January 25, 2000

Mayor Krajewski called the Workshop meeting of the Village Council of the Village of Downers Grove to order at 6:30 p.m. in the Committee Room of the Village Hall.

Present:Mayor Brian Krajewski; Commissioners Marilyn Schnell (arr. 6:55), Thomas Sisul, Michael Gilbert, Sue McConnell; Village Manager Michael McCurdy; Village Attorney Daniel Blondin; Village Clerk April Holden

Absent:None

Visitors: Press: Kathy Cichon, Downers Grove Reporter; Susie Gura, Suburban Life Graphic Residents & Other Attendees: Marilynn Gerloff, 4241 Highland; Barb Wysocki, Chamber of Commerce; Tom Julian, Julian Service Ind., 2215 Curtiss; Mark Zabloudil, 6820 W. 39th St.; Ross Johnson, 1311 Gilbert; Korrin Rathje, 7008 Camden Ct.; Charles S. Margosian, Judy Magree, Highland Management Assoc., 1 E. 22nd St., Lombard; Gary Goodheart, Versar, Inc., Lombard Staff: Brian Pabst, Director of Redevelopment; Ellen Dean, Director of Management Services; Kenneth Rathje, Director of Planning Services; Greg Zimmerman, Director of Human Resources; Jerry Sprecher, Deputy Village Manager; Marty Lyons, Director of Financial Services; Information Services: Liangfu Wu; Vito Ingrassia; Laura Wainwright; Engineering; Kevin Dunne; Eric Muecke; Kerstin G. von der Heide Police Department: Dennis Burke, Acting Police Chief; Cindy Zednik; Joy Rogers; Marty Berkery; Diane Weiss; Maribeth Wall; Tracy Adams Fire Department: Lanny Russell, Fire Chief; Dave Burns, Deputy Fire Chief; Greg Curry; Gina Barr; V.O.C.: Ann Priorello, Manager; Steve Riley; Annette Sammons; Tim Contois; Karyn O’Connor; Terry Young; Laurie Frohlich; Fran Kaduk; Jodie Dewey; Jennifer Rizzo; Heather Janes; Mary Tennyson; Barbara Lee; Sonya Jackson

Mayor Krajewski explained that Council Workshop meetings are held the second and fourth Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. The meetings are video taped for later cable cast over cable channel P/21.

The Workshop meeting is intended to provide Council and the public with an appropriate forum for informal discussion of any items intended for future Council consideration or just for general information. No formal action is taken at Workshop meetings.

The public is invited to attend and encouraged to comment or ask questions in an informal manner on any of the items being discussed or on any other subject. The agenda is created to provide a guideline for discussion.

MANAGER

Bids:

Ornamental Street Light Rehab. Manager McCurdy said staff recommends awarding a contract to Thorne Electric, Inc. in the amount of $136,000 plus a 5% contingency of $6,800.00. This will be part of the next phase of the downtown reconstruction project.

Dave Conley , Director of Engineering, said three bids were received on the replacement and one bid on the rehabilitation, as the request was for either replacement or rehabilitation. The cost difference for new lighting versus rehabbing old fixtures was less than $100.00; therefore, staff recommends moving ahead with new poles. He noted that the 47 existing poles are an asset, and can be used somewhere sometime. He said they may be worth more than the $100 each trade-in value.

Commissioner Sisul asked about plans for lighting other streets and if those poles could be used in those locations. Mr. Conley responded they can be used anywhere there is ornamental lighting, including parking lots. There is no use for them now; however, there will be new lights installed later on Washington. He said there were no efforts made to see if anyone would want to purchase them from the Village. He indicated they could not be used in the downtown area, because the pole would have to be cut. They could, however, be used in parking lots or neighborhood areas.

The Mayor asked whether Thorne was a subcontractor for Martam. Mr. Conley said that was correct. He added that Thorne has done a good job with the lighting and is one of the major contractors.

The Manager said this would be placed on the February 1 Consent Agenda.

Architectural Service – Maintenance Facility McCollum Park. Mr. Conley said this is Phase II of the 4-phase contract for the 67th Street tank. Staff recommends awarding a contract to MRSA Architects and Planners in the amount of $21,750.00. This provides architectural services for the 2800 square foot storage building for the Park District. Three bids were received and all bidders have worked for the Park District before. MRSA worked at the District’s golf course and the Village is happy with the bid.

The Mayor asked whether staff has inquired about the parcel between the Fire Department and the Illinois Bell property. The Manager said he was working on that item.

Commissioner Sisul asked to return to the previous topic, stating he wasn’t sure if it made sense to warehouse the old lights. Mr. Conley said he hates to throw anything out; however, in this case they would probably be hunting for reasons to use the lights. He felt these may not be as big an asset as they appear when considering the costs of rehabbing. He did not research the market on selling the poles.

The Manager said he would be in favor of trading them in. He doesn’t see much use for them if they would have to be rehabbed. He did not think they were suitable for residential areas or even parking lots.

Commissioner Gilbert recommended exploring the options and possibly auctioning them off. Mr. Conley said Thorne does not care either way. He noted there are 47 poles.

The Manager said the architectural services contract for McCullom Park would be placed on the Consent Agenda for February 1.

