DeKalb Times

City of Sycamore City Council met Aug. 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: Nancy Copple, Josh Huseman, Pete Paulsen, Virginia Sherrod, Chuck Stowe, Alan Bauer, and Steve Braser. Alderman Rick Kramer logged on at 7:03 p.m. after roll call. City Attorney Keith Foster was also present.

INVOCATION- Led by Ray Tilstra

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Led by Alderperson Virginia Sherrod

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

MOTION

Alderperson Copple motioned to approve the agenda and Alderperson Sherrod seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Copple, Huseman, Kramer, Paulsen, Sherrod, Stowe, Bauer, and Braser voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.

AUDIENCE TO VISITORS – Debi Karavites-Uhl, 2034 Somerset Lane, Sycamore, asked for help and consideration in allowing the two storm water easement areas to remain in its natural state with growth over 12 inches to counter the complaint that was made so they are not fined.

City Manager Brian Gregory said he, the City Engineer, and the Police Department would look into this tomorrow to work with Debi Karavites-Uhl and the Somerset Farms Homeowners Association on what options they have.

City Engineer Mark Bushnell added that he received an email at 6:51 pm with some additional information so they should be able to address it tomorrow.

CONSENT AGENDA

A. Approval of the Minutes for the Regular City Council Meeting of July 20, 2020.

B. Approval of the Closed Session Minutes for the Meetings of January 21, 2020; March 16, 2020; and May 18, 2020. 

C. Approval to Destroy the Auditory Tapes from the Closed Session City Council Meetings during the period from August 20, 2018 through January 7, 2019.

D. Payment of the Bills for August 3, 2020 in the amount of $503,065.91.

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 Copple, Huseman, Kramer, Paulsen, Sherrod, Stowe, Bauer, and Braser voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.

PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND BILLS

Mayor Lang thanked the staff for going the extra mile to keep the city running and on task.

REPORT OF OFFICERS

City Manager – Brian Gregory said as the doors at City Hall and all other buildings are locked, they are servicing customers by appointment only. With the COVID, there is limited staff in buildings so they are asking people to make appointments or to call the numbers on the outside of the buildings. The liquor licenses that were extended from May 1st were due on August 1st. As many establishments have been in to purchase them, he is hearing optimism from many of the business owners. In receiving some draft numbers back for the FY20audit, he said that it should end pretty strong, all things considered. Based on being a couple months into FY21 and balancing that with the impact of COVID-19, they made decisions to be in a holding pattern on capital purchases and certain new hires. Their plans, moving forward, are to allow half of the budgeted dollars to be expended for capital purchases. This extends the holding pattern but allows some progress as we are an evolving, growing, and fluid organization that needs to be able to provide equipment to be able to provide services. He mentions this because we may see some awards for some equipment coming in the next few meetings. He will continue to reevaluate as they go but feels that 50% is a safe number while still allowing some progress for the departments.

Police Chief – Jim Winters said on Tuesday, August 11th from 9a -11a and from 5p – 6p, the Sycamore Police Department will partner with Illinois State Representative Jeff Keicher for a Prescription Drug Take Back Event at the Sycamore Police Department. He said that too often drugs find their way into the wrong hands which can be dangerous and sometimes

tragic. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 9.9 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs, of which many being obtained from family and friends. Prescription medication can also pose a health and safety risk to water systems and local landfills if not properly disposed. This event will be a safe and anonymous way to clean out medicine cabinets and turn in unused, unneeded, or expired unused prescription medications including:

• Prescription Drugs

• Prescription Patches

• Prescription Ointments

• Prescription Samples

• Pet Medication

• Vitamins

Those wishing to drop off during the designated times can simply pull into one of the designated parking spaces on Stark Avenue next to the Police Department. Items will be accepted while drivers remain in their cars.

Fire Chief – Pete Polarek said he is excited to announce that they received word from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) that the Fire Department received a grant for $218,534 from the Assistance to Firefighter application they submitted earlier in the year. It was for the department’s self-contained breathing apparatus which are close to the end of their service life. It included 31 air packs, 31 face masks, and 62 self-contained breathing apparatus cylinders. They applied for 95% of the cost, but was awarded what covers about 65% of the cost leaving about $120,000 difference. He is working with the City Manager to secure funding to take advantage of the grant. It’s an item that would have needed to be bought out of the capital budget, so this is a great start.

