The Executive Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 at 7:00p.m. at the Administration Building’s Conference Room East.  Vice-Chairman Patricia Vary called the meeting to order. Members present were Eileen Dubin, Julia Fauci, Michael Haines, Richard Osborne, Robert Rosemier and Roger Steimel.  Ms. Ruth Anne Tobias and Ms. Patricia LaVigne were absent.  Others present were Ray Bockman, Gary Hanson, Michael Stuckert, Greg Millburg, Jerry Augsburger, Steve Walt, John Hulseberg, Diane Strand and Anita Turner.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

          Moved by Ms. Dubin, seconded by Mr. Rosemier, and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes from November 2006.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA     

          Mr. Bockman, County Administrator, said that he needed to add another item to the agenda titled “Discussion on Water Authority” and Vice-Chairman Vary said she would place it after item # 6 on the agenda.

          Moved by Mr. Rosemier, seconded by Ms. Fauci, and it was carried unanimously to approve the amended agenda.

APPOINTMENTS:

Board of Health:            Ms. Jean Gastiger, RN, FNP

                                       Dr. John Olson, DDS

Both to be reappointment for a term of 3 years, until 11/30/2009

Mr. Kevin Buick, Appointment for a term of 3 years, until 11/30/2009

Ms. Julia Fauci, Appointment for a term of 1 year, until 12/01/2007.

Public Building Commission:            Dr. Richard Baker, reappointment for a term of 5 years, until 12/01/2011.

Victor-Adams #1 Drainage District:            Mr. Lesson Gord, Appointment for a term of 3 years, until 12/01/2009.

Waterman Community Fire

Protection District:            Mr. Roger Thorpe, to fill the unexpired term of Mr. Duane  Boesche, until 4/30/2009.

DeKalb County Nursing

Home Foundation Board:                        Mr. David Leifheit

                                                                   Mr. Lowell Evans

                                                                                Appointments for a term of  3 years, until 12/01/2009

          Moved by Ms. Dubin, seconded by Mr. Rosemier, and it was carried unanimously to approve the appointments as presented and to forward them to the full board for approval.

Appointments expiring for January 2007 are:

          Workforce Investment Act Board – 2 positions

          DeKalb County Cooperative Extension Board – 1 position

          DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center Operating Board – 5 positions

          Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) – 1 position

APPROVAL OF THE COUNTY BOARD AGENDA

          Mr. Ray Bockman, County Administrator, reviewed the county board agenda for the board meeting to be held on December 20, 2006.

          Moved by Ms. Fauci, seconded by Mr. Steimel, and it was carried unanimously to forward the county board agenda to the full county board for approval.    

GENERAL DISCUSSION

Mr. Haines, Chairman of the Finance Committee, said that his committee heard the IMRF issue, and that Mr. Hanson, Mr. Bockman and Sheriff Scott will form a team to study the jail issue.  They will bring a recommendation to the full board sometime this summer to address the overcrowded jail.  He also stated that all county board members are invited to attend any of these meetings.  He said that they also cancelled the January meeting due to the holiday and year-end books.

Ms. Dubin asked if any input will be sought from the Law and Justice Committee?

Mr. Bockman said that they would welcome input from anyone.

Mr. Hanson said that he would notify the county board members about the meetings and that they will be informal.

Ms. Dubin, Chairman of the Economic Development Committee, said that they heard a property tax abatement proposal for a project titled Project Nine in the Park 88 development.  They were told that there was a need to do the proposal as quickly as possible.  They had a very long discussion.  After the meeting Mr. Hopkins called to say that the petitioner asked to have the item removed from the county board agenda and Ms. Dubin agreed to it.  Out of this Mr. Metzger has agreed to work with Mr. Roger Hopkins of the Economic Development Corporation to help develop a question and answer sheet for county board members  and criteria needed for abatement.

Mr. Steimel said that we need to ask Mr. Hopkins how these abatements have impacted the schools?  How is the Target project doing? 

Vice-Chairman Vary said that we need to remember of something that was said at the committee meeting, that we need to have a good working relationship with all of the communities.

Ms. Fauci, Chairman of the Forest Preserve Committee, said that her committee heard from the Sunrise Rotary who would like to hold another authorized run at Potowatomi Woods in May. They need to have 100 people running to have it authorized.  She feels that this may turn into an annual event.  They will be bidding on more excavation done on the Afton Wetland Bank.  They will be going into executive session on land purchases and whenever they have one in the future she is asking that Mr. Hannan notify the county board members.   She also said that Mr. Terry Hannan, Forest Preserve Superintendent, said that he is sending out press releases on the Forest Preserve Stewardship program.  They are sending the IMRF resolution like the Finance Committee.

