DeKalb Sanitary District Board Meeting Minutes
DeKalb Sanitary District
April 19, 2006
Minutes
Approved May 17, 2006
The April meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees was held at noon on April 19, 2006. Trustees Dennis Collins, Tim Struthers and Carol Zar were present. Attorney for the District Keith Foster and District Treasurer Richard Stokke were present. Michael Zima, District Manager; Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration; Steve Olsen, Plant Foreman and Betty Jones, Secretary for the District attended. Scott Trotter, P.E. and Mark Eddington, P.E. of Trotter & Associates, Inc. were also present. Neighbors Stephanie Rowe, Tom Engstrom and Michael Embrey attended for a portion of the meeting.
President of the Board Collins called the meeting to order.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Struthers seconded approval of the April agenda. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved approval of the March minutes. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved to approve the transfer of:
- $12,002.80 to the O & M Fund from the Dedicated Tax-IMRF Account (plus amount to cover last payroll of the fiscal year.)
- $8,213.02 to the O & M Fund from the Dedicated Tax -FICA Account (plus amount to cover last payroll of the fiscal year.)
- $82,500.00 to the O & M Fund from the Dedicated Tax-Corporate Account.
- $318,552.12 to the O & M Fund from the EPA Replacement Account.
- $136,585.00 to the EPA Replacement Account from the Revenue Fund for annual funding.
Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved for payment of bills as presented. Trustee Struthers seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Struthers seconded approval to pay the bills received between now and the end of the fiscal year at the end of this month. Motion carried.
During the public input portion of the meeting, Stephanie Rowe of 207 Hollister Avenue protested the presence of surveyors on her property without prior notification and explanation. President of the Board Collins told her that the survey was being conducted to correctly identify the extent of the District’s boundaries and that a topological survey was being done as part of the Storm Water Improvements -- Wetlands Mitigation Project. He stressed that the Trustees had not contracted for anyone to survey anything outside the District’s own boundaries. Scott Trotter, P.E. owner of Trotter & Associates apologized to her if his employees did not knock on the door and promised a written explanation of the situation after he clarifies it by talking to his staff. She said that the District should send written notification and not rely on the contractor to talk to the residents.
Tom Engstrom of 204 Hollister asked for and received the Trustees assurances that the District would keep neighborhood property owners informed prior to undertaking any plans.
Michael Embrey of 197 Hollister Avenue said he had been commissioned by other neighbors to talk to the Trustees about neighborhood complaints of heavy trucks causing deterioration of the road surface and frequent water main breaks, of District workers driving too fast when entering and exiting the plant, and of cigarettes and other trash being thrown from vehicles of District workers. The Trustees directed Steve Olsen, Plant Foreman, to address the speed and trash situations with District employees. They reminded the residents that the District resurfaced the street after the 1980 plant expansion and did offer to install curbs and gutters but the residents refused this because they did not want the required sidewalks installed. Mike Zima will meet with City of DeKalb staff to address concerns about water main breaks.
President Collins assured the neighbors that in making plans for construction the Trustees have always and will continue to think about the impact on surrounding properties and attempt to minimize any negative impact. Trustee Zar pointed out that Item #18A (Facilities Plan Update Workshop) on today’s agenda demonstrates that planning recommendations from the Engineer’s have yet to be accepted by the Board.
Treasurer's Report: Richard Stokke, District Treasurer gave the Treasurer’s Report and discussed investment strategies with the Trustees. The Trustees requested that the monthly reporting include a total weighted return on investments.
Agenda Item 19 (billing agreement with City) was moved up on the agenda because it impacted on the discussion of the budget. After a lengthy discussion of what would be fair compensation to the City of DeKalb for including the District’s billing on their own water and trash billings, the Trustees directed Mike Zima, District Manager and Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration to meet with Mark Bernacki, City of DeKalb City Manager and make an offer that represents a substantial increase in fees for the upcoming fiscal year with C. P. I. adjustments to follow annually. If a staff meeting cannot produce an intergovernmental agreement, discussions at the governing board level will become necessary.
The Board reviewed the tentative budget for Fiscal Year 2006-2007. Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Struthers seconded its acceptance contingent upon specified adjustments being made. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded approval of the wages for Fiscal Year 2006-2007 as presented. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded appointment of The Foster Buick Group as the District's legal counsel for the Fiscal Year 2006-2007 with a $300 per month retainer fee. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Trustee Collins, seconded by Trustee Struthers to appoint the engineering firm Trotter & Associates of St. Charles, as District Engineer for the Fiscal Year 2006-2007 with a $300 per month retainer fee. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers made a motion to appoint Richard Stokke as Treasurer for the Fiscal Year 2006-2007. Trustee Collins seconded the motion. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Trustee Collins, seconded by Trustee Zar to approve the firm of Sikich Gardner & Co, LLP to conduct the Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Audit. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved to set the monthly District Meetings for Fiscal Year 2006-2007 on the third Wednesday of each month at noon at the District office. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Treasurer Stokke presented a review of the current financial depositories. Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded the following policy as to depositories and depository limits:
- Set a limit of $2,000,000.00 for total deposits at Resource Bank. This includes $100,000.00 insured under FDIC, $700,000.00 insured deposits and $1,200,000.00 to be collateralized at 100%.
