EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MINUTES

April 7, 2009

The Executive Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 7:00p.m. at the Administration Building’s Conference Room East.  Chairman Ruth Anne Tobias called the meeting to order. Members present were Marlene Allen, Larry Anderson, Eileen Dubin, Julia Fauci, Michael Haines, Pat LaVigne and Jeff Metzger, Sr..  Mr. Ken Andersen was absent.  The committee invited Ms. Pat Vary, Vice-Chairman of the Planning & Zoning Committee to sit in for Mr. Ken Andersen this month.  Others present were Ray Bockman, Paul Stoddard, Mark Todd, Sally DeFauw, Jerry Augsburger, John Hulseberg, Steve Walt, Riley Oncken, John Emerson, Margaret Whitwell, Anita Turner, Greg Millburg and Kevin Chambliss.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

          Moved by Mr. Metzger, Sr., seconded by Ms. Fauci, and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes from March 2009.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

                Ms. Dubin asked to amend the agenda to include a tourism letter item and the closing of the mental health units at Kishwaukee Hospital.  Chairman Tobias included those two items as items 5a. and 5b. respectively.

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

APPOINTMENTS

1.   Shabbona Fire Protection District: Mr. Steve Probst, appointment for a term of 3 years, until 03/01/2012.

2.)   Board of Review:                          Mr. Gerald Wahlstrom, and

                                                          Mr. Marlin Chaplin

                                                          Reappointments for a term of 2 years,

until 04/30/2011

3.)   Farmland Assessment Review

       Committee:                                 Charles Payne, reappointment for a

term of 3 years, until 04/30/2012.

1.       Appointments expiring for May 2009:

1. Building Board of Appeals – 1 position
2. Workforce Investment Act Board – 1 position

Moved by Mr. Hulseberg, seconded by Ms. Pat LaVigne, and it was carried unanimously to forward the appointments to 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 May 20, 2009.  He mentioned that Ms. Vary would like to speak on item #A. on the county board agenda.

Ms. Vary said the Planning and Zoning Committee denied the request for a nonconformity and they have received a letter from the petitioner’s attorney asking to have the item tabled.     

Mr. Bockman said that they are asking to have it tabled in hopes of preserving this option.   The question to the committee now is if you will allow this item to be tabled and allow the petitioner to pursue another remedy? It will have to go back to the Planning and Zoning Committee if it is tabled.

Mr. Haines said that he would like it to go to the county board and uphold the committee’s decision and then have the petitioner bring it back with new request.

Mr. Hulseberg said that he would like it tabled after Mr. Miller, who is county staff, encouraged the petitioner to go this route.

Mr. Bockman said that Ms. Vary, as Vice-Chairman of the Planning & Zoning Committee, can ask to have the item tabled at this committee meeting.

Mr. Vary said that she would like the committee to be accommodating to the petitioner and allow the tabling of this item.  She is asking to have it tabled tonight.

          Chairman Tobias asked for a voice vote on item A. under the Planning and Zoning Committee section of the County Board Agenda to be tabled.  There were 5 yes votes and 4 no votes, those being Mr. Haines, Ms. Fauci, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Metzger.  Item A is tabled and withdrawn from the county board agenda.

Moved by Ms. Vary, seconded by Mr. Anderson, and it was carried unanimously to approve the amended County Board Agenda and to forward it to the full board for approval.

TOURISM LETTER UPDATE – EILEEN DUBIN

          Ms. Dubin informed the committee that the Economic Development committee did take up the tourism letter after the Executive Committee tabled the item last month.  She contacted Ms. Armstrong at the DeKalb Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau about it.  Ms. Dubin told Ms. Armstrong about the concerns that the committee had and that Mr. Metzger, Sr., had concerns about the City of Sandwich not being covered by their brochures and guide. 

          Mr. Metzger, Sr., said that he was happy with what Ms. Armstrong had told him and that she said she has a great working relationship with the CVB in Aurora. 

          Ms. Dubin said that she is asking that she can send out a letter to Ms. Armstrong saying that we support her CVB so that she can receive matching funds from the State of Illinois and become certified.

          The committee agreed with Ms. Dubin’s request and said that it was okay to mail out a support letter to Ms. Armstrong.

CLOSING OF THE MENTAL HEATLH UNITS AT KISHWAUKEE HOSPITAL – EILEEN DUBIN

          Ms. Dubin said that she also sits on the Mental Health 708 Board and that she has published a letter in the local newspapers about the closing of the mental health units at Kishwaukee Hospital.  She has received contact from may people about her letter and this issue.  She is asking for some discussion tonight to see how the rest of the board feels about this issue.  Maybe we could meet with the Kishwaukee Hospital Board to see if there is a compromise that we can come up with, she stated.

          Mr. Vary said that in this economy she feels that we could see more and more people that may need to use these units.

          Chairman Tobias encouraged everyone to attend the Public Hearing that will be held by the Health Facility Planning Board at the City of DeKalb on May 8, 2009, if they are interested.

          Mr. Bockman said that he does not feel that we should weigh-in on this issue since we have a very close business relationship with Kishwaukee Hospital. 

          Mr. Haines said that we should wait until we see what the Mental Health Board does.

          Chairman Tobias said that each county board member could write letters to the Kishwaukee Hospital Board too.

GENERAL DISCUSSION

          Ms. LaVigne, Chairman of the County Highway Committee, said that she had no report.

          Mr. Anderson asked if we have heard anything yet on the final bridge report?

          Mr. Bockman said not yet, we are still waiting to hear something on that issue.

          Mr. Metzger, Sr., Chairman of the Health & Human Services Committee, said that his committee held the first evening of the Senior Service Tax Levy Hearings.  The second evening of hearings will be held next Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 5:30p.m.

          Ms. Allen, Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee, said that they heard from Sheriff Scott regarding his annual report, which was very good.  They also heard from Margi Gilmour and Regina Harris on their respective reports. They both said that their numbers are holding steady.  She mentioned that Ms. Gilmour said that they are interviewing various parents to staff the new Safe house right now.

Ms. Vary, Vice-Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee, said that they are sending one item now, which is the annual renewal of the landfill license, to the full board for approval. She said that they also heard from Ms. Christel Springmire from the Environmental Division of the Health Department with her recycling report.  Finally, Ms. Vary reminded the committee that the next FPL Public Hearing would be held on May 11, 2009 at NIU in the Sandberg Auditorium, and that it will begin at 9:00a.m.

          Ms. Fauci, Chairman of the Forest Preserve Committee said they heard from the Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary about the 7K Run and 2K walk that will be held at Pottowatomi Woods in May 16, 2009.  She said that there will be a resolution coming from the Forest Preserve District regarding an intergovernmental agreement with the DeKalb Park District about snow plowing to be done for the County Farm Woods path.  The County will pay for this charge.  She reminded the committee to look in the packet under the Forest Preserve District section for the article on Peggy Doty and the Natural Resource Center.

Mr. Haines, Chairman of the Finance Committee, said that he had no report since they did not meet last month.

Ms. Dubin, Chairman of the Economic Development Committee said that

her committee heard from Mr. Borek from the DeKalb County Economic Development Committee regarding his monthly report.  She informed the committee that we did not get the small grant for a rain garden that was filed for the DeKalb Women’s Center. 

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved by Mr. Metzger, Sr., seconded by Mr. Anderson, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

______________________________

Chairman Ruth Anne Tobias

RAT:mcs

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