Kankakee County Board, IL Finance Committee Meetings, 28 Jun 2023

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From YouTube: Finance Committee Meeting 6/28/2023

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Finance Committee Meeting 6/28/2023 9:00 AM

A

Good morning, I'd like to call finance committee meeting to order real call.

B

A

B

Mr Fairfield Mr Hess Miss Polk, present Miss Weber president Miss Parker Mr C Ray Mr, Swanson, Mr, featherling, Mr, Dental, Mr, Miller, Mr long Mr, Hunter, Mr, Wheeler, Mr, Alexander Hildebrand. We have a quorum.

A

We have a quorum, I have not received any slips for public comment. Any public comment in the back see none next approval of minutes from May 24 2023 can I have a motion by Mr Donald, second, by Mr lawn any additions or Corrections all in favor, say aye aye opposed motion carries no presentations. Next is the bid opening for animal control? Could I have a motion to open the bids? Mr featherly in second by Miss, Parker, uh all in favor, say aye aye opposed all right. We can open the bids.

A

C

C

For uh General uh General trades a base bit amount, uh one million forty one dollars sure General trades, correct, Simon, Inc PSI base bid amount, 1 million forty one thousand fifty nine dollars and zero cents.

A

One million forty one thousand fifty nine dollars and forty one cents: zero cents, zero cents. Sorry.

C

Next bid is uh dbm Services, again General trades.

C

Base bit amount nine hundred seventy seven thousand uh zero dollar zero cents, 977 000.

D

C

Next bid General trades, RB, Construction, Inc.

C

Base bit amount 790 thousand dollars. Seven hundred ninety thousand.

C

Next, bit is for fencing bid by Action Fence Contractors Inc base bit amount. Seventy one thousand four hundred dollars. Seventy one thousand four hundred dollars.

C

C

C

The final bid for today is uh Allied landscaping for the Landscaping package, so Allied Landscaping Corporation.

C

E

Nothing no Mr Johnson.

C

C

Okay, fencing or I'm sorry, uh Landscaping, Allied, Landscaping Corporation base bid amount, 46, 285 dollars. Forty six thousand two hundred eighty five.

F

Chairman wheeler, thank you, Mr chairman uh the nature of the the way the motion would should be um made and I'll. Let somebody else make it would be to accept the lowest responsible bidder uh and then also using that amount of money amend the funding resolution accordingly, which is I. Have it here hold on just a moment: uh 2023 04 11 113.. It was currently at a million and a half, and so what we're asking is is that we are roughly after the bidding process.

F

We saw some savings here by the way um by going through this again and moving some things around, um but the um the amending of that would it be for another flat, two million dollars of the arpa funds. That's what we've identified, that is the cost overrun in labor and in materials versus the initial estimates.

F

Now we're targeting arba funds, because that is non-local taxpayer um property taxes being used for that and my polling of board members was that that was the the way that they would potentially want to go forward. Obviously, it's this committee's purview to say um it's too much. um We don't want to do the animal control project now uh it's we understand that could be one answer.

F

It could be, let's not do anything and sit on it for four to five years and wait for prices to go down uh all professional opinions are that's not going to happen. uh This Is, The, New Normal, with labor rates and material cost, and uh so the the other option would be to to use general fund money, which is local property taxes or arpa funds which are dollars that are sent to Washington and never have come back here. So that was really, if you make the motion that we're moving forward.

F

I just want to make sure that all options are on the table, some of them I I, don't agree with I, don't think they're viable options, but that's up to the committee, so that's kind of where we're at.

A

Thank you. My comment is that uh let's use the arpa funds because, like chairman wheeler said uh this is a once once in a lifetime opportunity and it's not going to go ahead and hit our local taxpayers, and on top of that we did not go ahead and raise uh the bond for animal control, so that stayed the same with the fees Mr Fairfield I'd.

C

Like to make that motion, and we use the art for funds.

A

With the lowest responsible bidder and uh amend the resolution, 2023.

A

4113? Yes, that's the motion. Second, by Mr long, any discussion, Miss, Weber, okay,.

G

G

You five change two.

F

It would add two million to it- oh just so, 3.5 ml, three five, and that should give us some extra room to cover off any ancillary cost contingency. If you will um a good example would be. The original uh bid amounts that we got in uh for General trades were about what four hundred thousand dollars more than what we're looking at right now, so it should be lower.

