Chambana Sun

Champaign County Board Committee of the Whole met October 10. 

Here is the minutes as provided by the committee:

Call to Order

     Weibel called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m.

Roll Call

     Rhodes called the roll. Anderson, Clemmons, Cowart, Esry, Goss, Harper, Hartke, King, Marsh, McGuire, Michaels, Patterson, Petrie, Rector, Rosales, Summers, and Weibel were present at the time of roll call, establishing the presence of a quorum.

Approval of Agenda/Addenda

     MOTION by Esry to approve the Agenda/Addenda as amended; seconded by Goss. Motion carried with unanimous support.

Approval of Minutes

     MOTION by Harper to approve the minutes of September 12, 2017; seconded by King. Michaels noted a discrepancy between the members listed as present and the actual roll call establishing a quorum. Rhodes would check with the recording secretary for corrections and the minutes of September 12, 2017 and the minutes would be brought back to committee for approval once corrected.

Public Participation

     Champaign County Circuit Clerk, Katie Blakeman, updated the committee on Amnesty Week, which took place October 2-6, 2017. She explained that anyone with outstanding criminal or traffic fines and fees had a chance to settle delinquent accounts. All collection and late fees were waived if the entire case was paid. The Circuit Clerk’s office is still accepting payments by mail post-marked October 6, 2017, so while she did not have the final numbers, Blakeman shared the tally so far. To date, 166 cases came in last week and of those customers, the Circuit Clerk’s office was able to provide compliance paperwork for 143 cases. The total amount of money collected was $117,000. The actual break down of the distribution of funds to various entities is unknown at this time. She estimated that the savings to customers who participated in the event was approximately $35,000. Blakeman will have final numbers at the end of the month.

     Dottie Vura-Weis spoke about the Public Safety Sales Tax referendum, which was passed in 1998. She was concerned that only 5% of the Public Safety Sales Tax Fund goes towards crime prevention and that the fund is also used to pay for justice facility utilities. She spoke of the importance of pre-trial services.

     Niloofar Shambayati spoke against jail expansion and in support of a community mental health center.

Communications

     King announced the CU West African Drum and Dance Collective would host the Midwest Mandeng October 13-15, 2017 at Krannert Center. Snider congratulated the Circuit Clerk on the success of the Amnesty event.

Justice & Social Services 

Monthly Reports

     The monthly reports were received and placed on file.

Other Business

     There was no other business.

Chair’s Report 

NACo Creative Counties

     Lynn Canfield, Director of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Boards, discussed an opportunity for the County to participate in the NACo Creative Counties Place- Making Challenge. The project she proposed would involve members of the Alliance for Inclusion and Respect. Several partners are artists and entrepreneurs who have a disability or experience with a behavioral health condition. In order to apply, it is necessary to have the participation of an elected county official. King volunteered and Canfield will keep the County Board updated.

Policy, Personnel, & Appointments 

Appointments/Reappointments

     MOTION by Weibel to recommend County Board approval of a resolution appointing Duane Goodwin to the St. Joseph #4 Drainage District, term 9/1/2017-8/30/2020; seconded by Esry. Motion carried with unanimous support.

County Clerk

     The September 2017 report was received and placed on file.

County Administrator

     The September 2017 HR Report and the Biennial EEO Report were received and placed on file.

     MOTION by Esry to recommend approval of the Assistant County Administrator position to the Finance Committee of the Whole; seconded by Cowart.

     Snider recommended that if the committee did not wish to move forward with this position, to consider using a portion of the funding to allow Planning & Zoning to convert a part- time position to a full-time position to assist with the MS4 program.

     Hall discussed the benefits of having a full-time position to assist with the MS4 program. The committee did not vote on the alternate proposal for Planning &Zoning because the item was not an action item on the agenda.

     Marsh objected to moving funds until the FY2018 is established because cuts may need to be made. Anderson supported the creation of the position but not the funding.

     Motion carried 9-8, with a show of hands, recommending approval to the Finance Committee the position of Assistant County Administrator.

     MOTION by McGuire to recommend approval of the HR Generalist position to the Finance Committee; seconded by King. Motion carried.

Other Business

     There was no other business.

Chair’s Report

     Rosales announced that the official Trick-or-Treat hours are Tuesday, October 31, 2017 from 6pm-8pm, per Resolution No. 5092 Designating Trick-or-Treat Hours Rules and Guidelines for Annual Observance of Halloween.

     Rosales announced that the upcoming appointments for November 2017 are for the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Public Aid Appeals Committee.

Designation of Items to be Placed on the Consent Agenda

     Item A-1 was designated for the Consent Agenda.

Finance 

Treasurer 

Monthly Report

     Treasurer’s September 2017 monthly report was received and placed on file.

Cash Flow Projection Report Presentation

     Welch said the nursing home’s cash balance as of October 10, 2017 was $528,000, which includes loans of $350,000, leaving an actual balance of $178,000. In September, the nursing home was able to $669,000 towards its bills. This was made possible in part by receipt of an IGT payment, which was $145,000. Revenue was at $822,000, slightly lower than the previous 8 months.

     Welch said the Tax Anticipation Warrants (TAW) for the nursing home were paid off. The County paid slightly under $9,000 in interest (rate 1.45%) this year and the amount borrowed on behalf of the nursing home was $1,021,000 million. This marks the eighth year the County has issued TAWs for the nursing home. The County is allowed to borrow up to 95% of the nursing home’s levy each year through TAWs.

     MOTION by Esry authorizing the execution of a deed of conveyance of the County’s interest or cancellation of the appropriate certificate of purchase of real estate, permanent parcel 20-09-02-181-017; seconded by Hartke. Motion carried with unanimous support.

