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03/11/09: Minutes - March 11, 2009 - Regular Monthly Meeting
The Hillcrest Village Board of Trustees met in regular monthly session
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at the Hillcrest Village Hall. President Rich Hicks
called the meeting to order at 7:02 P.M. Answering the roll call were Trustees
Jim Mecklenburg, Rich Elliott, Michele Hardcastle, Orrie Samp and Vicki Stewart.
President Hicks asked for a motion to approve the minutes. The minutes
of the February 11, 2009 regular meeting and the minutes of the February 25,
2009 budget workshop were approved upon a motion made by Trustee Samp; Trustee
Elliott seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes,
Hardcastle – yes, Samp - yes and Stewart - yes. The motion passed
unanimously.
Treasurer, Sarah Kilmer, gave the treasurer’s report, as of
the end of February 28, 2009 the general fund had a balance of $361,229.18;
motor fuel fund had a balance of $107,386.19; and the water fund had a balance
of $78,418.02. A motion to approve the treasurer’s report was made by Trustee
Mecklenburg; Trustee Samp seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg –
yes, Elliott – yes, Hardcastle – yes, Samp - yes and Stewart - yes. The motion
passed unanimously.
Treasurer Kilmer presented the Board of Trustees with
the claim sheet. A motion to approve the bills as submitted was made by Trustee
Mecklenburg; Trustee Hardcastle seconded the motion. Vote as follows:
Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Hardcastle – yes, Samp - yes and Stewart -
yes. The motion passed unanimously.
Treasurer Kilmer reminded the Board
of Trustees that their budget worksheets are due.
DEPARTMENT
UPDATES
FINANCE: Trustee Mecklenburg stated that he would be having a meeting
with Winebaugh & Associates tomorrow concerning the fiscal 07-08 audit.
Trustee Mecklenburg stated that the audit would be available for the Board of
Trustees to review at next month’s meeting.
WATER: Trustee Elliott
reported there was no new business to report.
HEALTH & WELFARE:
Trustee Hardcastle reported that Fulton Technologies had been out to the site
for the new storm warning system and the site has been marked for utilities and
flagged for placement of the pole. Trustee Hardcastle stated that the pole
should be set by the end of next week.
ORDINANCES: No report was
available.
STREETS: Trustee Samp reported stated that there was not a lot
going on in the street department right now due to the fact that maintenance
man, Robert Villatoro is in the process of locating all of the buffalo boxes in
the Village. Trustee Samp stated that the temporary fuel tank had been installed
and road work would resume when the weather breaks.
BUILDINGS &
GROUNDS: Trustee Stewart reported that there was no new business to
report.
Trustee Hardcastle stated that she had forgot to discuss clean up
days. Trustee Hardcastle asked are we setting dates for those. Clerk Adams
responded that the dates had already been set and she would provide that
information after the meeting.
POLICE DEPARTMENT: No report was
available.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT: No new business to report.
ATTORNEY COMMENTS : No attorney comments at this time.
VISITORS:
No visitor comments at this time.
OLD BUSINESS
There was no old
business to conduct.
NEW BUSINES
President Hicks stated the next item
of business is the sewer update and he introduced Carl Fisher of Baxter &
Woodman Consulting Engineers, Inc. Mr. Fisher stated that Baxter & Woodman
Consulting Engineers, Inc. had developed a facility plan for the Village and
parts one and two were completed just before stimulus package was created. Mr.
Fischer stated on February 17, 2009 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
was adopted so in essence that accelerated the work that we needed to do so, we
have proceeded to wrap up the facility plan and we should have the draft
available at the end of this week and we are planning to submit a grant
application to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, we have to do that to
get behind the stimulus package.
Mr. Fischer informed the Board of
Trustees that there was a summary sheet in their packets outlining the facility
plan which shows the options that Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers,
Inc. have looked at a regionalization alternative (connecting to Rochelle),
Hillcrest having their own wastewater treatment plant, land application, it is
required by Illinois Environmental Protection Agency that we look at that
possibility and then the no action plan; what if Hillcrest did nothing. Mr.
Fischer stated that if you look at these alternatives regionalization was by far
the most cost effective approach for the Village.
Mr. Fischer stated the
study area consists of the existing Hillcrest Facility Planning Area, the 540
acres, which Illinois Environmental Protection Agency denied to Hillcrest in its
original facility planning area creation request and an additional 80 acres. Mr.
Fischer stated that the population projections in the packet were established
before the housing market slowed down, your packets also show the properties
that we were planning to develop at that time and these projections go through
2030.
Mr. Fischer stated the last item he had included in the summary
packet is the funding. Mr. Fischer stated that the unsewered community grant
that is available through Illinois Environmental Protection Agency would give
Hillcrest approximately $4.4 million in grant money. Mr. Fischer stated that
with the stimulus package the way that works is that 50% of your total project
costs is eligible for the stimulus funding and then what they will do is loan
you that money at zero percent interest for twenty (20) years and you only have
to pay back half of it; that is on the stimulus portion. Mr. Fischer stated now
the rest of the money that you owe they will fund that under their regular loan
program at zero percent interest for twenty (20) years so, in that effect on the
money that is still left to pay after your unsewered community grant, you get
another 25 percent grant on top of that. Mr. Fischer stated so the net grant
funds that you will receive will be approximately 5.8 million dollars. Mr.
Fischer cautioned the Board of Trustees and reminded them that these figures are
projections. Mr. Fischer stated that these projections are based on last year’s
pricing with a little bit of inflation; we have not taken in to account the
current pricing and currently our bids are coming in on our projects anywhere
from two-thirds to three-fourths of our estimates. Mr. Fischer stated we don’t
know if that is just happening right now and things will go back to the pricing
we saw last year or if things will stay down where they are currently. Mr.
