Meeting Minutes may 4, 2011 I. Call to order

Jo-Carroll Depot LRA Board of Directors

Meeting Minutes

MAY 4, 2011
I. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Bill McFadden called the board meeting to order at 3:03 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at the Jo-Carroll Depot LRA Conference Room, 3651 Crim Dr., Suite 1, Savanna, Illinois.
II. ROLL CALL was answered as follows: Present - Don Crawford, Paul Hartman, Steve Keeffer, Bill McFadden, Bill Robinson and Bill Wright. Present: 6 Ayes: 6. Nays: 0. Absent – Ed Olds and Ron Smith. Absent: 2. LRA attorney and staff present: Phil Jensen, Mara Roche and Jan Davis. Guests present: Tom Kamper (RVPR), Ole Pace (RVPR), Alan Anderson (US F&W), and Al Griffiths.
III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was recited.
IV. AGENDA ADDITIONS – None.
V. CONSENT AGENDA

1. 
   Minutes of Board Meeting, Regular and Executive Sessions, of April 6, 2011.
   
2. 
   CD transfers approved by Finance Committee, if any.
   
3. 
   Bills over $2,500 approved by Finance Committee, if any.
   

A motion to approve the consent agenda was made by Paul Hartman, seconded by Don Crawford. The motion carried by voice vote.

VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – The Board did not go into Executive Session.

VII. OLD BUSINESS

A. Committee Reports

1. Finance/Personnel Committee

Finance Committee member Bill Wright reported on the April 19, 2011 meeting highlights including pledge reports from THE National Bank, the Workers’ Compensation & Employers Liability Insurance Audit, the outstanding invoices, funds on hand, CD transfers, and a bill from Hammer, Simon & Jensen for legal services that was approved for payment by the committee.

a. Update on outstanding invoices – None

2. Infrastructure Committee

a. Water/Sewer long range plan – Committee member Steve Keeffer reported that the final draft of Water/Sewer long range plan is almost complete. A meeting will be held on Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. with the Jo Daviess and Carroll county board chairs & administrators prior to the formal presentation in June or July.

Attorney Phil Jensen reported that he had drafted the letters, for Ron Smith to take to DC as instructed at the April 28^th meeting, to Congressman Manzullo and Senator Kirk, regarding the Army’s response. Due to a conversation Mr. Smith had with Colonel Turner while in DC, the letters do not have to go out at this time. Colonel Turner will discuss the issues with the LRA.

b. Review Capital Improvement projects and/or maintenance items – No new updates

c. Sewer Treatment Plant Road – Request was sent to the Illinois Historical Preservation Agency on March 31, 2011. Attorney Phil Jensen reported that we did not receive any comment within the 30 day period stated in the Land Use Covenants, so we can go ahead with the road. This will be sent back to committee to go out for bids.

d. 2011 Mowing and Plowing – The 2011 Mowing Contract was awarded to John H. Lincicum from Elizabeth.

e. Request from Riverport Railroad – Their public railroad crossing on Crim Drive sustained damage over the winter and needs work. Riverport did get estimates for a concrete crossing that can be lifted out and replaced when necessary, thus limiting the time the crossing would be closed for repairs. Riverport asked for a credit to one of their leases in the amount of the crossing replacement.

A motion to approve giving a credit to Riverport Railroad for replacing the Crim Drive public railroad crossing, not to exceed $18,000; Mara Roche will work with Riverport to determine which lease to credit was made by Steve Keeffer, seconded by Bill Robinson. The motion carried by voice vote.
f. Request for temporary use of water – Savanna Stable LLC requested a temporary source of water (hydrant) for intermittent outside use at the current per gallon water rate until the end of May. The Committee discussed the request and alternative options, and decided to follow the current water and hydrant policy. Update: Savanna Stable, LLC has followed policy and had water only turned on at building 265. The LRA will waive the sewer fee.

g. Request for property display – The Savanna Historical Museum has requested the Depot sand table/diorama for a display on the first floor of the Museum for four months.

A motion to send the Depot’s sand table to the Savanna Historical Museum for four months was made by Steve Keeffer, seconded by Bill Wright. The motion carried by roll call vote as follows: Steve Keeffer, Bill Robinson, Bill Wright, Bill McFadden. Ayes: 4. Don Crawford, Paul Hartman. Nays: 2.

3. Economic Development Committee – no meeting

VII. NEW BUSINESS

A. Bills over $2,500 received since committee met –

A motion to approve the payments of $6,250.00 to Miner, Gilroy & Meade for the 2010 audit and $2,965.63 to Jo-Carroll Energy for monthly electric was made by Bill Wright, seconded by Paul Hartman. The motion carried by voice vote.
B. Sale or lease of property – none.

C. Staff Reports

1. Executive Director

a. Report / issues update – Mara Roche reported that the Army has released three “Finding of Suitability to Transfer” documents (FOSTs) for public comment which will end on May 25, 2011. The properties are the Access Road, Parcel 17A, and Parcel 3.

b. Correspondence – None.

c. Property Transfers – Of the 2,947 total acres to be transferred from the Army, to date we have received 1,043 acres, which is 35%. Of the 1,043 acres, we have transferred 722, which is 69%. The majority of the property that we have not received is under contract.

d. Employment reports – Employee numbers for the month of April were 67; last month was 64. Last year at this time was 63.

2. Bookkeeper

a. Bank account balances/funds on hand - As of May 3, 2011 the grand total of LRA money is $1,713,582.67.

b. Cash Flow – April cash flow was as follows: $1,433.84 income, $27,873.66 expenses indicating a loss of $26,439.82.

c. Budget Update – Five months into the budget year, revenue was $55,987.52 with $107,508 budgeted, and expenditures were $98,119.87 with $821,995 budgeted.

