HomeMy WebLinkAboutFebuary 11, 1987 COW Committee of the Whole Meeting
February 11, 1987
The meeting was called to order at 6: 35 p.m. , in the Council
Conference Room of City Hall. Members present : Councilmen
Andersen, Gilliam, Moylan, Shales , Van De Voorde, Waters and
Mayor Verbic. Absent : None.
Consideration of a request for metering individual mobile homes.
The City Manager advised the Council a request had been received
from Cavitt & Chesbrough, that the City consider metering and
billing individual units within Villa Garden Estates , a mobile
homepark located at Lucille and Villa. There are 145 platted
lots with 85 currently occupied.
The City Manager set forth the following considerations:
( 1) It would be necessary to reprogram the computer in order
to be able to subtract the many individual meter readings from
the master meter. This would require a major effort to program
all aspects of this complicated billing system.
( 2 ) All of the individual water meters would have to be read
at exactly the same time the master meter is read in order
to provide for a volume that would be accurately reflect the
water use.
( 3 ) The City often has problems reading Villa Garden Estates
master meter because of snow and ice covering the meter pit
or because water in the pit is covering the meter. This would
have to be resolved.
( 4 ) Extra costs would be involved in reading the meters.
( 5 ) Questions of meter accuracy versus leaks in the distribution
system would arise.
( 6 ) Problems of frozen meters or services would create additional
liability to the City.
The existing policy of master metering mobile home parks has
provided the City of Elgin with an effective and economical
method of recovering all the costs associated with the water
used in the operation of a mobile home park, and it is recommended
the City continue its policy of requiring only master metering
of mobile home parks .
Committee of the Whole Meeting
February 11, 1987
Page 2
Councilwoman Moylan made a motion, seconded by Councilman Van
De Voorde to deny this request . Yeas : Councilmen Andersen,
Gilliam, Moylan, Shales , Van De Voorde , Waters and Mayor Verbic.
Nays : None.
Further consideration of a request from the Elgin Jaycees and
recommendations from the Greater Downtown Elgin Commission.
On January 28th staff was directed to contact the City' s insurance
consultant regarding the proposed general liability insurance
needed for the Jaycees 1987 Special Event . Mr. Coombs has
verbally advised staff that $1, 000 , 000 in general liability
insurance and $1,000 , 000 in dram shop insurance would be adequate
insurance coverage for the activities proposed by the Elgin
Jaycees.
Councilman Andersen made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman
Shales to approve the following recommendations :
( 1) The use of the Class I liquor license category for the
Jayees special event .
( 2 ) The general liability insurance requirement for special
events be reduced from $5 , 000 ,000 to $1,000, 000 , and that the
dram shop requirement of $1, 000 ,000 be retained.
( 3 ) The Jaycees establish a beer garden in the City parking
lot south of the Crocker Theater. Any sale or consumption of
alcohol would be restricted to the beer garden area.
( 4 ) It is recommended that the City contribution remain at
$2 , 000 and that the City furnish security and cleanup services .
Yeas: Councilmen Andersen, Gilliam, Moylan, Shales, Van De
Voorde , Waters and Mayor Verbic. Nays : None.
Consideration of a request from Family Service Association
for additional Dial-A-Ride services.
Since November, 1986, Family Service Association has received
approximately two requests per week for access to the Spring
Hill Mall, and the Fox Valley Nursing Home and South Elgin
Manor in South Elgin.
Pace and the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs have
committed to fund the Dial-A-Ride-Program. The expansion of
service outside the corporate boundaries would increase operating
costs and staff is not recommending a change in the service
at this time.
Committee of the Whole Meeting
February 11, 1987
Page 3
Councilwoman Moylan stated that since this is a service for
the citizens , perhaps they could share in the cost of the fare.
Councilman Waters stated that perhaps the Spring Hill Mall
vendors would be willing to pick up some of the costs .
Mayor Verbic stated he remembered asking the Mall people for
help previously and they refused.
Councilwoman Moylan made a motion, seconded by Councilman Van
De Voorde for staff to work with Family Service Association
towards some financial agreement to finance the cost of this
additional service. Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Moylan, Shales ,
Van De Voorde and Waters . Nays : Councilman Gilliam and Mayor
Verbic.
Consideration of a report on the vacation of Clark Street .
There have been several exchanges of correspondence regarding
this matter. The last contact with the owners of the abutting
properties is that each has decided that there is no advantage
to owning the right of way and that they would therefore, prefer
that it remain public.
As a result of their decision, staff has sent them a letter
requesting that they remove from the right of way all buildings ,
equipment , bushes and fence as early in the spring as weather
and ground conditions permit .
Consideration of proposed hearing schedule for the 1987-88
Community Development Block Grant .
The City Manager advised the Council that an estimated $598, 000
in CDBG funds has been allocated to the City by HUD for 1987 .
The potential exists for an additional 14 per cent ( $83 , 720 )
CDBG allocation around the end of March. Additionally, an
estimated $40 , 000 may be available in program income (primarily
from NHS loan payments ) . Therefore a total of $721, 720 may
be available in 1987 CDBG funding.
The Council agreed to schedule a public hearing on March 23rd
at 7 : 00 p.m. , for submission of proposals , and April 9th at
7 :00 p.m. , a work session to select projects for funding.
Consideration of a proposed addendum to the agreement for engineering
services for the north section of South McLean paving.
Councilman Van De Voorde made a motion, seconded by Councilman
Andersen to approve Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement with Hampton,
Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. , for engineering services at a cost
not to exceed $5 , 082 . 74 . Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Gilliam,
Moylan, Shales, Van De Voorde, Waters and Mayor Verbic. Nays:
None.
