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DeKalb County, Illinois |
Minutes of the
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The Public Policy Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Tuesday, November 4, 2003 at 6:30p.m. at the Legislative Center’s Freedom Room. Chairman Ruth Anne Tobias called the meeting to order. Members present were Patricia Vary, Robert Pritchard, Patricia LaVigne. Mr. Osborne and Mr. Wiegand were absent. Others present were Ray Bockman and Steve Kuhn. Mr. Wiegand arrived at 6:33p.m.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTESMoved by Ms. Vary, seconded by Ms. LaVigne, and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes from October 2003.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDAMoved by Mr. Pritchard, seconded by Ms. Vary, and it was carried unanimously that the amended agenda be approved.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: There were no public comments for the evening.
NEW BUSINESS: Links to County Web Page for Arts Calendar. Chairman Tobias said that she feels that the arts are good for economic development and the quality of life. She said that there is a link to the new NIU Convocation Center, which is very good. She wanted to know if on our website, do we want to promote other events happening at Northern, Stage Coach Players, etc.? The committee discussed that if there are links to Chamber of Commerce’s, that they may then link you to the Sandwich Opera House and the Egyptian Theatre, etc. If they update their websites then we don’t have to worry about keeping it up-to-date. If people or businesses are looking at relocating to DeKalb County it would be good to have this on our website. Mr. Wiegand said that as long as our users can still find the primary governmental information that they are looking for, then secondary uses would be a good idea too.
County Jail Referendum Coordination. Chairman Tobias said that Chairman Pritchard had asked her to think of anyway that this committee could help the County focus on the best way to get the most information about the county jail referendum out to the public. Mr. Pritchard said to think of opportunities that exist to share information. Ms. LaVigne suggested the Kiwanis Group that she belongs to and the Lions Club as public forums. Mr. Weigand said that as an opponent to the Sales Tax Referendum he would make himself available to answer any questions in the forums. Ms. Vary suggested producing a question/answer brochure to put in libraries and government offices regarding the issue. Mr. Bockman suggested that the State’s Attorney review the brochure before publishing it. It was agreed that Ms. Vary and Ms. Tobias would gather information for the brochure.
Contents of Committee Minutes. The committee praised Ms. Supple with regards to her minute taking proficiency. Mr. Prichard said that we need to circulate the minutes as fast as we can after this meeting or any other meeting so that board members know the issues and to be able to talk about them at the general county board meeting. He also said that contentious opinions should be reflected in a minority report and distributed to the board with everything else. It has to be done in a timeframe that our code indicates. Mr. Bockman said that if a member should say something that they want to make sure gets included in the minutes, then state at the meeting, “I would like that stated in the minutes.” Mr. Bockman also reminded the committee that they all have the right to ask for a roll call vote.
Other new business that Chairman Tobias mentioned was about the NACO Acts of Caring for 2004 application. Last year the Court Services Department won for the Mentoring Program. She would like to enter something again for this year’s application. Chairman Tobias will check with all county departments to see if any programs qualify for this award.
Legislative Agenda Discussion. Chairman Tobias and the committee discussed the agenda items that will remain on the list.
1. Property Tax Limitation Law Amendment. Keep on the list
2. Population Parameter – General Fund Tax Rate. Chairman Tobias said that she has not heard from Representative David Wirsing about it. Keep on the list.
3. Purchase of Development Rights. It was decided to keep this item on the agenda. Chairman Tobias stressed that what we are asking for is to have a right to have a referendum on the issue. Ms. Vary suggested checking with other states that have done this before and see how effective it is. Keep this item on the agenda.
4. Seek legislative approval to impose a Special Election Levy to meet the unfounded mandates of the Help America Vote Act of 2003. The committee agreed to keep this item on the agenda.
5. Develop legislation to have towns and cities share in medical cost for inmates confined in the County Jail due to an arrest in their jurisdiction. The committee agreed that currently this issue does not have much of a chance of going anywhere so they will not keep this on the agenda.
6. Develop legislation that would mandate the State set aside funds to help Counties build or expand jail facilities. The committee agreed not to keep this on the agenda.
7. Develop legislation to make methamphetamine production/manufacture a Class X Felony. Chairman Tobias is checked with the State Police and that he did not think that it would go anywhere right now, but to keep it in mind for next year. The committee agreed not to pursue this for the agenda this session and that they will bring it back for next year.
8. Support legislation to raise or index Motor Fuel Tax to the price of fuel or generate local tax to cover decreasing MFT revenue. Chairman Tobias said that Mr. Lorence, DeKalb County Engineer, said that she found out that if we were home ruled this issue would be covered under it. The committee agreed to remove this item from the agenda list.
