Arlington Economic Alliance

AGENDA ARLINGTON ECONOMIC ALLIANCE Community Room, 3rd Floor Arlington Heights Village Hall, 33 S. Arlington Heights Rd. Arlington Heights IL 60005 March 18, 2026 7:30 AM I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Minutes 11/19/25 IV. PRESENTATION A. Diane Malik, Business Services, Arlington Heights Memorial Library V. REPORTS A. Development Update B. Arlington Alfresco Update C. State of the Village- Update VI. OLD BUSINESS A. Manufacturing Trade Show-Update from Commissioner Iverson VII. NEW BUSINESS A. Review and Adoption Open Meetings Act and Rules VIII. OTHER BUSINESS IX. PUBLIC COMMENT Anyone wishing to speak on a subject not on the Agenda may speak at this time. Please limit your comments to three minutes. X. ADJOURNMENT Persons with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services, such as an American Sign Language interpreter or written materials in accessible formats, should contact the Health & Human Services Department, at 33 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005, healthmail@vah.com or 847/368-5760. Page 1 of 14 Page 2 of 14  DRAFT MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE ARLINGTON ECONOMIC ALLIANCE HELD ON NOVEMBER 19, 2025 AT 7:30 A.M. AT THE VILLAGE HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: Andrew Stengren – Chairman Kerri Oots Marc Poulos John Toliopoulos Tony Guido Tonia Etoh Terry Iverson Heather Larson Michael Mulder Brian Roginski Andi Ruhl STAFF PRESENT: Emily Rodman – Director of Planning & Community Development Kim Biederman – Economic Development Manager Darko Bojin, Assistant Planner ALSO PRESENT: None I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Andrew Stengren called the meeting to order at 7:30 AM. II. ROLL CALL III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 The meeting minutes of September 24, 2025 Arlington Economic Alliance meeting were reviewed. MR. MULDER MOVED AND MR. ROGINISKI SECONDED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE DRAFT SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 ARLINGTON ECONOMIC ALLIANCE MEETING MINUTES. ALL ALLIANCE MEMBERS VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION. IV. REPORTS A. Development Update Ms. Rodman updated on the following: 1. International Plaza/Golf Crossing Development a. Plan Commission application has been received. b. Staff will be meeting with the commercial developer, Shorewood Development, later today. Urban Street will be developing the multi-family affordable housing. c. The RDA is still under negotiation. 2. Pep Boys (375 - 425 E. Rand Road) Plan Commission application is currently under review for redevelopment into two stand-alone commercial and restaurant uses and one multi-tenant commercial building. 3. Tasty Breads (600 W. University Ave) a. Currently an 81,000 SF vacant building. b. Received approval for Land Use Variation and Class 6b incentive. Page 1 Page 3 of 14  DRAFT c. Village Board will consider request for 13,000 SF building in December. 4. Zero Interest Loans The loan committee recently approved a $25K standard loan for EMH Motors (955 W. Dundee Road) for interior upgrades, primarily electrical in nature, along with new parking lot and light poles. 5. Class 6b Request for renewal from DevLinks (3933 Ventura) in January, 2026. B. Arlington Alfresco Ms. Rodman shared that two debriefing meeting have been held. One was with residents and the other with downtown businesses. The residents meeting was well received and stated that it keeps getting better each year was the overall sentiment. The business meeting received good feedback as well. Highlights were police related, Harmony Fest was not beneficial to the restaurants and that perhaps Alfresco could remain open during Harmony Fest. The Vail Promenade is still being discussed at the Board level. Plans are being taken to business to get their individual feedback on the design, and at a future date to the Chamber for review. A public meeting will be held in January as part of the grant requirement, currently waiting to hear from IDOT. C. Economic Alliance Budget Ms. Rodman shared that the budget for 2026 will be $16,900, up $200 from last year. In 2025, $5,500 of the allocated budget was spent. This year we left the budget roughly the same with the Alliance looking to hold a second event. Next year we will be kicking off the Downtown Master Plan and the Alliance may use these funds to host an event around the plan. $100k has been budgeted to complete the plan beginning early 2026. Commissioner Iverson expressed an idea of residents attending the International Manufacturing Trade Show, perhaps we could provide bus for the day in support of manufacturing in the Village. This is the 2nd or 3rd largest trade show in the world. Discussion amongst commissioners were in support of engaging students and parents in this type of support of this type of event in the community. Suggested leading the group through the trade show, educating, and providing transportation. More discussion to be held at the January meeting. Commissioner Stengren introduced Kim Biederman, and Ms. Biederman shared a short overview of her background. V. OLD BUSINESS - NONE VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Meet Chicago Northwest – Restaurant