June 27, 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, Thomas Sisul, Michael Gilbert, Sue McConnell; Village Manager Michael McCurdy; Village Attorney Daniel Blondin; Village Clerk April Holden

Absent:None

Visitors: Press: Jason Bramwell, Downers Grove Reporter; Susie Gura, Suburban Life Graphic Residents: Willis Johnson, Tivoli Enterprises, 603 Rogers; Tom Julian, Julian Companies, 2215 Curtiss; Wally Brown, 1308 Gilbert; Jim Russ, 4915 Main Street; Barb Wysocki, Chamber of Commerce, 1015 Curtiss; Mark Zabloudil, 620 39th Street; Margaret Kadlec, 4616 Oakwood Avenue; Dave Tatterson, 1240 Gilbert; Peter Hultman, 1410 Gilbert; Marilynn Gerloff, 4241 Highland; Ross Johnson, 1311 Gilbert; Art Walker, ESCG , Salem, Oregon; Steve Schnur, Jeff Vicks, Craig Conety and Randy Tieman, Opus North, 9700 Higgins; Tom Adomshick, James J. Benes & Associates, 1755 Park Street; Howard Goldblatt, O’Brien, O’Rourke, 105 LaSalle, Chicago; Dave Stadtler, 604 Ogden Staff: Jerry Sprecher, Deputy Village Manager; Don Rosenthal, Director, Code Services; Ken Rathje, Director, Planning Services; Carol Conforti, Liaison to the Liquor Commission, Doug Kozlowski, Public Information Officer; Dave Conley, Director of Engineering; Liangfu Wu, Director, Information Services; Brian Pabst, Director of Redevelopment

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:

Water Clamps and Fittings. Manager McCurdy said this is to award a contract to supply various clamps and fittings needed to repair and maintain the Village’s water distribution system. Staff recommends awarding a contract to U.S. Filter at a cost of $36,951.36; to Mid-American Water, Inc. at a cost of $15,143.00; to Water Products Company at a cost of $1,531.46; and to Ziebell Water Service Products, Inc. at a cost of $25,775.20. The total cost of the contracts is $79,401.02, which exceeds the budget by $174.38.

Installation of Water Valves. The Manager said this is to award a contract for the supply and installation of water main valves at various locations in the Village. The Manager said a single bid was received from Free Flow Tapping & Inserting Company, Inc. at the following unit prices:

• 4 inch valve $4,230.00
• 6 inch valve $4,610.00
• 8 inch valve $4,800.00
• 10 inch valve $6,385.00
• 12 inch valve $6,555.00

Free Flow Tapping & Inserting has been the contractor for several years. Staff recommends awarding the contract to them for a total not to exceed $43,421.00.

Commissioner McConnell said the cost of the valves is $3,300 over the budgeted amount. She asked if the difference would be made up in installation or if this would be over budget.

The Manager said the budget might be a little over.

Water Hydrants and Meters. The Manager said staff recommends awarding a contract to Mid-American Water for in-house installation of 25 water hydrants at a cost of $21,012. Staff further recommends a contract be awarded to Water Resources, Inc. for water meters for $31,126. as well as another contract to Mid-American Water for replacement of 30 hydrants for $25,214.40 for a total cost of $94,350.00.

Commissioner Gilbert asked if this included hardware and installation. The Manager said it included both.

The Mayor suggested the Village look at joint bids with other communities in the future. He said Woodridge and Darien participate in a joint bid.

Office Supplies. The Manager said staff recommended Corporate Express as the lowest responsible bidder for the contract for office supplies. The amount is $15,470.00. The Manager said all of the bid items will appear on the July 18 Consent Agenda.

Opus Annexation Agreement Amendment. The Manager said this was the subject of a public hearing conducted by the Village Council on June 6, 2000. He asked Ken Rathje, to address this item.

Ken Rathje , Director, Planning Services, said the original Annexation Agreement was signed in 1986 and amended in 1989 with Homart who was the owner of the approximately 42 acre parcel of land located at the northeast corner of 31st Street and Highland Avenue. At that time the construction of the North-South Tollway had not yet commenced, the intersection of Highland Avenue and Butterfield Road was still an at-grade intersection and was rated as one of the worst intersections in the state, and 31st Street was still a two lane roadway east of Highland Avenue. The Village was anticipating that the property at the southeast corner of 31st Street and Highland Avenue (Highland Woods), which had been approved as an Office-Research Planned Development in 1985, was going to be developed with up to 1,800,000 square feet of office and hotel floor area. Homart has since sold their interest in the Highland Landmark development to the Opus Corporation.

Since 1986, a number of events have occurred which have clarified many of the development related uncertainties that existed at the time the annexation agreement was approved by the Village. These include the completion of the North-South Tollway, which has significantly reduced the amount of traffic being carried on streets such as 31st Street. Additionally, 31st Street was significantly improved into a four-lane roadway with dual turning lanes. Highland Avenue/Main Street was also significantly improved including the construction of a bridge over Butterfield Road and the provision of turning lane and signalization improvements both at 31st Street and Highland Landmark’s easterly entrance driveway. A permit was only recently issued by the DuPage County Transportation Department as there was finally an adequate level of traffic originating to and from Highland Landmark in order to satisfy the required traffic warrants.

