NW Illinois News

City of Rochelle City Council met July. 28.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

I. CALL TO ORDER: Pledge to the Flag and Prayer were led by Mayor Bearrows.

II. ROLL CALL: Present were Councilors Hayes, D. McDermott, Shaw-Dickey, Arteaga, Valdivieso, and Mayor John Bearrows. Absent Councilor T. McDermott. A quorum of six were present. Also, present were City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh and City Clerk Rose Huéramo.

III. PROCLAMATIONS, COMMENDATIONS, ETC: None.

IV. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS:

1. Mayor's Report: None.

2. Council Members: None.

V. PUBLIC COMMENTARY: None.

VI. DISCUSSION ITEMS:

1. IDOT Hickory Grove/ Rte. 251 Detention: City Engineer Sam Tesreau and Mike Kuehn (IDOT) presented updated plans for the retention pond as part of the Route 251 project, Hickory Grove site, to address flooding at Highway 251 and Route 38.

2. Demand Response Program: Superintendent of Electric Operations Blake Toliver and Sean Hawks (C- Power Energy) presented the Demand Response Program, a tool used by regional grids to balance electricity supply and demand. They discussed its implementation and recent changes.

VII. BUSINESS ITEMS:

1. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS BY OMNIBUS VOTE with Recommendations:

a) Approve City Council Meeting Minutes - 7/14/2025

b) Approve the Release of Executive Session Minutes

c) Approve Payroll - 6/23/2025 - 7/06/2025

d) Approve Check Registers - 7/14/2025, 7/21/2025

e) Approve Exceptions - 7/22/2025

f) Accept & Place on File - June Financials

g) Special Event Council Request - South 3rd Street Block Party

h) Special Event Council Request - Cut the Square Event

i) Special Event Council Request - Masonic Temple Parking

Motion made by Councilor D. McDermott, Seconded by Councilor Shaw-Dickey, "I move consent agenda items (a) through (i) be approved by Omnibus vote as recommended." Voting Yea: Hayes, D. McDermott, Shaw-Dickey, Arteaga, Valdivieso, and Mayor Bearrows. Nays: None. Motion passed 6-0.

2. A Resolution Amending the City Credit Card and Charge Account Policy. City staff periodically require the use of a credit card to complete necessary purchases. While current internal procedures require pre-approval from the City Manager or his/her designee for transactions equal to or exceeding $3,000, the credit card policy approved in January 2025 does not clearly reflect this requirement. Staff recommends updating the policy to include this language explicitly under the Policy section, Item 1, to align the written policy with current practice and ensure clarity in the approval process. Chris Cardott, Finance Director, was available for questions. Motion made by Councilor Valdivieso, Seconded by Councilor Arteaga, "I move Resolution R2025-37, a Resolution Amending the City Credit Card and Charge Account Policy, to be approved." Voting Yea: Hayes, D. McDermott, Shaw-Dickey, Arteaga, Valdivieso Mayor Bearrows. Nays: None. Motion passed 6-0.

3. A Resolution Authorizing a Change Order for Phase 2 of the Electric System Upgrades. 8/9/21 The City would like to engage BHMG Engineers, Inc to provide engineering services to design, assist in procurement, and standard construction administration for the following infrastructures upgrades to the electric system these include: a new transformer for the generation plant, the Prologis line to Centerpoint, the Centerpoint substation and, the line from Centerpoint to Twombly. 7/28/25 Nearly four years ago, City Council approved a resolution to retain BHMG Engineers to design Phase 2 upgrades for the Electric Department. Over the course of the project, the scope and design have evolved significantly. As a result of these changes, BHMG has submitted a price adjustment request. The documentation provided by BHMG outlines the rationale for this request in detail. Given their integral role in the project and the complexity of the work involved, continuing without their support would either be infeasible or require significant additional expenditure to secure alternative engineering services. Even with the adjustment, the engineering cost remains under 10% of the total estimated project cost of nearly $20 million. In addition to approving the price adjustment, I am also requesting that City Council approve the construction administration and support services proposal for the Centerpoint Substation project. These funds will ensure that an engineer is onsite to oversee the quality of work and to provide immediate support in the event contractors encounter issues during line or substation construction.

Description Engineering Proposal PCR

Power plant transformer replacement $180,000

Ritchie to Centerpoint line $345,000 $703,500

Centerpoint Substation $320,000 $671,850

Centerpoint to Twombly line $240,000

Total $1,085,000 $1,795,350

Blake Toliver Superintendent of Electric Operations was available for questions. Motion made by Councilor Arteaga, Seconded by Councilor Shaw-Dickey, "I move Resolution R2025-38, a Resolution Authorizing a Change order for Phase 2 of the Electric System Upgrades, be approved." Voting Yea: Hayes, D. McDermott, Shaw-Dickey, Arteaga, Valdivieso, and Mayor Bearrows. Nays: None. Motion passed 6-0.

4. An Ordinance Accepting the Proposal from Utility Dynamics Corporation for the Route 38 Boring Project. The city received competitive bids for constructing the Rt.38 Line Upgrades project on June 26, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. A total of four (4) bids were collected and received on time. A summary of bids is shown below:

Contractor Proposal: Archon Construction $115,580.00, IHC Construction $148,175.00, N-Track Group $111,000.00, Utility Dynamics $94,800.00

The bid from Utility Dynamics Corp was the apparent low bid for Specification 3626K003 which did not include any noteworthy any clarifications, exceptions, or price escalators. Utility Dynamics has a good list of reference completed projects and have completed projects in Rochelle, IL. The company appears to be in good standing and employs certified and trained craftsmen. Therefore, we recommend awarding the contract to Utility Dynamics Corp for the installation with it being the low bid. This project will place all lines underground at the intersection of Dement Rd. and Rt.38. Due to the proposed design of the intersection from IDOT the new back of curd would be right on top of our pole line which poses a significant risk to our poles getting hit in this area. After internal discussions it was determined, underground was the best way to move forward with this intersection. As this project moves forward, we are also looking at the underground Rt.39 overhead crossing as well. This bid is strictly for putting the underground pipe in the ground. Our linemen will perform the rest of the work in the house in effort to save money. Blake Toliver Superintendent of Electric Operations was available for questions. Motion made by Councilor Shaw-Dickey, Seconded by Councilor D. McDermott, " I move Ordinance 2025-48, a Ordinance Accepting the Proposal from Utility Dynamics Corporation for the Route 38 boring Project, be approved." Voting Yea: Hayes, D. McDermott, Shaw-Dickey, Arteaga, Valdivieso, and Mayor Bearrows. Nays: None. Motion passed 6-0.

VIII. EXECUTIVE SESSION: A Motion to Approve Closed Session Minutes - 4/28/2025 and 06/09/2025 Motion made by Councilor Valdivieso, Seconded by Councilor Shaw-Dickey, "I move the Council to accept the content of Executive Session Minutes from April 28 and June 9 of 2025, with the understanding these minutes will remain confidential." Voting Yea: Hayes, D. McDermott, Shaw Dickey, Arteaga, Valdivieso, and Mayor Bearrows. Nays: None. Motion passed 6-0.

IX. ADJOURNMENT: At 7:14 P.M. Motion made by Councilor D. McDermott, Seconded by Councilor Shaw Dickey, "I move the Council adjourn." Motion passed by voice vote without dissent.

https://mccmeetings.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/rochelleil-pubu/MEET-Minutes-604d6c45cd9046cd9770b672669916b3.pdf