McHenry Times

City of Harvard Administration Committee met July 9

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Chairwoman Lisa Haderlein called the meeting to order at 6:32 pm. Committee members present: Chairwoman Lisa Haderlein, Alderman Dan Carncross, Alderman Charlie Gorman. Alderman Matt Perkins was absent. Also present were Mayor Mike Kelly, City Administrator Lou Leone, Finance Director Deb Bejot and Supt. of Public Works Rob Lamz.

Public Comment

Chairwoman Haderlein opened the floor to public comment for any item not on the agenda. There were none.

FOP Equipment Request

Chairwoman Haderlein reviewed the FOP Equipment request for additional safety equipment available to all officers of the Harvard Police Department. City Administrator Leone noted that the safety equipment entails two active shooter kits which consist of a vest carrier that holds ceramic rifle rated body armor plates. The FOP is willing to fund and donate the equipment. This equipment will add a layer of protection for Police Officers. The vests will be stored in the equipment room of the Harvard Police Department and will be available for officers to “check-out” the equipment while they are on duty.

A motion was made by Alderwoman Haderlein, seconded by Alderman Carncross to recommend to the City Council approval of the FOP Equipment request. All ayes. Motion carried.

Discussion of VAC Truck Repair Costs

City Administrator Leone indicated that the City has had issues with the VAC Truck since it was purchased. The current repair cost of the VAC Truck is $23,000. Staff have reached out to EJ Equipment to get the repair costs down, due to the ongoing equipment malfunctions that the truck has had since it was first purchased by the City. Unfortunately, EJ Equipment has indicated that the cost of the repairs quoted is appropriate and will not negotiate the cost of repairs. They were able to fix some of the issues and did good will of about $13,350 of the charges. EJ Equipment has left the City with a new demo unit as a rental at no cost, which would normally cost $15,000 per month. EJ Equipment is unwilling to cover the costs of rebuilding the blower again.

● Alderwoman Haderlein inquired if the VAC Truck was purchased from EJ Equipment and City Administrator Leone said the used VAC Truck was purchased from EJ Equipment 2 ½ years ago.

● City Administrator Leone noted that even though the VAC Truck was purchased 2½ years ago that the title was finally received this year.

● Alderman Gorman indicated that this was the first time he had heard of any issues with the VAC Truck. City Administrator Leone said that this was the first time that this was brought to the committee’s attention due to EJ Equipment offering to look over the machine to help rebuild good faith.

● Finance Director Bejot indicated that repair funds had been set aside for vehicle maintenance with the City being aware that there may be repair costs needed for the truck.

● Supt. Lamz indicated that the biggest issue was that the title to the truck was not received until recently after many attempts to rectify the situation. Staff reached out to VAC-CON Corp. for assistance with this.

● Supt. Lamz indicated that Staff have been trained in using the equipment properly to be able to maintain it going forward but cannot predict if the equipment will malfunction in the future.

● Alderman Carncross inquired if staff had reached out to anyone independently of EJ Equipment to look at the blower. Supt. Lamz indicated that currently the equipment is disassembled at EJ Equipment due to their good will. Supt. Lamz reached out to other companies for quotes for repair costs, but due to the equipment being disassembled the companies are unable to give an accurate quote for repair but can only give a quote for equipment parts.

● Alderman Carncross inquired about the hourly rate for labor, Supt. Lamz noted that the labor cost is noted as a lump sum, however, he inquired as to what the hourly rate for labor is.

● Finance Director Bejot inquired about the purchase of a warranty for the work being done, City Administrator Leone will reach out to the company regarding this.

● Alderman Gorman inquired where the funds for the repairs are coming from. Finance Director Bejot noted that the funds will be coming from the Vehicle Maintenance Fund, and it may be over budget at the end of the fiscal year due to the excessive cost of the repairs.

A motion was made by Alderman Carncross, seconded by Alderman Gorman to approve the recommendation to City Council to continue to negotiate up to $22,652.25 to fix the VAC Truck and warranty. All ayes. Motion carried. 

Surplus Property Declaration

The Committee reviewed the list of surplus property which includes a Samsung copier, StarTech.com router, and freezer. A motion was made by Alderman Carncross, seconded by Alderwoman Haderlein to recommend to the City Council that the submitted list be declared surplus. All ayes. Motion carried.

Strategic Vision Discussion

The Committee discussed the Strategic Vision related to the Administration Committee. Discussion included on the different areas below.

● Invest in technology & website to improve data and access to inline services.

Discussion included updating the City’s website, GIS system (mapping). Administrator Leone was directed to contact CivicPlus to get a presentation of their services offered.

● Launch a resident survey to inform to the City’s work & decision making.

The Committee discussed the different areas that will be needed in the future and to conduct a survey that is easy to navigate. Staff will brainstorm what questions to include in the survey.

● Increase information available in Spanish along with translation support.

● Review staffing matrix by department & succession planning model.

The Committee discussed having a specific meeting to review the staffing matrix by department prior to the next budget workshop meeting.

● Increase engagement with McHenry County Council of Government (MCCG).

The Committee discussed having more participation from the City Council, as well as having more participation from staff in other organizations throughout Illinois.

● Explore partnerships with neighboring communities to share resources.

The Committee discussed how staff/council has been exploring/developing new partnerships with surrounding communities.

● Improve communication with residents-explore PT communication person.

The Committee discussed the different communication methods for residents such as online and providing a quarterly catalog that will include programming, events, and informative information regarding the City.

New Business

● City Administator Leone noted that the Council of Mayors will be meeting at the Community Hall on July 19, 2024.

● Finance Director Bejot distributed and reviewed a memo on the Lead Line Replacement Funding project. This item will be discussed at the next Administration Committee meeting in August.

● Finance Director Bejot distributed an article to the committee from the Journal of Forensic Sciences. This article brought up the discussion on instituting additional internal controls.

● Finance Director Bejot noted that in the next Administration Committee Meeting Agenda the ARPA Funds will be an item discussed.

A motion was made by Alderwoman Haderlein, seconded by Alderman Carncross to adjourn the meeting. All ayes. Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 8:20 pm.

https://www.cityofharvard.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/administration_committee/meeting/14963/minutesadministration2024-07-09.pdf