McHenry Times

Village of Huntley Village Board met Nov. 10.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

CALL TO ORDER:

A special meeting of the Village Board of the Village of Huntley was called to order on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. in the Municipal Complex, Village Board Room, 10987 Main St., Huntley, Illinois 60142.

ATTENDANCE:

PRESENT: Mayor Timothy Hoeft; Trustees: Ronda Goldman, Mary Holzkopf, Niko Kanakaris, Curt Kittel, Harry Leopold and JR Westberg.

ABSENT: None

IN ATTENDANCE: Village Manager David Johnson, Deputy Village Manager Lisa Armour, Director of Finance Cathy Haley, Director of Public Works and Engineering Tim Farrell, Management Assistant Barbara Read, and Village Attorney Betsy Gates-Alford.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Hoeft led the Pledge of Allegiance.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS: Mayor Hoeft read a proclamation in honor of World Kindness Day November 13, 2022. Mayor Hoeft added that starting Sunday, World Kindness Day, Village employees, including the Police officers will be handing out wristbands to people they see doing kind things. He said staff will be doing a social media announcement about the wristbands and the campaign to Get Caught Being Kind hoping it spreads throughout the Village.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: None

CONSENT AGENDA:

All items listed under Consent Agenda are considered to be routine by the Village Board and may be approved and/or accepted by one motion with a Roll Call Vote. If further discussion is needed, any member of the Board may request that an item be moved off of the Consent Agenda to Items for Discussion and Consideration.

a) Consideration – Approval of the October 13, 2022 Village Board Meeting, October 13, 2022 Liquor Commission, and October 13, 2022 FY23 Budget Workshop Minutes

b) Consideration – Approval of the November 10, 2022 Bill List in the Amount of $1,176,450.67

c) Consideration – Approval of Payout Request No. 1 to Schroeder Asphalt Services, Inc. for the Church Street Parking Lot and Cornell Development Site Improvements in the Amount of $330,563.29

d) Consideration – Approval of Payout Request No. 2 to Schroeder Asphalt Services, Inc. for the Woodstock Street Parking Lot and Additional Downtown On-Street Parking in the amount of $108,037.06

e) Consideration – Approval of Payout Request No. 2 to Manusos General Contracting for the East WWTP UV Disinfection System Replacement in the amount of $17,955

f) Consideration – Resolution Approving the Purchase of Road Rock Salt from Compass Minerals America, Inc. through the State of Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) Joint Purchasing Procurement Program

Mayor Hoeft asked if the Village Board had any comments or changes to the Consent Agenda; there were none.

A MOTION was made to approve the November 10, 2022 Consent Agenda.

MOTION: Trustee Kanakaris

SECOND: Trustee Leopold

AYES: Trustees: Goldman, Holzkopf, Kanakaris, Kittel, Leopold and Westberg 

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

The motion carried: 6-0-0

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION:

a) Discussion and Direction - Village of Huntley Property Tax Levy Policy Direction for the 2022 Tax Levy for Taxes Payable in 2023

Director of Finance Cathy Haley said the Village Board must approve the annual property tax levy in sufficient time to file the approved property tax levy ordinance with the County Clerks by Tuesday, December 27, 2022.

STAFF ANALYSIS

Village’s current financial policies state:

The Village policy is to keep its property tax rate as low as possible. The following components shall be used as a guideline in priority order each year when establishing the property tax levy: 

1. Levy for Police and IMRF pensions per actuary calculations. If the actuarial reports indicate a higher employer contribution is needed, said increase will need to be added to the Village’s overall previous year levy request to avoid underfunding.

2. Levy taxes to cover the employer payroll portion of Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes imposed by the federal government.

3. Levy for general obligation (GO) bond principal and interest less abatements. 

4. Levy to support General Fund operations including Police, Public Works & Engineering, Streets, Fleet & Underground Utilities, Building & Grounds, Development Services, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Village Manager’s Office. The annual increase for this component ties to additional dollars available for new growth.

5. Levy to fund additional personnel as determined by the Village Board.

The following options abide by these financial policies and are based on the current estimated Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) Reports from McHenry and Kane Counties. EAV represents 33.3% of total fair market value.

FINANCIAL IMPACT

McHenry County is estimating an increase of 8.68% in valuation, of which $15,344,581 (2.28%) is attributable to new construction. Kane County is estimating an increase of 13.53%, of which $16,708,926 (4.76%) is attributable to new construction. The total combined increase in the EAV is 10.35%.