Parking & Traffic Commission Lindley Street Traffic Study.

Jeff Livergood , Director of Public Works, said the Parking & Traffic Commission (P&T Commission) conducted the fourth hearing in a series to evaluate traffic and pedestrian conditions in the area of Ogden Avenue, 39th Street, Main Street and Fairview Avenue. Initially, the hearings were exploratory to obtain feedback from residents regarding the traffic situation. At its third hearing, the P&T Commission determined that additional analysis was needed and Lindley was studied in terms of traffic volume, accidents, traffic traits, the Speedway driveway, use of Lindley, etc., in an effort to understand the patterns and intents of the traffic movement. At last Tuesday’s fourth hearing, the P&T Commission addressed problems on Lindley and the possibility of closing that road. They determined that closure of Lindley was not the appropriate solution, and looked at other measures that could be put into place. Staff evaluation found there was considerable high speed volume traffic on Lindley, although there were no recorded accidents for the last three years. Therefore, the staff’s recommendation was to install regulatory signals at 41st and Lindley. Mr. Livergood said he did not believe the P&T Commission considered the traffic volume leaving Ogden Avenue or the Speedway driveway to be significant enough to place restrictions from the driveway or from Ogden Avenue. He noted that the recommendation from the P&T Commission was to install a two-way stop sign at the intersection of Lindley and 41st Street. They also reaffirmed to the Village Council their believe that sidewalks should be installed along 41st Street based upon information from the residents of the area.

Commissioner Gilbert said two factors have been discussed in the past regarding Lindley. One is that IDOT has recommended Lindley be closed, and the other is that the Lakota Group in its analysis of Ogden Avenue made the same recommendation. He asked whether those plans were discussed at the P&T meeting.

Mr. Livergood responded it was discussed. He said IDOT ’s general belief is that closing an intersection roadway on an arterial street is a good thing and eliminates conflict points. Closing roadways is one of the many tools IDOT looks at to increase capacity on arterial roadways. Regarding the Lakota Plan, Mr. Livergood said according to his understanding of the plan there is potential for any road closure along Ogden Avenue in order to spur redevelopment. He said he believes no particular locations were specified.

Commissioner Gilbert asked about Strategic Route Arterials (SRA). He said he understood the requirement included that it be 1/4 mile back from the intersection of Main and Ogden, with no open side streets. Mr. Livergood said it was partially that, in addition to perhaps lengthening turn lanes. Closing streets discourages traffic from traveling across the turn lanes.

Manager McCurdy said the staff intends to study the issue further. The Mayor noted the Council will review Ogden Avenue with the P&T Commission and the Ogden Avenue Subcommittee in the next few weeks, to determine which, if any, streets will be closed.

Commissioner Gilbert said he believes Lindley needs to be closed, and the two-way stop sign is a temporary fix for the problem. He said they must look at what streets on Ogden need to be closed.

Commissioner McConnell asked that the staff provide to the Council some recommendations and the philosophy behind them in preparation for the upcoming discussion.

The Mayor recommended inviting John LaMotte of the Lakota Plan to a discussion to include integrating sidewalks in the area.

Commissioner McConnell recommended looking at the budget in order to determine how to support one sidewalk on every street.

Mr. Livergood said it would take about 25-30 years. The funding now is $100,000 per year with the exception of last year when the funding was increased to $300,000. Manager McCurdy said sidewalks will be part of the budget discussion.

Commissioner McConnell said she would like to have staff look at a 5-year and ten-year plan.

Mr. Livergood said the sidewalk matrix is a planning tool staff uses to identify where to begin construction design. It is based upon need, and does not evaluate resident desire. The Mayor said the Council should look at this.

Commissioner Sisul said the area around Lindley is a uniquely congested area in the Village. While the studies from IDOT and Lakota are helpful, the most important information comes from how the neighborhood actually works.

Mayor Krajewski asked about the Speedway traffic studies. Mr. Livergood said they were done during two 2-1/2 hour peak periods in the morning and afternoon. Staff also contacted Lindley residents for their perception of the busiest time for traffic from the Speedway driveway, which appeared to be Friday evening. They had a count of 20 cars each night, although Friday evening was the busiest. There was less bypass traffic than they expected. They found about nine cars in a 2-1/2 hour period avoiding the traffic light by cutting through the Speedway driveway.

Commissioner Schnell said she is uncomfortable with the stop sign because they promised residents they would look at the entire area and come up with a solution. She sees this as a piecemeal or band-aid approach.

Mr. Livergood said the P&T Commission did look at the whole area and the data is available. There were over 300 man-hours involved in data collection of the entire area. He said the hearings were conducted to gather the opinions of the residents prior to formulating any recommendations. The data, accident history and traffic study, are consistent with what is seen throughout the rest of the Village. Based on that data and the residents’ input, the P&T Commission will move forward and study individual components of the problem.

Commissioner Schnell said she thought they would be getting an overall recommendation for the area. She said one recommendation could affect other areas of the Village. She would like to see a recommendation about the entire area.

Mr. Livergood said that the P&T Commission has tried to do this and could probably put it together in one report. Residents within 1500 feet to 2000 feet of Lindley Avenue were invited to last week’s meeting.

