DeKalb Times

City of Sandwich Committee of the Whole Council met May 16.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

Mayor Latham called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. Roll call was taken:

Present: Mayor Latham, Clerk Ii, Aldermen Fritsch, Johnson, Killey, Kreinbrink, & Whitecotton

Alderman Robinson arrived at 7:02 PM

Quorum established

Also Present: Attorney Gottschalk, Chief Bianchi & EMA Director Ciciora

Absent: Aldermen Holcomb & Littlebrant; Building Official Steffens

Mayor Latham:

1. Code Amendment “Division 7-Department Head Employees Appointments”: Mayor Latham made a recommendation to amend Chapter 2, Article III “Officers & Employees”, Division 7 – Department Heads, Section 2.275 Appointment to add city administrator, and eliminate the wording “the water superintendent, the streets and property superintendent, and the wastewater superintendent”. All other verbiage would remain the same. An Ordinance amending the change will be presented at next week’s meeting for passage.

2. Economic Incentive Application: This program will be available to businesses only within the Community to be submitted to the Council for consideration. Proposed incentive(s) would include tax increment financing, sales tax rebate, property tax rebate, reduced application fee, reduced city fee, and “other”. Council evaluation would cover meeting a city target or goal, impact on the community, design & implement incentives to create job opportunity and growth, and consider non-financial incentives. Mayor requested Council to review prior to passage next week.

3. City Administrator Job Description & Duties: Mayor Latham shared job duties with Council that included:

Administration (serve as deputy clerk, liaison with IL Municipal Insurance Coop, liaison with IL Public Risk Fund, evaluate and make recommendations regarding city programs, agreements & projects, staff organization & coordination of all departments); Finance (serve as Budget Officer, develop annual budget and tax levy, prepare monthly financial reports, and prepare grant applications);

Community Development (serve as City’s development administrator, oversee preparation of planning & staff reports including attending and advising Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings, and implementing property maintenance policy including administrative adjudication);

Economic Development (meet with potential developers, develop & recommend programs to assure economic development, create business attached & retention programs, coordinate downtown redevelopment and prepare financial incentive plans);

Public Safety / Public Works (oversee public safety and public works emergency preparedness, review operational efficiently of the Police and Public Works departments and maintaining NIMS 100 & 700 training);

Human Resources (facilitate collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Supervise & evaluate department head performance, and prepares annual salary recommendations); and Community Relations / Communications (liaison to community relations / media / local organization as well as intergovernmental relations including County representation). This position would be an annual appointment by the Mayor. Mayor requested Council to review and consider additions / deletions as well as if the position should be full time or downsized to part time.

4. Hawkers Review: Hawker’s Ordinance 2010-09 dealt with regulations and licensing of roadside stands. Section 54-132 pertaining to license required / license fee has been addressed under the new Farmers Market Ordinance 2022-05. Section 54-136 deals with special events and the licensing process. In 2014, Council had initiated a removal to suspend that portion of the Ordinance regarding licensing of food stands at auctions. Mayor Latham recommended Ordinance 2010-09 be updated and reviewed by legal counsel.

5. Solicitors Permit: Dating back to 1998 by Ordinance 98-02, the last time the initial ordinance was updated was via Ordinance 2016-01. No complaint process is in place although a permit repeal is addressed. School and civic soliciting is also not covered by the Ordinances. Council is encouraged to review and offer suggestions and recommendation to update.

City Clerk Ii shared past experiences concerning energy companies who will arrive with a van full of people and start canvassing the community without a permit. Residents are angered or confused and will deluge City Hall with complaints that are immediately forwarded to the Police Department to be addressed. She logs the complaints, and recently had a company with numerous complaints make application for solicitors’ permit. The complaints on the current applicant was misrepresentations, rude, and demanding for an immediate commitment.

City Attorney Gottschalk suggested that the Council set a maximum number of complaints received, thereby allowing the City to refuse issuing a permit in the future. Legally, she felt the City cannot refuse issuing a permit because there is nothing in the Municipal Code pertaining to violations.

6. Executive Session: Mayor Latham required Executive Session at the end of the meeting under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5) for land purchase and under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(21) review of executive session minutes

7. Street Department Foreman: Nick Grube has been promoted to Street Department Foreman with an increase in salary. The position / salary increase was factored in the newly passed budget.

