October 25, 2005

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 Council Chambers of the Village Hall.

Present:Mayor Brian Krajewski; Commissioners Marilyn Schnell, Sue McConnell, Martin Tully, Ron Sandack, Stan Urban, William Waldack; Deputy Village Manager Dave Fieldman; Assistant Village Manager Mike Baker; Village Attorney Enza Petrarca; Village Clerk April Holden

Absent:None

Visitors: Press: Kevin Stahr, Downers Grove Reporter Residents: John Schofield, 1125 Jefferson Avenue; Patti Marino, 803 Curtiss; Gordon Goodman, 5834 Middaugh; Chris Rintz, New England Builders; Laura Stedronsky, Baird and Warner Staff: Keith Sbiral, Director, Planning & Community Development; Mary Scalzetti, Director, Tourism & Events; Police Lt. Bill Budds; Dorin Fera, Traffic Engineer

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

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

Consent Agenda Items

E-Local Link Presentation. Mayor Krajewski said this item has been removed from the Agenda.

Elevator Maintenance Agreement. Assistant Village Manager Mike Baker said that this item authorizes a 20-year maintenance agreement for the Parking Deck elevators. The one-year warranty has expired. This is a sole source with Otis and the annual cost is $5,937.12 which will escalate based on the terms of the agreement.

License Agreement: For Installation of Antenna Equipment. Village Attorney Enza Petrarca said this agreement is to install an antenna for Voicestream for five years, with two five-year extensions. The fee is $2,350 per month with a 4% increase each year thereafter.

Bid: Fleet Maintenance Facility Interior Painting. Mr. Baker said this item is for painting the fleet maintenance facility by GP Maintenance Services in the amount of $32,600. There were six bids received and GP Maintenance is the low bidder.

Highway Authority Agreement. Ms. Petrarca said that 7-Eleven owns property at 6300 Main Street which has a contaminated tank beneath the soil. The Village owns the property in the alley adjacent to the property which has also been contaminated. 7-Eleven is seeking a no further remediation letter, and they must enter into a Highway Authority Agreement with the Village which provides for protection of that property. 7-Eleven will indemnify the Village if costs are incurred to correct problems caused by the contaminated soil.

Bid: Exterior Security Cameras and Digital Recording System. Mr. Baker said staff is recommending purchase of cameras through a grant from the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System, which will fully reimburse the cost of the equipment.

Commissioner Schnell asked whether these could be moved if a new Village Hall is built.

Lt. Bill Budds said they are movable.

Commissioner Waldack asked if anything has been missed by not having had these cameras installed. Lt. Budds said it is difficult to say what was missed, but there have been incidents in the past where cameras would have been beneficial.

The Mayor asked whether the 52 cameras in the parking deck are monitored. Lt. Budds said they are monitored in the VOC . Dispatching duties take priority, but as time permits VOC staff monitors what is happening in and outside the deck. In further response, Lt. Budds said that each floor has cameras designated on the video management system and they can bring up each floor of the deck. If there is an emergency, and an emergency button is pressed, the system responds to that alarm. He said that the new system can be preset on a timer to show up to 16 screens at a time.

Intergovernmental Agreement with DuPage County re: Water Shut-off. Ms. Petrarca said this Agreement provides for the release of water consumption data to the County for their calculation of sewer billing and further provides for the disconnection of water service based upon non-payment of sewerage charges, at the request of the County. She said that the Village has been providing water consumption data to the County for some time. This agreement provides that the County will pay the Village $36 per month to provide that data to them. Secondly, the County will be asking the Village to shut off water of those delinquent sewer accounts based upon documentation.

The Mayor asked about unincorporated areas and whether the residents can go back on their wells if the water is shut off. Attorney Petrarca said no, they cannot. The wells are sealed off.

Commissioner Waldack asked about reimbursement to the Village once water is disconnected. Attorney Petrarca said once the sewer payment is made to the County the Village would reconnect. In the event that water service remains disconnected at the County’s request past 60 days, the Village will be able to recoup lost water revenues as well as other fees.