Many of the traffic issues were based on anticipated square footage. Opus is currently in the process of completing their third office building, at which time there will be a total of 963,941 square feet of completed office floor area within this planned development.

Based on the changes that have taken place in terms of traffic handling capacity and traffic generation in the area since the annexation agreement was adopted in 1986, Opus is now requesting consideration of an amendment to modify three elements of the current regulations of the annexation agreement.

First, Opus is asking that the provisions of the annexation agreement be modified to relieve them from the obligation to construct a right turn lane at the northwest corner of Ogden Avenue and Main Street and to relieve them from the obligation to construct a second right turn lane at the intersection of 31st Street and Highland Avenue. Second, Opus is seeking to modify the terms of the annexation agreement which currently obligates them to construct a second traffic signal at the intersection of 31st Street and Opus’ westerly driveway. Opus is seeking clarification to the agreement as the County Department of Transportation has issued an opinion that it is not likely that warrants for a second traffic signal would be achieved even at full occupancy of all future buildings. Opus will post $164,000 as a traffic signal security and will be required to conduct a traffic study within six months after 80% of the last building is occupied to determine if a second signal is warranted. Final approval for such a signal must come from the DuPage County Division of Transportation in the form of a highway permit. If the County does not approve the construction of a second traffic signal, the money will be refunded.

Finally, Opus is seeking to clarify the terms of the agreement regarding the office floor area. Opus wants the discretion of allocating all of the available floor area to office floor area if they desire. Currently, the agreement specified that in order to build to the maximum floor area permitted by the annexation agreement 300,000 square feet of floor area is limited to hotel floor area only. This limitation was imposed as hotels generally generate a significantly lower peak hour traffic volume than does office floor area. It now appears that the peak hour traffic at the effected intersection is not at the critical level anticipated by the 1986 agreement. It is anticipated that there will be a maximum of 1,867 vehicles during the peak hour, which is far below the 1986/89 projection of 2,700 vehicles.

Mr. Rathje said the Council has received a copy of the language of the proposed second amendment. With the one correction made by Commissioner McConnell concerning the date, the document is ready to go forward if the Council finds it to be acceptable.

Commissioner Schnell said there was discussion at the public hearing about the County striping the right bays going westbound to northbound at Highland and 31st Street. The Manager said he has not received a response from the County.

Mr. Rathje said the engineering report indicated striping was not warranted. Commissioner Schnell said the rush hour traffic volume is there and she would like to see pressure applied for such striping.

Commissioner Gilbert said the Ogden and Main Street relief request is understandable, but he questioned releasing Opus from the obligation to construct a second right turn lane at the intersection of 31st Street and Highland.

Mr. Rathje said the County has jurisdiction over this and will not authorize a second right turn lane even under complete development. Mr. Rathje said growth has been much less than expected. Traffic growth was projected at 2% per year but has been only .2% per year.

The Mayor asked if the Village has a letter from the County’s regarding the decision not to authorize a second right turn lane. Mr. Rathje made copies of the correspondence available to the Council.

Commissioner Gilbert suggested that relief from this obligation could be a potential loss to the Village.

Mr. Rathje said not amending the agreement would result in a loss to the Village of the second signal as this requirement would end when the annexation agreement expires in 2006. He said the Village would like to maintain the viability of building that light for as long as possible.

Mr. Rathje said under any contract if one is required to receive approval of another government agency and the approval cannot be obtained, then the contract cannot be enforced. If no permit is issued, the obligation would terminate with the termination of the contract. In the agreement, Opus is agreeing to give the Village $164,000 to guarantee the construction of the light. There is an obligation to build the light up until the time that the last building is built and is 80% occupied. A traffic study will be done at that time and the County will decide.

Commissioner Sisul asked for clarification of the northwest or northeast corner of Ogden and Main.

Mr. Rathje said the agreement covers both of the turning lanes. The lane from westbound Ogden to northbound Main is partially installed although a full width additional lane was not put in. The County put in the lane from southbound Main to westbound Ogden.

Commissioner Sisul asked for clarification of Exhibits F and G. Mr. Rathje said he would provide copies to the Council.

The Manager said this would appear on the July 18 Active Agenda.

ZBA Recommendation: Special Use Buona Beef. The Manager asked Mr. Rathje to address this item.

Mr. Rathje said the Zoning Board of Appeals heard a request for a special use for a drive-up window located at the southwest corner of Downers Drive and Butterfield Frontage Road for a Buona Beef Restaurant. The property is located on the south side of Butterfield Frontage Road between Downers Drive on the east and Oak Grove Drive on the west.

The current building has 7,175 square feet of floor area. The lot is 238.03 feet by 200 feet with a total area of 44,275 square feet. The site has been vacant for some time. It has been the site of several restaurants, the latest of which was the Diamondback Steak House.

