City of Dekalb City Council met February 8

By Philip Gonzales

Feb 23, 2021

City of Dekalb City Council met Feb. 8

Here is the agenda provided by the council:

A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

C. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

E. PRESENTATIONS

None.

F. APPOINTMENTS

None.

G. CONSENT AGENDA

1. Minutes of the January 25, 2021 Regular City Council Meeting.

2. Minutes of the October 30, 2020 Joint Review Board Meeting.

3. Accounts Payable and Payroll through February 8, 2021 in the Amount of $2,311,115.00.

H. PUBLIC HEARINGS

None.

I. CONSIDERATIONS

None.

J. RESOLUTIONS

1. Resolution 2021-010 Approving A Laundromat Liquor License for South 4th Street Mega Laundromat, LLC, Located at 1387 S. Fourth Street, with Supplemental Licensure for Video Gaming.

City Manager’s Summary: This resolution failed by a Council vote of 2-5 on January25. It is only presented on the February 8 Agenda because Mr. Mason, the principal owner of the limited liability company promoting the laundromat license, has requested a “reconsideration” of the Council’s vote because there was no discussion on the main motion to approve the Resolution on January 25. A motion to reconsider must be made by a member who voted on the prevailing side of the question to be reconsidered (i.e.,a Council member who voted “no” in this instance). Any member may second the motion. If no Council member from the prevailing side moves to reconsider, the motion to reconsider cannot be renewed. Further, if a motion to reconsider is made and seconded and the resulting vote is decided in the negative, the motion to reconsider cannot be renewed.

A motion to reconsider does not obligate the maker to a “yes.” It only introduces the opportunity for Mr. Mason to explain his plan and his reason(s) for asking the Council’s support. Some background on the Resolution is appended for reference purposes.

City Council direction is requested. (Click here for additional information)

2. Resolution 2021-013 Authorizing an Addendum for Engineering Services with Fehr Graham & Associates, LLC for the 2021 General Street Maintenance Program as Part of the 2019 Three-Year Services Agreement, with a Fee for FY2021 Not to Exceed $135,000.

City Manager’s Summary: The City’s annual Street Maintenance Program is heavily funded by motor fuel tax funds and must be undertaken in accordance with IDOT design standards and standard engineering construction methods. One of the requirements is a “resident engineer” to provide the day-to-day measurements, concrete testing and sampling, and coordination with multiple contractors. In 2019, the

Engineering Division circulated a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a three-year contract for such construction supervision. (2019-2021). Fehr Graham was selected through that process. This resolution concerns the third and final year of the three year contract.

Construction observation and project management typically constitute about 10% of the street maintenance construction costs. In the 2021 Budget, $1.2 million is allocated in the Motor Fuel Tax Fund (Fund 210) and another $600,000 is allocated in the Capital Projects Fund (Fund 400) for street and alley improvements in 2021.

Fehr-Graham performed well during the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Street Maintenance programs with a high level of satisfaction expressed by residents of the many neighborhoods that were impacted. In addition, the Fehr-Graham Project Manager was able to complete the firm’s services under budget for each of the last two years.

It should be noted that the fee of $135,000 includes design and project management for any alternates that might be bid and approved. If these alternates are not approved by the Council after the bids are received, the engineering services contract will be reduced accordingly.

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

3. Resolution 2021-014 Authorizing a Strong Communities Program Grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority in the amount of $100,000 for Reimbursement of City Expenditures Related to the Demolition of Three Condemned Residential Properties.

City Manager’s Summary: The approval of this Resolution authorizes the Mayor to sign a program funding agreement between the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and the City, and to complete all other required documentation to enable the City to accept up to $100,000 in grant funding from the IHDA Strong Communities Program (SCP). The program will provide up to $100,000 in funds for reimbursement of City expenditures related to the demolition of condemned residential properties.

Assistive services, including hearing assistance devices, available upon request.

The Strong Communities Program is designed to return vacant residential properties to productive and taxable use through rehabilitation and provides funds for demolition in cases where properties are beyond repair and negatively impacting neighboring residences. The program is intended to increase property values, create jobs, help reduce crime, generate additional tax revenue, and attract further community investment. In addition, the program compliments the work of the Illinois Revitalization Task Force, established by SR1786, which recognizes abandoned and vacant single family homes affect housing values, decrease the affordable housing stock, and sometimes pose a public safety hazard.

The City’s Building department is aware of a number of vacant, condemned, single family residences that are beyond repair and in need of demolition. The presence of these dilapidated and abandoned homes negatively impacts the appeal of neighboring residences.

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

4. Resolution 2021-015 Authorizing the Addition of the Illinois Public Pension Fund Association (IPPFA) Deferred Compensation Plan as an Employee Benefit (457(b) Plan).

