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HomeMy WebLinkAboutj - May 25 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING May 25, 2005 The regular Committee of the Whole meeting was called to order by Mayor Schock at 6:03 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Present: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters and Mayor Schock. Absent: Gilliam. Approval of Minutes Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve the minutes of the May 11, 2005, regular meeting. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Ordinance Amendments Regarding Disciplinary Procedures for the Fire Department An ordinance will be presented at tonight’s Council meeting for passage by the City Council. Consideration of a Lease-Purchase Agreement with the Trust for Public Lands for the Purchase of 224 Acres for a New Regional Park A resolution will be presented at tonight’s Council meeting for adoption by the City Council. Councilmember Sandor acknowledged the assistance of Jackie Tredup, Kane County Board Member and member of the Forest Preserve District, with reference to the joint purchase of 224 acres of land to be used as active and passive parcels. He thanked her for her prompt and swift actions regarding this project. Councilmember Walters acknowledged the representative from the Trust for Public Lands and thanked him for his cooperation with this project. Councilmember Figueroa acknowledged Councilmember Sandor’s efforts in working with Jackie Tredup to make the new regional park possible. Councilmember Rodgers inquired as to whether part of the new regional park will be set aside for a cricket field in that she continues to receive inquiries from residents expressing interest in the creation of a cricket field in the future. Consideration of a Grant Application from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for Assistance with the Acquisition of Property for a New Regional Park A resolution will be presented at tonight’s Council meeting for adoption by the City Council. Consideration of an Amendment to the Liquor Code Creating a New License Classification Councilmember Sandor made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to remove the consideration of the proposed ordinance from the table. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. An ordinance will be presented at tonight’s Council meeting for passage by the City Council. Committee of the Whole May 25, 2005 Page 2 Presentation of Community Needs Assessment Sean Stegall, Assistant City Manager, introduced members from the United Way Board and acknowledged their help with the project. He stated that this presentation consists of preliminary information gathered from the needs assessment that was conducted, and a final report will be presented to the Council and community in a few weeks. He also clarified that this assessment is not like the community survey done by the City in the past couple of years wherein residents were asked to evaluate services offered by the City. This was a needs assessment wherein the community was asked what needs in the community they feel are lacking and not being met. He stated that it is important to remember that the focus was the needs of the community and not a reflection of how people feel about the community as a whole. Mr. O’Connor, from O’Connor Research and Action, made the presentation regarding assessing the needs and assets in the Elgin area. He listed the purposes of the community needs assessment which included: identifying and prioritizing the most serious needs, all needs were taken into account, identifying assets and strengths, and defining what quality of life means to residents. He discussed the research methods used to gather the information for the assessment which included focus groups, a community forum, a community survey of a random sample of 5,000 residents, and calls and contacts to the Community Crisis Center. Each research source reflects a variety of perspectives and perceptions in the community, including a special look into the needs of some of the minorities in the area. Mr. O’Connor highlighted the nine needs and concerns that were found as a result of the survey and were listed as: Lack of Health Insurance According to the Illinois Behavioral Risk Factor Survey results of 2002, 12% of Kane County adults do not have health insurance. Unemployment According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the unemployment rate in Elgin in March was 9.6%, compared to 5.9% in Illinois as a whole and 5.4% nationwide. Language Barrier Language barriers are felt to be an important issue by 65% of Caucasians and 58% of Hispanics. Hispanics would like access to more inexpensive and more frequent English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Affordable Housing As of 2003, rent burden in Elgin is lower than three nearby villages. However, a high proportion of households with less than $35,000 in household income have significant rent burden. Public Schools More detail will be available in the final report. Elgin has more diversity in School District U-46 than does the state. However, Committee of the Whole May 25, 2005 Page 3 high school graduation rates and scholastic testing matches up even with statewide averages, with the exception of larger class sizes. Gang Activity There was a large jump in gang incidents between 2000 and 2001. Gang incidents then dropped to 178 in 2002. Since then, the number of gang incidents has not changed significantly, even though the City is beginning to track graffiti as a gang incident. Homelessness New data from the Continuum of Care of Kane County’s Point- in-Time Survey estimates there were 203 homeless in Elgin. About 154 individuals are in an emergency or transitional shelter, and there are 49 unsheltered homeless individuals in Elgin. Activities for Teens There is concern about the time between school letting out and parents coming home. There may be a problem in the availability and affordability of after school programs for teens. More research is required. Public Transportation Bus routes do not go beyond Elgin, making it