City Council

Regular Meeting

DeKalb, IL · March 28, 2016

Minutes

MINUTES CITY OF DEKALB COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MARCH 28, 2016 The City Council of DeKalb, Illinois held a Committee of the Whole meeting on March 28, 2016 in the City Council Chambers of the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 South Fourth Street, DeKalb, Illinois. Mayor Rey called the meeting to order at 5:02 p.m. A. ROLL CALL City Clerk Jennifer Jeep Johnson called the roll, and the following members of the City Council were present: Alderman Bill Finucane, Alderman Michael Marquardt, Alderman Bob Snow, Alderman Kate Noreiko, Alderman Dave Baker, Alderman Tony Faivre and Mayor John Rey. Alderman David Jacobson was absent. Also present were: City Manager Anne Marie Gaura, Assistant City Manager Patty Hoppenstedt, City Attorney Dean Frieders, Finance Director Cathy Haley, Assistant Finance Director Robert Miller, Police Chief Gene Lowery, Fire Chief Eric Hicks, Community Development Director Ellen Divita, Public Works Director Tim Holdeman, City Engineer John Laskowski, Principal Planner Derek Hiland, and City Clerk Jennifer Jeep Johnson. B. ITEMS ALSO ON THE REGULAR AGENDA C. CONSIDERATIONS 1. Long Term Infrastructure Planning: Peace Road Widening Project. City Engineer Laskowski provided background on the project, explaining it will take place in three phases, tied to long range planning. He explained that the original plans of the 2003 project contemplated a widening of Peace Road, and so set the traffic signals out wider than they would ordinarily have been. City Engineer Laskowski explained that this anticipation saved a step at the City’s current phase of the plan, which highlights the importance of long range planning. He further stated this particular corridor is very important, and that it currently is a little bit of a bottleneck. He went on to explain the phases of the project: Phase I: Adding an additional lane from I-88 north to Fairview, which would prevent having to merge immediately after paying toll. City Engineer Laskowski added that he also anticipates adding greater accommodation to alternative forms of transportation, e.g., scooters, bikes, etc. He explained the funding mechanism for these projects, with the Federal Government paying 80% to the City’s 20%. Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2016 Page 2 of 4 Phase II: Fairview to Route 38: Adding two lanes of traffic at an estimated cost of $5.66 million. This particular phase was identified in a study as a significant benefit to the region. Again, 80% of funding from Federal Government, with the remaining 20% to be paid by the City. This program is set to occur between 2021-2025. Phase III: Intersection improvements at Route 38: Completing the project. Estimated cost: $4.5 million. This phase is largely unfunded, though there may be some private participation. 2025 estimated timeline. City Engineer Laskowski reiterated the importance of long term planning, in order to be able to participate in funding programs such as the one he explained. He went on to explain another funding opportunity. IDOT: Economic Development Reimbursement Program: $15 million allocated to the program, and municipalities apply for funding, up to $4 million. The State would fund half, and the City would pay the remainder. He explained that through the various funding mechanisms available, the City may be able to move the projects up, if the long range planning is organized. City Engineer Laskowski explained that IDOT likes to see that Council is on board with the proposed project, and willing to help secure private funding for the municipalities portion. Fehr Graham is a local engineering firm who has proposed applications and succeeded before, so partnering with them will help the City through the process. IDOT likes to see private industry partnerships, and that they’d expect to see job creation/retention. Alderman Finucane asked about a specific stretch of road, and City Engineer Laskowski addressed in what phase it would be included. Brief discussion ensued as to past road inquiries. Alderman Noreiko wondered how the State budget impasse would affect these programs, and City Engineer Laskowski stated that it appeared to be largely unaffected, as it is a reimbursement program. Brief discussion ensued as to the bridge, and whether it could support additional lanes from the first two phases, before it too, is widened. Mayor Rey stated that the purpose of the presentation was to introduce the topic, and that more detail would follow. 