09/29/2014C.O.W – October 9, 2014
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE – Minutes of Meeting
October 9, 2014
The Village Board met as a Committee of the Whole in the Council Chambers of the Village
Hall at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, October 9, 2014. In attendance were:
PRESENT:
Village Board Staff
Harriet Rosenthal, Mayor Kent Street, Village Manager
Robert Benton, Trustee Andrew Lichterman, Asst. to the Village Manager
Alan Farkas, Trustee Eric Burk, Finance Director
Thomas Jester, Trustee Barbara Little, Director of PW and Engineering
Robert Nadler, Trustee Robert Phillips, Asst. Director of PW and Eng.
William Seiden, Trustee Eric Oscarson, Asst. to the Director of PW
Barbara Struthers, Trustee John Sliozis, Police Chief
Jeff Ryckaert, Senior Planner
Clint Case, Code Enforcement Supervisor
David Fitzgerald, Management Analyst
Public Comment
None on non-agenda items
Follow-up Discussion Items
Village Manager Street reported that staff had researched questions posed by the Board at the
September 29, 2014, Committee of the Whole meeting and supplemental materials were
provided to the Board in advance of tonight’s meeting. Manager Street suggested that the Board
discuss each of these items prior to reviewing the departmental budgets.
Debt Service Summary
Finance Director Burk reviewed the outstanding and projected debt service. He noted the 2014
tax levy will be payable in 2015 and is projected to total approximately $6,000,000. He noted the
tax rate has increased over the last few years due to a declining EAV and increasing tax levy.
Trustee Jester noted that virtually the entire property tax levy supports infrastructure spending.
Water Rate Summary
Mayor Rosenthal thanked Mr. Burk for providing water rate history. Mr. Burk stated the chart
shows the difference between the wholesale rate from Highland Park and the Deerfield rate over
the last few years. He noted that Highland Park includes capital costs in the wholesale rate.
Manager Street noted the 2015 budget includes a 10 cent per unit increase. He noted Highland
Park increased the wholesale rate by 8 cents and the Village is requesting an additional 2 cent per
unit increase to cover delivery and operational costs.
Inflow and Infiltration Project Overview
Public Works and Engineering Director Little reviewed the memos regarding inflow and
infiltration reduction. She noted the goal is to reduce the frequency of discharges at the Deerfield
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Road and Warwick Road pumping station and reduce the amount of storm water unnecessarily
being treated. She noted this includes removing private sump pumps from the wastewater system
and improving public sewers. She stated the Village is already experiencing reductions in inflow
and infiltration from the downspout disconnection program. More smoke testing will be done
later in the week. She noted that eliminating sump pump cross connections would improve
inflow and infiltration reductions but would require a closing ordinance or home inspection
program to implement. Trustee Struthers noted that sump pumps are a large contributor to inflow
and infiltration.
Trustee Jester asked what percentage of homes have been found to have downspouts connected
to the sanitary sewer. Assistant to the Director of Public Works and Engineering Oscarson stated
about 10 percent. Ms. Little reported that downspouts found to be improperly connected will be
addressed.
Trustee Benton inquired about the savings the Village would experience as a result of reducing
inflow and infiltration. Mr. Oscarson noted that the savings would come from reduced operating
costs, reduced capacity costs and reduced wear and tear on the system. Assistant Public Works
and Engineering Director Phillips stated that the major cost savings would come from reducing
enough inflow and infiltration so that the Warwick Road pump station would not longer operate
and an expensive retrofitting could be avoided.
Code Enforcement Supervisor Case expressed concern with requiring homeowners to disconnect
footing tiles, which can be expensive to change. Manager Street noted that some communities
offer a cost-sharing program as a way to address this. Trustee Seiden stated that some cross
connections were legal when the homes were built. Trustee Farkas suggested recording the
illegal cross connection on the title of the home similar to a lien or other defect. Trustee Jester
noted that footing and driveway drains would also be expensive to correct and suggested that the
Village focus on easier items such as downspouts and sump pumps for now.
Mayor Rosenthal requested that staff prepare a report and recommendation regarding a closing
ordinance to address downspout and sump pump cross connections.
Water Meter Replacement Program
Ms. Little reviewed the follow-up memo regarding outsourcing water meter replacements. She
noted that staff had removed some capital projects from the plan to help cover the upfront cost of
the program, which would lead to savings in later years. She noted it would take the Village
more than three years to complete this project in-house at a cost of $830,000. Outsourcing this
operation would cost $770,000 and finish the project in less than a year. This would also result in
lower operating costs, as one meter reader would be reassigned to fill an upcoming vacancy.
Trustee Struthers noted that this proposal makes great sense and would save money over the
long-term. Mayor Rosenthal agreed and asked staff to proceed with the proposal.
Lake Cook Road at Pine traffic Movements
Ms. Little outlined the memo regarding cross traffic on Lake Cook Road at Pine and Birchwood.
She noted that current data indicates there have been no accidents that could have been prevented
by changing the traffic pattern and there are minimal through movements. She reported the Cook
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County Highway Department will only agree to modify the signal if there is data to support the
change and it does not currently exist. Police Chief Sliozis noted that Village ordinance currently
prohibits through movements but it’s a County Road and they have modified their signal in a
way that is now inconsistent with Village ordinance. Ms. Little recommended the Village change
the existing ordinance to match the current condition. Trustee Jester reiterated his desire to revert
to the previous traffic flow. He inquired if the light could be changed to allow a short left turn
light followed by a full green light. Mayor Rosenthal requested that staff provide the current
traffic data to the County for their consideration.
