Rock Island Today

City of East Moline Committee of the Whole met Jan. 21.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

ROLL CALL

Mayor Freeman called the meeting to order and directed the City Clerk Wanda Roberts-Bontz to call the roll. The following Alderpersons were present: Olivia Dorothy, Jeffrey Deppe, Nancy Mulcahey, Adam Guthrie, Rhea Oakes, Lynn Segura, and Jose Rico. 6:56 p.m.

ADDITIONS/CORRECTIONS TO AGENDA

None

Approval of 2025 Chemical Bid Purchases for Water Treatment Plant (Antrena Trimble, Director of Wastewater Treatment Plant)

Influent pumps bring the flow into the treatment plant from the collection system.

Wastewater Treatment Facility- 1 out of 4 Influent pumps had a mechanical failure. The failed pump is our low flow Influent pump design to manage our low daily flows. We are requesting authorization to repair the Influent pump at the cost of $41,366.

Jada Motor Service- Repair cost $41,366 Cause of failure- Seal failure/ water in windings.

New pump quotes

Zimmer & Franceson $89,599.00

Jada Motor Service $106,598.00

Linden & Company $92,378.00

RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION: Approval the cost for repairs.

A motion was made by Alderperson Dorothy, seconded by Alderperson Oakes to concur with the recommendation as presented. Upon roll call the following voted in favor: Dorothy, Guthrie, Oakes, and Segura. Motion carried.

Disposal of Surplus Vehicles and Purchase of New Vehicles by Police Department (Chief Jeff Ramsey, EMPD)

Two new police administrative vehicles were budgeted for the FY2025 budget with a total budget of $55,000 set aside in the Motor Pool-Vehicle Replacement Fund. I am requesting the replacement of Vehicle 527 (2011 Nissan Maxima 132,689 miles) and vehicle 522 (2012 Chevrolet Malibu 122,050

miles). These vehicles are among the oldest in the fleet and with the highest mileage. Costs of repairs and maintenance for both of these vehicles is getting costly and that trend will likely continue due to their age and mileage.

A quote was received from Green Chevrolet (East Moline) on a Chevrolet Equinox in the amount of $27,298.70 per vehicle, for a total cost of $54,597.40. A quote was also received from Erickson Chevrolet (Milan) on a Chevrolet Equinox in the amount of $27,274.70 per vehicle, for a total cost of $54,549.40. Both of these are within the budget. The recommendation is to go with Green Chevrolet (East Moline) as there is only a minor price difference between the two quotes.

The police department will dispose of vehicle 527 (2011 Nissan Maxima #1N4AA5AP2BC820663) and vehicle 522 (2012 Chevrolet Malibu #1G1ZC5E06CF281378) through one of the following methods: “sealed bid, live auction, trade or sell for scrap”

RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION: Approve purchase of new vehicle through Green Chevrolet and disposal of old vehicles.

A motion was made by Alderperson Segura, seconded by Alderperson Dorothy to concur with the recommendation as presented. Upon roll call the following voted in favor: Dorothy, Guthrie, Oakes, and Segura. Motion carried.

Archer Drive/30th Avenue Traffic Signal Vehicle Detection (Tim Kammler, Director of Engineering)

The traffic signals at Archer Drive & 30th Avenue have broken and outdated detector loops. These are the wires embedded in the pavement that detect vehicles via magnetic impulse. While this intersection was resurfaced within the past 10 years, the original pavement underneath was not. As such, the detector loops in this location have continued to break, primarily due to differential settlement of the pavement slabs. To provide a lasting repair, the pavement throughout the intersection and turn lanes would need to be replaced and new detector wires cut into the new pavement slabs.

As a cost-saving alternative which would also provide a lasting solution, staff requested a cost proposal for the installation of video detection from our on-call electrical service contractor (DECCO). In this configuration, video cameras are used to tell the traffic controller when vehicles are at the intersection. The city has been upgrading to video detection in a number of intersections (or on 1-2 legs of an intersection) around the city, in locations where the old magnetic detector loops have repeatedly broken or shorted-out.

The city has utilized Davenport Electric Contract Company (DECCO) for many years to provide on- call services to make repairs to our signals all over the city; DECCO is uniquely familiar with East Moline's traffic signals and the various eccentricities at each location. As part of our ongoing business relationship, DECCO personnel often donate time for small repairs and "re-sets" which consistently saves us money.

In the FY2025 budget, staff have budgeted for the cost to replace the old magnetic-loop detection with video detection at this intersection. Staff would recommend approval of the DECCO quote for this work, which is attached for review and consideration.

RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION: Award Archer Dr / 30th Ave Video Detection to DECCO

A motion was made by Alderperson Segura, seconded by Alderperson Oakes to concur with the recommendation as presented. Upon roll call the following voted in favor: Dorothy, Guthrie, Oakes, and Segura. Motion carried.

FY 25 COLA Adjustment for Exempt Employees (Mark Rothert, City Administrator)

During the FY25 budget development process, the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for exempt employees was established at 1.0%. The intent was to balance the budget by achieving necessary savings while ensuring that, when combined with the 1.5% performance-based increase, exempt employees would see a total pay increase of 2.5%, aligning with both the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Social Security Administration (SSA) COLA benchmarks for 2025.

However, since the adoption of the budget, the administration has reviewed this adjustment in comparison with other COLAs across the organization and now recommends amending the exempt employee COLA to 2.5% to eliminate and reduce disparities between employee groups. This additional COLA adjustment represents an approximate cost of $50,000. The additional funds needed will be sourced through targeted cost reductions across line items in both the General Fund and Enterprise Funds, where exempt employee salaries are paid. Staff has carefully evaluated reductions and believes they can be absorbed without impacting critical services or operations. Exempt employees will also still be eligible for up to a 1.5% performance-based increase after their annual evaluation.

As this adjustment is the right step in addressing pay equity across all employees, approval is recommended.

RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION: Approval

A motion was made by Alderperson Guthrie, seconded by Alderperson Segura to concur with the recommendation as presented. Upon roll call the following voted in favor: Dorothy, Guthrie, Oakes, and Segura. Motion carried.

Mark Rothert thanked the people assisting with the Rate Study along with Mr. Tim Kammler, Ms. Antrena Trimble, Ms. Brianna Huber and Ms. Kimberly Rodriguez.

ADJOURMENT:

A motion was made by Alderperson Oakes, seconded by Alderperson Guthrie to adjourn the Committee-of-the-Whole meeting. A voice vote was taken. Motion carried. 7:10 p.m.

https://www.eastmoline.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_01212025-1084