Commissioner Gilbert said they have been looking at this problem for 16-18 months. He thinks they need to finish this. Individual streets in the area have been studied for five years. He does not want to wait any longer.

Commissioner Schnell said she believes this has been a piecemeal approach. She evidenced the parking restrictions imposed for the North High School area as an example of band-aid repairs to the problem. She would prefer to wait another month for a comprehensive report. She believes the citizens were promised that the entire area would be reviewed and recommendations were to be made for the whole area. The Council must review the recommendations made by the P&T Commission.

Manager McCurdy said the thinking was that this recommendation could be made immediately.

The Mayor asked if the report would be next month. Mr. Livergood said it would be, with additional recommendations.

Commissioner McConnell asked whether Mr. Livergood said the stop sign recommendation would be part of the overall recommendation in three weeks. Mr. Livergood said that was correct. The comprehensive recommendation will include the stop sign, sidewalks, and 40th Street.

Commissioner Schnell asked whether other streets in the area would be part of the sidewalk matrix and whether that information is available to the public. Mr. Livergood said the streets are in the matrix now. If there is a need for a sidewalk, it will be up to the staff to engineer them to make them work. He repeated that the matrix is a planning tool, and there must be some room for flexibility.

Manager McCurdy said that staff will obtain the report from the P&T Commission, and this item will be deferred until the end of February.

Commissioner McConnell suggested an action plan be in place by the time of the joint meeting in order that this not be extended for another six months.

3. DuPage Visitors Bureau Presentation. The Manager asked Skip Strittmater, Executive Director of the DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau (“the Bureau”), to make this presentation.

Skip Strittmater , highlighted the efforts of the DuPage Visitors Bureau to market DuPage County as a destination for both business and leisure travel. It was founded in 1987. She noted that the Bureau was a not-for-profit organization. There are 15,000 hotel/motel rooms in DuPage County. The tourism industry generates dollars through transportation, lodging, food, beverages, sporting events, festivals, etc. She discussed the direct and indirect financial impact of tourism in DuPage County.

Ms. Strittmater said the Bureau has worked closely with Downers Grove for the past ten years on numerous projects and cooperative advertising initiatives. She said strong and consistent advertising will encourage tourism for the area. She thanked the Council for its continued support and noted that packets and publications are available to them for their review.

Commissioner Sisul commented on the brochures stating that the graphics were excellent.

Commissioner Gilbert asked about future tourism trends. Ms. Strittmater said they have had a huge increase in room inventory for the County, and have maintained about a 72% occupancy. They will continue to identify ways to enhance more business to the County.

The Mayor asked how many Villages are members of the Bureau. Ms. Strittmater said the Bureau is mandated by the State to represent all of the municipalities in DuPage County. Some municipalities, however, are members of another certified bureau. She said the Bureau has ten participating municipalities, although they do not all support the Bureau. In further response to the Mayor, Ms. Strittmater said Naperville was a member in the past, but has expanded its Tourism Department and incorporated it into their Economic Development Department.

The Mayor asked whether any research has been done regarding the potential of a convention center in DuPage County. Ms. Strittmater said that a study was done in 1990-91 and did not see the feasibility at that time; however, recently their office has received several calls a month from developers regarding a convention facility. She added that developing a convention center is a costly undertaking and usually needs public funds. She believes the first community or area that establishes a convention center will have no problem with business for such a center.

Foreign Fire Insurance Ordinance.

Village Attorney Dan Blondin said that Illinois statutes provide for foreign fire insurance companies that are not incorporated in the State of Illinois to pay a 2% tax to be paid to the Fire Departments. Currently the Village receives about $37,000 a year from this fund. He is presenting the Council with a plan to create a Foreign Fire Tax Board of consisting of five individuals including the Fire Chief, who would be non-voting, and one elected rank and file member from each of the fire houses. They would have an annual budget submitted to the Village Council. He asked that this be placed on the February 15th Agenda. He noted that this Statute has been found to be valid and pre-empts home rule.

The Mayor asked if the law requiring a municipality under 250,000 to establish the board was new. Mr. Blondin said he believes the law was passed in 1990. Attorney Blondin said he did not believe this was presented to the Council before.

Commissioner McConnell asked whether this is intended to go forward or if it would be retroactive. Attorney Blondin said it was intended to go forward. They would not cover previous years. Commissioner McConnell then asked about the procedures and rules section of the ordinance. Attorney Blondin said the rules would be the same as for Council and other Boards such as conflict of interest and gift bans.

Commissioner Gilbert asked about liability on the part of the Village for past years. Attorney Blondin said there has been no claim made to that effect. He said there has been no challenge in the past and he does not expect one at this time.

5. Plan Commission Recommendation: Street Right of Way Vacation – Washington Street, north of 63rd Street – File #1040. The Manager asked Mr. Rathje to make the presentation of this recommendation.

