DeKalb County, Illinois

Minutes of the
Executive Committee

April 10, 2012

DRAFT
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MINUTES

April 10, 2012

The Executive Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 7:00p.m. at the Administration Building’s Conference Room East. Chairman Larry Anderson called the meeting to order. Members present were Marlene Allen, Ken Andersen, Julia Fauci, John Gudmunson, Paul Stoddard, and Ruth Anne Tobias. Ms. Vary and Mr. Newport were absent. Others present were Ray Bockman, Gary Hanson, Derek Tyson, Charles Foster, Jeff Whelan, Greg Millburg, Steve Reid, Anita Turner, John Hulseberg, John Farrell, Dan Cribben and Bob Brown.

Chairman Anderson invited Mr. Riley Oncken, Vice-Chairman of the Economic Development Committee to sit in for Pat Vary this evening.

It was moved by Mr. Andersen, seconded by Ms. Allen, and it was carried unanimously to accept Mr. Oncken at the table to sit in for Ms. Vary, Chairman of the Economic Development Committee.

Mr. Newport arrived at 7:03p.m.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

Moved by Mr. Andersen, seconded by Mr. Gudmunson, and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes from March 2012.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

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

APPOINTMENTS

Regional Planning Commission: City of Sycamore:

Brian Gregory, primary
John Sauter, alternate

Both appointments for a term of 3 years, until March 31, 2015.

Town of Cortland:
Cheryl Aldis, primary
Walter Magdziarz, alternate

Both re-appointments for a term of 3 years, until March 31, 2015.

Village of Hinckley:
Dave Maroo, primary,

Re-appointment for a term of 3 years, until
March 31, 2015.

City of Sandwich:
William Beverley, primary

Re-appointment for a term of 3 years, until
March 31, 2015.

Village of Lee:
Martha May, primary, re-appointment for a
term 3 years until March 31, 2015.

Richard Boris, alternate, appointment for a
term 3 years until March 31, 2015.

Village of Malta:
Anita Sorenson, primary

Appointment for a term 3 years until
March 31, 2015.

Village of Shabbona:
Don Pardridge, primary

Re-appointment for a term of 3 years, until
March 31, 2015.

2.) DeKalb County Board of Review: Mr. Douglas Johnson, reappointment for a term
of 2 years until April 30, 2014.

3.) DeKalb County Farmland
Assessment Review Committee: Mr. Charles Payne, reappointment for a term of
3 years, until April 30, 2015.

Appointments expiring for May 2012:
1.) Community Services Advisory Board – 1 position
2.) Workforce Investment Act Board – 1 position
3.) Fairdale Light District – 1 position
4.) General Assistance Appeal Board – 5 positions

Moved by Mr. Gudmunson, seconded by Ms. Tobias, and it was carried unanimously to forward these appointment recommendations to the full board for approval.

RESOLUTION FOR THE ANNUAL RELEASE OF EXECUTIVE SESSION MINUTES – MR. RAY BOCKMAN, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
Mr. Bockman, DeKalb County Administrator, approached the committee this evening regarding the annual release of executive session minutes. He explained to the committee that every year the County Board releases executive session minutes for the public inspection since these minutes no longer require confidential treatment, pursuant to the provisions of 5ILCS 120/2.06.

Moved by Ms. Fauci, seconded by Mr. Stoddard, and it was carried unanimously to forward this recommendation to the full board for approval.

Mr. Andersen asked if the recordings of the executive session minutes will be destroyed once this resolution is adopted?

Mr. Bockman said they will, according to the Open Meetings Act. We are releasing the written minutes for public view.

RESOLUTION FOR THE WATER SENSE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT – MS. RUTH ANNE TOBIAS.
Ms. Tobias approached the committee about the WaterSense Partnership Agreement that she talked to the committee about a couple of months ago. She said that the voluntary EPA WaterSense Partnership Program encourages efficiency by promoting the use of WaterSense labeled products by residents and businesses as well as other water conservation practices to help protect a community’s water supply. In this agreement the local government helps promote water conservation.

She further stated that the County can put information on the County’s website, like the Go Green webpage. She explained that the only requirement is that once a year the County would have to write a report on what they have done over the past year to promote this program. She did ask every community at the Regional Plan Commission to adopt a resolution like the one before the committee this evening.

It was moved by Mr. Oncken, seconded by Ms. Fauci, and it was carried unanimously to forward this recommendation to the full board for approval.

DISCUSSION ON HOME RULE – MR. KEN ANDERSEN

Mr. Andersen said that like he said at the March County Board Meeting he would like to open up a discussion on the County going Home Rule. His suggestion is to have each standing committee discuss this issue at their individual committee meetings. He would like to know if we want to consider this suggestion.

Mr. Oncken said that he had no interest at all to discuss this issue.