Mr. Rathje said the petitioner proposes renovating the existing building and undertaking site work along the southerly and easterly sides of the property in order to accommodate the automobile storage lane for the proposed drive-up window which is to be located on the east side of the building. Mr. Rathje described the proposed drive-up facility as having two windows – a cashier’s window and a pick-up window. In order to improve access and traffic flow associated with the drive-up window, the petitioner decided to relocate the driveway to the west of site. He said there would be significant building modifications and showed the configuration on the overhead.

Mr. Rathje said that given the location of the site, the traffic engineers recommended two conditions be placed on the proposed special use. The first is that the Butterfield Frontage Road driveway be posted with a “No Left Turn” sign for exiting traffic. The second is that the “Tee” intersection of Oak Grove Drive and Butterfield Frontage Road be striped with a solid yellow centerline in order to better control the movement of traffic through the intersection.

Mr. Rathje said the petitioner intends to remove a total of 2,530 square feet of the existing footprint of the building. There is a minimum 10% greenspace requirement. The proposed plan includes 20.50% greenspace. A minimum of 62 parking spaces is required; the petitioner will provide 63. The only comment made by the public at the ZBA meeting concerned the neighbor to the east of the property who asked about the positioning of the order boards. Mr. Rathje said the sound system will be faced to the south and not to the east, and the orientation of the order boards is to the southwest.

Mr. Rathje said the Zoning Board of Appeals has forwarded a unanimous recommendation.

Commissioner Schnell clarified that there would be no access onto Downers Drive. Mr. Rathje concurred and said there is a significant change in grade there.

Commissioner Sisul said he likes the idea of relocating the driveway to the west.

In response to Commissioner Sisul, Mr. Rathje said Buona Beef has headquarters in Berwyn, and other restaurants in Naperville, Lombard and Glendale Heights.

Commissioner Sisul said that although he has no problems with this petition, it does call into question the need for architectural standards and exercising more aesthetic input in this area.

The Mayor suggested checking with other municipalities to see what type of restrictions they have.

The Manager said this would be placed on the July 18 Active Agenda.

Liquor Ordinance – Review and Revisions. The Manager said the Liquor Commission has met several times to review the Liquor Ordinance and has recommended a number of revisions. Specifically they looked at establishing food/alcohol ratios and eliminating the current seating requirements. He asked Carol Conforti to address this item. Carol Conforti , Liaison to the Liquor Commission, reviewed the draft ordinance. She said the Liquor Commission prepared this in response to a request from the Chamber of Commerce and a local licensee to review the Liquor Ordinance as it relates to the difficulty small establishments face when trying to obtain full liquor and/or beer and wine licenses within the Village. Specifically, minimum seating requirements have discouraged and/or prevented some individuals from obtaining a liquor license. Ms. Conforti said the entire liquor code was reviewed and updated. She said the Liquor Commission reviewed the ordinance and she included the minutes of the meetings in the information provided to the Council.

Ms. Conforti said the Liquor Commission wants licensees to continue on-premise consumption and to continue to operate primarily as restaurants. Seating requirements were established to insure that licensees would act as restaurants. She said the trend is now moving toward smaller restaurants that do not qualify for liquor licenses under the current ordinance due to minimum seating requirements. By way of this amendment it is the goal of the Liquor Commission to afford more businesses the opportunity to obtain a license. She said the Liquor Commission and staff investigated different options in an effort to accommodate potential licensees while maintaining the integrity of the liquor code.

The Liquor Commission is recommending the creation of an “R” license classification which is restaurant with full alcohol, and “R-1” which is a restaurant with beer and wine. These classifications that have no minimum seating requirements, but prescribe limits on food versus alcohol sales. Under this classification, businesses must have a minimum of 60% of its sales from food. Not more than 40% of its food and beverage sales can be derived from alcoholic liquor. The “R” classifications replace minimum seating requirements with maximum alcohol sales.

Ms. Conforti said current license holders will maintain their current liquor license classifications and will be “grandfathered” in. They will not be held to the food/alcohol ratio at this point. Restaurant licenses issued after July 1, 2000 or the effective date of the ordinance will have to be in compliance with the restrictions and requirements of the “R” classification. Those licensees who could not previously qualify for full alcohol licenses and currently have just the beer and wine license will now have the ability to request a classification transfer.

Ms. Conforti said in addition to the creation of the new classification of license, the entire liquor code was reviewed and updated to specify application submittal requirements, allow for the change of license classification, outline background investigation policies, set forth provisions to provide for temporary licensure in the case of parent company transfers, and amend fine provisions. New items such as liquor delivery regulations and keg tag registration were added to help further efforts in discouraging underage consumption and receipt of alcohol. She said a few minor editorial changes have occurred since the last draft. One change was made in order that distributors would not be effected by the delivery requirements. She said she received one comment indicating that the fee for the keg tag would be a hindrance to selling kegs although he was in support of the tag.

Ms. Conforti said this amendment is intended to support and encourage economic development while maintaining values and expectations as well as the integrity of the community.

Commissioner Gilbert asked about the impetus for the delivery service provisions.

Ms. Conforti said delivery services are available on the Internet. The regulations may encourage delivery carriers who might deliver in the Village to comply with the rules. At some point perhaps sting operations could be conducted on these businesses.