Ken Rathje , Director of Planning Services said the Village received a petition from two adjoining property owners adjacent to the Washington Street right-of-way north of 63rd Street. A public hearing was held on January 4, 2000. The Plan Commission forwarded a positive recommendation to approve the proposed vacation, with the condition that a full width blanket utility easement be reserved. The petitioners have provided the proper plat of vacation. Mr. Rathje said the proposal would be for the 66’ right-of-way to be vacated. It is 19,000 square feet in area, and would be conveyed equally to each of the adjoining property owners.

Commissioner Schnell asked whether there is any desire on the part of the other property owners to seek vacation as well. Mr. Rathje said they were not, primarily because of the use of the street as access.

The Manager said this ordinance would be placed on the February 15th Active Agenda.

6. Brownfields Redevelopment Grant Program Application. The Manager said this grant program application is from the State of Illinois. The Village has been working on this for two sites, one of which is Block 117, and the other is located at Ogden Avenue and Lacey Road.

Ellen Dean , Director of Management Services, reviewed the application, stating it is sponsored by the Illinois EPA and is a relatively new grant program. Because the grant involves an out-of-pocket expense of $20,000, it requires Council approval. The total request is for $120,000 and the grant is a 70/30 match. This grant is only available to municipalities. It is an excellent economic development tool. The two properties targeted have potential eminent redevelopment potential. The first site is Block 117 in the CBD . The second site is on Ogden Avenue at the intersection of Ogden Avenue and Lacey Road, which is currently owned by Highland Management Associates. If the entire amount is not expended, the remainder can be used for other properties. Funds can be used for assessment but not environmental clean up.

Ms. Dean said she would like to move on this next week to keep in line with the Block 117 process, as their RFP may come about some time this spring. In terms of Village costs, there would be the $20,000 previously mentioned, and approximately $15,000 of in-kind service. The grant is for two years, and a contractor has been chosen. Ms. Dean said Gary Goodheart of Versar is present to answer any questions as well.

The Mayor asked whether any funds already expended can be recouped. Ms. Dean said they cannot, as the grant is not retroactive. The Mayor asked about the availability of additional funds if there are problems with either property. Ms. Dean said there are programs available to private property owners. This program is for assessment on the municipal side only. She was unaware of clean up funds for the municipal side. She would expect some negotiation with the developers of the site as part of the redevelopment agreement.

Commissioner Sisul asked whether borings have been done on Block 117. Ms. Dean said all they have done is Phase I, which is the history of the site. Phase I indicates that Phase II is necessary. Mr. Goodheart said the cost for Block 117 so far is $4,000.

Commissioner Sisul asked about the Lacey Road project. He asked what would happen if the project does not move forward. Ms. Dean said there is no reimbursement agreement at this time with the developer. This is viewed somewhat as a public/private partnership. The Commissioner asked whether there is access to funds for remediation of the Lacey property. The Manager said the Village does not have access to funds, but the private property owner would have some access.

Commissioner Sisul said the Village’s participation is significant and is done with a view toward redevelopment. He would like to see the private property owner reimburse the Village for the amount expended by the Village if the property owner chooses not to proceed with the project. He would like to see that a redevelopment agreement is in place to address this issue. Commissioner Sisul said he wants those terms worked out in advance. Given the time situation he would be willing to go forward; however, he does want the developer to be obliged to reimburse the Village at least for its out-of-pocket costs if the development does not go through.

The Mayor asked about the out-of-pocket expenses for Lacey Road, including developer and Village contributions. Ms. Dean said it would be about $30,000.

Commissioner Schnell said she agrees with Commissioner Sisul’s opinion. The owner is getting a study that would cost him a significant amount of money.

Commissioner Schnell addressed Manager McCurdy about a previous discussion they had to obtain a grant writer for the Village. Manager McCurdy said that will be covered in the budget discussions.

Charles Margosian , President of the Highland Management Association, said he has owned the property at Ogden Avenue and Lacey for about five years. He provided some background on the site, noting they have already put about $60,000 into environmental studies for the site. Previous owners also expended about $40,000 into the site. He indicated that he primarily builds shopping centers and office buildings. Mr. Margosian said they have put a tremendous amount of time into the subject site. They are totally committed to developing the site. He noted that developing other shopping centers have been much easier than working with this particular site. He said he wanted the Village to understand that the developer has expended a lot of time and money into the site and is committed to the development of the site. The property remains in Downers Grove and benefits the Village as well as the property owners.

Commissioner Sisul said he is not questioning the commitment of the owner up to this point. He said the Village is undertaking a rather substantial partnership with the owner at this stage to help get through a difficult phase of the project. He said his concern is that because this is a troubled piece of property there may be many reasons why a development may not go through. This study will assist the owner in covering some of the problems and will hopefully solve the environmental problems on the property. From the money already expended, it is obvious that the clean up costs will be high. The Commissioner said there is no question about the personal commitment of the owner; however, he asked that if the owner chooses not to proceed with the development they provide for reimbursement to the Village for its out-of-pocket expenses.

Mr. Margosian said he understands that concept. He noted that the clean up does not have to be done through the EPA , as there are many options. Commissioner Sisul said this option will assist them in proceeding with their project. He would like to see a redevelopment agreement between the owner and the Village.

Commissioner McConnell asked about the boring of Block 117, as some comment was made at another meeting about an alley that was a concern.

