Village of Roscoe favors SMTD and future improvements

The Village of Roscoe Board of Trustees seemed to appreciate the answers they got from Stateline Mass Transit District leaders at the Village Board's monthly meeting on May 18. SMTD executive director Sharon Hecox and board chair Gus Larson made a visit to answer questions about the annual financial report and ridership information, which they had sent to the Village Board as requested. At a previous meeting, the Village Board had decided to delay their annual payment to the SMTD until the SMTD provided a report on their work. At the end of Tuesday's meeting, Village President Mark Szula proposed, "Why don't we plan on you coming in twice a year?" starting this fall, after the SMTD's yearly audit is done at the end of their fiscal year in June.

Village Board members asked if the SMTD could cut the Village's costs or increase fares. The Village of Roscoe has been contributing $20,000 in recent years. Village President Mark Szula said, "I feel that we're paying our fair share." Hecox agreed fares could be increased, theoretically, from the longstanding price of $3 per trip, but the SMTD would have to hold public hearings about it. Its service area includes South Beloit, Rockton, and Roscoe, so it provides on-demand service from the state line south to Roscoe. 80% of its riders are elderly or handicapped, who pay $1.50 per trip.

As far as lowering the Village's costs, originally  the city of South Beloit and the villages of Roscoe and Rockton were each asked to pay $35,000 a year (the townships pay less because they have fewer residents). Even though the State of Illinois had said it couldn't be reduced, Hecox managed to get that lowered to $25,000 when she came on board.  Hecox encouraged the cost-conscious Board to think of that reduction as a $100,000 savings they had already received. But she said, "In the future, we may have to raise it," since the SMTD has expanded its service.

Ridership increased tenfold from 2008 to 2020.  Last June, Hecox told the State of Illinois in a Rebuild Illinois Capital Assistance Grant application that the SMTD had "zero spare ratio" - that during peak hours, none of their fleet of eight vehicles was idle. Of three recent grant applications, one was approved, one denied, and the third, for $200,000, will be submitted soon. "But it's money that we have to have matches for," she said.

Accounting for very small government agencies

In their report, the SMTD's independent auditor, Siepert & Co, said, "The organization has several accounting functions that are performed by the same individual and are not subject to a documented independent review and approval. The primary cause of the condition results from staffing constraints typical of smaller organizations. Some control activities may be occurring on a routine basis, but are not being documented. As a result of this condition, the organization is exposed to an increased risk that misstatements (whether caused by error or fraud) may occur and not be prevented or detected and corrected by management on a timely basis. We recommend that the organization try to mitigate this risk by requiring as much independent review, reconciliation, and approval of accounting functions by qualified members of management or the board as possible."

Roscoe Trustee Anthony Keene asked what plans the SMTD has to reduce or eliminate these deficiencies. Hecox replied that many small government agencies have the same challenge: they can't afford to hire a lot of independent, outside accountants. However, she said, "I've been through probably five federal audits," with 24 point evaluations. "It goes under high review," she assured the Village Board. Furthermore, she would have limited ability to divert money -  the board has to approve all expenses.

From memory, Hecox and Larson listed the members of SMTD Board of Trustees, who meet monthly at the Rockton Township Meeting Hall.

• Gus Larson
• Marilyn McClenathan
• Mari Mattocks
• Richard Adams
• Bonnie Gundry
• Pamela Clifton
• Phil Samuels

McClenathan and Mattocks are from Roscoe. McClenathan has wanted to resign from the board since the days when David Krienke was Village President, but has agreed to continue serving until the SMTD finds a replacement.  Village officials offered to come up with a recommendation.

Planning for much-needed repairs

Village Administrator Scott Sanders asked the Board to approve an additional $4,700 to engineering firm Fehr Graham to do some design and construction engineering for two areas that need more repairs than would be covered by the previous bid: the entrances to Riverside Park and Promontory Ridge. At River Road (shown in red on the map), the Village will need to replace a sizable culvert and remove an abundance of excess paving material "from long ago." The excess asphalt appears as an  arrow-shaped extension from River Road toward the Rock River.  The entrance to Promontory Ridge is also "particularly bad."

At the Committee of the Whole meeting that follows the Village of Roscoe Board meeting, Sanders asked for approval to get an 18” hydraulic cooled commercial sod cutter for the
lowest quoted price of $5,199.00. Since it was more than $5,000, he needed approval. Until now, they've been renting one when needed for ditch restoration. The Village saves the expense of buying sod by using parks as sod farms.

Sanders gave more details on the request to pave a gravel parking lot at 5365 Edith Lane, north of Elevator Road and east of Main Street. Sanders said that obviously the Village prefers parking lots to have a curb and gutter, but "given the relative lack of visibility, this could be a trickle-down effect with parking lots that are not paved at all... You'd have to actually enter the lot itself to see there's no curb and gutter." The water eventually flows into North Kinnikinnick Creek, but Village engineer Brandon Boggs (who works for Fehr Graham) explained, "As part of our annual MS4 program, we have to inspect all the outfalls that flow into creeks... We have to check to see if there are any foreign substances.... We haven't had any concerns before."

Dogs and the wilder sort of canine

Sanders also discussed a potential use for Village property at 9108 McDonald Road: a dog park.   Other communities have them, several grants are available to pay for one, and Sander has researched the costs of adding fencing and water. Usually owners pay an annual fee to use a dog park and must clean up after their dog. The land is north of Swanson Road, includes a big box culvert, and is adjacent to Porter Park, where there's a popular disc golf course. Part of the McDonald Road property could also be used to expand this disc golf course or to add parking.

Trustee Anthony Keene reported more and more coyote sighting in Chicory Ridge, not only on the outskirts but some in the interior streets. "My neighbor two doors down had two," he said. He was concerned about what would happen if a family member or a pet encountered coyotes that were out in the early morning hours foraging. "I just don't want anyone's pet or a kid to get bit." Village President Mark Szula said the Village will call the DNR and possibly get some live traps.  Coyotes can be hunted in the state of Illinois, but hunting them wouldn't be a good idea in Chicory Ridge. Neither would feeding them.