2. Explanation of the New Utility Bill. Assistant Finance Director Miller introduced the topic, explaining the new look of the utility bill, anticipated for April billing. He stated the new bill will include a return envelope for the Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2016 Page 3 of 4 convenience of the residents, along with an explanation of the changes. The changes are to make more information available, in a more user friendly format. It also has more room for special announcements, along with a resident’s past six bills for an easier view of their usage snap shot. The back of the bill, previously having no information, will now have answers to frequently asked questions, and other useful information for residents. Brief discussion ensued as to the intergovernmental agreement with the sanitary district, and how the billing system has changed. Alderman Faivre asked whether there was a plan to include automatic billing online, rather than having to come into City Hall, with Finance Director Haley explaining there are plans to streamline online billing, but that currently, they’d prefer it in person given the sensitive nature of the billing data. D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Michael Haji-Sheikh stated his beliefs that the City was intimately involved in the College Town Partners agreement based on correspondence he received from a FOIA request, despite the refutations involvement at the time the agreement took place. He highlighted the importance of open government, and expressed his belief that there isn’t enough transparency. He expressed his belief that the College Town agreement was unwise. City Manager Gaura stated the City released a press release two years ago, and the information Mr. Haji-Sheikh put forth was made available in that release. E. RECESS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL 1. Approval to Hold an Executive Session to Discuss Collective Bargaining as Provided for in 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2). 2. Approval to Hold an Executive Session to Discuss Purchase or Lease of Real Property as Provided for in 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5). MOTION Alderman Noreiko moved to hold an Executive Session; seconded by Alderman Marquardt. VOTE Motion carried on a 7-0-1 roll call vote. Aye: Finucane, Marquardt, Snow, Noreiko, Baker, Faivre, Rey. Absent: Jacobson. Mayor Rey declared the motion passed, and closed Committee of the Whole to the public. F. ADJOURNMENT MOTION Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2016 Page 4 of 4 Alderman Snow moved to adjourn the Committee of the Whole meeting; seconded by Alderman Marquardt. VOTE Motion carried on a 7-0-1 voice vote. Aye: Finucane, Marquardt, Snow, Noreiko, Baker, Faivre, Rey. Absent: Jacobson. Mayor Rey declared the motion carried, and concluded Committee of the Whole at 6:07 p.m. ____________________________________ JENNIFER JEEP JOHNSON, City Clerk Approved by City Council April 25, 2016.

Agenda

AGENDA Committee of the Whole Meeting March 28, 2016 5:00 p.m. A. Roll Call B. Items Also on the Regular Agenda C. Considerations 1. Long Term Infrastructure Planning: Peace Road Widening Project. 2. Explanation of the New Utility Bill. D. Public Participation E. Recess for Executive Session of the City Council 1. Approval to Hold an Executive Session to Discuss Collective Bargaining as Provided for in 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2). 2. Approval to Hold an Executive Session to Discuss Purchase or Lease of Real Property as Provided for in 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5). F. Adjournment Assistive services available upon request. C-1 March 28, 2016 DATE: March 23, 2016 TO: Honorable Mayor John Rey City Council FROM: Anne Marie Gaura, City Manager Tim Holdeman, Public Works Director John Laskowski, City Engineer SUBJECT: Long-Term Infrastructure Planning: Peace Road Widening Project. I. Summary Peace Road is an arterial roadway that facilitates transportation throughout the DeKalb-Sycamore region and provides access to regional economic engines located in Park 88 in DeKalb as well as those located