Lake County Gazette

Village of Deerfield Committee of the Whole met Oct. 15

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

The Village Board met as a Committee of the Whole in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. In attendance were:

PRESENT:

Village Board Staff

Dan Shapiro, Mayor Kent Street, Village Manager

Larry Berg, Trustee Andrew Lichterman, Deputy Village

Jennifer Goldstone, Trustee Manager/Director Community Development

Elaine Jacoby, Trustee (arrived at 3:25 p.m.) John Sliozis, Chief of Police

Bob Benton, Trustee Eric Burk, Director of Finance

Mary Oppenheim, Trustee David Fitzgerald-Sullivan, Comm. Coord.

Desiree Van Thorre, Admin Services Coord.

Jessica Sciarretta, Management Analyst

ABSENT: Robert Phillips, Director of PW and Eng.

Rebekah Metts-Childers, Trustee Tyler Dickinson, Asst. Dir. of PW and Eng.

Justin Keenan, Assistant Village Manager

Public Comment

There were no public comments on non-agenda items.

Business

1. Presentation by Veregy re: Solar Panel Installation at Public Facilities

Danielle Malon and Jeremy Hoffman, from Veregy LLC, presented various options for solar panel array installations at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and Public Works facilities using performance contracting. Ms. Malon reported it was a good idea to break out the proposals presented at a previous Committee of the Whole meeting, as was requested. She noted the goal is to help the Village reduce its overall carbon footprint using performance contracting. Veregy would guarantee the performance and cost. She reported all contracts have a transparency model, all bids can be reviewed and there is a no change order guarantee.

Of the four projects presented, Ms. Malon noted the ground mount solar panels at the WRF makes the most sense financially at this time, saving $1.89 million over 20 years. Trustee Jacoby inquired about price inflation being included. Ms. Malon said they used a 4% escalation to factor in for inflation.

Trustee Oppenheim stated the WRF is the Village’s largest single user of electricity. If the goal is reducing the Village’s use of electricity, this is the single best place to do that.

Ms. Malon broke down the various incentives for American-made and foreign-made equipment. There is a positive 20-year net cashflow of $960,000. Veregy will maintain the array to ensure the solar panels are in working order. Trustee Jacoby asked what happens if the solar array breaks. Mr. Hoffman stated Veregy would service the solar array if something happens and added that most items are under a warranty of at least 20 years.

Trustee Berg asked if there are any services that are not included in the solar service maintenance agreement. Ms. Malon stated all necessary services are included. Trustee Jacoby confirmed that the maintenance agreement charge is included in the final amount.

Mr. Hoffman noted the solar panels would be 24 inches off the ground and will be planted on natural grasses. Manager Street asked if there are any outside costs to be aware of. Ms. Malon stated there are no additional outside costs and added that most of the power produced would be used in operating the treatment plant.

Trustee Oppenheim noted the solar array would be very inconspicuous and out of sight from most residents. She stated there is a desire to use American-made materials, but they can be hard to obtain. She asked how important it is for the Village to include the domestic content when it could cause a delay. Ms. Malon provided a breakdown of both foreign and domestic materials and went through the timelines to obtain the materials for both. If the Village moves quickly, there is still time to procure American-made products.

Mayor Shapiro asked to review the guarantees. Ms. Malon stated Veregy will work with the Village for all applicable rebates and tax savings. She noted that Veregy is guaranteeing this solar revenue. If the amount of revenue is under the guaranteed amount, they will reimburse the Village at the end of the year. If the amount is over the guaranteed amount, the surplus is applied to the total project cost.

Trustee Berg asked about a break fee. Ms. Malon stated the if the Village backs out, the engineering studies would still need to be paid for. Trustee Oppenheim noted that if the Village backed out, the Village would still retain a complete package plan to implement in the future.

Mr. Phillips reported that this land was set as a mesic prairie. He stated that Veregy has indicated the area will receive enough sunlight to survive. He noted that this land was never planned to be used for a building and proceeding with this proposal means the Village would lose the potential for another use in this location in the future.

