Rock Island County Public Works Committee met April 9.
Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:
1) Call to order and roll call
Committee members present: Chair Larry Burns, Jeff Deppe, Richard Morthland, Edna Sowards, Ed Langdon, Bob Westpfahl, Ginny Shelton
Committee members absent: Robert Reagan
Others present: Kurt Davis, John Massa, Dewayne Cremeens, Bill Long, Pat Koranda, Kenneth Maranda, Greg Thorpe, Chuck Layer, Jamie Anderson, Joe Miles
2) Public Comments
Chair Burns:”I’ve got a couple people that want to make comments on the Motocross track. Is that right?”
Mr. Anderson: “Yes sir”
Chair Burns: “I need to read you this first that public comments shall not be allowed on the agenda items coming to the board or the committee from a public hearing where a sworn testimony is taken. This wishing to comment on the item should attend and speak at the proper hearing so you can. I guess you can talk about your frustration with the procedure if you want but we can’t hear any testimony at this meeting.”
Mr. Maranda: “ It even speaks to this committee. It was brought to the board before it come to this committee so you can disregard this too.”
Mr. Burns: “So Jamie Anderson.”
Mr. Anderson: “ I guess if there is really nothing we can say but you said we can voice our concerns about it?”
Chair Burns: “About, if you are not satisfied with the way the procedure is set up I suppose but you can’t try and change the outcome of the Zoning Board.”
Mr. Anderson: “ Well I guess if you are going with the procedure I would say.I guess referring to, we got a letter in the mail, the surrounding area of what is going on explaining this is what we are wanting to have a permit for and if this is concerning you and I guess being new to the area for six years, it was concerning how my property was set up there so when I called down and basically that meeting was canceled because there was an error/communication problem with the newspaper and I was told that I would be getting another letter in the mail with the new dates and times and that it would also be in the newspaper so I don’t get the newspaper. I work and I am a younger generation. I read the newspaper on the phone but I did get another letter in the mail and which when I did get in the mail was referring to some things that were going down on Campbell’s Island so I disregarded that. I had nothing to do with what is going on with Campbell’s Island until my neighbor and another neighbor contacting me and said the newspaper said the meeting is about the same thing is on this day. The very next day we ended up going to it and so I didn’t have enough time working twelve hours a day to come up with my questions to submit to the board with the prior notice. I believe you guys require five days prior to the meeting to submit questions and answers. At the very least, if there are other ways to communicate that out other than the very back of the newspaper. I don’t read the newspaper because I don’t even get it and if I don’t get a letter in the mail like I did previously how would I be able to submit my questions to the board. I guess that would be all I would say.”
Mr. Miles: “This has been in our backyard for 14 years and we have pretty much accepted the noise and that. Especially the church on the East side there.”
Chair Burns: “Now you are going into.”
Mr. Miles: “Okay, I understand that. Anyway, I do get the newspaper and I read it cover to cover but I never look at the public notices for all the people and residences that are concerned about that there were only two out of the two dozen signatures that read it in the paper. I guess I will start reading the public notices so I know what is going on in my area and it was stated that there was no complaints and I made a few and other people had. I don’t know if they were documented or not but even if you recall the noise.”
Chair Burns: “You are going.”
Mr. Miles: “Okay, lead me down the path that I need to go but anyway we have all our residents there that we spoke to that down want the continuation of the hours because of the noise.”
Mr. Anderson: “This is about the process of contacting the public so basically the newspaper, the letters, mail. If we had any concerns about that. “
Mr. Miles: “A new process of people that are aware of what is going on in the neighborhood than how things are done now with phones instead of newspapers. I guess that is all I have to say or can say.”
Chair Burns: “Okay, well we appreciate your input on that. Greg you can take that to consideration but thanks both of you for your input.”
3) Approval of the minutes from the March 12, 2018 meeting
Motion to approve: Bob Westpfahl
2nd: Ed Langdon/ Edna Sowards
Voice vote
Motion carried
4) Reports to the committee
GIS
Mr. Thorpe gave the GIS report in Mr. Boudi’s absence. They added Whiteside ad Henry County GIS data to the 911 dispatching system for the Hillsdale Fire Protection District. They continue to work on the 2020 Census update and the maps for the Forest Preserve Plan. They are still working on the annual land use updates for farmland assessments. The net revenue for the month was $17,152.