9. Legislation to prevent predatory lending. The committee agreed to hold off on pursuing this for this year’s agenda.
10. Seek Support for County Home Rule status. Ms. Vary asked Mr. Bockman if the county was home ruled would it help with the jail project? Mr. Bockman said yes, we wouldn’t need the referendum – the project would just be done. Mr. Wiegand asked that if we have the authority to hold a referendum why is this on the agenda? Mr. Bockman said that it is his opinion not to put it on the legislative agenda. Chairman Tobias said then we don’t need it on the agenda and the committee decided to remove it from the agenda list. Chairman Tobias said that she asked Mr. Jim Bannovetz to come and speak at one of our meetings about this issue and, hopefully, it will be soon.
11. Seek support for state funding for the Public Defender’s office and the Jail, & other court system functions. Chairman Tobias said that the Public Defender is asking for this because of the presence of N.I.U. in the community and the use of these facilities. (This is similar to increased funds to the State’s Attorney’s Office because of N.I.U.’s presence.) The committee discussed an idea to support the formation of a coalition among counties to work together on this issue. Keep it on the list for now for the reimbursement portion. Chairman Tobias said that we will change it to press to collect state reimbursement for the Public Defender’s Office because legislation has already passed.
The committee also agreed to add the Court Interpreter’s legislation since Lake County called and said that they would like to pursue the issue again this year. This would be money for interpreters.
The following items are federal issues that the committee will pursue.
12. Support federal legislation for consistency to guidelines for deportation of illegal immigrants. The Sheriff’s Department asked for this last year but the committee didn’t do anything because it is a federal issue. Chairman Tobias said that the legislation is seeking more help for the Immigration Department. The names of immigrants should be inputted locally not federally, is one suggestion. Senator Fitzgerald’s representative will come to this committee if we invite them to discuss this issue with us. Since this year the committee is researching federal issues, this item will remain on the list.
13. Support full funding to counties for bioterrorism funds (NACO). Chairman Tobias will check with Ms. Karen Grush, Public Health Director and Mr. Dennis Miller, ESDA Coordinator, on this issue and whether or not they would receive federal dollars for bioterrorism.
14. Support the collection and distribution to states and counties of current sales taxes due on purchases made by mail order and over the Internet – Streamlined Sales Tax System. This legislation would be to urge states to pass model Sales Tax Legislation (NACO). The state loses money on the sales tax monies if the purchases are done on the Internet and mail order. Mr. Weigand said that locally Senator Rauschenberger has chaired this legislative issue and is an advocate of this legislation. Mr. Weigand shared a handout with the members of from the National Council of State Legislators (NCSL.org) that he hopes will help them to understand the Streamlined Sales Tax System better. He believes that it is a complicated issue and that this handout could be the starting out point of understanding what is being negotiated by the states. There are five states that don’t even collect sales tax and that is an issue right there as to how they fit into the plan. Other items of what they are attempting to achieve is to either provide for a uniform sales tax statute throughout the United States or, to the degree, that there are variations in the sales tax because of local or state needs that at least there would be a third party system. It would provide a very complicated sales tax software program that all the nation’s retailers would plug into and based upon the selling point of the goods and the purchase price of the goods, you would be able to specifically designate what portion of the national sales tax formula and those two entities. You could wind up with literally hundreds of thousands of permutations if the municipalities maintain their differentiated sales tax increments. So it has a long way to go, said Mr. Wiegand.
Legislative Breakfast Discussion: As far as the federal legislators are concerned it was agreed to try and visit with them when they are traveling throughout the state. They also agreed that they would be interested in possibly holding a legislative breakfast with them in the summer of 2005, maybe every two years (the off years). It was also suggested that the committee would put the federal legislation together with a letter in the next month or two and show it to the federal legislators.
It was also agreed by the committee to hold the next legislative breakfast for state legislators in early February 2004. Mr. Wiegand will help with the invitations and Chairman Tobias will notify Mr. Gary Hanson and Mr. Joan Berkes-Hanson that the committee would like them to host the breakfast again and that the committee and Ms. Supple will make themselves available to help them with the duties.
The committee agreed to prioritize the legislative agenda items and discuss it at the December meeting and then forward it to the full board for approval in December.
Before adjourning, Chairman Tobias informed the committee about the results of the Great American Smoke-out through NACO. She said that there were 24 counties that took part in the Smoke-out and that DeKalb received 3rd place. She is going to see if we qualify for honorable mention with NACO.
NEW BUSINESS: Mr. Pritchard wanted to share some information with the committee about a press conference that he attended earlier that day. He said that Alloyd announced today that they have been sold to a Swiss Company by the name of SCA. Alloyd were sold for $97 million and the new Swiss Company is worth $10 billion. SCA feels that they are a good fit in the packaging end of the company. They see no changes taking place. SCA states that they want to be very involved citizens in DeKalb County.
ADJOURNMENTMoved by Mr. Wiegand, seconded by Ms. Vary, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting.
Respectively submitted,
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