City Council

MINUTES CITY OF DEKALB COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING DECEMBER 11, 2017 The City Council of DeKalb, Illinois held a Committee of the Whole meeting on December 11, 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 Susanna 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. Also present were: City Manager Anne Marie Gaura, City Attorney Dean Frieders, Assistant City Manager Patty Hoppenstedt, Finance Director Molly Talkington, Police Chief Gene Lowery, Community Development Director Jo Ellen Charlton, Public Works Director Tim Holdeman, Principal Planner Dan Olson, and City Clerk Susanna Herrmann. B. ITEMS ALSO ON THE REGULAR AGENDA There were none. C. CONSIDERATIONS 1. Public Protection Classification Summary Report as Prepared by the Insurance Services Office, Inc. Fire Chief Hicks provided a brief background on Insurance Services Office (ISO) and followed up with a summary of their report given to Council. He noted that the Fire Department is one of only 1,324 fire departments nationwide to receive an ISO rating of 2 and within the State of Illinois, only 80 of the 2,057 communities/fire departments have a Class 2 rating. He explained that ISO reviews over 46,000 communities/fire departments across the country and this rating places the City into the top 3.4% of the nation. Using a Power Point Presentation, he discussed some of the changes to the Fire Department that contributed to the graduated rating and some of the changes that could still be made in order to gain a Class 1 rating. He also outlined potential savings to property owners due to the changed rating. Public Works Director Holdeman discussed some of the improvement programs that the Public Works Department participates in that contributes to the ISO rating. Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes December 11, 2017 Page 2 of 2 Alderman Noreiko noted that points were lost due to a lack of training. Alderman Fagan mentioned the significance of a positive ISO rating and thanked Fire Chief Hicks for his commitment to obtaining the rating. Chief Hicks stated that an ISO Class 1 rating is obtainable with effort. Mayor Smith and Alderman Fagan discussed the homeowner savings associated with the ISO Fire Premium. Fire Chief Hicks added that the rating takes effect March 1, 2018, and he encouraged homeowners to check with their insurance companies to determine how it will affect them. D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Misty Haji-Sheik discussed parking regulations and noted that her neighborhood on Park Avenue is very congested. She added that Northern Illinois University (NIU) students often park illegally in that area and there are many safety issues associated with this issue. She verbalized her support for resident-only parking, despite the potential hiccups in the plan. She also expressed disappointment that Council is approving large salary raises for high-paid personnel while the streets program remains improperly funded. E. RECESS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL There was none. F. ADJOURNMENT MOTION Alderman Fagan motioned to adjourn the Committee of the Whole Meeting; seconded by Alderman Fagan. VOTE Motion carried on a 7-0 voice vote. Aye: Finucane, Marquardt, Fagan, Noreiko, Verbic, Faivre, and Smith. Nay: none. Mayor Smith declared the motion passed and the meeting adjourned at 5:29 p.m. ________________________________ SUSANNA HERRMANN, City Clerk Approved by Council: January 8, 2018.