the Minutes for the Regular City Council Meeting of January 21, 2020.
B. Payment of the Bills for February 3, 2020 in the amount of $1,495,931.12.
C. Approval of the Closed Session Minutes for the Meetings of 6/17/19, 8/5/19, 9/3/19, 9/16/19, and 10/21/19.
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 Paulsen, Sherrod, Stowe, Bauer, Braser, Copple, and Huseman voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.
PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND BILLS REPORT OF OFFICERS
City Manager – Brian Gregory said that the microphones are still in repair status. The Planning & Zoning Commission will meet next Monday for agenda items of Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) updates aimed at streamlining some of the processes and starting the Comprehensive Plan process. He reported that four Single Family Resident permits were issued in January. He reminded everyone again about Census 2020 and how important it is to be counted. There will be multiple ways of being counted and should get a postcard in March. He asked the press to help and said he will keep talking about Census 2020.
Police Chief – Jim Winters said the Police Department recently was awarded two grants. One was from Allstate for $500 which will be used for community education efforts and the second was for $2,400 from the DeKalb County Mental Health Board for training for our officers.
Fire Chief – Pete Polarek said the coronavirus has raised concerns so they have put a notice on their Facebook page and said the Illinois Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control said that the risk here is relatively low. He said, but we have a public university and international airport nearby so it’s about taking precautions of handwashing, avoiding anyone who is sick, covering your mouth, and keeping your hands away from your eyes.
Director of Public Works – Fred Busse said that Municipal Well & Pump will be reinstalling Well #6 tomorrow and will test it on Friday, weather permitting. If all checks out, it should be back online by the end of next week. They also reinstalled the motor on Well #7, which was taken out of service because it was getting close to the radium levels, and then will be testing it. Last weekend was the first weekend that Public Works hasn’t had to go out for snow removal. He thanked Mayor Lang for talking with his team and for taking a one-on-one tour of the construction of the treatment plant. He said the project is half way completed and said they are fortunate that the contractor was able to pour concrete today.
Treasurer/Asst. to the City Manager – Adam Orton gave a brief update of the 2019 calendar year Sycamore Real Estate Transfer Tax. They issued 193 exemption stamps and 317 paid stamps equaling $389,123 collected in transfer to the school district.
Building & Engineering Director – John Sauter - absent
Director of Human and Administrative Resources (DHAR) – Maggie Peck said that, in conjunction with the safety initiative and in efforts to “button up the building”, you will now enter the bathrooms from the Council Chambers so that the Chamber door will remain locked. They were able to do the construction in-house and gave a big thank you to Randy Jennings and Mike Marth for doing the work with excellent craftsmanship and to Custodian Dana McMahon, who did an excellent job cleaning the Chambers after.
City Engineer – Mark Bushnell said he would defer his comments for the agenda item presentation.
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 No. 2019.49—An Ordinance Amending Title 6, “Motor Vehicle and Traffic, Chapter 4, “Traffic Schedules”, Section 1, “Stop Intersections” and Section 3, “Four-Way Intersections” in the City Code of the City of Sycamore, Illinois. First and Second Reading.
City Manager Brian Gregory said this comes from the Police Department responding to citizen complaints who live in the area. The data collected from the radar sign that was placed showed that there was a speeding issue. They recommended a four- way stop at Becker Place and Bailey. The action would be to remove a two-way stop and install a new four- way stop as would be shown in the City Code as below:
6.4.1 Stop Intersections (Remove Two-Way Stop)
| Right of Way Street | Stop Street | Ordinance No. |
| Becker Place | Bailey Road | 2016.32 |
Becker Place and Bailey Road
MOTION
Alderperson Bauer motioned to waive First Reading of Ordinance 2019.49 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.
MOTION
Alderperson Bauer moved to approve Ordinance 2019.49 and Alderperson Paulsen seconded the motion.
ROLL CALL VOTE
Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Paulsen, Sherrod, Stowe, Bauer, Braser, Copple, and Huseman voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.
RESOLUTIONS - None
CONSIDERATIONS
A. Consideration of a Presentation Outlining the City’s 2019 Water Master Plan.
City Manager Brian Gregory said this is exciting as the Council approved a contract with Trotter six months ago to design our Water Master Plan. The 170 page report, that is required by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), will help determine where the City will invest their future funds and what some of the needs are.
