DeKalb Sanitary District Board Meeting Minutes
Meetings are held at 303 Hollister Avenue in DeKalb.
DeKalb Sanitary District
April 21, 2010
Minutes
Approved May 19, 2010
The April meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees was held at noon on April 21, 2010. Trustees Collins Struthers and Zar attended. Michael Zima, District Manager; Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration; Plant Foreman Steve Olsen; Secretary Betty Jones; and incoming District Manager Mark Eddington were present, as were Attorney for the District Keith Foster and Treasurer Wayne Fesler. Scott Trotter and Mike Holland of Trotter & Associates and Jaime Smirz of the City of DeKalb attended. Greg Ford of Voorhees Associates LLC was present for a portion of the meeting.
President of the Board Collins called the meeting to order.
Trustee Zar moved and Trustee Struthers seconded approval of the April agenda. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved approval of the March minutes (both the March 17 meeting and the March 31 continuation). Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
After Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration explained each requested transfer, Trustee Collins moved to approve the transfer of: $155,000.00 to the O & M Fund for Operations from the Revenue Fund; $11,633.09 to the O & M Fund from the Dedicated Tax - IMRF Account (plus amount to cover last payroll of the fiscal year.); $6,615.85 to the O & M Fund from the Dedicated Tax - FICA Account (plus amount to cover last payroll of the fiscal year.); $125,000.00 to the O & M Fund from the Dedicated Tax - Corporate Account; $106,378.42 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; $ 64,829.53 to the Revenue Fund from the Revolving Loan Biosolids & Country Club; $40,000.00 to the Revolving Loan Fairview Account from the Revenue Fund for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 payments. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved for payment of bills as presented. Trustee Zar seconded the motion. Motion carried.
The Board asked that Scott Trotter and Janice Tripp present information to them at the June 2010 meeting concerning the origin and rules of the EPA Replacement Fund account so that the Board can discuss the utility of retaining this separate fund.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded approval to pay the bills received between now and the end of the fiscal year April 30, 2010. Motion carried.
In Public Input and Communications, Mike Zima reported on the meeting he and Janice had with the City of DeKalb and DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation Administrator Paul Borek about changes in the tax abatement incentive program. Mike explained the proposed changes. He said the agreement will be finalized by the City of DeKalb and a new intergovernmental agreement will be presented to the Trustees for consideration after it has been received from the City.
Also in Public Input and Communications, President Collins expressed to Mike Zima the appreciation of the Trustees and the District for his 37-year tenure as an employee of the District, and the huge difference he has made to the District and to his community through his contributions here. Trustee Collins said that Mike's administrative leadership has been invaluable, and elicited his agreement to consultation after his retirement.
Trustee Collins welcomed Greg Ford of Voorhees Associates LLC, who reiterated the procedure his company went through to identify a replacement for Mr. Zima by advertising in many wastewater related publications and online databases so as to obtain a total of 64 resumes from professionals in 17 states who were interested in the position. Voorhees Associates then reviewed the resumes received and did preliminary credential verification and background checks to reduce the field to nine candidates for the Board to review. Voorhees Associates, through Mr. Ford, supplied the Trustees with full information about each candidate prior to the March 3, 2010 continuation of the February Board meeting. At that time, Mr. Ford further discussed each candidate with the Board and the Board selected four of the nine to interview. At that time, Voorhees Associates LLC completed full background checks on each of the selected candidates to further verify their character, their competency and their appropriateness for the position. On March 31, 2010 at the continuation of the March meeting, the Trustees and Administrators spent the afternoon in interviews with the four remaining candidates. Based on these interviews and the recommendation of Gregory Ford of Voorhees Associates LLC, a decision was made to offer Mark Eddington the position of District Manager; and the District Attorney Keith Foster was authorized to make the offer to Mark and coordinate negotiations on contractual terms. Trustee Collins thanked Mr. Ford and Voorhees Associates LLC for the great job they did in guiding and facilitating the selection process. The Board then welcomed Mark Eddington, who will officially begin work at the District April 27, and who is known to the Board through his previous association with Trotter & Associates as an Engineer. Mr. Eddington thanked the Board and expressed his excitement at starting the District Manager position.
Treasurer Fesler gave the Treasurer's Report and discussed this month's investments. Janice noted that the amount of deposits at Resource Bank is over the depository limit temporarily but that will be reduced by the checks just approved and signed.
There had been no Annexation or Pre-Annexation requests this month.
The Board reviewed the tentative budget for Fiscal Year 2010-2011, and Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration presented income projections and explained changes and adjustments she made during budget development and answered the Board's questions about it. Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Struthers seconded its acceptance. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded approval of the wages for Fiscal Year 2010-2011. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Trustee Collins, seconded by Trustee Zar for appointment of The Foster Buick Group as the District's legal counsel for the Fiscal Year 2010-2011, with Keith Foster as lead Attorney and for approval of an increase in the hourly rate. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Trustee Struthers seconded by Trustee Collins to appoint the engineering firm Trotter & Associates of St. Charles, as District Engineer for the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 with an adjustment of retainer. Motion carried.