City Manager’s Summary: The next three resolutions are integrally related and may be taken in omnibus fashion.

They provide the contracts that implement an improved wellness program structure that was negotiated with DeKalb Fire Fighters Local 1236 in the fall of 2020.

In addition to staffing, a principal focus of the recent contract negotiations with Local 1236 was a wellness program that would give employees more incentive to voluntarily prepare for their health care costs after City retirement. The program encourages the employee to reduce sick time usage thus reducing overtime burdens on the City to meet minimum staffing requirements. The collective bargaining agreement was settled between the City of DeKalb and Local 1236 through Resolution 2020-132. The City of DeKalb and Local 1236 identified IPPFA Benefits as the preferred service provider for a 501(c)(9) and Section 115 Trust. In addition to these two programs, IPPFA Benefits offers a 457(B) plan. The City currently utilizes multiple vendors for 457(B) programs. The City and Local 1236 determined that IPPFA Benefits would serve the City of DeKalb in a more efficient and effective manner.

457(b) Plan: Deferred compensation plans described in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC Section 457) are available for certain state and local governments and non governmental entities that are tax exempt under IRC Section 501. Plans eligible under 457(b) allow employees (such as the members of Local 1236) of sponsoring organizations (the City) to defer income taxation on retirement savings into future years. Ineligible plans may trigger different tax treatment under IRC 457(f).

501(c)(9): A voluntary employees' beneficiary association under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(9) is an organization organized to pay life, sick, accident, or similar benefits to members or their dependents, or designated beneficiaries such as members of Local 1236. No part of the net earnings of the association may inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

Section 115 Trust: Section 115 Trust provides a tax-exempt base for funding retiree health benefits. Employee contributions fund this account for medical expenses and payments.

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

5. Resolution 2021-016 Relating to the Transfer of the Nationwide PEHP-Z Contract to the Illinois Public Pension Fund Association (IPPFA) Retiree Healthcare Funding Plan and Trust (501c9).

City Manager’s Summary: See Resolution 2021-015, above. This resolution adopts IPPFA’s 501(c)9 as the custodian of existing firefighter deposits presently on account through the Nationwide company program.

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

6. Resolution 2021-017 Relating to a Retirement Healthcare Funding Plan (115 Trust).

City Manager’s Summary: See Resolution 2021-015, above. This resolution establishes a 115 Trust for the ongoing deposits in the IPPFA funds.

City Council approval is recommended.

7. Resolution 2021-018 Authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for Capital Funding from the Rebuild Illinois Capital Grant Program from February 8, 2021 through November 30, 2021 in an Amount Not to Exceed $5,000,000.

City Manager’s Summary: The approval of this Resolution authorizes the Mayor to sign an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the City to provide capital assistance for public transit related projects.

The $5,000,000.00 Rebuild Illinois capital funds will be used to assist with the design and construction of a transit maintenance and operations facility for the DeKalb Urbanized Area. Additionally, the City can use the funds as the “Local Match” towards future Federal Transit Administration (FTA) capital grant applications.

On May 26, 2020, Council approved Resolution 2020-041 authorizing submittal of a Rebuild Illinois grant application to the Illinois Department of Transportation for a public transportation capital assistance grant. On November 2, 2020, The City was notified by IDOT that we were awarded $5,000,000.00 in capital grant funding to assist with the capital needs of the transit system. Of that amount, $1,000,000 will be used to assist with the completion of Part One and Part Two of the City’s 2019 Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Architectural, Engineering, and Construction Management Services. City staff continue to work through a final Scope of Work with the preferred vendor selected from the RFQ process to complete these tasks.

The remaining $4,000,000 will be used as Local Match assistance to support upcoming competitive FTA grant applications including a “Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development” (BUILD) Grant, Bus and Bus Facilities Grant (5339[b]) and the Low or No Emission Vehicle Program Grant (5339[c]). Any funds received from the FTA competitive grant process will be added to the City’s existing State capital funds and used to complete the construction of the transit maintenance and operations facility.

The attached Resolution designates the Mayor to sign the Downstate Operating Assistance IGA and designates the City Transit Manager to execute the application and other required documentation. The most common types of documentation are requests for advance payment, requisitions, and quarterly reports. Designating the Mayor and Transit Manager as the persons authorized to execute the application and other required documentation follows normal City protocol when dealing with State and Federal transit funding.

City Council approval is recommended.

K. ORDINANCES – SECOND READING

None.

L. ORDINANCES – FIRST READING

None.

M. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

1. Council Member Reports

2. City Clerk Report

3. City Manager Report

N. EXECUTIVE SESSION

None.

O. ADJOURNMENT