Mr. Richard Osborne, Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee, said that they have not met yet, they will be meeting on Monday, December 18, 2006.  They will be sending two resolutions to the full board, one on medical costs for prisoners and the other is an intergovernmental agreement for sharing telecommunicators.

The committee asked for clarification of the agreement for the telecommunicators?

Mr. Bockman said that it is an agreement to share telecommunications with others who are having a crisis and vice versa.

Ms. Dubin asked if the jail is using the Prescription Drug Card for the prisoners?  Ms. Supple, DeKalb County Board Coordinator, said that she gave cards to Lt. Joyce Klein to use for the prisoners but that she did not know if they were using them.  She will find out and let Ms. Dubin know.

Mr. Rosemier, Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, stated that his committee just reviewed what the committee’s duties and responsibilities were and what the future holds for discussion next year.

          Mr. Steimel, Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee, stated that his committee is sending two ordinances, one for approval and one for denial of the Todd Variation Request.  The committee is supporting the request.  They are also sending a name change request from Stiengtunt Vineyards and the Buehler Special Use Request.

          Mr. Jerry Augsburger, Vice-Chairman of the County Highway Committee, said that they discussed the altered speed zone on Somonauk Road between Carol Avenue and Pleasant Street.  Currently the speed limit goes from 55 miles per hour all the way down to 30 miles per hour without any in-between step.  They were asked for an intermediate speed of 40 miler per hour and they committee recommended 45 miles an hour based on a speed study that was done.

          Mr. Bockman said that the Ad Hoc Solid Waste Committee agreed to recommend the hiring of Patrick Engineering, Inc., out of Lisle, Illinois, to assist the committee in formulating a recommendation on solid waste disposal in the future.  The committee may recommend a change in the County’s Solid Waste Plan.

WATER AUTHORITY DISCUSSION

          Mr. Bockman, County Administrator, informed the committee that there is a group from McHenry County that want to place an initiative on the ballot this Spring (2007) to form a Water Authority.  It is a special district under Illinois law.  This is being formed to protect shallow aquifers and ground water.  Protecting not only the amount of ground water but quality as well.  He thinks that the idea of protecting ground water is good.

          The proposal calls for the formation of the district that includes all of DeKalb County with the exception of the Cities of DeKalb and Sycamore, Mr. Bockman said.  It includes all of Boone County with the exception of Belvidere.  In McHenry County it includes the western townships, but excludes the most populous and developed eastern townships. 

          As it is presented the boundaries are contiguous land area, which is required by law, but it is designed in such a way as only 20% of the registered voters in that 3-county area will be eligible to vote on this proposal.  Eighty percent will not be able to participate in this voting.

          Should that district be formed those residents who reside with the municipalities will not be taxed, but they certainly will be impacted by this district, because as communities grow over time their boundaries will not eliminate the district.  Any new growth and development in any of the communities that are excluded will likely be accomplished only with the consent of the trustees, explained Mr. Bockman.  When one of these districts is  formed it starts out with three (3) appointed trustees, one from each county, appointed by their county boards.  Later, by initiative of the voters, it may be converted to an elected group of trustees. 

          He has summarized the statute for the committee and attached the statute to the summary for the committee’s review.  This water authority is a governmental unit with a considerable amount of authority.  They have the power to tax generally, power to issue general obligation bonds and levy property taxes to pay for them.  They have the power to sell revenue bonds and pledge future revenues to retire them.  They have the power to reimburse themselves for the expense of creating the authority. 

          They also have the power to construct reservoirs inside or outside of the boundaries of the authority and when they do to appoint and commission police to make arrests for violations of their regulations and any criminal laws of the state.  The have the power to regulate or prohibit fishing, boating and swimming.   These are just a few of the powers that they will have in the district, said Mr. Bockman.

          Mr. Bockman said that there are 17 Water Authorities in the State of Illinois.

Mr. Steimel said that those districts are near central Illinois that he knows of.

Mr. Bockman also said that the Farm Bureau endorses it.

Mr. Greg Millburg, Director of the DeKalb County Farm Bureau, said that they view this district as a preservation of a limited resource. 

Mr. Steimel said that he has a couple of problems with this, one being that we have not been informed about the issue and the second is the speed in which this is moving.

Mr. Bockman said that eighty (80%) of the people in the three counties’ area will not be able to vote on this matter.  Fifty-two thousand voters will be eligible to vote on this. 

Ms. Fauci suggested that an analysis should be done on the water situation in the county - we need to deal with this issue.

Mr. Bockman said that he thought this was a good idea.  He did want to bring this issue to the committee and county board’s attention as soon as possible as the public hearing will be held in 9 days.  He further stated that we might be able to ask the court to leave us out of the district or include us all in the voting.

ADJOURNMENT

Moved by Mr. Osborne, seconded by Mr. Fauci, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

______________________________

Vice –Chairman Patricia Vary

_____________________________

Mary C. Supple, Secretary

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