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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05 - March 4, 2009 COW COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING March 4, 2009 The regular Committee of the Whole meeting was called to order by Mayor Schock at 6:05 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Present: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Absent: Councilmember Gilliam. Approval of Minutes Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve the minutes of the February 11, 2009, regular meeting. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Mayor Schock’s State of the City Address A copy of the Mayor’s address is attached as Attachment A. Presentation by ECC Dr. Sam of Elgin Community College gave a presentation on the sixtieth anniversary of the college and a preview of the next sixty years including their Encore Goals and Master Plan Projects. He noted that a referendum regarding the sale of bonds would be held on April 7, 2009. Mayor Schock stated that work force development is very important in attracting new businesses to the city and it is an investment in our people. He also applauded the college for their use of local businesses in their future development plans. Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to support the Elgin Community College bond referendum. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Work Session for the 2009-2010 Community Development Block Grant Program Community Development Director Deering stated that the purpose of this work session was the selection of projects to receive funding. He stated that five of the nine projects were being recommended. Councilmember Kaptain stated that he believed the application for the Elgin Housing Authority was incomplete as they had only submitted a cover letter. He stated he would support their application this year, but would not do so next year if the application was submitted in the same manner. Councilmember Figueroa stated that he has concerns about the allocation of funds. He would like to see the guidelines revised such that other agencies could receive funding. Councilmember Walters said that he understands Councilmember Figueroa’s concerns, but that several of the Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 2 agencies have to meet federal guidelines this year regarding elevators. He acknowledged that the agencies need money this year, but that this is the smallest amount of money that the city has received to use for allocation and he would like to see more agencies receiving funds. Mayor Schock commended staff for their efforts to reduce administrative costs. Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Kaptain, to select the recommended projects for the 2009-2010 Community Development Block Grant Program with budgets totaling $828,395. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Mr. Deering announced the next step would be a thirty-day comment period and that the final approval would be submitted to Council by April 15, 2009. Consideration of Purchase of Service Agreement with Renz Addiction Counseling Center for a Community Based Gambling Addiction Treatment and Prevention Program Councilmember Kaptain made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve a purchase of service agreement with Renz Addiction Counseling Center in the amount of $20,660 to support the Community Based Gambling Addiction Treatment and Prevention Program. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Purchase of Service Agreement with Hamilton Wings to Implement the SCORE! Program Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve a purchase of service agreement with Hamilton Wings in the amount of $15,770 to implement the SCORE! Program. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Commonwealth Edison Service to Highland Water Tower and Lot Deposits Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve an agreement with Commonwealth Edison in the amount of $28,000 for service to the Highland Water Tower and lot deposits. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Engineering Service Agreements for Review of Civil Site and Subdivision Plan Submittals Councilmember Kaptain made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve an agreement with eight engineering consultant firms as listed below to provide engineering review Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 3 services for the City of Elgin. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. 1. Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers 2. Christopher B. Burke Engineering West, LTD 3. Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. 4. Engineering Enterprises Inc. 5. Hampton Lenzini & Renwick Inc. 6. Hey & Associates, Inc. 7. Smith Engineering Consultants, Inc. 8. V3 Companies of Illinois, Ltd. Consideration of Purchase of Service Agreement with Senior Services Associates, Inc. Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve a purchase of service agreement with Senior Services Associates, Inc. in the amount of $12,600 to support the programs listed below. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. 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 Recruitment of volunteers for City and community needs Consideration of Third Amendment to Agreement with Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick for the Central Business District Traffic Signal Upgrade Project Councilmember Kaptain made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve the third amendment to an agreement with Hampton, Lenzini, and Renwick in the amount of $109,309 for extra construction services on the Central Business District Traffic Signal Upgrade Project. Councilmember Kaptain asked if there was any responsibility for these costs on the part of the previous contractor. Public Works Director John Loete stated that there had been a provision for liquidated damages. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 4 Consideration of Adoption of the City of Elgin 2009 Zoning Map Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Figueroa, to approve adopting and publishing the City of Elgin 2009 Zoning Map and continue the review and adoption process of the zoning map on an annual basis or more frequently as may be needed. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Proposed Ordinance Addressing Nuisance-Related Activities in Festival Park and Center City Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve the proposed ordinance outlined in the memo provided to Council that addresses nuisance related activities in Festival Park and the greater Center City area. Councilmember Kaptain expressed concerns about enforcement of this ordinance. He stated that he had information that indicated this type of ordinance would not be effective. Corporation Counsel Cogley stated the small market existing in Elgin would not be profitable for the liquor distributors to constantly change their product. If they were to do so, then the city would amend the ordinance accordingly. Councilmember Kaptain asked why the ban shouldn’t cover the entire community. Mr. Cogley said the intent is to see if it will be successful first in the designated area. Councilmember Steffen asked if the businesses who sell liquor in the designated area had offered any counter-proposals and Mr. Cogley stated that they had not. Mayor Schock stated that the Liquor Commission is very strict on violations. He said that CVS already had these restrictions in place and that the surrounding neighborhood has been pleased with the results. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of 2009 Purchase of Service Agreement with the Downtown Neighborhood Association Councilmember Figueroa made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Walters, to approve a purchase of service agreement with Downtown Neighborhood Association in the amount of $54,000 for operating expenses of staff salary and benefits, and meeting expenses. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Councilmember Steffen abstained due to conflict. Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 5 Consideration of Development Agreement with RGH Enterprises, Inc. for Sales Tax Sharing on Medical Supply Distribution Facility Councilmember Walters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Kaptain, to approve a sales tax sharing agreement with RGH Enterprises, Inc. related to the location of a medical supplies distribution facility within the City of Elgin for an amount not-to-exceed $61,250 for a five year period. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Figueroa, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Announcements from Council Councilmember Figueroa thanked staff, Ruth Munson, and the volunteers for their efforts regarding Elgin Day in Springfield. Announcements from Staff City Manager Folarin announced his retirement effective June 30, 2009. Mayor Schock thanked Mr. Folarin for his 20 plus years of service to the city. He also announced that Sean Stegall had unanimously been selected by the Council as the next City Manager. Public Information Director Sue Olafson reported on upcoming city events. Adjournment Councilmember Steffen 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, Kaptain, Steffen, Walters, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Setting of a Price for Sale or Lease of Property Owned by the Public Body - Exempt Under Section 120/2(c)(6) of the Open Meetings Act Appointment, Employment, Compensation, Discipline, Performance or Dismissal of Specific Employees of the Public Body - Exempt Under Section 120/2(c)(1) of the Open Meetings Act The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m. s/ Diane Robertson March 18, 2009 Diane Robertson, City Clerk Date Approved Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 6 ATTACHMENT A “State of the City Address” One of the duties of the Mayor is to present to our residents an annual report on the “State of the City”. I admit to not having done so the last few years, but given the condition of the national economy and its impact on Elgin, I feel it is important this year to inform our citizens on the overall condition of the City. As our residents and businesses know all too well, these are difficult times, and serious challenges confront us. Just as many households are seeing their incomes and investments decline, the City is also experiencing challenges to its budget. Almost every source of revenue on which the city depends is declining. Property taxes, sales taxes, telecommunication taxes and even gaming taxes have dropped dramatically since October. To address the revenue shortfalls the City Council took aggressive action a few months ago and slashed the general fund budget by $5 million dollars and made adjustments to our capital spending projects to reflect the 25% reduction in riverboat proceeds. The City Council is committed to maintaining a balanced budget and is monitoring our revenue and expenditures every month to determine if additional action is required. The recent stress on our budget, however, should not cause us to lose sight of the fact that the overall financial position of the City is strong. Our AA+ bond rating, a measure of a City’s credit worthiness which determines our cost of borrowing funds, is enjoyed by fewer than 10% of all municipalities nationwide. Our current level of indebtedness, compared to Cities our size, is low. Our cash reserves have grown every year and now exceed $15 million dollars. While national economic conditions Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 7 have temporarily strained our budget, we are up to the challenge and will continue to maintain our strong fiscal position. One of the reasons we are able to cope with the downturn in the economy is the unprecedented economic development that has occurred in Elgin the last four years. In partnership with the Chamber of Commerce we have attracted dozens of new businesses to Elgin while working to retain and facilitate the expansion of existing businesses. Since 2004 Elgin has added over 5000 net new jobs. Those new jobs and our housing growth have raised our median household income by $7000 dollars. The construction of six million square feet of new commercial/industrial space has added significantly to our tax base. Last year Elgin moved in a positive direction with the announcement that Burlington Coat Factory was coming to town. The store is scheduled to open within a few weeks and is the first department store to open in Elgin since 1992. We also look forward to construction beginning this spring on the Super Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club at Randall and Bowes Roads. Also in 2008, the German company, Siemans Energy and Automation, the largest producer of wind turbine gear drives in the United States, announced its intention to expand its existing facility in Elgin while also building a new plant here. That facility is set to open this spring creating 355 new green jobs adding to the 150 people Siemans already employs here. In addition, two more German based companies opened plants in Elgin. Geka Brush announced that Elgin would be their first U.S. home outside of its German borders and Weishaupt, a leading manufacturer of high efficiency burners consolidated its North American facilities in Elgin. In all, eleven German companies and twenty one international and global companies call Elgin home. Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 8 Yet, in spite of all of the economic activity and the existence of over 57000 jobs in the Elgin economy our unemployment rate still exceeds the state average. The principal reason, documented by a United Way study, is the mismatch between the available jobs and the skills, or lack of skills, of many of those who are unemployed. As a result, the City of Elgin, Chamber of Commerce, School District U-46 and ECC have embarked on a unique partnership, as described just a few weeks ago by business owner and chamber volunteer Pat Hayes, to focus on workforce development. The goal is to ensure that students graduating from our high schools have the skills necessary to secure employment in the majority of or local economy’s jobs. Superintendent Torres is working with the City and Chamber to expand the Work Keys Testing Program given to high school students to determine their readiness to enter the employment market. Certificates are awarded to students who have demonstrated a high level of skill. Students use those certificates at local companies to gain entry to the job market. Already, the number of students receiving certificates has grown dramatically through the Chamber’s efforts. The number of local businesses using the certificates is also growing. ECC provides additional training to those seeking jobs requiring skills above the traditional high school graduate. Already, ECC trains the majority of the nurses and medical career technicians for Elgin and the surrounding area, and many local firms use ECC’s customized training programs to enhance the skills of their workers. Improving the skills of our workforce through enhanced education and training is critical to the growth of our local economy. The City Council with input from the public has established ten strategic goals for our community. I have already spoken about two of them (a financially stable City government and economic growth and a diversified tax base) because they are the most immediate concern. But I Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 9 would like to mention briefly the progress that has been made on our other eight goals. First –Public Safety A good community must be a safe community. Public safety was enhanced with the opening a few years ago of fire station six on West Chicago Street and last year with the opening of fire station number 7 on Longcommon Parkway. In addition, several pieces of new equipment have been purchased to keep our fire department state of the art. The Elgin Police Department continues to do an excellent job. Between 1997 and 2007 crime in Elgin decreased 40%. In 2008 serious and violent crimes were down an additional 5%. Of Illinois twelve largest cities, Elgin’s crime rate is second lowest. Second-Neighborhood Vitality Elgin is a city of neighborhoods and maintaining and strengthening those neighborhoods is a key goal. Our grant programs such as the multi-family de-conversion program, architectural rehab program, residential rehab program, neighborhood improvement program, substitute siding removal and chain link fence removal continue to be extremely popular and beneficial. In addition this year the City will utilize $2.1 million dollars in federal grant money to purchase and rehab foreclosed homes, which if unattended, can become a blight on the surrounding