Official County Seal of DeKalb County Illlinois Government
DeKalb County, Illinois

Minutes of the
Administrative Services Committee


October 2, 2002

The Administrative Services Committee of the DeKalb County Board met Wednesday, October 2, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. at the DeKalb County Government Administrative Building’s Conference Room East. Chairman Steimel called the meeting to order. Ms. Conway, Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Hutcheson, Ms. Leifheit, Mr. Morreale, Mr. Pritchard, Ms. Tobias, and Mr. Wilson were present. Also present were Ms. Marlene Allen, Ms. Pat Anderson, Ms. Joan Berkes-Hanson, Mr. Ray Bockman, Mr. John Dlabal, Ms. Margi Gilmour, Mr. Gary Hanson, Mr. Ken Johnson, Mr. Greg Millburg.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Mr. Pritchard moved, seconded by Mr. Hutcheson to accept the minutes of the September 5, 2002. Motion carried unanimously by a voice vote.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Ms. Leifheit moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman to approve the agenda. The agenda was amended to discuss the appeals process noted as 5a. Motion carried unanimously by a voice vote.

APPROVAL OF PROPERTY TRANSFER VIA TAX DEED

Mr. Hanson distributed a map of a parcel to the committee members (and is attached to the minutes as appendage (1). He stated that this is the third time using the tax auction process and is hopeful it will become an annual event. He reminded the committee of the process when people don’t pay their property taxes they then go to tax sale. If the tax is not paid within that 3 year period, the County takes deed of the property which is then sold at auction through bids. The property offered for bid is in Lee, Illinois. Mr. Sam Gafford, the neighbor to the property, placed a bid of $410.00.

Mr. Wilson moved, seconded by Ms. Tobias to accept the bid of $410.00 for parcel number 13-06-332-007. Motion carried unanimously by a voice vote.

REVIEW OF OPEN FY 2003 BUDGET ISSUES

Mr. Hanson had previously sent the committee members a packet containing the budget schedules and updates (a copy of which will be placed on file along with these

minutes in the Finance Office). Mr. Hanson stated he would answer any questions that the committee had and then he would take up the appeal. He stated that health insurance was not completed and will need more information gathering time. Mr. Bockman stated that there was nothing definitive he could bring until October’s experience is available and it will be taken to the market. Mr. Morreale asked if there were any lessons learned from being self-insured. Mr. Bockman stated that there were many years the County had escaped significant costs because the County was self-insured. Mr. Morreale asked about the worker’s compensation claims that could be bigger and result in a bad year. Mr. Bockman stated that worker’s compensation is more predictable because it is very highly structured. Mr. Hanson stated that the differences between worker’s compensation and general liability from health insurance is that the County has never penetrated the deductible on the excessive coverage's.

Chairman Steimel asked Ms. Leifheit to explain the appeals brought to the Public Services Committee. She stated that CASA was denied their appeal of $25,000 in new funding. The Public Defender, Ken Johnson, and Judge Klein had appealed the need for a part-time attorney to become a full-time attorney. Judge Klein has implemented a new fee which could now bring in approximately $10,000. Mr. Johnson stated that it was actually a law that was previously in effect and they will start acting upon that law. Mr. Johnson stated that it was Kane County Judge Grant S. Wegner from the 16th Judicial who should be credited with implementing the law. He also stated his office is eligible for a grant from the Illinois Department of Justice through the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority authorizing a rural county grant for professional services such as investigators, DNA testing experts, etc. Ms. Leifheit said that since the committee detected the funding source and seeing the need of the Public Defender, the Public Services Committee is forwarding the appeal with a positive recommendation to the Administration Committee for its approval. Mr. Wilson asked how often the Public Defender would apply for the grant? Mr. Johnson stated he would apply every time there is an investigation and he is eligible. Mr. Wilson asked if the money goes straight to the Public Defender’s Office? Mr. Johnson said the check is made payable to the Treasurer of DeKalb County and is automatically deposited. Chairman Steimel asked for a motion to vote on the appeal request.

Ms. Leifheit moved, seconded by Mr. Morreale to accept the appeal request by the Public Defender granting full-time status to the previously part-time attorney position. Motion carried unanimously by a voice vote.

 

SUBMIT BUDGET PROPOSAL TO COUNTY BOARD

Chairman Steimel asked Mr. Hanson to expound on the All Funds Revenue of $46,669,800 and the Total Expenses of $49,175,700 with the Use of Fund Balance at $2,505,900. He stated that at first glance it appears the County is spending more than its receiving in revenue. Mr. Hanson stated that many times it falls under the capital items where the County has saved money for several years for future use then it is spent in a single year. He stated that he should look at the total operating expenses which have revenues to cover those items.