Trustee Zar made a motion to appoint Wayne Fesler as Treasurer for the Fiscal Year 2010-2011. Trustee Struthers seconded the motion. Motion carried. The Trustees asked Treasurer Fesler to prepare for them a statement concerning time spent so that they can reconsider the Treasurer's remuneration at the June 2010 meeting.
A motion was made by Trustee Collins, seconded by Trustee Struthers to approve the firm of Sikich LLP to conduct the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Audit. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved to set the monthly District Meetings for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 on the third Wednesday of each month at noon at the District office. Trustee Collins seconded. Motion carried.
The Board decided to review depository limits and check signing procedures at the June 2010 meeting and will retain those from Fiscal Year 2009-2010 in the meantime.
Mike Zima explained the new requirements of the Open Meeting Act and Trustee Collins moved to appoint Kevin Buick of The Foster Buick Group as Open Meeting Act Officer. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Scott Trotter supplied the Engineer's Report in writing and deferred discussion until the individual agenda items.
In Plan Review Mike Zima went over plans currently in the works for several projects that have been proposed.
Scott Trotter updated the Board on the progress in the Biosolids Rehabilitation and Improvements Project and asked for authorization of Payment Request #4 pending receipt of Loan Disbursement #5. Trustee Collins moved to approve this. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried. Trustee Collins also moved to approve Change Order #4 for an increase of $20,079.54 for additions due to unsuitable soils, and for addition of explosion proof motors and insulated glass which had been omitted from the contract documents. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
A letter was received from the IDOT Division of Aeronautics, on behalf of the FAA, rejecting the submittal for the proposed relocation site for the Sludge Storage Barn. After a discussion, Trustee Collins was asked to secure an agent to look for alternate sites for a sludge storage barn location.
The Country Club Lift Station Project is moving forward. The Board reiterated their concern that the site be secured, and Trotter & Associates promised to have the fence reinforced. Mike Zima explained his negotiations with Commonwealth Edison to secure 480-volt 3-phase service for the site.
Moraine Terrace Sanitary Sewer Improvements Project bids were opened on March 26 and the Notice of Award was issued on March 31 to the low bidder, DuPage Topsoil, Inc., for the amount of $95,599.99. DuPage Topsoil has provided the necessary bonds and insurance. Trotter & Associates recommended issuing the Notice to Proceed. Trustee Struthers moved to do so. Trustee Collins seconded. Motion carried. The Board instructed that DSD administration notify the residents of the current status of the project, and Mark Eddington agreed to undertake this responsibility.
Bids for the 2010 Spot Repair Improvements Project were opened on March 26th and the Notice of Award was issued March 31st to the low bidder, Elliott and Wood for the amount of $101,964.00. Elliott and Wood has provided the necessary bonds and insurance. Trustee Collins moved to issue the Notice to Proceed. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried. There will be a preconstruction meeting next week and Mike Holland plans to discuss with the City of DeKalb how the cost of the water main adjustment for the Augusta Avenue manhole replacement will be shared between the City and the District.
Michels Pipe Services Corporation of Brownsville, Wisconsin was the lowest of three bidders for the 2010 Sewer Lining Project with their bid of $232,464.00. Trustee Collins moved to award them the contract. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Mike Zima said that he and Steve Olsen met with Northern Illinois University Chiller Plant planners consequent to Mr. Zima having an isolation plug placed in the line exiting that facility to prevent the facility from endangering nearby properties with discharges of water in quantities beyond the capacity of the 8-inch pipe that serves the area. NIU agreed to install a two-inch restrictor pipe to limit flow from the facility. He anticipates that this arrangement will be acceptable to the District.
Trustee Collins moved to approve the Catastrophic Loss Relief claims of Stanley Brandon of 1306 Gifford for $278.20 lost because of the backup of a water-powered sump pump, and of Amber Hart of 1488 Moluf for $75.40 lost because of a toilet leaking. Both of the requests did meet City/District policy requirements. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
In New Business, Mike Zima asked the Trustees their response to a request from the City of DeKalb for a 15% increase in the amount it charges the District to include sewer service on water bills. The Trustees asked Mike to write to Rick Monas, City of DeKalb Public Works Director for documentation on the increase.
The Board asked staff to plan for a June 2010 coffee to welcome Mark Eddington to his duties as District Manager.
Steve Olsen informed the Board of the progress in interviewing selected candidates from the 150 candidates for two open sewer plant operator positions.
After an informal presentation and reiterated appreciation to Mike Zima for all he has done for the District, Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins adjourned the meeting.
Dennis J. Collins, President