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The Executive Committee of the DeKalb County Board
met on Tuesday, March 11, 2003 @ 7:00 p.m. at the Legislative
Center’s Freedom Conference Room. Chairman Robert Pritchard
called the meeting to order. Members present were Ms. Allen,
Sue Leifheit, Roger Steimel, Joe Wiegand and John Wilson. Ms.
Tobias and Mr. Metzger were absent. Others present were Ray
Bockman, Pat LaVigne, Karen Grush, Brian Adams and Debbie King.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Moved by Ms. Leifheit, seconded by Mr. Wilson,
and it was carried unanimously to accept the minutes of the
February 11, 2003 meeting.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Moved by Mr. Steimel, seconded by Mr. Wiegand, and it was
carried unanimously to approve the agenda.
APPOINTMENTS
Chairman Pritchard recommended the following
appointments:
DeKalb Sanitary District:
Mr. Timothy Struthers, reappointment for a term of 3
years, until 03/31/2006.
Cortland Community
Fire
Protection District:
Mr. Robert
Jordal, reappointment for a term of 3
years, until 3/31/2006.
DeKalb Community Fire
Protection District:
Mr. Charles J. Faivre, reappointment for a term of 3
years, until 3/31/2006.
Hinckley Community
Fire
Protection District:
Mr. Gale Nehring, reappointment for a term of 3
years, until 3/31/2006.
Genoa-Kingston Fire
Protection District;
Mr. Elmer T. Hughes, reappointment for a term of 3
years, until 3/31/2006.
Kirkland Community
Fire
Protection District:
Mr. Gene Lane, reappointment for a term of 3
years, until 3/31/2006.
Malta Community Fire
Protection District:
Mr. Robert Gommel, reappointment for a term of 3
years, until 3/31/2006.
Maple Park and
Countryside
Fire Protection District:
Mr. Gerald A. Hartmann, reappointment for a term
of 3 years, until 3/31/2006.
Shabbona Community
Fire
Protection District:
Mr. Gerry Hinkston, reappointment for a term of 3
years, until 3/31/2006.
And
Mr. Wayne Rissmann, appointment to fill the
unexpired term of Sheldon Rueff, until 3/31/2005.
Sycamore Community
Fire
Protection District:
Mr. Tracy Jones,
reappointment for a term of 3
years, until 3/31/2006.
Waterman Community
Fire
Protection District:
Duane Boesche, reappointment for a term of 3
years, until 3/31/2006.
Moved by Ms. Allen, seconded by Mr. Steimel, and it was carried
unanimously to approve the appointments as presented by Chairman
Pritchard, and to forward them onto the full board for approval.
SMALLPOX INOCULATION PROGRAM RESOLUTION
Ms. Karen Grush, DeKalb County Public Health Director, explained
to the committee the first resolution before them this evening.
She said that smallpox is one of the most serious threats in
terms of terrorism attacks. It is a highly contagious,
communicable disease, and there is no treatment for it. Thirty
percent of the people who contract it die. Some people who get
it are disfigured for life from the scars. The federal
government feels that there needs to be a response available
throughout the nation. They do know that there is smallpox in
the world and that there are some countries that do not like
Americans who may use it as a weapon against our country. There
is a Homeland Security Bill that provides liability protection
for those who are giving the vaccine or covered entitites, like
the hospitals and health departments. It would protect the
manufacturer of the vaccine, the person who is giving it, the
officers, directors, employers, etc. It does not protect the
workers who are getting the vaccine, primarily for their jobs,
who might have a reaction to the vaccine. It is a live virus
vaccine. It is believed that one-third of the people who
receive it will be sick for about a day or so; 14 to 52 per
million,could have some serious life threatening reaction to the
vaccine; one to two per million will die. That’s all based on
studies that they did years ago when they were giving the
vaccine. This is the same vaccine that they gave to everyone
thirty years ago. They do believe that the reaction will be a
lot less because they are really screening the people out. If a
person has any immuno-compromised illness now you cannot receive
the vaccine. If you have eczema, skin rashes or people in your
household do, or if you have young children in your household,
etc, you cannot receive the vaccine.
At the end of February they have given the vaccine to 13,000
people. They had four moderate reactions to this vaccine and no
deaths. The issue that has complicated this, however, is that
President Bush wants 500,000 military personnel to receive the
vaccine and 500,000 medical staff throughout the country in
Phase I. This is the health department staff and hospital
emergency staff. Everyone just assumed that they would be
covered by Workmen’s Compensation, but they are not. Because
the word “volunteer” is used in the paperwork and that nobody is
required to get it. Everyone who gets the smallpox vaccine
needs to read a 54-page document five days before they receive
the vaccine. Because the word voluntary is in the statement,
all of the States have said that there really is no guarantee
that it would be a Workmen’s Compensation claim. Those who are
deciding to get it and are making that decision are doing it for
one reason and that is to protect the public health. They in
turn, before they receive the vaccine, want the assurance that
they are covered under Workmen’s Compensation if they have an
adverse reaction to it. Ms. Grush said that the initial phase
of vaccine inoculations would be done in 30 days. This would
include your public health department employees and hospital
employees. Phase II is for law enforcement personnel, EMT’s,
etc., the first responders. Phase III, if needed would be
offered to the general public in 2004. Mr. Bockman reminded the
committee that under the Workmen’s Compensation coverages are
fixed statutorily.
Moved by Ms. Leifheit, seconded by Mr. Wilson, and it was
carried unanimously to forward this recommendation onto the full
board for approval.
Mr. Metzger arrived at 7:28p.m.