Ms. Fauci said that she felt that politically it is a dead issue. She said that at the DeKalb Township meeting tonight they would be discussing doing away with Home Rule.

Mr. Stoddard said that he also feels the issue is dead. However, if there is interest by the board to do more research on this issue he would be willing to sit on a committee to explore the idea of the County going Home Rule.

Chairman Anderson said that Mr. Andersen and Mr. Stoddard could represent this small committee and research this issue. If they come up with any good ideas he would like them to bring them back to this committee to discuss this issue further.

DISCUSSION OF THE ROLE OF THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN – MR. STEVE REID
Mr. Steve Reid, county board member, wanted to know what the county board’s past policy is on county board members attending negotiation meetings?
Mr. Bockman said that there was an executive session at the end of the agenda to discuss that further.

Mr. Reid asked, does the Chairman have the right to make policy? He further asked who approved Mr. Gudmunson to attend negotiation meetings?

Chairman Anderson said that he didn’t and that Mr. Reid should be discussing this issue with the Highway Committee.

APPROVAL OF THE COUNTY BOARD AGENDA

Mr. Ray Bockman, County Administrator, reviewed the County Board Agenda for the Board Meeting to be held on April 18, 2012.

Mr. Stoddard asked if he could add another resolution to place on the county board agenda regarding the Senior Services Tax Levy Awards from the Health and Human Services Committee. He said that the committee had finished the Senior Services Tax Levy public hearings last night and he wanted to know if it may be possible to add this item.

Moved by Mr. Stoddard, seconded by Ms. Fauci, and it was carried unanimously to add the extra item to the county board agenda from Health and Human Services Committee and to forward it to the full county board for approval.

GENERAL DISCUSSION
Mr. Newport, Chairman of the Finance Committee, said that his committee did not meet last month. At their next meeting there will be the Audit Report, either in May or June.

Ms. Riley Oncken, Vice-Chairman of the Economic Development Committee, said that his committee heard from Mr. Mark Biernacki, DeKalb City Manager, and Jennifer Diedrich, City of DeKalb’s Economic Development Coordinator, who talked about their economic development program and abatements. His committee also brought the resolution for the new Ulta Store, which was adopted at the March County Board meeting.

Mr. Gudmunson, Chairman of the Highway Committee, said that they are sending 3 items to the full board for approval in April.

Mr. Stoddard, Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, said that his committee heard from the agencies who applied for the Senior Services Tax Levy funds, through two nights of public hearings. He said that they received $551,000 in requests and they only received $488,000 in tax levy funds to award. They have $89,000 in reserves also. The committee decided to award $491,117.00 in funding. This amount includes $3,000 from the reserves.

Ms. Allen, Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee, said that she was not present last month at the committee meeting and therefore, Ms. Turner, Vice-Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee chaired the meeting. They heard from Judge Stuckert and Marilyn Stromborg regarding the Drug and DUI Courts and they also heard from Margi Gilmour from the Court Services Department. She encouraged everyone to read the minutes from that meeting.

Ms. Fauci, Chairman of the Forest Preserve Committee, said that her committee was notified that there was a deer that was found with Chronic Wasting Disease in Potawatomi Woods about two weeks ago. She also said that they heard from Ms. Peggy Doty who mentioned that she will be working on a program that will be available next year for a Green Ribbon School program as an enhancement in the three counties she now covers.

Mr. Andersen, Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee, said that his committee is sending one resolution and two ordinances to the county board this month for approval.

Ms. Ruth Anne Tobias, Vice-Chairman of the County Board, reported that the construction of the courthouse addition is coming along very nicely. The Ad Hoc Courthouse Committee will be meeting again on 4/17/12 at 3:30p.m. and a tour of the courthouse will be held at that time. Exchange Street will be closed for the month of April. She also said that it looks like they are on schedule to complete the courthouse by the end of July.

As far as the Ad Hoc Jail Committee is concerned, Ms. Tobias said that the Jail Agreement with the City of Sycamore passed.

Ms. Tobias will be giving a presentation for the State of the County event and she will also be speaking before a group of Sycamore teachers next week.

Mr. Oncken said that the Ad Hoc Rules Committee will be meeting again on 4/23/12 @ 7:00p.m. to discuss changes to the county board rules. If anyone has any suggestions to please bring them to this committee meeting.

EXECUTIVE SESSION: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

It was moved by Mr. Newport, seconded by Mr. Oncken, and it was carried unanimously to move into closed session to discuss collective bargaining by a roll call vote.

It was moved by Mr. Stoddard, seconded by Mr. Newport, and it was carried unanimously to return to open session by a roll call vote.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved by Mr. Oncken, seconded by Ms. Allen, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

______________________________
Chairman Larry A. Anderson