Foster, Buick, Conklin, Lundgren & Gottschalk Law Group: No report

City Clerk Ii introduced Resolution 22-06 for authorizing bank signatories. Once Colanne Schwemlein has taken oath of office as treasurer, she will be added as an authorized co-signatory replacing Pete Dell.

City Treasurer: Colanne Schwemlein to be sworn in at next week’s meeting

City Department Reports: 

EMA Director Ciciora: No report

Chief Bianchi provided a quote from Alarm Detection Systems, Inc. for fire alarm system for the new public safety building. Cost will be $58.00 / month that was not included in the new budget FY 2022-2023. Furniture update is delivery by the end of month.

Engineering: Mayor Latham advised that the Latham Street continues to be delayed due to the permitting process. ComEd will need to replace 33 poles that they do no have in stock and must be ordered. HLR (Hampton, Lenzini & Renwick) will be handling the smaller engineering projects for the City that include Johnson’s coal chute and sidewalk issues.

Aldermen Reports:

Alderman Fritsch reported that he and Aldermen Robinson met with contractor, Matt Christensen, inspecting sidewalk issues and obtaining cement pricing. Some of the sidewalk funding would come from barter funds that is owed the City. He also requested the Council’s opinion regarding parkway parking on curbless streets. Alderman Fritsch explained that in the older portion of the community, streets are too narrow to accommodate legal offstreet parking, and shallow ditch lines on some roadways are causing parking issues as well. Mayor Latham suggested that Curt from EEI inspect the particular streets in question and offer suggestions how to move forward.

Alderwoman Johnson has received complaints on flashing and scrolling digital LED signage for businesses located in residential areas. She questioned if there is an Ordinance that would cover this matter. City Attorney will investigate further.

Alderman Kreinbrink gave an update report on the Opera House roof. There is a lot of deteriorating metal fixtures on the roof as well an issue with the guttering systems. Some repair work was completed on Friday, but the Council will need to create a game plan for overall repairs and replacement. Alderman Kreinbrink also demonstrated a new GIS program offered through DeKalb County that will interact by tracking and displaying the City’s infrastructure including sidewalks.

Alderman Whitecotton requested that the operating hours for the farmers market be amended to 7 AM – 5 PM. The Ordinance will be required to be amended to change the hours.

Announcements: The Finance Committee will meet immediately following the COW meeting.

Mayor Latham acknowledged that May is Motorcycle Awareness Month, National Police Week is May 11th – 17th, 2022, and Memorial Day is May 30th.

Mayor Latham announced that the Historical Preservation Commission, the Citizens Advisory Committee, and the Technology Improvement Committee will be meeting the 2nd Thursday of each month starting at 6 PM, 7 PM, and 8 PM respectively.

The Illinois Housing Authority has notified the City that the Sandwich Manor has applied for State funding and is seeking any comments from the public regarding this transaction.

Mayor Latham obtained minutes from the Sandwich Economic Development Corp. that reflected Executive Director, Jim Teckenbrock, is working on a grant from the Dekalb County Community

Foundation to assist the City financially for the downtown lighting upgrades in the amount of $9,000.00. He is also applying for a second grant in the amount of $20,000 to assist with sidewalk repairs and replacements.

Audience Comments: None

Executive Session: Motion made by Alderwoman Johnson to enter into Executive Session at 8:27 PM for semi-annual review of closed session minutes under 5 ILCS 120/Section 2(c)(21) “Discussion of minutes of meetings lawfully closed under this Act, whether for purposes of approval by the body of the minutes or semi-annual review of the minutes as mandated by Section 2.06”; and also purchase of land under 5 ILCS 120/Section 2(c)(5) “The purchase or lease of real property for the use of the public body”. Motion was second by Alderman 

Fritsch. Aye: Aldermen Fritsch, Johnson, Killey, Kreinbrink, Robinson & Whitecotton Nay: 0 Motion carried unanimously 

Alderman Fritsch made a motion to return to open session at 8:48 PM. Motion was seconded by Alderman Whitecotton. Aye: Aldermen Fritsch, Johnson, Killey, Kreinbrink, Robinson & Whitecotton Nay:0 Motion carried 6:0 

Adjournment: There being no further business to come before the Council, motion made by Alderman Robinson and seconded by Alderman Kreinbrink to adjourn the Committee-of-the Whole council meeting at 8:50 PM. Motion carried unanimously on voice vote. 

http://www.sandwich.il.us/MINUTES/cw051622.pdf