Kane County Forest Preserve District Executive Committee met April 5.
Here is the minutes provided by the committee:
I. Call to Order
The Forest Preserve District Executive Committee meeting was held Friday, April 5, 2019 at 8:30
AM at the Administration Offices located at 1996 S. Kirk Road, Suite 320, Geneva, IL 60134. The meeting was opened by President Michael Kenyon at 8:30 AM.
Attendee Name: Status:
Commissioner Deborah Allan Present
Commissioner Theresa Barreiro Present
President Pro Tem Mark Davoust Present
Commissioner Drew Frasz Present
Commissioner John Hoscheit Absent
President Michael Kenyon Present
Commissioner Bill Lenert Absent
Commissioner John Martin Present
Secretary Susan Starrett Absent
Treasurer Penny Wegman Absent
Others Present:
Commissioners Hanson, Kious, Molina, and Scheflow. Also present: Monica Meyers, Executive Director, Ken J. Stanish, Chief Financial Officer, Ken Anderson, Jr., Chief of Planning and Operations, Ben Haberthur, Director of Natural Resources Management, John Goreth, Director of Operations, Caitlin Rodeghero, Administrative Specialist, Jerry Hodge, Attorney, Ellen J. Maglio, Recording Secretary
II. Approval of Minutes from March 8, 2019
RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Theresa Barreiro, Commissioner
SECONDER: Drew Frasz, Commissioner
AYES: Michael Kenyon, Mark Davoust, Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Drew Frasz, John Martin
ABSENT: Penny Wegman, Susan Starrett, John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert
III. Public Comment (Each Speaker is limited to three minutes) None.
IV. Presentation and Approval of Bills and Commissioners' Per Diem from March 2019
RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY VOICE VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
TO: FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT COMMISSION 4/9/2019 9:00 AM
MOVER: Deborah Allan, Commissioner
SECONDER: Drew Frasz, Commissioner
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett,Penny Wegman,
V. Finance and Administration
A. Presentation and Approval of Commissioners' Expenses Attending the 2019 IAPD/IPRA Annual Soaring to New Heights Conference in Chicago
Commissioners and staff attended the IAPD/IPRA Annual Soaring to New Heights
Conference held in Chicago, January 24 -26, 2019. The following were the commissioners in attendance and their expenses including items such as conference registration, hotel, mileage, and meals during this three day conference and those attending the Chairman’s Luncheon:
Theresa Barreiro: $ 60.00
Mohamed Iqbal: $ 60.00
Mike Kenyon: $810.86
Steve Weber: $ 60.00
DISCUSSION: None.
RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY VOICE VOTE [5 TO 0]
TO: FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT COMMISSION 4/9/2019 9:00 AM
MOVER: Deborah Allan, Commissioner
SECONDER: Drew Frasz, Commissioner
AYES: Deborah Allan, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSTAIN: Theresa Barreiro
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
B. Presentation and Approval of Invoice #426 from the Kane County IT Department for Equipment and Service Work at the Natural Resource Management Facility
The Commission approved funding in the FY 2017/18 budget for the construction of a new
Natural Resources Facility at the Mill Creek Greenway. The new 6,800 square foot facility was completed at the end of last summer and the building includes indoor space for equipment and material storage work space for repairing equipment, as well as office space for the staff.
The bulk of our Natural Resource Management (NRM) department and include our Restoration Ecologist, Wildlife Biologist and Restoration Technicians work at this location.
High speed cable internet is not currently available at the intersection of Hwy 38 & Brundige, but was available north of this site at the Kane County Juvenile Detention Facility. The attached invoice details the costs associated with installing point-to-point wireless data transmitters to bring the high speed internet from the Detention Facility to the silo on the old barn at the site and subsequently into the NRM office space. The invoice also details the hardware and labor costs for installing the initial hardware as well as six refurbished desktop personal computers for staff workstations.
The invoice total for this work is $51,653.23. All work was completed last fall and performs well as described.
DISCUSSION: None.
RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY VOICE VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
TO: FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT COMMISSION 4/9/2019 9:00 AM
MOVER: John Martin, Commissioner
SECONDER: Deborah Allan, Commissioner
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
VI. Land Acquisition
A. Presentation and Approval of Approximately 108 Acres of Land Acquisition Known As the Gwinn Oaks Farm in Big Rock Township Adjacent to the Big Rock Forest Preserve
Staff toured the property and returned with a report of the very high quality woods on the property and that the barn and house structures are not safe and recommended removal.
DISCUSSION: None.
RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY VOICE VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
TO: FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT COMMISSION 4/9/2019 9:00 AM
MOVER: Deborah Allan, Commissioner
SECONDER: John Martin, Commissioner
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
VII. Planning & Utilization
A. Presentation and Approval of a Bid for Control of Wild Chervil at Various Preserves
Wild chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris) is a short-lived biennial weed. It forms a low-growing rosette in the first year of its life cycle, then flowers and produces seeds in the second year. As a heavy seed producer, it is easily spread to new locations.
The bids were advertised and sent to 17 vendors, with 3 responding. The qualified low bid for each option was Integrated Lakes Management of Waukegan, IL as follows:
Option 1. Bowes Creek Woods F.P. – (45 acres): Bid of $7,630.00 submitted by Applied Ecological Services of Brodhead, WI
Option 2. Campton F.P. – (36 acres): Bid of $9,500.00 submitted by McGinty Bros of Long Grove, IL Option 3. Meissner-Corron F.P. – (33 acres): Bid of $5,381.00 submitted by Applied Ecological Services of Brodhead, WI
Option 4. Lone Grove F.P. – (40 acres): Bid of $4,200.00 submitted by Applied Ecological Services of Brodhead, WI
Option 5. Bowes Creek Greenway F.P. – (20 acres): Bid of $5,159.00 submitted by McGinty Bros of Long Grove, IL
DISCUSSION: None.
RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY VOICE VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
TO: FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT COMMISSION 4/9/2019 9:00 AM
MOVER: Drew Frasz, John Martin
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
B. Presentation and Approval of a Bid for Control of Garlic Mustard at Various Preserves
Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a non-native plant that has become well established in most woodlands owned by the District. This plant can tolerate shady conditions and produces prodigious amounts of highly viable seed; these two traits couple to make this weed a rapid invader of the forest understory occupying land that would normally be filled with an entire complement of woodland grasses and wildflowers.
The bids were advertised and sent to twenty-six vendors with five responding totaling $48,590.00 as follows:
Semper Fi Land Services in the amount of $16,750 for the following:
Option 1. – Bliss Woods (86 acres) in the amount of $14,250.
Option 4. – Lone Grove (9.2 acres) in the amount of $2,500.
Tallgrass Restoration, LLC in the amount of $31,840 for the following:
Option 2. – Johnson’s Mound (88 acres) in the amount of $15,840.
Option 3. – Freeman Kame (63 acres) in the amount of $16,000.
DISCUSSION: None.
RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY VOICE VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
TO: FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT COMMISSION 4/9/2019 9:00 AM
MOVER: Mark Davoust, President Pro Tem
SECONDER: John Martin, Commissioner
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
C. Presentation and Approval of Bids for Control of Reed Canary Grass at Various Preserves
Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is a perennial cool season grass that plagues many of our forest preserves. This pernicious pest is equally at home in wetlands as it is in upland environments. Reed canary grass also forms dense monotypic stands of itself that overtake wetlands at the exclusion of all other native plant species. This plant is difficult to control because of how well its root system colonizes an area, repeated herbicide treatments are often required.
The bid was sent to 17 vendors, with 5 responding.
Option 1. Braeburn Marsh Forest Preserve – (6 acres): Bid of $2,346 submitted by Conservation Land Stewardship, LLC of Elmhurst, IL
Option 2. Dick Young Forest Preserve – (36 acres): Bid of $8,637 submitted by Applied Ecological Services of Brodhead, WI
Option 3. Fox River Shores Forest Preserve – (18 acres): This project will NOT be conducted due to weather-related trail damages that have made the project area inaccessible for the near future.
