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HomeMy WebLinkAbout14 - July 28, 2010 COW COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING July 28, 2010 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 Dunne, Gilliam, Kaptain, Prigge, Steffen, Warren, and Mayor Schock. Absent: None. Approval of Minutes Councilmember Dunne made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Warren, to approve the minutes of the July 14, 2010, regular meeting. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gilliam, Kaptain, Prigge, Steffen, Warren, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Report Leo Nelson, President of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, gave a presentation on the city/chamber partnership. He noted that the goals of the partnership included business retention, business expansion, business recruitment, enhancing Elgin, transportation and development, workforce development, and website development. Mr. Nelson focused on the workforce development aspect and described the “1,000 Workers Skills Initiative” which was launched in June. The concept is to make the Work Keys® skills assessment available at no cost to those seeking employment. To date, sixty Elgin companies recognize this program. Mr. Nelson also recognized Patrick Hayes, an EAC board member, for his efforts in providing training for the unemployed. Councilmember Dunne said that while he applauded the efforts of training unemployed workers, he would like to see the organization reach out to the unemployed earlier. Councilmember Warren asked about the status of the website and Mr. Nelson said and RFP is going out this week. Street Construction Update—Potential Repercussions from Labor Strike City Engineer Joe Evers spoke about the effects of the recent strike on six city projects. He reported that all of the contractors feel they will meet their deadlines and work should be finished by the end of October if the weather cooperates. City Manger Stegall said that staff will monitor the work and report regularly on the progress of each project. Councilmember Kaptain asked if there were backup plans if the work does not get finished or if the asphalt plants have to close early. Mr. Evers said there were and that, if necessary, the project would be terminated until next spring. Councilmember Gilliam asked if the streets, especially Highland, would be drivable. Mr. Evers said yes, and that temporary asphalt would be laid. Committee of the Whole July 28, 2010 Page 2 Councilmember Dunne asked if any problems of state funding were anticipated because of the strike. Mr. Evers said that these projects were funded by city money, not state. Any projects involving state funding had finished prior to the strike. Consideration of Proposed Ordinance to Provide for the Registration, Inspection and Maintenance of Vacant Buildings Corporation Counsel William Cogley reviewed the proposed ordinance reported that the number of default filings and bank-owned foreclosures in the city has exceeded 1,000 in the first four months of this year, that 815 properties that have gone through foreclosure proceedings and that remain bank- owned. He stated that it is reasonable to anticipate that the number of vacant buildings within the city is in excess of 1,000. The proposed ordinance will create a comprehensive regulatory framework for the identification, registration, inspection and maintenance of vacant buildings within the city. First, the ordinance defines “vacant buildings” and directs city staff to identify such vacant buildings within 90 days. If the city determines that a building is vacant, a notice would be sent to the owner of the property advising the owner of the city’s determination and the owner’s responsibilities under the ordinance. The owner of a vacant building would then be required to register the building with the city, after which time the city would conduct an inspection of the building to determine its compliance with city codes and ordinances. At the time the building is registered, the owner would also be required to submit a vacant building plan that provides for the repair and maintenance of the property. Failure to comply with the plan or other violations of the ordinance would result in the imposition of fines between $100 and $750 per day and/or the city filing an action to require the owner to remedy the violations. The intent of the ordinance is to protect the neighborhoods from the blight that can be caused by vacant properties. Mr. Cogley noted that the city is currently tracking foreclosed homes and letters have been sent to the owners reminding them of certain, required, maintenance. Mr. Cogley said that if the city council determines to move forward with adoption of the proposed ordinance, city staff will provide a more definite estimate of the amount of additional staff time that will be required to effectively administer and enforce the ordinance. A final recommendation would then be made to the city council with respect to the amount of the proposed fees. Councilmember Dunne suggested that the fee structure allow for the use of outside inspectors so as not to over-extend staff. He also asked if the occupancy load could be determined during the inspection. Mr. Cogley said this could possibly be done at that time. Councilmember Dunne asked about board up codes and Mr. Cogley replied that these are currently spelled out, but this proposed ordinance will limit the time a property can be boarded up. Councilmember Warren said that he would like to see the fees be cost neutral. He also expressed a concern about whether an unoccupied commercial building should be considered vacant after two years. Mr. Cogley said this could be reviewed, but that the emphasis is on residential properties. Mayor Schock said the end user will generally determine how a commercial property is rehabbed, and he would like to see commercial properties excluded from this ordinance. He felt these Committee of the Whole July 28, 2010 Page 3 properties would be covered by our current code. Councilmember Steffen said that he would like to see them included after two years and plus any nuisance or code complaints. Councilmember Prigge asked what would be required before a sale or reoccupation of a property. Mr. Cogley responded that any life safety issues would have to be immediately corrected and then a plan of action would be submitted outlining all actions required to achieve habitability. A potential buyer would have to acknowledge existence of the plan and a timetable would have to be created as to when needed code violations would be corrected. An occupancy permit would not be issued until major violations were corrected. Councilmember Prigge expressed some concerns about an occupant moving into a property