Mr. Burk noted the project has a large upfront cost, so funding would have to come from reserves. He reported that the Village does not pay taxes, so he was unsure how a tax deduction would work. Ms. Malon noted that Veregy would help collect that.

Ms. Malon noted there is significant work to do before beginning construction. Mr. Lichterman reported that land use approval would take three to six months. Ms. Malon stated now is the time to act before some incentives begin to disappear in June.

Trustee Jacoby inquired about the option to rent solar panels instead of purchasing them. Ms. Malon noted that the incentives would be lower if the solar panels were rented, and some would go to the third party that is renting the panels instead of the Village.

Mayor Shapiro asked the Trustees if there is any interest in pursuing any of the other solar projects, noting he supports only the ground mount solar array proposal. Trustee Oppenheim believes this is a great start. Mayor Shapiro asked if there is a consensus to do the ground mounted option. Trustee Oppenheim stated one of the largest Village uses of power is at the WRF and the Village has pledged to cut carbon emissions. She noted this project can help to model behavior and encourage residents to do the same thing to reduce their energy consumption. The Village will save money and energy, and lead by example.

Trustee Jacoby asked if there is time to look at a competitor. Mayor Shapiro noted the Village could lose the domestic content credit. Trustee Jacoby noted it is a major investment.

Mr. Lichterman reported that staff has worked with Veregy in the past and feel comfortable with their reputation. Mayor Shapiro asked that staff take some time and call Veregy’s references. He suggested that staff work with Veregy and bring the proposal to a future board meeting, and look at rental options in a timely way.

2 Discussion of Housing Demand Study

Mr. Lichterman provided an overview of the housing demand study.

Mayor Shapiro noted that if all of the currently proposed housing developments were approved and built, that would result in the construction of 700 units with more than 100 affordable units.

He noted the Village is adding multiple different types of residential uses that are within the market demand.

Trustee Jacoby asked if there are price points associated with this report and whether luxury housing or affordable housing are more in demand. Mr. Lichterman noted that affordable and senior housing are seeing higher demand.

Mr. Street stated the report shows there is a demand for the housing that is being proposed.

Trustee Oppenheim agreed, noting that the Trustees always ask if a project is in demand, and this study shows that request is warranted. Trustee Benton noted he has heard of the need for housing for retired people in the Village to age in place and not be forced to move out of town.

Mr. Street noted that it would be good to revisit the study in five years and see where the trends are then.

3. E-Scooters/Bikes

Chief Sliozis reported this is a complicated issue because of the many different types of bicycles, scooters and other devices. He stated it is beneficial to slow down and separate them and examine the current regulations for each type. He noted that the trend seems to be banning some items, but the danger is in devices the code does not have definitions for. He pointed out that speed and type of device need to be addressed first. Chief Sliozis stated the intent should be to avoid banning a lawful, safe use. He added that regulations can be hard to enforce without banning.

Chief Sliozis reported there have been conversations at the state level for consistency in this situation. There are new devices coming out all the time and regulations have not kept with the wide variety of these devices available on the market.

He noted that enforcement is difficult. In the past, the Police Department has leaned more on education over enforcement and ticketing. If officers start stopping children on e-bikes, it could create a conflict between the child, their family and officers. He does not want children on ebikes to run from the police and put themselves in danger.

Mayor Shapiro noted that there have been conversations about potential consequences like a fine or a ticket, and whether or not parents should be held liable. He asked Chief Sliozis to explain what is covered in the vehicle code and what is not.

Chief Sliozis reported that some of the e-bikes operated in the Village do not have a definition and there are many different classes of e-bikes. He recommended taking a thorough look at specific regulations because they can get quite complicated due to the variety of devices.

Trustee Oppenheim noted the Board does not want to prohibit people from getting around in zero-emissions vehicles. The desire is to encourage zero-emission vehicle use while maintaining safety and enforcing the current rules.

Trustee Berg reported he saw someone on Deerfield Road on a unicycle scooter keeping up with traffic at 30 mph. He feels that regulations should be drafted on a regional or statewide basis for setting and enforcing rules regarding these devices. He believes regulations should not be solely Deerfield’s responsibility; there should be consistent statewide regulations. Mayor Shapiro noted that State Senator Morrison is working with the Village to pursue statewide regulations.

