McHenry Times

City of Harvard Infrastructure Committee met July 11

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Chairman Gorman called the Infrastructure Committee Meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. The committee members present were Chairman Charlie Gorman, Jay Schulz, and John Lavallee. Matt Perkins was absent. A quorum was present.

Mayor Kelly, City Administrator Lou Leone, and Public Works Superintendent Rob Lamz were also present.

Chairman Gorman outlined the framework of the newly formed Infrastructure Committee. This committee integrates the former Transportation Committee with additional responsibilities covering various city infrastructure components, notably Public Works and Utilities, alongside new initiatives like high-speed fiber. The committee will primarily collaborate with staff members, particularly the heads of the Public Works and Utilities departments, to develop viable infrastructure solutions, provide oversight, and make recommendations to the City Council on matters such as ordinances, resolutions, grants, contracts, and more.

Public Comments

Chairman Gorman opened the floor to public comment for any item not presently on the agenda. There were no public comments.

Surf Internet Blanket Permit

Scott Franco and Jennifer Alvarez from Surf Internet presented an overview of the Fiber project planned for the City. He shared various sample contracts that Surf Internet has previously provided to other communities for review by the Committee.

Alderman Gorman inquired about the contracts and noted minimal differences among them. He suggested that Surf Internet refer to City Ordinance Section 6.18 and incorporate, by reference, those regulations into the contract they propose to the City. He also recommended reconciling any material differences between the city’s Section 6.18 and the proposed agreement before a blanket permit is issued.

During the discussion, it was noted that one of the sample contracts requires the Grantee to provide free fiber hookup to City facilities. City Administrator Leone clarified that previous discussions with Surf Internet had focused on including free Wi-Fi in parks and downtown areas, with potential expansion to other City locations.

Alderman Gorman expressed concerns about the term "Competitive Equity" in one of the sample contracts. The clause states that the city must notify Surf if another company shows interest in providing fiber internet service within the city. Mr. Franco explained that this requirement is intended to keep Surf Internet informed about other companies installing cables in areas where Surf has already installed its equipment. Surf wants to ensure that they can protect their existing installations and offer guidance to other installation companies.

Alderman Schulz inquired about the decision to refer this matter to the Infrastructure Committee instead of approving it at the last City Council meeting, which he had missed. The matter was sent to the committee because there were no draft or sample contracts available for discussion during the City Council Meeting.

Mr. Franco provided a timeline for the project during the discussion.

Alderman Gorman proposed that the next step in advancing the project should involve Surf Internet drafting a contract in line with the Earlville sample but with reference to, alignment with, and acknowledgment of Section 6.18 of the City of Harvard code.

The Committee and Surf Internet agreed that Surf will prepare a draft agreement for review at the upcoming City Council meeting on July 23, 2024. To facilitate this process, City Administrator Leone will provide Surf Internet with an address list and a copy of City Ordinance 6.18.

RFQ for Well Generator

City Administrator Leone explained that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has recommended that the City install a backup emergency generator for one of its wells. This recommendation has now become a requirement. The cost for this project could be as high as $400,000, and city staff are in the process of seeking grants to cover all or part of the cost. Part of this process includes an engineering study to estimate the project requirements and costs accurately. The estimate for this study is about $23,000. A funding request for this amount would need approval from the Administration Committee and City Council to amend the budget accordingly. (No action required)

Sidewalk Program

Supt. Lamz stated that the City set aside funding to replace deteriorated sidewalks, and with that comes the challenges associated with this funding. It must cover any engineering costs as well as construction costs. This year, the City earmarked $100,000 for sidewalks, with $5,000 for in-house and $95,000 for a program with an additional $8,000 budgeted for engineering in a separate line item. The focus is on areas with minimal engineering costs, such as near Milky Way Park, where there are currently no sidewalks to facilitate pedestrian access.

Alderman Gorman questioned why using Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funds for rejuvenation projects in previous years was okay. Supt. Lamz explained that last year, IDOT mistakenly approved these funds. The City should have allocated the funds differently.

The Committee assessed various areas needing sidewalk updates. Leone highlighted that new construction projects now require sidewalks, which, upon completion, become City property.

Alderman Gorman and Alderman Schulz advocated continuing the roadway rejuvenation project already underway, using funds allocated for sidewalks for that purpose. A motion was made by Alderman Schulz, seconded by Alderman Gorman, to propose to the Administration Committee an amendment to the FY 24/25 budget. This amendment moves $60,000 from the sidewalk program to the roadway rejuvenation project, reserves $30,000 for the 185 ft of sidewalk, and designates $8,000 for engineering costs. All ayes, Motion carried.

Alderman Schulz expressed concern about the fairness of selectively installing sidewalks, raising potential resident inquiries about disparities in sidewalk provision.

Mayor Kelly pointed out that under new construction rules, developers must install sidewalks and cover the costs. These costs are then factored into home prices, placing responsibility on the homeowner. Perhaps we should consider using a Special Service Area (SSA) to rebuild sidewalks and install new sidewalks in areas lacking them. Mayor Kelly acknowledged that ensuring a fair distribution of these responsibilities presents challenges.