Chairman Steimel also asked about the capital projects in the Five Year Transportation Improvement Program. Mr. Hanson asked the committee to note that the Highway tax levy was revised since the recommendations because when cuts were needed Highway chose to cut entirely out of Bridge Fund as opposed their General Fund or Federal Matching Tax. Chairman Steimel asked Mr. Hanson to comment about the Courthouse reconfiguration. Mr. Hanson said the $450,000 was to go to build a fifth courtroom in the courthouse where the State’s Attorney’s Office was formerly housed. The approximately 3,000 square foot room will house the previously mentioned courtroom, Judge’s chambers, staging areas for both the State’s Attorney’s Office and Probation, and another room used for electronic court reporting. The expenses will be higher due to the desire to maintain the integrity of the historical Courthouse. Mr. Hanson said the figure does not include the architect fees nor furnishings. Mr. Hanson noted this work and next summer’s $150,000 tuckpointing project is in advance of the Courthouse’s 100 year anniversary in 2004.

Chairman Steimel asked for more questions or comments. Mr. Pritchard asked to refresh the committee’s memory on the compensation adjustments and if they are figured in the department line item? Mr. Hanson stated that the compensation has all been reflected in the departmental line items, including all costs of benefits. The percentages he gave the committee as well the estimates of what the labor contracts will settle and the benefits are now factored into the departmental budgets.

Ms. Leifheit moved, seconded by Mr. Morreale to send the proposed budget to the County Board and to place on file a copy for public inspection. Motion carried unanimously by a voice vote.

 

Mr. Hanson stated there will be a public hearing at the November 6th Administrative Services Committee meeting. After the budget’s approval it will be placed on file for public inspection in Sandwich, Genoa, the County Clerk’s Office, and on the County’s Home Page www.dekalbcounty.org. The final approval of the budget by the County Board will be November 20, 2002.

 

APPEALS PROCESS

Chairman Steimel asked Ms. Conway to address her concerns with the appeals process and to share them with the committee. Ms. Conway posed a scenario that a department that is bringing an appeal, operating on a tight budget with no means for resources or additional funds, the process ends. She stated that if there is a new request for funding, to bring the appeal forward, the first question asked, is "Do you have an alternate funding source?" She went on to say that it doesn’t seem to matter how strong the appeal is, if there is no alternative funding source, the process ends. Her thought was that if the committee really had a strong case and there was no immediate funding a vote should ensue so if money does come up, then the committee could bring up appeals with merit. That way, she stated, the process wouldn’t end at the committee level and would go forward. Mr. Hanson stated that the process of trying to find money as you go along would encourage others to submit extra projects. He stated the process now allows for two appeals and if knowing there might be money later on, an excess of projects would be going forward. He stated it is not necessarily bad and it would force some prioritization, but the dynamics would change. Mr. Bockman stated that it is the Administrative Services Committee’s responsibility to find the funding for an eligible appeal. Ms. Leifheit stated that it would be a lot easier for the Administrative Services Committee to approve an appeal if the various committees do the finding.

Mr. Pritchard stated that there is another process: The board or other committees could determine projects needing funding before going into a new budgeting year. So that when the process starts you have it prioritized with a request that it is something you would like to see happen and try to balance the numbers up front rather than the appeals process which is trying to balance them after going through all of the various committee hearings. Chairman Steimel clarified that two points were made to carry through if the committee bringing forth the appeal agreed and the Administrative Services Committee agreed it could carry through to find a solution. He stated that the 2nd route, and the best route is to present the proposal early on in the process. Ms. Conway asked how a proposal is identified for funding. Mr. Bockman explain that this committee is an administrative subdivision of the State of Illinois. Ninety percent of what the committee does is pursuant to state law. Statutes compel the committee to provide certain services. Mr. Wilson asked if the organization was non-mandated because the County’s responsibilities lies with the mandated organizations. Mr. Hutcheson made the point it must be mandated services because of the limiting effects tax caps have made. He stated that the committee no longer is afforded the luxury of a few years ago. The tax caps have made a hardship and it is starting to hurt now. Many projects would have been completed earlier but did not have the funds necessary to complete the work. Chairman Steimel stated that the County is not getting the business and industry to help build the tax base to provide all the services that the County would like to provide.

ADJOURNMENT

Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Wilson to adjourn at 8:40 p.m. Motion carried unanimously by a voice vote.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

________________________
Roger Steimel, Chairman

 

___________________________
Lisa K. Sanderson, Secretary

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