DeKalb Times

DeKalb County Committee of the Whole met Sept. 11.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

The Committee of the Whole of the DeKalb County Board met in Sycamore, Illinois on Wednesday, September 11, 2024. Chair Ellingsworth Webb called the meeting to order at 7:00pm. Those Members present were Tim Bagby, Scott Campbell, Mary Cozad, Patrick Deutsch, Meryl Domina, Laura Hoffman, Kathy Lampkins, Jim Luebke, Terri Mann-Lamb, Stuart Ogilvie, Jerry Osland, Michelle Pickett, Roy Plote, Chris Porterfield, and Amber Quitno. A quorum was established with seventeen Members present, seven absent.John Frieders and Savannah Ilenikhena were absent at the time of the Roll Call and arrived at 7:06 pm and 7:11pm respectively.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Mann-Lamb moved to approve the agenda as presented. Leubke seconded the motion and the motion was approved via voice vote, with all votes cast in the affirmative.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

It was moved by Cozad, seconded by Porterfield and it was carried by a voice vote, with all votes cast in the affirmative, to approve the minutes of the August 14, 2024 Committee of the Whole Meeting.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Janet Burkes addressed the Committee to state that she believes that the County Administrator Search Committee should include department heads and members of the public in addition to County Board Members. Additionally, she stated that she believes it is critical for the DCRNC to secure contracts to become providers with additional insurance companies.

CHAIR’S COMMENTS

Chair Webb reminded the Committee that the meeting was taking place on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York. Chair Webb shared that he was scheduled to be in New York on the day of the attacks but did not make the trip. He also stated the nation’s reaction to the tragedy was a defining moment where the nation came together as one. He expressed his desire for our country to again display that type of unity and asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives as a result of the events of 9/11.

Chair Webb also shared that the Illinois Association of County Board Members recently held the first meeting of their Nursing Home Committee, which is composed of staff and elected officials who represent the seventeen publicly owned nursing homes in the state. He shared that the goal of the committee is to be able to determine the best practices and find ways that the nursing homes can come together to assist one another.

PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS

Implementation of County Board iPads

Administrative Analyst Liam Sullivan shared with the Committee that the iPads that were approved during the June meeting have been set up and deployed for their use. He explained that for the remaining meetings in this County Board cycle, staff will provide hard copies of meeting materials along with the iPads. Moving forward, the County Board will be utilizing the iPads to view meeting materials rather than hard copies, unless hard copies are specifically requested in advance of the meeting.

Presentation Of General Liability Insurance Proposals for the DCRNC

Sullivan explained that the General Liability Insurance that was procured by the County Board earlier this year did not cover the operations of the DCRNC. As a result staff has again worked with Arthur Gallagher, an insurance broker, to provide the County Board with proposals for General Liability Insurance options for the DCRNC.

Sullivan introduced Rich Skoluska who provided an overview of the two best proposals which can be found here: https://dekalbcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/packet-cow-09112024.pdf

Skoluska finished his presentation by recommending that the County Board proceed with the proposal from Columbia Casualty Company, with an annual premium of $262,522.

Several Committee members inquired about the price of the premium and if this was within market. Sullivan explained that the original JHG Business Plan and FY2024 Budget anticipated an annual premium of $828,000. Additionally, the FY2025 preliminary budget has sufficient funds to cover the proposal from Columbia.

DCRNC Update from DCRNC Administrator Bart Becker

DCRNC Administrator Bart Becker provided an overview of the DCRNC’s August Report which can be found here: https://dekalbcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/fn-rpt24aug-dcrnc.pdf

Additionally, Becker provided an update on a variety of items, including the Grand Opening of the facility’s Transitional Care Unit, the hiring of a Community Liaison, and shared that the recent update to the JHG Business plan will be presented in tandem with the FY2025 Budget on September 18th.

Anna Wilhelmi, Chair of the DCRNC Oversight Board, shared that she feels the DCRNC is moving in a positive direction. She shared that the Oversight Board has formed an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee to focus on the Facility’s finances and revenue generation strategies.