difficult for people to get to work from outlying areas. Bus schedules do not always meet the needs of those who work. Additional study is required to see whether Pace is adapting to the work-live patterns in the Elgin area. Mr. O’Connor stated that needs and concerns particularly important to the Hispanic, African- American, and Laotian communities, include street repair in their neighborhoods, experienced discrimination of some kind, request for more police presence in their neighborhoods, cost of garbage pickup, more street lights are needed, services for substance abuse are needed, recreation for teens, and more business opportunities and bilingual services to be offered. The Laotian community was slightly different from Hispanics and African-Americans in that they were more isolated and less likely to take advantage of social services offered by the City. He also cited concerns important to lower income residents (income under $35,000) which include lack of employment, cost of medications and utilities, substance abuse, domestic violence, low wages and lack of business opportunities, and lack of information on available social services. United Way representatives Mark Seigle, Chairman of United Way, and Karen Fox, Executive Director and President of United Way, stated that they believe that this community needs assessment is not an ending point, but a starting point in how we address some of the needs brought forth by the survey. Some of the points shown are painted in very broad terms, but their hope is that the community, the City, and United Way can come together and form a vision for Elgin for a better future and agree on some indicators for improvement within the community. Mayor Ed Schock stated that he saw a couple of anomalies that were reported through the preliminary information that was presented. He stated that Elgin has more jobs than workers and Committee of the Whole May 25, 2005 Page 4 has people commuting from surrounding communities to fill those jobs. He suggested that the relatively high unemployment rate is probably not due to a lack of jobs in the city but more likely is due to the fact that many residents lack the skills or education to make them attractive to employers in the area. He also hopes that we will look at targeting the root causes and not the symptoms of all the needs shown in the survey. Councilmember Rodgers commented on the fact that most residents seem unaware of the social services available to them through various organizations and asked if United Way is working on a solution to this dilemma. Ms. Fox responded that United Way is developing a comprehensive online directory of resources and services, and this will be made available to the public. Hemmens Advisory Board Annual Report Presentation Kay Weber, Chairman of the Hemmens Advisory Board, stated that the Hemmens 2004 Year End Report is being finalized and will include the summary of the 2004-2005 Performing Arts Season Profit and Loss Statements and a map which reflects that ticket buyers came from all over the Chicagoland area. Ms. Weber stated that she and her fellow board members are working on reinvigorating the Board, and some of their goals include the following: make the public more aware of the Hemmens and its activities; bring more people to Elgin and to the Hemmens; make sure that the Hemmens remains accessible to as many groups as possible; and continue to have the best acts and performances that can be scheduled. Ms. Weber believes that continued improvements and constant attention needs to be made in order to achieve a well-maintained and well-equipped facility. According to three different studies going back to 1990, weaknesses in the Hemmens building include: the need for attention to mechanical noise on the stage and in the theatre; need for improved acoustical treatments and surfaces; need for improvement to the overall heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. Ms. Weber stated that she would like to see the City’s long range plans include improvements to Hemmens regarding the appearance, operation and accessibility, a north side box office, restroom, administration, lobby addition; west side dressing room, a receiving, storage, and reception addition; stage house expansion and improvements; audience chamber improvements and seating expansion. In addition, Ms. Weber expressed some concern that focus on the proposed Elgin Symphony Orchestra facility will diminish efforts to maintain and improve the Hemmens Cultural Center. Councilmember Kaptain had spoken with a number of small arts groups and their overall feeling was that the Hemmens was not set up acoustically to work for a small group and wanted to know how the Board was working to address this issue other than the complete remodeling of the building. Butch Wilhelmi, Theatre Technical Supervisor, responded by stating that they have been exploring the option of converting the Exhibition Hall of the Hemmens into a performance space with seating of around 150 to 200 people which would be sufficient for some of the productions Committee of the Whole May 25, 2005 Page 5 of the smaller groups. They have been working to improve the sound system which allows them to mike the stage and performers more effectively to be able to enhance the spoken word rather than the reverberation of the general acoustics. Mayor Schock stated that the City has budgeted for the south side restroom, which has become a major issue due to the large number of people who are now using the bathroom during intermission. Mr. Wilhelmi added that the specifications have been submitted to purchasing for the design of the south side restroom and they are waiting on a blueprint before they can move forward with the project. He also stated that included in the budget was money to improve the entire interior of the Lobby. Mayor Schock congratulated Ms. Weber and the board for the best season ever that the Hemmens has had and told them to keep up the good work. Consideration of City Council Rules of Procedure Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to approve the proposed amendments to the Chapter 2.08 of the Elgin Municipal Code, which relates to the City Council and rules of procedure for the City Council. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of an Ordinance Providing for Local Purchasing Preference Councilmember Sandor made the comment that the preference ordinance started out as a two year experiment and seems to have met the criteria set out for it. The ordinance has only been used three times with a net cost to the City of $1,300, but the value of the contracts that went to Elgin-based businesses was in excess of $300,000. Without this particular ordinance, that money would have gone to surrounding communities and he believes that the preference ordinance has shown its effectiveness. Councilmember Walters agreed with Councilmember Sandor, and he would like to find more ways to get Elgin businesses to compete for the bid and be the low responsive bidder. He also believes that it should be examined in another two years due to the uncertainty of the state budgets and riverboats. Councilmember Sandor made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve the passage of an ordinance providing for the continuation of the City’s existing ordinance providing for a local purchasing preference. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of a Contract with Trane Chicago for the Overhaul of a Chiller at the Hemmens Cultural Center Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to authorize a Committee of the Whole May 25, 2005 Page 6 contract with Trane Chicago in the amount of $23,296 for compressor inspection, re-gasketing, and capacity control service on one of the two chillers at the Hemmens Cultural Center. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Membership in the Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association (NISRA) Councilmember Kaptain questioned why the City was recommending the NISRA program which will add 400 programs and not the NWSRA Program which would add 1500 programs for an extra $12,000. He also wanted to know if there is a difference in the quality of the programs offered. Randall Reopelle, Parks and Recreation Director, responded that the main reason for recommending NISRA is that the programs are local, whereas with the NWSRA Program the extra programs that are offered are spread out over a large geographic region, and he believes that they would not be taken advantage of for that reason. Councilmember Rodgers made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to approve the recommendation to join the Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association to meet the City’s obligation of providing recreation services to residents with disabilities. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Proposed Amendments to the Handbills Licensing Ordinances Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Rodgers, to approve the proposed amendments to the handbills licensing ordinance which will require handbills to be placed on the porch or vestibule of private properties in a manner preventing the handbills from being blown loose by wind and to prohibit handbills from being placed on vehicles parked in public areas. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Change Order Deduct #1 and Final for J & E Duff, Inc. for Masonry Work at Fire Station #6 Councilmember Kaptain made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve the change order deduct to J&E Duff, Inc. for the construction of Fire Station #6 in the amount of $12,200 due to a change that was made in the size and type of brick to be used on the exterior of the fire station. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of the Purchase of a Fire Hose Washer and Dryer for Fire Station #6 Committee of the Whole May 25, 2005 Page 7 Councilmember Sandor made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to approve an exception to the procurement ordinance for the purchase of one mechanical hose washer and one forced air hose dryer from Circul Air Corporation for Fire Station #6 in the amount of $23,988.60. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of an Amendment to the City’s Economic Development Guidelines Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to approve an ordinance providing for the proposed amendments to the City of Elgin Economic Development Guidelines which incorporates the City’s efforts to attract higher end retail to the community, encourage the redevelopment of entryway corridors, neighborhood shopping centers, and upscale retail locations. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of a Lease with Woodstock Harley Davidson for Two Police Motorcycles Councilmember Sandor made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to authorize a lease agreement with Woodstock Harley-Davidson in the amount of $2,150 for two police motorcycles. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of the Acceptance of a Grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation for Light Emitting Diode Traffic Signal Heads Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to approve the acceptance of a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation in the amount of $21,965 for the purchase and installation of Light Emitting Diode (LED) traffic signal heads. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Amendment No. 1 to an Agreement with Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick for the Central Business District Traffic Signal Upgrade Project Councilmember Rodgers made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to authorize Amendment No. 1 to the engineering services agreement with Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick (HLR) in the amount of $169,615.75 for the Central Business District (CBD) Traffic Signal Upgrade Project to add services for final design services and bidding assistance. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Amendment No. 1 to the Engineering Services Agreement with Burns & McDonnell for the Central Business District Historic Street Lighting Project Committee of the Whole May 25, 2005 Page 8 Councilmember Kaptain made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve Amendment No. 1 to the engineering services agreement with Burns & McDonnell in the amount of $82,664.09 for the Central Business District (CBD) Historic Street Lighting Project for construction related engineering inspection services for the subject project. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Amendments to Chapter 11.60 “Stopping, Standing, and Parking” With Reference to the North End of the Central Business District Councilmember Sandor questioned the need for additional parallel on-street parking spaces to be added to the north side of Highland Avenue between Douglas and Grove because it will be right next to the parking lot and it doesn’t seem to make sense. City Manager Folarin stated that he has been advised by people in the downtown area that additional parking is needed and that the Spring Street Parking Deck and the Civic Parking Lot are not sufficient. The on-street parking is an attempt to provide additional parking before demolition of the Crocker Theatre begins, at which time the adjacent parking lot will be closed. Mayor Schock stated that the civic center lot always has empty spaces, and he does not see the need for on-street parking. Councilmember Walters stated that he has never seen the Spring Street Deck or the parking lot behind the funeral home on Spring Street full, with the exception of Sundays. Councilmember Sandor made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to revise the proposed amendment to Chapter 11.60 of the Elgin Municipal Code, “Stopping, Standing and Parking” by removing the provision for on-street parallel parking on the north side of Highland Avenue between Douglas and Grove. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Councilmember Rodgers made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to approve the revised amendments to Chapter 11.60 of the Elgin Municipal Code, “Stopping, Standing and Parking,” in regard to the north end of the Central Business District. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of a Co-sponsorship Agreement with the Courier News for the Hemmens 2005/2006 Performing Arts Season Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Rodgers, to approve the promotional co-sponsorship agreement with The Courier News for the Hemmens 2005-2006 Performing Arts Season. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Committee of the Whole May 25, 2005 Page 9 Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of a Co-sponsorship Agreement with the Courier News for the Hemmens 2005/2006 Performing Arts for Young People Season Councilmember Sandor made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve the promotional co-sponsorship agreement with The Courier News for the Hemmens 2005-2006 Performing Arts for Young People Season. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of a Co-sponsorship Agreement with the Daily Herald for the Hemmens Cultural Center/Blind Date Concert Councilmember Rodgers made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Sandor, to approve the promotional co-sponsorship agreement with the Daily Herald for the October 8, 2005 Blind Date Weekend performance at the Hemmens Cultural Center during the 2005-2006 Performing Arts Season. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of a Co-sponsorship Agreement with the AMCORE Bank for the Hemmens Cultural Center/Blind Date Concert Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Rodgers, to approve the promotional co-sponsorship agreement with the Daily Herald for the October 7, 2005 Blind Date Weekend performance at the AMCORE during the 2005-2006 Performing Arts Season. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Announcements from Council Councilmember Sandor read a letter forwarded from Judge Donald Anderson from Mrs. Carlton Rogers regarding the new plaque and sign that was installed in Rogers Park. Councilmember Sandor stated that it is a beautiful sign. Councilmember Kaptain made an announcement regarding National NeighborWorks Week starting on June 4th and continuing through June 11th sponsored by Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) and the Elgin Community Network (ECN). There will be educational seminars focusing on homebuyer and homeowner education and development. The week concludes with Neighbor Helping Neighbor, which provides free volunteer labor to homeowners in need of assistance with minor exterior maintenance. If residents would like more information they should contact the NHS at 847-695-0399. Councilmember Walters made a statement about some of the upcoming events in Elgin during Memorial Day weekend. Some of the events mentioned were the 28th Annual Elgin Valley Fox Trot, Kiwanis Bottomless Pancake Breakfast, Naval Club Remembrance Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on the Highland Avenue Bridge, Bluff City Cemetery Remembrance at 11:00 a.m., the 5th Committee of the Whole May 25, 2005 Page 10 Annual Bar-B-Q Rib Fest Cook Off, and the Elgin Classic Soap Box Derby. He emphasized the importance of Elgin residents attending the remembrance ceremonies to honor our soldiers. Adjournment Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Rodgers, to adjourn and go into the Executive Session for the purpose of discussing the following matters. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Collective Bargaining Issues or Deliberations Concerning Salary Schedules for One or More Classes of Employees - Exempt Under Section 120/2(c)(2) of the Open Meetings Act Purchase or Lease of Real Property for the Use of the Public Body - Exempt Under Section 120/2(c)(5) of the Open Meetings Act Selection of a Person to Fill a Vacant Office, Including a Vacancy in a Public Office, When the Public Body is Given Power to Appoint Under Law or Ordinance, or the Discipline, Performance or Removal of the Occupant of a Public Office, When the Public Body is Given Power to Remove the Occupant Under Law or Ordinance - Exempt Under Section 120/2(c) (3) of the Open Meetings Act The meeting adjourned at 7:05 p.m. s/Jennifer Quinton June 8, 2005 Jennifer Quinton, Deputy City Clerk Date Approved