DeKalb Times

City of Dekalb City Council met Aug. 28.

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. PRESENTATIONS

None.

E. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

F. APPOINTMENTS

None.

G. CONSENT AGENDA

1. Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting of August 14, 2023.

2. Accounts Payable and Payroll through August 28, 2023, in the Amount of $2,797,488.22.

3. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Report – July 2023.

H. PUBLIC HEARINGS

None.

I. CONSIDERATIONS

None.

J. RESOLUTIONS

1. Resolution 2023-081 Authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services as it Pertains to Participation in the Ground Emergency Medical Transport (GEMT) Program.

City Manager’s Summary: As Fire Chief Mike Thomas explains in his background memorandum, the attached resolution authorizes the continuation of an agreement with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to receive supplemental funding that provides reimbursement for the greater part of the City’s costs associated with ambulance transports for Medicaid patients.

On September 14, 2020, the City Council approved the first Intergovernmental Agreement with IDHS, and the agreement requires Council approval of the annual renewal before October 1 of each year. The GEMT funds are deposited in the City’s GEMT Fund (Fund 130) and have been used for the purchase of Fire Department front-line ambulances, fire engines, new incident-reporting software, new breathing apparatus, new power-assisted stair chairs and costs, and will be an integral part of the funding of the new Station 4.

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

2. Resolution 2023-082 Authorizing an Architectural Agreement with Studio 222 Architects LLC for DeKalb Fire Station No. 4.

City Manager’s Summary: As reported at the Council meeting of July 24 when the City Manager presented a detailed case for the construction and staffing of a new Station 4 near the intersection of S. Annie Glidden Road and W. Taylor Street, some very conceptual renderings were needed to visualize the placement of the neighborhood station on the City owned site. These renderings were prepared by Studio 222 Architects after the Fire Department’s solicitation of interest from among regional architectural firms. Studio 222 Architects is a small and notable firm based in Chicago with a practice focusing on fire stations and other public facilities.

With the further consensus of the Council and Finance Advisory Committee around the main capital and staffing priorities presented on August 21 for FY2024, the City Manager recommends the engagement of Studio 222 Architects to prepare construction-ready plans and specifications for Station 4. It is estimated that the firm could produce such documents in about 120 days, which would allow for construction bidding in late January with Council consideration of actual bids in late February or early March. Ground-breaking could then begin in April-May and allow for the substantial completion of all exterior features (including detention, paving, landscaping) by the arrival of winter weather at the end of 2024. The staff hiring could begin in the fall of 2024 and would take about four months, so the proper shift minimums can be met as the interior construction is completed and occupancy is achieved in the early Spring of 2025.

The estimated construction budget for a 7,630 square foot, three-bay neighborhood station is $3,815,000. The architectural cost will be 7.5% of the final construction price. The architectural fees include the early conceptual renderings, biddable construction plans and specifications, administration of the construction process including contractor payouts, and final closeout. At the estimated construction price of $3,815,000 the total architectural fees would be $286,125. The architectural costs will be paid from the GEMT Fund, as represented at the Council meetings of July 24 and August 21.

City Council approval of the attached architectural contract with Studio 222 Architects is recommended. (click here for additional information)

3. Resolution 2023-083 Authorizing an Agreement for the Provision of Wholesale Electricity for the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport.

City Manager’s Summary: As Director of Utilities Bryan Faivre writes in his background memorandum, last year the Council considered three electrical contracts that were set to expire towards the end of calendar year 2022 (the Airport, street lighting, and wells and treatment plants). Of the three electrical considerations reviewed, there was a cost savings achieved by entering into a contract with Constellation Energy, an alternate energy supplier, for the City wells and treatment plants. For the Airport and street lighting, however, it was determined that there would be no cost savings and that both would be better served by defaulting to the ComEd rate instead of an alternative supplier. At that time, the lowest bid received for a one-year contract term for the Airport was Constellation Energy, at a rate of 0.09549 per kWh compared to ComEd’s lower rate of 0.09149 per kWh.

Over the past year, energy prices have decreased and produced more favorable energy prices for business and institutional consumers. Mr. Faivre recently secured new bids from energy suppliers and has determined that savings can be achieved for the Airport by entering into a new agreement with an alternative supplier. Over the past year, ComEd’s rate has dropped from 0.09149 to 0.07136, however, the low bid received this year from Dynegy Energy for a one-year contract term compared to last year has dropped from 0.09549 to 0.05495.

The table below shows recent bids received from various energy suppliers and how they compare to the ComEd rate currently paid by the Airport. The prices shown below are based on one, two, and three-year contract term lengths.

