Macon Reporter

City of Maroa City Council met June 24.

Here is the minutes provided by the council:

City Administrator Report

Ted L. Agee

Real Estate Sale and Exchange: Closing for the real estate exchange between the City and Richard Young occurred on June 5th as planned. Following an application by Central Paving for a required NPDES permit for construction, we were notified by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources the approximate area pending sale to Central Paving from the City was recorded as a potential archaeological camp/occupation site (11M114) in 1978 when an individual from ISU recovered the distal end of a projectile point (arrowhead), unworked chert and chert flakes. Because of this, any future land use outside of farming required a Phase 1 Cultural Research Study to be performed in order to confirm or rule out the eligibility of the site for inclusion in the National Register. We were able to secure the services of Prairie Archaeology & Research to perform the study at a cost of $2,370 to be split between the City and Central Paving. Prior to the study, we were required to have the ground worked to remove excess vegetation and ensure a minimum of 30% surface visibility. Tyler Stoutenborough was contracted to do this for a $200 fee. The field study was performed on Tuesday, June 18th and the City was not notified of any archaeological discoveries. On Friday, June 21st the study report was received, confirming no additional artifacts were discovered. This report will now be submitted to IDNR for final determination and release. Once we have clearance on the site, we will immediately proceed to close on the sale of Tract 2 to Central Paving as per Ordinance 2019/04/22-3.

Linden Street: After examination of the roadway, we have concluded the repair of Linden Street will consist of shoulder milling the existing asphalt, priming the center surface for adhesion and overlaying 2 inches of asphalt with a crown taper for drainage. After soliciting bids for the project, I have two prices for Council consideration:

1. DUNN Company submitted a bid of $22,280. 2. Central Paving submitted a bid of $29,000.

Both bids are for identical work and methods and both are compliant with prevailing wage rates. The difference in the two comes from the cost of material and trucking. Dunn Company has their own asphalt facility while Central Paving currently has to purchase asphalt from an outside supplier and is subject to additional trucking costs.

It is my recommendation to accept the bid from DUNN Company for the repairs to Linden Street,

W Main Street: The north shoulder of the 200 block of West Main has been consistently deteriorating for some time now. Due to portions settling and buildup of sealcoat material over time, drainage has been impeded. After a review of the area, it has been determined the solution would be to install two additional concrete catch basins, at -100ft intervals from the existing catch basin, tiled together to the existing outflow. The estimate from Doak Backhoe for this portion is not to exceed $3,300. NOTE: 1 would also recommend replacement of the existing galvanized catch basin with a new concrete one to meet grade, which would increase the final cost minimally. Following drainage repair, It is recommended to mill the pavement along the shoulder, back-fill the curb area and overlay 2 inches of asphalt. The bids I received for this portion are as follows:

1. Dunn Company submitted a bid of $12,350 for an 8 foot width. 2. Central Paving submitted a bid of $12,600 for a 9 foot width. 3. Central Paving submitted a bid of $14,000 for a 10 foot width,

The only discrepancy between these two bids is the width of the asphalt surface. Breaking down the bids based on an approximate 350 foot length of surface, DUNN Company comes in at ~$4.41 per square foot and both Central Paving bids come in at $4.00 per square foot.

Based upon this data, I recommend accepting the bid from Central Paving for the W Main Street repairs and leaving the width determination open to be made in-field following completion of the tiling work and final elevation results.

N Walnut Street: As requested, I have been examining the area of Walnut Street near Main Street for increased parking potential as well as shoulder improvement for drainage. The solution to this problem is larger than simply milling and resurfacing. The area of Walnut Street north of the Masonic lodge is frequently flooded from rains any surface work completed to the south will likely increase this flooding unless steps are taken to prevent this. I suggest the following solution:

1. Elevate the east sidewalk from the north corner of Scott State Bank to Washington Street. 

2. Create a curb with the elevated sidewalk to the north property line of the lodge. 

3. Create a 24 foot transitional driveway through the elevated sidewalk for access to the bank parking lot. 

4. Mill and pave the shoulder with 2 inches of asphalt from the south corner of the bank to the north corner of the lodge. 

5. Maintain the current, natural direction of drainage from the north and south through the parking lot and east to the Chestnut street ditch. 

6. Mill and pave 2 inch asphalt along the shoulder, parking lot entrance and shoulder of Chestnut Street to prevent further erosion of the area and direct water north to the ditch. 