Gary Goodheart of Versar addressed the question, stating the boring locations have been determined through historical aerial photos of the property as well as fire insurance maps. There was an automobile dealership at that site at one time. He said there have been some geotechnical borings on the site previously.

Commissioner Sisul asked what the purpose was for the geotechnical borings. Mr. Goodheart said they were done for preliminary foundation design. Ms. Dean said as part of the Block 117 predevelopment process, it was determined that a geotechnical assessment was necessary to find out what would or would not be possible for the site. This was contracted separately from Versar at the Village’s direction. Versar was on site when those borings were done.

Commissioner Sisul asked about the surveys as noted in the projection of costs. Mr. Goodheart said the survey includes shell borings on the Lacey Road property to determine the level of contamination and remediation in the shallow soils.

There being no further questions, Manager McCurdy said this would be on the Active Agenda next week for Council consideration.

7. Public Safety Technology Recommendation. The Manager asked Acting Police Chief Dennis Burke and Liangfu Wu to cover this recommendation.

Chief Burke said this proposal is to relocate the VOC from the 2nd floor of Village Hall to the Police Department building. He noted there are personnel present from the Police, Fire and VOC Departments if questions arise. He then provided background information on this project.

Chief Burke said 18 months ago he was directed to research a strategic plan for public safety. He worked with all departments and determined that the VOC is the “heartblood” of the communication system. The upgrading of the CAD system became apparent. .He noted that the DuPage County Telephone Board (ETSB) plans to replace the 9-1-1 telephone equipment. This requires an upgrade of the VOC ’s dispatch consoles. To accommodate this change, new consoles have to be purchased at an amount of $275,000. The purchase led to the discussion of relocating VOC to the Police Department building. This would provide a 24-hour/7-day a week availability of personnel to meet resident needs, which is currently not available at the Police Department and will not require a full-time employee.

Chief Burke said the question arises as to how they can move another department into a building already short of space. The Records Department has operated efficiently due to the introduction of new technology. If they were to purchase an imaging system to input data it would reduce the amount of space required to hold paper files, and would eliminate the need for one staff member. The present vacancy would remain unfilled. He said Frank Schmidt, building supervisor, looked at the building. Chief Burke said the cost estimate for remodeling was $310,000; however, he explained that some of the remodeling would have to be done whether VOC is moved or not.

Chief Burke said the proposal discusses the purchase of a new generator and UPS system for the Police Department. This needs to be done regardless of a VOC move. Currently there is a generator and UPS system in Village Hall that backs up VOC . If VOC moves to the Police Department, the new generator and UPS system will back up VOC as well as the police facility. The unit at Village Hall will remain in that building to keep that building functioning in the event of power loss.

The proposal also includes replacing conduits with fiber optics. The underground conduits now in place must be replaced as one is damaged and one is collapsed. Chief Burke said the imaging system is budgeted at $65,000. Some of those funds were spent when the Fire Houses were connected to the Police network.

Chief Burke said the relocation of the VOC is the right thing to do at this time. Ann Priorello of VOC showed drawings of what the facility would look like. He explained that the east side of the existing records section would be the VOC center, with records going to the west side, and the existing Police Chief’s office would also be reconstructed.

In addition, Chief Burke said the Technology Committee has been studying the existing CAD system, which has been in place since 1991. It fulfills its basic purposes and is reliable; however, it does not accommodate all of the needs they would like it to meet. If the VOC relocates, the recommendation is to upgrade the CAD III system to a CAD V . The existing HTE has been around a long time, and has been used by many other communities. It is a relational data base system and serves the purposes for running the Fire Department’s records programs and the police records system. Upgrading will expand on what currently exists and will provide the technological advancements necessary to assist the police officers and firefighters in the field.

Commissioner Gilbert said there appear to be two phases, which include rebuilding the consoles and moving the VOC to the Police Department. Chief Burke said that they anticipate that the relocation will take place in Phase I, which includes the first phase of CAD . The CAD will be spread over three phases. The total cost to fund the project during this fiscal year will be approximately $565,000. The second phase will be the purchasing of the mobile data units, and the third phase incorporates police reporting from the squad cars.

Chief Burke said the proposal also includes a method of paying for this recommendation. He said the Police Department already has $200,00 budgeted for the mobile terminals because of concerns of Y2K malfunctions. Other than a minor date variation, the units will not be adversely affected. Therefore the recommendation is to put the funds budgeted for the mobile terminals toward the relocation project. In addition, there was a $250,000 Y2K budget established for this year, and the recommendation is to take $200,00 of that funding and place it toward the proposed relocation. VOC has budgeted $30,000 for the removal of the existing equipment, and that can be placed towards the remodeling as well. There is $20,00 remaining from the Information Services budget that can be incorporated, as well as $16,000 from the Community Oriented Policing Fund and $1,500 from the remodeling fund of the Records Department. This amounts to a total of $467,500 toward the project. Chief Burke said that Finance Director Lyons has indicated that the remaining $96,808 can be taken from the capital projects fund. It is recommended to do the remodeling and Phase I of the CAD during this fiscal year, with the remaining phases for the following year’s budget. Chief Burke reiterated that the plan is not to replace what is there but to build from what they have.