in Sycamore. The City’s long-term planning efforts seek to provide safe transportation, accommodate the growing traffic volume and promote economic growth in the region. This effort has led to identifying Peace Road as an arterial highway that needs to be widened. City staff has developed a plan for widening Peace Road from Interstate 88 to just north of Lincoln Highway (Route 38). This improvement would make Peace Road a four-lane highway from I-88 north to Route 64. In addition, staff has identified potential funding sources for the improvements through collaborative efforts with the public and private sectors. II. Background Peace Road is an important roadway for the City and serves as one of our main gateway entrances, creating a visitor’s first impression. Economic development considerations for the roadway include public safety, aesthetics, egress points and road capacity. Sycamore Road and Lincoln Highway serve as the City’s two main arterial road shopping districts and are accessed via the Peace Road corridor. The Peace Road corridor is an important future development area for the City, both to serve existing commercial development and to support expansion of commercial enterprise along Peace Road. Historical traffic data annually acquired by the Metropolitan Planning Organization DSATS indicates a significant increase in traffic on Peace Road. The data indicate two noticeable trends between 2014 and 2015 for Peace Road south of Route 64: 1) an increase in Average Daily Traffic from 3 to 8%, and 2) an increase in Average Daily Truck Traffic from 12 to 37%. In addition, Police Department data indicates that the Peace Road and Lincoln Highway (Route 38) intersection has one of highest amount of accidents in comparison to any other intersection in the City. The impact of increased traffic and the associated safety issues can be alleviated by widening Peace Road. 1 C-1 March 28, 2016 The project to widen Peace Road is estimated to cost approximately $13,000,000. The City is proposing to construct the project in three phases. The costs associated with each phase are illustrated in Table 1. The first phase would utilize local and federal funds and widen Peace Road from I-88 north to Fairview Drive. It is anticipated that the construction of this phase would occur in 2019. The second phase of the project also utilize local and federal funding and would extend from the Fairview Drive (Phase 1 terminus) north to Route 38. This phase is currently programmed to occur between 2021 and 2025 depending upon when the federal funding is made available. The third phase of the project would be the intersection improvements at Route 38 (Lincoln Highway) and the widening north of this intersection. The financial resources for this phase have not yet been identified. Table 1: Peace Road Funding by Phase Phase Start Finish Cost Phase 1 I-88 Fairview Drive $ 1,500,000 Phase 2 Fairview Drive South of Route 38 $ 5,660,000 Route 38 Intersection & South of Peace Road Phase 3 $ 4,500,000 Widening north of 38 Bridge over UPRR Engineering (all phases) $ 1,526,866 Total $13,186,866 City staff are currently exploring options for funding the Peace Road Widening Project. One recently identified opportunity is the Economic Development Program (EDP) Grant through the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The amount of this grant is up to $4,000,000 with a required local match of 50 percent. The local match can be funded by the City or privately, or by a combination thereof. The EDP Grant funds could be combined with federal Surface Transportation Urban (STU) funding through DSATS to cover the entire cost of the project. The costs and potential funding sources are illustrated in Table 2 below. Table 2: Sources of Funding for Peace Road Widening Funding Source Local State STU EDP Grant $4,000,000 50% $2,000,000 50% $2,000,000 0% $0.00 STU $9,186,866 20% $1,837,373 0% $0.00 80% $7,349,493 Total $13,186,866 $3,837,373 $2,000,000 $7,349,493 Project Cost The EDP Grant application requires the City to demonstrate that economic growth and job retention/creation would result from the project. In order to demonstrate growth is occurring, the City would seek a partnership with Target and 3M. The recent expansion of the 3M facility has retained jobs and the expansion of Target has added jobs in the region. Also, City staff have had several