- Set a limit of $2,000,000.00 for total deposits at The Northern Trust, Castle Bank, National Bank and Trust Company of Sycamore and American National Bank. Any amount deposited over the $100,000.00 which is insured under FDIC is to be collateralized at 100%.
- Set a limit of $1, 000,000.00 for total deposits at Old Second Bank. Any amount deposited over the $100,000.00 which is insured under FDIC is to be collateralized at 100%.
- Set a limit of $500,000.00 for total deposits at Fifth Third Bank. Any amount deposited over the $100,000.00 which is insured under FDIC is to be collateralized at 100%.
- Set a limit of $100,000 plus interest for total deposits (held without collateral) at any FDIC insured institution.
Collateralization of investments shall be with Treasury bills, notes or bonds or Agencies of the Federal government. GNMA pledges are also acceptable to the Board, but in that case 120% collateralization is required. Collateral is to be held by a third party bank.
The Board stated that the above amounts are deposit limits, and on occasion interest will be added to an investment causing it to go over the authorized bank limit. This would be allowed until the investment matured. The limits set are to be adhered to except in special circumstances. It was noted by Trustee Collins of a conflict of interest as a director of Resource Bank. It was noted by Trustee Struthers of a conflict of interest as President and Director of Castle Bank. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Trustee Collins and seconded by Trustee Zar that two signatures be required on all checks. Authorized signers of checks during the Fiscal Year from May 1, 2006 through April 30, 2007 are Trustee Dennis J. Collins, Trustee Timothy A. Struthers, and Trustee Carol B. Zar, along with Richard Stokke, Michael Zima, and Janice Tripp. Michael Zima and Janice Tripp were directed by the Board not to sign together unless in case of an emergency. Motion carried.
The Engineer’s Report was deferred until the individual items later in the agenda.
In Plan Review, Mike Zima presented the Freedom of Information Act request from Coventry Townhomes of Cortland. Mike Zima and Keith Foster will work together to comply with the request.
Mike reported that Northern Illinois University is in the process of preparing an application for a sewer construction permit for their Academic and Athletic Performance Center.
Trotter and Associates recommend that the Trustees hold a workshop meeting to discuss Trotter’s final recommendations on the Facilities Plan Update and further review the Executive Summary of that document.
Mark Eddington, P.E. reported that Pipe Vision of LaSalle, Illinois was the lowest of four bidders on the 2006 Sewer Lining Project, and recommended contracting with them for the project. Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded awarding the contract to them at their bid price of $224,116.50. Motion carried. The Notice to Award was signed.
District staff and Trotter and Associates engineers have identified the District’s needs for the Lions Park Lift Station improvements. They will schedule a meeting with the DeKalb Park District to discuss the project because the lift stations presently are on easements granted by the Park District. The proposed site should be more advantageous to the Park District, but would also have to be on an easement.
Storm Water Improvements –Wetlands mitigation project topological and survey work have been done and preliminary engineering is beginning, according to Mark Eddington.
The advertising of the District’s request for an extension of the Facilities Planning Area to more closely conform to the City boundaries according to the DeKalb Comprehensive Plan has been done and the IEPA is reviewing the application submitted by Mike Zima, District Manager.
Cliff Seldal Plumbing & Heating made the only bid on the Secondary Meter Replacement project. After review, Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded awarding them the contract at a cost of $5,582.50 for labor to replace 29 meters. Motion carried.
The District supplied insurance representatives for Oakcrest Retirement Center with a copy of the sewer video for the area. Nothing has been heard since then.
Mike Zima will be meeting with the engineer for the Parkside Oaks project to work on the easement they have requested to allow the City watermain to loop across District property. Keith Foster has been working on the wording for the agreement.
After review of the liability and environmental impacts of allowing Rockford Blacktop to use the south slope property for concrete crushing operations during their work on the tollway, the Board decided to deny their request.
Steve Olsen, Plant Foreman, said Stewart Spreading, who has the District’s current biosolids hauling contract, has requested to extend that contract for another year with a quarter of a cent per gallon price increase. The Trustees directed that the contract be let for bids unless Stewart’s want to extend the contract another year at the present price.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Struthers seconded the request from Jesse Ramsey of 850 North 10th Street for catastrophic loss relief in the amount of $145.60. The request did meet all of the policy requirements. Motion carried.
In New Business, Steve Olsen informed the Trustees about damage to the City of DeKalb’s flusher truck due to freezing while being borrowed by the District for CDL license runs. The Trustees directed that in the future all CDL licenses will be obtained in the District’s own vehicles.
Steve updated the Board on the rebid for supplying the District sodium bisulfite for the upcoming fiscal year due to the original contractor’s failure to perform. As the lowest of three bidders, Viking Chemical, the current supplier, was awarded the bid.
Trustee Collins reminded the group of his request for feedback about the special district governmental structure and its benefits or deficiencies, and clarified that he prefers to receive it in written form. He directed that discussion of this topic be placed on next month’s agenda.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded continuing the meeting until Friday May 5, 2006 at noon for the purpose of a workshop on the Facilities Plan Update. Motion carried.
DeKalb Sanitary District
May 5, 2006
Minutes
The continued April meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees was held at noon on May 5, 2006. Trustee Dennis Collins, Michael Zima, District Manager and Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration were present. Pat Vary also attended.
President of the Board Collins adjourned the meeting for lack of quorum.
Dennis J. Collins, President