Commissioner Schnell said she thought this was a good proposal and obviously helps to streamline record keeping and provide better quality service for citizens. Her concern is that for years there has been talk about the crunch at the Police Department facility in terms of space. A large amount of money will be invested in the Police Department building. She would like some assurance that the building is structurally sound to accommodate the changes, and that they are not shoe-horning people and operations into inadequate space. She also asked whether the remodeling will affect the fiber optic line installation between the Village Hall and Police Department. Her objective is that whatever is invested now is not destroyed a few years down the road.

Chief Burke said research on this project has been going on for a long time. Existing conduits will be replaced in a location that will be the best in the event any future remodeling or expansion is necessary. He noted that they are already seeing the effects of the damaged conduit line. Repair of the infrastructure must be done.

Commissioner Schnell asked if the VOC would remain in its recommended location if the Police Department were remodeled or expanded. Chief Burke said VOC would remain in the recommended location. Consoles for the VOC are not easy to move and will be in place to stay. He believes it can be made into a good working environment for the staff and citizens.

Commissioner Gilbert complimented staff for a complete and creative report. Chief Burke also thanked everyone who has been working on the project.

Commissioner McConnell asked about the additional $96,000. Mr. Lyons said $150,000 was allocated for the Village Hall in the 1999-2000 budget; however, that project has not proceeded. The funds were placed in the Capital Projects Fund and can be reallocated to the Police project, which is in the municipal buildings program. There are other resources in the Capital Projects Fund as well, but they are not needed.

The Mayor asked when the “facilities need” report is coming. The Manager said it would be ready in the spring.

Commissioner Sisul said he has problems with this. It is an expensive project and the public safety system is based on an AS400 system purchased as a used machine in 1998. They were hoping to get about two years use out of it, and expended about $50,000 for it. The Commissioner said from what he can determine this approach is tying them in to old technology. There appear to be significant questions concerning the appropriateness of continuing with the HTE system.

Mayor Krajewski said he has similar concerns. He asked Dr. Wu to present additional information.

After a brief recess, Dr. Liangfu Wu , Information Services Manager, said Chief Burke covered the major points. He used slides to show a conceptual model of the public safety system, which is made of up four major components: CAD , Police records, Fire records, and the Mobile Units. He indicated that presently they have an HTE CAD III system that is not hooked to the Fire Department, and there are only radio connections between the mobile units and the CAD . If they move ahead with the recommended system they will move to a CAD V system.

Dr. Wu stated that the AS400 is a new system and not used. The old AS400 is out of space. There were some questions as to whether it was new or used.

Dr. Wu said that the proposed system will allow the Fire Department to communicate with the CAD system, and Police records will be connected. The major improvement will be to connect the mobile units to the system.

The Mayor said that Chief Burke said three systems were reviewed and asked if any other systems were available. Dr. Wu responded that the systems reviewed were the PRC , GEAC and HTE . There are other systems used by other municipalities. He said Woodridge has a new system installed this past month. Dr. Wu said that the Village is the only municipality using the CAD III system, while many other municipalities use the CAD IV . The Mayor expressed concerns about the AS 400 and potential problems with HTE . Dr. Wu said if they move to the recommended system, the program will be rewritten. The Mayor said that every company is rewriting programs to move away from the AS 400 . He asked whether HTE is also doing that.

Mike Young of HTE said he has been associated with HTE since 1992, and is presently an account executive for the company. He said that they have rewritten the CAD systems for windows. The AS 400 will act as a file server and will hold only the crimes application. It is a stable product and has been around for a long time. Over 600,000 have been sold worldwide and they continue to sell. He noted that there was only one problem with the system over 9 years. The relational database is already in the system, as is the operating system. It has been more of a marketing problem for IBM , than it has been one of old technology. The AS 400 can act as an NT server in addition to being a mid-range computer.

The Mayor said he still has concerns that they will have to upgrade at some point. He would like to have an outside party evaluate the overall computer system of the Village. A file server was purchased for the Public Works facility in 1997 that was not the right size. He does not want to make that kind of mistake again, and would like someone to come in and evaluate the hardware system.

Commissioner Schnell asked if AS 400s are continuing to be made. Mr. Young said they are continually being made in Rochester, Minnesota. Commissioner Schnell said if this is an older model, there is the concern about replacement.

Commissioner Sisul said that over the years the Village has run into problems of purchasing systems that never were up and fully operating. They want to be sure that they are heading in the right direction.

Commissioner Gilbert asked whether the primary user is VOC . Dr. Wu said that CAD was for the VOC . He further responded that the VOC would be supporting the HTE CAD V system with the AS 400 system. Mr. Young said that the CAD sits on everyone’s PC. The AS 400 serves as a file storage system. Commissioner Gilbert asked what makes the AS 400 system unique. Mr. Young said that their records package works on that system, and the AS 400 has worked for them for many years bringing stability, performance, and scalability of the platform. They can continue to upgrade with this system. Other platforms are continually changing.

Commissioner Gilbert asked whether HTE has consciously chosen to stay with AS 400 . Mr. Young said that they have made a conscious choice, although the marketplace is calling for NT servers. The NT does not meet the standards of the AS 400 reliability.

