City Council

MINUTES CITY OF DEKALB COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING MAY 22, 2017 The City Council of DeKalb, Illinois held a Committee of the Whole meeting on May 22, 2017, in the City Council Chambers of the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 South Fourth Street, DeKalb, Illinois. Mayor Smith called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. A. ROLL CALL City Clerk Herrmann called the roll, and the following members of the City Council were present: Alderman Bill Finucane, Alderman Mike Marquardt, Alderman Pat Fagan, Alderman Kate Noreiko, Alderman Mike Verbic, Alderman Tony Faivre, and Mayor Jerry Smith. Alderman David Jacobson arrived at 5:07 p.m. Also present were: City Manager Anne Marie Gaura, Assistant City Manager Patty Hoppenstedt, City Attorney Dean Frieders, Finance Director Cathy Haley, Police Chief Gene Lowery, Fire Chief Eric Hicks, Community Development Director Jo Ellen Charlton, Public Works Director Tim Holdeman, Information Technology Director Marc Thorson, Human Resources Director Cris Randall, Economic Development Planner Jason Michnick, Principal Planner Dan Olson, Deputy City Clerk Ruth Scott, and City Clerk Susanna Herrmann. B. ITEMS ALSO ON THE REGULAR AGENDA There were none. C. CONSIDERATIONS 1. Request for Proposal (RFP) for Social Services for University Village and Related Areas. Economic Development Planner Michnick provided an overview of this item, explaining that the agreement between the City and the new owners of University Village (Security Properties) included a $200,000 initial donation for social services, and a total amount of $500,000 over the next 15 years. He stated that he started working with the Dr. Kendall Thu and Tiara Huggins, President of the University Village Tenant’s Association, last year in order to develop a comprehensive strategy on what those funds should be used for. Through comparative data in high poverty areas around the country, and in speaking with residents of University Village, they were able to identify some of those needs, which included transportation accessibility, healthcare, employment, and access to nutritional foods. Through discussion, it was identified that the needs of the residents are complex and intertwined. As such, a collaborative effort between the City and other agencies is needed in order for the funding to have a meaningful impact on the University Village community. Economic Development Planner Michnick invited Tiara Huggins and Dr. Kendall Thu to the podium to speak. Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes May 22, 2017 Page 2 of 4 Tiara Huggins introduced herself as the President of the University Village Tenant’s Association. She stated that she agrees that the RFP is necessary in order to begin efforts for improving the quality of life for University Village residents. Ms. Huggins stated that she was glad to see how much progress had been made in identifying the needs of the tenants at University Village. Dr. Thu thanked Council and staff for their participation in the RFP and acknowledged the collaborative efforts of all parties involved. He expressed the desire for physical and social changes in the University Village community and encouraged Council and community members to participate in reimagining those tenants as part of the community as a whole. Alderman Noreiko stated that she appreciates the positive effort displayed by bringing the proposal forward. She asked if the working group will be the same group that will be reviewing the proposals. Economic Development Planner Michnick replied yes, and went on to state that the group will branch out to include other community members. Alderman Noreiko asked if the group will continue to consist of a diverse group of community members, with Economic Development Planner Michnick replying in the affirmative. Alderman Noreiko expressed concern that there is a very broad range of issues the residents of University Village want addressed through the proposal, along with the funding. She asked Economic Development Planner Michnick if he foresees a prioritization process for addressing the needs of the tenants in University Village. He replied that the hope of the working group is to be able to find other agencies specific to individual needs that already have resources available to them that would be able to be leveraged. Alderman Noreiko stated she doesn’t want the working group or the Tenant’s Association to feel that the collaborative efforts are a failure if they don’t reach 100% in the first year of implementation. Economic Development Planner Michnick shared with Council that the working group is requesting all proposals to go through a three year process, possibly more. He stated that their expectation is to sign a three year term agreement with the primary agency. Further analysis would be conducted at a later date in order to potentially sign a longer term agreement with the primary agency and others, if necessary. Alderman Finucane stated he was pleased with the contents of the three year agreement and reminded everyone that there would be a period of 15 years in order to see the resolution of some of the issues brought forward in the proposal. He asked Economic Development Planner Michnick to explain the details of the bidding process since the funding is coming predominantly from a private entity. Economic Development Planner Michnick gave an overview of the City’s $20,000 purchasing policy and related it back to the purpose of the proposal. Alderman Fagan asked if the contract was a solid three year contract or if it was going to be renewable every year. Economic Development Planner Michnick replied that the agreement would be reviewed every three years. City Attorney Frieders added that the contract would be restructured as needed. Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes May 22, 2017 Page 3 of 4 Mayor Smith read through the options recommended by staff, stating that Council was in agreement with moving forward with the RFP. 2. Request for Proposal (RFP) for an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System. Information Technology Director Thorson provided overview on this item. He defined an ERP as a solution or application that would take a holistic look at the City’s operations in order to store information under one umbrella. He provided a detailed explanation on the software, its main function for data collection and storage, and how it would positively impact the efficiency of City staff and elected officials. Information Technology Director Thorson spoke about systems the City is already using, the condition of the City’s data collection, and the specific needs he feels should be met. He highlighted some of the key requests being made through the RFP and stated that modifications to the system are being discouraged for cost effectiveness. He also stated that the Information Technology Department is open to Cloud or remote systems for data storage as well as on-premises systems. Information Technology Director Thorson stated that City staff are requesting year one costs to be covered, as well as years two through 10. This item was budgeted for in FY2017 but it is expected to carry over in to FY2018. He added that the project is very involved and will have a significant impact on how staff provides services to the public. He wants to make sure that staff is operating as efficiently as possible. Alderman Faivre stated that he was glad to hear that the plan includes a possibility of the Cloud system. He went on to state that he conducted his own research regarding Cloud systems and then asked Information Technology Director Thorson which systems would be included in the ERP, and asked if the Police system would be included right away or at a later time. Discussion ensued between Alderman Faivre and Information Technology Director Thorson regarding which departments will be included in the new system and the possibility of using a governmental ERP system as opposed to an open market system. Alderman Noreiko referred to City Manager Gaura regarding how the project will impact future department heads. She expressed concern that a future Finance Director may not be partial to the system that City staff decides to move forward with during the implementation process. City Manager Gaura stated that the hiring process of a new Finance Director will include looking at the type of software experience each individual candidate possesses. City Manager Gaura referred to Information Technology Director Thorson for an anticipated timeline to bring the item back to Council for consideration. Information Technology Director Thorson stated he anticipates this item being brought back to Council at the October 23, 2017, Council meeting and that all due diligence will have been performed prior to the meeting. Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes May 22, 2017 Page 4 of 4 Alderman Jacobson provided a historical reference of Council’s goals for the new software and asked Information Technology Director Thorson if there are other ERPs available in the open source software market. Information Technology Director Thorson replied that he was not familiar with any in reference to this particular market but he would not discourage a vendor from bringing forward open source software as long as there was adequate support and an adequate market to keep it going. Mayor Smith read through the options recommended by staff, stating that Council was in agreement with moving forward with the ERP. 3. FY2017 Strategic Plan First Quarter Update. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt provided an update of the Strategic Plan. She highlighted key items of action, two of which were achieved, 77 that were on track, and three not started. She also discussed the new DeKalb e-Newsletter and encouraged the community to sign up to receive it. Alderman Finucane stated he would like for more information regarding the activities of elected officials to be included in the next report. D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There was none. E. RECESS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL There was nothing scheduled. F. ADJOURNMENT Alderman Verbic moved to adjourn the Committee of the Whole meeting; seconded by Alderman Fagan. VOTE Motion carried by an 8-0 voice vote. Aye: Jacobson, Finucane, Marquardt, Fagan, Noreiko, Verbic, Faivre, Smith. Nay: None. Mayor Smith declared the meeting adjourned at 5:49 p.m. ________________________________ SUSANNA HERRMANN, City Clerk Approved by City Council: June 12, 2017.