Costs for the Police Pension Fund and IMRF are based on calculations done by a third-party actuary. This year’s actuarial calculation costs for the Police Pension Fund obligation increased by $119,027 in part due to more active member retirements in FY21 than anticipated.

OPTION #1 – Increase for Police Pension Fund Levy Requirement

Increasing the levy line for the Police Pension Fund Village obligation shows a total increase to the Village’s levy of 2.39%. This dollar increase in conjunction with the overall increasing EAV shows the limited tax rate decreasing from .4868 to .4517 per $100 of assessed valuation.

Increasing the levy lines for new growth allows the Village the opportunity to increase the property tax dollars without impacting existing residents. The increased dollars are spread across the new construction values. The total increase in the levy would be $156,027 or 3.13% as shown in the chart below. This option will cover the Police Pension obligation and supplement General Fund operations.

Note, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or inflation percentage used in computing the 2022 extensions (payable in 2023) for those communities that are capped under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) is 5% per the Illinois Department of Revenue.

The impact of option #2 on an individual homeowner with a home value of $300,000 in 2021 and the estimated increase in value of 7.22% in 2022 is shown on the following chart. The overall potential dollar impact remains flat with the rate still dropping due to the overall increased EAV above new construction values.

OPTION #3 –Holding the FY21 rate while capturing additional dollars

The Village is a home rule community and levies for dollars. However, in an attempt to hold the 2022 rate the same, the Village can still capture additional dollars based on the increasing overall EAV. This dollar increase equates to $515,904 as shown in the chart below. The additional dollar amount for the General Fund of $396,877 would help cover the ongoing operational costs associated with the new staffing in the FY23 Budget. The additional staffing is primarily related to servicing new growth. These new personnel costs are more than $250,000 annually in wages, which does not include the Village’s increased costs to FICA, Medicare, or health insurance.

This increase would be a total increase to the Village’s levy of 10.35%, which would require the Village to post the required “Black Box” notification in accordance with the Truth in Taxation State guidelines. A public hearing would also be required for this option. The chart below shows the impact of option #3 on an individual homeowner with a home value of $300,000 in 2021 and the estimated increase in value of 7.22% for 2022. The increase in dollars for a resident would be attributed to the valuation of the home going up while holding the rate the same.

Ultimately, multiple options are available to the Village in establishing the levy. The three options presented align most closely with the Village’s financial policies and strategic goal of organizational excellence in fiscal responsibility. Options one and two above would not require the Village Board to hold a “Truth in Taxation” hearing.

The following schedule will be followed for the 2022 Tax Levy process:

December 8, 2022 Public Hearing – 2023 Annual Budget and 2022 Tax Levy if needed, Village Board to approve:

a.) 2023 Annual Budget

b.) 2022 Property Tax Levy Ordinance

c.) 2022 Special Service Area Levy Ordinances

d.) 2022 Abatement Ordinances

Director Haley said Staff is requesting Village Board policy direction for the 2022 tax levy for taxes payable in 2023 based on the three options presented above. Mayor Hoeft asked the Trustees which option they would prefer.

There was an overall consensus for Option 2 to capture the new growth with keeping the impact flat and the rate still dropping because of the overall increase in the EAV due to the added value of new construction.

b) Consider – Transmittal of Third Quarter for FY2022 Financial and Investment Reports

Director of Finance Cathy Haley stated that submitted for review and acceptance by the Village Board are the Village’s Third Quarter FY2022 Financial and Investment Reports.

STAFF ANALYSIS

The information below was distributed to the Village Board for their review:

1. FY22 Third Quarter Financial and Investment Report Review

2. FY22 Revenue and Expense Detail through September 30, 2022

2022-2025 STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

The Strategic Plan identifies “Organizational Excellence” as a strategic focus and the following goal: “Fiscal Responsibility.” The Financial and Investment Report review will continue to ensure the Village will be a good steward of public dollars entrusted to it to ensure the resources needed to provide services are available today and in the future.

Mayor Hoeft asked if there were any questions or comments. There were none.

