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The Executive Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Tuesday, March 13, 2001 @ 7:00 p.m. at the Administration Building=s Conference Room East.  Chairman Robert Pritchard called the meeting to order.  Members present were Robert Hutcheson, Sue Leifheit, John Morreale, Roger Steimel, Ruth Anne Tobias  and John Wilson.  Others present were Ray Bockman, Gary Hanson, Greg Millburg, Clifford Simonson, Denny Sands, Pat LaVigne, Dr. Conway, Michael Haines, Gary McLaughlin, Sharon Holmes, Teresa Phillips, Eileen Dubin and Debbie King. 
                       

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Moved by Mr. Hutcheson, seconded by Mr. Wilson, and it was carried unanimously to accept the minutes of the last meeting as amended.

 

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Chairman Pritchard asked to have the agenda amended to reflect item #8A. Sale of Real Estate - Executive Session.  Moved by Mr. Steimel, seconded by Mr. Hutcheson, and it was carried unanimously to approve the amended agenda.

 

APPOINTMENTS

Chairman Pritchard recommended the following appointments:

 

DeKalb County Rehab & Nursing CenterOperating Board: Mr. Blake Richter, appointment for a term of 1 year, until March 1, 2002.

 

DeKalb County Farmland AssessmentReview Committee: Mr. Kent Wesson, reappointment for a term of 3 years, until March 31, 2004.

 

Cortland Community Fire Protection District: Mr. William E Abbott, Sr., reappointment for a term of 3 years, until 3/31/2004.

 

DeKalb Community Fire Protection District: Mr. Gerald Latimer, reappointment for a term of 3 years, until 3/31/2004.

 

Genoa-Kingston Community Fire Protection District: Mr. Rex Nelson, reappointment for a term of 3 years, until 3/31/2004.

 

Kirkland Community Fire Protection District: Mr. Edward Peterson, reappointment for a term of 3 years, until 3/31/2004.

 

Malta Community Fire Protection District: Mr. Bobbie Kyler, reappointment for a term of 3 years, until 3/31/2004.

 

Shabbona Community Fire Protection District: Mr. Kenneth Spears, reappointment for a term of 3 years, until 3/31/2004.

 

Somonauk Community Fire Protection District: Mr. Mark Tuttle, reappointment for a term of 3 years, until 3/31/2004.

 

Sycamore Community Fire Protection District: Mr. Allen Roush, reappointment for a term of 3 years, until 3/31/2004.

 

Waterman Community Fire Protection District: Mr. Paul Shuck, reappointment for a term of 3 years, until 3/31/2004.

 

 Moved by Mr. Steimel, seconded by Ms. Tobias, and it was carried unanimously to approve the appointments as presented by Chairman Pritchard, and to forward them onto the full board for approval.

 

Reapportionment Discussion

Chairman Pritchard told the committee that we will soon be getting census data and at the end of each decade we are required to reapportion our districts so that they can be as nearly equal as we can make them.  We have lots of options that we can look at and that is the purpose of this discussion this evening, he said.  Mr. Morreale asked if board member had some concerns about their districts when would be the appropriate time to see the county clerk.  Chairman Pritchard said that if it dealt with county board districts than it would be referred to this committee for review.  Mr. Morreale said that he has a district that has changed in ten years, it is very disjointed and he wanted to know if the census was going to affect it?  Mr. Bockman said that we would not know until we get the block level counts in a few days, hopefully.  He continued be stating that we can only reapportion a county board district by population, not anything else.  The committee agreed that they wanted it to be done in the easiest way for the IMO staff, county clerk and county staff and that it would be done in the least disruptive way to change districts.  Mr. Bockman stated that as soon as it is possible he would like to bring a draft map to present to the committee. 

 

Ms. Holmes, DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder, then highlighted some items for the committee dealing with this issue.  She passed out a paper showing the current registered voters in each county board district.  Each precinct that needs new boundaries will be presented to this committee and then go before the full county board in May, she said.  Right now it looks like there will be 3 precincts that need to be changed  and she will need to create three new precincts.  Those three precincts are DK33, Cortland #1precinct (south of Pleasant Street) and Cortland #2 precinct (these two last precincts lie in county board district #3), she said. 