Commissioner Gilbert asked if this regulation would affect any current licensees. Ms. Conforti said it would. She said both Peapod and the Downers Grove Wine Shop deliver alcohol. Under this regulation, someone over the age of 21 would have to be at home to accept delivery.

Commissioner Gilbert asked about the $20.00 keg tag deposit. Ms. Conforti said the Commission looked at other communities. The purpose is to return the keg with the tag affixed as it assists the police in investigations if necessary.

Commissioner Gilbert asked if the Liquor Commission has approved the recommendations. Ms. Conforti said the next meeting of the Liquor Commission would be in July. It was discussed at their last meeting.

The Mayor said there have been multiple meetings on this subject.

Ms. Conforti said Ordinance No. 1200, passed March 6, 1967, was when minimum seating requirements were first established. She said the Liquor Commission created new license types for Vivaldi’s and Pizza Capri; however, many others cannot meet the minimum seating requirements.

Commissioner McConnell said when this was previously discussed, one of the barriers foreseen was the ability to get information on the 60/40 food/alcohol split.

Ms. Conforti said this should be easy as restaurants maintain good records.

Commissioner McConnell referenced section 3.22.1, Business Activity Records, of the draft ordinance. She said licensees are required to provide the information we request at their expense. She asked if this was for reporting purposes.

Village Attorney Dan Blondin said that was correct. Because this is a relatively new program, the Village will set up the framework, but wants the flexibility to change the requirements. He said quarterly or monthly reports and affidavits setting forth their food and liquor sales will be required. In response to Commissioner McConnell, he said this would be at the licensee’s expense. He said staff resources are currently adequate, but fees may need to be adjusted if additional resources are needed in the future.

Commissioner McConnell asked about the timeframe for issuing temporary licenses referenced in section 3-17(b). Mr. Blondin said no timeframe was specified. The temporary license is only in effect while the permanent license is being processed. He said it could include a maximum period. He clarified that the licensee would not get a temporary license until the application is submitted.

Commissioner McConnell asked about the language for the control buy program. She said the amended fine provision will be up to $1,000 per offense. She asked if there is language enabling the Village to do control buys. Mr. Blondin said it was not necessary as it is done administratively.

Commissioner Schnell said she liked the language regarding the delivery service. She said she would like to see control buys done on this aspect of the program. She asked if the “R” classifications are replacing all classes of liquor licenses except package and brew pubs.

Ms. Conforti said the current brew pub license will remain. Any new licensees will be required to meet the 60/40 food/alcohol split.

Commissioner Schnell said she feels strongly that a restaurant must sell more food than liquor.

W. H. Brown , 1308 Gilbert, said he is the Chair of the Liquor Commission. He said this ordinance represents a major change in the liquor code. He said the approach has been to control liquor by controlling licenses. The Commission did not want saloons. He said these modifications will result in major changes in our laws. He said the ratios can be modified. He asked the Council to seriously consider approval of this ordinance.

Mr. Brown said there was an inconsistency with the D-4 license. It was not their intent to punish the brew pub with packaged goods and the draft ordinance was not consistent.

Mr. Blondin said he would modify the wording. He said the intent was that the food/liquor ratio for the brew pubs would be for on-site consumption. The packaged sales would not be factored in.

The Mayor thanked the Liquor Commission for their work.

The Manager said this would be placed on the July 18 Active Agenda.

Proposed Fee Increases for Permits and New Staffing Requests. The Manager said this is a proposal from the Code Services Director to increase building permits and fees, and to increase staffing. He asked Don Rosenthal to address this item.

Don Rosenthal , Director, Code Services, said the Village’s Building Department, as compared to surrounding and similar communities, has low permit fees and is severely understaffed. Administrative functions have been neglected in an effort to keep up with the current requests for permits, plan reviews, inspections and re-inspections. Mr. Rosenthal said there is a need to make the permit process more user friendly while reducing the time between requests for permits and the actual issuance of the permit document. He said the low permit fees provide the Village with an opportunity to generate new revenue to assist in compensating for the cost of additional staff.

Mr. Rosenthal said the Building Department currently generates $349,000 in revenue annually. The proposed fee structure would add approximately $355,000 during the first full year of operation, for a yearly total revenue of approximately $704,000. Mr. Rosenthal said he is also proposing permits for the installation of furnaces, air conditioning units, hot water tanks and roof repairs and replacements. He said this would generate an additional $75,000 to $150,000 in revenue annually. As a result, the total revenue from all sources would be between $779,000 and $854,000.

Mr. Rosenthal referred to the Fee Schedule Comparison in the schedule of fees in the document provided to the Council. He said the fees have been so low for so long that, even with the increase, the proposed fees would still be comparable to other communities. He said he feels that the community would be receptive to the increase in fees if that increase could be accompanied by an increase in services.