Fischer stated that with all these projects that are coming forward out of the
stimulus program I believe that prices are going to creep up at least a little
bit so, we are sticking with our projections.
Mr. Fischer stated so this
is where we stand on the facility plan and we are wrapping that up quickly, the
one thing that we are going to need from the Board of Trustees tonight is
approval to proceed with part three of the facility plan. Mr. Fischer stated the
faster part three is approved and we can get the paperwork submitted the better
the Village’s chances are of receiving some the stimulus monies that are
available. Mr. Fischer stated that Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers,
Inc. had started working on the design of the sanitary sewer system last
Tuesday, March 3rd when crews started surveying in the Village. Mr. Fischer
stated there is a lot of work to be done and the goal is to finish the design
and submit it to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency by the end of May
2009. Mr. Fischer stated he had spoken with Roy Harsch earlier today concerning
the agreement with Rochelle and a draft of that agreement should be available by
the end of next week.
Mr. Fischer stated Baxter & Woodman Consulting
Engineers, Inc. was very optimistic with the total construction time which was
set at 182 days for substantial completion however; that six months would be
over the winter and most likely that contract will be for a year. Mr. Fischer
stated the design was started in March, we will probably submit the facility
plan Friday of this week, the design should be approved by the end of May and
the advertising of bids will be at the control of Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency so, we hope we will receive authorization to do that by June
1, 2009. Mr. Fischer explained the bid process and stated that puts Baxter &
Woodman Consulting Engineers, Inc. coming before the Board of Trustees at the
July 2, 2009 regular board meeting to get approval of those bids and to get
authorization to put all of the information together and submit it to the state
and ask for the loan. Mr. Fischer stated that it would take Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency approximately four weeks to go through the
paperwork and the bids and if everything is acceptable they will issue the
Village a formal loan offer. Mr. Fischer stated that puts our notice of award
out in August 2009 with a notice to proceed and then all to contract paperwork
needs to be done and that would bring us to September 2009.
Mr. Fischer
asked the Board of Trustees if they had any questions. Trustee Stewart asked
what is the project price, the final number. Mr. Fischer stated the final number
will be based on the bid that is awarded, if the bids come in as we have
projected the loan amount will be four million, five hundred and eighty thousand
dollars. Mr. Fischer stated that would be paid off over a period of twenty years
at zero percent interest and the Village would be required to pay two payments a
year. Trustee Mecklenburg stated we are dealing with a lot of big numbers here
and two things come to mind; how confident are we in this agreement with
Rochelle. Mr. Fischer stated that a verbal agreement had been reached with
Rochelle and the attorney has that and is putting it into a written agreement.
Mr. Fischer stated that there is a verbal agreement on all of the issues we have
negotiated over the last year, it is a matter of putting the agreement on paper
and both parties living up to the obligations they have committed to. Trustee
Samp asked if Mr. Fischer had a rough idea of what the homeowner can expect.
President Hicks stated that will all depend on the construction price. Trustee
Mecklenburg stated that people are looking for numbers and rumors have a
tendency to run rampant. President Hicks stated it will not cost $7,000 a month
like the rumor that is going around. President Hicks stated those numbers will
be based on the construction bid that is awarded and we will let the people know
as soon as possible.
President Hicks asked for a motion to approve part
three of the facility plan. Trustee Mecklenburg made a motion to approve the
work order to move forward with phase III of the facility plan; Trustee Stewart
seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes,
Hardcastle – yes, Samp - yes and Stewart - yes.
Trustee Mecklenburg made
a motion to approve the engineering service agreement; Trustee Elliott seconded
the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Hardcastle – yes,
Samp - yes and Stewart - yes.
President Hicks stated the next order of
business is ordinance 031109-B establishing permit fees and asked the Board of
Trustees to look it over. Trustee Samp made a motion to accept ordinance
031109-B establishing permit fees; Trustee Stewart seconded the motion. Vote as
follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Hardcastle – yes, Samp - yes and
Stewart - yes.
President Hicks stated the next order of business is a
resolution 031109-A establishing guidelines to identify the employment status of
all persons employed by the Village of Hillcrest. Trustee Elliott made a motion
to accept resolution 031109-A establishing guidelines to identify the employment
status of all persons employed by the Village of Hillcrest; Trustee Hardcastle
seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes,
Hardcastle – yes, Samp - yes and Stewart - yes.
President Hicks asked for
a motion to enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel
and pending litigation. Trustee Samp made a motion to enter into executive
session to discuss personnel and pending litigation; Trustee Hardcastle seconded
the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Hardcastle – yes,
Samp - yes and Stewart - yes. The motion passed unanimously. The Board of
Trustees entered into executive session 7:27 p.m.
President Hicks asked
for a motion to return to open session. Trustee Samp made a motion to return to
open session; Trustee Hardcastle seconded the motion. Vote as follows:
Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Hardcastle – yes, Samp – yes and Stewart -
yes. The motion passed unanimously. The Board of Trustees returned to open
session at 7:44 p.m. President Hicks stated that no action was
taken.
PUBLIC COMMENT No public comment at this time.
There
being no further business to transact a motion to adjourn was made by Trustee
Hardcastle; Trustee Samp seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg –
yes, Elliott – yes, Hardcastle – yes, Samp - yes and Stewart – yes. The motion
passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m. The next regular monthly
meeting will be held April 8, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hillcrest Village
Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Teresa J. Adams,
Village Clerk
Posted: 3/11/2009 |
Updated: 3/11/2009