Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 01, 1987 COW . r Committee of the Whole Meeting April 1, 1987 The Committee of the Whole Meeting was called to order at 6 :35 p.m. Members present : Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales, Van De Voorde and Waters . Absent : Councilman Gilliam and Mayor Verbic. Appointment of Mayor Pro Tem Councilwoman Shales made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman Moylan to appoint Councilman Van De Voorde as Mayor Pro Tem. Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales, Van De Voorde and Waters . Nays: None. Contract with Two Rivers Agency for Dial-A-Ride match. The Two Rivers Head Start Agency, the agency which took the place of Plus, Inc. , has agreed to provide the local share of funds for the City' s contract with Pace for the Dial-A-Ride program in 1987 . $20, 000 will be provided for 1987 and this amount will adequately meet the local share requirements for the Dial-A-Ride program in 1987 . Councilman Waters made a motion, seconded by Councilman Andersen to have this agreement placed on the April 22nd Council Agenda for formal acceptance. Yeas: Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales , Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays: None. Consideration of amendment providing correction to zoning ordinance. On February 25 , 1987 the Council approved Ordinance Gll- 87 , which was intended to address a problem with numerous lots of record that were zoned R-2 Single Family Residential, but were unbuildable. The minimum lot width for a lot zoned R-2 was 60 feet . In drafting the ordinance a sentence was inadvertently omitted. This omitted sentence would restrict the minimum lot width for grandfathered lots to 48 feet measured at the narrowest width within the first thirty feet of lot depth directly in back of the front yard setback. Councilwoman Moylan made a motion, seconded by Councilman Waters for staff to prepare an amended ordinance. Yeas: Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales, Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays : None. Committee of the Whole Meeting April 1, 1987 Page 2 Consideration of change order for Elgin Housing Authority roof project . The proposed change order is to add the reroofing of the canopies over the Units ' entryways to the roofing contract . This CDBG project was funded in the amount of $26 , 000. The bid award was $21,123 . The proposed change order is for $3 , 875. Total project cost with the change order equals $24 , 998, which is within the budgeted amount for this project . Councilman Andersen made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman Moylan to approve the subject change order. Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales, Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays: None. Consideration of Hartwell storm sewer project . There is an existing catch basin on Hartwell Avenue east of Preston which drains storm water to a sanitary sewer. That sanitary sewer has capacity problems in the area of Cooper and Dundee Avenue. This connection can be easily eliminated by the installation of approximately 830 feet of ten inch storm sewer. This work is estimated to cost $32 ,000, which includes engineering. Councilman Andersen made a motion, seconded by Councilman Waters to approve staff proceeding with the subject project . Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales , Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays: None. Consideration of underground electric relocation on South McLean Boulevard. The cost differential between relocating the existing poles in the roadway and going underground is approximately $48, 601. 64 . Commonwealth Edison has agreed to split this cost with the City bringing the City' s share to $24 , 300 . 82 . The funds necessary could be taken out of the 1987 street resurfacing program. Councilman Waters made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman Moylan to proceed with the subject project . Yeas: Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales , Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays : None. Committee of the Whole Meeting April 1, 1987 Page 3 Consideration of repairs to garage floor hoist . This lift is essential to the daily operations of the Garage as it is the only lift with the capacity to raise the larger trucks . The repairs are extensive and should only be performed by a company qualified and experienced in hydraulic lift repairs . Councilwoman Moylan made a motion, seconded by Councilman Andersen for the work to be done by the low bidder, City and Suburban Hydraulic Service Inc. , for $5 , 510 . Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales , Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays: None. Consideration of amendment to ordinance on boards and commissions. The City Council expressed an interest in revising Section 3 . 03 . 010 of the Elgin Code, to provide a mechanism whereby non attending members could be, but were not automatically, removed from office. The following language was submitted for the Council' s approval: The City Council may declare vacant and abandoned the office of any member who fails to attend 75 percent of the meetings of a board, commission or committee including regular, special or emergency meetings in any calendar year. Councilwoman Shales made a motion, seconded by Councilman Waters to prepare an ordinance reflecting a two-thirds requirement . Yeas : Councilman Andersen, Moylan, Shales , Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays : None. Consideration of a premium for Fox Trot Staff is seeking approval of the Council to enter into a cost sharing arrangement with Seigle ' s Home and Building Center for the purchase of the premiums for the Valley Fox Trot race. Participants in the Fox Trot would receive a premium item in addition to their race entry. Harry Seigle of Seigles Homes and Building Center was approached concerning a contribution toward a special race premium. The premium selected was a windbreaker jacket at an estimated cost of $6 . 50 each. Seigle has agreed to fund the difference between the price of the jackets and the City contribution of $2 . 50 each for 850 jackets. i Committee of the Whole Meeting April 1, 1987 Page 4 Councilman Waters made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman Moylan to approve the cost sharing arrangement with Seigle , and to send Seigle' s a letter of appreciation. Yeas: Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales, Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays;None. Consideration of a cont ract for plan preparation for remodeling at Spartan Meadows. The subject project is an approved part of the 1987 Integrated Capital Budget and involves the following: 1. Remodel existing shop and office area. 2 . Install new lunch room. 3 . Replace existing heating system. 