Mr. Rosenthal referred to the staffing charts wherein he provided a ratio of code services employees to population. The average ratio was 1:4000. In Downers Grove, the current ratio is 1:8000. Mr. Rosenthal said additional personnel will allow the department to vastly improve services. He said on-line Internet permitting could be available. This would allow most citizens to request inspections, leave comments for the inspectors, and track the progress of plans through the department. Additionally, Mr. Rosenthal recommended dividing the Village into zones. One inspector would be assigned to each zone who would have one interpretation for all the necessary inspections, thereby eliminating the possibility of residents within a zone receiving different answers to the same questions. Under this plan the code enforcement officers would work with the building inspectors and could assume responsibility for some of the most common inspections for single family homeowners, and maintenance inspections for multi-unit and commercial properties. This would allow the building inspectors more time to spend on plan review, associated inspections, and customer service.

Commissioner Gilbert asked if the fees would offset the cost of the employees. Mr. Rosenthal said the fees would not offset the cost immediately, but would eventually.

Commissioner Gilbert asked if this was included in this year’s budget. The Manager said it was not.

In response to Commissioner Gilbert, Mr. Rosenthal said the Chamber of Commerce has reviewed this plan.

Barb Wysocki , Director, Chamber of Commerce, said Mr. Rosenthal addressed the Legislative Committee and the Chamber is receptive to this proposal although this is the first time she has seen the specifics and the fees. She said the Chamber is receptive to improved customer service.

The Mayor reviewed the ratio of inspectors to population for various communities. He said the figures for Downers Grove were of the resident population, not the daytime population.

Mr. Rosenthal said the ratio would have doubled had the daytime population been used.

Commissioner Gilbert discussed the fees. He said no one likes to have fees increased or be required to pay a fee, but it does offset costs on a user basis.

The Mayor said contractors expect to pay about the same fees from community to community.

Commissioner McConnell discussed the proposal to double the staff. She asked how this would impact turnaround time and timeliness, and asked about performance standards.

Mr. Rosenthal said there will be performance standards related to timeliness. He said he hopes to have plans reviewed and permits issued within a week to nine days. It currently takes up to one month to review plans and issue permits. Inspectors have had to abandon other responsibilities in order to keep up with current requests. He said he has never seen a department with so few people produce so much work. There are currently two inspectors for 50,000 people.

Commissioner McConnell said this represents a significant resource commitment and she wants to make sure we get significant gains out of it.

Commissioner McConnell then asked how the process would work for inspections and permits for furnaces, water softeners, etc. She clarified that this would be for initial installation and also for replacements.

Mr. Rosenthal said staff will work with local businesses to allow them to collect permit fees. Additionally, residents will be able to get information from the Internet. If the work needs to be done on an emergency basis, people could log in on the Internet or call and leave a message for an inspector for the next work day.

Commissioner Schnell said she agrees with the philosophy to increase staff and improve services. She asked about the mix of residential and commercial within the proposed zones. She said commercial properties have different inspection needs from homeowners. She asked if residential and commercial zones were considered. Mr. Rosenthal said the zones were provided to allow the Council to see the plan. They are subject to change. He said the code enforcement officers would concentrate on residential properties, freeing up the building inspectors to concentrate on commercial properties.

Commissioner Schnell said she has a problem with adding fees to the expenses of those doing general maintenance work to their homes. She said if it must be done it should be kept as simple as possible. For example, if a furnace needs to be replaced in winter, the permit is needed now. She said she has a problem with charging people to put in a new furnace. She said she has never had problems with the work she has had done on her home. She said she is not convinced of the value of this.

Mr. Rosenthal said the contractor does not have to be disreputable to make a mistake. He said two sets of eyes can help catch potential problems. The inspector’s job is to make sure the item is safe. Hot water heaters and furnaces are fueled by gas and they can explode.

Commissioner Schnell said she feels this is over regulation. She said the only appliance she ever had a problem with was with a gas stove, which is not included in this proposal. She said she felt that the communities being compared were not comparable to Downers Grove. She said this is putting a burden on homeowners and contractors and she is not convinced this portion of the proposal is the right thing to do.

Mr. Rosenthal distributed an information sheet. He said 50 to 60 communities require a permit for installation of a hot water tank. This is a life and safety issue.

Commissioner Schnell said she needs more information. She said she feels $40.00 for a permit for replacement of a hot water heater is expensive.

The Mayor said Council may decide to eliminate or reduce a fee.

Commissioner Schnell said she would like feedback from major plumbing, and heating and air conditioning people regarding this issue. She would like to hear their ideas. She is concerned about how much will be passed on to the homeowners and how it works in other communities.

The Manager said staff would channel this request through the Chamber of Commerce.

The Mayor said Council may decide to change some of the items. He said he thought replacement items should be inspected.

Commissioner Schnell said she has a problem with the permit fees for replacement items.

Commissioner Sisul said this represents an upgrade of the Building Department that has been overburdened. He said there are significant safety issues involved that have not been adequately addressed. When discussing this with contractors, they need to know that this includes better response and service. He said he is encouraged by the zones. It has been difficult to get consistent rulings. He said he likes the training and increased professionalism. He said he feels the training is very important. He said he feels this plan is not out of line with the actions of other communities. He said he would welcome feedback. He said the basic plan is long overdue and he is very pleased to see it. The Council is considering new ways to track issues and it is beneficial to track at this level.