Auditor 

Monthly Report

     The Auditor’s September 2017 report was received and placed on file.

Nursing Home Accounts Payable Update

     Farney reported that as of October 2, 2017, the nursing home owes a total of $3,491,217.20 to its vendors. The nursing home is obligated in the form of a loan from the General Corporate Fund for $226,802. This loan was used for boiler repair/replacement. The nursing home has not made its FY2016 debt service reimbursement to the General Corporate Fund for $262,114, nor the FY2017 Debt Service interest payment of $21,334.99.

     On March 14, 2017, the County Board authorized a loan of $250,000 from the General Fund to the nursing home. As of August 31, 2017, this loan has been exhausted. On August 24, 2017, the County Board authorized a loan of $250,000 from the General Fund to the nursing home. On August 31, a distribution of $100,000 was made to the nursing home to cover payroll shortfall. This brings the total obligation to Champaign County from the nursing home to $1,970,022.17.

     The Nursing Home Accounts Payable Update was received and placed on file.

Budget Amendments/Transfers

     MOTION by Rector to recommend County Board approval of a resolution authorizing Budget Transfer 17-00005 for Fund/Dept. 090 Mental Health/053 Mental Health Board for $50,000 for expenses incurred while understaffed; seconded by Weibel. Motion carried with unanimous support.

     MOTION by Cowart to recommend County Board approval of Budget Amendment 17- 00038 for Fund/Dept. 085 County Motor Fuel Tax/060 Highway with increased appropriations of $1,164,709 from fund balance, with no matching revenue to cover cost of Dewey-Fisher construction project; $1,775,000 were approved in Resolution No. 9028 on November 20, 2014, bill not received until September 2017; seconded by McGuire. Motion carried with unanimous support.

     MOTION by King to recommend County Board approval of Budget Amendment 17- 00039 for Fund/Dept. 089 County Public Health/018 C-U Public Health District with increased appropriations of $24,363, with matching revenue due to an increase in property tax revenue; seconded by Summers. Motion carried.

Animal Control

     MOTION by Esry to recommend County Board approval of a resolution authorizing an agreement between the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois and Champaign County Animal Control; seconded by Goss. Joos explained that this agreement will supplement the County’s spay/neuter program. The U of I has a mobile surgical unit in which veterinary students will perform supervised spay/neuter procedures for County Animal Control. Motion carried with unanimous support.

Recorder

     MOTION by Weibel to recommend County Board approval of an ordinance to increase the Recorder’s office recording and plat fees, effective January 1, 2018; seconded by Hartke.

     The Recorder of Deeds, Mark Shelden explained that the law recognizes that the additional page charges are a source of revenue for the County and so Recorders were allowed to do an analysis of the last three years' revenue that would essentially hold the County harmless. Shelden recommended a $3 increase in the recording fee and a $12 increase in the plat fee. Motion carried with unanimous support.

County Administrator 

FY2017 General Corporate Fund Budget Projection & Budget Change Reports

     Ogden said there were no significant changes in the revenue projections for FY2017. However, the County did receive two income tax disbursements from the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) in September as part of the accelerated disbursement program as per the State Legislature directions. The IDOR will not seek to recapture the misallocated personal property replacement tax funds that were received by the County in FY14 and FY15. The total amount of the misallocated funds was approximately $120,000.

     The reports were received and placed on file.

Assistant County Administrator of Planning & Operations Position

     MOTION by Weibel to recommend County Board approval of a resolution amending the schedule of authorized positions for the department of Administrative Services with the addition of the Assistant County Administrator of Planning & Operations position; seconded by Rosales. Motion failed unanimously.

HR Generalist Position

     MOTION by Petrie to recommend County Board approval of a resolution amending the schedule of authorized positions for the department of Administrative Services with the elimination of the Executive Assistant to the County Administrator position and the creation of an HR Generalist position; seconded by Summers. Motion carried with unanimous support.

FY2018 Tentative Budget

     MOTION by Petrie to recommend County Board approval of a resolution to receive and place on file the FY2018 tentative budget; seconded by Goss. Motion carried.

Nursing Home 

Nursing Home Subdivision

     MOTION by McGuire to recommend County Board approval of a resolution authorizing the Champaign County Nursing Home Subdivision Plat, Owner’s Certificate, and City of Urbana application for Minor Plat and waiver of subdivision regulations; seconded by Anderson. Motion carried.

Release of RFP 2017-012

      MOTION by Rector to recommend County Board approval of a resolution authorizing release of RFP 2017-012 for the sale, transfer, or other disposition of the Champaign County Nursing Home; seconded by Goss. Motion carried with a roll call vote of 10-7. Harper, Marsh, McGuire, Michaels, Petrie, Rector, Anderson, Clemmons, Esry, and Goss vote in favor of the motion. Hartke, King, Patterson, Rosales, Summers, Weibel, and Cowart voted against it.

Other Business

     MOTION by Esry to direct the County Administrator to bring forward a proposal at the County Board meeting to convert the part-time Planning & Zoning position that assists with the MS4 Project to a full-time position as suggested in the Snider’s memo regarding the savings in the Administrative Services budget due to a reduction in staff; seconded by Harper. Motion carried with unanimous support.

Chair’s Report

     There was no Chair’s report.

Designation of Items for the Consent Agenda

     Items A3; C1-2; D1; and E1were designated for the Consent Agenda. Weibel requested that item F4 be remain on the regular County Board agenda.

Other Business

     There was no other business.

Adjournment

Chair Weibel adjourned the meeting at 8:15 p.m.

https://champaigncountyclerk.com/countyboard/meetings/2017_meetings/docs/minutes/10_10_2017_minutes.pdf