F

It shouldn't be 2 million, um but we're leaving it in there just in case there's some fluctuations on pricing- and you know you start getting into a wall and you realize oh geez, termites are all you know, I'm just saying you never know what you're getting.

A

Especially when you open an old building up yeah any other discussion, if not real call, Ms.

B

Derekoff aye Mr Fairfield Mr Hess Miss Polk, hi, Miss, Weber, aye, Miss, Parker, aye, Mr, Swanson, aye, Mr, featherling, aye, Mr, Dental, aye, Mr long aye, aye, Mr, Hunter, Mr Beeler motion carries.

A

All right, thank you very much. Yeah.

F

Chairman wheeler I just want to mention. We don't expect any large fluctuations going up. um You know. Maybe the lead time on a rooftop uh air conditioning unit is six months more than we thought it was going to be when we put all this together. But we see this coming down, I just don't want any. You know we're trying to account for every contingency, but there's already contingency in the project.

F

um We just didn't want to have to come back here in a rush and in a hurry and say: oh geez. Now we need this and and we have to go through a month's worth of gyrations Mr Hunter.

E

um Thank you very much. uh uh I I, just like the applaud uh chairman wheeler and the committee for their wisdom for rebuilding uh these uh uh areas, and you can see the the savings that we accrued as a consequence of that.

A

Miss Weber thank.

G

You could could you uh map out what happens next? Do we wait for the full board for approval of this and then the and then the construction can begin chairman.

F

Wheeler, uh yes, full board uh must approved so we'll send it that direction. uh I was talking with Jason, you know, could dirt start moving. That depends on the permitting process with Bourbonnais, and that seems like it's going fine, um so we're still hopeful that we can get some things done before the snow flies um so, but we do have to approve a full board. This is a good indication of what the intent of the full board will be, though yeah.

A

Thank you. Next up is the finance department, Mr McCarty,.

A

You can look over all the miscellaneous and financial reports. If you have any uh questions, Steve can answer them morning. Steve good morning.

H

Nick told me to get on with it.

H

A

Will not be a motion.

H

To remember agenda so uh good morning: um first up are the taxes normal receipts.

H

Sales tax continues to not show any signs of change, um we're all.

A

Bed, rentals uh amazing, yeah, better rentals.

H

Flying uh income tax- it was positive this last month, so just keeping an eye on that news text is pretty consistent and even though the ppert has gone down, it's actually not gone down as much as we anticipated. So we'll continue to watch the rest of the year with that. um But there's a few highlights: I, don't know if there's any specific questions after any questions.

A

Sorry cash flow update.

H

uh Cash flow continues, look good, um no complaints on this end; um let's have it updated uh through August, um so all everything looks really good. There I'm going to begin the process of the calling, the 2009 the first, the the first half the remaining half of the 2009 bonds. So we should have some information as far as Legal, Information and and votable action here soon, um but there's no issues going forward. You know he said we'd keep an eye on it, some change.

H

We talk about it, but um there's a green light to continue to do that process as we discussed. So everything looks good, though chairman.

F

Wheeler, thank you Steve for, for the uh you know, the the acronym and lingo challenged. If you will, what is calling a bond early mean uh paying it off early. Okay, that's thank you. I just I needed need a word on the street language. I appreciate that, and so we're basically we're following through on what we said. We're going to do. Yeah.

A

And 2009 series is uh what the the jail, no, that.

H

Would score the score system, the original? What we're replacing um we are, my understanding we're going to skip over the claims uh not recommended portion until last monthly claims. uh I, don't have anything specific, but uh I have my report. If anybody has any questions there.

A

Any questions on the monthly uh coins report saying none can have a motion. uh Do you have a question Miss Weber.

G

Checks are there, so there was a question about: are they being paid and they're part of that of your claims report? So we can see who gets what? Yes by your billing.

A

Good catch Miss Weber can I have a motion to uh approve the monthly claims notion by Mr Swanson, second by Miss Parker any other discussion, if not real call.

B

Strikas aye Mr Fairfield.

