City Council

MINUTES SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING CITY OF DEKALB JUNE 6, 2018 The City Council of DeKalb, Illinois, held a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on June 6, 2018, in the City Council Chambers of the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth Street, DeKalb, Illinois. Mayor Smith called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. A. ROLL CALL Deputy City Clerk Carri Parker called the roll, and the following members of the City Council were present: Alderman David Jacobson (arrived at 5:06 p.m.), Alderman Bill Finucane, Alderman Mike Marquardt, Alderman Pat Fagan, Alderman Kate Noreiko, Alderman Mike Verbic, and Mayor Jerry Smith. Alderman Tony Faivre was absent. Staff present were: Interim City Manager Patty Hoppenstedt, Finance Director Molly Talkington, Assistant Finance Director Robert Miller, Police Chief Gene Lowery, Public Works Director Tim Holdeman, Information Technology Director Marc Thorson, and Deputy City Clerk Carri Parker. Staff in present in the audience were: Assistant Public Works Director Bryan Faivre and Airport Manager Tom Cleveland. B. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Mayor Smith asked if there was anyone present who wished to speak to an item not listed on the agenda. There were none. C. CONSIDERATIONS 1. Budget Workshop a. Service Level Review: Public Works Department. Public Works Director Holdeman explained the hierarchy of the Public Works Department. He provided an explanation of each group of employees and which public services they provide. Public Works Director Holdeman stated that because the City has not done an adequate job on street repair, stormwater, and forestry, it will continue to get worse. He stated that for the FY2020 budget he would be presenting a 10-year plan for repairs to the City’s infrastructure. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting June 6, 2018 Page 2 of 4 Public Works Director Holdeman commended the Water Division on the spectacular job they’ve been doing on the upkeep of the water treatment plants while being understaffed. Public Works Director Holdeman explained the goals provided by Council and stated that the Public Works Department is doing an outstanding job. The department continually reviews their programs for improvement, as well as where operating costs can be reduced. City Council and staff discussed specific line items and services of the Public Works Department. Mayor Smith asked about the financial position of the City currently in the Public Works Department. Public Works Director Holdeman stated the department is struggling. He explained that not backfilling open positions has caused a backlog of work. b. Service Level Review: Finance Department. Finance Director Talkington explained the responsibilities of the Finance Department. She added the services and assistance the Finance Department provides to the public and explained what each employee does within the department. Alderman Norieko and Finance Director Talkington discussed specific line items. Finance Director Talkington stated the department is doing well, although short staffed, but with going to new software things will be fine. Mayor Smith asked about the transition from Finance Director to Interim City Manager. She explained that staff is looking for a senior accountant to help with internal controls and journal entries. c. Line Item Review: Police Department. Police Chief Lowery went through the annual report and explained new programs initiated in 2017 and what programs are to come in 2018. The department was able to add a crime analyst, which was funded by the National Guard indefinitely if they can provide the need for the position. He explained the level of services needed for domestic violence and mental health calls. He added that with special grants they could get the appropriate training needed. Police Chief Lowery explained the self-initiated call program on how it has increased year after year and that because of proactive policing the program is successful. He explained that overtime is based on short-staff from low levels of employment or officer out on leave or training.  Special Committee of the Whole Meeting June 6, 2018 Page 3 of 4 City Council and staff discussed the several Police initiatives and the impact on the public. Police Chief Lowery explained that the Police Department is well within budget. He stated that they had hired three officers, but this week also received two retirement notifications as well. City Council and staff discussed replacement hiring and additional costs to retirements. Mayor Smith announced that the Administrative Hearing process would be discussed at the June 11, 2018, Committee of the Whole meeting. d. Line Item Review: Information Technology (IT) Department. Information Technology Director Thorson explained the line item review for the Information Technology Department. He added that currently, the department is trending very well. Alderman Fagan asked about the overtime expenses from 2017 to 2018. Information Technology Director Thorson explained it’s for the on-call service to the emergency services departments. As part of the collective bargaining agreement, there are additional payroll expenses for being on-call. Mayor Smith stated that the Information Technology equipment is 12 years old. He added that the department is working on a plan to upgrade the technology equipment, with a website upgrade by February 2019, and he would like all stakeholders to be involved. Alderman Verbic suggested having community focus groups. Interim City Manager Hoppenstedt stated there would be task forces/committees/teams formed for these initiatives. 2. Fiscal Year 2019 Financial Policies Finance Advisory Committee Recommendations. Finance Director Talkington reviewed the changes to the financial policies. She added that most of the changes are grammatical. City Council and staff discussed the fund balance. Mayor Smith asked Council members if the Finance Advisory Committee and City Council are more in-line than a year ago. Finance Director Talkington stated that because there was so much in a short period that now there is more time to digest the information, which allows for better discussions. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting June 6, 2018 Page 4 of 4 Discussion ensued between Council members and staff on the role of the Finance Advisory Committee. Mayor Smith requested to change the next budget workshop from June 19, 2018, to June 18, 2018. It was noted that the next Budget Workshop Meeting would be changed to the June 18, 2018. D. RECESS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL There was no Executive Session. E. ADJOURNMENT MOTION Alderman Norieko motioned to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Alderman Jacobson. VOTE Motion carried on a 7-0-1 voice vote. Aye: Jacobson, Finucane, Marquardt, Fagan, Norieko, Verbic, Smith. Nay: none. Absent: Faivre. Mayor Smith declared the motion passed. Mayor Smith adjourned the meeting at 7:35 p.m. _____________________________________ CARRI PARKER, Deputy City Clerk Approved by City Council: June 25, 2018.