McHenry Times

Village of Algonquin Committee of the Whole met Sept. 19.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee

Trustee Dianis, Chairperson, called the Committee of the Whole meeting to order at 8:01p.m.

AGENDA ITEM 1: Roll Call to Establish a Quorum

Present: Trustees, Jerry Glogowski, John Spella, Laura Brehmer, Brian Dianis, Maggie Auger, Robert Smith President Debby Sosine and Clerk Fred Martin.

A quorum was established

Staff in Attendance: Tim Schloneger, Village Manager; Michael Kumbera, Deputy Village Manager; Nadim Badran, Public Works Director; Dennis Walker, Police Chief; Katie Gock, Recreation Superintendent; and Kelly Cahill, Village Attorney

AGENDA ITEM 2: Public Comment

None

AGENDA ITEM 3: Community Development

None

AGENDA ITEM 4: General Administration

Mr. Kumbera:

A. Consider Amending Chapter 3, Village Administration, of the Algonquin Municipal Code With the goal of optimizing procurement procedures to eliminate any undue bottlenecks in the approval process and granting field operations greater professional discretion, staff has undertaken a thorough examination of Chapter 3 of the Algonquin Municipal Code. In addition to our primary focus, we conducted a review to address any general housekeeping and clarification items. Below is a summary of the proposed modifications:

1. Section 3.02 – Treasurer

a. Changes to this section primarily involve administrative updates, aimed at accurately reflecting the titles of staff members who have recently received promotions or undergone title changes. 

2. Section 3.06 – Village Engineer

a. Changes in this section recognizes the Village Engineer position as a employee of the Village instead retained consultant.

3. Section 3.10 – Village Manager

a. Changes in this section recognizes the Village Engineer position as a employee of the Village instead retained consultant.

b. Recommendation to incorporate the term "commodities" into this section to enhance its clarity and define the scope more explicitly.

c. Recommendation to increase the authorization level for department heads to engage in contracts for services and commodities, raising it to $10,000 fromthe current limit of $4,000. A survey conducted across various Chicagometropolitan communities indicates a range of purchasing thresholds for department heads, spanning from $1,000 to $20,000. There are no suggested modifications to the purchasing threshold for the Village Manager.

4. Section 3.14 – Finance Director

a. Changes in this section operationalize the previously mentioned proposals, including the approval of requisition and purchase orders in the Village Manager's absence, along with adjustments to administrative purchasing thresholds.

Finally, staff recommends a general policy and procedural change, which involves introducing a de minimis amount of 10 percent, in the form of a not-to-exceed value, for service contracts approved by the Village Board. This change aims to empower field operations with increased professional discretion in project decisions, eliminating unnecessary delays. It's important to note that this adjustment will not apply to commodity contracts, which will continue to be presented at their stated value. No codification is required to implement this measure; instead, the Village Board will assess and approve each contract on a case-by-case basis through a Resolution. We sought to include this procedural discussion within the broader context of purchasing and procurement in this agenda item.

The Village Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the proposed codified changes and may have minor adjustments prior to Village Board approval. Staff will be available at and prior to the Committee of the Whole and Village Board meeting to answer any questions.

Staff recommends the Committee of the Whole forward this item to the Village Board for approval by ordinance at their next meeting.

It is the consensus of the Committee to move this on to the Village Board for approval.

B. Consider Amending Chapter 6, Water and Sewer Department, and Appendix B of the Algonquin Municipal Code 

Staff has reviewed Chapter 6, Water and Sewer Department, of the Algonquin Municipal Code for general operational updates, which are summarized as follows:

Firstly, we recommend an amendment to section 6A.28 to clearly indicate that the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment for water and sewer user fees will be determined using a rolling three-year average. This modification was integrated into the FY 23/24 budget to mitigate fluctuations and provide stability in annual adjustments, particularly for customers who may otherwise face the impact of recent periods of high inflation.

Secondly, we propose an adjustment to the "Manual meter reading fee" outlined in Appendix B to accurately reflect the actual costs incurred for this service. The fee's last revision took place in 2018, and the new rate has been calculated using the same formula as the previous adjustment, considering current costs.

Lastly, we recommend incorporating language to facilitate the Village's compliance to the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act. Should a water service customer fail to respond to Village requests for either:

1.) granting consent for lead service line replacement, or

2.) submitting a waiver for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Village may impose a penalty of $250 through the administrative adjudication program.

The Village Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the proposed codified changes and may have minor adjustments prior to Village Board approval.

Staff recommends the Committee of the Whole forward this item to the Village Board for approval by ordinance at their next meeting.

It is the consensus of the Committee to move this on to the Village Board for approval.

AGENDA ITEM 5: Public Works & Safety

None

AGENDA ITEM 6: Executive Session

None

AGENDA ITEM 7: Other Business

None

AGENDA ITEM 8: Adjournment

There being no further business, Chairperson Dianis adjourned the meeting at 8:07p.m.

https://www.algonquin.org/egov/documents/1696431366_15183.pdf