Alderman Gorman said he would like to work on a plan to provide 0% interest loans, similar to the downtown facade loan plan, to residents needing sidewalk replacement.

Bike and Walk Path

City Administrator Leone announced that the City’s application for technical assistance in developing a bike/walk path master plan through CMAP has been approved. City Administrator Leone is waiting for the CMAP coordinator to contact him to move forward with the master plan. (no action required)

Lead Lines Replacement Plan & Funding

Supt. Lamz provided an update on the Lead Line Replacement Grant Application process. The City has undertaken the task of identifying lead service lines with support from an IEPA grant. Replacing these lines is costly for any municipality, particularly when adhering to guidelines that require replacing the line up to the building foundation.

This involves street cuts, directional boring, foundation drilling, and work within state right-of-way areas. Funding options include an IEPA loan designed to assist with the cost of replacing these lead lines. This loan offers a zero percent interest rate and can be repaid over 30 years, with the potential for principal forgiveness depending on the scoring of the loan application. Given our median income, this presents a promising opportunity. This application necessitates the development of a project plan, culminating in submitting the associated project plan and environmental review checklists mandated by the IEPA.

Christopher Burke Engineering, LTD. (CBBEL) has offered to assist in this process and is presently engaged in tasks to identify lead lines. They are also creating a web application to aid residents in identifying and integrating an inventory layer into GIS to support our program. 

City Administrator Leone emphasized the importance of promptly submitting the application to keep the project on track.

Alderman Gorman asked if the City could conduct lead testing, to which Supt. Lamz confirmed that lead testing could be conducted at the WWTP. Supt.

Supt. Lamz also highlighted that landlords have a responsibility to protect their tenants.

Alderman Schulz, seconded by Alderman Gorman, moved to recommend sending the proposal to the Administration Committee for the approval of the contract with CBBEL for the Lead Lines Replacement Plan & Funding project. All ayes. The motion carried.

2024 MFT Road Program

Supt. Lamz updated the committee on the 2024 MFT Road Program, initially intending to continue the 'Preservation and Stop Gap' strategy used the previous year. However, IDOT's review revealed MFT funds cannot be allocated for rejuvenation. Supt. Lamz then detailed revised quantities and totals from the memo provided to the committee. The quantities designated for rejuvenation may instead be redirected to skip-patching, potentially increasing coverage closer to the City's targeted 3,000 square yards. Additionally, an extra 25% allocation aims to address deteriorating areas. Supt. Lamz identified evaluated zones exceeding estimated patching needs by approximately 475 square yards.

He noted that many city streets urgently need rejuvenation but recommended removing Third Street from the 2024 Road Program to meet patching targets better.

Alderman Gorman moved, seconded by Alderman Schulz, to recommend removing Third Street from the 2024 Road Program. All ayes. The motion carried.

Strategic Vision

The Committee discussed the Strategic Vision pertaining to the Infrastructure Committee, covering the following areas:

● Complete a City-wide infrastructure study to establish a replacement plan for streets, sidewalks, water, sewer systems, and trees.

● Work with staff toward incorporating some kind of project management software either with city internet ISP (currently Civic +) or a stand-alone program/app.

● Launch a communication plan to share the street improvement plan with residents.

● Adopt a blog or other computer reporting method that is easy for residents to access. Gorman provided this sample from a couple of years ago - https://sites.google.com/view/cityofharvardtranscom/home

● Seek new funding sources, e.g., grants, so that the PAVER pavement Management System goals can be met.

● Grants alone may not suffice. If we want to accomplish this, we are going to have to look into asking city residents to approve a bond. We need to find out what the city residents are willing to bear. We need to develop some scenarios and their costs so that people can help us decide what to do.

● Begin street improvements with new funding supported by taxpayers.

● 1% road tax funds will be included in the 2025-26 road budget.

● Engage with Metra, RTA, and PACE to explore ancillary transportation opportunities such as pedestrian, bus, and vehicle parking access.

● This wasn’t discussed but is in progress. 

● Establish downtown wireless access.

● As discussed earlier, Surf Internet will be providing this service at no charge to the city.

Other

City Administrator Leone informed the Committee that the Tower Maintenance Work Memo has been provided to keep members updated on the progress of the current Tower Maintenance project. He assured the Committee that he would provide regular updates at each committee meeting to ensure everyone remains informed.

Alderman Schulz stressed the necessity of advancing the Sidewalk Program with a well-defined strategy for the community's benefit. He inquired whether the staff had initiated contact with other communities. City Administrator Leone confirmed that staff had begun this process.

Mayor Kelly prioritized the Lead Lines Replacement Plan, emphasizing its critical importance due to safety concerns.

Alderman Schulz moved, seconded by Alderman Gorman, to adjourn the meeting. All ayes. The motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 8:14 pm.

https://www.cityofharvard.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/infrastructure_committee/meeting/14966/minutesinfrastructure_committee2024-07-11.pdf