Commissioner Schnell asked about liability with respect to problems after an inspection.

Mr. Blondin said the Illinois Tort Immunity Act would protect the Village. The Village is immune from failing to enforce any law.

Commissioner Schnell said she is concerned about the fee and administration as it relates to replacements. She said she would like to hear more from the businesses in town as to whether this is something they can handle.

Mr. Rosenthal said from a code enforcement perspective, there is no difference between new construction or replacement.

Commissioner Schnell said if someone is without heat they will put in a furnace regardless of a permit. Mr. Rosenthal said that was a valid concern and something his department will address.

Don Scheidler , Code Enforcement Officer, said he would not expect contractors to wait. He would expect them to do the repair and then contact Code Services.

Willis Johnson , 603 Rogers, said he applauds what is being said regarding permits. He said the department should not have to generate its own budget. Other departments do not have to pay for themselves. If the fee structure is out of line, the department should not be penalized.

Wally Brown , 1308 Gilbert, he was concerned about the application of this proposal for anything other than commercial buildings. He said there is a need for certified craftsmen licensed to operate in the Village. He is against replacement permits and finds this proposal to be intrusive.

Dave Tatterson , 1240 Gilbert, said he does not understand how this will work.

Mr. Rosenthal said residents could call and leave a message or set up an appointment on the computer. The next working day the work would be inspected.

Mr. Tatterson said he has problems with how it will work.

Dave Stadtler , 604 Ogden, said he has been a contractor for over 40 years. At one time he was required to have a license in the Village, but now he is only required to have an electrical license. He said he feels standards are missing. Some contractors are not qualified. They are not required to pass a test or to be certified. Standards would result in fewer problems. Mr. Rosenthal said he agrees but he does not have the manpower to enforce this. The zoned concept allows him to address this issue.

Mr. Stadtler said he feels licenses should be required, as should tests and bonds.

Mr. Rosenthal said this was a valid concern.

Commissioner Gilbert said there are safety and licensing concerns, and they are two separate issues. One of the most popular calls in the Fire Department is for gas leaks in either new or replacement equipment. He said the Village has had several incidents due to gas leaks in water heaters or furnaces. He said inspection is reasonable.

The Mayor asked Mr. Stadtler if he would work with the Chamber’s Legislative Committee.

The Manager said this item was for information purposes only. He will provide additional feedback.

Consultant Report: Public Safety Computer System. The Manager said this is to update the Council on the Public Safety System Project. As a result of Council questions during a presentation by the Village’s Technology Committee, an outside review of the recommendation was ordered. Emergency Services Consulting Group (ESCG) is a public safety technology firm specializing in looking at the operations of 911 centers and dispatch centers. The Manager introduced Art Walker from ESCG and asked him and Dr. Wu to review the findings.

Art Walker , ESGC , said his firm was asked to conduct an independent and non-biased review of the Village of Downers Grove public safety system including the computer aided dispatch and the records management system currently being used by the Village Operations Center. Further, they were asked to make recommendations regarding upgrading, replacing or maintaining the Village’s current public safety computer system.

In completing the Phase I report, ESCG interviewed Village staff to get their perspective on the important elements of a public safety computer system. The Village currently utilizes a Computer Aided Dispatch System based on the HTE CAD III , which operates on an IBM AS /400 midrange computer. ESCG has recommended that the HTE CAD III system be replaced in order to take advantage of many of the new technologies that are supported by modern systems. Village staff recommended an upgrade to HTE ’s CAD V based on a review of three systems. ESCG , however, has reported that there are 20 to 25 vendors that have good systems and support. ESCG has completed the phase 1 report and has recommended that the Village move to the next phase of the project to go out for an RFP and look at as many different vendors as possible including HTE . The Village will have an opportunity to use a rating system to establish a point system. The vendor with the highest points wins the bid.

The Mayor said this was a very good report. He thanked Commissioner Sisul for forcing this review. The Mayor said he also had concerns regarding HTE . He said many of the people from HTE are no longer with the company. He said the Village nearly spent $800,000 on a system that was not thoroughly examined. He said he was glad to have the report. He commented on the systems of various surrounding communities.

Commissioner Schnell said this was a very good report.

Liangfu Wu , Director, Information Services, said the recommendation is to go forward with the second phase of this project and to hire a full-time public safety system technician.

Commissioner Schnell asked if the staff person would report to Information Services. Dr. Wu answered that the person would be an Information Services staff member specializing in the public safety system. This person would be sworn in as a public safety officer.

The Manager said this would be placed on the July 18 Active Agenda.

