The Administrative Services Committee of the DeKalb County Board met Wednesday, February 6, 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 and in perfect attendance. Also present were Ms. Joan Berkes-Hanson, Mr. Ray Bockman, Mr. Ken Campbell, Mr. Gary Hanson, Ms. Christine Johnson, and Mr. Greg Millburg.

Mr. Hutcheson moved, seconded by Mr. Morreale to accept the minutes of November 7 and 21, 2001. Motion carried unanimously by a voice vote.

 

Ms. Leifheit moved, seconded by Mr. Pritchard to approve the agenda. Motion carried unanimously by a voice vote.

 

Chairman Steimel invited Ms. Christine Johnson, County Treasurer to address the committee on the resolution to formally designate which banks County funds may be deposited. (A copy of which is on file along with these minutes in the Finance Office). She informed the committee that this task is preformed annually as a housekeeping event. One very minor change she stated from last year, Fifth-Third Bank was listed as Old Kent/Fifth-Third catching them in their transition period. She reported that the out-of-county banks listed collect real estate taxes for the County. Also mentioned was Financial Investors Trust out of Schaumburg, Illinois, which benefits the County with a money market mutual fund. Ms. Johnson explained to the committee the process of investing County funds to local banks. She stated when there are investments that the County wants to bid out, the bid list which includes local banks and credit unions are notified and sent a bid sheet with the highest bidder awarded using a one-day process.

The old statute limited the fee government’s could charge to the lesser of 3% or $40.00. The new statute increased the surcharge allowed to pass on to the user. If the fee exceeds the $40.00 fee, that fee can now be bid out by either individually or through the State Treasurer’s Office. The program could be of nominal cost to the County which would include the cost of a phone line and paper for the receipt printer. She stated that the return to the County would be valuable. Many taxpayers have asked for the service and now the County could respond to taxpayers’ requests, as well as continue efforts to be technologically progressive, allow more time for taxpayers to adjust their finances, and offer another form of payment to taxpayers. She informed the committee the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) as well as the Illinois Department of Revenue now accepts credit cards and acknowledged Winnebago and Lake Counties who currently accept credit card payments. She reminded the committee that the pursuit of credit card usage is part of their Legislative Agenda.

She stated that it would benefit her office limiting the number of bank deposits and the number of insufficient fund checks her office incurs. The tax bills will be ordered shortly and she would like to include the payment option on the tax bill and have time to advertise the program and inform the taxpayers of the new service. If the volume of using credit cards for the local government is going to exceed $10,000 then the County would have to bid it out. The State Treasurer’s Office has a program to finish up on the bidding allowing the County to participate in but at this time is too unpolished. She stated that the banks would bid to provide services to the County. The County would get the full payment. She said she would like to start out conservatively and accept credit card payments in her office in person only. She concluded her request stating that the County would not incur any additional costs and pass along the fee to the user.

Mr. Hanson distributed 2002 Insurance Program Update dated February 6, 2002, (which will be attached with these minutes as Appendage # 1). Mr. Hanson went over the Medical Insurance which was hoped in November that claims would get better but they did not, and in fact went the opposite. The renewals came high and to temper the Specific Re-Insurance the deductible amount was raised from $75,000 to $100,000 and the premiums still went up $60,000. Likewise the Expected Claims projected a $200,000 increase. He stated that this is not a good picture for the County. The County is subsidizing this program by $600,000. He warned the committee that the money isn’t in the operating budget. It comes from a special one time source so at some point if this does not go down it will have be added into an operating budget which could mean shifting priorities. Chairman Steimel asked if any amount were coming out the operating budget. Mr. Hanson stated that $300,000 comes from a fund balance and the other $300,000 comes from a new tax source this year (airline fuel tax) which may end up being used for this purpose. Mr. Hanson explained that the County pays for two insurance policies -that the $234,000 for Specific Re-Insurance and the Aggregate Insurance which covers if you go over $2.5 million (costing $16,000 a year). The premiums are in the $260,000 range and the County spends about 2.5 million in medical claims. To an employee this means they have $150 deductible and $500 Co-Insurance out of pocket plus or minus the reasonable and customary fees. Mr. Pritchard asked if the amount was $100,000 per person/per year or per person/per incident? He gave an example of a $50,000 claim and a $80,000 claim in one year. Neither claim is over $100,000, but each is less than $100,000. Does the aggregate insurance kick in at all? Mr. Hanson said he would check into the question and would report back to the committee. Mr. Hanson stated that the County’s insurance new underwriter is BCS. He stated that they were well rated but was he was not familiar with the company.

Mr. Hanson reported on Liability Insurance which has $10,000,000 in coverage. Premiums went up from $58,000 to $77,000 . It has a $1,000,000. The claims are a long way from ever penetrating the maximum. The County was self-insured from many years until tax caps. Mr. Bockman stated "Logic to self-insure the risk originally was in the thinking it was the government. If we have a big hit we will ask for a structured settlement, raise the tort levy and pay it because we would have to pay it anyway. But now to make up for the loss under the cap you would have to cut services which mean laying deputies off and have to do something drastic." Mr. Hanson said for eight or ten years the County stuck it’s neck out and watched the County’s fund growth go from a negative to a $2,000,000 surplus by going self-insured. He stated that this is something the committee may want to revisit.

