Rock Island County Committee of the Whole met Nov. 10.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
The Committee of the Whole of the Rock Island County Board met at the above date and time in the County Board Chambers on the third floor of the County Building; 1504 Third Avenue, Rock Island, IL. Per section 7(e) of the State of Illinois Open Meetings Act, Members of the County Board may attend the meeting remotely, if they prefer.
Call to order and roll call at 5:31 p.m.
Members Present: R. Morthland, D. Cremeens, M. Burns, M. Moreno, L. Burns, L. Moreno, C. Enburg, P. McNeil, D. Adams, A. Normoyle, E. Sowards, K. Swanson, E. Langdon, L. Boswell-Loftin, J. Woods, D. Beck, D. Mielke, K. Bogdonas, J. Deppe, L. Thompson, B. Westpfahl, Chairman B. Vyncke, Chairman R. Brunk Absent: D. Clevenger, R. Simmer
Public Comments
Chairman Vyncke inquired three times for public comments. No response.
Approval of the minutes from the October 14th, 2021 Committee of the Whole Meeting
Motion to approve by L. Moreno, seconded by D. Adams
Roll call established, R. Morthland, D. Cremeens, M. Burns, M. Moreno, L. Burns, L. Moreno, C. Enburg, J. Deppe, P. McNeil, D. Adams, A. Normoyle, E. Sowards, K. Swanson, E. Langdon, L. Boswell-Loftin, J. Woods, D. Beck. D. Meilke, K. Bogdonas, L. Thompson, B. Westpfahl
Chairman Vyncke requested to move item # 7 GHA Committee Report up in the agenda to accommodate map representatives Zach Koutsky and Josina Morita.
Governance, Health and Administration Committee Report
Chairman Deppe reported, reports heard from Karen Kinney, Tammy Weikert, Tammy Meuroff, and Jim Snider were approved.
The committee considered and approved the Circuit Clerks County Library Fee setting resolution. The committee reviewed, discussed, considered, and voted to forward the County Reapportionment Map for the Board’s consideration.
Zach Koutsky shared that the two areas of concern Reynolds and Coal Valley. They were able to get both of those back into one district’s boundaries.
Josina Morita gave a quick overview of the maps and shared overall population for Rock Island County has been steady over the last 10 years. In the slight population change there’s been significant growth of Latino’s, with that and the combination of reduction of county board members to nineteen each district has grown in size. The rural areas are larger in size but with the same amount of population. She also shared that Districts of interest 17 and 14 for Black’s representation, 4,6,10, for Latino’s and 18, 16, and 1 for rural farm representation.
Condition of Funds Report
Auditor Ms. Palmer reported on her condition of funds reports. She provided standard reports as well as a list of ARPA approved items that she and Mr. Snider have been working on together for a guideline for Mr. Berger to move forward. On the standard report H, the state of Illinois tax payments shows that in October 2021 we are up about $1 million compared to October of 2020. She shared this is great news and most of that is from the online sales tax that we are now receiving. The cannabis tax now, has been collected for a year so she will start doing comparisons from October 2020. It has almost doubled in October 2021.
She reports that Hope Creek’s outstanding TAW is $1 million as well the general fund outstanding loans of almost $2,427,000.00. Employee Health Benefits still remains at the $764,715.47. The only other changing amount, other than the paying down is the Retiree’s that are covered by the health insurance plan they are being covered by the general fund. We record them here because if there’s enough property tax levy in the nursing home tax levy until 2027, when the bonds interest and principal is paid off we can reimburse the general fund. As the retirees hit the Medicare age it decreases the health benefit amount.
The general fund revenue is up this year and the expenses are down. She also wanted to share that NO ARPA funds have been moved to the general fund. Our general fund is “healthy” all by itself. Ms Palmer also shared some graphs that she prepared showing trends for Animal Control. She stated that Animal Control is a separate fund in our records.
