The Will County Forest Preserve District Operations Committee met Jan. 4 to award a seeding contract.
Here are the meeting's minutes, as provided by the committee:
FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
17540 W. Laraway Road Joliet, IL 60433
8:30 AM
MINUTES
A. CALL TO ORDER
Meeting was called to order at 8:30 AM by Chair Mike Fricilone
B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mr. Kraulidis led the Pledge of Allegiance.
C. ROLL CALL
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Judy Ogalla Ex-Officio Present Steve Balich District 7 (R - Homer Glen) Present Mark Ferry District 13 (D - Plainfield) Present Ragan Freitag Member Late Mike Fricilone Chair Present Suzanne Hart Ex-Officio Present Charles E. Maher District 11 (R - Naperville) Absent Donald A. Moran District 3 (D - Romeoville) Present Jim Moustis Ex-Officio Late Beth Rice District 3 (D - Bolingbrook) Present Jacqueline Traynere District 4 (D - Bolingbrook) Present Denise E. Winfrey District 8 (D - Joliet) Present Darren Bennefield Vice Chair Absent Annette Parker Ex-Officio Present Gloria Dollinger Member Present Laurie Summers Member Absent Ralph Schultz Chief Operating Officer Present John Gerl Chief Financial Officer Present John Fay Director of Maintenance and Operations Present David Barrios Lieutenant/Police Deparment Present Denise Steffen Director of Information Technology Present Cindy Cain Public Information Officer Present Herbert Brooks Jr. District 8 (D - Joliet) Present Tim Kraulidis District 13 (R - Joliet) Present Lauren Staley-Ferry District 9 (D - Joliet) Present Ray Tuminello District 12 (R - New Lenox) Present Donald Gould District 6 (R - Shorewood) Present Tom Weigel District 12 (R - New Lenox) Present Nick Reiher Farmers Weekly Review Present Susan Lafferty Daily Southtown Present Lori Kennedy Will County Trailriders Present Richard Kavanagh Attorney Present
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. Minutes of November 2, 2016
RESULT: APPROVED [11 TO 0] MOVER: Denise E. Winfrey, District 8 (D - Joliet) SECONDER: Annette Parker, Ex-Officio AYES: Ogalla, Balich, Ferry, Fricilone, Hart, Moran, Rice, Traynere, Winfrey, Parker,
Dollinger ABSENT: Maher, Bennefield, Summers AWAY: Freitag, Moustis
E. OLD BUSINESS - NONE
F. NEW BUSINESS
1. Award of Contract to Homer Environmental, LLC of Lockport, Illinois, in the Amount
of $59,124.70 for Overseeding at Messenger Woods Nature Preserve
RESULT: APPROVED [11 TO 0] TO: Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners MOVER: Jacqueline Traynere, District 4 (D - Bolingbrook) SECONDER: Annette Parker, Ex-Officio AYES: Ogalla, Balich, Ferry, Fricilone, Hart, Moran, Rice, Traynere, Winfrey, Parker,
Dollinger ABSENT: Maher, Bennefield, Summers AWAY: Freitag, Moustis
2. Approval of Change Order No. 1 for an Extension of Contracts with Christopher B. Burke Engineers Inc., Hampton Lenzini and Renwick Inc., Knight A/E Inc., and Strand and Associates as Forest Preserve Review Engineers
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] TO: Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners MOVER: Denise E. Winfrey, District 8 (D - Joliet) SECONDER: Steve Balich, District 7 (R - Homer Glen) AYES: Ogalla, Balich, Ferry, Freitag, Fricilone, Hart, Moran, Moustis, Rice, Traynere, Winfrey, Parker, Dollinger ABSENT: Maher, Bennefield, Summers
3. Approval of Resolution No. 17-01, Authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement to Establish the Laraway Communications Center - Added
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] TO: Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners MOVER: Denise E. Winfrey, District 8 (D - Joliet) SECONDER: Steve Balich, District 7 (R - Homer Glen) AYES: Ogalla, Balich, Ferry, Freitag, Fricilone, Hart, Moran, Moustis, Rice, Traynere, Winfrey, Parker, Dollinger ABSENT: Maher, Bennefield, Summers
4. Permission to Bid Tree Replacement Program
Chief Operating Officer Schultz stated that the District's tree replacement program focuses on replacing trees that have died and been removed in developed forest preserve access areas. Due to the high rate of mortality of ash trees related to the infestation of the Emerald Ash Borer and the District's concentration on their removal in high use areas sites with the facilities such as I&M Canal Access, Plum Valley Preserve, Hickory Creek Preserve, and Wauponsee Glacial Trail are considered a priority for tree replacement. Additional preserves will also received supplemental trees as needed following the removal of the infested dead and dying ash trees.
Funding for the project is available in the FY2017 Construction and Development budget.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] TO: Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners MOVER: Donald A. Moran, District 3 (D - Romeoville) SECONDER: Steve Balich, District 7 (R - Homer Glen) AYES: Ogalla, Balich, Ferry, Freitag, Fricilone, Hart, Moran, Moustis, Rice, Traynere, Winfrey, Parker, Dollinger ABSENT: Maher, Bennefield, Summers
5. Permission to Seek Professional Service Proposals for Blanding's Turtle Survey at Lower Rock Run Preserves
Chief Operating Officer Schultz stated that the purpose of this project is to document the presence of Blanding's Turtles within the preserves of the Lower Rock Run system. The area was shown on a map.
