HomeMy WebLinkAboutt - September 24, 2014 COW COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING September 24, 2014
The regular Committee of the Whole meeting was called to order by Mayor Kaptain at 6:00 p.m.
in the Council Chambers. Present: Councilmembers Dunne, Gavin, Martinez, Powell, Prigge,
Rauschenberger, Shaw, Steffen, and Mayor Kaptain. Absent: None.
Approval of Minutes
Councilmember Shaw made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve the
minutes of the September 10, 2014, regular meeting. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas:
Councilmembers Dunne, Gavin, Martinez, Powell, Prigge, Rauschenberger, Shaw, Steffen, and
Mayor Kaptain. Nays: None.
Consideration of Renewal of the Liability, Crime, Pollution and Workers’ Compensation
Insurance Programs for the Period October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015
A resolution will be presented at tonight's Council meeting for adoption by the City Council.
There was discussion regarding workers compensation coverage, business interruption, and
pollution coverage.
Metro West Council of Government Presentation - Mary Randle, Executive Director
Mary Randle, Executive Director for Metro West Council of Government, provided information
about the history of the organization, accomplishment and their relationship with the City of
Elgin. A copy of the presentation is on file in the City Clerk’s office.
There was discussion cost of membership, the services provided by the council, and the return on
investment.
Consideration of Agreement with the Association for Individual Development to Operate
Centre Concessions
Councilmember Dunne made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Gavin, to approve the
agreement with the Association for Individual Development to operate the Centre concessions.
Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gavin, Martinez, Powell, Prigge,
Rauschenberger, Shaw, Steffen, and Mayor Kaptain. Nays: None.
Committee of the Whole
September 24, 2014
Page 2
Consideration of the Naming of a Public Park
Councilmember Powell made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to approve the
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board’s recommendation to provide a formal name for the city
parcels located at 315 and 319 Illinois Avenue. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers
Dunne, Gavin, Martinez, Powell, Prigge, Rauschenberger, Shaw, Steffen, and Mayor Kaptain.
Nays: None.
Consideration of Business Improvement Grant for Hopkins Ford at 1045 East Chicago
Street (Route 19)
Councilmember Gavin made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Powell, to approve a
business improvement grant for Ron Hopkins Ford in the amount of $25,000 for the construction
of a new exterior building façade. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gavin,
Martinez, Powell, Prigge, Rauschenberger, Shaw, Steffen, and Mayor Kaptain. Nays: None.
Consideration of Elgin Tower Building Redevelopment Agreement with Capstone
Development Group, LLC
Rick Kozal, Assistant City Manager, provided an outline of the agreement, where the funding
would come from, and introduced the Richard Souyoul, the developer that will be working with
Capstone Development Group to redevelop the Tower Building.
There was discussion regarding the costs of the redevelopment, the timetable for the project, and
the types of modifications that would be made to the building.
Councilmember Shaw made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Powell, to approve the
redevelopment agreement with Capstone Development Group, LLC in the amount of $4.7
million to induce the historic renovation and adaptive reuse of the Elgin Tower Building with
market-rate rental housing consisting of a mix of 45 one and two-bedroom apartments. Upon a
roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gavin, Martinez, Powell, Prigge, Rauschenberger,
Shaw, and Mayor Kaptain. Nays: None. Councilmember Steffen abstained.
Consideration of Agreement with S.S. Schwartz Construction, Inc. to Reconstruct the
Retaining Wall at 600 E. Chicago Street
There was discussion regarding the ownership of the area and future maintenance of the retaining
wall.
Committee of the Whole
September 24, 2014
Page 3
Councilmember Gavin made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Martinez, to approve a
contract with S.S. Schwarz Construction, Inc. in the amount of $96,854 to complete the
restoration of the failed retaining wall marking the entrance to the city’s historic district. Upon a
roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gavin, Martinez, Powell, Prigge, Rauschenberger,
Shaw, Steffen, and Mayor Kaptain. Nays: None.
Police Department Recruiting/Puerto Rico (Councilman Prigge)
Councilmember Prigge asked for an update on the Police Department recruiting program.
Police Chief Swoboda outlined the current recruitment efforts to cast a wider net for qualified
candidates. He provided a list of different locations that were being visited. Chief Swoboda
reviewed the testing and hiring process and noted that it would be up to the Board of Fire and
Police Commissioners to determine if interviews could be conducted via electronic means, such
as web video discussions.
City Manager Stegall stated that one of the strategic goals of the city is diversity and the
recruiting plan was a way to potentially reach a tangible outcome for this goal. By recruiting in
areas that had not been visited previously it makes the process more inclusive. There was a
discussion regarding diversity as a strategic goal for the city. Information regarding costs of the
potential diversity efforts would be presented with the 2015 Budget.
There was a discussion regarding recruitment being based on language skills or certain
nationalities. There were concerns about the costs of the trips and taking personnel off their
regular duties to attend these events.
Announcements from Council
Mayor Kaptain announced that Government Finance Officer Association (GFOA) awarded the
Distinguished Budget Presentation Award Program to the City of Elgin. The award includes a
certificate of recognition for the person or department primarily responsible for the preparation
and this certificate was given to Laura Valdez-Wilson. Ms. Valdez-Wilson thanked the Mayor
and Council and noted that it was a team effort to create and present the budget.
Announcements from Staff
Laura Valdez-Wilson, Management Analyst in the City Manager’s Office, announced upcoming
city events.
Committee of the Whole
September 24, 2014
Page 4
Adjournment
Councilmember Martinez made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Steffen, to adjourn and
go into the Executive Session for the purpose of discussing the following matters. Upon a roll
call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dunne, Gavin, Martinez, Powell, Prigge, Rauschenberger,
Shaw, Steffen, and Mayor Kaptain. Nays: None.
The meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.
s/ Kimberly Dewis October 8, 2014
Kimberly Dewis, City Clerk Date Approved