Finance Advisory Committee

MINUTES CITY OF DEKALB FINANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING OCTOBER 19, 2020 The Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) held a meeting on October 19, 2020, at the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak Street, DeKalb, Illinois. A. CALL TO ORDER Chair Neeley called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. B. ROLL CALL FOR ATTENDANCE Recording Secretary Ruth Scott called the roll and the following FAC members were present: Bob Higgerson, Lance McGill, Lynn Neeley, Ron Partch, Tom Teresinski, and Dytania Washington. Member Sheela Prahlad was absent. Others in attendance included: City Manager Bill Nicklas, Alderman Mike Verbic, and Assistant City Manager Josh Boldt. C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION Mr. Teresinski moved to approve the following minutes; seconded by Mr. McGill: 1. Minutes of the Finance Advisory Committee Meeting of October 21, 2019. 2. Minutes of the Joint City Council and Finance Advisory Committee Meeting of November 18, 2019. 3. Minutes of the Joint City Council and Finance Advisory Committee Meeting of November 20, 2019. 4. Minutes of the Joint City Council and Finance Advisory Committee Meeting of August 17, 2020. VOTE Motion carried by a 5-0-2 roll call vote. Aye: Higgerson, McGill, Neeley, Partch, Teresinski. Nay: None. Absent: Prahlad, Washington. Chair Neeley declared the motion passed. D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There was none. E. OLD BUSINESS There was none. Finance Advisory Committee Minutes October 19, 2020 Page 2 of 3 F. NEW BUSINESS 1. Consideration of Preliminary FY2021 Budget Assumptions. City Manager Nicklas provided an overview of the information provided in the agenda packet, which included a summary of the City’s general operating revenues and expenditures, and the City’s general capital revenues and expenditures. City Manager Nicklas also spoke briefly regarding the Cares Act funding, noting that the City has already submitted some qualifying expenses. Brief discussion ensued. City Manager Nicklas also spoke regarding another general revenue the City is anticipating, which is the Ground Emergency Medical Transportation (GEMT) program. This program provides supplemental payments to publicly owned or operated organizations, such as the City of DeKalb. An application has been submitted for the reimbursement of almost $400,000. This will be a reoccurring program. City Manager Nicklas spoke briefly regarding a recent Moody’s interview regarding the City’s bond rating, noting it went well. City Manager Nicklas also spoke briefly about the COVID pandemic and the Governor’s recent executive order, noting that the City is stuck in a region with high results. It’s unknown at this time how it will affect DeKalb. Hospitality reports to the City Council show that even before the executive order, the hospitality return had gone up slightly, but August numbers show a decline of 22%. On the spending side, conversations with employees about a wage freeze have gone well and the IAFF and AFSCME are not looking at wage increases. Brief discussion ensued. City Manager Nicklas then spoke about levy options as summarized in the agenda packet, providing the recommendation of option 4. Discussion ensued regarding levy options, the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV), and the City’s pension issues. Noting his concern, Alderman Verbic stated that looking at the budget, it’s hard to get a good grasp of how the City’s services are being delivered, especially during this difficult time, without being stretched too thin. City Manager Nicklas agreed and stated the City has a fine work force who are willing to do whatever they can at this time, including the fire, police, and public works departments. He noted that commitments have been made to those departments to fill positions as the money comes in. Discussion re: new division known as community services has been created in the Police Department.  Finance Advisory Committee Minutes October 19, 2020 Page 3 of 3 Brief discussion ensued regarding police department overtime during recent times of social unrest. At this point in the meeting Chair Neeley raised the question regarding the levy options Bill has presented, with the majority of the FAC choosing option 4. City Manager Nicklas then provided an overview of the capital and special revenue funds. G. ADJOURNMENT MOTION Mr. Higgerson moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Ms. Washington. VOTE Motion carried by a 6-0-1 roll call vote. Aye: Higgerson, McGill, Neeley, Partch, Teresinski, Washington. Nay: None. Absent: Prahlad. Chair Neeley declared the motion passed and adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, _____________________________________________ Ruth A. Scott, Executive Assistant/Recording Secretary Minutes approved by the Finance Advisory Committee on October 19, 2022. Click here to view the agenda packet for the October 19, 2020, Finance Advisory Committee meeting.