B

Miss Polk Miss Weber, Miss Parker. Can't you hear me I can now thank you. Mr Swanson, Mr, featherling, Mr, Dental Mr long aye, Mr, Hunter, aye, Mr Wheeler motion carries.

A

Next up is arpa lost, Revenue adjustment.

H

Yeah, you have a seat for our third allowable adjustment uh from um the arpa funds over two lost Revenue. It was referred to as lost Revenue um The Lost Revenue projects um really give the board more latitude, not only for board related things, but it can be used for anything, so it doesn't eliminate what we're charging you know what we've done, uh like uh the social services programs, for example, to direct DARPA. Those could be done under lost Revenue as well.

H

um So by doing this adjustment, we're not eliminating anything, it just gives the board more latitude for what um it can be replaced. So we're allowed up to four adjustments, uh we're using our fiscal year in audit report uh each year, so this is um form FY 22, so the dollar amount will be one million 928 289..

H

um As far as the next adjustment we're allowed to do whether needs board approval and board action. Any questions.

A

Mr Hunter, no any comments or questions from the committee can I make, can I have a motion to miss a Weber.

G

That would accept it.

A

Accept it motion second by Miss, uh Mr Donald, all in favor, say aye opposed motion carries next up is Moody's credit rating discussion.

H

So good news um we're back in the a category. uh It's hard fought a bunch of A's. Yes, um so I gave you the rating scale um just for reference, but if those of you who have read it um or have it on page five of the actual Moody's report, uh there's a scorecard um I just thought. It's quite interesting to look at the scorecard.

H

um The scorecard indicated outcome shows us as a capital A small A2, but our assigned rating is an A3. So if you look on the scale, um I just wanted to point that out so um and in comparison, I brought um a little gift that I got when we did the series 2005 A and B back in 2005, and it identified it as investment rating. Our investment rating was at the top.

H

The AAA and the underlying rating was A3, so were the same on the underlying rating as they were in 2005, but slightly different um on the other, so that things have changed and how they rate and and score since then, uh but just for comparison and and a little analytical. If you will, um you know comparison of where we were back when we did the original bonds for the jail in 2005.

H

So um all great news- and you know the outcome- they the Outlook changes now that our debt is uh as low as it is, um but there was indication and communication that um that we potentially will go up again. You know at the next rating, so um it's all good news. I just wanted to share. You know the specifics with you and make sure you hit a copy of it and answer any questions.

A

Make comments from the committee I think it's a fantastic, some fantastic news here so.

A

uh Mr fellowing, what don't you worry about at night? Now that you use no I mean you used to you.

H

Know I know: I was here, you know things well, there's always something to do, but uh yeah we've got a lot of things going, but uh no the same worry is no longer there for sure, but it's a yeah that always gets replaced with new ones, but nothing at the same level yeah at the same level. Well, thank you for your hard work.

A

Anything else from the committee, if not, can I have a motion to enter executive session for repenting litigation motion by Mr filing second by Mr Fairfield uh roll call.

B

Mr echoff aye Mr Fairfield aye Mr, Hess, aye, Miss, Polk, hi, Miss, Weber, aye, Miss, Parker, aye, Mr, Swanson, Mr, featherling, aye, Mr, dunnell, Mr long aye, Mr, Hunter,.

E

B

Mr Wheeler motion carries.

I

A

All right we're back from executive session next up, is uh claims for approval or recommended and not recommended for approval.

H

All right, I need to clarify um the handout that I uh passed out this morning was for credit card expenses. There were four of them, um the two two of them we're going to deal with today and two are going to go to the full board per the requests of the sheriff.

H

um So we're going to look at the first American Fab card, 106, Kevin, Duvall claim for eight thousand 13.17, and also the Fab 106 credit card row, uh which was Jim Rose credit card, 23, 000, 53.19,.

H

um And then in on your screen and your packet, originally, there was for a claim for Andrew Wheeler County board, chairman uh for 49.85, so those are the three that will take up um here. This.

A

Morning and what was his comments on because I'm I'm having a hard time with his handwriting, like Mr fellowin, usually does with Jim Mr Rose uh claim Mr Rose yeah.

H

We need copies of Grant award and allowable expenditures before we can.

H

Provide recommendation, okay, right, I think.

A

It's hard to read it'd be nice if somebody would show up to meetings. uh Okay, so motion to approve those claims, promotion by Mr, Donald, second, by Mr Swanson any other discussion, if not real, call.

