McHenry Times

City of McHenry Public Works Committee Met Sept. 28.

Here is the minutes provided by the committee:

Call to Order

Alderman Santi called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. The meeting was held remotely via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was in compliance with the Open Meetings Act per guidelines by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

Roll Call

Deputy Clerk Johnson called the roll. Roll call: Members present: Alderman Santi, Alderman Glab, Alderman Mihevc. Others present: Public Works Director Troy Strange, Staff Engineer Greg Gruen, Field Operations Manager Steve Wirch.

Public Comment

Kent Kruckenburg stated his concern about the condition of Riverside Drive, from McCullom Lake Road to the City Limits. He asks that this section of the road be moved up on the priority list.

Director Strange discussed the condition of that road compared to others in the City. Members of the Committee discussed funding issues for this road, what could be done, and what the timetable could look like for the project.

Approve August 24, 2020 Public Works Committee Meeting Minutes

A motion was made by Alderman Glab and seconded by Alderman Mihevc to approve the minutes of the August 24, 2020, Public Works Committee meeting. Roll call: Vote: 3-ayes: Alderman Mihevc, Alderman Glab, Alderman Santi. 0-nays, 0-abstained. Motion carried.

Review of request submitted for Honorary Street Sign designation of Manchester Mall in honor of Don & Judith Porter and if recommended, direction to forward the application to the full City Council for consideration

Directory Strange invited Nancy Fike to give details of the application and an explanation of the community service provided by the Porters. They were active in their church, engaged citizens, active in the Historical Society, gave City walking tours, and were on committees for various boards. Although they were not born and raised here, they did choose to make McHenry their home. Don passed away in 2005, and Judy continues to work for the Conservation District with pioneer events. Alderman Glab thanked Ms. Fike for bringing this application forward and for the chance to approve a recommendation for somebody who moved into McHenry.

A motion was made by Alderman Glab and seconded by Alderman Mihevc to forward the application for an Honorable Street Sign for Don & Judith Porter at Manchester Mall to the full City Council for consideration. Roll call: Vote: 3-ayes: Alderman Mihevc, Alderman Santi, Alderman Glab. 0-nays, 0-abstained. Motion carried.

Presentation by City Staff regarding 2021 Motor Fuel Tax Funded Road Resurfacing Program. Director Strange shared his screen and explained the 2021 MFT Program. Topics of discussion included a recap of last year’s program, an updated map of the last 11 years of work, a history of annual spending on road work, a cost comparison of the City of McHenry against similar municipalities, a projected cash flow for 2021, and a 5 year projected program. He is confident that we will be able to run a $2 million program for 2021, which will allow us to finish the streets on year one and all of year two of the 5 year program.

The focus of 2021 will be asphalt from cub to curb. There will be some ancillary items on the curb and gutter, as well as the required ADA ramps. Small single cracks in curbs will not cause a curb to be replaced, but large displaced curbs would be. Alternative methods to fixing curbs have been researched. Director Strange explained how shockrete works and that it would save a lot of money. The work is not MFT eligible and would need to be funded as a general fund capital item.

Alderman Glab brought up the issue of weeds and how they are bad for not only appearance but also for the road. The rough brush that was used to kill weeds was not good for the poor roads, and a spraying program is more expensive than anticipated.

Alderman Santi asked if there were any questions from the audience. One attendee asked about the possibility of a sidewalk program behind Jewel and around Petersen Park. It was explained that this part of town was not designed for sidewalks, that storm sewers would have to be built, that the ground is not in the proper condition to hold a sidewalk, and that there is probably not room in the right of way for sidewalks. Even if those issues could be addressed, the cost of such a project would be so tremendous that it could never be funded.

Terry Locke was present at the meeting and expressed his concern that no road work has been done in his neighborhood since at least 2009. He believes the roads in that area are just as bad as the roads on the five year program.

Alderman Glab brought up the point that roads at Olde Mill subdivision are only 20 years old and they are already in bad shape. There are roads that are much older but aren’t torn up as much. Dartmoor also deteriorated less than five years after we accepted it. We need to make sure they are up to standards and figure out why they aren’t lasting and make sure the problem doesn’t happen in the future.

A discussion was had regarding funding and how $2 million a year won’t even get us caught up on the roads that need fixed. More funds are needed and this issue needs to be brought before the Council. Director Strange explained the steps that have already been taken to maximize the money that is spent from MFT. The way budgeting and expenditures were handled has been changed to keep the most money on repaving. Alderman Glab suggested that we check to see how much money the City receives from the taxes through McHenry/Nunda Township sharing and where that money is going.

Alderwoman Miller was present as an audience member and further discussed the need for more funding for the road program. There was a discussion about how roads are selected for the five year program, the rating system used, and other factors into those decisions.

A motion was made by Alderman Mihevc and seconded by Alderman Glab to present to the full City Council the 2021 Road Program as presented for authorization to proceed with engineering and bidding. Roll call: Vote: 3-ayes: Alderman Mihevc, Alderman Santi, Alderman Glab. 0-nays, 0-abstained. Motion carried.

Alderman Sani asked for specifics about the changes to snow plowing. Some in the community read the newsletter and are worried about big delays in plowing. Director Strange explained that the changes made should not be significant. Alderman Glab questioned having the Park Department employees being pulled off the routes, and how things could possibly be done quicker with them as part of the plan.

Field Operations Manager Steve Wirch explained that he reworked the routes for this year, and believes the new routes may make plowing even more efficient. Two major routes were created to take care of the highly travelled roads, and drivers won’t be pulled from neighborhood routes to help do those.

Boat Access Area Development (BAAD) Grant

Director Strange explained that this grant is for 100% funding. There could be some engineering costs but they would be minor and could be paid for out of park impact fees. City Engineer Greg Gruen explained that this is an opportunity to have the parking lot repaved and striped to make parking more efficient. This could potentially double the boat capacity. Alderman Glab pointed out that we might be able to qualify for the grant with better scores by showing that we have an agreement with Johnsburg and Lakemoor for the resident rates. A motion was made by Alderman Glab and seconded by Alderman Mihevc to submit the BAAD Grant Application for the proposed Miller Riverfront Parking Lot Improvements to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) for funding. Roll call: Vote: 3-ayes: Alderman Mihevc, Alderman Santi, Alderman Glab. 0-nays, 0-abstained. Motion carried.

Adjournment

A motion was made by Alderman Glab and seconded by Alderman Mihevc to adjourn the meeting at 7:58 p.m. Roll call: Vote: 3-ayes: Alderman Mihevc, Alderman Glab, Alderman Santi. 0-nays, 0-abstained. Motion carried.

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