HIPAA RESOLUTION – Health Insurance Portability & Accountability
Act
Mr. Bockman, explained to the committee the second resolution
before them this evening. He explained that to comply with the
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that DeKalb
County needed to be designated as a Hybrid Entity and that the
County needed to designate the Rehab and Nursing Center and the
Public Health Department as covered entities. Mr. Bockman
explained that a hybrid entity is an entity that has several
operations, some of which are covered and some of which are
not. Under this compliance the County needs to point out which
entities are covered and who the Privacy Officers for each
entity is, which the resolution before them tonight states.
Moved by Ms. Allen, seconded by Mr. Steimel, and it was carried
unanimously to forward this recommendation onto the full board
for approval.
APPROVAL OF THE COUNTY BOARD AGENDA
Mr. Ray Bockman, County Administrator, reviewed the county board
agenda for the board meeting to be held on March 19, 2003.
Moved by Mr. Wilson, seconded by Ms. Leifheit, and it was
carried unanimously to accept the county board agenda as
presented.
GENERAL DISCUSSION
Ms. Allen, Chairman of the Public Services Committee, said that
the ESDA and Coroner’s Annual Report was given and the Sheriff’s
Annual Report. She said that Mary Olson asked to have a
resolution come forward with regards to reauthorizing her
Community Block Grant so that the local agencies retain control
of the funds. She also said that next month they will hold the
hearings for the senior services tax levy.
Ms. Leifheit, Chairman of the Administrative Services Committee,
said that the Administrative Services Committee did not meet
last month.
Ms. Leifheit, Chairman of the Ad Hoc Jail Study Committee, said
that Durrant has presented a proposal for an expanded scope of
work and that the ad hoc sub-committee has just received it.
They are meeting on March 17, 2003 and the full committee on
March 20, 2003. She will bring the expanded proposal to the ad
hoc sub-committee first and on to the full committee on March 20th.
Mr. Steimel, Chairman of the Planning and
Regulations Committee, said that there is a moratorium on the
wind towers going before the full board for consideration.
Hopefully the towers will be up by the end of the year and that
would be just about two years of operation for them. On the
building fees the staff originally proposed $550.00 a tower and
after the committee discussed it they realized that not only the
building department will be involved in the process but also the
highway department and the roads down there. They tried to
realize all of these costs that will be incurred and
incorporated them into the proposed building fee so that all of
our costs are covered. The other reason is because all of the
counties surrounding us have a $25.00 per foot fee and that
would be $5,000 per tower. We are only trying to cover the
costs that the county incurs.
Mr. Bockman indicated that the proposed permit fee
increase will be give a legal review prior to the board meeting
and the board would be notified of any potential problems.
Mr. Wiegand, Vice-Chairman of the Public Policy Committee,
passed out a Proclamation that his committee is going to be
reading at the next county board meeting in March. This
proclamation deals with NACO’s National County Government Week
during April 6 – 12, 2003. This year’s theme is Counties
Care for Kids. The Public Policy Committee will be having a
slide show at the April Board Meeting highlighting the various
departments’ programs. Mr. Wiegand also said that the committee
discussed the legislative breakfast and discussed various ways
of improving it by offering a day for federal legislators
(Durbin, Fitzgerald, Hastert) in the Spring of 2004 to visit
with us and then have a separate day to visit with state
legislators in October 2003.
Mr. Wilson, Chairman of the Public Infrastructure and
Development Committee, said that the jurisdictional transfers
with Sandwich Township and Road District were tabled a couple of
months ago. The City of Sandwich was to make a presentation on
March 6, 2003, with his committee but they withdrew because they
weren’t ready. Because of this happening, this item is still
open, he said.
Mr. Metzger, Chairman of the Forest Preserve Committee, said
that they listened to Deputy Bomar of the Sheriff’s Department
who informed the committee about problems that they experience
in the County’s various forest preserves. The Small Bass
Alliance have been working at the new forest preserve in
Kirkland clearing the log jamb. He will be going to Elgin with
Mr. Hannan, Forest Preserve Superintendent, for a local
legislators meeting for the Northern half of the state for fish
and wildlife legislation and forest preserve legislation. He
will bring back information from that meeting to the Executive
Committee next month. He also said that there will be an
executive session regarding land acquisition.
Before adjourning , Chairman Pritchard informed the committee
that the DeKalb Growth Summit is experiencing an excellent
turnout at their meetings. They are looking at growth over the
next ten years for DeKalb, Cortland and Malta. They feel that
there will be about 6,000 new house units by then or two-percent
growth per year.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is studying the
highway and mass transit issues here in the county, Chairman
Pritchard said. Some of the resolutions that the Highway
Department has been and will be bringing to the full board to
consider are reflecting the changes that the MPO designation has
imposed on us. Some of the money that we used to receive
directly from the federal government now has to be to channeled
through the MPO. The County will now be the eligible grantee
for Section 5311 Transit Funds that formerly went to the City of
DeKalb. The MPO is now eligible for transit funds through
Section 5307.
Chairman Pritchard said that the Regional Planning Commission is
continuing to meet and that they are working on the Unified
Development Ordinance. After they finish the work on the
ordinance, it will then be sent to the DeKalb County Planning
and Regulations Committee and all communities participating for
consideration.
Chairman Pritchard informed the committee that in April he will
be bringing an appointment recommendation for the 911 Board and
the Community Services Advisory Board.
There is talk about having another workshop for all county board
members regarding priorities in the next month or two.
Chairman Pritchard would like for the county board to discuss
the priorities issues that the county has been seeing. He will
notify the county board members when and where the workshop will
be held.
ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Mr. Wiegand seconded by Mr. Wilson, and it
was voted unanimously to adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
_________________________________
Robert W. Pritchard, Chairman
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Mary C. Supple, Secretary |
