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Service Committee Minutes

VILLAGE OF NORTH AURORA
SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA
AUGUST 17, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Services Committee meeting was conducted live remotely
via telecommunications.

CALL TO ORDER
Trustee Mark Gaffino called the meeting to order.

ROLL CALL
In attendance: Trustee Mark Gaffino, Mayor Dale Berman, Trustee Tao Martinez, Trustee Mike Lowery, Village Administrator Steve Bosco, Public Works Director John Laskowski.

AUDIENCE COMMENTS – None

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. Approval of the Services Committee Minutes dated January 20, 2020
Motion for approval made by Trustee Lowery and seconded by Trustee Martinez. All in favor. Motion approved.

NEW BUSINESS
1. Overhead Sewer Grant Policy Change

Public Works Director John Laskowski explained that the overhead sewer grant program had been in place for a long time in the Village and they were now looking to update the policy with the goal to both clarify items of the program and to increase participation. For background, the purpose of the overhead sewer grant is to change a plumbing system in a single family home from a passive system – where gravity pulls waste away from the home – to an active system – which involves the installation of a pump and a pit – that will prevent backflow as when a sanitary sewer becomes full under the passive system it has nowhere to go but back into the residence.

Currently the Village contributes 50% of the costs up to $4,000 related to the installation of an active system. Laskowski said using U.S. Census data to determine lower income locations, they wished to instead contribute up to 75% ($6,000) to those identified residences and continue the 50% contribution in other areas. He said increasing the percentage may incentivize more residences to use the program, which sees on average about one grant a year. The Village budgets $16,000 yearly for the overhead sewer grant.

All Trustees and Mayor Berman were in favor of extending the 75% Village contribution to all residences and not just those identified in the Census. Mayor Berman said he would like to see more participation and reach out to residences that it would benefit rather than waiting for them to contact the Village. Village Trustee Lowery noted that if the Village budgeted $16,000 for the program under this model only three residences would be able to use it. Village Administrator Bosco said if needed they could bring a budget amendment forward to address that, but said the program was still likely to only have a handful of participants each year.

Trustees also questioned the schematics and clarification language that said the Village would not cover restoration costs in the installation of the active system. Village Administrator Steve Bosco said the clarifying language was largely in part to make sure that the program is only funding a single system the Village knows that works as they have had interest from residents for other systems – like a check valve system. Trustee Gaffino brought up concerns about the restoration process as the installation could involve the need to dig into yards and walls and how the new clarifying language said the Village contribution would not cover those services.

Laskowski said he would make changes to the policy and bring it back to the Village Board meeting in September.

OLD BUSINESS – None
OTHER INFORMATION – None
TRUSTEE COMMENTS – None

ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn made by Trustee Lowery and seconded by Trustee Martinez. All in favor. Motion approved.

Respectfully Submitted,

Natalie F. Stevens
Deputy Village Clerk

 

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