Plans for $338M in Capital Investments Outlined

Cook County 2016 Budget Hearings - Capital Budget    October 26, 2015

Ivan Samstein, Cook County CFO, presented an overview of the Capital Budget for the county including Capital Equipment and Capital Improvements. He explained that most of the projects included within this part of the budget are multi-year projects and the monies to pay for the expenditures for the various projects come from debt proceeds (meaning issuing of bonds or borrowing), grants, or pay as you go funds such as the Motor Fuel Tax. His slide presentation can be viewed by clicking FY16 Capital Budget Presentation.

The Proposed Capital Budget for 2016 is $338.8M in Total Capital Investments with $199M for Capital Improvements to county facilities, $74.7M in Capital Equipment, and $65.1M in Highway/Transportation projects for county maintained roads and bridges. In 2016 about 75% of the money for the projects will be from debt proceeds and about $80M will be pay as you go funds.

Phil Boothby, Director of Capital Planning, was asked to present the plans for the $199M for Capital Improvements in 2016. These expenditures are part of the 2016-2025 $1.4B program developed for the county for capital improvements. Facility assessments have been done on all properties and work has been prioritized. Expenditures in 2016 will include warehouse and print shop consolidation, Pedway improvements, board room improvements, demolition at the jail, and improvements at Stroger Hospital.

John Yonan, Superintendent of the Highway Dept., presented the plans for the $64M for highways. There is now a Long Range Transportation Plan for the county from now until 2040. He stated that prior to now there had been no plan for the past 70 years. As part of the plan within the next 4 years it is expected that all Motor Fuel Tax money will go into transportation cost and not be diverted into the general fund. He outlined several projects for 2016 that mostly involve pavement rehab and bridge repair throughout the county - highlighting work on Lake/Cook Rd. and Plainfield Rd. 

Tanya Anthoney, Budget Director, outlined the recommendation for Capital Equipment. She stated that each department submitted their requests, totaling $128m, and the proposed budget pared this down to include $74.7M for equipment - 83% of which is for IT projects.

Simona Rollinson, Chief Information Officer, then outlined the continuing efforts to modernize IT operations throughout the county. She said the negotiations with the departments were intense but she believes the $62M requested for IT in the budget will continue the progress that is being made. The countywide Time and Attendance system is intended to be implemented in 2016. She said that many of the projects are already authorized as part of the Enterprise Resource Planning Business Process which includes the Time and Attendance as well as HR and other functions.

After all these presentations only Comm. Sylvestri and Morrison had questions and both centered on whether, after significant and ongoing financial commitment, the county was becoming a modern technological entity capable of achieving efficiencies based on the investments being made. Ms. Rollinson stated that continued investment is necessary. Integrating the systems of the Sheriff and the Courts is still a process that will take continued investment over the next 4-5 years. She stated that the Time/Attendance technology will be the most tangible measure to be seen in 2016. Comm. Morrison requested an itemized list of the IT investments authorized by the board and she said she would provide it to him.

Comm. Daley ended the meaning by pointing out that this Capital Budget presentation and plan is a big change from previous years when Capital Equipment/Improvement was 1 line in the budget with no explanation or plan.

No mention was made of STAR performance measures and since capital costs run across all departments any measures may be integrated into the individual departments.

Further explanation of the Capital Budget can be found within the budget book. 

Submitted by Cynthia Schilsky, observer

Comm. Fritchey Bores in on Animal and Rabies Control

2016 Cook County Proposed Budget: Bureau of Administration, Oct. 22, 2015

The Bureau of Administration is composed of

• Bureau Departments:  Transportation and Highways, Environmental Control, Medical Examiner, Law Library, Animal and Rabies Control, and Adoption and Child Custody Advocacy
• Shared Services Functions:  Industrial Engineering, Printing and Graphics Services, Fleet Management, Records Management, Veterans Affairs, and Child Support Enforcemenst

Martha Martinez, Chief of the Bureau of Administration, presented information on all the Shared Services Functions, while the heads of the Bureau Departments had individual presentations.

Several Commissioners heaped praise on John Yonan and the Department of Transportation and Highways and on Dr. Stephen Cina and the Medical Examiner's office. Several Commissioners also noted the successful rabies control clinics run by Dr. Donna Alexander and the Animal and Rabies Control Department. But Commissioner Fritchey spent a considerable amount of time questioning Dr. Alexander.

Commissioner Fritchey criticized the recommendations published on the Animal and Rabies Control Department's web site for owners of lost pets (e.g., owners should walk around their area calling the name of their pet), and said he thinks the department can and should do much better. Comm. Fritchey asked whether Dr. Alexander knew that the Animal Welfare League, with which the County contracts to take in animals the County collects from unincorporated areas, has the highest kill rate in the state. Dr. Alexander answered she was aware, but the Animal Welfare League also takes all animals, regardless of whether in poor health, unlike other entities, which explains the higher kill rate.

Looking at the number of animals collected and the number of staff doing the collection, Comm. Fritchey said that the average per day per employee is 3. He asked what else these staff people were doing. Dr. Alexander explained that capturing an animal can take several hours. Comm. Fritchey noted the Office of Inspector General's recently issued report on the department which described a practice whereby staff people with cars were able to include their time driving to and from work as part of their work day, and received overtime if they returned to their home later than the regular workday.  Dr. Alexander said that practice, which pre-dates her tenure which began in 2008, was discontinued as soon as the Inspector General brought it to her attention, about 8 months ago.  Chairman Daley spoke up that the Department had sent a letter to the Commissioners a few days earlier addressing all the issues raised by the Inspector General in the report. Comm. Fritchey said he had not received the letter, and it was resent by email to all the Commissioners. Comm. Fritchey also questioned why it was taking so long for the department to upgrade its computer system, and concluded that he would like to overhaul the deparment, but would like to ork with the department to do so.

As was true for the deparments under the Bureau of Finance, the STAR performance management 2016 goals did not encompass the departments' 2016 "highlights," and often the targets for those goals were lower than the expected actuals for 2015.

--Priscialla Mims