B

Mr echoff aye Mr Fairfield aye Mr, Hess, Miss, Polk, hi, Miss, Weber, Miss, Parker, Mr, Swanson, aye, Mr, featherling, Mr, Dental, Mr long aye, Mr, Hunter, Mr Wheeler motion carries motion.

A

Carries next up.

H

Our funding, so the chairman.

F

Wheeler we have the other claims for Griffin, Williams, McMahon and Walsh. We have to go through before arpa.

H

Oh yeah I didn't have a copy of that one.

F

um Would you like me to take that yeah go ahead, so this this claim is is uh was under consideration for by us, the the administration department for a recommendation uh to not approve um I'll, explain briefly, uh while I won't even get into details of the lawsuit the auditor uh has filed suit against the County Board its members and me personally, uh it's been going on quite a while, through promotions to judge an appellate judge, we've had a change in the crew.

F

If you will so things have drug on the past six months or so, um but we need to revisit this situation because the legal fees bills come in and uh there is an item on here, uh the pro the process. Let me explain the the judge hearing the case signs off on these and primarily what they do. Is they sign off on the bills to make sure we're not getting charged a thousand dollars an hour?

F

It's basically a watchdog for the taxpayers to make sure we're not getting built uh when one office in a government sues another office in a government, so we both have appointed. uh We. We both have lawyers that we're paying for actually now they were appointed to start with.

F

um So in this case there are two items on the bill from Griffin, Williams, McMahon and Walsh uh received June 26th that were um inappropriately I, think signed off on by the auditor he signed off on his own claim. So I, don't think you can audit your own work um in that aspect, but regardless um the bigger problem is.

F

Is there are two discussions on here that we believe are relating to a a personal matter for Mr Lee under an investigation, the state is under him personally and not his office, and so this has been submitted for payment by the taxpayers when this payment should be, we feel born by Mr Lee, because it's a result of a an investigation of the state of him personally not of the situation with his the lawsuit I.

F

Hope I said that without going too far, I'm trying I'm not a lawyer, um so we recommend as to not upset the process to pay this under protest, and the motion would also uh include engaging and petitioning our State's Attorney's office to reach out to this judge, to solicit restitution for the taxpayers of Kankakee County, who are being tasked.

F

We believe a pacing paying for a personal legal bill for Mr Lee, so that if you agree that that would need to be in the motion, then our State's Attorney's office, because our taxpayers are the injured people in this situation. I hope I said that clearly and I'll try to explain what I can motion.

A

By Miss Parker, second, by Mr Donald, any discussion questions, if not real call, Miss.

B

Tracker aye Mr Fairfield, Mr, Hess, Miss, Polk.

A

Request lost Revenue, kinky, County highway department.

H

Yeah, this request um is for to not exceed 14. 000 would be out of lost Revenue, um and it is for um our portion of funding of what's going on um the at Armor Road Arthur Birch Drive on our route 50.. um It is for the term here.

H

The emergency Google preempt of State, uh the that signal, the the lights, uh pick up, the the sirens and the and the lights that turn them uh for the for First Responders. So yeah.

F

Chairman I can explain, there'll be a test Steve after this technology. Behind this, it's the opticons that sit up on top of the poles uh that uh sense emergency vehicles. So since we're the The Entity on that that's redoing, Armor Road and that whole Corner uh replacing the light poles, they need new opticons. So we are we're paying for those on our funds. Typically, that would be borne by the business, um but since the state is picking up paying for the light poles, we said we'll pick up the opticons for the Emergency responders.

A

Anything else from the committee can I have a motion to approve motion by Mr long second, by Mr Fairfield, uh real call.

B

Miss dragoff aye Mr Fairfield aye Mr Hess, aye, Miss, Polk, hi, Miss, Weber, aye, Miss, Parker, aye, Mr, Swanson, aye, Mr, featherling, Mr, Dental, Mr long aye, Mr, Hunter, aye, Mr, Wheeler aye motion carries.

H

All right, uh the next arpa request is to amend resolution.

H

2023-03-14-78, uh this is for NAACP New Vision food pantry uh resolution under the social services.

