DRAFT

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MINUTES

February 10, 2009

The Executive Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 7:00p.m. at the Administration Building’s Conference Room East.  Chairman Tobias called the meeting to order. Members present were Marlene Allen, Ken Andersen, Larry Anderson, Eileen Dubin, Julia Fauci, Pat LaVigne and Jeff Metzger, Sr..  Michael Haines was absent.  Others present were Ray Bockman, Mark Todd, Pat Vary, Aaron Ruder, John Hulseberg, Anita Turner, Jerry Augsburger, Steve Walt, Paul Stoddard and Riley Oncken.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

          Moved by Ms. LaVigne, seconded by Mr. Anderson, and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes from January 2009.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

          Moved by Mr. Andersen, seconded by Ms. Allen, and it was carried unanimously to approve the  agenda.

APPOINTMENTS

1.  Community Services Administrative Board:     Mr. John Hulseberg

                                                                                    Appointment for an indefinite

term.

2.  DeKalb County Nursing Home

     Foundation Board:                                               Ms. Veronica Casella

                                                                                    Ms. Carol Cleveland

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Both reappointments for the term

of 3 years, until 02/01/2012.

3.  Metropolitan Planning Organization:                 Ms. Patricia LaVigne, reappointment for a term  

of 1 year, until 02/01/2010

Ruth Anne – then please ask for a motion to approve these appointments.

1.         Appointments expiring for March 2009:

1.      All of the Fire Districts

2.      DeKalb Sanitary District – 1 position

          Moved by Mr. Andersen, seconded by Ms. Allen, and it was carried unanimously to forward the appointments to the full board for approval.

DEKALB AREA CONVENTION AND VISITOR’S BUREAU

          Ms. Dubin informed the committee that Ms. Deb Armstrong from the DeKalb Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) approached the Economic Development Committee at their last meeting and introduced herself and her team to the committee.  They came to discuss with the committee several issues.  The first issue is to seek a letter of support from the County Board for their CVB.  Secondly, they asked for support with funding from the County.  Thirdly, they asked for in-kind office space.

          She explained that Ms. Armstrong’s office along with the Northern Illinois Tourism Office, produces a countywide book that is supposed to highlight all of the cities and towns in the County.  The only towns that are mainly highlighted are the cities of DeKalb and Sycamore.  The other towns and cities are mentioned briefly, but the City of Sandwich is not mentioned in the book.  Ms. Armstrong explained to the Economic Development Committee that the City of Sandwich had already entered into an agreement with the Aurora CVB because they are certified.  Ms. Armstrong’s CVB office needs to become certified and part of that process is to do exactly what she is doing tonight, approach the various towns, cities and the County to seek support.  Therefore, Ms. Dubin said, the committee sent the issue to the Executive Committee tonight to discuss it further and see if the County Board wants to support the DeKalb Area CVB and at what level.

          Ms. Dubin also said that recently she had read an article in the newspaper that the City of Sycamore is taking the revenue for the hotel taxes that was about $250,000, which is a significant amount of money, to balance their budget.  It is the cities and the hotel taxes that are bringing in the money for the CVB, she did not think that there was anything coming from the County.

          Mr. Bockman said that the State created a mechanism for the CVB’s to receive monies through the hotel taxes.  The way the law is structured it states that the monies can either be levied by a city or the county.    He said that in year’s past he had checked with the cities to see if they would like to not levy it and let the County levy it and the cities declined the offer.  He further stated that if the County levied it then we could fund the CVB in everyone’s interest.  We could not levy the rooms that are in Sandwich that are not in our County.

          Mr. Metzger, Sr., said that he went to the Northern Illinois Tourism Bureau last year and asked if there was a way to produce a book that included all of the cities and towns in the County.  They exchanged some emails and was told by them that Sandwich wasn’t in our County’s CVB.  He also explained that Mr. Paul Borek, the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation Director, was very instrumental at that time to get Sandwich to join the Aurora CVB.  He would like to table the motion tonight, but he doesn’t want to kill it.  He really feels that we need a certified CVB for DeKalb County, but he wants an assurance from them that the all of the towns and cities will be included in their publications and books.  He further stated that when he recently spoke to Mr. Paul Borek, he asked him if the CVB’s could work together?  Mr. Borek told him that they should be.

After a brief discussion it was moved by Mr. Metzger, Sr., seconded by Ms. LaVigne, and it was carried to draft a letter back to Ms. Armstrong stating the concerns and wants of this committee discussed here tonight.  That this committee wants an assurance in writing that all cities and towns will be included in their publications and books that they produce.

APPROVAL OF THE COUNTY BOARD AGENDA

Mr. Ray Bockman, County Administrator, reviewed the County Board Agenda for the Board Meeting to be held on February 18, 2009.

Moved by Mr. Andersen, seconded by Mr. Metzger, Sr., and it was carried unanimously to approve the County Board Agenda and to forward it to the full board for approval.

