HomeMy WebLinkAboutAugust 23, 1989 COW Committee of the Whole Meeting
August 23 , 1989
Page 1
The meeting was called to order by Mayor VanDeVoorde at 6 :30
p.m. Members present : Councilmen Fox, Moylan, Popple, Shales ,
Walters and Mayor VanDeVoorde. Absent : Councilman Gilliam.
Presentation concerning peace awareness month and proposal
for Sister City Dinner.
Sally Brown stated the Elgin Interfaith Peacemakers in cooperation
with Elgin Community College will host a Sister City Dinner
on October 5th or October 10th, 1989 , at 6 :30 p.m.
The purpose will be to bring together community leaders to
hear about the Sister City Program, especially as it relates
to a possible Sister City relationship with a comparable city
in the Soviet Union.
The dinner will be served at Elgin Community College by the
culinary arts department and the two principal speakers will
be Lt . Governor Ryan, who has international trade as his special
project , and the Mayor of Evanston, who will talk about the
sister city program operating in Evanston, where there is
a sister city program in place with a suburb of Kiev.
Mrs . Brown will communicate the exact date of this event to
the Council with the hope they will be able to join in with
other community leaders .
Consideration of water collection procedures .
Councilwoman Shales made a motion, seconded by Councilman
Walters to remove this item from the table. Yeas : Councilmen
Fox, Moylan, Popple, Shales , Walters and Mayor VanDeVoorde.
Nays : None.
The City Manager reviewed staff recommendations on water ordinance
changes to improve and legalize water and sewer collections . The
recommedations were as follows :
I . Require an application for water services by the property
owner or to the person who has the owner' s authority to request
service and who acted as the owner' s agent . Each owner or
agent would acknowledge responsibility for payment of water
and sewer billings .
II . Provide that an owner may direct the billing to a responsibe
tenant only with a separate meter and separate shut off at
the street . This will eliminate tenant billings by the City
with multiple meters and only one shut off. The owner may
continue separate billings and collect from his tenants .
Committee of the Whole Meeting
August 23 , 1989
Page 2
III . Require deposits from property owner after two delinquent
billings during any twelve month period based on four average
months ' usage. This would be in addition to the outstanding
water bill. The deposit would be returned after deduction
of a final bill or prompt payment of all bills during the
following calendar year. If moving to another address in
Elgin, the final bill must be paid and the deposit retained
by the City until good credit is established. Billings for
leaks or unusual bills could be waived of deposit requirements
if a signed payment agreement was acceptable by the City.
IV. Require installation and payment for a remote reader after
the fourth estimate. As an alternative, the City could schedule
an employee for night reading appointments upon notice from
the City after the third estimate.
V. Provide for a hearing officer to adjust accounts and the
circumstances required.
VI . Require additional separate water service on multiple
properties and addresses on one service if an account is delinquent .
Delinquent property to pay for the new service.
VII . Provide alternatives to multi-family buildings with multiple
meters and only one shut off. These are no longer allowed
to be constructed in Elgin and includes certain condominium
developments .
Alternative A
The Association may enter into an agreement with the City
that the Association will pay any delinquest accounts or gain
entry to a unit to read the meter within twenty days of notice
of the delinquency or lack of entry.
Alternative B
Require that a single meter be installed in each building
with City access and paid by the Association or that an individual
shut off be installed in each unit .
Alterntive C
Discontinue water service.
VIII . Provide that a tenant may pay delinquent water bill
of the owner or previous tenant and deduct it from rent .
IX. Provide that a service may be totally disconnected if
the water service is turned on withoutCity authorization.
The payment to reinstall service must be paid before reconnection.
i
Committee of the Whole Meeting
August 23 , 1989
Page 3
X. Require that a new owner must have a beginning reading
of their inside water meter by the City as well as a final
reading for the Seller. This should also include tenants when
applicable . While only one reading is necessary, this places
the responsibility on both.
XI . Clarify circumstances to discontinue water service in
accordance with the above and foregoing ordinance changes .
Councilwoman Moylan made a motion, seconded by Councilman
Walters to approve the staff' s recommendations . Yeas : Councilmen
Fox, Moylan, Popple, Shales , Walters and Mayor VanDeVoorde.
Nays : None.
Consideration of recommendation for minimum size requirements
on water distribution system.