conversation with Fehr-Graham and Associates, a consulting engineering firm that has been successful in acquiring EDP funding for several communities. Their expertise in completing the EDP Grant application and their contacts with IDOT Program Administrators could benefit the City in acquiring the EDP Grant. Page |2 2 C-1 March 28, 2016 III. Community Groups/Interested Parties Contacted The City has presented its plans for Peace Road widening at the DSATS Technical Advisory Committee and Policy Committee meetings. Projects of regional benefit compete for federal Surface Transportation Urban (STU) funding through this organization. Member organizations evaluate candidate projects and make recommendations about the funding of the projects. This organization has recognized the significant impact this road has on the region and has chosen to include Peace Road widening in two phases on the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). IV. Legal Impact The City is responsible for maintaining safe roadways for the traveling public. Roadways that are not adequately sized or maintained can create unsafe traveling conditions. Unsafe conditions can translate to the utilization of more emergency services resulting from accidents and potentially increase the City’s liability. V. Financial Impact The Peace Road widening project has been approved by DSATS for federal funding up to 80% with a 20% local match. The Economic Development Program from IDOT could also be used to fund the project at a 50-50% local to state match, up to a maximum of $4,000,000. The local match is eligible to come from a variety of sources including private industry and local government. VI. Options 1. Council can direct staff to continue to pursue the Illinois Department of Transportation Economic Development Program grant for Peace Road widening. If this option is chosen, the next steps would be to engage Fehr Graham and Associates to prepare the EDP Grant application and secure agreements with Target and 3M to pledge jobs to the project. 2. Council can choose to utilize local financial resources to completely fund the future expansion of the Peace Road. 3. Council can identify alternate transportation solutions to address the increased traffic along Peace Road corridor. 4. Council can choose not to act. VII. Recommendation Staff recommends that Council direct staff to continue to identify potential funding sources that leverage the City’s financial resources including federal Surface Transportation Urban funds through DSATS and the Illinois Department of Transportation Economic Development Program to complete the future expansion of Peace Road. Page |3 3 C-1 March 28, 2016 Peace Road Widening John Laskowski City Engineer 4 C-1 March 28, 2016 Purpose • Planning for Future Infrastructure Expansion – Increase Capacity • Promote economic development • Accommodate a greater number of vehicles – Improve Safety • Potentially reduce accidents – Increase Access • Accommodate additional modes of transportation 5 C-1 March 28, 2016 Scope • Phase 1: Widening from I-88 to Fairview – Funding: Surface Transportation Urban (STU) & Local (80% Federally Funded 20% Local Match) – Cost $1.5M: 20% Local Match ($280K) , 80% STU ($1.12M) – Timeline FY 2019 6 C-1 March 28, 2016 7 C-1 March 28, 2016 Scope • Phase 2: Widening Fairview to Route 38 – Funding: Surface Transportation Urban (STU) and Local – Cost $5.66M*: 20% Local Match ($1.436M) **, 80% STU ($4.224M) – Timeline 2025 or sooner *project costs were calculated in 2020 dollars **local match includes 100% of preliminary engineering costs, 8 C-1 March 28, 2016 9 C-1 March 28, 2016 Scope • Phase 3: Intersection Improvements – Funding Sources: Private Investment per terms of development agreement and Local – Cost: $4.5M – Timeline: 2025 or later 10 C-1 March 28, 2016 11 C-1 March 28, 2016 12 C-1 March 28, 2016 Funding Opportunity • Economic Development Program (EDP) – Reimbursement Program contributes a maximum of $2,000,000.00 with 50% local match (100% on State Highways). – IDOT has $15 Million set aside annually to fund the Economic Development Program 13 C-1 March 28, 2016 EDP Eligibility – Need for the highway improvement and imminence of development. – Compatibility of the proposed roadway with the design of the existing roadway system. – Primary jobs created or retained in Illinois and total developer