Staff Reports
Treasurer Ms. Ewert stated that due to Ms. Palmer’s report being so thorough she will just touch on a couple things. One being the 4th Real Estate tax installment is due on Wednesday November 10th. She shared they do hope to make another payment on the Hope Creek tax anticipation note.
County Administrator Jim Snider reviewed the budget process as the budget is on the board agenda for consideration. He thanked April Palmer and her staff, Louisa, the administrative staff, Ryan Berger ARPA Project Manager, Kurt Davis and his staff, Chairman Brunk and Committee Chairman Moreno and the Budget Committee for their hard work. We begin in May or June with position budgeting and move through the year. This year has been an awesome year. As you know the federal government has said here’s twenty seven and a half million dollars and you have the opportunity to spend it. We received that news in March. It got us through the summer. Trying to figure out how we can spend this money. The rules were very vague. April and I have been on so many zoom calls trying to understand the definition of “is” is. We received some legal advice from our states attorney and also Ancel Glink, out of Chicago and the sheriff. In July we talked about the EMA director’s salary with 50% of that being ARPA eligible. It was determined that it was not eligible due to the fact that, that money was grant money. In August the board talked about fiber network for the EMA office hiring a Program Manager, and an Organizational Efficiency Assessment for the States Attorney’s office. In September the Board approved the squad car purchase for FY21 for $164,000.00 and $470,000.00 for squad cars for FY22. Overtime was also discussed with ARPA money. We are providing as detailed as we can, there are a lot of variables involved as far as some of these capital projects. Also the money that was allocated for salaries. It is eligible for ARPA money to be used for FICA, IMRF, and employee health benefit costs. We still need to work through that as a Board. But as you can see we are really creating quite a benefit to the budget with the ARPA money. On October 27th, 2021 we determined FY22-FY24 expensing 33.33% of the General Fund portion of State’s Attorney’s and Sheriff’s related departments salary expenses. We placed a $2 million place holder for a HVAC system for the County Office building. Upgrading the election equipment for the County Clerk’s office at $1.7 million. April and I discussed the act itself has a provision under article 2 that says you can spend money on things of this nature, election equipment, IT things of that nature but you have to take it from the lost revenue that you had. This is one of those curves that we are going to have to work through over the next few years. The U.S. Treasury says that if we’ve had a loss we cannot use money for these types of things. This year we did not have a loss because we sold Hope Creek for $4 million that offset our revenue. We are hoping the U.S. Treasury says that shouldn’t be a ding against us because we have all this debt remaining from Hope Creek why should that work against us for using ARPA money. We are hoping to get an opinion on that soon. That is for this year. But we can use as a base last year, FY22, FY23, FY24 we won’t have to factor in Hope Creek, so there will be revenue lost. We have to watch that very close going forward especially as we get into these bigger projects, that we are eligible to use ARPA money. These are things that the Budget Committee has placed in the budget for FY22. It’s up to the Board how you want to spend that money, totally a policy decision. There were some concerns brought up by D. Beck regarding the issues that may come up in the process of replacing HVAC in the County Office building. Per Mr. Snider that is why the place holder is at $2 million. K. Swanson shared that he was under the understanding that we want to hang onto this this building and learn from the lessons of the other structures in the neighborhood that you invest strategically. At the discretion of the County Administrator and County Board Chairman I think it’s appropriate to hear from Ryan. As our strategy is to bring back the health of the general fund. I would welcome a chance to hear on an ongoing basis from Ryan how we are applying these funds but that is totally up to the County Board Chairman and County Administrator. Chairman Brunk share that there’s been a number of times in the past three years, that the HVAC has went out on one side or the other of this building. To close this building is a major undertaking which involves negotiations with our bargaining units because they have numbers in