D. Board of Directors Report

1. UMRI Port Authority – No one present.

2. Foreign Trade Zone #271 – Mr. Don Crawford had nothing to report.

3. Jo-Carroll Enterprise Zone – Mr. Don Crawford had nothing to report.

4. Other director’s reports – None.

E. Attorney’s Report

1. Recommendations – Attorney Phil Jensen had nothing to report. Board member Bill Robinson asked Phil Jensen about the bidding process for getting engineering bids. Phil Jensen responded by stating that we are not a public body as defined in the municipal code. The code allows municipalities to waive bidding when they have an ongoing relationship with an engineering firm. The limited work that we have done does not constitute a long-term relationship; however none of that applies to us. So the only thing that precludes us from selecting an engineering firm is our purchasing policy.

A motion to change the purchasing policy to: By a two-thirds vote, the competitive bidding procedures will be waived for the hiring of professional services only was made by Ed Olds, seconded by Bill Robinson.

F. Other new business

1. US F&WS request – Alan Anderson (US F&WS) reported on the turtle fence. They have 14 turtles within the enclosure. The goal is 100 turtles that are radio tagged that can be monitored to determine reproduction. Once reproduction starts, the radio-tagged turtles will be released to see what habitat they seek out and if they re-establish the population. The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board has put these turtles on the endangered species list. Thus his request for the field surveys; this will allow him to remove/rescue the turtles from LRA property and protect the turtles on US F&WS property. He brought in a 2-year old, radio-tagged ornate box turtle for the Board to see.

A motion to approve the request of US F&WS to conduct field surveys within the Industrial Park area to find ornate box turtles from May through October 2011 with the understanding that any box turtles found will be relocated to Lost Mound was made by Paul Hartman, seconded by Bill Robinson. The motion carried by voice vote.
2. IL Natural Areas Inventory request – Mara Roche reported that we received correspondence from the INAI requesting permission to give access to our property to an ecologist from the IL Natural History Survey at the University of Illinois to examine the sand prairie that exists here. Mara Roche stated that she sent an email to the contact person asking for a map to include the areas they wish to access so we can determine if it is LRA or private property before we allow access.

3. Hanover Volunteer Fire Dept Use Agreement – Mara Roche reported that HVFD has some interest in one of the barracks buildings that the Carroll County Sheriff’s Dept. is using for training. They would like to add that building to their Use Agreement.

A motion to approve adding Building 206 to the Use Agreement for Hanover Volunteer Fire Department was made by Ed Olds, seconded by Paul Hartman. The motion carried by voice vote.
4. Carroll County Sheriff Use Agreement – Mara Roche reported that Carroll County Sheriff’s Dept. would like to rescind their Use Agreement for Building 206, but would like to request use of an office-type building such as building 249 to use for the training of their dogs.
A motion to approve rescinding the current Carroll County Sheriff Department’s Use Agreement for Building 206 and to approve a new Use Agreement for Building 249 to be used for dog training was made by Ed Olds, seconded by Paul Hartman. The motion carried by voice vote.

VIII. OTHER REPORTS TO THE BOARD

A. Commander’s Rep – Cindy Irwin (Army) arrived and presented the May 4, 2011 Commander’s Report. She reported July 2^nd will be her last day.

B. Depot Park Tenants – Ole Pace (RVPR) thanked the Board for the crossing, and reported that the wiring will be fixed, and the approach will be blacktopped when they do the crossing.

Regarding the scale, the county has put up the sign and it’s fully functional.

The board directed staff to notify the Hanover Fire Protection District that they can move forward with their request for removal of the old scale at the firehouse.

C. US Fish & Wildlife Service – Alan Anderson (US F&WS) reported that they had been contacted by Red Rock Films out of Washington DC who wanted to do a story on coyotes in the National Wildlife Refuge of the Upper Mississippi, specifically to film coyote pups in a den. One of the photographers found and photographed a burrowing owl, which is rare here, as they are indigenous to western plains & prairie dog towns. Alan shared the photo with the Board. He assumes that the owl is migrating through as he has not seen it since.

Alan reported that he is working on the Prickly Pear Trail that goes out to an overlook and 1 ½ miles back through the woods. There is a kiosk up, a parking lot, soon to have signs & brochures, and hopes to have it completed by the end of the summer.

Alan reported that he will have two people working part-time for the summer.

Alan also reported that they did a prescribed burn of 1,700 acres this spring; in early March in order to protect the ornate box turtles before they emerged. As it turns out, as spring got colder and wetter, most of the turtles are still underground.

US F&WS does have an asbestos contract to get rid of some of the buildings (“B” area magazines). We will see increased activity with US F&WS trucks coming in and out, as well as a backhoe and tractor.

D. Guests – Al Griffiths, resident of Hanover and former City Manager of East Dubuque, now retired and working for WHKS Engineering out of East Dubuque.
IX. PUBLIC COMMENTS – Paul Hartman asked if documents will be sent out to the participants of the May 26, 2011 meeting so that they can review them before the meeting. Bill McFadden agreed that documents should go out before the meeting.

Bill Robinson reported that EQM will be around this summer closing approximately 19 wells on four different sites.

X. ADJOURNMENT

A motion to adjourn was made at 4:00p.m. by Don Crawford, seconded by Bill Robinson. The motion carried by voice vote.
_________________________

Jan Davis, LRA Board Secretary