City of Sycamore City Council will meet on Monday, Oct. 5.
Here is the agenda provided by the council:
Pursuant to Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order No. 2020-07 (COVID-19 Executive Order No. 5), Governor Pritzker has suspended certain rules of the Open Meetings Act – specifically the Executive Order permits remote public meetings. In light of the current COVID-19 public health emergency and the limit on public gatherings, the City Council will conduct the meeting remotely.
To submit questions or comments during the Audience to Visitors portion of the meeting, please submit your questions prior to the start of the meeting to bgregory@cityofsycamore.com and your questions and/or comments will be read during the meeting and addressed, if appropriate, at that time.
Electronic Via Zoom
If you would like to listen to the meeting, please go to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88939860479?pwd=Z0hqRHlzdnRpejJoVm83c0FlWG40UT09
Meeting ID: 889 3986 0479 Passcode: 494102
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. INVOCATION
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
5. AUDIENCE TO VISITORS
6. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approval of the Minutes for the Regular City Council Meeting of September 21, 2020.
B. Payment of the Bills for October 5, 2020.
7. PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND BILLS
A. A Proclamation Declaring the Week of October 4-10, 2020 as Fire Prevention Week in the City of Sycamore, Illinois.
B. A Proclamation Declaring October 2020 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the City of Sycamore, Illinois.
C. A Proclamation Declaring October 2020 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Sycamore, Illinois.
D. Introduction of the New Sycamore Park District Executive Director Jonelle Bailey. E. Introduction of the New Sycamore Public Library Executive Director Kim Halsey.
8. REPORTS OF OFFICERS
9. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
10. PUBLIC HEARINGS—None
11. ORDINANCES
A. Ordinance No. 2020.11—An Ordinance Establishing and Fixing Compensation for Elected Officials of the City of Sycamore, Illinois. First and Second Reading.
According to state statute (50 ILCS 145/2; 65 ILCS 5/3.1-50-10), the compensation of elected officials must be fixed by ordinance at least 180 days before the beginning of the term of office. The salaries of elected officials cannot be increased or diminished during the terms of such officials. In September, the City Council reviewed compensation for elected officials and directed the City Manager to prepare an ordinance that would fix the compensation for elected officials at their current annual compensation for the term of May 2021- April 2025 as follows:
a) Mayor: a gross annual salary of $20,000 plus $5,000 for service as Liquor Commissioner.
b) Council: a gross annual salary of $4,800.
c) City Clerk: a gross annual salary of $65,049.79 plus insurance benefits (market based-currently $29,125.20 for family coverage) and IMRF coverage.
City Council approval is recommended.
12. RESOLUTIONS—None
13. CONSIDERATIONS
A. Consideration of a Public Works Department Recommendation to Approve a Change Order to Leander Construction for the Sycamore Wastewater Treatment Plant for Electrical Work Relative to a Powered Electrical Gate and Painting of Influent Piping on a Time and Material Price not to Exceed $2,511.50 and $4,498.20.
During design of the Wastewater Treatment Plant it was uncertain if the existing electrical gate would require replacement, so as a conservative measure it was included in the contract documents. It has since been determined the existing gate motor remains within its useful life, however a new and similar gate will be required near the new Public Works Storage Building. City staff worked with Leander Construction to modify the original fence design to incorporate the new building and fully secure all outside storage. Fencing will be completed at no additional cost, with the exception of routing power to the new motorized gate. In lieu of contracting this work separately, staff recommends utilizing the gate within the WWTP Project and contracting the onsite electrical contractor to complete the necessary electrical work on a time and material basis not to exceed $2,511.50.
The contractor is required to paint all new exterior piping at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in order to extend the useful life by preventing corrosion. The contract specifications did not reference existing piping and therefore it was not included within the original project scope. Both McMahon and Associates and staff recommend painting the existing piping at the influent lift station. Leander Construction has prepared an estimate of $4,498.20 to complete all preparatory and painting work including all labor and materials. Furthermore, Leander Construction will use onsite equipment and agrees to complete this work on a time and material basis.
Therefore, staff recommends this work be included as part of Leander Construction’s scope of work. Combined these projects will be completed on an hourly basis not to exceed $7,009.70 and are subject to the design engineer’s approval upon completion of work.
City Council approval is recommended.
