McHenry Times

City of Harvard Administration Committee met March 9.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Chairperson Lisa Haderlein called the meeting to order at 6:33 PM. Committee members present: Chairperson Haderlein, Alderman Charlie Gorman, and Alderman Matt Perkins. Also present were Mayor Mike Kelly, City Administrator Lou Leone, and Finance Director Deb Bejot.

Public Comment: None.

Flock Camera Systems Presentation: City Administrator Leone, on behalf of Chief Bauman, asked that this topic be removed from tonight’s discussion. The topic needs to be further researched before being presented to the committee.

Police Car Early Purchase: Finance Director Deb Bejot discussed a request by the Police Department to start the process to purchase two vehicles that were approved as part of the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budget. The request is made because of the long lag time between the order and the delivery of the vehicles. Motion to recommend to the City Council to approve ordering the vehicles was made by Alderman Perkins. Seconded by Alderman Gorman. All ayes, motion passed.

Tree City USA: Leone discussed the proposed ordinance creating the Tree Board and establishes the tree care standards. Alderman Gorman discussed a few concerns including authorities and grammatical errors in the ordinance. The committee provided suggested changes to the ordinance and directed Leone to provide an updated version to the committee in April.

Fund Balance Policy: Bejot discussed the drafting and adoption of a fund balance policy. Bejot explained that having a fund balance policy improves the City’s bond rating and compliance with audit standards. The policy would provide guidelines when making financial decisions including maintaining a minimum cash reserve to be used in the case of an emergency. The committee directed staff to draft a fund policy.

New Business: Mayor Kelly suggested that the committee follow the auditor’s recommendation regarding the parks department loan. The loan is an accounting policy by the previous city administrator. Leone shared with the committee future projects he will work on. One of those projects is a comprehensive overhaul of the municipal code book.

Adjournment: A motion to adjourn was made by Alderman Gorman, seconded by Alderman Perkins. All ayes, motion passed.

Meeting adjourned at 7:41 PM.

https://www.cityofharvard.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/administration_committee/meeting/14759/minutesadministration2023-03-09.pdf