The Blanding's Turtle is a State Threatened species, currently under construction for Federally Threatened status, which was once common in Illinois but is experiencing population decline due to the loss of habitat. In the spring of 2016, staff was able to confirm the presence of an adult Blanding's Turtle within the Lower Rock Run area with reports of a second. This represents a unique Blanding's Turtle occurrence within the Lower Rock Run system and warrants a more structured survey to document the species distribution in these preserves.
Funding is available in the FY2017 Construction and Development budget.
Mr. Balich stated that turtles are a part of nature.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] TO: Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners MOVER: Steve Balich, District 7 (R - Homer Glen) SECONDER: Judy Ogalla, Ex-Officio AYES: Ogalla, Balich, Ferry, Freitag, Fricilone, Hart, Moran, Moustis, Rice, Traynere, Winfrey, Parker, Dollinger ABSENT: Maher, Bennefield, Summers
6. Permission to Seek Professional Service Proposals for Hammel Woods Dam Removal Assessment
Chief Operating Officer Schultz stated that the intent of this project is to provide concept designs to either remove or modify the Hammel Woods Dam to restore habitat continuity of the DuPage River by allowing aquatic species to move freely up/down stream and to eliminate the safety hazard the dam presents to preserve visitors and paddlers.
A study of the dam was completed by The Conservation Foundation in 2003. The report provides a discussion of various dam modification/removal scenarios. The current project consists of updating the modification/removal scenarios with a greater level of detail, developing costs estimates for the various scenarios, assisting the District in selecting a preferred alternative, and then assisting the District in the preparation of an RFP to complete the Phase 2 Design and Permitting.
Funding is provided through a grant from the Lower DuPage River Watershed Coalition. The District will benefit from having a partner in this project.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] TO: Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners MOVER: Steve Balich, District 7 (R - Homer Glen) SECONDER: Ragan Freitag, Member AYES: Ogalla, Balich, Ferry, Freitag, Fricilone, Hart, Moran, Moustis, Rice, Traynere,
Winfrey, Parker, Dollinger ABSENT: Maher, Bennefield, Summers
G. EXECUTIVE SESSION
No closed session occurred on January 4, 2017.
H. REPORTS
1. 2017-18 Administrative Work Plan
Chief Operating Officer Schultz presented the 2017-2018 Administrative Work Plan. In 2015 staff committed to forwarding the Board a rolling two-year Administrative Work Plan that outlines major initiatives, programs, and/or plans that are in process or will be under development in the near future. Many of the items contained in the plan have either been previously approved or will require Board approval in 2017 prior to their implementation.
Goals of the Plan include:
• Manage the Forest Preserve's financial, business, technological advances, and human resources to maximize value, efficiency, and productivity.
In 2017 the District will purchase and migrate to a new financial software system. This change is necessitated by outdated technology no longer serviced by its provider and presents an opportunity to improve efficiency, tracking, and reporting.
• Enhance visitor services and expand outreach activities throughout the Forest Preserve.
The District will host seven facility-based events in 2017 at Monee Reservoir, Plum Creek Nature Center, Isle a la Cache Museum, and Four Rivers Environmental Education Center. New, expanded and/or renovated facility exhibits will be featured.
The District will host WaterWays, a traveling exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and Illinois Humanities, at Four Rivers for six weeks.
The District will continue to expand and experiment with preserve-based outreach events including Music in the Moonlight Concert Series, Food Truck Fridays, and a Wellness Walking Services.
• Maximize marketing and communications efforts with continued emphasis on social media, the new weekly digital version of The Citizen and launch of a new website.
The District now has more than 20,000 followers on Facebook alone (a 250% increase in nine months). In 2017 the District will launch a new website to improve user experience by offering a variety of new features including program registration, improved search function, mobile responsiveness, enhanced navigation, and online permitting for dog parks, picnics, and camping.
• Improve access to forest preserves, continue land stewardship activities and develop a process for a limited strategic land preservation program.
The focus will remain on maintenance and improving our highest quality natural areas in the forest preserve system.
• Complete projects and expand programs to improve efficiency in maintenance and operations.
In 2017, the Infrastructure Maintenance and Replacement Program includes improvements to the parking lot and roadway at Hickory Creek Barrens Nature Preserve in New Lenox, the parking lots at Lower Rock Run Preserve in Joliet and Veterans Woods in Romeoville, and segments of the DuPage River Trail in Hammel Woods in Shorewood, and the Lake Renwick Bikeway in Plainfield. These two trail segments will be the first major trail replacements completed through the IMRP.
• Expand the Community Service Officer program to improve coverage in forest preserves and dog parks.
The District currently has one full-time and three part-time community service officers. In 2017, the District will add one or two additional part-time community service officers. This will result in a 200 percent increase in coverage since the program was created in 2010.
• Support the Forest Preserve Friends, partners, and volunteers.
In 2016, the Foundation conducted its first fundraising campaign with great success, raising $5,000 to help keep nature education programs free for children. The Foundation received two donations in 2016.
2. 2017 Bid/RFP Report
3. Next Meeting Date - Wednesday, February 1, 2017 at 8:30 AM at the Sugar Creek
Administration Center
I. COMMENTS BY PUBLIC
No comments were received.
J. COMMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS
No comments were received.
K. ADJOURNMENT
1. Meeting was adjourned at 9:10 AM
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