site cost estimate. – Annual and peak day attendance at tourist developments. – Commitment of the industrial/distribution/tourist development to the site to be served by facility. – Willingness of the sponsoring local government to participate in the local share of the improvement cost. 14 C-1 March 28, 2016 Public-Private Partnership • Demonstrate meet the jobs retained/created – 3M – Target • Next Steps: Prepare Successful Application – Partner with Fehr Graham consulting engineer – Experience with preparing applications – City Council action endorsing the application Return to Agenda 15 C-2 March 28, 2016 DATE: March 23, 2016 TO: Honorable Mayor John Rey City Council FROM: Anne Marie Gaura, City Manager Robert Miller, Assistant Finance Director Bryan Faivre, Utilities Superintendent SUBJECT: Explanation of the New Utility Bill. Council approved the outsourcing of utility bill printing services to American Printing Technologies in January 2016. Over the last month, staff has worked with American Printing Technologies to design the look of the City’s new utility bill. In designing the new utility bill, staff worked hard to try to develop one that would provide our customers with better information about the charges for City utility services, while making it easier to read and understand. Not only did staff design the front of the new utility bill, but the back of the bill was designed to include helpful information as well. A comparison ‘old’ and ‘new’ bill have been included, to allow an opportunity to review the updates in clarity and disclosure. 16 C-2 C-2 MarchMarch 28,28, 2016 2016 City of DeKalb City U lity Bill Explana on To provide our customer with be er informa on about the charges for City u lity services, this billing format has been developed to make it easier to read and understand. If you have any ques ons about your bill or the billing format, please call the water billing department at 815-748-2085. (1) ACCOUNT NUMBER: Please include 200 S. Fourth St. your account number when paying by DeKalb, IL 60115 check or on any other correspondence. 815-748-2085 Fax: 815-748-2304 (2) DUE DATE: The day your bill is due. www.cityofdekalb.com UTILITY BILL Account Number: 1 Due Date: 2 (3) BILLING PERIOD: The service from and Name: Service From: service to period that your bill is based. Service Address: 4 Service To: 3 Mailing Date Read Type Days of Service Current Reading Previous Reading Usage (4) SERVICE ADDRESS: The address that receives the water service. 6 5 (5) USAGE: This sec on shows your us- CURRENT CHARGES Water …………..………………………………………………………………………………........................................................….….$ age. Sewer ……………..……………………………………………………………………………........................................................……..$ Garbage …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….$ (6) CURRENT CHARGES: Itemized charges TOTAL CURRENT CHARGES ……………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………….....$ PAST DUE CHARGES ……………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………..$ 7 for current billing period. TOTAL AMOUNT DUE BY (due date) …………………………..…………………………………………………………………………..........………..$ TOTAL AMOUNT DUE AFTER (due date) …………………………………..….……………………………………………………..........…………...$ (7) PAST DUE CHARGES: Amount billed 8 from prior water bill remaining unpaid. If above read type is “es mated”, Please call (815) 748-2050 to schedule an appointment. (8) TOTAL AMOUNT DUE BY: The total >ĂƚĞŚĂƌŐĞŝƐĂĚĚĞĚƚŽĐĐŽƵŶƚĂůĂŶĐĞŝĨƉĂǇŵĞŶƚŝƐŶŽƚƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚďǇϱ͗ϬϬƉŵŽĨƚŚĞƵĞĂƚĞ͘^ĞĞƌĞǀĞƌƐĞƐŝĚĞĨŽƌĂĚĚŝƟŽŶĂůďŝůůŝŶŐŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ͘ IF MAILED PLEASE ALLOW SEVEN WORKING DAYS FOR POSTING TO ACCOUNT. amount that must be received by the CITY BULLETIN BOARD YOUR USAGE HISTORY IN City on or before the indicated due UNITS USED THIS IS THE FIRST UTILITY BILL PREPARED USING OUR NEW USER-FRIENDLY FORMAT. BILL 1 = ? date to avoid the penalty. ON EACH BILL THIS AREA WILL BE RESERVED TO NOTIFY YOU OF INFORMATION CON- BILL 2 = ? CERNING YOUR UTILITY BILL OR IMPORTANT CITY EVENTS. BILL 3 = ? (9) BULLETIN BOARD: Be sure to refer to 9 BILL 4 = ? this area of your bill. It will contain BILL 5 = ? BILL 6 = ? important no ces regarding your u lity PLEASE SEE REVERSE SIDE FOR ADDITIONAL BILLNG DETAILS RETURN THIS PORTION OF BILL WITH PAYMENT. DO NOT SEND CASH. bill and informa on about City Ser- PLEASE WRITE ACCOUNT NUMBER ON YOUR CHECK. vices, ac vi es and events. 