GENERAL DISCUSSION

          Ms. LaVigne, Chairman of the County Highway Committee, said that she had no report.

          Mr. Metzger, Sr., Chairman of the Health & Human Services Committee, said that his committee had presentations from Tri-County, Mary Ramp and Hope Haven.  The committee also briefly discussed the article that appeared in the local newspaper relative to the possible closing of the Kishwaukee Hospital Mental Health unit.  He said that he has invited Mr. Brad Copple and Ms. Pam Duffy from the Hospital to their next meeting to discuss this issue. 

          Ms. Allen, Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee, said that they heard from Ms. Stromborg regarding the recent Drug Court Graduation Ceremony.  Ms. Jill Olsen, Director of the CASA program here in the County updated the committee on what her office has been doing since the last time that they saw her.  Ms. Gilmour thanked Mr. Ken Andersen, Russ Josh and Alice Elliot for all of their hard work with regards to the Safe House project.  Ms. Allen also thanked Mr. John Hulseberg who was responsible for bringing this issue to the Law and Justice Committee too.

          Ms. Fauci, Chairman of the Forest Preserve Committee said that the Forest Preserve Committee would not be meeting in February.  They will be bringing one item to the County Board meeting next week regarding the FY2008 Year End Budget Transfers.

Mr. Andersen, Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee, said that they are sending one item to the full board for approval this month.  He also mentioned that he attended a Wind Farm Conference in Peoria that was very informative.  He will be giving the handouts and materials that he received from the conference to Ms. Supple to make copies available to all county board members that want them.

He also mentioned the Ad Hoc Solid Waste Committee meeting that was held on this past Monday, regarding the Draft Host Fee Agreement. 

Mr. Bockman said that there would be a County Board Workshop held on February 24^th at 7:00p.m. in the Gathertorium on this issue. 

Regarding the Florida Power and Light public hearing scheduled for February 19^th, Mr. Metzger, Sr., asked if there would be any materials mailed out to county board members to review?

Mr. Andersen said that the FPL application had been handed out to all Planning and Zoning members.  He would check with Mr. Paul Miller about this question.

Mr. Hulseberg mentioned that you can find the FPL application online on the County’s website.

Ms. Dubin, Chairman of the Economic Development Committee said that

her committee heard from Ms. Deb Armstrong from the DeKalb Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Mr. Paul Borek.  She also mentioned that her committee discussed an article that she found in the “L.A. Times” stating that Blu-Ray and HD technology is emerging in the creation of small businesses and mid-size companies. 

          Chairman Tobias said that she spoke with the Chairman of Lee County regarding the Wind Farms in his county.  He told her that he would take a lot more of them. 

          Ms. Fauci asked her if he had mentioned any “green” jobs that may have been created because of the Wind Farm?

          Chairman Tobias said that he didn’t mention that and that she will check with him on this issue.

          Chairman Tobias asked Mr. Bockman with the snow melting have there been any problems with Evergreen Village?

          Mr. Bockman said that not at the moment.  He said that the latest news is that we are still waiting on the State as to who has the money.  Ms. O’Toole and he have authorized the completion of our application and we did get an appraisal done of the business. They have asked our legislators and the lobbyists for help in receiving any funding for this project. It has also been submitted along with the Illinois EPA stimulus package. He further stated that what is being done now is being done by the County at our own cost.  None of these costs will be recouped.  If they do approve a Mitigation Grant then those people that work on the actual mitigation can be paid out of that grant.  The last that we have heard is that they are short of funds. 

          Since we are not the only ones with an approved plan, if there is a disaster anywhere, in the state, 15% of the monies for the public assistance portion of what FEMA puts into that particular disaster for public entities, goes to the IEMA hazard mitigation grant program - not to us.  There is not enough money in there now to cover the Evergreen Village project and there are other projects that we are competing with.  What is holding up our project right now is $2 million.  If the county board tells me that you would like to invest some County funds in this project, $1 million or $2 million would probably make this happen.  The problem with the project is the 75% money and the match.  Twenty-five percent (25%) has got to come from somebody, as a match, not FEMA funds.  Right now we are focused on IDNR.  They have money that can be used for flood prone properties, not the trailers.  For example, they could pay for ground that Mr. Santoro owns. If Mr. Santoro’s property is worth enough, their money can be used as a match towards the federal grant.  We are trying to work something out with IDNR and that hopefully their money will be enough where it will be 25% of the entire project so that we can use their money to match the federal money so that we can get the deal done and the County does not have to pay.

          Mr. Bockman also informed the committee that the final version of the Host Fee Agreement would be going out next week. 

          Chairman Tobias reminded the committee that a vote on the Host Fee Agreement does not mean a yes vote on the expansion for the landfill.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved by Mr. Andersen, seconded by Ms. Fauci, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

______________________________

Chairman Ruth Anne Tobias

RAT:mcs

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