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HomeMy WebLinkAboutv2 - November 13, 2019 COW special SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING November 13, 2019 The special Committee of the Whole meeting was called to order by Mayor Kaptain at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Present: Councilmembers Dixon, Gavin, Lopez (arrived at 5:45 p.m.), Martinez, Powell, Rauschenberger, Shaw, Steffen, and Mayor Kaptain. Absent: None. 2020 Proposed Budget and Three Year Financial Plan – Continued Discussion City Manager Kozal provided an overview of the topics to be presented and discussed, including the General Fund, proposed staff additions and the Recreation Fund. A copy of all presentations are on file in the City Clerk’s office. General Fund: Debra Nawrocki, Chief Financial Officer and Budget Director, provided details about the General Fund 2019 results and the budget for 2020. Highlights for 2019 included revenues higher than projections, expenditures under budget and the increase public safety pension payments were funded from reserves. The 2020 budgeted revenues show a modest increase of 0.9%. The expenditures for 2020 are increased due to cost of living increases, new proposed staff positions, an increase to the transfer to the Recreation Fund and changes to the Waste Management contractual services. Highlights of the three year financial plan include no new revenues, a flat general fund levy, and a balanced budget using reserves and additional staff in several frontline positions There was discussion regarding the impact of the required police, fire and IMRF pension contributions and pending state legislation to consolidate all police and fire pensions’ funds throughout the state. Staffing changes: Police Chief Lalley proposed the addition of auxiliary police officers and additional 911 emergency communications personnel. The auxiliary officers would handling such duties as bond call, fingerprinting, and transports. Chief Lalley outlined the training for each of the positions including the time involved to complete. There was discussion regarding the hiring process for the auxiliary officers. Also discussed was the challenges to hire and retain 911 telecommunication personnel. Committee of the Whole - Special November 13, 2019 Page 2 The Council held a recess from 6:50 p.m. – 7:05 p.m. Staffing Changes: IT Jeff Massey GIS Specialist presented information on the need for a full time Geographic Information Specialist. This position would work on the street view asset inventory project, data analysis for web portal and assist all departments with various projects. The assets inventory would be conducted on a regular basis. This would potentially eliminate the need for hiring consultants to inventory the city’s various assets. There was discussion regarding the collection of asset data, software costs and redaction of private information. Aaron Cosentino, Director of Neighborhood Services, and David Koski, Neighborhood Services Manager presented proposed program changes and the addition of two code officers. Potential program changes included re-districting code officer’s territory, increasing rental license fees, and revised procedures in the rental property program. There was a review of the process of a code compliance case. The goal of compliance and the methods used to achieve compliance were reviewed. The main issue of the current model is the back log of cases. Currently code compliance has 7.5 inspectors total with two rental inspectors, five property maintenance inspectors and 1/2 grass/weeds inspection on staff. The proposal to add two additional inspectors would allow each officer to work in one geographic area of the city. This could reduce case load, increase working relationships with stakeholders and allow additional time to assist with the compliance of the violations. The process of rental licenses and inspections was reviewed. The city currently has issued 5,100 rental licenses with 11,600 rental units. The current fees are based on the number of rental units. There are only two inspectors handling rental inspections which allows for ten rental inspections per day. Also proposed was an increase in fees, adjustment of penalties, a comprehensive inspection checklist, and online self-scheduling. There was discussion regarding the timeline to implement the proposed changes, the number of locations that received the two year rental license and other potential areas to utilize online scheduling. Recreation Fund: Debra Nawrocki, Chief Financial Officer and Budget Director, provided an overview for the Recreation Fund’s 2020 Budget. She noted that the 2020 budget is balanced with program fees, a transfer from the General Fund and reserve funds. This year will exhaust the reserve funds for the Recreation Fund and future shortfalls will need a new revenue source. Committee of the Whole - Special November 13, 2019 Page 3 Maria Cumpata, Parks and Recreation Director, provided background on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its impact on Parks and Recreation operations. She also gave the history of the relationship with Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association (NISRA). Jim Wiseman, Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association (NISRA) Executive Director, provided details on the programs that NISRA provides. He also outlined a special recreation tax levy that the city could utilize to cover costs of the membership to NISRA, and services that meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates. Greg Hulke, Public Works Superintendent, provided information about playgrounds that need ADA upgrades and the cost associated with the upgrades. There was discussion regarding the process of the levy and alternatives to increase revenues including increasing user fees. Also discussed was the budgeting model of NISRA, number of participants in the programs and other special recreation organizations in the area. Public Comment Chuck Keysor thanked the staff for the thorough presentations regarding staffing and associated costs. He also stated his concerns regarding adding any additional taxes and fees, specifically those discussed regarding a special recreation tax levy. Adjournment Councilmember Gavin made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Shaw, to adjourn the meeting. Upon a roll call vote: Yeas: Councilmembers Dixon, Gavin, Lopez, Martinez, Powell, Rauschenberger, Shaw, Steffen, and Mayor Kaptain. Nays: None. The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m. s/ Kimberly Dewis December 4, 2019 Kimberly Dewis, City Clerk Date Approved