City Engineer Mark Bushnell gave a presentation that included the information below:
The four main purposes are the inventory of existing infrastructure, it evaluates capacity, it determines future improvements, and it’s required for IEPA funding. The highlights covered are the current population and growth, the water production, treatment, and distribution, and the next steps. He covered details on the five deep wells and what each well is capable of producing and treating. Next, he covered the maintenance of the two water towers, of which one requires no action and covered the water tower planning for storage based on maximum daily usage, fire flow, and reserves. The report covered the distribution of the water system which included 1400 hydrants, 1500 valves and 115 miles of mains and was evaluated with an emphasis on fire flows, water quality, and break history. The consultants built a model of the system and identified 10 priority projects of which some could be paired with development, paired with a street project, or some completed in-house by the Public Works crews. The report addresses the replacement of aging mains and the replacement of water meters which helps reduce water loss. He covered the next steps being the completion of Well #7 and bringing it back online, the painting of Tower #1, water main improvements, meter replacements, and monitoring the system to ensure the predictions from the water master plan line up with what they see in the field. He thanked the Public Works for all their help in the field, review of the data and input on the recommendations. He thanked the Fire Department for their involvement in reviewing existing conditions and input during the analysis of fire flows.
City Manager Brian Gregory thanked Matt Anderson, Fred Busse, Pete Polarek, and their departments as this was a big undertaking. This is a tool that will be used for the next two items tonight and helps us know that we are putting our money where it is most effective. It’s a good investment for the city and is something that they will refer to over and over again. The entire report will be on the City’s website.
Alderman Huseman confirmed that Mark said that 46% of the mains were 50 years old or more.
Alderman Stowe asked what some of the oldest are.
Mark Bushnell said from 1910.
B. Consideration of an Administration Request for Direction Regarding the 2020-2021 Water and Sewer Fiscal Year Budgets.
City Manager Brian Gregory explained per the agenda:
WATER FUND
Revenue
Sycamore’s water fee schedule charges a progressively lower per unit fee as the volume rises. Residents with the lowest rate of use—i.e. those using 400 cubic feet or less per billing period—pay $3.29 per 100 cubic feet or a $3.69 minimum bill. FY21 marks the third year of a gradual flattening of the seven-tier system to two tiers in 2028. As a result, the first two tiers are reduced resulting in a slight savings for an average user. With the exception of Edgebrook mobile home park residents and users outside the City limits, the current schedule as of May 1, 2020 (less meter maintenance and radium removal charges) is as follows:
| First 400 cubic feet | $3.29 per 100 cubic feet ($3.69 min) |
| Next 300 cubic feet | $3.15 per 100 cubic feet |
| Next 700 cubic feet | $2.97 per 100 cubic feet |
| Next 1,300 cubic feet | $2.59 per 100 cubic feet |
| Next 6,900 cubic feet | $2.18 per 100 cubic feet |
| Next 7,400 cubic feet | $1.92 per 100 cubic feet |
| All over 17,000 cubic feet | $1.46 per 100 cubic feet |
Operations
He said, for the operations side, no new hires are proposed. Well #7 will come back online, not only to reserve status, but as a front-line well to meet the city’s daily capacity. The good news about that is that the budget that is before the Council has $185,000 set aside for future debt service which they anticipate will cover the cost of getting that well online and meeting the radium requirements.
Capital Improvements
Necessary capital improvements include overall system maintenance. These include painting of water tower #1, bringing Well #7 back on-line, a comprehensive meter replacement program and general maintenance and replacement of water main, valves and hydrants.
Well #7 has reached the point where radium treatment is required for regular use and is currently off-line. The FY21 budget includes putting Well #7 back in emergency status and sampling to determine the best route for bringing it back on-line on a permanent basis. Options include WRT radium removal equipment, an HMO ion-exchange system and a shallow blending well. Planning for the improvements will begin in FY21 with the project utilizing an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) low interest loan.