Week Commissioner Larson distributed packets of information regarding Chicago Northwest’s 12th Annual Restaurant Week, with 25 Arlington Heights restaurants taking advantage of the free promotion. There is a budget of $40K amongst eight communities, that begins in January. This year will be more selective to traditional menus, with a toolkit and template Page 2 Page 4 of 14  DRAFT being provided to help the restaurants create menus. A new visit guide will be printed and the ad campaign begins January 15, 2026. B. Proposed Date for “State of the Village 2026” Ms. Rodman shared that Mayor Tinaglia has agreed to do participate again this year and we are looking to pick a few dates to check calendars. Tentatively looking at March 10th or 12th, with preference of Thursday, at the Metropolis Ballroom. Ms. Biederman shared the idea of table sponsorship and decorate the tables around the room. It was brought to attention that there may not be enough room. Follow up at the January meeting. VII. OTHER BUSINESS None VIII. PUBLIC COMMENT None Commissioner Ruhl brought the idea to connect the Alliance with the community’s Public Arts to keep the Arts developing with the community. This initiative could potentially align with the Downtown Master Plan and our Arts Commission could help with your insight. Adjournment HEATHER LARSON MOVED AND ANDI RUHL SECONDED A MOTION TO ADJOURN. ALL ALLIANCE MEMBERS VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION. The meeting adjourned at 8:46 AM. Andrew Stengren, Chair Arlington Economic Alliance Prepared by Department of Planning & Community Development Page 3 Page 5 of 14  3/18/2026 Item: Review and Adoption Open Meetings Act and Rules Department: Planning & Community Development Item Description: ATTACHMENTS: 1. Public Hearings Memo 2. AH Public Body Form Public Comment Rules 3. AH Memo Public Comment and Public Hearings Page 6 of 14 Date: 3/18/26 To: Economic Alliance Committee From: Kim Biederman, Economic Development Manager Attachments: 1) Open Meetings Act Memo 2) Public Comment Rules In an effort to create consistency across all of the Village’s Boards and Commissions, Planning and Community Development Staff, in conjunction with the Village Attorney, have provided an informational memo regarding how to conduct the public comment portion of Board/Commission meetings (along with public hearings) in compliance with the Open Meetings Act. Staff has also included “Rules Concerning Public Comment and Participation”, which are being recommended for adoption by the Village Manager’s Office and Village Attorney. Please review both documents in preparation for discussion and adoption at this meeting. CC: Emily Rodman, Director of Planning and Community Development Michael Lysicatos, Assistant Director of Planning and Community Development Page 7 of 14  Elrod Friedman LLP Model Form RULES CONCERNING PUBLIC COMMENT AND PARTICIPATION A. OVERVIEW: 1. Authority These rules concerning public comment and participation (“Rules”) are adopted pursuant to Section 2.06 (g) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act (“OMA”), and are intended to provide an opportunity for members of the public to address public officials during a public meeting (“Public Comment Time”). 2. Applicability These Rules apply to meetings of the Arlington Economic Alliance (“Public Body”). These Rules supersede any rules governing public comment at public meetings previously adopted by the applicable Public Body. These Rules are not intended to govern “public hearings” of the Public Body. 3. Intent a. Public Comment Time is intended to allow members of the public to address the Public Body on a topic that is germane to matters within the specific purview and jurisdiction of the Public Body. b. Unlike a “public hearing,” at which testimony is presented under oath and may be subject to examination by, and dialogue with, public officials and others in attendance, Public Comment Time is strictly limited to comments made by a speaker to the Public Body. Public Comment Time is not intended to be a forum for open dialogue or engagement. The Public Body is under no obligation to respond to any public comment, or engage with any speaker, during the public meeting. The Chair may direct Village staff to respond to questions or issues raised in a public comment at an appropriate time after the public meeting. B. GOVERNING RULES: 1. Public Comment Required a. Except as expressly provided in these Rules, the agenda of every regular and special meeting of the Public Body must include a reservation of time during the meeting for 1 4909-7531-2519, v. 1 Page 8 of 14  Elrod Friedman LLP Model Form Public Comment Time. b. Subject to these Rules, the Chair will recognize any person desiring to speak during Public Comment Time. c. Public Comment Time is reserved for comments on matters that are not the subject of a specific agenda item at the same meeting. If a person desires to speak during Public Comment Time about a matter that is the subject of a specific agenda item at the same meeting, public comment will be allowed at the discretion of the Chair during that agenda item. If no public comment will be allowed during the specific agenda item, then the person must be allowed to speak about the matter during Public Comment