CBD Consultant Services. The Manager said this concerns the selection of a new engineering firm for the final phase of the Central Business District improvements. He said staff solicited proposals from engineering firms to undertake the design for the next phase involving next year’s project of the redevelopment of the CBD . Four firms were interviewed and consideration was then narrowed to two firms. They are Engineering Resource Associates and RJN Group both located in Wheaton. They were asked to prepare final cost estimates, which were quite competitive. Staff recommends RJN Group, Inc. be awarded the contract in the amount not to exceed $216,220 for Phases I & II of the CBD engineering. Proposals were received for Phase III involving construction engineering, but at this point the Village intends to do the construction engineering in-house. Staff is seeking approval of the entire contract with approval to proceed on Phases I & II only. The Manager asked that this contract be approved on July 11. The Manager said RJN submitted the lower proposal only by about $700. The contract includes other components including looking at providing an access chamber to the tube through which St. Joe’s Creek flows, as well as undergrounding utilities along Washington, and some preliminary work to realign Washington Street as it proceeds south.

Discussion on Community Response Center. The Manager said a r eport was issued by the Community Response Center Team consisting of Commissioners Sisul and McConnell, and Village staff members Doug Kozlowski, Liangfu Wu, Jerry Sprecher, David Hankes, Lori Livergood and Ellen Dean. Ellen Dean is no longer with the Village. He asked Doug Kozlowski and Dr. Wu to discuss the report.

Doug Kozlowski , Public Information Officer, said this report is the result of many months of planning and research. He said the team was charged with examining ways to enhance the Village’s effectiveness in dealing with requests and complaints, and improve the overall communication between community members, staff, and the Village Council.

Mr. Kozlowski said the process began with a series of discussions regarding what the end product would accomplish. These discussions resulted in the understanding of the need to track, in an automated fashion, the variety of calls and written correspondence to both staff and Council requesting specific services or the resolution of a particular problem. The recognized goal was excellent customer service response to the community.

Based on the research of various organizational models and software tools, the team developed the recommendation for the implementation of the Community Response Center (CRC). The criteria for the selection of the software included factors such as the level of understanding of the company as it relates to the business of municipal government, the product’s ability to be a fully web based application with an easy to use interface, and the capability for full tracking and archiving functions as well as reasonable pricing.

The team reviewed four different products and made a trip to Schaumburg to view an automated municipal tracking operation in the Chicago area. The team has recommended TrackWise, a software package that meets the criteria and will enable the efficient handling and follow up operations for tracking complaints and requests. Mr. Kozlowski said a centralized response center is recommended as the team feels it will provide a true response system with a clearly designated place to call for any and all concerns. He said implementation will require the addition of one new full-time staff member with a strong emphasis on customer service who will be trained on the TrackWise software. The position will function in concert with the switchboard operators. The Center will be assigned a new telephone number. It is proposed that the CRC coordinator along with the switchboard position fall under the auspices of the Public Information Office. Training on the TrackWise system will be provided to these positions as well as to department heads and their designees. It is intended that the rollout of the CRC coincide with an overall enhanced customer service initiative designed to promote a renewed sense of awareness among all staff members of the organizational mission statement, voice mail etiquette, and public interaction.

Mr. Kozlowski said the switchboard will be trained to know to direct calls to the Community Response Center (CRC). The CRC staff person would input the complaint or concern. Calls of a simple nature would be answered on the spot rather than put in the system. Through the point and click interface of the software, calls would be routed to the appropriate department responsible for solving the problem, logging it on the software, and posting the action. The Public Information Officer would then close out the matter. Mr. Kozlowski asked Dr. Wu to discuss the software.

Dr. Wu said this will be a fully web based system. People will have to access to it and the Council can log on to check the status of work. It is a Windows and web based system. A number of applications were reviewed. The Village will have a pool of 20 licenses, proper training will be required, and a maintenance fee is included in the price.

Commissioner Sisul said the Council felt this was very important. Certain functions were delegated to teams. He said he and Commissioner McConnell were very pleased to work with the staff and appreciated their efforts.

He said they looked at Schaumburg’s system. He said they felt it was a service they would like to see added to our community. He said this is the cutting edge of development as there are not that many other communities that have been able to do this. He noted that major metropolitan areas have developed similar systems so that it is possible for a resident to enter a problem, know that it has been received and is being worked on, and have a good expectation as to when they will received an answer. People will be able to track their request on the Internet. It can also be monitored internally. It will enable the Council to track constituents’ requests for information. It should be a great tool and aid to the community.

He said they reviewed two types of systems – a centralized and decentralized system. Considerable time was spent analyzing the systems and the software. He said this system is Internet responsive as well as useful to those that do not have computers. A caller could use a telephone to track their concern.

Commissioner McConnell addressed the process and the ability to work together with staff. She said they explored buy vs. make and felt that trying to make a system was not appropriate. She said TrackWise met their needs without the hassles and hazards of having to develop it. She said she felt it was the only system that had most of the things they wanted.

Commissioner McConnell said it is not the intention to put the web enabling feature out for the citizens in Phase I, but rather to get the center up internally. The web site would be put up in Phase II so people can access it through their Internet access at home and through our web page.

She said they discussed the centralized vs. decentralized approach numerous times. She said the only way to have the clear accountability and responsiveness they are looking for was to go to a centralized system. It is centralized on the front and back ends and decentralized in the middle so that the individual departments have responsibility.

She said this is part one of a number of community response activities that can be done.