Public Works and Engineering Staffing Memo
Mr. Phillips reviewed the memo regarding an additional engineering employee. Trustee Farkas
noted that the goal of the in-sourcing idea was to save money by reducing spending on outside
engineering, but the proposal still calls for some outsourcing. Mr. Phillips noted that after further
evaluation it was determined that a single entry-level engineering employee would not offer
enough capacity to cover all the engineering required for the upcoming projects. Trustee Farkas
asked that staff lower the amount requested from $200,000 to $150,000 for professional
engineering consultants and come back to the Board if more funding is required. Mr. Phillips
noted that upcoming projects would require a significant amount of engineering support. Trustee
Nadler stated that biggest complaint he hears from residents is the turn-around time for permits
and would like to see the additional staff help reduce the wait time.
Mr. Phillips stated that the engineering consultant would be required primarily for the Briarwood
Vista project. He noted he would seek proposals and present a contract to the Board for
consideration. Trustee Seiden asked if there would be too much down time during the winter.
Mr. Phillips stated that the department is always busy helping residents and planning for
upcoming projects. Manager Street stated the communication level and expectations of residents
have both increased. He stated the proposed budget would include funding for new in-house
engineering staff and $150,000 for contractual engineering services.
Revised Capital Improvement Plan
Ms. Little reviewed the revised Capital Improvement Plan. She noted that the alley paving
project had been removed and that the unimproved alley vacation program had been reduced.
She also noted that the revised CIP further delineated between capital improvements,
professional services and maintenance. Trustee Struthers inquired if the grant funding for the
Kates Road Bridge project was secured. Mr. Phillips noted that the project qualifies for federal
grant funding. Trustee Farkas inquired about the changes to the unimproved alley vacation
program and asked that staff consider requiring residents to participate financially. Mr.
Lichterman noted that budget amount will support the program on a case-by-case basis and
residents that request the Village to vacate the unimproved alley can also be required to
participate financially. Mr. Oscarson noted that vacating alleys in their entirety is important
because if the vacation is piecemeal it could lead to access issues. Mayor Rosenthal noted there
will be a cost savings to the Village as we will no longer have to maintain the property.
Finance Department Budget Request
Mr. Burk reported that the Finance Department consists of eight employees, including the HR
Coordinator and a building custodian. He noted no staffing changes are requested. He noted the
C.O.W – October 9, 2014
requested budget is approximately a 10% reduction over last year. Trustee Nadler asked about
the Walgreens tax rebate projections. Mr. Burk stated Walgreens had indicated it would be about
the same as last year.
Information Technology Budget Request
Mr. Lichterman reported that IT is spread among all of the departments in the budget. Computer
Systems Coordinator Weiss reviewed the highlights of his memo regarding 2015 IT budget. He
noted it includes equipment replacements, software maintenance agreements and an emphasis on
disaster recovery and business continuity systems. His general strategy for IT is to maximize use
and lifespan of existing resources, stay current with licensing and be effective in purchasing
while focusing on security, compliance and continuous operation. Trustee Jester asked if enough
money is being put in the replacement fund due to the rapidly changing nature of technology.
Mr. Weiss noted he consistently reviews this and monitors the five-year plan to ensure proper
funding. Trustee Farkas asked about the Village’s exposure to hackers Mr. Weiss reported the
Village uses virus filtering, access restrictions and other precautions. He noted system security is
critical and he is comfortable the Village is doing what is reasonable.
Administration Budget Request
Mr. Lichterman reported the Administration Department is requesting approximately a 5%
increase over last year. He noted that the budget includes a request for a part-time intern. He
noted that the department made staff changes in 2010 and has been operating efficiently while
taking on additional programs and responsibilities. The Administration Department has had a
number of qualified interns in that past. Mayor Rosenthal noted there was a consensus to move
forward with the position.
Mr. Lichterman noted the budget also includes a request for a Village-wide asset management
system, installation of video cameras at Village Hall, and a project to optimize the Village’s
website to improve functionality. He noted that the Village may need to participate in capital
cost upgrades for the Highland Park Public Access Studio, which the Village currently relies on
for government cable broadcasts. He noted $30,000 is budgeted for this project but staff is
participating in a consortium to explore best-practices and way to keep the costs low.
Senior Taxi Program Review
Management Analyst Fitzgerald reported on the increasing popularity and cost of the taxi
subsidy program. He noted the program gained 84 new participants to date this calendar year,
compared to 72 new participants last year. He presented options that could help control the
growth of the program’s costs that included reducing the number of tickets distributed and
reducing the amount of the subsidy. Mayor Rosenthal stated she thinks the program is very
important for people who need transportation due to disability, inability to drive or some other
hardship. She noted that some people use the taxi program to get to O’Hare Airport to go on
vacation and believes the program should only be use by people who need it. Trustee Farkas
inquired if the program could be refined to still provide assistance to people who need it while
discouraging people who do not need it from participating. Trustee Struthers noted that she is
very pleased the Village offers the program as it allows people to age in place and keeps
individuals from being home bound. Mayor Rosenthal asked staff to further review and monitor
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the program to encourage use by only those who truly need the subsidized service.
Mayor Rosenthal thanked staff for preparing the 2015 budget proposals. Manager Street noted
the budget public hearing and presentation would be made at the November 3, 2014 Board
meeting.
Adjournment
Trustee Farkas made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Trustee Struthers.
The meeting adjourned at 5:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
David Fitzgerald,
Management Analyst