It was the consensus of the Village Board to accept and place on file the following reports for the Village of Huntley: 1) FY2022 Third Quarter Financial and Investment Report Review; and 2) FY2022 Revenue and Expense Detail through September, 2022.

c) Consideration – Resolution Approving a Business Development Agreement Term Sheet for Huntley Fore/SSK Property Group LLC; 13900 Automall Drive

Village Manager David Johnson stated on July 14, 2022, the Village Board authorized staff to conduct negotiations with Huntley Ford for a Business Development Agreement in conjunction with the dealership’s expansion plans. The Village Board also reviewed conceptual plans for the proposed expansion that included façade upgrades and an expanded vehicle display lot. The expansion to the building was to include new service bays at the rear of the building intended to meet the demands of new vehicle types, specifically hybrid and electric vehicles. The façade improvements included exterior, interior and site renovations intended to align with Ford’s Signature Program. The proposed plans also included expanding the dealership’s vehicle display lot on the adjacent 4-acre parcel to the west of the dealership. Huntley Ford recently purchased the 4 acres, in addition to, the remaining 6.13 acres to the south. Per the owner, the dealership has received a deferment from Ford until Fall of 2023 to do the building expansion and façade changes. At this time, the project consists of construction of the new parking lot to accommodate an expanded inventory and infrastructure improvements for electric vehicle charging stations.

STAFF ANALYSIS

A new 350 space display/storage lot would be constructed on the 4-acre parcel immediately west of the dealership. The display lot would include an area for stormwater management, new lighting, landscaping, and a cross access to the existing dealership’s display lot, as well as infrastructure improvements for electric vehicle charging.

The term sheet represents the petitioner’s request for the following incentives:

1. The term of the Incentive shall be the earlier of: (i) Ten years from the commencement of the Term; or (ii) the date the Maximum Incentive Amount has been received by Huntley Ford.

2. The Village shall rebate to Huntley Ford/SSK during the Term of the Incentive the maximum amount of $1 million, which is attributable to the cost for the acquisition of the vacant land, the construction and expansion of the storage facility and the infrastructure improvements for electric vehicle charging.

3. Annual baseline sales tax revenue shall be established at $600,000.

4. The Village shall rebate to Huntley Ford 50% of the annual sales tax revenue received in excess of $600,000 on a quarterly basis during the term of the Incentive, which shall be the earlier of: 10 years from the commencement of the Term; or (ii) the date the Maximum Incentive Amount has been received by Huntley Ford.

The parking lot expansion would need to be completed by December 31, 2023.

2022–2025 STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

The Strategic Plan identifies “Strong Local Economy” as a strategic focus and the following goal: “Location of Choice for New and Expanding Businesses of All Sizes.”

FINANCIAL IMPACT

The estimated project cost is $8.8 million for the future building upgrades and expansion, as well as the construction of the parking lot. The Village would receive 100% of all sales tax revenue generated up to $600,000 annually. Revenue generated over $600,000 would be shared with Huntley Ford during the term of the agreement.

LEGAL ANALYSIS

The non-binding term sheet outlines the parameters of the formal agreement. If the term sheet is approved, staff will move forward with preparing a Business Development Agreement for Village Board approval at a future date.

Village Manager Johnsons said that Mr. Bloomberg, representing the petitioner, is in attendance should the Village Board have any questions. Trustee Holzkopf asked for confirmation that the maximum incentive given would be $1 million over 10 years and after the Village received $600,000 in sales tax, the Village and Huntley Ford would split the sales tax 50/50; also asking if the calculation would restart each year. Village Manager confirmed that those figures were correct.

Mr. Bloomberg asked to address the Village Board on behalf of Huntley Ford. Mr. Bloomberg thanked the Village for their support over the years and said they hope to begin construction in the spring with the parking lot hopefully being completed within two or three months, then with the parking lot completed, they will be able to move their cars out of storage and onto the site. Mr. Bloomberg then explained what is currently going on in the car industry saying that even though chip shortage seems to have been solved, buyers are encouraged to purchase online instead of coming into the dealership to make the purchase and use up the inventory on site. He said that Huntley Ford is doing well, but that this is one of the reasons that Huntley Ford has decided to delay the project because they are not moving inventory as much right now. Mr. Bloomberg thanked the Village Board for their time. Mayor Hoeft thanked Mr. Bloomberg for his explanation.

A MOTION was made to approve a Resolution to Approve a Business Development Agreement Term Sheet for Huntley Ford/SSK Property Group LLC.

MOTION: Trustee Holzkopf

SECOND: Trustee Leopold

AYES: Trustees: Goldman, Holzkopf, Kanakaris, Kittel, Leopold and Westberg

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

The motion carried: 6-0-0

d) Consideration - Resolution Approving the Purchase of Liquid De-Icing Product from K-Tech Specialty Coatings, Inc.