Training will involve not just the citizens response group but everyone else who interacts with people. She said it is necessary to look at ways of instilling the ideals and the attitude we are trying to evolve and to make sure these elements are included in the training programs.

The Mayor said this will be a great system for the residents and the Council will be able to run queries, look for trends, and monitor response time.

Commissioner McConnell said it could be pre-programmed to allow the system to assign a timeframe for response to certain kinds of requests, which can then be tracked.

The Mayor said this will enable him to monitor requests without having to call the Village Manager. It will be a nice tool for the Council.

Commissioner Schnell asked about the ability of a resident to track their complaint. She asked if they would be able to access complaints other than their own.

Dr. Wu said callers would be assigned a number and will have to use that number to track the status of that case only. They will not be able to browse through the system.

Commissioner Schnell said the Council members all get calls from people who want to maintain their anonymity.

Commissioner Sisul said security was a big concern. He said there were a number of ways to keep a level of security they would all be comfortable with.

Commissioner Sisul said he was recently in New York and he had occasion to contact the Mayor. He said they have a very similar system. He made a comment directly to the Mayor and received a response about a week later. This indicated to him that someone had read his comment. He received a personalized response. He said he hope we can give our citizens a personalized response.

Deputy Village Manager Jerry Sprecher said staff is asking for approval on July 11. He said staff is looking at a 3-6 month window to get the system up and running.

Commissioner Schnell asked about training for the Council.

Wu said it would be provided. He said the Village’s trainer will be trained, and will then work with other staff.

Commissioner McConnell said part of the purchase price includes training. In addition to the core group, every department will have some people trained because they will also use the system.

The Mayor thanked the staff and Commissioners Sisul and McConnell.

The Manager said this will be on the agenda for July 11 in order to maintain the price quoted for the TrackWise system.

ATTORNEY ’S REPORT

Mr. Blondin said he had no report tonight.

MAYOR

The Mayor said there will be no Council meeting next Tuesday, July 4. The next meeting will be the Workshop meeting of July 11, 2000.

COUNCIL MEMBERS

Commissioner Gilbert said the Community Events Commission was pleased with the Heritage Festival. He asked for comments from the Council and the public. He said the thought the layout worked well. They would like to make some changes to the railroad crossings. He thanked staff for all their efforts. He said it was a tough year for the staff as they were out in the rain much of the time.

The Mayor said he received positive feedback on the layout. He said the barricade at the tracks worked well. He said the staff did a tremendous job. The Festival was closed down Saturday night due to water on the electrical wires. He said there were approximately 3000 people at Fishel Park on Sunday night.

Commissioner Gilbert said preliminary reports show that Sunday’s attendance made up for the low turnout on Friday and Saturday nights. He said Sunday was the busiest day he has ever seen. He said he feels they reached their financial goal due to the increased attendance on Sunday and by careful planning throughout the year to save money.

The Mayor said it was nice to have the Council booth. He said there were many positive comments about this. There was a large number of requests for Village maps and considerable interest in the bike path. He said all requests will be answered.

Commissioner Sisul said the comments he received were positive. He said he liked the setup and the way the Festival was spread out as well as the setup of the Beer Garden and stage.

Commissioner McConnell said she heard many positive comments. She said the only concern she heard was about the crossing at the railroad tracks. She said people appreciated the police helping those with strollers and wheelchairs. She said there were more visitors at the Council booth this year than last year.

The Mayor said George Swimmer commented about the barricade and helpful assistance from the police department.

Commissioner Gilbert said the Community Events Commission debated whether to leave the tracks open or to put up barricades. He said he was disappointed that, with the exception of one person working for four hours, outside agencies did not help with the crossing. The Community Events Commission Safety Committee plans to change that intersection next year. He said there were uniformed officers at the site all weekend.

The Mayor complimented the paramedics on their work and response time.

The Manager said the Festival will come close to meeting revenue projections.

The Mayor said the band and fireworks worked together perfectly. He said Peter Noone signed autographs all evening.

Commissioner Schnell asked if any mosquito spraying or other abatement activities have been done. She said the mosquitoes are very bad in certain areas. The Manager said he would provide a report.

The Mayor said he had two additional items:

He read a letter of appreciation from Boy Scout Troop #99 for the program Officer Heinrich and police dog Passo presented.

The Mayor said he mentioned last week that the Village received an application for a grant program through the State of Illinois Liquor Control Commission that will provide money for a controlled tobacco buy program. These funds will be used to help prevent youth from illegally obtaining cigarettes and will also be used for education programs. The program is funded by the tobacco settlement. Chief Ginex and staff have submitted the application.

The Mayor said a ribbon cutting ceremony to re-open the east side of Curtiss will be held on Saturday, July 1, 2000 at 9:00 a.m. Senator Dillard will present a check for $500,000 to be spent on the downtown. The Mayor thanked Senator Dillard for his efforts in securing these funds.

The Mayor reminded the audience that there will be no meeting next week. The next Workshop will be July 11, 2000.

There being no further discussion, the Workshop meeting was adjourned at 9:20 p.m.

April K. Holden Village Clerk tmh/