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HomeMy WebLinkAboutb - January 24, 2007 COW COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING January 24, 2007 The regular Committee of the Whole meeting was called to order Deputy City Clerk Jennifer Quinton at 6:05 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Present: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Absent: Mayor Schock. Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to appoint Councilmember Gilliam as Mayor Pro Tem. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Approval of Minutes Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve the minutes of the January 10, 2007, regular meeting. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Presentation of the United Way of Elgin (UWE) Allocation Format Assistant City Manager Sean Stegall stated that for the past several years, local human service agencies have approached the City with numerous requests for funding for a variety of reasons. These requests have been based upon state funding shortfalls, unexpected capital needs and/or a desire to fund a new community program. These appeals have been made directly to the City Council and to the City Staff through a variety of means and have become a routine component of the community input process associated with annual budget review by the City Council. In 2007, the City Council sought a mechanism to address this habitual concern brought forward by the not-for-profit community, and during the 2007 Budget discussions, the City Council amended the Proposed Budget by allocating funds in the amount $250,000 to be provided to United Way of Elgin (UWE) for a period of one year. Based upon the successes, or lack thereof, a decision to continue to the program will be made during the 2008 Budget discussions for an additional time period. The UWE was selected by the City Council as the funding mechanism for the following reasons: • In contrast to the City of Elgin, the United Way of Elgin’s core mission is to distribute funds based upon needs and proficiency; • The UWE has the existing infrastructure intact to make these decisions; and • The City of Elgin has representatives on the UWE Board to provide input into the decisions being made, while allowing UWE to retain its independence without undue influence by the City. Mr. Stegall introduced Lynne Bosley, President of the United Way of Elgin, who expressed appreciation to the City Council for recognizing the unmet needs in the community, and also thanked them for their trust in the UWE organization. She stated that the City has asked UWE to Committee of the Whole January 24, 2007 Page 2 propose a program to meet the needs of the community while meeting the stated goals of the City Council which are as follows: • A five member panel consisting of the United Way Board Chair, the United Way Allocation Chair, and three at-large appointments will be established. • For the term of January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2009, the three at-large board appointments will include City Councilmember Juan Figueroa, Assistant City Manager Sean Stegall, and Shelly Leonard. The $250,000 is proposed to be divided into three distinct pools for distribution as follows: • $50,000 allocated for Elgin’s new community impact model. This funding is targeted at programs and services that can demonstrate the potential for positive results and sustained change. The three impact councils are as follows and each has specific long term goals: o Nurturing Children and Youth o Strengthening Families o Creating Safe and Vibrant Neighborhoods • $50,000 allocated toward an emergency fund. Criteria for emergency grants would include a sudden and unanticipated loss of funding, unexpected capital needs or a dramatic increase in service demand. General operating deficits would not qualify for emergency grants. Grants in this category would be capped at $7,500. • $150,000 for program grants. These grants may be used for the expansion of existing programs that have previously demonstrated success and have experienced an increased demand for services. It is recommended that to reduce dependency on this funding, no program be eligible for funding two years in a row. Grants will be capped at $15,000 and limited to one year’s funding. Ms. Bosley stated that the grant process will be opened as soon as the guidelines are approved by the City Council; however, the schedule for awarding grants from each category will vary. Emergency grants will be awarded on a first come, first served basis until the funds are depleted. Program grants will be awarded twice a year in March and September. And, finally, impact grants will be awarded throughout the year as goals are established and the three impact councils issue approval. It is anticipated that all funds will be expended by December 31, 2007. Ms. Bosley stated that the UWE will be required to provide the City with audited financial statements, detailed financial statements concerning the expenditures related to this program and year-end report to include an executive summary discussing the program. Councilmember Rodgers questioned if any money would be used from the $250,000 towards staff costs. Ms. Bosley stated that there will be no administrative fee charged by UWE and all of Committee of the Whole January 24, 2007 Page 3 the funds will be distributed to the various programs that are approved. Councilmember Rodgers asked how long of a wait applicants could expect once they turned in their application for funds. Mr. Stegall replied that the application had not been approved by Council yet. Ms. Bosley stated that she was expecting a quick turnaround of one to two meetings for most program grants and that the emergency grants would be handled on an ongoing basis. Councilmember Sandor stated that he would like to see this open doors for some smaller agencies that may just be starting out and need “seed” money. He questioned if these smaller start-up agencies would be given the same opportunity as some of the better known agencies that are currently operating. Councilmember Sandor also questioned if assistance would be available if the applicants have trouble filling out the required paperwork for funding. Ms. Bosley stated that the UWE has a rigorous screening process, and that before granting funds they look at the accountability of an agency, however they strive to be as flexible and responsive as possible. She also stated that help would be provided to anyone applying for the grants if it was needed, but believed that the application for