Property Insurance has a very large increase in the premium and mostly reflective because of "September 11^th". He stated that even though the County doesn’t have claims the insurance companies are using that to increase premiums. The County had very little claims.

Mr. Hanson reported to the committee that Worker’s Compensations deductible was raised from $250,000 to $300,000 to keep premium stable. There were 56 claims in 2001 which cost the County $200,000 The number of claims were a somewhat high number but mostly minor incidents are reported.

Ms. Berkes-Hanson distributed a handout the First Quarter FY 2002 Update (which will be attached with these minutes as Appendage #2) and a list of current tasks the IMO department is currently working on. (A copy of which will be placed on file along with a copy of these minutes in the Finance Office).

Ms. Berkes-Hanson stated that is was very exciting and busy in the Information Management Office. The Rehab and Nursing Center received a new server and a MDI program which moved from an Access to a Sequel database to address many issues. The office has completed many computer installations. IMO was busy helping the two departments (not in the County’s network) who was hit with the Nimda Virus. Training continues, including customized classes that can be offered. Since the beginning of the new year her office has completed 238 tasks. She is working on a project for the Circuit Clerk’s Office to allow connectivity to Kane County. She noted the County’s dependence on the outside world has really changed. If the Internet is down for a short while previously a couple of people might complain. The County was down 2 hours last week and the State’s Attorney couldn’t get to West Law because they do their research on-line now. The Auditor was expecting files e-mailed to them. She explained that it causes a shift in the way IMO plans for recovery. She stated that the County is undergoing a major infrastructure upgrade. The Health Alert Network through Illinois Department of Public Health is making available (for which the County is applying for grant money) that could significantly upgrade the Health Department Infrastructure. It is a result of 911 disaster.

Ms. Berkes-Hanson reported many issues in the move to the Legislative Center. There is a timing issue for the State’s Attorney’s Office and a connectivity issue. The Finance Office has a new server. They will utilize the first "Thin Line" Clients. Central Plant will be receiving a server for a security system. She stated there are many departments which will need help with possible moves after the Legislative Center move is complete such as the Planning Department, Public Defender’s Officer, and IMO to one or as many as three locations.

GIS staff is working on the E911 project. They have taken all rural addresses and entered them into their base map. A part-time database staffer is in the process of producing the data end of the 911 maps. GIS serves may different purposes such as taxing, zoning, but their goal is to get the information into hands of users as soon as possible. That way, someone who is not interested in a parcel number or zoning doesn’t have to wait to get a map on where a road is located in order to be an emergency responder. That project will be done in May. Drainage maps are important to commissioners who struggle to fairly distribute tax. GIS created map that shows a buffer zone with a list of street addresses to help police. Sex offender’s are restricted to reside no more than 500 feet of a school or daycare center on something that operates exclusively for children. All updated aerials are completed.

She credited a part-time design person for creating an employee index done as a small access data base. She said the 911 Project is ongoing. She also mentioned Mental Health’s program data that has outgrown the spreadsheet and her office will write a program for them.

Ms. Berkes-Hanson had prepared a diagram of the "Networked County." She explained that a network is a client and server relationship. Her big goal is to replace and upgrade the switches that connect all of the networks called layer 3 switches which does the routing for a network. Her office works 8 hours a day 5 days a week to support the organization which runs 24 hours a nay 7 days a week. She stated that the expectation for technology is increasing.

Mr. Wilson asked how servers are backed up. She told of how each user’s work is stored on servers and each night the servers save information on a tape. Once a week someone from IMO picks up the tape, takes it off site and brings the department a new one tape. Before 7:30 a.m. someone dials in and receives a message saying the backup was successful or another message of its status. IMO gets notification from six different servers. Full backups are kept for 5 full weeks with the 5^th week is rotated out. Among issues they struggle with is knowing when to upgrade.

All software is not uniform however the anti-virus software is uniform throughout the "Networked County." It is a Computer Associate Product and IMO receives messages saying something was discovered and the update is now available. On the County’s server in the Admin, it looks out every 240 minutes to the Internet to the Computer Associates website for a new signature and it will find one and hold it for everyone of our clients who in turn looks every 240 minutes to Admin or local servers to get the update. The Anti-Virus software has caught all the big ones and it takes the burden off the user. Chairman Steimel drew the committees attention to a GIS article written by Ms. Berkes-Hanson in the Illinois GIS Notes, the Newsletter of the Illinois GIS Association. A copy of which will be placed on file along with a these minutes in the Finance Office. and will be sent to the rest of the County Board members as requested by Chairman Steimel.

Respectfully submitted,

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Roger Steimel, Chairman

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Lisa K. Sanderson
Secretary