Finance Committee — 09/01/2021 Page 9
Chairman Klee
Any comment from the members of the Board? | see none. Director Kleiner as Alderwoman Lu seems to have some
concerns and some questions about those things, would you be able to provide that information that she is asking for?
Kim Kleiner, Administrative Services Director
Madam Chair certainly and we did address it in an e-mail to Alderwoman Lu this afternoon. It’s not 775. It’s $700,225
which is the like for like escrow. As | have stated, we expected when this project was originally introduced to the Capital
Improvements Committee that this would come in at a much higher cost. It’s always in the city’s best interest when that
doesn't happen. What we have said is that it has been like for like escrow. Number one, we were not sure if when a
project like this is done on a building of the age of the Court Street building whether they would find structural deficiencies
that needed to be addressed. That was one.
Number two, we are not sure if there are other structural deficiencies other than the roof that will need to be addressed
and it was thought that it was better to escrow this money and bring forth any changes and purpose of the monies to the
Board in the future than not escrow the money at all. So there’s no real legislation brought forth before you because it is a
like to like escrow but it was information provided to the Board from CFO Griffin as part of the full package of escrows.
Chairman Klee
Yes. | do remember seeing the line item. Thank you very much Director Kleiner.
Alderwoman Lu
Thank you. | would just like to state my opinion that it would be better in information that’s provided to us if money is
being escrowed for a theoretical repair on a structure that we may find we need that it not be attributed to a roof that we're
paying for now. That’s all. | don’t think that’s transparency. Thank you.
Chairman Klee
Director Kleiner did you have any comment?
Kim Kleiner, Administrative Services Director
No Madam Chair. | think I’ve addressed the issue.
Chairman Klee
Yes | think so as well. If there are no further questions.
Alderman O’Brien
Yeah | would just like to remind the Board here that as Chairman of the Infrastructure Committee by City Charter that
project should and it did come before the Infrastructure Committee was approved. So if you look at the City Charter and
its history, | think Alderman Wilshire can agree with me going through and modernizing and looking at the Charter, it does
mention lands and buildings but that is now the modern Infrastructure Committee. Even though they may approve the
project and everything, it does have to get cleared through a second hurdle of budget and it gets approved within the city
and then it comes to Finance to approve the funds for that project. Unfortunately being Chairman of the Infrastructure
Committee, it’s not on the agenda. | wish | had a heads up. Maybe could have helped get some more information on this
but caught me totally off guard. Thank you.
Chairman Klee
Thank you Alderman O’Brien. Are there any other comments? Questions? Alderwoman Lu do you have any other
questions?
Alderwoman Lu
No thank you.
