DeKalb city manager Mark Biernacki entered into a contract agreement last fall with the firm Klein, Thorpe and Jenkins, using his ordinance-given spending authority (PDF p. 55). A professional services contract had been entered into by the City Manager, on behalf of the City Council, with the firm Klein, Thorpe, and Jenkins to conduct research…
Tag: city council
No Task Force, No Public Input Allowed at Council’s Special Meetings on Housing Issues
[Updated with link 5:30 p.m.] The DeKalb City Council is planning three special meetings on housing issues, scheduled as follows: Wednesday, Aug 22 at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept 19 at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct 10 at 6 p.m. The meetings will not include Safe/Quality Housing Task Force members except as members of the audience who…
Safe/Quality Housing Recommendations: A Matter of Trust
Soon the DeKalb city council will be deciding what steps to take, if any, in response to recommendations made by the Safe/Quality Housing Task Force and by its own staff. They include proposals for a “disorderly house” ordinance, issuance of Crime Free Lease addenda, and regulations for the registration, licensing and inspection of rental properties.…
The Burden of Transparency
You’ve probably seen this e-mail wherein Mayor Povlsen scolds Mark Charvat for making plans to pack the house during the DeKalb Township Annual Meeting without telling him. — On Mon, 3/19/12, Povlsen, Kris wrote: From: Povlsen, Kris Subject: So much for Transparency To: “‘markX@X.com’” Date: Monday, March 19, 2012, 2:30 PM Guess this says a…
On the Trail of the Legendary Comp Time Monster
Behold my latest puzzle: [table id=41 /]
EPI and Compensation
The Strategic Financial Evaluation Report by Executive Partners, Inc., known for short as the EPI report, was issued in May 2009. The consultants were called in because DeKalb had found itself in serious financial trouble beginning in late 2007. The city tends to blame the economy, and it is true that the crash of the…
Alderman Baker’s Signs
On a tip, I sought and found these signs displayed May 11 at The Copy Service, Dollar Video, Lukulos, and Mason Properties. Information in the lower right corner identifies the business as The Copy Service, part of the local business empire of Alderman Dave Baker. We know from a previous post that temporary signs in…
Hotel/Motel Revenues & the Economic Development Fund
[table id=16 /] Hotel/motel tax revenues used to go into the General Fund, but as of FY2009 were earmarked for an Economic Development Fund (Fund 46). According to the FY2012 budget, [t]he Economic Development Fund accounts for our agreements with outside agencies that help provide various economic development functions on behalf of the City. These…
Council to Vote on More Econ Development Help
Council members will vote Monday on a resolution to outsource economic development services from Hopkins Solutions, LLC. Hiring an economic development director was recommended by the financial consultants’ (EPI) report released May 2009. The Roger Hopkins who established Hopkins Solutions last year is probably none other than the past director of the DeKalb County Economic…
City Managers’ Contracts
The Sycamore City Council will decide Monday whether to renew the city’s contract with its city manager, Bill Nicklas. Residents of DeKalb might well ask when the contract with its own city manager expires. The answer is: Never.