The Mayor noted that some residents received a notice of lawsuit and he asked for a report on that so the residents understand what this is about. Attorney Petrarca said this does not involve the Village. She will report on this next week.

Active Agenda and Informational Items

Heritage Festival Annual Report. Mary Scalzetti, Director of Tourism and Events, provided the annual report for the 2005 Heritage Festival, giving some background information. She said this 24th Festival report shows that 96.2% of the expenses were covered. If expenses for the 4th of July events are included, then a total of 90.1% were covered for the combined events. Ms. Scalzetti said that the Heritage Festival had a $15,000 deficit, and after the July 4th activities, the deficit was about $43,000. The Community Events Fund was able to cover that amount, and has a balance of $213,300. She said she was pleased with the results and will continue to work toward making these events self-sufficient. With the Curtiss Block plan in the future, they are also looking at a new layout for the upcoming Festival. There are three proposed layouts under consideration which will be reviewed next week. She thanked her staff and all of the Village staff for their work.

The Mayor said the events were very successful despite the heat. He noted that the Heritage Festival sponsorship included Rosol Construction, Sam’s Wine & Spirits, and Sunquest Vacations who were among many that contributed to the Festival.

Mayor Krajewski asked about the bands for the Parade, and Ms. Scalzetti said that some of these were shared with other communities with the costs split at 1/3 each. She said Hinsdale spends the most of the communities. Downers Grove spent $2,200 less than it did last year.

Commissioner Tully thanked Ms. Scalzetti and her staff, as well as the overall Village staff for a fine Heritage Festival. He appreciated the report. He added that of the three layouts being considered for next year, there is a strong leading preferred choice.

Commissioner Urban noted that the report is very easy to read and the presentation is excellent. He mentioned item HF401which is a split cost for fireworks and asked how the total is split. Ms. Scalzetti said the total is $21,000 and the cost is based upon the population. In regard to Euclid Beverage, she said Tourism & Events puts out a bid for the non-profit group to run the beer garden. They then go with their distributor.

Commissioner Waldack said he also appreciated the report and said it was a great Heritage Festival. The Staff did an excellent job. He asked how the Temptations performance was received. Ms. Scalzetti said that was the only paid act, and they didn’t sell all of the tickets. She said revenue was set aside for them to cover expenses. There was about $15,000 generated from the ticket sales.

Commissioner Waldack also commented on the appreciation lunch. Heritage Festival affects all staff either directly or through their co-workers. He said he would like to see the appreciation luncheon continue. It is helpful to morale. Regarding the Pepsi sponsorship he said he recognized early on that this would be a mistake. He does not know how water translates into the number of attendees. Pepsi advised that 1,732 cases of pop and water were sold. He believes the feedback from the not-for-profits shows that this hurt them, and the cost was high for residents as well. He would hate to see Heritage Festival taken over by sponsorship. In regard to attendance, the Commissioner said that as more groups are brought in they bring in their families and members, and they stay and ride the rides. He agrees with the decision made regarding the parking deck. The group did a good job of handling traffic, and he would consider keeping that project. The problem seems to be with the way the group was chosen. He asked how the group’s name came up and how they were chosen. Ms. Scalzetti said that an e-mail was received saying that someone from the J. Kyle Braid group was looking to be involved, and Tourism and Events was looking for someone to be involved as well. She said that J. Kyle Braid sold tickets last year and was very reliable. They also had experience with a parking deck in an event in Naperville.

Commissioner Waldack said they did a good job, but there were doubts expressed as to how they were chosen. He noted that the report mentioned that there will be an RFP for next year. He thinks this is a good idea to open up the process. He reiterated that this was a good report.

Mayor Krajewski said that Commissioner Tully called him about the J. Kyle Braid group. The Mayor noted that many scholarship candidates list their participation in this group on their resumes. The Mayor then asked if there was sponsorship for the Temptations and Ms. Scalzetti said that Rosol was a sponsor. The Mayor asked if this will be done again, adding that there is a balancing act to be performed in finding sponsors, yet not making it a corporate event. He said that the Council needs to provide direction as to sponsorship.