Committee of the Whole Meeting
February 11, 1987
Page 4
Consideration of a report on the progress of the Neighborhood
Housing Services loan program.
The Council reviewed a revised NHS loan program, which provided
in part for the following:
( 1) NHS would commit $40 , 000 in funds to be used to reduce
the effective interest rate to create additional affordable
loans . The NHS would do loan intake , coordination with the
local lending institution and, in conjunction with the City,
rehabilitation monitoring and assistance.
( 2 ) The principal lender would be responsbile for loan processing,
actual lending, construction payouts and loan servicing. The
lender would commit $500 , 000 in funds for NHS home improvement
loans.
( 3 ) The City would guarantee loans against a default dollar
maximum of $50, 000 (ten percent of the total of $500,000 in
private funds loaned) . The City would also provide rehabilitation
services to NHS loan applicants ( inspections, assistance with
cost estimates , limited specification writing and construction
monitoring) .
A NHS Director has been hired and is scheduled to begin work
on February 16th.
Consideration of a proposed removal of building restrictions
of a plat of subdivision.
Councilman Waters made a motion, seconded by Councilman Andersen
for staff to prepare a resolution authorizing execution of
a certificate of abrogation providing for the removal of a
building restriction on the subject plat . Yeas : Councilmen
Andersen, Gilliam, Moylan, Shales , Van De Voorde , Waters and
Mayor Verbic. Nays: none.
Consideration of a report of a public hearing on Big Timber
Widening.
The Council directed staff to publish for a public hearing
on March 10 , 1987 , at 7 :00 p.m. , on this project .
Consideration of a recommendation to negotiate the 1987 radio
equipment purchase.
Councilman Van De Voorde made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman
Moylan to permit staff to negotiate with Motorola and then
bring the results of said negotiations back to the Council.
Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Gilliam, Moylan, Shales , Van De
Voorde, Waters and Mayor Verbic. Nays: None .
Committee of the Whole Meeting
February 11, 1987
Page 5
Consideration of a proposed 1987 pool operating contract .
The proposed 1987 contract with Stetson Pools is for $67 ,230 .
In 1986 the city' s contract with Stetson was for $64 , 656. Stetson
stated the bulk of the increase for 1987 is due to an increase
in their insurance costs .
The Council requested that this item be placed on the next
Council agenda for approval.
Consideration of a report on the utilization of properties
owned by the City.
Councilman Andersen made a motion, seconded by Councilman Gilliam
to approve the staff recommendations as to alternative uses
and maintenance responsibilities of each specific property.
Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Gilliam, Moylan, Shales , Van De
Voorde, Waters and Mayor Verbic. Nays : None.
Distribution of the 1987 Budget to the Council.
Consideration of a transfer and use of contingency funds in
CDBG.
In 1986 a total of $120, 000 in CDBG funds was allocated to
the City' s rebate program. As of December 31, 1986, a total
of $1, 773 remained in the Rebate Program Fund.
In order to continue the Rebate Program through the remainder
of the CDBG program year, it is proposed that $40, 000 be allocated
from the 1986 CDBG contingency fund to the Rebate Program.
The $40 , 000 would fund the Rebate Program throughf June 13th
( the beginning of the 1987 CDBG program year.
Councilman Van De Voorde made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman
Shales to approve the transfer of $40 ,000 from the 1986 CDBG
contingency fund to the Rebate Program. Yeas : Councilmen Andersen,
Gilliam, Moylan, Shales , Van De Voorde , Waters and Mayor Verbic.
Nays : None .
Consideration of rental fee waiver of Hemmens Auditorium for
Human Relations Commission Cultural Event Program.
Councilman Van De Voorde made a motion, seconded by Councilman
Gilliam to waive the rental fee as requested by the Human Relations
Commission. Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Gilliam, Moylan, Shales,
Van De Voorde, Waters and Mayor Verbic. Nays: None.
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Committee of the Whole Meeting
February 11, 1987
Page 6
Adjournment
Councilman Gilliam made a motion, seconded by Councilman Andersen
to adjourn the Committee of the Whole Meeting to go into Executive
Session to discuss personnel, property acquisition, and litigation.
Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Gilliam, Moylan, Shales, Van De
Voorde , Waters and Mayor Verbic. Nays : None.
Committee of the Whole Meeting reconvened at 8: 55 p.m.
Consideration of new Metra coach yards .
Present : Phil Pagano, representing Metra, Ed Kelly, Maury Wolfe
and Bob Francis representing Northwest Suburban Mass Transit .
The City Manager reviewed with Council Metra' s proposed plan
for a new coach yard site. The proposed plan provided for the
elimination of the National Street passenger station , converting
said site into a coach yard large enough for 115 units .
The proposed plan further called for a new passenger station
to be constructed on the Chicago Street site , this would include
over 300 parking units , which would be leased to the City.
The City could then install parking meters and use the revenue
for offset any maintenance costs .
Councilman Gilliam made a motion, seconded by Councilman Andersen
to have the Legal Department prepare a resolution for the February
25th Council meeting, indicating approval of the proposed plans
for the passenger station on Chicago Street and the coach yard
facility on National Street . Yeas: Councilmen Andersen, Gilliam,
Moylan, Shales, Van De Voorde , Waters and Mayor Verbic. Nays:
none.
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Adjournment
Councilman Gilliam made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman
Moylan adjourn the Commmittee of the Whole Meeting to return
to Executive Session. Yeas : Councilmen Andersen, Gilliam,
Moylan , Shales, Van De Voorde, Waters and Mayor Verbic. Nays;
None.
Marie Yearman, ty Clerk
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