Radium Treatment
For the radium side, he said the WRT system continues to filter out the radium meeting the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) regulations. A monthly radium treatment fee is charged based on the size of the water meter to offset the cost of the treatment. Accounts with meters that are either 5/8th inch or 3/4th inch were charged $6.75 per month in FY20. The chart below illustrates the proposed schedule by meter size:
| Meter Use/Size: | First 14: | Next 13: | Next 69 | Next 74: | Over 170: | Total: | Average Usage: |
| 0.625 | $7.00 | $7.00 | <14 | ||||
| 0.75 | $7.00 | $7.00 | <14 | ||||
| 1 | $7.00 | $4.42 | $11.42 | 26.55 | |||
| 1.5 | $7.00 | $4.57 | $9.74 | $21.32 | 65.96 | ||
| 2 | $7.00 | $4.57 | $17.26 | $6.51 | $35.34 | 127.31 | |
| 3 | $7.00 | $4.57 | $17.26 | $13.03 | $41.86 | 158.67 | |
| 4 | $7.00 | $4.57 | $17.26 | $15.39 | $53.36 | $97.58 | 514.51 |
| 6 | $7.00 | $4.57 | $17.26 | $15.39 | $435.59 | $479.81 | 2982 |
He continued that although they have resources for the big infrastructure improvements, they haven’t been investing in the underground nor have the funds. Perthe2019WaterStudythathighlightedseveralareasintownwhereinvestmentshouldbe made to improve water quality and water quantity (fire flows) throughout the system. These improvements total millions of dollars and would be made over a number of years based on the resources available. To begin to set aside funds for these water main improvements, staff is proposing a $3.50 monthly base infrastructure improvement fee. This fee will follow the methodology of the radium treatment fee and is expected to generate roughly $350,000 per year. With water main costs expected to be $350 per linear foot, the City would have the resources to address about 1,000 feet per year. These dollars would go into that connection fee fund so it is segregated from the operation side to ensure that the money is going for the underground.
For Meter Maintenance, he said that Public Works has done a great job getting meters installed.
He said that budget is balanced from an operational standpoint with that.25¢ monthly increase in the radium fee as seen below:
The tables below illustrate the FY21 revenues and expenditures associated with operating the water system in Sycamore (using the projected increase in the radium treatment fee).
Revenues:
| User Fees | $2,172,065 |
| Radium Treatment Fees | $710,000 |
| Water Meters | $20,000 |
| Permits/Fees | $5,500 |
| Reserve Transfer | $0 |
| Other | $13,500 |
| Total | $2,921,065 |
| Personnel | $721,546 |
| Commodities | $121,744 |
| Contractual | $298,420 |
| Radium Treatment | $710,000 |
| Other | $260,000 |
| Equipment | $268,500 |
| Perm. Improvements | $102,500 |
| Debt Service | $356,460 |
| Transfers Out | $80,000 |
| Total | $2,919,170 |
• 2003 IEPA Loan. The Water Fund will pay $49,737 on the 2003 IEPA loan that funded the drilling of Well #9 on Airport Road.
• 2005 IEPA Loan. The Water Fund will pay $55,022 in debt service related to the borrowing that funded the construction of the building and equipment of Well #9 on Airport Road.
• 2006 IEPA Loan. The Water Fund will pay $66,697 on the 2006 IEPA loan which financed the radium removal equipment at wells 6 & 8.
• New IEPA Loan. The FY21 budget includes an allocation toward debt service associated with Well #7. The loan issuance and repayment schedule (estimated $185,000 per year) is dependent on when improvements are made. This allocation may be used for plan and design of the improvements in FY21.
• Sewer Fund. The Water fund will reimburse the Sewer Fund $40,000 per year for 20 years as a result of prior transfers for liquidity.
The Water Fund as presented is balanced with an increase of $0.25 to the base monthly radium treatment fee. The infrastructure improvement fee revenues would go into a separate water capital improvements fund. Any changes would need to be in ordinance form at a future meeting.
Alderman Huseman then reiterated that this would be about $40-$60 a year per average residential user.
For the sewer side, Mr. Gregory said there are no new hires planned and Phase III of the treatment plant expansion and improvements are moving along. He said the project is utilizing a low interest loan from the Illinois EPA revolving loan program. The low interest loan program offers a 1.84% interest rate for the 20-year term. Between the City’s Sewer Fund and the Sewer Connection Fee Fund, roughly $10 million in accumulated reserves will be used to reduce the amount borrowed. He reminded that last year, the Council reduced the sewer rate by 3.5% to $4.535 per 100 cu. ft. No changes are proposed in the rate for FY21.
A recap of the Sewer Fund revenues and expenditures are listed below:
Revenues:
| User Fees | $3622,990 |
| Permits/Fees | $6,900 |
| Investment Interest | $62,500 |
| Other | $40,000 |
| Reserve Transfer | $0 |
| Total | $3,732,390 |
| Personnel | $905,295 |
| Commodities | $235,800 |
| Contractual | $430,400 |
| Other | $218,000 |
| Equipment | $218,549 |
| Perm. Improvements | $131,000 |
| Transfers Out | $244,852 |
| Total | $2,383,896 |
• 2009 IEPA Loan. The Sewer Fund will pay an estimated $194,852 on the 2009 IEPA loan that has funded the Phase I project at the treatment plant, focusing on sludge de-watering. This debt will not be retired until 2031.