Time, subject to these Rules. d. Unless the meeting is a remote meeting in accordance with the provisions of the OMA, any person desiring to make a public comment must do so in person at the location at which the public meeting is taking place. As provided in Section B.6 of these Rules, written comments may be submitted to the Public Body, but written comments will not be read aloud during Public Comment Time. 2. Time Allotted a. No speaker may speak during the Public Comment Time for more than three minutes, unless the Chair designates a longer time period for that meeting, which designation must occur prior to the commencement of Public Comment Time on the agenda and must be applicable to all persons making comments during Public Comment Time at that public meeting. b. A speaker that is representing, or speaking on behalf of, an individual, group, or association will not be allocated additional time regardless of whether they are speaking for or on behalf of multiple people. c. A speaker may not yield time to another speaker. 3. Speaker Guidelines and Requirements a. Each speaker must state and spell their name in a clear manner so that it can be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. 2 4909-7531-2519, v. 1 Page 9 of 14  Elrod Friedman LLP Model Form b. Speakers will not be required to state their home address; however, the Chair may ask the speaker to state whether or not they are a resident of the Village. c. If a speaker is representing, or speaking on behalf of, an individual, group, or association, the speaker must disclose that representation. d. In the interest of promoting the efficient conduct of public business, speakers should refrain from repeating their own comments and comments that have previously been provided to the Public Body by other speakers. e. All public comments must be directed to the Chair and the members of the Public Body, and not to any member of the audience or Village staff. f. All speakers should be respectful of the Public Body and the audience members, and should be courteous, polite, and civil. g. No speaker may engage in conduct or speech that is imminently threatening to any person, that incites violence, or that is obscene. h. No speaker may engage in conduct that is disorderly and that disrupts or interferes with the ability of the Public Body to conduct the public meeting. 4. Public Comment Procedure a. All persons intending to speak during Public Comment Time must sign up on the Village’s written sign up form supplied in the meeting room, and deliver that form to the Chair prior to the commencement of Public Comment Time on the agenda. b. The speaker must speak only from the specific location in the public meeting room designated by the Chair. 5. Enforcement by the Chair: a. The Chair has the authority and the direction to strictly enforce these Rules, and to do so in a fair and consistent manner. b. The Chair may interrupt a speaker in order to enforce 3 4909-7531-2519, v. 1 Page 10 of 14  Elrod Friedman LLP Model Form these Rules, and may limit the comments or take the floor from any speaker who the Chair determines is violating these Rules. c. Any person that the Chair determines is violating any of these Rules may be required to terminate their comments and vacate the podium or be subject to other action as deemed necessary by the Chair. Additionally, the Chair or a majority of the members of the Public Body may require that person to leave the premises of the meeting. 6. Written submissions. a. Any person has the right to provide written comments to the Public Body by addressing those comments to: Arlington Economic Alliance 33 S Arlington Heights Rd. Village of Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Or Arlington Economic Alliance Planningmail@vah.com and delivering the comments via any of the following methods: i. by personal delivery at the front desk of Planning and Community Development between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; ii. by mail, courier, or any similar delivery service; or iii. by email to planningmail@vah.com. b. All written submissions received for the Public Body will be provided to the members of the Public Body. The Chair may, in the Chair’s sole discretion, elect to read aloud any written comment received by the Public Body during a Public Comment Time of a public meeting, but has no obligation to do so. 4 4909-7531-2519, v. 1 Page 11 of 14  350 North Clark Street Second Floor Chicago, Illinois 60654 312-528-5200 www.elrodfriedman.com Hart M. Passman 312.528.5193 hart.passman@elrodfriedman.com Memorandum Date: December 11, 2025 To: Village Department of Community Development From: Village Attorney Cc: Village Manager Re: Best Practices for Public Comment and Public Hearings At your request, our office has prepared this best practice guide regarding public comment and public hearings during board and commission meetings. The purpose of this memorandum is to summarize the legal framework governing public comment, outline recommended best practices for managing public comment time, and clarify key differences between public comment periods and public hearings. I. Public Comment and Public Meetings Section 2.06(g) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120/2.06(g), requires that every