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HomeMy WebLinkAboutd - February 28, 2007 COW COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING February 28, 2007 The regular Committee of the Whole meeting was called to order by Mayor Schock at 6:04 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Present: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters and Mayor Schock. Absent: None. Approval of Minutes Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve the minutes of the February 14, 2007, regular meeting. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of a Resolution Requesting a Permit from Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to Close Portions of State Routes for the Elgin Valley Fox Trot Councilmember Gilliam made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to approve a resolution requesting a permit from the Illinois Department of Transportation to close portions of designated state routes for the annual Elgin Valley Fox Trot on Monday, May 28, 2007. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of a Purchase of Services Agreement with the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Gilliam, to approve the purchase of service agreement with the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce in the amount of $206,720 for 2007. Councilmember Rodgers asked Staff to briefly outline for the benefit of residents within Elgin the services provided by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce. Director of Economic Development and Business Services Moller stated that the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce continues to be a vital partner in local economic growth through efforts to retain and expand existing businesses and attract new businesses to the area. He gave an outline of the following information regarding some of the initiatives and services provided by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce. 1. Business Retention and Expansion Efforts The Chamber will retain the Business Retention Committee; and continue the strategy of focusing on specific businesses and industries where retention efforts will likely be most productive. 2. Workforce Development Initiative Committee of the Whole February 28, 2007 Page 2 Workforce development initiatives, including labor market analysis, wage and benefit survey, and maintaining the Workforce Development Committee to oversee and coordinate program efforts with other workforce development agencies, such as U-46, Elgin Community College, the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Kane County, and Judson College. 3. Enhancing Elgin Continue implementation of the Enhancing Elgin Marketing Program. Its purpose is to educate regional businesses, regional realtors, various other agencies, and the general public about the positive growth climate and quality of life of Elgin. 4. Transportation and Development Examine new development area within the eastern and western boundaries of the City. The role of the committee is to work with both the City and County to project commercial and industrial growth areas so that transportation and other infrastructure issues can be addressed. 5. Business Recruitment Continue working with prospective new businesses that are interested in relocation to Elgin. The Chamber will be the lead agency in promoting and marketing Elgin in the development of the community. As business locations within Elgin turn over, the Chamber will work with property owners and the City to develop options for re-use or redevelopment of the site. 6. Other Economic Development Activities Other activities include the following: a. Respond to daily information requests b. Maintain employer data base c. Maintain building and site data base d. Technical support for Downtown Neighborhood Association e. Regularly meet with City of Elgin staff f. Provide monthly and quarterly reports to City Council g. Interact with the Kane County Economic Development Advisory Commissions, World Business Chicago, and other economic development groups and agencies h. Coordinate the activities of the Economic Development staff Director of Economic Development and Business Services Moller stated that there are two main areas that are marked for funds within the 2007 budget, which are as follows: $130,720 was earmarked for the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce to serve as a partner with the City in addressing Elgin’s economic development needs and $76,000 is budgeted for the Enhancing Elgin Marketing Project. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Reimbursement to Town & Country Homes for Water Main Over-sizing Committee of the Whole February 28, 2007 Page 3 Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to authorize a reimbursement of $141,551, to Town & Country Homes, for the cost of over-sizing the water main along Nesler Road from a 12-inch to a 20-inch diameter. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of the Selection of Granacki Historic Consultants to Complete the Downtown Area Architectural Survey and Inventory Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Kaptain, to approve the recommendation of Staff and the Elgin Heritage Commission to enter into an agreement with Granacki Historic Consultants in the amount of $15,600 to complete the survey and inventory of properties in the City’s downtown area. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Gilliam, Kaptain, Rodgers, Sandor, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Announcements from Staff Chief Womack made a presentation examining the recent crime related activities in the Buena Vista Apartments. She gave a brief summary regarding the background of the apartment complex which included the Part 1 and Part 2 Crimes that occurred at the location. Part 1 Crimes include the violent type crimes including: murder, robbery, battery, sexual assaults, as well as, certain property crimes that include burglaries and thefts. Part 2 Crimes are mainly property crimes such as damage to property. She explained that overall crime has declined sharply after 1993 when the Elgin Police Department installed a Resident Officer (ROPE) to live at the apartments. In September 2004, the Elgin Police Department decided to downgrade the site because of a reduction in crime and removed the ROPE officer in lieu of other activities that would be instituted. She stated that the number of serious Part 1 violent crimes fell to five last year from eight the previous year, and although the number of Part 2 property crimes doubled, she believes that the reporting of such crimes has increased due to a change in the management rule for the complex. This rule requires a police report to be filed in order to have damages repaired and they are working with management to resolve the issue. She emphasized that the total number of serious crimes was still lower than the figures posted during most of the years a ROPE officer was living in the complex, and at this time she is making no recommendation to reinstate the ROPE Officer. Chief Womack also gave the Council an update on some of the Elgin Police Department’s current activities to combat crime. She stated that the department is taking a broader approach to this area, and that they are currently implementing a program called the Beat Accountability Model. This model separates the City into 3 sectors or areas, each of which is then the responsibility of a lieutenant. This approach focuses the accountability for monitoring a particular neighborhood on a single supervisor. The Buena Vista Apartments fall in the Central Sector, and she stated that Lt. Bill Wolf is that sectors supervisor. She stated that each lieutenant in the Elgin Police Department’s Operations division has been assigned a sector to oversee and Committee of the Whole February 28, 2007 Page 4 they are currently finalizing beats within the sectors. She stated that there will be a series of beat teams that will be assigned to each sector and will be responsible for monitoring their respective sector or areas. She stated that monthly meetings will be conducted with the beat teams and their lieutenants regarding beat accountability, problem-solving, and neighborhood involvement. She described a “layering effect” that the Elgin Police Department is instituting by combining the Crime-Free Housing and Nuisance Abatement programs with the new Beat Accountability Model for priority hot-spot areas, such as Buena Vista and Mulberry. Chief Womack acknowledged that the management in some of the hot-spot areas has been working with the Elgin Police Department and they have been very receptive to the programs and helpful in supplying the department with information that has been requested. There are different things that have been implemented by management in these areas to ensure that the City does not see a continuing trend upward of criminal activity such as, installing surveillance cameras to identify problem tenants. Councilmember Rodgers questioned where the cameras were located and if any were located outside of the buildings. She also stated that she is concerned with the rise in the non-violent crimes and does not want the situation to deteriorate to when shootings were rampant in the area in 1991 when she lived there. Chief Womack explained that the cameras are located in the entrances to the apartments and the foyers. She stated that because of all of the efforts that she outlined previously and the cooperation that the department is receiving from the management in the facility, she does not see the situation deteriorating, only improving with the implementation of the beat teams. Councilmember Figueroa questioned why the report was focused solely on the Buena Vista Apartments. Chief Womack declared that she focused specifically on Buena Vista per Councilmember Rodgers request, but she would be more than happy to provide a more holistic approach to providing information anywhere in the City. Councilmember Rodgers stated she had asked for the report on that area because she had received calls from concerned residents because of the two murders that had occurred since the ROPE officer was removed. Councilmember Kaptain questioned if Chief Womack could compare the Buena Vista area with the City overall to give the Council some perspective on the situation. Chief Womack stated that the Elgin Police Department assesses situations like this from a variety of factors. She stated that due to Buena Vista being an apartment complex the density, number of residents, and the location create a propensity to attract criminal activity. Adjournment Committee of the Whole February 28, 2007 Page 5 Councilmember Sandor made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, 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, Walters and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Establishment of Reserves or Settlement of Claims as Provided in the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act - Exempt Under Section 120/2(c)(12) 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 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 The meeting adjourned at 6:20 p.m. s/ Jennifer Quinton March 14, 2007 Jennifer Quinton, Deputy City Clerk Date Approved