H

um It's my understanding that and there's there's a estimate um from Lowe's for a stand-up freezer for 878 dollars before tax um there's a request for that and then the remaining amount, my understanding as far as we'll go towards the food, so the total approved was 51 600.

H

um and then the total um for the less the total for the freezer 878. Then the difference uh will be uh split in between two years. This year next year for food. Only uh for the New Vision food, pantry- type repeat that correctly Mr chairman. As far as the committee and what to discussed.

A

E

Yeah, uh thank you very much and Steve. Thanks for the uh explanation, this has been thoroughly discussed with the evaluation team as well too um uh Reverend Ivey is uh has been that information has been provided to him and and I moved to approve.

A

Motion by Mr Hunter, second by Miss water, uh Miss, Polk, we'll give you the second uh chairman, wheeler and.

F

Just so it's clear this is so we can uh prepay for the freezer, because that's a separate thing you know, so he can go out and we can, you know, help them out with the money for them to go, get the freezer and then also prepay the first year when the you know divide that in half in the next year, prepay that as well they're subject to auditing standards, they'll have to show bills that they're only buying food.

F

So I just want the committee to know, but they're, not the type of organization that has a big cash reserve, and so that was another reason we had to come back is is because everything was on reimbursement before here the audit Trail will dictate. You know the next year's funding. It's probably the best weight exam. If things go sideways, we do have time to react, which I don't expect that.

A

Thank you. We have motions any other discussion if not real call.

B

Miss tracker aye Mr Fairfield Mr Hess aye Miss Polk, hi, Miss, Weber, aye, Miss, Parker, aye, Mr, sponsen, aye, Mr, featherling, Mr, Donald, Mr long Mr, Hunter, aye, Mr Wheeler motion carries motion.

A

Carries anything else, Steve.

H

Yeah can I ask the committee, um the other part that was asked is, um do we? Is it okay to move now from finance and this change, or do you want us to wait till the full board that there is an approved resolution? We're mending it?

H

um You know, they've been discussing, I've had visitors a few times here. You know the need um so I'm asking what the what the I believe at this point we could but I also want the finance committee or board. You know, I mean to us to prove that or or I'll have to wait for the full board. A few more weeks before we can cut this check.

A

Mr Hunter yeah.

E

Let's, let's go ahead and cut.

H

It cut it the committee okay, with that yeah.

F

Jeremy Wheels, yes, I, always like to get the advice of our legal counsel on things like this. Would they see any issues with that whatsoever.

H

We'll check with them as well.

B

Typically, it should go to the full board.

E

Didn't we already authorize this? We resolution, but.

H

It was under reimbursement, the original now we're changing yeah that so just trying to get everybody's input on this from what I was asked. So.

E

Counselor is saying, as a safeguard she wants to go to full floor.

A

Oh I'm, sorry! Yes,.

B

That would be our opinion. It should go to the full board.

A

Okay: okay, thank you. Thank you. Steve all right.

F

I

F

Steve question is: is a legitimate workaround? Let's say they want to get the freezer now. Can we cut a check directly on getting the freezer and wait for everything else or because the dollar amount's not changing.

H

Just the original language said reimbursement, so unless they walk in with a receipt, you know until it's changed by the full board: yeah okay yeah- if they can, if they can purchase that and.

G

H

We'll we could do it, but other than that we'll have to wait. Okay,.

A

Thank you, Steve.

I

My question is: how long is it Miss, Polk, oh I'm, sorry, nope, you're, good, okay, I just want to know how long because they feed people almost every day. How long will they have to wait after the boy July board meeting where they have to wait before they can get the check, so they can get the freezer for I mean the equipment uh for the food pantry.

H

We'll we'll have it ready to print right after the board votes on it, so we'll print it the next day, so that the date is after the board, but we will have to at least wait for that date for the check to you know they have on the date. So, okay.

I

H

Is what the 13th chairman.

F

Wheeler Steve and that's because of the Department of Treasury, is going to want to see authorization and then not a check before the authorization. Correct, yeah.

H

F

I

E

Understand that too, we'll.

F

Get picked up in an audit.

A

All right, good discussion, thank you. Steve uh can I have a motion to amend the agenda to have the treasurer go last right before the Germans.