Commissioner Gilbert asked how difficult it would be to change from the AS 400 if something new came along. Mr. Young said the CAD marketplace is going from the code of DOS to JAVA . JAVA does not depend upon a specific hardware piece.

Tracy Adams , Police Department Records Manager, in response to questions regarding the existing AS 400 , said it has been upgraded.

Commissioner Gilbert said it is important to remember that the AS 400 is a minor part of the system. CAD V is the major part of the system. He wants to be cautious that they don’t focus too much on the AS 400 issue as it is a minor part. The Mayor said he is focusing on the $1 million. Commissioner Gilbert said he doesn’t object to a consultant.

Commissioner Schnell asked if the Gateway is an interface with the CAD system and PCs. Mr. Young said the CAD software resides on the PCs on the dispatcher’s desk.

The Mayor asked about the drawback with the PRC system. Mr. Young responded that it was a very custom designed system. It would have what Downers Grove needs but people are not using it nationwide. The PRC system is harder to support, and he believes they only have a CAD , without records, mobile or field reporting. HTE provides the total package. The Mayor said that currently there are probably 70 million people covered on the PRC system.

Commissioner Schnell asked whether the committee chose this system because they felt it was the best that would work for the Village, or because of the cost.

Ann Priorello , VOC Manager, said they formally looked at three CAD systems. They invited GEAC , HTE, and PRC to do demos. She and Ms. Adams took classes for these systems, and they did initial programming with the County’s FCC system. Further, they attend 911 conventions, and Deputy Chief Weimer viewed all of the CAD systems at a recent conference. It is very important that the dispatchers be able to use the CAD system. Dispatching is a very different type of situation. Dispatchers can listen to 13 radio channels, handle four different computer systems and 15 incoming telephone lines. Their equipment must be user friendly, easily understandable and easily trainable. She looks at different systems every year. The standards she uses are based on what is in place today. If the product is less than what they have today, it makes no sense to investigate them. The Village has been with HTE since 1986 and everything that the Village wanted to do has been supported by HTE . They are customer driven. When staff attends HTE conventions the users actually vote on what type of upgrades and changes are needed. The user defines the system. The PRC system would cost the Village $2.5 million and does not have the interfaces the Village needs. Both PRC and GEAC would support using HTE , and therefore it makes no sense to move to those systems. Upgrading to the CAD V is $200,000.

Ms. Priorello said dispatchers attended the demos, and they like the HTE product. It is superior, and can do multi-tasking, as well as many things that other products cannot. Regarding the AS 400 , Ms. Priorello said that in today’s platforms with CAD V , the AS 400 is a server. She said staff has put considerable time and effort into this project. They support the product 100%. When you sit at a computer 16 hours a day you want it to be computer friendly.

The Mayor asked about a recent lawsuit in Tacoma. Mr. Young said the matter went to binding arbitration. The Mayor asked about company ownership. Mr. Young said the company is a publicly held company. Last August, when the company went public, a new CEO and President were named. In response to Commissioner Gilbert, Mr. Young said he did not know about competitors’ lawsuits. He recommended speaking to his company’s legal staff for specifics about any of the litigation.

Commissioner Schnell said in listening to Ms. Priorello, she hears that this was investigated. She and her dispatchers feel confident that this is a system they can work with. Based on Ms. Priorello’s comments it appears that this has been tested and they looked at more than just three companies. Apparently, in their professional opinion, this system is the best for Downers Grove. It took a lot of work by staff to make sure that the recommendation is a right one. The Commissioner said she knows the dispatcher’s job is a difficult one.

Commissioner Gilbert said it is important that everyone is comfortable with this, and he is comfortable with this. If it makes others feel better to have an outside evaluation, do it and move ahead with the project.

The Mayor said that Public Works said its file server was the right one, and one year later they came back and a new system had to be bought. Commissioner Sisul added that is where he also has a problem. When questions arise and the report does not reflect what other businesses in the field can do, it makes it more difficult to decide. He understands that there is a lot of product loyalty involved here, but when there are a number of businesses in the field, the report should indicate how the field was narrowed down to the final recommendation. He hoped that the professional they bring in will have broad experience over more than one product line. He noted that the Village has been burned on a number of occasions in the past, and he is not comfortable with the lack of comparisons.

The Mayor said that when businesses put systems in at a cost of $1 million, they bring consultants to determine what the end users will use.

Commissioner Gilbert said they should do an evaluation to address the concerns of the Mayor and Commissioner Sisul. He thinks staff has done the research already and he would be comfortable with this recommendation.

The Mayor noted that Manager McCurdy met with a Mayor at the Mayors and Managers Conference who had some hesitation about the CAD system they chose. The Manager said he has a certain comfort level in working with staff’s recommendation, but he would go ahead with the consultant if that is what the Council chooses.

Commissioner Schnell said she is concerned that the consultant work extremely closely with the staff and dispatchers. There are things that cannot be communicated in writing, and the consultants should work with the staff, as well as study the system. It is important that they talk with the staff and understand what they need. The Commissioner said she is comfortable with the recommendation made by staff.

