Rock Island Today

Rock Island County Finance and Personnel Committee met Oct. 15.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Brian Vyncke called the October 15th Finance & Personnel Committee meeting to order at 8:30am

1. Roll Call: Brian Vyncke, Dr. Rodney Simmer, Kai Swanson, Edna Sowards, County Board Chairman Richard “Quijas” Brunk

Members absent: Dr. Luis Moreno, Bob Perkins

Also Present: Ryan Berger, Nick Camlin, Patty Castro, Greg Thorpe, Jim Nelson, Jared VanTieghem, Captain Mindy Meyers, Karren Kinney, Amanda VanDaele, Bridgette Edgewater, Derrick Hendrickx, Jim Grafton.

2. Public Comment: NONE

3. Approval of minutes from the Tuesday September 9th Finance & Personnel Committee meeting Motion to approve: Kai Swanson Second: Edna Sowards Voice vote

motion carried via voice vote

4. Reports to the Committee

• County Treasurer Nick Camlin noted that on the Treasurer’s report the number from last month was carried over to this report under interest earned. It should be for FY2025 interest received in September 2025 should be $346,971.00 it is correct on the printout of all the funds it didn’t just carry over right on the cover letter. Treasurer Camlin cautioned everyone about mailing in your tax payments as the USPS has not been reliable. Treasurer Camlin noted that he just signed a $20M 6-month CD that will lock in a rate 10 basis points better than the bank offers now. At the end of this term we should net an additional $300,000.00. This $20M was just going to be sitting idle in our investment pool and now we are going to generate a little extra revenue in April of next year.

• County Finance Director Ryan Berger informed the committee that the FY26 budget is coming along pretty smoothly the final budget meeting is today. I will be doing a presentation on the budget at the County Board meeting on the 21st of this month and lay it on display so everyone will be view it and hopefully we will be able to approve it in November.

Motion to approve: Kai Swanson Second: Dr. Rodney Simmer Voice vote

Motion carried

5. Consider Delinquent Tax Resolutions:

a. Permanent Parcel Number: 09-30-114-015 Tax Payor ID#: (06) 1955 HA b. Permanent Parcel Number: 16-02-153-007 Tax Payor ID#: (09) 438 c. Permanent Parcel Number: 08-35-406-003 Tax Payor ID# (07) 3585 d. Permanent Parcel Number: 16-15-202-017 Tax Payor ID# (10) 1275-58 SM Motion to approve: Kai Swanson Second: Dr. Rodney Simmer Voice vote

Motion carried

6. Consider Purchase of Properties related to flood Plain

Motion to approve: Dr. Rodney Simmer Second: Kai Swanson

Discussion: Zoning & Building Director Greg Thorpe explained that he has worked with the Trustees to purchase these properties from the delinquent tax auction our hope is to purchase these properties to clean them up and then to keep the open space to use in our flood plain program. Dr. Simmer asked Mr. Thorpe about the property in Fruitland are we going to start buying all those properties down there? Mr. Thorpe answered this is the first one that popped up. Dr. Simmer said that Mille filled in that one area with storage facilities and they have done that before that just increases the flooding because gravel does not absorb like dirt does. Miller has been knee deep in buying properties there because this last year the City of Moline started digging those tubes up. Mr. Thorpe noted that he is concerned about this particular property as a neighbor could buy it and build on it, if we buy it we can keep it a nice green space. Dr. Simmer asked if this was Federal Funds. Mr. Thorpe answered it was local funds out of his budget. County Treasurer Camlin pointed out that under the Supreme Courts Tyler ruling you do not want to try to sell off property or we will have to pay back the owner for taking it from them. Mr. Swanson stated there could be a possible conflict of interest because this property abuts property owned by Augustana, but I have no interest in that.

Voice vote

Motion carried

7. Consider Court Services Agreement with Kane County Detention Services

Motion to approve: Kai Swanson Second: Dr. Rodney Simmer

Discussion: Court Services Director Derrick Hendrickx stated that they a seeking to have an agreement with Kane County to use their detention center for Juveniles. It is our intention to continue to use Mary Davis in Galesburg is our primary sight due to our proximity. This agreement with Kane County, who has a rather large and state of the art facility, and give us a reliable second option. Dr. Simmer aske if this was a little bit less of a resort Dr. Simmer noted that some of the Juveniles like to go because their friends are there. Mr. Swanson noted that a historical rumor was several years was that Rock island County was going to demolish the Court House and build a Juvenile detention center on that site. Voice vote

Motion carried

8. Consider change order from Evergreen Services related to a legal review.

Motion to approve: Kai Swanson Second: Edna Sowards

Discussion: County Board Chair Brunk said basically this was a request from our end just to ensure that the recommendations were fully and 100% aligned with State Statute.

Voice vote

Motion carried

9. Consider Resolution for the Office of the States Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor.

Motion to approve: Edna Sowards Second: Dr. Rodney Simmer

Discussion: Pat Castro of the States Attorney’s Office noted that this allows our office to try cases that our office has a conflict with and those cases get referred to the Illinois States Attorney Public Prosecutors Office and they will handle the case for us. They bill us according to population size and every States Attorney’s office across the State receives a bill and the Public Prosecutor requires that every County Board pass a resolution acknowledging the fee. Dr. Simmer asked if this is the same thing we have done in the past. Patty answered yes.

Voice vote

Motion carried

10. Consider improvement under Illinois Highway code for Supplement #2 of 23-00395-00-PV (CH63) Motion to approve: Kai Swanson Second: Edna Sowards

Voice vote

Motion carried

11. Consider Utility Agreement with AT&T Corp

Motion to approve: Dr. Rodney Simmer Second: Kai Swanson

Voice vote

Motion carried

12. Consider Transfer of Appropriations and Appropriation Resolutions for Funds Motion to approve: Kai Swanson Second: Dr. Rodney Simmer Voice vote

Motion carried

13. Consider Claims in the Amount of $1,914,852.81

Motion to approve: Dr. Rodney Simmer Second: Edna Sowards

Voice vote

Motion carried

14. Consider Treasurer’s Disbursements in the amount of $4,416,647.17

Motion to approve: Kai Swanson Second: Dr. Rodney Simmer Voice vote

Motion carried

15. Consider Board Member Per Diem Mileage Report

Motion to approve: Dr. Rodney Simmer Second: Edna Sowards

Voice vote

Motion carried

16. Closed Session if needed—None

17. Consider Action as necessary based on Closed Session- None

18. Committee member opportunity for brief comment (no decisions will be made) Kai Swanson questioned a TD of $1,000 for a glass desktop it does kind of makes sense. I would like to take the opportunity to say thanks to everybody here it is so different to have these meetings now to create a budget and years ago it did not work the way it does now. Vice Chair Vyncke said it is much more of a joy to be on the budget committee now. Dr. Simmer noted that the leadership has changed dramatically and in the direction that we are heading now. County Clerk Karen County asked CBC Brunk what he heard about passenger rail. CBC Brunk said even if we get the funding it will still take a few years.

23. Adjourn

Motion: Dr. Rodney Simmer Second: Edna Sowards Voice Vote

Motion carried

https://www.rockislandcountyil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/1985?fileID=2093