Director of Public Works – Fred Busse is happy to update that the bypass pumping of the influent pump station that started on June 2nd concluded last Friday. There is still some work that needs to be done to the influent pump station before it’s totally done, but happy to see that the bypass pumping has stopped. They are on the homestretch of the wastewater project as it should be wrapping up at the end of September or early October so all the obstacles on the edge of North Cross Street will be removed. For the Public Works storage building, the skeleton of the building is going up and will see some trusses go up early next week.

Treasurer/Asst. to the City Manager – Adam Orton said we have received the initial drafts for the financial statements. They will review those and put together the executive summary portion, transmittal letter, and start collecting the statistics for the statistical section. They will also look at the comments that were made by the GFOA (Governments Finance Officers Association) reviewers last year as part of their Certificate of Achievement Program. In order to eligible for that program, they have to implement those changes. He noted that GFOA reviews every CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.).

Director Community Development – John Sauter said they received submittals from Northwestern Healthcare for renovations at three of their locations, with the first being a pretty extensive renovation of the Clinic at 1850 Gateway Drive. They’re also renovating a portion of the Allergy and ENT Clinic located at 2127 Midlands Court. The last is a partial renovation of the Dermatology Clinic at 2530 Hauser Ross Drive. They’ve started the review process and all three are set to begin construction late October or early November.

Director of Human and Administrative Resources (DHAR) – Maggie Peck saved her comments for the agenda item.

City Engineer – Mark Bushnell said that roadwork is in full swing with Schroeder Asphalt and their concrete contractor in town. While they are working on multiple streets, the focus is Roosevelt Court, adjacent to West Elementary. This is in order to have it back opened before school starts. He got word from IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) that Electric Park Drive work should start within the next month.

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- None

RESOLUTIONS

A. Resolution No. 841—A Resolution Requesting a Permit from the Illinois Department of Transportation to Allow for the Construction of a Traffic Signal Related Improvements at Illinois Route 23 and Mt. Hunger Road.

City Manager Brian Gregory said, as seen on other state routes, IDOT requires the city to pass a resolution for the traffic signal at Mt. Hunger Road and Illinois Route 23 that has been discussed. In this case, the city has a 28% reimbursable portion but the work will be performed by a contractor selected by Brian Grainger of Old Mill Park, LLC. He is the developer that took on the subsequent developer’s obligations of the Townsend Woods Subdivision. Completion is guaranteed by a Letter of Credit furnished by Old Mill Park LLC and held by the City. IDOT also requires the $50,000 guarantee be in place for a term of five years. Once the improvements are complete and accepted, Old Mill Park LLC will keep a balance on the Letter of Credit to match this requirement.

MOTION

Alderperson Copple motioned to approve Resolution 841 and Alderperson Kramer seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Copple, Huseman, Kramer, Paulsen, Sherrod, Stowe, Bauer, and Braser voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.

CONSIDERATIONS

A. Consideration of a Recommendation from the Public Works Department to Award the Bid for the Cracksealing Project as Part of the 2020 Street Maintenance Program to SKC Construction Inc. of West Dundee, Illinois in the Amount of not to Exceed $135,000.00

City Manager Brian Gregory said the city engineer was able to solicit bids for crackfilling which the city has been doing since 2014 as part of the street maintenance program. This year’s program includes the regular crackfilling and a fiber based crackfilling in the Reston Ponds Subdivision. This year the numbers are better than they thought. The Engineer’s estimate for the outlined scope of work was $120,550.00. The low bidder was SKC Construction.

Staff also recommends the contract is modified to $110,000, the budgeted amount, to allow for additional streets to be added to the project, with ability to authorize up to an additional $25,000 based on the contractor’s ability to complete this work prior to October 30th or inclement weather. He said the motion would be to the lowest bidder authorizing up to the amount not to exceed $135,000.

City Engineer Mark Bushnell added that they received really good pricing and would like to use as much of it as possible.

MOTION

Alderperson Braser motioned to award SKC Construction in the amount not to exceed $135,000 and Alderperson Kramer seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Copple, Huseman, Kramer, Paulsen, Sherrod, Stowe, Bauer, and Braser voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.

B. Consideration of a Recommendation to Award the Contract for a Sanitary Sewer Smoke Testing to RJN Group out of Wheaton, IL in the Amount of $35,759.04.