The existing City ordinance provides for a minimum water distribution
main size of six inches . A recommendation of the Donohue
Water Distribution Study is that all water distribution mains
in new developments and replacement mains be a minimum size
of eight inches . Also, the National Board of Fire Underwriters
recommends eight inches as a minimum size watermain in most
installations .
Councilwoman Popple made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman
Shales to approve the recommendation and direct staff to prepare
and ordinance reflecting same. Yeas : Councilmen Fox, Moylan,
Popple, Shales , Walters and Mayor VanDeVoorde. Nays : None.
Consideration of report of consultants on National Street
and Wing Park Bridges .
Staff recommended that the Council authorize the preparation
of the final plans and contract documents for the three bridges
based upon the consultant ' s suggested alternatives and direct
the staff to negotiate the associated applicable Phase II
engineering fees in accordance with IDOT procedures and to
report back to the Council for concurrence. It is also recommended
that the repairs to National Street structure and replace
of Bridge B be accomplished under the 1989 Budget and any
additional funds necessary for Bridge B can come from the
savings in the National Street project . Funds for the replacement
of Bridge A would be requested in the 1990 Budget .
Councilwoman Shales made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman
Popple to approve the staff recommendations . Yeas : Councilmen
Fox, Moylan, Popple, Shales , Walters and Mayor VanDeVoorde.
Nays : None.
Committee of the Whole Meeting
August 23 , 1989
Page 4
Consideration of report from the Image Advisory Commission
and Recommendation Regarding Moratorium on Billboards .
Councilwoman Shales made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman
Popple to direct staff to institute a six month moratorium
on new off-premise bill boards/signs and to further direct
the Planning Committee to review the Community Graphics Ordinance
in conjunction with the recommendations of the Image Advisory
Commission. Additionally, staff will notify the Image Advisory
Commission of the meeting date when the Planning Committee
will be discussing signs and sign controls . Yeas : Councilmen
Fox, Moylan, Popple , Shales , Walters and Mayor VanDeVoorde.
Nays : None.
Consideration of a report from the Greater Downtown Elgin
Commission regarding the request for Senior Citizen Parking
Access .
Councilwoman Shales suggested that the staff work out a compromise,
perhaps giving them ten parking spaces for the people who
really need them.
Councilwoman Moylan stated she felt something other than changing
the ordinance was needed. This is a heavily used area and
she would hate to see this changed. Councilwoman Moylan suggested
that perhaps a member of the Senior Citizen staff could feed
the meters for those people who are not able to get out and
do this .
Councilman Walters stated he would give the seniors and workers
preference over the ECC students who are able to walk to the
parking deck.
Mayor VanDeVoorde stated he would like the staff to find out
how big a problem this is and how many spaces they need.
Councilman Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman
Popple to have staff prepare a report on the subject matter
and bring it back to the Council. Yeas : Councilmen Fox, Moylan,
Popple , Shales , Walters and Mayor VanDeVoorde. Nays : None.
Consideration of a report on the proposed Hoffman Estates
Boundary Agreement .
Staff status report .
Consideration of request from Illinois Bell.
Illinois Bell presently maintains underground diesel fuel
and gasoline tanks at 1325 South Street to supply 91 vehicles
and 34 special tools . Due to the age of the existing vessels ,
the high permeability of local soils , and the corporation' s
high regard for the environment , plans are to:
Committee of the Whole Meeting
August 23 , 1989
Page 5
1. Remove existing buried vehicle fuel tanks .
2 . Install a new underground gasoline tank equipped with leak-
protection equipment that exceeds all state and federal requirements .
3 . Install an aboveground diesel fuel vessel in accordance
with recently enacted state and federal guidelines .
Councilman Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman
Popple to refer this request to the Building Commission, Bureau
of Inspections Services , Fire Department and Planning Department
for review and recommendation to the Council. Yeas : Councilmen
Fox, Moylan, Popple, Shales , Walters and Mayor VanDeVoorde.
Nays : None.
Adjournment
Councilwoman Popple made a motion, seconded by Councilman
Walters to adjourn the Committee of the Whole Meeting. Yeas :
Councilmen Fox, Moylan, Popple, Shales , Walters and Mayor
VanDeVoorde. Nays : None.
The meeting adjourned at 7 : 30 p.m.
�i OL--'� � �, J
Marie Yearman, City Clerk