7. Transition the elevated sidewalk on Walnut back to grade at the Washington Street corner. 

8. Elevate walkways to sidewalk and backfill as required.

Building Code: I met with local developers and tradesmen on Thursday, June 20th to discuss my findings on code requirements and policy. All present were in support of the changes and suggestions. These are my findings:

Public Act 096-0704 states all new commercial construction after July 1, 2011, must comply with the 2006 or later editions of the International Building Code, International Existing Building Code, International Property Maintenance Code and the 2008 or later edition of the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70). NOTE: This Act does not apply to any area that has adopted its own building code and registered that code adoption with the Capital Development Board (CDB) in accordance with the Capital Development Board Act. After researching, I have discovered the Capital Development Board does NOT have a current, registered code on file for the City of Maroa. This requires the City to adopt all codes as mandated.

The Illinois Energy Conservation Code and the Illinois Plumbing Code are both required to be followed by Illinois statute. The Illinois Energy Conservation Code adopts both:

International Energy Conservation Code (Newest Edition) 

ASHRAE 90.1 (NEWEST EDITION)

NOTES:

• We are adopting a previous version of many of these codes where allowed in order to match the requirements of other local municipalities.

• An "*" indicates specific versions required by law:

• The chapter of the Life Safety Code applicable to one- and two-family dwellings has been adopted only as "recommendations" and not made mandatory in Illinois;

• The Life Safety Code's definitions of a day care center and a day care home have been modified to recognize the classifications imposed by the Illinois Child Care Act and DCFS rather than those offered in the Life Safety Code;

vSimilarly, the Life Safety Code's requirements for child-to-staff ratios in day care centers and day care homes have been modified to recognize the ratios required by DCFS rather than those offered in the Life Safety Code; and

• Modifications have been made to allow alternative means of escape from the basement levels of home day care occupancies beyond those recognized by the Life Safety Code.

• All provisions in all code appendices are NOT MANDATORY unless specifically referenced in either the adopting ordinance or subsequent ordinances.

• Any code requirements for sprinkler systems in single and two-family residential dwellings are deemed NOT MANDATORY in order to parallel requirements of 2000 NFPA 101.

• 2015 NFPA 101 HAS BEEN PRESENTED BY THE FIRE MARSHALL FOR APPROVAL. Upon state enactment, 2015 NFPA 101 and all state approved additions and exclusions will automatically supersede 2000 NFPA 101.

Assistant Superintendent Position: At the request of Council, I am submitting an ordinance for the creation of the Assistant Superintendent of Public Works position. Rather than listing a specific set of duties, the ordinance will list the duties in a manner such as "any and all duties, responsibilities and authority, as determined by the Superintendent of Public Works; to act on behalf of and in the absence of the Superintendent of Public Works when necessary."

I recommend this format as far as duties to avoid several possible scenarios when specific duties are laid out:

1. It is impossible to create an exhaustive list covering any and all duties for unseen circumstances. 

2. As it has been the case for the City Administrator position, additional duties are frequently directed by the Mayor and/or Council which fall outside of the specific, listed duties in the position creation ordinance. While I am obligated to perform such additional duties, it has allowed certain individuals the opportunity to attempt to undermine the position by falsely claiming additional duties fall outside of my responsibilities and result in the neglect of specific, listed duties. I strongly want to avoid that scenario with this position. 

3. I also want to avoid the opportunity for a future Assistant of Public Works to refuse a directive simply because it is not listed specifically in the ordinance.

Ameren Street Lighting: While discussing a lighting addition with the Ameren engineer, I asked about updating our current street lighting to LED and the associated costs and savings. According to the field engineer, the cost of upgrading individual LED's is around $200 each; if we update a minimum of 100 lamps, that cost drops to $75 each, Currently we have 33 LED lamps and 133 conventional lamps. We would qualify for the reduced cost by replacing all remaining conventional lamps and Ameren projects a 30%-50% reduction in electrical costs by switching to the LED lights. Assuming a 40% reduction in operational costs, the initial cost to replace the lights would be recovered in just over two years, Additionally, the quality of lighting in all areas would be greatly improved.

Administrator Evaluation: This is a brief example of some of the project costs my position has saved, as well as the additional revenue generated from development projects.

Responsibilities:

My responsibilities as City Administrator are easily identified according to what was set forth in the creation ordinance. Beyond that, it becomes increasingly impossible to quantify the vast additional responsibilities given to me both through the Mayor and Council and the unforeseen needs and circumstances which arise through daily operations. Whether overseeing new projects, such as the winter festival or striving to develop the most comprehensive annual budget possible for the City, I have shown, time and time again, my determination to make this position a successful one. Every effort is put forth with the goal of continuing progress within the City.

https://maroaillinois.gov/file/633/6.24.2019%20admin%20report.pdf