several county facilities. There’s been days that we have had people working in this building when temperatures are over 90 degrees outside. That is one of the main reasons the HVAC system is a priority. The other thing is while the funds are in better shape than they have been for the last several years, it’s important to recognize that we still have some very significant items, issues that need to be addressed. Some of the items already approved for ARPA funds, squad cars. The sheriff’s department has squad cars that are thousands of miles beyond their recommended use. The HVAC is this building and a number of other things. So the more that we can stabilize the general county finances the better position we will be in going forward. Even if some of these items aren’t ARPA eligible and we determine to not use ARPA funds for them, the more stable our general finances are the more likely we will be able to address other issues as they arise. The big picture is it goes beyond current balances, it goes beyond immediate needs. B. Westpfahl stated that the air conditioner in this building was purchased 10 or 11 years ago. It served its purpose so it’s time to do something about it. It was purchased used and was only supposed to last about 7 years. J. Snider then shared that there’s still 1.8 million that they are working on as we are able to reimburse those positions that were hired back from layoffs due to COVID or positions that weren’t filled. These are estimates and as they work through the budget they will be able to give a clearer number on that. The Budget committee approved several requests for salary increases throughout several departments. The committee recommended for the Circuit Clerk’s office, the Public Defender’s office and the Court Administration that there would be a 5% increase put forth initially in FY22, as things move forward you will evaluate more at that time. The Highway department was approved by the compression issue, due to the fact they are self-sufficient. They do not use general fund money.
The budget also reflects a 2% place holder for non-union and union positions. If the budget is approved non union members will receive that 2% and union members will receive the amount that is negotiated in their contracts.
J. Snider also shared in his memo the Property tax levy for 2021 (payable in FY22) is a neutral levy. The tax levy was presented on October 18th and will be on the November 16th County Board agenda for approval.
Finance & Personnel Committee Report
Given by Chairman L. Moreno
Public Works & Facilities Committee Report
Given by Chairman L. Burns
Approval of the County Board Agenda as presented
Motion by L. Moreno. Seconded by K. Swanson
Motion for previous roll call By D. Adams. Seconded by A. Normoyle
The Committee of the Whole may entire into Closed Session for the following:
• 5 ILCS 120/2(c) (1) – The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee of the public body or against legal counsel for the public body todetermine its validity.
• 5 ILCS 120/2(c) (2) – Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees.
• 5 ILCS 120/2(c) (11) – Litigation, when an action against, affecting or on behalf of the particular public body has been filed and is pending before a court or administrative tribunal, or when the public body finds that an action is probably or imminent, in which case the basis for the finding shall be recorded and entered into the minutes of the closed meeting.
Motion to go into closed session by K. Swanson
Seconded by J. Deppe and L. Moreno
A roll call was taken: D. Cremeens, M. Burns, M. Moreno, L. Burns, L. Moreno, C. Enburg, J. Deppe, P. McNeil, D. Adams, A. Normoyle, E. Sowards, K. Swanson, E. Langdon, L. Boswell-Loftin, J. Woods, D. Beck, K. Bogdonas, L. Thompson- YES
R. Morthland, B. Westpfahl – NO
The committee of the Whole entered closed session at 6:37 PM.
Motion to go back into open session at 7:02 PM by L. Moreno. Seconded by K. Swanson A roll call was taken R. Morthland, D. Cremeens, M. Burns, M. Moreno, L. Burns, L. Moreno, C. Enburg, J. Deppe, P. McNeil, D. Adams, A. Normoyle, E. Sowards, K. Swanson, E. Langdon, L. Boswell-Loftin, D. Beck, J. Woods, D. Mielke, K. Bogdonas, L. Thompson, B. Westpfahl-YES
Committee Member opportunity for brief comment (no decisions will be made)
K. Swanson recognized Jim Snider for his great leadership and service he has provided to Rock Island County and thanked him. Chairman B. Vyncke recognized and thanked all Veterans.
Adjourn
Motion to adjourn by D. Adams. Seconded by D. Meilke
Motion for previous roll call by L. Burns. Seconded by P. McNeil at 7:04 PM
Motion carries
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