The Administrative Services Committee of the DeKalb County Board met Wednesday, April 7, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. at the DeKalb County Government Administration Building Conference Room East. Chairperson Sue Leifheit called the meeting to order. Mr. Stephen Faivre, Mr. Jeff Metzger, Mr. Dennis Sands, Mr. Roger Steimel, Ms. Ruth Anne Tobias, Mr. Frank Van Buer, Mr. Joseph Wiegand and Mr. John A. Wilson were present. Also present were Ms. Joan Berkes-Hanson, Mr. Ray Bockman, Mr. Ken Campbell, Mr. Gary Hanson, Mr. Roger Hopkins, and Mr. Greg Millburg.

UPDATE ON COURTHOUSE STAINED GLASS WINDOW PROJECT

Ken Campbell reported to the committee that the three stained glass windows on the north side of the courthouse are unstable and in need of attention to preserve and protect them from further ruin. He reported that he has sought out consultants through recommendations from stained glass restoration projects in the community. He received bids at $24,500 and $42,000. He felt there was a wide spread and wanted to do more research on his own. He contacted Mr. Neil Vogel of Restoric Art Glass Consultants, a company from Evanston, Illinois. Mr. Vogel is an expert on art glass restoration and has an impressive background of knowledge. Mr. Campbell paid him $590 to come to Sycamore and make recommendations after evaluating the stained glass in the courthouse. Mr. Volgel reported the windows to be in poor to fair condition with no immediate danger of structural damage. He recommended that they be restored in the near future. The ballpark figure to do the work (to write the specifications and to contract the work out to qualified crafters) was between $45,000 to $50,000. Mr. Campbell reported that Administrative Services Committee had approved $30,000 to evaluate the windows. He is asking the committee to approve another $20,570 to complete the work. Mr. Sands asked what it would cost to write the specifications. Mr. Campbell answered it would cost about $2,000.

Mr. Bockman, distributed a resolution and a letter from Roger Hopkins of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation, regarding the Project Temecula Property Tax Abatement Request - City of DeKalb, Park 88 (A copy of which is on file along with these minutes in the Finance Office). Mr. Bockman stated the company who wants the abatement is going by the code name "Temecula" to keep their identity unknown for the time being. He stated that regardless if the resolution passes tonight, it would have to be voted on again in the future with the real name of the company. The company wants reassurances that all of the taxing bodies will abate the taxes while they are still evaluating other potential sites. Mr. Bockman reminded the committee of their past resolution directing projects for abatement to be reviewed and recommended by the Administrative Services Committee to the County Board. He introduced Roger Hopkins, Executive Director of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation to answer any questions from the committee.

Many members voiced their struggle on passing a resolution for a company without the real name. Mr. Bockman explained that while he thought it a strange way of asking for the committee’s assurance, he added that the name doesn’t matter because they were giving acceptance to the action to abate companies looking to come to DeKalb County. Chairperson Leifheit told the committee they will have to support another resolution with the real name when it is known.

Chairperson Leifheit voted for the resolution with the tie breaking vote.

Chairperson Leifheit thanked everyone and then heard a motion to adjourn.

Respectfully submitted,

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Sue Leifheit, Chairman