• 2019 IEPA Loan. The Sewer Fund will combine a portion of reserves with a low-interest IEPA loan to fund Phase III. The debt repayment will not begin until the project is completed. The budget will be amended if the debt service obligations begin in FY21.
He covered a sample utility bill:
An average monthly usage of 800 cubic feet of usage (1,600 cubic feet used over two-month billing cycle) and a 3⁄4” meter are used to illustrate the estimated monthly and bi-monthly costs to demonstrate a sample City Utility Bill with the schedules outlined above:
With the proposed adjustments an average user would pay roughly $94.73 per month.
He said this utility is one of the better values when comparing getting clean water, taking away waste water, and having garbage collected each week compared to what people pay for cell phone or cables bills.
Alderman Bauer said having seen the presentation of what is needed for the next ten years, he said that we are probably pretty fortunate to hold the line but doesn’t know how much longer they will be able to do that. It’s good that we know about these needed improvements up front so that they can plan accordingly. He said they are being pro-active but still thinks this will be challenging.
Mayor Lang said the fire in July drew his attention for the water flow for the fire department and said if we can get the water flow with this change, he thinks it will make a big difference.
Alderman Huseman asked regarding the debt service, if there is a possibility that we experience a portion of a positive margin that it could be used for either some of these capital projects, to accelerate them or would we just pay down the debt.
City Manager Brian Gregory said they are different user fee structures so it requires them to be separate funds.
C. Consideration of the Proposed 2020 Street Maintenance Program.
City Manager Brian Gregory said they are presenting an aggressive street maintenance program which involves an estimated allocation of $1,983,000 in capital funding toward street and related infrastructure repairs. This includes $575,000 from Fund 7 (Motor Fuel Tax); $1,258,000 from Fund 30 (Street Maintenance); and $150,000 from Fund 06 (Capital Assistance) to address hazardous sidewalks. The increase in Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funding is a result of the State of Illinois 2019 increase of the MFT. The City is able to utilize Surface Transportation Urban (STU) funding on Mercantile Drive and combine this project with the DeKalb County Highway Department’s Peace Road Improvement Project (Bethany Road to Sarah Drive). The City is responsible for 20% of the cost of Mercantile improvements. All of the other STU eligible streets have been added to the program for upcoming years.
The itemized street list takes the following factors into account:
• A variety of different paving techniques will be used to stretch the durability ofthe repairs, especially where a thorough reconstruction might be the best course but cannot be pursued because of revenue limitations.
• Continued emphasis is placed on maintaining existing infrastructure.
• When possible, the City is collaborating with DeKalb County to achieve lowerprices.
• The City’s Public Works Department will self-perform sidewalk replacement and matching to maximize the scope of the project
• The City’s locally funded grind and overlay project will be consolidated with the MFT project to achieve better pricing.
• The City’s local bidder preference policy should continue to be suspended.
• A contingency has been included, however if unforeseen items are not encountered and favorable bid prices are received, a street or streets can be added.
• The City will provide notice or assist in distributing notice to residents and businesses regardless of the funding source.
The detailed scope of the proposed projects for FY 2021.