4 . Construction of an enlarged cold storage space. The first phase of this work is the hiring of a qualified architect to prepare the drawings and specifications . The City received a proposal from John Schmidtke for $1,100 , and one from Burnidge, Cassell and Associates for $5 ,880. Councilman Andersen made a motion, seconded by Councilman Waters to award this contract to John Schmidtke. Yeas: Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales, Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays : None. Report on mobile home park meter vaults. The Council reviewed a report covering an update to previous meter reading problems experienced at Cavitt ' s Mobile Home Park, together with the following staff policy: The current policy with the mobile home parks provides for mandatory reading of vaults no matter what the problem. This has resulted in the mobile home parks paying for leaks that occur on their side of the system. It has been this city' s policy since 1983 that all meters involved greater than two inches in size that serve mobile home parks which have underground distribution systems internally will not be estimated but are required to be read monthly. Consideration of a report on employee physical examination costs. At a previous meeting a question was raised concerning an expenditure to the medical clinic in Schaumburg for City employment physicals. The staff prepared a report which details the history of use of various clinics and provides comparable physical cost which is or may soon be available in Elgin, compared to present costs charged to the City. i I Committee of the Whole Meeting April 1, 1987 Page 5 Consideration of Annual Report for Planning Department for 1986 . The Council was furnished with a detailed report , prepared by the Planning Department , covering cases handled and results and other activities of the Planning Department during 1986. Consideration of a report on Woodland Landfill disposal fee increases . Staff advised the Council a notice was received from Woodland Landfill stating they had raised their disposal fees, effective April 1, 1987 . The budgeted figure for refuse disposal charges amounts to $336, 000. The actual amount may approach $400, 000 due to several factors. Those factors include the January 1, 1987 $0 .45 surcharge , this $0. 50 increase effective April 1st , and an increase in volume generated by the residents of Elgin. Councilwoman Moylan stated the City should be looking at this situation very seriously and there is a real need to look at all alternatives. Jim Cook stated staff was looking into a plan that they have in Rockford, where recycling garbage is practiced, and this information would be brought back to the Council. Consideration of a report on hearing of annexation of three surrounded areas. The City Manager advised the Council that plats of annexation have been prepared for 3 of the surrounded areas and that ordinances annexing the 3 areas will be placed on the April 22 , 1987 agenda for their consideration. Consideration of City position regarding PACE program of handicapped bus accessibility. Council was furnished with information regarding the Pace transportation plan to serve persons with disabilities and how that proposed plan will impact the City of Elgin and its transit service. It was recommended that the that the City of Elgin object to the implementation of the fixed route accessible plan as outlined by Pace based on the following reasons: 1 I I 1 Committee of the Whole Meeting April 1, 1987 Page 6 1. The operating cost of a combined fully accessible fixed route system and the continued operation of a Dial- A-Ride program would exceed the cost of an expanded Dial- A-Ride program. Lack of a documented need for the fully accessible fixed route system. 3. The ability of the City to provide better service to the community through an expanded Dial-A-Ride program. The Council instructed staff to present our position to PACE. Changes in Board of Fire and Police Commissioners ordinance. The City Manager reviewed the following staff recommendations with the Council: The oral examination must either be established as a valid process able to withstand challenge, or be eliminated. As presently structures , the oral is not a consistent exam, but changes for each candidate. Grading is done by individual Board members and averaged without prior agreement as to what constitutes a correct or incorrect answer. Data is not retained to validate the scoring in event of a subsequent challenge. A procedure known as an assessment center could be used to make an oral board valid, but individual follow up questions which are not identical to all candidates cannot be used in such a procedure . Record keeping of the process must be kept under public control so that the City can provide documentation in response to legal challenges or Freedom of Information requests . In case of investigations involving either court cases of State of Illinois or U.S. federal complaints regarding equal employment opportunity, it is the City of Elgin, not just the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, who must respond. It is the City which may be the subject of litigation and possible judgment . The City must establish record requirements and maintain the records in order to meet these obligations as they arise. The Board should be expanded to five members with requirements for minority and female membership, and the oral exam should be replaced with the assessment center approach. This could be supported by professional training and direction in assessment center operation. The staff also recommends that the Personnel Director be appointed permanent non voting Secretary to the Board and made responsible for the establishment and maintenance of records. Committee of the Whole Meeting April 1, 1987 Page 7 Marlene Carter, representing the Human Relations Commission, and Charles Stuart , President of the Fire Department ' s Union, commented on the composition of the Board, the hearing process and asked for a fair system, which would give an equal opportunity to applicants. Councilwoman Moylan made a motion, seconded by Councilman Gilliam that the Police and Fire Commission, as currently constructed, cease any action with the current list of police and fire candidates , ceasing the process right now. Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Gilliam, Moylan, Shales , Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Councilman Waters made a motion, seconded by Councilman Andersen that staff take the necessary steps to prepare and ordinance expanding the Police and Fire Commission to five members, that the Board include one female and one minority, that the Personnel Director be named to the Commission as ex-officio, responsible for all record keeping, and the oral examination be replaced with the assessment center approach. Yeas: Councilmen Gilliam, Moylan and Waters. Nays : Councilmen Andersen, Shales and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Councilwoman Shales made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman Moylan to begin the revisions by enlargement of the Commission to five members, to include one female and one minority, with further guidelines to follow. Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Moylam, Shales, Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays : Councilmen Gilliam. Councilman Gilliam made a motion, seconded by Councilman Waters to table this matter. Yeas : Councilmen Gilliam and Waters. Nays : Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Adjournment Councilman Andersen made a motion, seconded by Councilman Gilliam to adjourn the meeting. Yeas: Councilmen Andersen, Gilliam, Moylan, Shales , Waters and Mayor Pro Tem Van De Voorde. Nays: None. The meeting adjourned at 10 :45 p.m. Marie Yearm City Clerk