Peoria Standard

Peoria County Infrastructure Committee met July 24.

Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:

Members Present: Phillip Salzer - Chairman; Gregory Adamson, James Dillon, Rachael Parker, Kate Pastucha, Barry Robinson

Members Absent:

Others Present: Scott Sorrel - County Administrator; Shauna Musselman - Assistant County Administrators; Ben Ciravolo - State's Attorney's Office; Judge Kevin Lyons -Courts; Eric Dubrowski - Chief Financial Officer; Dan O'Connell - Facilities Director; Amy Benecke McLaren - County Highway; Angela Loftus - Assistant Director of Human Resources; Brian Asbell, Doug Gaa, Randy Brunner - Sheriff's Office; Brian Johnson - Health Department; Mark Little - Chief Information Officer; Andrew Dwyer - Greater Peoria Mass Transit District

Call to Order:

Chairman Salzer called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.

Approval of Minutes:

A motion to approve the minutes of June 26, 2017 was made by Mr. Robinson and seconded by Ms. Pastucha. The motion carried.

Informational:

• Greater Peoria Sanitary District

No questions or comments from committee.

• Facilities Master Plan

Mr. O'Connell provided an update on budgeted projects:

• Phase I of the County Clerk/Recorder of Deeds remodel is proceeding and on schedule. Phase II is anticipated to begin in early August.

• Staff is working with Dewberry on a contract for Election Commission relocation on Brandywine Drive. The owner of the facility is performing mold abatement and a report will be forthcoming in the next several days.

• Staff continues to work with Altorfer on obtaining final lien waivers for the emergency generators at the jail.

• Ongoing discussion between Facilities staff and Jail Administration has determined that as there is insufficient funding to replace the locks in an entire cell block, available funds could be deferred from both the jail locks and the replacement of a rolling gate for emergency repairs of the ring road at the jail. Sheriff Asbell indicated that the jail locks in need of repair are in the 1998 addition, and are in better condition than the older section of the jail. Additionally, the majority of the jail lock repairs are for cells within the female population, and the manipulation of locks would be a lesser consideration. He agreed that emergency repair to the ring road is a priority.

Mr. O'Connell also advised that bids for two possible PCAPS projects have been received and staff is in the process of evaluating those bids.

Rural Peoria County Transportation System:

Mr. Dwyer advised that radios are due to arrive tomorrow and will be installed as scheduling allows with Supreme Radio. He advised that several issues have been encountered with billing algorithms related to the software, and staff continues to work with staff at Mobiltat to rectify those issues before an agreement is reached with the software company.

Mr. Dwyer advised that over 2,000 rides were provided in the month of June, averaging 1.50 rides per hour.

Resolutions:

• FY2018 Peoria-Pekin Urbanized Area Transportation Study (PPUATS) Annual Agreement and Motor Fuel Tax Appropriation

A motion to approve was made by Mr. Robinson and seconded by Ms. Pastucha. Ms. McLaren advised that staff is requesting the approval of an annual joint funding agreement with PPUATS and Tri-County Regional Planning Center. She stated that the agreement allows a means of receiving federal monies for transportation projects. The motion carried.

• Supplemental Appropriation of Motor Fuel Tax Funds for FY2017 PPUATS Joint Funding Agreement

A motion to approve was made by Ms. Parker and seconded by Mr. Robinson. Ms. McLaren advised that the County was overbilled for its share of the FY 2017 PPUATS Joint Funding Agreement due to the receipt of less federal funding as anticipated by Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. She stated that the overpayment amount was credited towards this year; however, an IDOT auditor recommended that the amount be instead credited for the past year. The motion carried.

• Agreement for Rural Transportation (CountyLink) Administrative Services

A motion to approve was made by Mr. Adamson and seconded by Ms. Pastucha. Mr. Sorrel explained that the rural transit program and fund is funded by both a state grant and a federal grant, which nearly entirely fund the rural transit operation. He advised that over the past several years, staff has worked with the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District, MV Transportation and IDOT to transition services and those grants completely to the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District. He stated that a transfer date of July 31, 2018 has been identified. He commented that Assistant County Administrator Mark Rothert provided the reporting and monthly billing responsibilities for the service providers and was integral in the preparation of the County's portion of the implementation of the transition plan.

Mr. Sorrel advised that staffing cutbacks eliminated Mr. Rothert's position, and he is requesting a contractual relationship to continue those necessary administrative services through July 31, 2018.

Mr. Sorrel advised that several language clarifications were made to the agreement at the request of committee members. He stated that the agreement has been restructured to remove the monthly retainer, with the hourly rate remaining the same, and added that the agreement has been structured on a time and materials/not to exceed basis. He estimated the value of the contract at $12,000.00 to $15,000.00, and added that the General Fund would not be impacted by the provision of the services, and would be paid from the Rural Transit Fund. The motion carried.

Discussion:

• Courthouse Egress

Judge Lyons addressed the committee regarding the permanent closing of the Jefferson Street doors. He declared that the closing of the doors is not an issue of security, but of budget. He commented that the building "belongs" to the County Board, stating that case law does not imply or indicate that a Sheriff has a blanket ownership over the building. He stressed that the closing of the doors is not a reflection of the County Board, but that the County Board was bypassed.

Judge Lyons commented that the lack of security personnel at Jefferson Street constitutes security issues with the routes taken by employees and the public to both enter and exit the building. He also noted that everyone, from citizens visiting the courthouse to victims, witnesses, defendants, etc. must all utilize one manner of egress. He recommended collaborative conversation during the budget process on options that would allow the doors to re-open.

Mr. Dillon expressed his preference in having both entrances open, and agreed with a practical consideration of budget options. Sheriff Asbell agreed that the situation is budgetary, and stressed that the resolution of the issue is a priority. Mr. Robinson commented that closing of the Jefferson Street doors is problematic and stressed the importance of county staff determining a means of re- opening the entrance.

Mr. Adamson commented that courthouses with only one entrance are becoming more the standard across the country, and asked if there could be a reconfiguring of the courthouse entrance to provide an easier and more efficient ingress and egress. Mr. Sorrel agreed that a newly constructed courthouse would most likely be designed with a single public entrance; however, the current option with the older Peoria County Courthouse is maintenance. He stated that the courthouse has two entrances, and decisions on how both sets of doors can be managed is both a financial decision for the County Board and an operation decision for the Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Asbell noted that the logistical issues with staffing will not be resolved quickly, but he is hopeful the 2018 budget hearing and subsequent discussion will enable a solution to the matter.

Adjournment:

The meeting was adjourned by Chairman Salzer at 4:08 p.m.

http://www.peoriacounty.org/download?path=%2Fcountyboard%2FCommittee_Agenda_and_Minutes%2F2017%2FAugust%2F28+-+Infrastructure%2FInfrastructure+Committee+Agenda+8-28-17.pdf