neighborhood. Third-Quality Housing Elgin has also been a leader in the Chicago area in new home construction. Thousands of new homes have been built on the east and west sides of Elgin resulting in an increase in population of 11,000 people since 2001. Those new homes and our population growth have been a key factor in our ability to attract new jobs and commercial activity to Elgin. In addition we have greatly Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 10 expanded the range of housing options available in Elgin. Move up home buyers no longer have to move out Fourth-Recreational, Leisure and Cultural Opportunities 2008 was a banner year in Elgin for recreational, leisure and cultural opportunities for our residents. The new club house at the Highlands Golf Course opened and work began on the final nine holes to complete the course, which should be finished by the summer of 2010. The new 18 hole Bowes Creek Course will open late in the summer of this year. In addition to the construction on the two golf courses, eight new parks were opened in 2008 in a variety of neighborhoods through out the city. In response to resident surveys, we also approved a bike plan to provide residents with safe and reliable bicycle transportation. Already, elements of the plan are being implemented and the Chicago Bandits professional softball team found a new home in Elgin and proceeded to win the World Championship of softball. Veterans Memorial Park opened north of the library, fulfilling a dream long held by Elgin Veterans. Our thanks and gratitude to the members of that committee. Fifth-River as a Resource Under the leadership of Councilmen Walters and Kaptain, we took steps in 2008 to continue to protect and develop our river and natural environment by moving forward on the development of a long range plan to make Elgin a sustainable or “green” community. Just a few council meetings ago we selected a consultant to guide those efforts. Just last week a delegation from the City descended on Springfield in an attempt to secure federal stimulus money to complete the removal of the parking deck on the Fox River and complete the vision of a “ green” riverfront esplanade. Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 11 Sixth-Diverse Management Staff We continue to make progress on our goal of having the City workforce reflect our City’s population. We are especially proud of Police Officer Cecil Smith who became the first African American to be promoted to deputy chief continuing our efforts to diversify our management staff. Seventh-Alive Downtown Our efforts to revitalize our downtown continued full speed ahead. The Central Business District Streetscape Project completed the third year of a six year effort to compl etely rebuild the underground infrastructure in downtown replacing aging sewers, water mains and utilities. Upon completion of the underground work, new streets and side walks with beautifying elements including bricks, planters, street lights, trees and benches are constructed giving the downtown a fresh unified appearance. The entire project is being paid for with TIF money. A successful year for the Elgin Arts Showcase at 164 Division Street brought new life to our downtown. Dozens of reasonably priced entertainment options from theater to jazz concerts were available for enjoyment by Elgin residents. In addition, the Art Showcase has led to a flurry of economic activity, as artists have rented space in the Professional Building increasing the occupancy of the building by almost 50%. In 2008 we also began to work with a Minneapolis-based nonprofit developer called Artspace. Using federal, state and local grants, Artspace develops live/work rental spaces for artists. The City and Artspace are currently working on a project in the downtown that has the potential to provide 46 apartments and artist studios plus new commercial space. Artspace’s Committee of the Whole March 4, 2009 Page 12 experience in twenty three other projects around the country has demonstrated that this kind of project can be a catalyst for additional development. The downtown has also seen the arrival of several new restaurants and our partnership with the Downtown Neighborhood Association is critical to the success of our downtown restaurants and business. Under the leadership of Executive Director Tonya Hudson, their Board of Directors, including Councilmen Steffen, and their many volunteers, the DNA has provided critical support for the downtown merchants, and the City’s development efforts. Eight-Customer Service We made significant progress on our goal to enhance customer service, an issue close to Councilman Figueroa’s heart. Strategic initiatives were undertaken and a large investment in new equipment was made to enhance leaf collection, snow removal and street maintenance. New standards of performance were established in all of those areas. In addition, the Council at the urging of Councilman Gilliam added $25 million in capital funds last year to repair and resurface 43 miles of City streets and to purchase 18 new trucks for Public Works. This was the largest street program in Elgin’s history. In 2009 and perhaps longer, we will face challenges-many not of our own making. Those challenges will test our City, as difficult times always do. But we should not lose sight of the progress we have made, and the progress we will continue to make in 2009 and beyond. The people of Elgin are a determined bunch. With an excellent City staff, dedicated employees and involved residents I am confident our progress and successes will continue as we strive to build a better Elgin.