Current ComEd Rate = 0.07136 per kWh

Energy Supplier	12 Months	24 Months	36 Months
Dynegy Energy	0.05495	0.05615	0.05790
MC2	0.05544	0.05781	0.05809
Direct Energy	0.05564	0.05758	0.05912
Constellation Energy	0.05576	0.05718	0.05810
Santanna	0.06658	0.07103	N/A
CleanSky	0.07990	0.08250	0.08460

Given these prices, the Airport would realize a savings of $4,592 annually by opting to go with an alternative energy supplier (Dynegy Energy) as opposed to staying on the ComEd rate, which would be the default rate.

The quotes for wholesale electricity are only valid for a one day market period and require the ability to enter into an agreement on a timely and expedited basis. Approval of the attached resolution would allow the City Manager to enter into a favorable agreement for the Airport, so long as the energy bids generally reflect the spreads in the table, above.

City Council approval of the agreement with Dynegy Energy is recommended. (click here for additional information)

4. Resolution 2023-084 Authorizing an Agreement with DeKalb Corn Classic and Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary Club for the 2022 DeKalb Corn Classic 5k/10k and Taste of DeKalb Events on September 24, 2023.

City Manager’s Summary: The DeKalb Corn Classic has been a very successful event in the DeKalb community for many years and draws larger crowds every year to the downtown business district. In September 2018, the Corn Classic partnered with the Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary Club to conduct the event in coordination with the inaugural Taste of DeKalb. For 2023, the parties want to coordinate the two events again, with the closure of Van Buer Plaza for the Taste of DeKalb, and the temporary closure of a number of streets for the Corn Classic.

The DeKalb Corn Classic and DeKalb Sunrise Rotary Club event organizers have requested the waiver of all fees.

City Council approval is recommended, along with the waiver of fees as requested by the DeKalb Corn Classic and Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary Club event organizers. (click here for additional information)

K. ORDINANCES – SECOND READING

None.

L. ORDINANCES – FIRST READING

1. Ordinance 2023-034 Approving a Special Use Permit to Allow the Resubdivision of an “TFR” Two Family Residential District Zoned Lot into Two Single-Family Attached Lots and Approval of the Final Plat of the B&B Resubdivision No. One Located at 1304-1306 Chestnut Street (Bradley Burns).

City Manager’s Summary: The applicant, Bradley Burns, has requested approval of a special use permit and an accompanying final plat to re-subdivide a two-family (duplex) lot at 1304- 1306 Chestnut Street in the Knolls subdivision into two, single-family-attached (zero-lot-line) lots. The property is zoned “TFR” Two-Family Residential District and is 11,981 square feet (.27 acres). The applicant proposes to re-subdivide the property along the common wall of the existing two-family (duplex) residential structure constructed in 1995. The re-subdivision would create two lots, with one residential unit on each of the new lots. Lot 1 would be 6,598 square feet in area and Lot 2 would be 5,383 square feet. The resulting re-subdivision would allow each of the units and the lots on which they are located to be owned or sold in fee simple.

As Planning Director Dan Olson writes in his background memorandum, in the “TFR” District, the UDO (Article 5.03.06.b) has several criteria for the proposed type of re-subdivision. Each new lot must be at least 3,500 square feet and a minimum lot width of 25 feet is required. The interior lot line setback is removed to accommodate the new lot line going down the common wall. A declaration of cross easements and common wall agreement is required to be submitted, which covers the maintenance, responsibilities, and liability of the common wall between the two units. The applicant has submitted a Shared Wall Agreement, which will be recorded with the final plat. The UDO also requires that each dwelling unit be serviced with its own water line, sanitary sewer line, sump pump line and all other utility lines and extensions. Separate water lines already serve the two dwelling units. The applicant has discussed the separate sanitary sewer needed with the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District. In terms of longer-range appearance, the agreement includes a reference to the obligation of the separate owners to respect a compatible exterior appearance with respect to building materials and colors.

The City has approved about a dozen similar special use requests in the “TFR” Two- Family and “RC-1” Residential Conservation Districts since 2001. Several of those were in the surrounding neighborhood of the subject property along Moluf Street and Cedar Street. Within the last year special uses were approved for 1104-1106 Lewis Street and 202-204 Chamberlain Drive.

The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing regarding the special use petition at their regular meeting on August 21, 2023. By a vote of 6 to 0 (Commissioner Wright was absent), the Commission recommended City Council approval of a special use permit to allow the re-subdivision of a “TFR” Two Family Residential-zoned Lot into Two Single-Family attached lots in accordance with Article 5.03.06.b of the UDO for the property located at 1304- 1306 Chestnut Street and approval of the Final Plat of the B&B re-subdivision No. One dated 8-14-23 and labeled as Exhibit A in the staff report subject to all staff comments being addressed prior to the recording the Plat and subject to the condition that the exterior of the two dwelling units shall remain compatible in relation to the colors, materials, and architecture.

City Council approval of the Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation is requested. (click here for additional information)

M. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

1. Council Member Reports.

2. City Manager Report.

N. EXECUTIVE SESSION

None.

O. ADJOURNMENT

https://www.cityofdekalb.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08282023-2404