 

Workshop Recommendations

Mr. Bockman, DeKalb County Administrator, reviewed the acquisition of two homes on Locust Street in Sycamore, Illinois, that was discussed at the county board workshop in February, 2001.  He stated that, per our current policy, he was recommending that we buy them.  He further explained that we would turn them over to the PBC after the purchase.

 

Moved by Ms. Tobias, seconded by Mr. Steimel, and it was carried unanimously to accept the recommendation from Mr. Bockman to purchase the two homes located at 230 N. Locust Street and 220 N. Locust Street and to forward it onto the full board for approval.

 

Jail Study

Mr. Bockman asked the committee about another one of the discussion items that was at the workshop that dealt with a jail study being done.  He said that the Sheriff has told him that this past weekend, the jail population hit its limit again.  This is becoming a rather constant event and weekend pressure is exacerbated by periodic imprisonment, but the reality is that it will be unique if our jail does not be expanded in the near future, he said.  Mr. Bockman continued by stating that he was told that the Midwest average now is that county jails are doubling in population every ten years.  The part of doing a study is to make sure that you are doing all the things that you can possibly do to reduce jail population.  Are you using intensive probation, in home monitoring, are the actors in criminal justice system moving people in and out of that system as rapidly as they can, are you cutting down presentence detainment, etc., he continued.  A part of the study should make sure that you are doing all of that and I am confident that we are here. The problem is if we have 24 votes and the money to build a jail tonight the earliest that we could open one would be 3 years from now. Chances are if we do that, and we are not going to right now, we would still probably go from having been a landlord of jail space to being a renter of jail space before that three years is up.  He feels that we will be paying some other county in northern Illinois to rent jail space, he said. Chairman Pritchard asked if we were to do a jail study what kind of budget would we need to allocate to get it done.  Mr. Bockman said that he didn=t know, if he was given permission to got forward he would work with Mr. Hanson and the Sheriff and find out what the most logical path would be to pursue.  We wouldn=t do anything without coming back to this committee and getting authorization before we start spending any money.  The committee agreed for Mr. Bockman to go forward and check with the Sheriff and Gary Hanson and then come back to this committee with ideas.  Ms. Leifheit, Chairman of the Public Policy Committee, felt that it should be heard by their committee because that is who the Sheriff reports to.  It was agreed that it would be sent to that committee to study and that Mr. Bockman may come to that committee with ideas in May if they are ready by then. 

 

APPROVAL OF THE COUNTY BOARD AGENDA REVIEW

Mr. Ray Bockman, County Administrator, reviewed the Board Agenda for the March 21, 2001 meeting.   Mr. Morreale stated that Mr. Hannan should have included a resolution from the Forest Preserve Committee with support for future land acquisition.  Moved by Mr. Morreale, seconded by Ms. Leifheit, and it was carried unanimously accept the county board agenda and the additional resolution on the county code amendment as presented by Mr. Bockman.

 

GENERAL DISCUSSION

Mr. Wilson, Chairman of the Public Infrastructure and Development Committee, stated that at next month=s meeting they will be discussing the recent automobile accidents on Rich Road.  He also stated that the meeting will be held in the new highway facility. 

Mr. Morreale, Chairman of the Forest Preserve Committee, stated that there was nothing really happening this last month except for the resolution that he mentioned earlier. 

Mr. Steimel, Chairman of the Administrative Committee, stated that at their last meeting it was agreed that Mr. Hanson will hold four finance/budget related meetings soon for all board members to understand our budget process.  The first one will be at 6:30p.m. right before the county board meeting in April.   

Ms. Tobias, Chairman of the Public Policy Committee, stated that there were three resolutions that they were forwarding that were discussed on the county board agenda and that they will be sending a proclamation to the board in April dealing with Government Week.  They will have displays on hand at local libraries.