Commissioner Tully congratulated them on essentially breaking even. The Tourism and Events Commission has been directed to make this a break-even event. He said they may need to discuss subsidizing the event with taxpayer dollars if a change in this direction is being considered. He read from page four of the report regarding the Pepsi America Sponsorship stating that it was a pilot program brought in for the first time. He asked when the report analyzing the program is expected. Ms. Scalzetti said it will be discussed at their December meeting.

Commissioner Tully continued, stating that they have to carefully review the program and the inclusion of not-for-profit groups, as this is an important activity for not-for-profits. Ms. Scalzetti said that many festivals charge not-for-profits. Commissioner Tully then said that it is not fair or accurate to say this is turning into a Pepsi-fest. He noted that a number of sponsors contributed more to the Festival than Pepsi, so it is unfair to refer to it as the Pepsi-fest.

The Mayor asked about adding a question about attending the Festival in the future citizens’ survey. Ms. Scalzetti said there were no questions on the Festival in this past survey, but she will look into this.

Commissioner Schnell said the comments she received about the Pepsi issue concerned a lack of communication and inclusion in the process. She said including the not-for-profits is very important, and all the information needs to be sent out to the groups. It is important to dispel the notion that decisions were made in secret. Ms. Scalzetti said there are always some communication problems with the information getting to the right people. She said they will post information on cable as well to reach more individuals.

Ms. Scalzetti said Patti Marino of the Tourism & Events Commission and Laura Stedronsky of Baird and Warner have been active participants in Heritage Festival. This year they helped perform the economic impact study.

Laura Stedronsky , Baird and Warner, thanked the Village for giving Baird & Warner the opportunity to give back to the community. She noted that Baird & Warner is celebrating their 150th year.

Commissioner Tully thanked them for the report, stating it is not an easy task to measure intangibles. The reports were an excellent start at measuring the impact.

Ordinance & Budget 2006 Heritage Festival. Assistant Village Manager Baker said this Ordinance is for the Heritage Festival and July 4th Event.

Mayor Krajewski asked if the not-for-profit organizations provide a copy of their non-profit status from the State as a part of their application. Ms. Scalzetti said they provide their State ID number. The Mayor recommended a copy of their actual State status.

Commissioner McConnell said she has been one of those who has asked that Heritage Festival be as cost neutral as possible. She added that the philosophy toward non-profits should not be changed. She then thanked staff for providing the estimated cost regarding preparation.

Planned Development: Acadia on the Green Redevelopment Project. Deputy Village Manager Fieldman said the Council recently approved the redevelopment agreement for this project. The plans submitted and reviewed by staff adhere to the redevelopment agreement standards, and the materials and design meet the high standards the Village is seeking. Staff recommends approval.

The Mayor thanked Chris Rintz and New England Builders for their work on a good plan and project.

Commissioner Schnell said it was good to hear the summary at the Plan Commission meeting. There was a lot of public input in the process. Two issues were raised at the Plan Commission meeting. One issue concerned loading and unloading for the businesses, and she stated that the alley behind Building 1 will be paved which will be an improvement to traffic flow. Secondly, the subject of overnight parking was raised and she asked that staff develop a plan regarding overnight parking. Mr. Fieldman said they are forming a team to do just that. The issue is only related to overnight guest parking. Commissioner Schnell then thanked the Plan Commission for attending another special meeting. She said they are putting in a tremendous amount of time and doing an outstanding job.

Commissioner Sandack said he is thrilled that they are at this point in this project. It has been deliberate, sometimes slow, but the work product and the result will all be worth it. The plan is consistent with the downtown Master Plan. He thinks this will be looked upon as an integral step to moving the downtown to be all that it can be.

Commissioner Waldack said three exceptions were being requested at the Plan Commission meeting regarding right-of-way, loading and unloading, and the overnight parking. Regarding parking, there are 1.2 spaces per unit, not 1.4 as generally required. He noted that people in attendance were concerned about the parking issue. The Commissioner said he can go along with the parking exception as it was mentioned from the beginning of the project; however, he would like to look at this issue on a going-forward basis. He believes they need to look at guest parking and overnight parking, and will have to create some type of plan for the downtown area. He would not like to send the wrong message to other developers. He added that he is looking forward to the beginning of construction.