Motion to approve: Ed Langdon
2nd: Edna Sowards
Voice vote
Motion carried
Zoning and Building-
Mr. Thorpe gave his monthly report. The department had 92 total receipts for the month of March for a net revenue of $12,830.60. The estimated value of work was just under $900,000. It is comparable to last year. Year to date we are a little ahead on receipts, fees, evaluation, and residences. Mr. Thorpe added that the Enterprise Zone ended, so any projects that come up that used to get waived by the Enterprise Zone will no longer be waived because it no longer exists.
Mr. Westpfahl asked if the whole thing ended.
Mr. Maranda mentioned that it ended March 28th and the new one bringing Rock Island in and everybody else is submitted and it won’t take effect until the first of the year.
Mr. Thorpe presented the number of residences for new houses. He also presented the houses per township.
Motion to approve: Edna Sowards
2nd: Ginny Shelton
Voice vote
Motion carried
Public Works-
Mr. Massa gave his monthly report. He explained that the maintenance crew has been doing a lot of brush cutting and some snow plowing. As far as the engineering staff, they had the safety project and hoping to hear back in a couple of months from that. The Knoxville Road project will be the big project for the year and are looking for a June letting for that. That will be a good project for us. There will be federal funds involved in that and 80%/20% split, 80% being federal. Each joint on Knoxville Road has moved and they are trying to correct that. If it is let go, each joint will start to deteriorate and there will be a problem then. It will be a costly project but there has been a lot of research on it. Mr. Massa added that they just started working on MS4 is for a StormWater permits, we pay a fee every year for $1,000 but we have to get up to speed by filling in the notice of intent. There are six aspects we have to work on. A couple of them have education with the public which Greg has a lot of stuff on the website for that so we just have to get it in a plan and approved by the EPA. There will be more information next month.
Motion to approve: bob Westpfahl
2nd: Ginny Shelton
Voice vote
Motion carried
5) County Office Building update
Mr. Maranda explained that everything is on hold and there is nothing going on in the County Building right now. Preparation may come during the month. Mr. Davis added that originally they wanted to put Records of Deeds on the second floor at the West end of the building but the floor is not sustainable for the records so they decided they needed to move it to the East side of the building. In order to do that, we need to move the County Board office and the committee room. We are still waiting for a report from the architect.
6) Consider Building Safety Month Proclamation
Mr. Thorpe explained that this is a national push by the International Code Counselor to bring awareness of safety and the importance of things that the office does. We have done this a few years in the past besides last year.
Motion to approve: Edna Sowards
2nd: Richard Morthland
Voice vote
Motion carried
7) Consider Zoning Board of Appeals cases
a. SU-18-203 – Scott Hess & Leann Linden – Seasonal Recreational Use
Mr. Thorpe explained that this is a request for a seasonal recreational use. They want to be able to put a camper down by the river six months out of the year. A public hearing was held, there were no objectors present and the board’s recommendation was to grant.
b. SU-18-204 – Chris Nordurft – Motocross Track
Mr. Thorpe explained that this is a request for a Motocross track in Hampton Township. There were a few objectors present but the ultimate decision was to grant the request.
Mr. Westfpahl asked why they increased the hours that they could run. He asked if there was any financial benefit to the County.
Mr. Thorpe explained that he has never witnessed any events that they have there. The intent is that people do travel to come to it, so we do bring in people from the area.
They have six events throughout the year. Last year they brought in 120 participants for events. It does bring a good chunk of people in the area.
Mr. Deppe asked for confirmation that there is no lawful ordinance code reason that we cannot pass this.
Mr. Thorpe confirmed.
c. SU-18-205 – Harry Scarf, Jr. – Seasonal Recreational Use
Mr. Thorpe explained that this is also a request for a seasonal recreational use. There were no objectors present and the board’s recommendation was to grant.