A

I'm gonna have a motion to combine and approve the reports for the treasurer's office motion by Mr Swanson second, by Mr feddling, all in favor, say aye. All closed motion carries Mr africano, Dr Polk.

D

uh I'll just uh respond to what you said earlier: I work with Steve and we'll get that check out. I think we can probably even get it up same day as the full board meeting if it gets proved we'll get it. Thank you today is not a busy day. It's the last day of Texas.

D

um We are nearing half collection. You know, there's Bank, obviously that- and this is actually this is something that you might want to, and we we try to tell people this because there's some confusion. So in the old days um the treasure would go around to all the banks every day and pick up all the slips and what we do now is we, at the beginning of tax season, send out prepaid envelopes uh for weekly uh slip collection.

D

So the bank simply put all the slips in send them to us in the mail, and then we process them here. So everything that goes to a bank is a little bit slower. So people sometimes will say well I paid a week ago, and you know it took eight days to post. Well, that's just because you may have paid on the Monday and by the time we got it was next Monday, so it it lags a little but we're right on target for a collection um it. It seems different.

D

It seems that we're getting less and less people coming into the facility, which is perfect, that's what we would like um and I think we like it mostly for the customers, because it's it's easier to to go to a drive-through Bank online uh Dropbox. You know there are a million ways to do it now, um gosh, what am I missing, uh I, just uh hats off to my staff, who does an incredible job.

D

um Yes, I I apologize. We are having pizza today for my staff because they don't get to leave for lunch today, so uh that will be a rejected, claim. I'm sure you'll see next month.

D

um I'll, let you know about it now, um and I and I just wanted to say: I know we we get complacent, sometimes because we hear it over and over and over are. We are hearing it now when I started in 2016. Steve was maybe the most miserable human being I'd ever met and Steve I'm so excited to work with you and proud to work with you and all the hard work you've done over the last seven years, I'd like to think your hair was turning darker, but I don't think it goes that way.

D

Unfortunately, so we can't get back what you lost, but um I, just personally want to say: Steve is a dream to work with.

D

um He doesn't call for early distributions anymore, but I would certainly help him if he did and it's really it really is a different ball game today and uh it's a credit to everyone but I work with Steve on a daily basis and I know how hard he's worked to to get through these difficult times and I came in, like I said in 16, but it wasn't good in 16.. So thank you, Steve uh I think that's all I have unless anybody, the chairman on.

F

The spot, thank you.

D

F

G

F

Time but it's the conversation with um the trustee regarding the the uh Tyler Supreme Court case, just maybe tell them what's up.

D

Yeah, that's uh thank you. uh So I think I mentioned here before that there was a U.S Supreme Court case that looked like it was going to go against Illinois. uh It was.

D

It was a Supreme Court case out of Minneapolis Hennepin County, but their property tax uh uh uh laws were similar to ours, one of 18 or 20 States, whereby um if the municipality or the county takes your tax without or takes your property, we then sell it to pay your back tax, but in the past, if there was a difference between what you owed and what the property sold for that went to the county or to the municipality, the Supreme Court has said that's a violation of the takings clause and they did rule the way we heard they would rule so that challenges everything that's been being done in Illinois, which means in our County doesn't happen very often in Kankakee County, but it does have implications specifically for the Kankakee County, Land, Bank um cause and- and there are lots of I- could go into a lot of different ideas.

D

Obviously, from a personal standpoint, if you owe the county five thousand, we sell your property. For thirty thousand I, don't feel right about us keeping 25 000, but there has to be a better balance, because then we just simply are the people that hold on to your property, sell it and give you the profit and we're not. You know, because you don't pay your taxes. You only owe five, we sell it for 25 and we have to hand you 20. there you go.

D

You didn't have to do anything well, we're not real estate agents right so that there's a lot of things that need to be worked out. I've spoken with our trustee, um of course, they're well aware of it and they're working on uh the work, maybe there'll be something in veto session. I think they have to address this right away. I know chairman: you had a question.

F

um I'll reserve it until there's there's an answer. It's it's! It's it's just a big deal. um If you think about it. What's a real estate agent make on commission, was it five percent yeah something.

D

Like that, it's.

A

F

Up so it's usually about two and a half to three we'd be competing with Realtors yeah right right, and so the government would have a competitive advantage over the private sector on a particular property. There's got to be something that happens here. You know we can't. You can't turn us into real estate agents.