B. Consideration of an Implementation Plan for Water System Infrastructure Improvements.
In June of 2019, the City of Sycamore selected a local consultant to complete a Water Master Plan. The goal of this document was to provide an inventory of existing improvements and evaluate the capacity of the system against existing and future needs. The study uses this information to provide recommendations for future improvements to meet capacity and regulatory requirements. The Water Master Plan was completed in December 2019 and outlined the following suggested priority improvements. The project ranking is based on a scoring matrix using ten weighted criteria, including fire protection, break frequency, effect on water quality and water main age:
| Construction
Costs | Construction and
Engineering Costs | *Total Cost of Projects
Effecting Water Age or Quality | ||
| 1 | California Brickville and Main | $1,243,752 | $1,430,284 | $1,430,284 |
| 2 | Sycamore High School | $592,297 | $681,142 | $681,142 |
| 3 | Lincoln and Locust | $1,219,179 | $1,402,056 | $1,402,056 |
| 4 | Elm and DeKalb | $853,121 | $981,089 | $981,089 |
| 5 | Sabin and Exchange | $1,824,537 | $2,098,217 | $2,098,217 |
| 6 | North Grove School | $240,527 | $276,606 | |
| 7 | Somonauk | $3,303,277 | $3,798,768 | $3,798,768 |
| 8 | Electric Park | $749,361 | $861,765 | $861,765 |
| 9 | Mercantile | $217,802 | $250,472 | |
| 10 | Bethany | $497,212 | $571,794 | |
| $10,741,065 | $12,352,193 | $11,253,321 |
During budget preparation in February, the City Council discussed a capital infrastructure fee of $3.50 per month for residential users that would generate approximately $350,000 to be used to begin to address these projects and future main replacement. The fee would increase on a sliding scale based on the size of the water meter. The rationale behind the amount of the proposed fee was that it would allow for the replacement of 1,000 linear feet of main and corresponding appurtenances per year. The Council indicated support for the dedicated capital fee and the commitment to investing in the water infrastructure. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, the Council deferred implementation of the capital infrastructure fee as residents and businesses wrestled with the impacts of the virus.
The City Council’s Public Works Committee convened in September, in response to complaints of water smell and taste. The purpose of the workshop was to provide the public and committee members with an overview of the water distribution system, the water master plan and main replacement plan. It was also intended to outline the operational and testing procedures the City completes as required by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).
Other complaints were brought up at the committee meeting and at the City Council level regarding lead in the drinking water. This summer the City performed EPA required lead and copper testing and the 90th % value of the community was 5.16 ppb, which is below the Action Level (15ppb) as mandated by the EPA. A page within the City’s Public Works website was created to provide information regarding lead and copper regulations, links to the City’s current and past test results, and identification of the City and property owner responsibilities. The web page can be found at: https://cityofsycamore.com/public-works/water-quality-testing-and-reporting/. Per section 8-2-6 of the Municipal Code, property owners are responsible for the water service line and all internal plumbing materials, fixtures and connections. The City has a list of materials (where known) used for private service lines and encourages residents to replace lead lines when possible. The City submitted a grant application to the IEPA in an effort to secure funding to help facilitate the replacement of these service lines. Click on the link below to see the material used in your water service line: https://cityofsycamore.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Service-Material-Inventory- 20200629.pdf
With these recent community discussions about water age and quality, the question of a dedicated revenue source to fund these projects should again be discussed. The first question that should be addressed involves how the Council wants to proceed in implementing future water infrastructure of improvements?
The Water Fund is an Enterprise Fund that is self-supporting as revenue from user fees serve as the principal funding source for the operations of the City’s water system. The fund also pays the debt service utilized for capital improvements or repairs to the City’s wells, two elevated water storage tanks, and 115 miles of water main. The City removes radium from the water as required by the IEPA and charges a fee commensurate to the cost. No property taxes are used to support the water system or operations.
The table below approximates the level of fee required to fund these seven projects utilizing low- interest loan funding through the IEPA, what monthly fee would be needed to do roughly half of the projects, and the percentage of projects that can be accomplished at 1,000 linear feet of water main replacement per year. By borrowing from the IEPA the City could expedite the completion of these projects which primarily include sections of watermain requiring upsizing. The City constantly investigates alternative construction methods and coordination with other infrastructure improvements to complete projects in a more cost-effective manner.
| IEPA Borrowed Amount | $4,800,000.00 | $7,200,000.00 | $10,200,000.00 |
| Internal Borrowing | $1,053,321.00 | $1,053,321.00 | $1,053,321.00 |
| Total Project Cost | $5,853,321.00 | $8,253,321.00 | $11,253,321.00 |
| Total Per Year | $352,666.05 | $502,666.05 | $690,166.05 |
| Per Month Fee | $3.53 | $5.03 | $6.90 |
| Cost of Priority Projects | $11,253,321.00 | $11,253,321.00 | $11,253,321.00 |
| Percent of Priority Projects | 52.0% | 73.3% | 100.0% |
One might ask why other funds from the water system operation cannot be redirected to these projects?
Several other key projects were identified during the water master planning process that need to be completed on schedule to maintain the overall integrity of the water system. These improvements, along with required maintenance and operating needs compete for existing funding sources from user fees, radium removal fees and connection fees. These projects are listed chronologically below:
• 2020: Inspect Tower #1 Coating & Structural Integrity
• 2020: Return Well #7 to Service in Emergency Standby
• 2021: Recoating Tower #1
• 2023: Well #7 Treatment Facility – WRT System or HMO System
• 2024: Begin Treatment System Evaluation & Design (WRT Contract Expires 2027)
• 2024 – 2027: Radium Removal Improvements – Maintain WRT or HMO System
• 2028 – 2039: Distribution System Projects
• 2040: Construct Tower #3
Without a dedicated revenue source for capital infrastructure, infrastructure replacement will have to compete with other capital and operating priorities much as the recent main replacement on Park Avenue and Ellen Street.
C. Consideration of an Administrative Request for a Closed Session to Discuss Collective Bargaining under 5 ILCS 120/2(c) (5).
14. OTHER NEW BUSINESS
15. APPOINTMENTS
16. ADJOURNMENT
https://cityofsycamore.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/cc20201005a.pdf
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