Ms. Priorello said in other applications it is easy to bring in a consultant, but she is not sure what a consultant would look at in this case. Dr. Wu put the picture together and that is what the consultant will look at. The senior console members who survived the FCC fiasco a few years ago, which was an attempt to get in line with the County’s system, all know that it was a “showboat” presentation. If the Council looks at the leading edge towns including Naperville, Westmont, Darien, Lisle, Woodridge, Schaumburg, they will see that they have all networked into the HTE because it is a tried and true product. The Village has been with it since 1986 and has not made any mistakes with the product. She said she is not opposed to bringing in a consultant; however, she has been in the business for 27 years and she does not know where they will find one. A consultant needs intricate knowledge of how the system works.

The Mayor said he wants a state of the art system for the VOC and the Village.

Commissioner Sisul said that because she and the staff are so close to the situation, it becomes more difficult for them to make the decision. He said if they have looked at other systems, it was not reflected in the report.

Commissioner McConnell said she is convinced tonight that this is the right way to go, with the caveat that the HTE system would accommodate an AS 400 change if the Village chose to make such a change. She said she has been in situations where a consultant thrust systems upon people that did not work because they did not talk to the users and understand the needs.

Commissioner McConnell asked if the VOC relocation and the CAD system are being tied together. The Mayor said that this was a 3-phase program. Chief Burke said that the first phase is the relocation of VOC . The HTE matter was brought up because relocating VOC provides a natural opportunity to upgrade the service.

The Mayor asked why the Fire Department does not want to use the system. Chief Russell said they purchased a Windows based system for about $5-$6,000 three years ago. It works well, is inexpensive, and they can use the CAD if necessary.

Mr. Lyons mentioned budgetary concerns. He said a consultant might delay this matter a few months. The funds could be moved into next year’s budget, to keep them together. He recommended diverting the funds to the equipment replacement fund if the Council chooses to go with the consultant.

Chief Burke asked that the Council approve moving forward with the imaging system. None of the HTE issue relates to the imaging.

Commissioner Schnell asked what they would do with the hard copy. Ms. Adams said it would be microfilmed and then destroyed by shredding. Records staff would no longer need to spend the time to pull the reports and copy them. This will also eliminate misfiling. In terms of the length of time to scan all of the records, Ms. Adams said it would probably not take too long. They anticipate a good baseline within two to three months.

Employee Pay Plan Revisions. The Manager said the Council heard the report of DMG Maximus, the consultant for the Village’s pay plan. They made recommendations for revisions. Manager McCurdy reiterated the Village’s philosophy to be competitive with peer cities by establishing itself at the 60th percentile range. One concern raised during the discussion of the recommendation was that it would create a compression factor. Manager McCurdy said, in reviewing that issue, he and staff have put together Options 2 and 3. Concerns were also expressed about the pay for performance system. He said he attached information for the Council to review, but does not think it is an issue for this evening’s discussion.

Manager McCurdy then reviewed the Options submitted. Option 2 would be a 100% placement into the new ranges, and Option 3 would be a 75% placement in increases over three years. Option 2 would have some initial cost impact on the Village. He noted that the recommendation is to make the provisions retroactive to December 1999. Regarding Option 2, there would be a $392,000 cost based on personnel service projections. Option 3 fits in nicely with the current projections for personnel service costs. He added that it was highly unlikely they would expend all of the money due to turnover. The Manager said he did not think either option would exceed the forecasts.

The Mayor commended the Manager for a good job, stating they have addressed the Council’s concerns and moved the Village to the midpoint range.

Commissioner Gilbert said he has supported this type of plan for a long time. He said that there are three things to keep in mind. The brackets will move with inflation, and that is where the “across the board” issue comes in. Compression will not be a problem as the brackets move along with the inflation level. Regarding the options presented, Commissioner Gilbert would be in favor of going with Option 2, as Option 3 appears to prolong the result without excessive savings. He believes this is a good year for the Village to move ahead with this.

Commissioner Sisul agreed with Commissioner Gilbert on this issue. The Council has been chasing this issue for a long time, and he would like to see it move forward and make the commitment to the employees.

Commissioner Schnell said she has no problem with moving ahead with Option 2, however, she expressed her concern that many people are still compressed. She wants to be assured that they will get their pay adjustments so the same problems do not continue to arise. She further asked how they will pay for Option 2.

Mr. Lyons said they will be going through the budget process in less than two months. He said there are funds for this budget year. They allocated an across the board amount to make sure sufficient dollars were in this year’s budget. He said they can discuss this at the budget hearings.

The Manager noted that the Village was not keeping up with the marketplace.

Commissioner Schnell said that they need to do this now.

Commissioner McConnell said that Option 2 is a good alternative. The information on performance approval was well done and helpful.

The Mayor said that Option 2 is fine with him. He asked whether this will be based on all merit. The Manager said that next year it will be on merit.

Deputy Police Chief Mark Weimer said after 22-1/2 years with the Village, he will be leaving shortly to start a new career. He commended the Village Council for what they have just done. He has seen the pros and cons and ups and downs of this over his career. He said they have made the right decision and done the right thing for the Village employees. He thanked them for their action.

There being no further discussion, the Workshop meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m.

April K. Holden Village Clerk tmh/