D

No I I think the balance that we're trying to walk, at least in our County and and of course, these rules are going to be promulgated without our input, as we know um so we're going to follow rules that we have no input in. So we we pray that they're going to be good. We have no interest I, certainly Endeavor, all the time to make sure people don't get taxed out of their homes. Right, we don't sell the property, we don't want to sell the property.

D

By the same token, if we end up going down that road, because you know you're a habitual offender, we also want to become your real estate agent, and we have some scoff laws in this County um which you know. Unfortunately, they cost us the most work and owe us the most money. So we don't want to become their property, uh their real estate agents, I mean quasi real estate agents, and um the last thing I was saying you made me think of this.

D

um I received a letter in the mail, maybe at the beginning of this weekend of last week, from a tax buyer, large tax, buyer. Who is not happy that we have gone to a sealed bid auction um and that, for those of you don't know, we we two auctions. We have a surplus auction which is property that the trustee now owns and then we sell it off, but the regular tax lien auction, which we do in here in November, um we're used to doing here where people would bid on computers.

D

We don't do that any longer, simply bring a thumb drive. Your properties goes into a computer and the sale takes place in about four or five minutes. It's all computerized. Well, some of the taxing uh tax buying agencies aren't happy because they're not getting as much property are in a way they think yeah. Their percentage isn't what they think it should be.

D

um My inclination was that it's better for us better for our tax buyer and so but I reached out to tax buyer. To ask statistically have we seen any difference and there's absolutely no difference. We're not losing any money, we're not gaining any money, but there is no statistical evidence that the second way we're doing things is less good for the taxpayers than what we weren't doing, and it's certainly more streamlined from uh from a government standpoint. So and.

A

It's much faster for your office as well. Oh.

D

It and so tax tax buying yeah. It used to be very.

A

Hard on your office.

D

Well and I don't care about that. It used to take about six hours. Now it takes 30 minutes exactly um it's just better, it's, but it's a better use of the County's money. In my mind, 100 um any questions just tell people, um you know the Dropbox is open for those people that might not make it and the dude by the due date, put them in the Dropbox. You know if it's in there, if you put it in past business hours, we still take it in the morning.

D

We've got it and process it so do that um midnight is the postmark deadline for people um anything else. Anybody needs to ask me about taxes when they're, you know due dates. Anything.

E

D

Okay, I will say that after the tax season, the second installment we are going to go out to churches specifically and really try to tout our choices program to get people to pay partial payments, um because we think it's trending in the right direction. But maybe we've had we've translated everything into Spanish now. So we think that there's a there's a use for it out there. Maybe people don't know so we're going to really try to push that have.

A

You seen an increase in the use of credit cards for their taxes, no online.

D

No, no and you know credit cards 2.25 and you know, of course that's a lot of money on taxes, but that's money that by state law has to be collected and we can't pay for it has to be paid to the processor. So we don't. None of that goes to us. Contrary to what some people might think.

A

Anything else from the committee good yeah. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Thank you. uh Other business, old business, new business, jury, duty, pay or Mr uh featherling.

G

H

Sorry I had something for to leave. Oh.

A

Adjournment, no, we have one more piece of item. uh Kinky, County, jury duty pay. uh You want me to go ahead and add it up. So uh I received a phone call about a month ago from one of my constituents. If you watched uh criminal justice, uh one of my constituents received a check for seven dollars and fifty cents.

A

uh Andy myself and Anita and Sandy ciancy went ahead and inside your packet you'll go ahead and have the breakdown of what uh what each County goes ahead and pays per day and their mileage, and we are the lowest one in the state of Illinois and we pay five dollars a day and 10 cents a mile.

A

So with discussion with chairman, wheeler and chief judge, cunnington uh I think we're coming here for a resolution of what what kind of what the pay should go ahead and be so I'll go ahead and let Mr chairman uh wheeler go ahead and discuss on that.

F

No I apologize I left the uh the packet up on my desk, but we went back and forth with uh the chief judge and, and uh you know, because it is a mixed bag. Some counties do 10 cents a mile with a higher daily rate with the daily rate and then a Higher One. If you get chosen to be on a jury, it's like five dollars difference. So while we are lower- and that is known the the way people do, it varies greatly.

