DeKalb Sanitary District Board Meeting Minutes
DeKalb Sanitary District
February 21, 2007
Minutes
Approved March 21, 2007
The February meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees was held at the office of the District at noon on February 21, 2007. In attendance were Trustees Dennis Collins, Tim Struthers and Carol Zar and Attorney for the District Keith Foster and District Treasurer Richard Stokke. Michael Zima, District Manager; Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration; Steve Olsen, Plant Foreman; and Betty Jones, Secretary were present. Scott Trotter, P.E. and Mark Eddington, P.E. of Trotter & Associates attended. Jerry Krusinski of DeKalb Business Center attended, as did Paul Lehman of Park 88 Investors, LLC. Citizens Herb Rubin, Arthur Shimkus, Bob Rosemier, Angela Valianos, Dawn Mancina, Sandra McKinley, Michelle Brokop, and Pam Mau attended.
President of the Board Collins called the meeting to order.
Trustee Zar moved to approve the February agenda with the addition of an executive session to discuss real estate purchases at the end of the meeting. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved approval of the January minutes. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved to approve the transfer of:
- $20,000.00 from the Revenue Fund to the O & M Fund
- $145,000.00 from the Corporate Fund to the O & M Fund
- $6,301.35 from the Dedicated Tax IMRF Fund to the O & M Fund
- $4,484.14 from the Dedicated Tax FICA Fund to the O & M Fund
Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved to pay bills as presented. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
During the Public Input of the meeting Mike Zima introduced Jim Tucker of Cavel International and asked him to update the Board and the many interested citizens present at the meeting as to the status of the pretreatment system currently under construction there. Tucker described the system and why Cavel feels that having it in place will improve their effluent readings to within the limits of their Industrial User Discharge Permit. Mike Zima then read a statement explaining the District and Cavel’s history and current status around the issue of Discharge Permit violations. At Trustee Collins request, Mike Zima gave an explanation of the Discharge Permit system in general. At that time, Trustee Collins opened the meeting to public discussion, noting that the concern of the Sanitary District is not Cavel’s activity but their honoring of their discharge permit limits. He said the District’s duty is to see that all industrial users meet their discharge permit limits.
Mr. Rubin of 131 East Alden in DeKalb spoke, expressing dissatisfaction with the explanations provided by District representatives during the Public Input portion of the meeting, with the time of the District’s meetings and with the length of time Cavel has been allowed to remain in operations while exceeding discharge limits. He received feedback from all three Trustees as to their belief that the District had proceeded with due process and in accord with the District’s history of working with other industrial and restaurant users to help them find a way to meet their discharge limits rather than shutting them down.
Jim Schneider of 1139 East State in DeKalb said that based on his observations, the Board has worked diligently on this matter and has acted properly.
Angela Valianos of 1526 Woodland in Sycamore presented documentation concerning the chemicals that might be present in horse carcasses at slaughter and urged the Trustees to exercise their power to rescind Cavel’s discharge permit because Cavel has not disclosed what these chemicals may be. Dawn Mancina of 1526 Woodland in Sycamore then spoke to support this request and expressed her concern about these substances entering the area’s water supply. Scott Trotter clarified that the area water supply does not come from the river, but from deep wells. Mike Zima responded that the United State Environmental Protection Agency determines what levels of any given chemical the DeKalb Sanitary District can discharge into the river and monitors the District’s effluent to insure that those standards are being met. He told the women that their concern should properly be addressed to the USEPA. Mancina expressed disapproval of the District’s decision.
Treasurer Richard Stokke presented the Treasurer’s Report. He applauded Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration’s work to help him implement the Board’s investment policy in which District savings are evenly balanced across time to avoid undue impact on assets due to interest fluctuations. Trustee Struthers affirmed that this is the safest investment strategy for public funds and the other Trustees joined him in thanking Mr. Stokke and Mrs. Tripp for their work.
A request for the annexation of one-half acre at 1030 South Annie Glidden Road having been received from Richard A & Mary A Johnson, and the correct annexation fee having been paid and plats supplied, Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Struthers seconded Ordinance No. 502, Annexation No. 219 annexing that property. Motion carried.
Paul Lehman spoke to the Board on behalf of Park 88 Investors, LLC and requested to be able to annex property (Orr property) and pay the annexation fee as the property becomes connected to the District or when the final plat of subdivision was recorded, whichever was first. The Trustees discussed the issue and declined to consider the matter, stating that the District must apply the same rules to the large developer as they would to the owner of a one acre property.