Option 4 – Lone Grove Forest Preserve – (5.2 acres): Bid of $2,100 submitted by Conservation Land Stewardship, LLC of Elmhurst, IL
Option 5 – Schweitzer Woods Forest Preserve – (12 acres): Bid of $4,128 submitted by Conservation Land Stewardship, LLC of Elmhurst, IL
Option 6 – Bowes Creek Greenway Forest Preserve – (23 acres): Bid of $5,557 submitted by Applied Ecological Services of Brodhead, WI
Option 7 – Meissner-Corron Forest Preserve – (20.5 acres): Bid of $6,858 submitted by Conservation Land Stewardship, LLC of Elmhurst, IL
Total project cost is $29,626.
DISCUSSION: None.
RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY VOICE VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
TO: FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT COMMISSION 4/9/2019 9:00 AM
MOVER: Drew Frasz, Commissioner
SECONDER: John Martin, Commissioner
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
D. Presentation and Approval of a Bid for Reforestation at Various Preserves
Thousands of acres of land now owned by the District were woodland prior to settlement, but today lack any resemblance of their historic condition. As part of long-term land management plans, funding has been budgeted to continue reforestation efforts at the various sites this growing season.
The bid was advertised and sent to 17 vendors with 5 responding. The lowest qualified bid for each project was as follows:
Option 1: Needham Woods (40 acres) Big Rock – $17,997.00 submitted by Applied Ecological Service Inc. of Brodhead WI. The planting area is a former bean field that has been planted with small oak trees. The Contractor will be required to plant a total of 40 balled & burlapped hardwood trees of the 2.0” dbh size class.
Option 2: Hoscheit Woods (30 acres) St. Charles – $13, 439.00 submitted by Applied Ecological Services Inc. of Brodhead WI. The planting area is a fallow field. The Contractor will be required to plant a total of 30 balled & burlapped hardwood trees of the 2.0” dbh size class.
Option 3: Northwestern Medicine Field (6 acres) Geneva – $4,310.82 submitted by Pedersen Company of St. Charles, IL. The planting area is a mowed grass field used as a seating area in front of a platform stage. The Contractor will be required to plant a total of 6 balled & burlapped hardwood trees of the 3.0” dbh size class.
Total reforestation project cost is $35,746.82.
DISCUSSION: None.
RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY VOICE VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
TO: FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT COMMISSION 4/9/2019 9:00 AM
MOVER: Theresa Barreiro, Commissioner
SECONDER: Deborah Allan, Commissioner
AYES: Michael Kenyon, Mark Davoust, Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Drew Frasz, John Martin
ABSENT: Penny Wegman, Susan Starrett, John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert
E. Presentation and Approval of a Bid for the Fabyan Forest Preserve Bridge Reconstruction and Causeway Removal within the Fox River
The District has collaborated with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to complete a multi-facetted and jurisdictional project to reconstruct the western bridge over the Fox River and to remove the existing causeway and restore the western shoreline of the Fox River and the Fabyan Island northern and eastern shorelines.
The bid was advertised and sent to 9 vendors with 6 responding. The District working with our design engineer Gewalt Hamilton Associates Inc., reviewed the two lowest bidder’s submittals and contacted references and have determined the qualified, low, responsive bidder to be ICC Group Inc. This contractor has the most experience with the installation of such a large bridge, which is a key component of the project.
IDNR has provided a grant for $1,000,000 to pay for the improvements associated with the causeway removal and shoreline stabilization and the estimated cost for these improvements are $592,163.50. The Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund has provided $81,003 in funding to assist with the cost of the pedestrian bridge reconstruction. The total cost for the pedestrian bridge reconstruction is $656,836.50. The plans and bid documents were reviewed and approved by the IDNR and we are the process of securing their acceptance of the proposed responsive bidder ICC Group Inc. No action will be taken by the District related to the ICC Group Inc., contract until the District has received IDNR acceptance of the ICC Group Inc., agreement. As part of the agreement with the IDNR the District is responsible for the overseeing of the project bid process, construction and construction observation.