City Manager Brian Gregory gave a brief background of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s (IEPA) requirements for the annual sewer maintenance program as per the agenda. The smoke testing was successful last year as it shows where there are holes in the system which allows the Public Works crews to make the repairs in-house. It makes sure they can utilize the resources the best they can. The city engineer first reviewed qualified companies and then with a team that included the public works director and assistant directors reviewed the two bids submitted. The consensus of the group is that RJN Group of Wheaton, IL, who performed the work last year, is the most qualified firm. The company’s Project Manager has 25 years of experience and RJN will use the same project team that performed last year’s project. The proposal to complete the work is $35,759.04 including all testing, notifications, and documentation.

MOTION

Alderperson Stowe motioned to award $35,759.04 to RJN Group and Alderperson Kramer seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Copple, Huseman, Kramer, Paulsen, Sherrod, Stowe, Bauer, and Braser voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.

C. Consideration of an Administration Recommendation Regarding Health Insurance Coverage for Active and Retired City Employees.

City Manager Brian Gregory said they budget for insurance renewals each year based on industry standards which have been around 6 % but this is about 6-7% for the city’s types of plans. With well over $1 million of premium, each percentage point makes a big difference, especially with the uncertainty and impact of COVID-19.

DHAR Maggie Peck explained that if the city can stay with the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) grandfathered plan, it would be best as there are a lot of benefits to it such as low deductibles. The City offers three medical plan types: HSA, HMO and PPO. The effective monthly rate based on the Blue Cross renewal is calculated based on the number of participants in each plan as shown below. She explained that the renewal was 3.96% but drops to 2.96% for bundling with vision, dental, and life insurance through BCBS. After meeting with the insurance committee, she recommends continuing with BCBS for medical.

For dental, they ended up with a 7% increase which is still very good as they have been trending from 13% to 15%.

For vision, the city is in the third year of a four-year flat-rate renewal and stated that there are no changes for the life insurance plan.

For Flex Spending, this year is a big change as it is moving from TASC to Diversified Benefit Services going from $135.86 a month to $95 a month to administer the account. The insurance committee recommends using Diversified Benefit Services.

She said that for the short term disability, the recommendation is to continue to have it be administered by the Director of Human and Administrative Resources, which saves thousands of dollars on administrative fees and premiums.

She said the full recommendation is:

- Continue with BCBS for medical coverage and dental

- Continue with Dearborn (subsidiary of BCBS) for vision and life insurance coverages

- Move to Diversified Benefit Services for the Flex Spending account

- Continue to have short term disability administered in-house

City Manager Brian Gregory said he was happy to see strong numbers from BCBS for the grandfathered plan as everyone is aware with COVID-19, the employees are concerned about their benefit package. To have continuity in a plan is a very good thing for the employees. He supports the continuation with BCBS and recommends to continue with the incentive of the city funding the $1,500 Single and $3,000 Family deductibles for each of the HSA and HMO plans. Based on the current census, if all that are on HSA and HMO plans remain on those plans, the city would save about $49,000 over them moving to the PPO plan. Maggie is working with department heads to answer any questions and educating the employees to have the win-win situation where an employee has a small incentive and move to a plan that also saves the city money. The more employees they have in the plan, the greater the savings would be. He said he echoes the recommendations and asks that the Council concurs for the continuance of those incentives for the HSA and HMO plans.

MOTION

Alderperson Kramer motioned to approve the consideration and Stowe seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Mayor Lang called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Alderpersons Copple, Huseman, Kramer, Paulsen, Sherrod, Stowe, and Bauer voted aye with Alderperson Braser abstaining. Motion carried 7-0-1.

OTHER NEW BUSINESS

City Manager Brian Gregory said he has been thinking lately about what’s been happening with COVID-19, the impact that it has on everyone and thinking about the words “DESPITE COVID”. Listening to staff and their reports tonight of the things that are happening and what Sycamore is doing, said, we are doing it all “despite COVID”. We recognize the seriousness of the pandemic and what it means in making contingency plans. At the same time, we are applying for grants, seeing progress with new buildings, looking at a good FY20, and the Police Department is working with the State Representative to get prescription drugs off the streets. It’s things like that, that you hear every day and he wants to applaud the department heads and all the employees that are on the street level working out there with this uncertain times and keeping their attitudes very positive knowing they are here to serve. He appreciates what everyone is doing and he knows our employees appreciate the council’s support as well.

APPOINTMENTS- None

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION

Alderperson Stowe moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:51 p.m. and Alderperson Paulsen seconded the motion.

VOICE VOTE

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

https://cityofsycamore.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cc20200803m.pdf