F

So don't feel Limited in you have to do x, y and z, um but you need to do something I. Think I, don't think that five bucks a day is you're not there for your your uh to build the house at the Hamptons. Obviously, uh but at least you shouldn't be insulted with five bucks a day. You know. That's, that's not necessarily Public Service Services isn't supposed to pay like that. But so we really have a choice. Do you want to go with IRS rate for mileage?

F

Don't say what the number is pack it to the IRS rate. You could say it's going to be 15 cents a mile and go higher on the daily rate or you could go lower on the daily rate and go with the higher. You know mileage. It's you. You also have to understand if there's a cost to everything. So if you go from 10 10 cents a mile, what do we do now? I forget we're.

A

F

A month, and then you go to what 60 65 and a half 65, you see what that's going to do to that mileage number it's going to blow it up, so you can't also raise the daily rate um you to a 20 a day or 25 A Day level.

A

I think we talked about ten dollars a day and then in.

F

The email thread that we had going, it was ten dollars and if you get chosen, move it to Fifteen yep but then also do the mileage, the IRS rate. Then we don't have to amend this if the IRS changes their number so.

A

For example, like out in my area in Grand Park in Beaumont, Somebody went ahead and receive the check for seven dollars and fifty cents. So if we did ten dollars a day with IRS mileage, 20 miles would be 36 dollars and twenty cents right. So it's actually worth it. It's and plus you're not losing money by going to jury duty because they go ahead and drive there they're already losing money, because the price of gas is so high and then they go ahead and have lunch.

A

They're they're in the hole and a lot of these people are on fixed incomes and they're they're older. So that's why it got brought to my attention. I think it's a uh I believe the ten dollars a day, fifteen dollars after that the subsequent day and then the IRS mileage is worth it. But discussion from anybody at the committee, Miss Weber.

G

I wonder I actually didn't discuss it after you get the motion.

A

Okay motion by Miss Weber, second by Mr Swanson, any other discussion.

A

German wheeler.

F

I wish it could be a hundred bucks a day. That's all I'm, saying I hope people realize we're basically giving them their own money back as taxpayers. um So please look at it like that. If it seems skimpy, five bucks was skimpy uh very and I can't find why that was fun. It was done in late, 2016., um I. Don't know why you have to forgive me. I know there was a state law that changed and we had to rescind what.

A

The old fees were 25 a day, then yeah fifty dollars the subsequent day. I believe it was I think that that.

F

Was from the state- and it was a huge cost increase for us now, I also say at that time we were still facing layoffs and when this was coming around and you know not potentially have enough State's, Attorneys or Sheriff's Patrol or any of the other departments, we were still in a bad way back. Then that might have been the thought process. It's hard to say, Mr.

A

H

um I received a few emails a few weeks ago, talking about potential somebody's going to calculate Courthouse. Has that been done? So we know what the budget impact will be, along with the exchanges is that we.

A

Know that yeah there there was at one point in the email. There was a discussion on that I. Don't remember off the top of my head.

H

I, don't know if that if I got taken out of the trail on that or not it.

F

Was it was, it was run um you're like pencil on napkins sitting around doing the numbers, so if we can, we can get to that, uh but it this the other side of it. Do you want to do that right now, or do you want to do it with the new budget here new.

A

Budget year I would.

F

Say: I I think that that's a good point because we won't have to amend the budget this year. No, when we start on you know the 12-1 on 12 12-1.

H

Okay, I thought: I thought you guys are moving.

F

H

The place like ASAP.

F

Well, we would have been if he wouldn't have brought that up. Yeah.

A

So can I have a amending the the motion to the next fiscal year, the first and the second, or is it good with that, okay, good catch Steve? Thank you.

I

A

But I I think it's uh it's it's. What needs to be done so any other discussion from the committee.

A

If not, would this be a voice because it would be next year's uh budget we're not spending money, it can be voice all in favor, say aye aye opposed motion carries and I just want to say thank you to Andy, Anita, Sandy, Cianci and chief judge for uh for helping with this and compiling all the numbers. It was greatly appreciated, uh uh not.

A

Yeah right all right uh can I have a motion for adjournment. Mr feddling second, by Mr Fairfield, all in favor, say aye opposed most.