District funds are available totaling $735,245 for the present fiscal year to reconstruct the pedestrian bridge. IDNR have provided $1,000,000 for the causeway removal and shoreline stabilization. Currently there are $925,018 funds available for the completion of the causeway removal portion of the project. Sufficient funds totaling $1,249,000 are available within the Construction Development Fund. District staff requests approval to allow up to a 10% contingency fund for any additional construction costs that maybe unforeseen during
the construction of this project.
DISCUSSION: Commissioner Martin stated that he has received phone call from concerned residents. The concern was the width of the bridge to allow for both emergency vehicles, bike and pedestrian folks. COO Anderson responded that the bridge will be wide enough to accommodate and emergency vehicle. There was also a brief discussion regarding the mussel habitat and that the District Staff is aware and will take care prior to the project to move them to safety. The consensus is that the restoration of the river and its flow is a good thing.
RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY VOICE VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
TO: FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT COMMISSION 4/9/2019 9:00 AM
MOVER: Drew Frasz, Commissioner
SECONDER: John Martin, Commissioner
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
VIII. New or Unfinished Business
IX. Closed Session to Discuss Land Acquisition, Contracts, Litigation and Personnel
RESULT: APPROVED BY ROLL CALL VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Drew Frasz, Commissioner
SECONDER: Theresa Barreiro, Commissioner
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
RESULT: APPROVED BY ROLL CALL VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Drew Frasz, Commissioner
SECONDER: Theresa Barreiro, Commissioner
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
X. Communications
Help celebrate Earth Day with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. Volunteers are needed to help plant trees at Big Rock Forest Preserve in Big Rock, on Saturday, April 20, at 10 a.m. All are welcome! Holes will be pre-dug. Volunteers will simply plant the tree, tamp-down dirt, add water and mulch. It’s easy! Be sure to arrive promptly at 10 a.m.
Planting will continue until all trees are in the ground or 1 p.m. — whichever comes first! This volunteer opportunity is perfect for individuals or groups, families, scouts, youth groups or other organizations. You’re welcome to plant a single tree, or stay and plant as many as you like. You may wish to bring work gloves and a water bottle.
We will have water and light snacks available on site. Groups of 10 or more, please contact our volunteer coordinator at 630-762-2741 or volunteer@kaneforest.com to register. (Groups of less than 10 do not need to RSVP.) Big Rock Forest Preserve is located at 46W072 Jericho Rd., Big Rock. For more information, visit www.kaneforest.com.
The 2019 Earth Day Benefit Dinner will be held Thursday, April 25th, 2019, 5:00pm to 9:00pm at
Bobak's Signature Events in Woodridge. The largest fundraiser of the year for The Conservation Foundation, the Earth Day Benefit Dinner is a wonderful evening filled with laughter and camaraderie, all in support of conservation. It features an exquisite dinner, raffle, an inspiring video, a not-to-be-missed nature-themed silent auction and an opportunity to support our work to save nature in your neighborhood and all of the places we call home. Please RSVP to Ellen.
XI. President's Comments None.
XII. Financial Reports
A. Bond Investment Analysis Report February 2019
B. Cash & Investment Report through February 2019
C. Revenue & Expense Report through February 2019
RESULT: PLACE WRITTEN REPORTS ON FILE [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: John Martin, Commissioner
SECONDER: Mark Davoust, President Pro Tem
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
XIII. Adjournment
RESULT: ADJOURNED BY VOICE VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Drew Frasz, Commissioner
SECONDER: Deborah Allan, Commissioner
AYES: Deborah Allan, Theresa Barreiro, Mark Davoust, Drew Frasz, Michael Kenyon, John Martin
ABSENT: John Hoscheit, Bill Lenert, Susan Starrett, Penny Wegman
http://kanecountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=15&ID=2354&Inline=True
Alerts Sign-up