before everything was corrected. Mr. Cogley said the acknowledgement documents are very effective and have been successfully used on a regular basis in court. Councilmember Warren said that he would also like to see the commercial properties excluded at this time so that action could start quickly on the residential properties. He would like staff to review the commercial aspects and report back on those at a future meeting. Councilmember Dunne suggested that maybe commercial business properties should be separated by zoning criteria. Smaller neighborhood properties are different than larger industrial properties. Councilmember Warren asked if staff could look into this possibility. Councilmember Kaptain expressed a concern that this ordinance might lead to problems with the sale of a property. He feels this should be monitored over the next year. He was also concerned about the notification process and felt that notifications should be sent by certified mail. Mr. Cogley said that alternative methods of communication could be provided. Councilmember Warren made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Dunne, to approve the proposed ordinance regarding the registration, inspection and maintenance of vacant buildings, but to remove the commercial aspect at this time with the understanding staff will come back with recommendations. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gilliam, Kaptain, Prigge, Steffen, Warren, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Proposed Amendment to City Council Rules of Procedure Councilmember Kaptain made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve the proposed amendment to the City Council Rules of Procedure relating to persons wishing to address the city council at a city council meeting. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gilliam, Kaptain, Prigge, Steffen, Warren, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Committee of the Whole July 28, 2010 Page 4 Consideration of Proposed Amendments to the City’s Liquor Code Councilmember Warren made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Kaptain, to approve the following amendments to the City’s Liquor Code: 1. Repeal the Class X liquor license from the City’s Liquor Code. 2. Limit the number of Class B-1 licenses to the currently issued number of 10 and limit the number of Class B-2 licenses to the currently issued number of two. 3. Add a provision whereby the licensee named in a complaint shall file a written answer with the Liquor Commission which shall contain an admission or denial of each allegation in the complaint. Councilmember Steffen suggested that a late night license should be earned only after an establishment has a track record. Councilmember Dunne said that the area should be considered as those businesses located in the northwest business park have not been a problem due to no close proximity to a neighborhood. Councilmember Kaptain suggested establishing a probationary period. Mayor Schock said the Liquor Commission could look into this and provide suggestions to the council. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gilliam, Kaptain, Prigge, Steffen, Warren, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Local Agency Agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for Federal Participation in the Big Timber Road (East) Resurfacing Project Councilmember Dunne made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation authorizing the use of federal funds for the Big Timber Road Resurfacing Project from McLean Boulevard to State Street at a cost of $82,078 for the city’s share of construction. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gilliam, Kaptain, Prigge, Steffen, Warren, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Construction Engineering Services Agreement with Engineering Enterprises Inc. for the Big Timber Road Local Agency Pavement Preservation Project Councilmember Dunne made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve an agreement with Engineering Enterprises Inc. for construction engineering services for the Big Timber Road Local Agency Pavement Preservation Project in an amount not to exceed $90,050. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gilliam, Kaptain, Prigge, Steffen, Warren, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Committee of the Whole July 28, 2010 Page 5 Consideration of Agreement with Trotter and Associates, Inc. for Grant Writer Services Councilmember Gilliam made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Prigge, to approve an agreement with Trotter and Associates, Inc. to provide grant writer services. Councilmember Dunne suggested creating a staff position for a grant writer as he felt this person would pay for themselves. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gilliam, Kaptain, Prigge, Steffen, Warren, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Consideration of Economic Development Agreement with Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. for Expansion of 950 Tollgate Road Facility Councilmember Warren made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve an economic development agreement for development assistance with Siemens Industry, Inc. at 950 Tollgate Road. Councilmember Prigge stated he would like to see the term “Elgin resident” better defined. Mayor Schock said he was very enthused about this project and said the money would be recoups in two years through increased property taxes. He noted that if the expansion is not completed, then the company does not qualify for the waived fees. Councilmember Steffen said he was pleased with the timeline. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gilliam, Kaptain, Prigge, Steffen, Warren, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. Announcements from Council Councilmember Kaptain announced that foreclosure counseling will be available October 2 through a program sponsored by Neighborhood Housing Services, Kane County, and the city of Elgin. Councilmember Steffen announced the upcoming Kiwanis 51st Fay’s Barbeque dinner. City Manager Stegall stated that sixty-six calls regarding flooding had been received during the rain event of the previous weekend. He said that he was very proud of how well things were handled. Committee of the Whole July 28, 2010 Page 6 Announcements from Staff Public Information Officer, Sue Olafson, announced upcoming city events. Adjournment Councilmember Warren made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Dunne, to adjourn the meeting. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gilliam, Kaptain, Prigge, Steffen, Warren, and Mayor Schock. Nays: None. The meeting adjourned at 7:18 p.m. s/ Diane Robertson August 11, 2010 Diane Robertson, City Clerk Date Approved