Director of Public Works and Engineering Tim Farrell said that rock salt has historically been considered the fastest, cheapest and most readily available deicer for winter pavement management. Salt is also an abrasive that provides improved traction for vehicle tires in wintery conditions. Salt alone is effective to about fifteen (15) degrees Fahrenheit and if street surface temperatures drop below this metric, salt becomes ineffective as a deicing agent. If the salt is treated with a brine and beet juice liquid solution, referred to as pre-wetting, the salt product can be effective down to a road surface temperature of about five (5) degrees Fahrenheit. Pre-wetting also optimizes the salt application directly onto the roadway by limiting salt bounce and the associated waste into the parkways. For these reasons, most salt capable units are able to apply this solution to the salt product as it is distributed upon the roadway. However, the increased ability to melt snow and ice with deicing chemicals is not unlimited and a combination of tire traffic and/or sunshine is needed to enhance the effectiveness of deicing treatments.

The Village also employs an anti-icing, pre-storm surface treatment application strategy. An anti-icing product can be applied to the pavement just prior to a storm’s arrival as long as the environmental conditions are appropriate for the treatment to be effective. The most common and cost-effective process is to apply a salt brine and beet juice liquid solution to the roadway at a rate of approximately 30 gallons per lane mile as disbursed via a vehicle mounted boom sprayer system. This application will dry and remain on the pavement ready to work for up to three days without the need for reapplication. This treatment will begin to melt the snow as soon as it contacts the roadway surface, which prevents the snow and ice from bonding to the pavement. This provides opportunity to better manage storm response right from the start. This application strategy has been developed, employed and refined by several public and private agencies resulting in documented saved resources. The Village is able to realize less labor, fuel, wear and tear on equipment, and salt consumption all while using anti-icing chemicals more sensibly and mindful of environmental impacts.

STAFF ANALYSIS

The Village has been obtaining liquid deicing chemical product referred to as BEET HEET® from K-Tech Specialty Coatings, Inc. since 2017. The quality and consistency of the liquid de-icing chemical utilized can have an effect on the snow and ice control operations. Since BEET HEET® is proprietary, changing vendors and product would most likely result in a disruption of snow and ice control performance. Due to the importance of maintaining high snow and ice control service levels and the specialized nature of this product, it would be in the Village’s best interest to continue purchasing BEET HEET® liquid de-icing chemical from this vendor. The quoted unit price for the 2022/2023 season is $1.76/gallon representing a $0.19 (12%) increase from last season. The historical unit price and cost of BEET HEET® is shown in the following table:

2022/2023 season quantity is estimated.

2022-2025 STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

The Strategic Plan identifies “Organizational Excellence” as a Strategic Focus and the following goal: “Highest Level of Customer Service.” Snow and ice control products allow a high and consistent level of service with concentration on increased safety and mobility of the transportation network to better facilitate movement of vehicular traffic, persons and goods within the Village.

FINANCIAL IMPACT

The FY23 Budget will be presented to include funding in the Streets, Utilities & Fleet Services Ice and Snow Materials Fund, 100-60-61-7215 for the purchase of liquid de-icing chemicals and road salt.

LEGAL ANALYSIS

In accordance with State Statute, a bid waiver shall be approved by a vote of two-thirds of all the trustees then holding office, thus requiring an affirmative vote of four trustees, with the mayor not voting.

Mayor Hoeft asked if there were any questions or comments. There were none.

A MOTION was made to approve a Resolution Waiving Competitive Bid and Approving the Purchase of Liquid De-icing Product from K-Tech Specialty Coatings, Inc.

MOTION: Trustee Goldman

SECOND: Trustee Holzkopf

AYES: Trustees: Goldman, Holzkopf, Kanakaris, Kittel, Leopold and Westberg

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

The motion carried: 6-0-0

e) Consideration – Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of Budgeted Fleet Vehicles and Equipment

Village Manager David Johnson said that Village vehicles and most equipment have traditionally been purchased through joint purchasing options such as the Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing, the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC), and the Illinois Department of Central Management Services procurement programs in accordance with the Village Purchasing Policy. Typically, the Village Board takes action on individual vehicle purchases based on the specific joint purchasing program pricing which is discounted from retail pricing.