Reports from Appointed Boards & Commissions

Roy Plote provided a report from the County’s E911 Board. He explained that they are currently testing a real time text system for dispatching emergency services. He explained that the system has been implemented for users of T-Mobile as their cell phone service provider. This makes DeKalb County the first telecommunications department in the state to implement this service.

Reports from Committee Chairs

Terri Mann-Lamb, Chair of the Planning, Zoning, and Development Committee, reported that the Committee did not have any actionable items.

Patrick Deutsch, Chair of Highway Committee, shared that the Committee did not have any actionable items but discussed the date for the upcoming annual tour provided by the Highway Department.

Rukisha Crawford, Chair of Human Health & Services Committee, reported that the Committee forwarded two resolutions: R2024-098—A Resolution Awarding the DCRNC Billing & Consulting Services Contract to Jordan Healthcare Group and R2024-099—A Resolution Authorizing the DCRNC Administrator to Execute the Hospice Services Agreement with Sanctuary Hospice of Rockford, Illinois on behalf of the DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center.

Michelle Pickett, Chair of the Facilities & Technology Committee, reported that the Committee did not forward any actionable items to the County Board but is very glad to see that the iPads are being implemented due to the future monetary savings that will result from their use.

Kathy Lampkins, Chair of Law & Justice Committee, reported that the Committee did not forward any actionable items to the County Board but did hear the Annual Report provided by the County’s Coroner Denny Miller. She stated that this will be Miller’s final annual report presentation due to his upcoming retirement.

Scott Campbell, Chair of Finance & Administration Committee, reported that the Committee has forwarded two Resolutions: R2024-096—A Resolution Placing the FY2025 Budget on File for Public Inspection and R2024-097—A Resolution Approving the Payment of County Claims for September 2024, and Off-Cycle Claims Paid During the Previous Month, Including All Claims for Travel, Meals, and Lodging.

Vice-Chair Frieders shared that following this meeting, the Executive Committee would be considering two Resolutions: R2024-100—A Resolution Authorizing the Procurement of General Liability Insurance for the DeKalb County Rehab & Nursing Center from Columbia Casualty Company and R2024-101—A Resolution Awarding a Three-Year Contract for Professional Cleaning Services for the County Health Department and Community Outreach Buildings to On The Spot Janitorial Maintenance of DeKalb, Illinois in the Amount of $234,006.

COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

Interim County Administrator Derek Hiland shared that the Sycamore Campus Parking Lot was restriped earlier in the week and thanked the staff for their patience during the process. Hiland stated that he is hopeful that the freshly striped parking lot will improve the parking experience for visitors at the County.

Additionally, Hiland shared that the Admin Building Bathroom Remodel Project is nearing completion. He explained that at this time, the only remaining work is to install small fixtures such as toilet paper and paper towel holders. He anticipated that the project will be completed by the end of the month.

Next, Hiland mentioned that the Community Development Department is still receiving interest in additional solar developments in the County and those will be brought forward to the Board as the process moves forward. Hiland also mentioned that he was able to participate in a dedication ceremony for a historic market honoring the invention of the yield monitor, an invention that helped advance the agriculture industry. Hiland thanked Mr. Gregory for his service to DeKalb County and stated that his leadership will be missed.

Finally, Hiland noted that the FY2025 Budget is on pace with the budget calendar. He explained that the Finance & Administration Committee received a recommendation on the entire budget at their September meeting. This included recommendations for department staffing and line items. Additionally, Hiland reminded the Committee that a question & answer forum will be held for the FY2025 Budget on September 18th.

OLD BUSINESS

Porterfield asked if it would be possible for the whole County Board and Department Heads to be a part of the County Administrator Search Committee. Webb stated that the process will be discussed more in depth during the Executive Committee meeting.

NEW BUSINESS

There were no New Business items.

ADJOURNMENT

Pickett moved to adjourn the meeting. Mann-Lamb seconded the motion and it was carried unanimously.

https://dekalbcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/packet-cow-10092024.pdf