single public body – including all Village boards and commissions – provide time at public meetings for public comment. Further, the Illinois Public Access Counselor has interpreted Section 2.06(g) to require all public bodies to establish and record written rules for public comment at public meetings. Public comment time is intended to allow members of the public to address a public body. Accordingly, Village boards and commissions may not cancel or truncate public comment time at their public meetings. II. Establishing Rules and Best Practices Municipalities may establish time place and manner restrictions for public comment, just as they can under the First Amendment for any other public forum. A few examples of rules for public comment time are as follows: • Individual Speaker Limit: o Limit each speaker to a fixed time (e.g., three minutes), unless the Chair decides otherwise before the comment period begins. o The same time limit must apply uniformly to all speakers during public comment at that meeting. • Group Representation: 4900-1112-5109, v. 3 1 Page 12 of 14  o A speaker that is representing, or speaking on behalf of, an individual, group, or association will not be allocated additional time regardless of whether they are speaking for or on behalf of multiple people. o A speaker may not yield time to another speaker. • Overall Time Limit: Some local governments have established a total maximum time for public comment (e.g., 30 minutes), unless extended by the Chair prior to the start of the comment period. If adopted, such a rule should include clear parameters for selection of the commenters at each meeting (and those parameters must be agnostic as to the substance of the comments). While the First Amendment protects a wide range of speech, a local government may restrict speech and conduct in certain circumstances. Specifically: • Speakers may not engage in conduct or speech that is threatening, incites violence, or is obscene. • Speakers may not engage in disorderly conduct that disrupts the meeting (and speakers and attendees alike should be discouraged from clapping, cheering, or booing). • The public body may prohibit public comment that is not related to the public body’s jurisdiction or purpose. • The Chair may interrupt or limit a speaker’s comments to enforce the adopted rules. • The Chair may require a speaker who violates the rules to end their remarks or leave the meeting. Public comment time is not intended to be a forum for open dialogue or engagement. Neither the Chair, nor any member of the commission or of Village Staff, is under any obligation to respond to any public comment, or engage with any speaker, during the public meeting. Indeed, as a general rule, we discourage debate or back-and-forth exchanges with speakers during a public meeting. To debate in public allows the commenter to hijack the meeting, and also denies the Village the opportunity for more careful, planned dialogue of sensitive issues. However, the Chair may direct Village Staff to respond to questions or issues raised in a public comment at an appropriate time after the meeting. It is generally advisable for public bodies to adopt rules for public comment. At your direction, we can prepare form rules for consideration. III. Public Hearings In contrast to general public comment time, public hearings are formal proceedings, often required by statute or ordinance, focused on a specific matter, such as a zoning application or development proposal. Key distinctions that differentiate public hearings from public comment are as follows • Testimony during a public hearing is given under oath. • Participants may be examined or questioned by the Plan Commission, staff, or others present. • A public hearing record is legally significant and forms part of the evidentiary basis for the Plan Commission’s decision. • Whereas public comment time can be used for discussion of any topic germane to the public body, testimony during a public hearing must be restricted to the subject of that hearing. 4900-1112-5109, v. 3 2 Page 13 of 14  • Whereas a public body can decide when, during a meeting, it will entertain public comment – and can refuse to entertain public comment at all other times – the body must allow public testimony during the hearing itself, as part of the hearing. • Whereas public bodies should get a uniform time limit for speakers during public comment, and should extend the same uniformity requirement to the general public that offers testimony during a formal hearing, public bodies should not limit the applicant to that time limit. This is because the applicant for relief bears the burden of persuasion, and therefore should be afforded the full time needed to present its case. The rules and best practices set forth above for public comment time should also be applied during a public hearing. Most importantly, the public body should provide the same amount of time to each speaker during a public hearing. IV. Summary of Recommendations • Provide public comment at all board and commission meetings. • Set a time limit for each public commenter, and apply it uniformly. • As a general rule, refrain from responding to or debating public commenters. • Adopt rules to govern public comment. 4900-1112-5109, v. 3 3 Page 14 of 14