Kankakee Times

Kankakee County Highways and Buildings Committee met Thursday, Dec. 15.

Here are the minutes as provided by Kankakee County:

Highways and Buildings

Committee Meeting

December 15, 2016

MINUTES

Members Present

Mr. McConnell, Mr. Hildebrand, Mr. Tripp, Mr. Vickery, Mr. Olthoff, Mr. Mulcahy, Ms. Webber, Ms.

Peters, and Mr. Ritter

Members Absent

Mr. Stauffenberg, Ms. Polk, Mr. Einfeldt, Ms. Evans, and Ms. Parker

In Attendance

Board Members

Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Liehr, and Mr. Washington

Department Heads

Mark Rogers, Brian Gadbois, and Michael Roof

Media

None

1. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, Mr. McConnell, at 9:00 a.m. Quorum present.

2. Public Comment

Bill Belluso from Harvest Energy Solutions

Mr. Belluso spoke to the committee about the possibility in the future for a solar powered facility at the Jerome Combs Detention Center, or other County buildings. Mr. Gadbois stated that there is presently no resolution in the county allowing for a solar farm, but he spoke with Delbert Skimerhorn in the Planning Department, and they are working on it.

3. Approval of Minutes

None ready.

3. Highways – Mark Rogers

Bidding and Letting

Mr. Stauffenberg made a motion to open the bids, and Mr. Olthoff seconded it. Motion

carried with a voice vote.

County – Section 17-00000-00-GM

Name of Bidder

Prairie Materials - Manteno

Vulcan Materials – Kankakee

Vulcan Materials - Manteno

Beemsterboer Slag Co. – Gary, IN

Bid Group 1: $6.95/ton

Group 1: $9.00/ton

Group 1: $8.00/ton

Slag: $2.25/ton

Group 2: $12.20/ton

Group 2: $14.50/ton

Group 2: $14.00/ton

Ms. Peters made a motion to accept the bids as presented, and Mr. Vickery seconded it.

Motion carried with a roll call vote of 10 ayes and 0 nays. Voting aye were Mr. McConnell, Mr. Hildebrand, Mr. Tripp, Mr. Vickery, Mr. Olthoff, Mr. Mulcahy, Ms. Webber, Ms. Peters, Mr. Ritter, and Mr. Wheeler.

5. County Engineer’s Pay Estimates

Mr. Rogers reviewed and discussed the pay estimates with the committee.

Motion was made by Mr. Vickery to approve the pay estimates, and seconded by Mr. Payton. Motion carried with a roll call vote of 10 ayes and 0 nays. Voting aye were Mr. McConnell, Mr. Hildebrand, Mr. Tripp, Mr. Vickery, Mr. Olthoff, Mr. Mulcahy, Ms. Webber, Ms. Peters, Mr. Ritter, and Mr. Wheeler.

6. Resolutions

Settlement Agreement for Pilot Hill Wind Farm Road Improvements

Mr. Rogers stated that EDF Renewable Development has been constructing a wind farm in the southwestern part of the county. Phase I of that wind farm was called Pilot Hill Wind Farm. In the Road Use Agreement, they were bound to make restoration and repairs to the township road and the county highways. They used County Highway 28, which is Lehigh Road, to get down into the wind farm from the quarry, and they used part of the County line for Phase I. When they were nearing the completion of Pilot Hill, they submitted an application to do Kelly Creek. In that submission for Kelly Creek, they were going to be using the same highways for the second phase as they did the first phase. They came to a verbal agreement that why do those improvements if they’re just going to be using the same roads for Phase II. They said that they would just take care of those improvements after they’re done with Kelly Creek. They want to settle this out so they can settle out Pilot Hill and make a commitment that they’re going to do the roads in Kankakee County subsequent to completing Kelly Creek. This agreement is a settlement agreement stating that they’re going to do those repairs, but they’re going to final out Pilot Hill. They’re just guaranteeing that they’re going to do the work.

The Highway Department gave them a set of plans of what was expected for them to do, and an estimate of that cost, which is included in that agreement.

Motion was made by Mr. Vickery to have the County Board Chairman, or his designee, execute the agreement pending the State’s Attorney’s approval, and seconded by Ms. Peters. Motion carried with a voice vote.

7. Buildings - Brian Gadbois

Facility Dude

Mr. Gadbois reviewed and discussed the Facility Dude Report with the committee.

Financial Report

Mr. Gadbois reviewed and discussed the financial report with the committee.

Building Report

Mr. Gadbois reviewed and discussed the county buildings with the committee and updated them on various repairs that were made, and needed to be made, in each building.

Personnel Update

Mr. Gadbois stated that, besides Bill Konitz and himself, he has eight employees, plus the mail courier. One employee is on vacation this week, and he has another one off next week. Bill Konitz is off on medical leave, so he currently has seven employees taking care of ten buildings.

Truck/Vehicle Information

Mr. Gadbois stated that his department has some vehicles that are on their last legs, including some lawn mowers, so that issue will need to be dealt with at some point.

Office Relocation(s) Discussion

Mr. Gadbois made some cost estimates for the first floor, and it was approximately $70,500 to do everything that they needed to do. He doesn’t believe that’s absolutely necessary. Mr. McConnell and he went down there and the assessor’s counter can be modified. They can have Heritage come over and do a little bit of work for time and material price, have the walls put up, and have Counterfitters go ahead and build the Treasurer’s casework, the cabinets that he needs, and then they’ll have the windows moved. For considerably less money, they can get them relocated.

Mr. Wheeler stated they also have the VAC, who’s looking to move, and the State’s Attorney’s office potentially wants to take some of the area where IKAN is moving out. There are file situations that need to be addressed because of the weight of files. There are a lot of different moving parts here, and different timelines, because the Treasurer would have to be moved, and up and running before the next tax season. With the VAC, Mr. Roof had gone to the fourth floor with Mr. Gadbois and a couple of the board members, and they would be willing to pay for the modifications, for example, an ADA restroom. They would take care of their own counter and things like that. Mr. Wheeler thought that a small sub-committee could be put together with the chairman of this committee, maybe one other member of this committee, and the Department Heads who are all affected. They could sit down sometime over the next month and come up with a timeline plan of who needs to move, when they need to move, and then come back to this committee in a month and inform them how much it would cost to actually have this happen. The key is that it is done as frugally as possibly because we won’t have cash flow, and we’ll have to do as much work internally to make it happen.

Mr. McConnell stated that he will get together with Mr. Wheeler and the Department Heads and figure out when they can all meet to get everything put together and get it going.

Mr. Ritter stated that he would volunteer to be on the sub-committee.

8. Old Business

9. New Business

10. Adjournment

A motion was made by Mr. Olthoff, and seconded by Mr. Tripp, to adjourn the meeting at 10:27 a.m. Motion carried with a voice vote.

Pat McConnell, Chairman

Diane Owens, Executive Coordinator