| MFT and Locally Funded | ||
| Street | Limits | Description of Work |
| Fairway Lane | Cloverlane Drive to 750' East | • Surface removal/overlay
• Spot curb and sidewalk removal/replacement |
| Fairway Lane | Parkside Drive to 310’ West | • Surface removal/overlay
• Spot curb and sidewalk removal/replacement |
| Cambridge Place | Fairway Lane to Dead End | • Surface removal/overlay
• Spot curb and sidewalk removal/replacement |
| Cloverlane Drive | Parkside Drive to 424’ West | • Surface removal/overlay
• Spot curb and sidewalk removal/replacement |
| Orchard Lane | Somonauk Street to Park Avenue | • Surface removal/overlay
• Base Repair/ Reconstruction as needed • Curb and Spot Sidewalk removal/replacement |
| Parker Street | Brickville Road to Cul-de-sac | • Surface removal/overlay
• Spot curb and sidewalk removal/replacement |
| Croatian Court | Coltonville Road to Dead End | • Surface removal/overlay
• Spot curb and sidewalk removal/replacement |
| Roosevelt Court | Center Cross to Dead End | • Surface removal/overlay
• Base Repair/ Reconstruction as needed • Curb and Spot Sidewalk removal/replacement |
| Locally Funded | ||
| Street | Limits | Description of Work |
| Reston Ponds Subdivision | Fulton Lane
Brower Place Wilkins Road Rogers Way Bailey Road Thurow Street Reston Court Ohio Grove Chautauqua Lane Leah Court | • Sidewalk Removal and Replacement
• Structure Adjustment • Pavement Patching • Micro-surface |
| Johnson Avenue | IL Route 64 to High School | • Pavement Patching• Micro-surface |
| Crack-filling | Various | • $75,000 allocation for preventative maintenance |
| Rejuvenator | Various | • Preventative maintenance ($58,050.00),
part of DeKalb County contract |
| State, Federal and Locally Funded | ||
| Street | Limits | Description of Work |
| Mercantile Drive-
STU Funding 20% Local Funding 80 % Federal Funding | DeKalb Avenue to Peace Road | • Surface removal/overlay
• City performed spot curb and apron |
| IL Route 23 and IL Route 64
Main Line Paving 100 % State/Federal Funding Turn/ Parking Lanes 50 % Local / 50% Federal Funding Stamped Crosswalks 100 % Local Funding | IL Route 23 –
Genoa to IL Route 64 IL Route 64- Locust Street to Sacramento Street | • Surface removal/overlay
• Restriping • Sidewalk and |
| Electric Park Drive
100 % State Funding | Coltonville Road to Highland Drive
| • Surface removal/overlay
|
Alderman Bauer asked if there was anything that could help with the sidewalks besides the sidewalk program.
City Manager Brian Gregory said that the challenge is when they first started they were putting about $150,000 into sidewalks but now with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramp requirements, they are putting in 2.5 times that. He said there is over $250,000 in Reston Ponds alone in sidewalks. The resources aren’t there to go back but as they make their way through, they do have funds in the Capital budget for that program.
D. Consideration of a Recommendation to Waive the Local Bidder Match Provision for the Construction of the Cold Storage Building at Public Works.
City Manager Brian Gregory said the request for proposal is set to be released on February 7th for the construction of a 12,000 square foot cold storage building on the Public Works campus. They are really trying to stay within a number so they want to generate multiple bids. The City’s consulting engineer is recommending that the local bidder match provision in Section 1-11-3 of the City Code be waived to ensure multiple competitive bids with a goal of keeping the project within the proceeds of the buildings that were sold. He said with the Waste Water Treatment Plant project, they have contractors working there that not all would meet the local preference policy. In order to get as many competitive bids as possible, he is asking that local preference be suspended for this project.
Alderman Huseman asked if that provision actually prohibits that many people from bidding and asked if we waive it, why have it.
City Manager Brian Gregory said it does. For Fire Station #2, there were three bids that were lower than the local and with the ability to match within a percentage, those three bidders had significant amount of time and money in those bid documents to be jumped over. They said they won’t bid here anymore. It just limits the numbers of bidders we have. He said that they could look at this again sometime but said as an example, when they bid the MFT project one year, the price per unit from the State was $45 per ton and the price per unit from the local bidder was $60 per ton. Of course, they like to use as many locals as possible but with these larger projects, they need to keep it within the budget.
Alderman Braser asked what he thinks it’s going to cost when he says larger projects.
City Manager Brian Gregory said he budgeted about $400,000 for the building.
Alderman Braser said he would have a hard time going for outside bidders on a $400,000 project. If it was a million dollar project, maybe. He said it’s setting a bar, that they have been pretty loyal to since he’s been on the Council and that he has had complaints about.
Alderman Huseman asked how many bidders outside the area will be attracted to a $400,000 project.
City Manager Brian Gregory said they see a fair amount and said that $400,000 project would cost $600,000 and so they don’t have another revenue source that is paying for it.
Alderman Braser said we do have a source with those buildings being sold to the County and asked what all is going in this building.
Brian Gregory said that is what is paying for this but beyond this, we don’t have a general capital allocation that will cover this building. He said it is a concrete floor with four walls, roof, and lights.
MOTION
Alderperson Bauer moved to approve the Consideration to waive the local bidder match provision and Alderperson Paulsen seconded the motion.
ROLL CALL VOTE
Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Paulsen, Sherrod, Stowe, and Bauer voted aye and Alderpersons Braser, Copple, and Huseman voted nay. Motion carried 4-3.
OTHER NEW BUSINESS APPOINTMENTS ADJOURNMENT
MOTION
Alderperson Stowe moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:12 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.
https://cityofsycamore.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cc20200203m.pdf
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