Chief Sliozis noted that enforcement starts at home and parents should take action to ensure children are operating these devices safely. Trustee Benton noted that there should be ageappropriate outreach to kids at the schools. He feels that this topic is about more than just e-bike safety and needs to be expanded.

Trustee Jacoby stated she is happy to see kids outside being active and not home on their screens, but parents need to educate their kids.

Mayor Shapiro noted there are three parts – education, regulation and prohibition. This discussion is the first step in education.

Trustee Jacoby noted that some bikes should be on the road, but when biking on busy streets, she goes on the sidewalk to feel safe.

Trustee Goldstone agrees that seeing kids being active is good, but thinks it is important to educate people. Mayor Shapiro stated he agreed that the first thing to do is to educate the public and then get input from others on how to best handle regulating these new devices.

Trustee Jacoby suggested sharing regulations with the two bike stores in town to provide the information to customers with each bike sold.

Trustee Oppenheim asked for some clarification on a few things. She noted that our bicycle routes in town are main thoroughfares designed in such a way where Deerfield and Waukegan Roads allow people to ride on bicycles on the sidewalk. She stated there is not sufficient capacity to add bike lanes on Deerfield and Waukegan Roads, and there is a need to reconcile these two points of view.

Trustee Jacoby suggested people walk their bikes in the downtown malls for pedestrian safety.

Brief recess.

4. Budget Overview

Mr. Burk reported the proposed capital and operating budgets maintain current service levels and strong reserves. There may be changes based on the solar panel discussion earlier in the meeting.

Mayor Shapiro asked Mr. Burk to review any changes from the prior year.

Mr. Burk reported there is no new debt proposed. He noted that the average homeowner will pay about $19 more in property taxes this year to the Village. Mayor Shapiro noted that the rate has remained about the same for several years. Trustee Jacoby inquired if the tax bill breaks out Village and Library tax levies. Mr. Street noted it does and he will send out a sample bill to review. He noted that the Village accounts for approximately 6% of the property tax bill. Trustee Jacoby noted that some people think the Village is the entire bill but they do not review the full breakdown on the bill.

Mayor Shapiro asked if the Village were to move forward with the solar panels, could the reserves buffer that expenditure. Mr. Burk stated that with possible reimbursements coming back to the Village within a few years of the project, there is a possibility that the reserves could cover the cost. He noted there are a few options staff can discuss and come back to the board with.

Mr. Burk reported a 5% increase for water rates in 2025.

Mr. Street noted that the Village covers most of the refuse service cost for residential collection.

The general fund underwrites that by two-thirds of the cost and that arrangement is unique to Deerfield, providing our residents with a significant benefit.

Mr. Burk reported that the commuter parking fund is struggling with lower revenue from parking pass sales.

Mayor Shapiro thanked Mr. Burk and his staff for all of their great work and noted the Village’s AAA bond rating.

Police Department Budget Review

Chief Sliozis reported the budget for the Police Department is largely similar to last year with no new programs. He noted the largest cost for 2025 is new fleet vehicles and equipment. He reported the budget does not include any new personnel.

Deputy Chief Fry presented the Police Administration and Communications budgets. He noted there are increases to the Police Pension Fund contribution, travel expenses an accreditation conference and training for defensive tactics. He noted an $81,000 increase for annual maintenance agreements for body cameras, fleet cameras and other equipment. He reported the increase of one new dispatcher. Chief Sliozis noted the value provided by the consolidated dispatch center and thanked the Board for keeping operations in house with shared costs.

Deputy Chief Budny presented the Department’s Investigations and Patrol Divisions budgets. He reported a 3% increase for cost of living adjustments included in the union contract. He also reported a 42% increase in patrol apparel to replace ballistic vests in 2025.

Adjournment:

There being no further business or discussion, Trustee Oppenheim moved to adjourn the meeting. Trustee Berg seconded the motion. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:52 p.m.

https://www.deerfield.il.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_10162024-1146