Cook County Highway Engineer Krysten Foster presented the first draft of the Road and Bridge proposed 2020 budget to the county board on August 27, with a requested Road and Bridge levy increase of 1.14 percent, or $25,427 for her department.
For the upcoming year, Foster said no new capital equipment would be requested.
The highway department is recommending increasing the 2020 budget for calcium chloride by $30,000 to provide coverage of an additional 20 to 24 miles of county gravel roads. This past year an increase in the cost of calcium chloride prevented the highway department from providing the level of service that the public expected, said Foster.
In her budget proposal, the maintenance capital equipment budget decreased from $312,415 in 2019 to $154,815 in 2020. That includes the final grader payment of $49,815 and $105,000 allocation to equipment reserves.
“As we shared last year, the highway department has extended the proposed life for all major equipment. This has reduced annual capital expenditures significantly. However, annual reserve allocations are needed to plan for upcoming purchases. These allocations provide the additional benefit of stabilizing the highway department levy by minimizing major fluctuations in the equipment budget.”
Increasing the local bridge allocation from $118,500 in 2019 to $175,000 in 2020 was another proposal. More funds would help cover $200,000 in local bridge design fees in 2020, she said, and, an anticipated Off- System Bridge Program grant match of $340,000 for the Flute Reed River bridge in 2023.
“Allocating funds to augment the work on the bridges situated on county roads is key to the future of Cook County’s infrastructure. Otherwise, Cook County is faced with the very real possibility of closing several deteriorating bridges within the next ten years.”
In other action taken by the county board:
. Commissioners approved a change from 35 to 40 hours per week for the HR generalist position. County administrator Jeff Cadwell recommended the change because the previous human resource generalist frequently worked more than the scheduled 35 hours per week due to her workload.
The additional hours will be included in the current year budget, and the 2020 budget reflects the HR position as a 40-hour per week job.
. The petition request to create a subordinate service district for the Kelly’s Hill area for road maintenance services was granted.
A subordinate district will be established for summer and winter road maintenance on Kelly’s Hill Road beginning on Highway 61 going north to the intersection with the power line, on all of Bloomquist Mountain Road and on all of Kelly’s Ridge Road.
A special assessment will be placed equally on the annual property tax of each parcel of land on the area mapped out by the subdivision. The road association has 60 days to get their liason’s name to the Cook County Highway Department.
. County Attorney Molly Hicken brought a 2020 capital budget request before the board, which was addressed separately from her department’s general budget.
Since 2003 the county Attorney’s Office has relied upon Damion as its only case management system. The system had limited capabilities from the beginning, and has lost utility over the passage of time for various reasons, including that it is no longer compatible with law enforcement’s software system, Hicken said.
“Not only is the county attorney the chief prosecutor for all crimes and violations of every severity level occurring within the county’s borders, the county attorney advises county officials and departments on every aspect of the law and legal activity, including drafting and review of the ordinances, departmental and county-wide policies, contractual relationships, land use and zoning, other statutory government responsibilities such as open meeting law and data practices obligations,” said Hicken.
The cost to purchase Prosecutor by Karpel is $40,500. Commissioner Myron Bursheim voiced support of the purchase which will be further discussed when the 2020 budget is set.
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