STAFF ANALYSIS

Given the nationwide vehicle shortage, most vehicles and some equipment have not been readily available from either retail or through the procurement programs since 2021. This is negatively impacting the streamline purchase of vehicles and equipment. For example, the joint cooperative purchasing contract for Ford Super-Duty vehicles expired in the fall of 2021. It is not certain when a new joint purchasing contract will become available. One of the vendors that the Village has purchased Ford Super-Duty vehicles from has informed staff that speculation is that there will not be a contract for the 2023 model year, just as in 2022. Instead, there will be a brief order window, in the range of three days, for government orders, and pricing will be released only days before the order window opens. After the order window closes, units would have to be ordered retail with limited allocation. In an effort to be in a better position for order preference, staff has prepared order forms for the Super Duty vehicles yet to be purchased in 2022 and for those identified in the proposed 2023 budget. In that way, once the pricing becomes available, the Village can be in a position to order in the limited window timeframe. However, given the small time window for pricing and order, there likely will not be an opportunity for Village Board consideration of specific vehicle purchases. Staff will continue to monitor joint procurement programs for vehicles proposed for FY23.

Staff is seeking authorization from the Village Board to purchase vehicles identified in the FY22 budget (two F-250’s remain to be replaced) and in the proposed FY23 budget, as necessary to conform to the limited order window. Staff will follow-up with the Board with a resolution to ratify purchase orders to the extent that further Board approval is needed for specific vehicle purchases.

2022-2025 STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

The Strategic Plan identifies “Forward Looking Community” as a strategic focus and the following goal: “Management of Infrastructure Assets for Today and Tomorrow.” Fleet management is a form of asset management which seeks to optimize life-cycle costs of vehicles and equipment and achieve the lowest cost of ownership for the Village fleet.

FINANCIAL IMPACT

The FY22 Budget includes funding for the remaining two F-350’s to be purchased. The FY23 budget is proposed to include funding for vehicle and equipment purchases.

LEGAL ANALYSIS

Village Attorney has reviewed the resolution.

Mayor Hoeft asked if there were any questions. There were none.

A MOTION was made to approve a Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of Budgeted Fleet Vehicles and Equipment.

MOTION: Trustee Kittel

SECOND: Trustee Leopold

AYES: Trustees: Goldman, Holzkopf, Kanakaris, Kittel, Leopold and Westberg

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

The motion carried: 6-0-0

VILLAGE ATTORNEY’S REPORT: None

VILLAGE MANAGER’S REPORT: Trustee Leopold asked if anyone from the Village has contacted Burger King in regard to the restaurant closing. Village Manager Johnson stated that staff has not yet been able to contact the owner but was following up.

VILLAGE PRESIDENT’S REPORT: Mayor Hoeft wished Village Manager Johnson a Happy Birthday. He said Friday was Veteran’s Day so municipal offices would be closed, and Saturday is the indoor farmers market at the legion. Mayor Hoeft also said that the Amazon facility is officially opening their facility on Sunday November 13th and have invited veterans to attend a flag raising ceremony at 8 am. He added that Amazon Huntley has made a $1,500 donation to the Veteran’s Path of Hope. Mayor Hoeft announced that Sunday November 13th is the Village’s Veterans Day ceremony at the town square at 10 am followed by the Village sponsored veterans collection event for homeless vets and that donations will benefit New Horizons Veterans Home in Hebron. Mayor Hoeft said that November 17th is Pancreatic Cancer Day. He added that the November 17th Village Board meeting has been cancelled and the last three Village Board meetings for 2022 are December 1st, 8th and 15th with the next meeting being January 12, 2023.

Trustee Leopold added that Culver’s had a wonderful Veterans celebration on Sunday afternoon with several speeches, a beautiful display of flags, quilts of valor were distributed and even a flyover with ceremonial airplanes. Trustee Westberg added that he also attended the event and was one of the speakers.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None

NEW BUSINESS: None

EXECUTIVE SESSION: None

POSSIBLE ACTION ON ANY CLOSED SESSION ITEM: None

ADJOURNMENT:

There being no further items to discuss, a MOTION was made to adjourn the meeting at 7:31 p.m. 

MOTION: Trustee Kanakaris

SECOND: Trustee Leopold

The Voice Vote noted all ayes and the motion carried.

https://cms6.revize.com/revize/huntley/document_center/Government/Agendas/Village%20Board/2022/11.10.22%20VB%20Minutes.pdf