200 S. Fourth St. Make Check Payable To: City of DeKalb DeKalb, IL 60115 815-748-2085 CURRENT CHARGES (10) Please enter amount being paid. This www.cityofdekalb.com PAST DUE CHARGES will be used to process your payment TOTAL AMOUNT DUE BY in a mely manner. AMOUNT DUE AFTER (11) MAILING ADDRESS: This is the mail- ing name and address on record. If $ CUSTOMER NAME PAYMENT AMOUNT ENCLOSED this is not correct, please contact wa- MAILING ADDRESS 11 CITY, STATE ZIP ter billing at 815-748-2085. 10 17 174694.indd 1 3/15/16 2:38 PM C-2 C-2 EXPLANATION OF CHARGES MarchMarch 28,28, 2016 2016 What Happens: Day 1 Day 21 Day 22 Day 30 Day 44 Bill is mailed Current amount Penalty added Shut oﬀ no ce Termina on of due mailed service *AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $100.00 IS ASSESSED ON THE SERVICE TERMINATION DATE* 1. Responsibility of Payment of Water and Sewer Service -The 7. Service Shut-Oﬀ for Non-Payment -If you have received a Shut owner, the occupant, and the user of water and/or sewer services -Oﬀ notice, you must pay the balance on your account in full by of that property are jointly liable to pay for such service; however, 5:00 pm on the due date of the Shut-Oﬀ notice. If payment is not the property owner remains ul mately responsible for payment received by 5:00 pm on the due date of the Shut-Oﬀ notice, an thereof. The City does not get involved in owner-tenant disputes additional penalty of $100.00 will be added to your account and and it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure payment is made for a your service will be terminated. tenant’s water and sewer service. 2. Water and Sewer Charges -Charges for service are based on 8. Methods of Payment -The City accepts cash, checks or credit water consumption per 748 gallons. 748 gallons = 1 unit. Please visit cards at the front counter of City Hall. Payments may also be made the City’s website to view the current rates for utility services. on-line on the City website at www.cityofdekalb.com. The City also oﬀers Auto Pay from your checking or savings account. Please con- 3. Garbage Charges -Garbage and recycling charges are included tact Water Billing at 815-748-2085 or you may go to the City web- as part of your bill and are billed in advance of the services being site for more informa on and download the enrollment form your- rendered. The ﬁrst bill is prorated from the beginning of service to self. the end of the prepaid month. 9. Payment Drop Box -For payments and correspondence before 4. Moving -Please contact Water Billing at 815-748-2085 to or a er hours, a 24-hour drop box is located on the east side of City schedule a ﬁnal reading on your account. Hall in visitor parking for your convenience. 5. Returned Payments -A $15.00 fee is applied per payment that is returned and not honored by our bank. Each account is then subject to immediate shut-oﬀ procedure. HIGH WATER BILL? Check your toilet. 6. Late Payment Penalty -A penalty will be added to your ac- Undetected toilet leaks are the number one cause of abnormally count if the total amount of the bill is not paid by the due date high u lity bills and can substan ally increase your water use and shown on the bill. Payment must be RECEIVED, not postmarked, by u lity charges. If you have an abnormally high u lity bill, please the due date to avoid the late penalty. Failure to receive u lity bill inspect your toilets ﬁrst to insure they are not leaking or running does NOT exempt the customer from any obliga on to pay the con nuously. If you are unsure whether a leak exists or cannot u lity bill or the applicable penalty. locate the source of the leak, please call the Water Division at 815-748-2050 and we would be happy to assist. PLEASE RETURN THIS STUB WITH YOUR PAYMENT Use the envelope provided and make your check payable to: City of DeKalb To Pay Automatically: To Pay by Credit Card: To Pay by Mail: Sign up for Auto pay. Contact Water Billing Log on to www.cityofdekalb.com click on Use the enclosed envelope or mail to: at 815-748-2085 or visit online payments, then “click here to pay City of DeKalb www.cityofdekalb.com and download the your water bill online”. PO Box 787 enrollment form. DeKalb, IL 60115-0787 18 Return to Agenda 174689.indd 2 3/15/16 2:58 PM