Trustee Collins said that the issue of his reappointment had been placed on the agenda in error and that it would not be appropriate to discuss that, as it would be the decision of the DeKalb County Board. Jim Schneider complimented him on his service to the Board and asked him about possible conflicts of interest given his ownership of a family farm south of the tollway. Trustee Collins said that he appreciated an opportunity to state his position on this matter. He said that the farm in question had been purchased by his family in 1905 and thus could not be considered to have been acquired for speculative purposes. He said that he has routinely reclused himself on votes on any properties south of the tollway and will continue to do so. Trustees Struthers and Zar affirmed his history of ethical conduct in regard to possible personal gain from Board decisions and Mr. Rubin stated that Dr. Collins had behaved in an exemplary fashion.
Mike Zima reported that the draft intergovernmental agreement allotting additional P.E. on the 15-inch line has been completed and is being submitted to the Town of Cortland. The terms of this offer were delineated by the Trustees at the January 2007 meeting.
There was no additional discussion on the topic of Cavel International beyond that during the Public Input and Communication portion of the meeting.
Jerry Krusinski of DeKalb Business Center said that his group and the Park 88 Investors group have agreed to work in cooperation to meet the Sanitary District’s requirements for infrastructure installation south of the tollway. In the interest of time, he requested a meeting with the District to discuss requirements. The developers will then prepare a written presentation to bring to the Board in March. The Trustees agreed to this approach.
The Engineer’s Report was deferred to the discussion of the individual items later in the agenda.
Mike Zima reported on a meeting with Strand representatives. There will be another meeting tomorrow with both Strand and Trotter representatives. Strand Engineering will present their review of the proposed Facility Plan Update to the Trustees in March. Jim Schneider had questions about the proposed cost of the work outlined in the Facilities Plan Update, but since the update has not yet been voted on by the Board and none of the work outlined therein has been embarked upon, the Board deferred that discussion.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Struthers seconded acceptance of the Engineering Proposal presented by Trotter & Associates for the engineering and bid package for a Lions Park Lift Station replacement project at a cost not to exceed $180,300.00. Motion carried and contract was signed.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded acceptance of the Engineering Proposal presented by Trotter & Associates for the engineering and bid package for the 2007 Sewer Lining Project at a cost not to exceed $24,800.00. Motion carried and contract was signed.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded acceptance of the Engineering Proposal presented by Trotter & Associates for the engineering and bid package for a 2007 Sewer Spot Repair Project at a cost not to exceed $23,850.00. Motion carried and contract was signed.
The Storm Water Improvements – Wetlands Mitigation Project is on hold pending a vote on the Facilities Plan Update.
Mike Zima is working on development of an Emergency Response Plan and will give the Trustees a time schedule for completion at the next meeting.
The laboratory staff is working on a written QA policy as required by the Environmental Protection Agency.
No communications have been received on the Greenwood Acres Drive sewer backup this month.
District administrators and Dr. Collins met with City administrators and agreed upon a proposal for sharing the cost of billing. An intergovernmental agreement based on their discussion will be developed by the City and presented to the Board at a later meeting. It will then have to go to the DeKalb City Council for approval. The Trustees expressed their desire to work with the City if agreement can be reached.
Mike Zima presented information on the biosolids radium limits and on a potential change for zinc requirements.
Trustee Struthers moved and Trustee Collins seconded approval of the request for Catastrophic Loss relief of Chuck Craddack of 710 Leonard Avenue, which did meet all City and District policy requirements. Motion carried.
The scheduling conflict that had led to the Board changing the date of the March meeting having been resolved and at the request of the Engineers to have the meeting at a later time if possible so as to allow reports on project bidding, Trustee Collins moved to return the March meeting to its original March 21, 2007 date. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Scott Trotter was asked to call the Illinois Department of Transportation to see when they plan to follow through with their agreement to raise the level of manholes on Sycamore Road.
Janice reported on the purchase through the Illinois Joint Purchasing Commission of a truck to replace the 1997 Ford Ranger.
Paul Lehman asked to make a presentation to the Board on a proposed development on Bethany Road. This will be scheduled for the March 2007 meeting.
Trustee Collins moved to go into executive session. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
After returning from Executive Session, Trustee Zar moved and Trustee Struthers seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried. Trustee Collins adjourned the meeting.
Dennis J. Collins, President