funds was fairly straightforward. Councilmember Kaptain questioned what kind of documentation would be provided at the end of the year to show the benefits of the programs funded and stated that he would like to have some initial reports provided during the budgeting process. Ms. Bosley stated that she could provide the documentation as early as six months from now and that measurements will be set up to make sure that specific goals are met when the funds are distributed to the various approved programs. Councilmember Figueroa asked if the application process would be as friendly to new applicants as to some of the older organizations that had previously received grants from UWE. Ms. Bosley responded that she believes that the UWE has always strived to be as fair and inclusive as possible, while holding agencies accountable for the money granted to them. She also believes that the application is as user friendly as possible and that the United Way of Elgin has made a concerted effort to keep the application as simple and comprehensive as possible. She emphasized that help would be provided to applicants if it was needed. Mayor Pro Tem Gilliam asked if anyone else would like to ask questions. Ms. Ina Dews, an Elgin resident, thanked the Council for allowing her to speak and asked the following questions: What criteria will be used to select agencies to receive funds? How will the “real need” of the agencies be determined? Who will evaluate the United Way of Elgin and their process? Mr. Stegall stated that the Council will set up the criteria regarding selecting the agencies. Ms. Bosley stated that it will be difficult to determine the “real needs” of the agencies at this time since no applications have been submitted. After the UWE receives the applications it will be easier to determine. Ms. Bosley stated that Councilmembers Figueroa and Rodgers assisted in developing the guidelines that the UWE will be following and a task force will be developed to determine who will receive funds. Mr. Stegall added that the UWE and representatives of the Committee of the Whole January 24, 2007 Page 4 City will be reporting back to the Councilmembers via staff and paperwork so that an accurate evaluation can be made. Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve a purchase of service agreement in the amount of $250, 000 with the United Way of Elgin. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Consideration of Streetscape Concepts for the Central Business District Public Works Director John Loete introduced Brian Fairwood, from TranSystems, and Richard Hayden, from DLK Civic Design, who outlined the Master Plan for the Elgin Central Business District Streetscape Improvement Project. Mr. Fairwood stated that there are 5 stages of underground and surface work to the project which were outlined in the material provided to Council and on file with the City Clerk’s office. The stages began in 2006 and will be continuing through 2011. He continued by stating the goals and objectives of the Streetscape Project as follows: • Green Downtown Elgin o Planting trees where possible o Use planters to increase green space • Consistency of Streetscape Elements o Provide unifying elements and patterns • Pedestrian Friendly Downtown Elgin o Use traffic calming techniques Provide corner bump-outs which would shorten the crossing times o Provide enhanced crosswalks Highlights pedestrian space • Connections to Elgin’s residential neighborhoods o Establish Gateways into the Central Business District o Provide safe crossings o Provide way-finding (directional or informative) signage Mr. Fairwood expanded on the Streetscape Elements, going into detail regarding the following: • Decorative lighting • Paving options and the installation techniques o P.C.C concrete o Clay pavers Committee of the Whole January 24, 2007 Page 5 • Site furniture o Benches o Trash receptacles o Bollards o Bike racks • Community identifiers o Gateway elements and signage o Banners • Landscape planting techniques Mr. Fairwood provided the Council with various models of different combinations of materials for intersections and explained the details of each of the models. He believes that this plan will give the City a sense of place that is classic and urban while being walkable and visitor friendly. He stated that the streetscape is designed to energize and bring green to the bridges and the Central Business District, adding that five to six new trees would be added to each block. Councilmember Sandor stated that with most projects of this nature the construction is the easy portion, it is the maintenance that can be difficult and problematic for the Public Works Department. He would like to see maintenance costs be assessed and included so that the Council can make a decision on how this may impact the Public Works department. He pointed out that some of the intersection models shown had bump-outs that may be difficult to plow around, and that the appearance of the bump-outs may suffer as a result. He stated that the design had to look nice and remain attractive for several years. Councilmember Figueroa questioned if Route 31 would be included in this project. Mr. Fairwood answered that it is not within the scope of this project but it has been discussed as a possible future project with the City. Councilmember Rodgers questioned if electricity would be near the trees proposed for decorating purposes and asked how watering would be accomplished if the trees were encased in paving. Mr. Fairwood confirmed that electricity would be available for lights around the trees and that an irrigation system would be installed for watering. Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Kaptain, to approve the proposed streetscape concepts for the Downtown Streetscape Advisory Committee and to direct staff to proceed with the next phase of the project. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Consideration of the 2007 Motor Fuel Tax Resolution for General Maintenance Funds Councilmember Walters asked for an update on the LED traffic signal program. Public Works Director John Loete stated that the majority of the LED lights had been installed and were Committee of the Whole January 24, 2007 Page 6 currently contracted to Meade Electric. Mr. Loete also stated that the Mead Electric contract provides for the scheduled servicing of the signal equipment, including annual re-lamping, and addresses the key maintenance issues under an agreement with IDOT. Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Sandor, to approve the annual Motor Fuel Tax Resolution in the amount of $3,404,959.60 for General Maintenance Funds for 2007. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Consideration of a Letter of Intent for the Improvement of the U.S. Route 20 and McLean Boulevard Interchange Councilmember Walters questioned what effect this improvement would have on the various businesses located near this interchange. General Services Group Director David Lawry stated that the businesses located northeast of the interchange would be impacted the most because the improvement will drastically reduce their parking. Mr. Lawry also stated that the Illinois Department of Transportation is still in the early stages of development and has no design outlined yet for the project. Councilmember Kaptain made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Sandor, to authorize the Mayor to execute a letter of intent with the Illinois Department of Transportation committing the City to financial participation and the City’s acknowledgement of the future improvement to the U.S. Route 20 and McLean Boulevard Interchange. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Consideration of an Amendment to Chapter 11 of the Elgin Municipal Code, Entitled “Vehicles and Traffic” Councilmember Sandor made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Rodgers, to approve the proposed amendment to Chapter 11, “Vehicles and Traffic” as provided by the Neighborhood Services Committee via memo. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Consideration of a Proposed Ordinance Amending the Class K Liquor License Governing Retail Sale of Alcohol at City Facilities and Reducing the Number of Class A Licenses Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Rodgers, to approve the proposed ordinance amending the provisions of the Class K liquor license and reducing the number of Class A licenses. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Committee of the Whole January 24, 2007 Page 7 Consideration of a Request for Funding from the Fox River Study Group for the Phase III Watershed Investigation Councilmember Rodgers made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve the funding for Phase III of the Fox River Study Group’s Watershed Investigation in the amount of $47,500. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Consideration of the 2007 Youth Sports Capital Improvement Grants Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Sandor, to approve the 2007 youth Sports Capital Improvement Grants totaling $66,880, as recommended and outlined below by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Funding League Project Request Elgin American Little League Expand backstop overhang on field 2 $ 1,600 Fence replacement for field 4 With dugout replacement $ 9,500 TOTAL $ 11,100 American Legion Bullpen repair and lights $ 500 Elgin Classic Little League Fencing and concrete repairs $ 5,000 Storage building $ 2,500 TOTAL $ 7,500 Elgin Continental Little League Install warning tracks field 1&2 $ 7,500 Repair light buzzing $ 5,000 TOTAL $ 12,500 Elgin National Little League 4 sets bleachers field 1 $ 9,600 Concrete pad for bleachers $ 1,000 Shade structure $ 6,000 TOTAL $ 16,600 Babe Ruth Teener League Bullpen upgrades $ 14,900 Contingency* $ $3,780 Total Grant Allocation $ 66,880 Committee of the Whole January 24, 2007 Page 8 Consideration of a Phase II Engineering Services Agreement with Bonestroo Devery & Associates for the Development of the Remaining Holes at The Highlands Councilmember Kaptain stated that he would like to see an engineering study expanding beyond the property to include the surrounding neighborhoods within the area. Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Kaptain, to approve the contract with Bonestroo Devery & Associates for a not to exceed amount of $266,711 for Phase II Engineering Services for the development of the remaining golf holes at the Highlands of Elgin. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Consideration of the 2007 Purchase of Services Agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Rodgers, to approve the 2007 purchase of service agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin in the amount of $114,000 to be used for various Club operations and programs throughout the year. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Consideration of the 2007 Purchase of Services Agreement with the Elgin Recreation Center Councilmember Kaptain made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve the 2007 purchase of service agreement with the Elgin Recreation Center to provide $152,000 of funding toward youth gang intervention programs. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Consideration of the 2007 Purchase of Services Agreement with Senior Services Associates, Inc. Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Sandor, to approve the 2007 purchase of service agreement with Senior Services Associates, Inc. in the amount of $15,200 to be utilized to support the programs as listed below. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. • Neighbor to Neighbor - a program matching community volunteers with specific senior needs. • Triad - an educational program designed to reduce the criminal victimization of senior citizens and enhance the delivery of law enforcement services to senior citizens. • To provide information to Elgin residents requiring access to City services. Committee of the Whole January 24, 2007 Page 9 • Recruitment of volunteers for City and community needs. Consideration of a Professional Services Agreement with Land Vision, Inc. for an Engineering and Land Management Plan Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Rodgers, to approve an agreement with Land Vision, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $77,500 to provide a detailed engineering and land management plan for the site between Grove Avenue and the Fox River. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. Announcements from Staff City Manager Folarin acknowledged and congratulated Economic Development and Business Services Director Ray Moller on his 30 year anniversary as an employee of the City of Elgin. Adjournment Councilmember Sandor made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Kaptain, to adjourn and go into the Executive Session for the purpose of discussing the following matters. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, and Walters. Nays: None. 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 6:50 p.m. s/Jennifer Quinton February 14, 2007 Jennifer Quinton, Deputy City Clerk Date Approved