The Mayor thanked Commissioner Waldack for his comments. He then asked about the tandem stalls, saying he heard that there is a way to fit two cars into one space. Deputy Manager Fieldman said that they count as 1 in the Village’s calculation.

Commissioner McConnell echoed some of the previous comments, and said that the overnight parking is not an issue related specifically to this development, but she would like something in place by the time Building 1 is in place. She thinks the variations are well documented and is anxious to see the new building there.

Commissioner Tully said this project has been extraordinarily transparent and public, and he is looking forward to this. The Village has had a big hand in this project, and standards for the Special Use and Planned Development approval are clearly met. He said that the exceptions are diminimus. He agreed that overnight guest parking is an issue with or without this project. He noted that the Village has historically not allowed overnight parking in the downtown area, but he believes that has to be revisited.

Mayor Krajewski said people living in apartments in the downtown area who have no parking have approached him. They have been ticketed often, and he asked whether some temporary spaces were available in the lot at Maple and Main. Deputy Fieldman said they have not made spaces available at that location. The Mayor asked about surface parking for those who live in the apartments. Deputy Fieldman said staff would look at this issue.

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS

Public Safety Committee

Commissioner McConnell said Public Safety met and discussed the tow seizure ordinance that went into effect September 12. There have been 104 arrests and $39,000 assessed in administrative penalties. There have been no major glitches in the process. In addition, they had a preview of a presentation by the Fire and Police Officers who were in New Orleans for the Katrina Hurricane relief efforts. They have good stories and feedback.

The Mayor asked how many of the 104 arrests were DUI ’s. Commissioner McConnell said she would have staff look into this.

The Mayor asked for a motion to move into Executive Session. Commissioner Tully moved to go into Executive Session pursuant to Section 2©(3) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act to discuss the selection of a person to fill a public office. Commissioner Urban seconded.

VOTE : AYE : Commissioners Tully, Urban, Waldack, Sandack, McConnell, Schnell and Mayor Krajewski. The Mayor declared the Motion carried and the Council went into Executive Session at 7:40 p.m.

The Council returned to open session at 8:05 p.m.

ATTORNEY ’S REPORT

Village Attorney Enza Petrarca said she was presenting six items to the Council: 1) A resolution authorizing a license agreement between the Village of Downers Grove and Voicestream GSM I Operating Company, LLC to install, maintain and operate an antenna on Village Property (Downers Drive water tank); 2) A resolution authorizing execution of a tiered approach to corrective action objective agreement between the Village of Downers Grove and 7-Eleven, Inc.; 3) A resolution authorizing execution of an intergovernmental agreement between the County of DuPage, Illinois and the Village of Downers Grove for the provision of water consumption data and for discontinuation of water service on delinquent sewer customers; 4) An ordinance regarding the 2006 Heritage Festival; 5) An ordinance amending the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of the Village of Downers Grove, Illinois to designate Acadia on the Green as Planned Development No. 37; and 6) A resolution approving the final plat of subdivision for the Acadia on the Green Subdivision. She noted that she is not reporting on the additional item on the Workshop agenda regarding appointments to boards and commissions.

COUNCIL MEMBERS

Commissioner Waldack noted he has 18 stitches as a result of a fall at home. He commented on the striping on Dunham Road, noting there are bike lanes on both sides of the road and parking on the east side between 71st and 67th Streets. He said cars have driven on the bike lane, which is a matter that needs to be addressed. The bike path is an addition to the Village.

Commissioner Schnell noted that the Character Counts Pancake Breakfast is October 29 at Ballydoyle’s from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. It is in conjunction with the downtown face painting.

Commissioner Urban said this is a weekend for goblins in Downers Grove. He noted Moonlight Madness will be held on Friday.

Mayor Krajewski said several board appointments will be coming forward. He asked the Council to let him know if there are any questions.

There being no further discussion, the Workshop meeting was adjourned at 8:09 p.m.

April K. Holden Village Clerk tmh