Motion to approve all three cases: Jeff Deppe
2nd: Richard Morthland
Voice vote
Opposed: Bob Westpfahl
Motion carried
8) Consider Request from South Moline Township for Fee In Lieu funds for drainage project
Mr. Thorpe explained that in packet is a letter from South Moline Township. They have a culvert on North Shore Drive that is failing that they need replaced. It is not budgeted. The flooding made it a lot worse so they are in a pinch. The fee in lieu moneys that are set aside that are received from the airport for project they have done. South Moline Township is requesting money to help with the study not to exceed $16,000. Included in the packet is a running total, there are three payments that we have received since we entered into this agreement making a total of $43,560. Also in the packet is a copy of the MOU with the airport that was signed in 2014 between this board and the airport, why they did it, what they want the funds to be used for, those types of things. The main intent is to help improve the water shed. The airport can’t store water on the property. The quicker they can get the water off the property and back into the river the best concept of it so anything that we can approve to get the water down river they are all for. Mr. Thorpe added that he included a copy of the resolution and the ordinance. As well as an agreement from Crawford, Murphy & Tilly who offered us a proposal for engineering of replacing the two culverts.
Motion to approve: Bob Westpfahl
2nd: Jeff Deppe
Voice vote
Motion carried
9) Review and award bids received on Monday, March 13, 2017 for two tandem axle snowplow trucks
Mr. Massa explained that they had bids for two tandem trucks. There were three options. Option one was bid with the trucks alone, option 2 with two trade ins, and option 3 with just one trade in. Mr. Massa explained that he would propose to go with option 1 with just the two trucks. We can sell one of the trucks out right on our own and one truck we have in the five year plan to keep it as a spare. Thompson truck and trailer bid the international. They didn’t meet the bid specification because we bid a longer cab on the truck. All the other trucks have a longer truck. They can bid a longer truck, they just elected not to. Mack truck which is the Twin Bridges Truck City. They are the low bid at $291,014 for the two trucks alone and no trade ins. Our budget we have $300,000 in there and in the 5 year plan, a $30,000 trade in so a balance of $270,000. We can sell one truck for more than $21,000 to make our $270,000 balance. We propose to go ahead and go with the Twin Bridges Option 1. We probably will not get these trucks until next budget year. Unless they are able to get things rolling we probably won’t be able to get them until December.
Motion to approve the Option 1 bid: Jeff Deppe
2nd: Richard Morthland
Voice vote
Motion carried
10)Consider Motor Fuel Tax Resolution appropriating funds for survey work
Mr. Massa explained that last month we talked about a survey contract with Amid Engineering.
They are going to do some surveying for us. This is just a resolution that goes to IDOT to approve using Motorfuel Tax money for that work.
Mr. Deppe asked if it is budgeted.
Mr. Massa explained that it is budgeted. There is a line item for professional services in Motorfuel tax.
Motion to approve: Jeff Deppe
2nd: Ginny Shelton
Voice vote
Motion carried
11) Committee member opportunity for brief comments (no decisions will be made)
Mr. Deppe explained that they had a guy come out from the County to Arrowhead school and the school and contractors wanted to say that they did an excellent job. The guys name was Matt and he did an awesome job and created a great relationship there.
Mr. Deppe also mentioned that Friday April 13th is Highway Safety for Illinois. He will be out at Hampton handing out coloring books and shirts, reminding people not to text in construction zones and stay off phones and obey the speed limit because construction zone deaths are up for the third year in a row.
Mr. Morthland added that he wanted to confirm for the minutes that Mr. Deppe confirmed that this board if obliged legally to pass the zoning resolutions.
Mr. Maranda mentioned that he received an email from P.J. Foley, they are going to have a Toolbox Lunch at noon on the 19th at the Justice Center.
Mr. Westpfahl asked if the assistant foreman had been hired. Mr. Massa explained that they made an offer last week and he accepted now he has to go through the physical and backgrounds. If everything works out he should be on in about a week.
12) Adjourn
Meeting adjourned at 10:34 a.m. by Bob Westpfahl and seconded by Jeff Deppe.
http://www.rockislandcounty.org/CountyBoard.aspx?id=41261#PWF
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