City Council

MINUTES CITY OF DEKALB SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING JUNE 1, 2017 The City Council of DeKalb, Illinois held a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on June 1, 2017, in the City Council Chambers of the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 South Fourth Street, DeKalb, Illinois. Mayor Smith called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. A. ROLL CALL City Clerk Herrmann called the roll, and the following members of the City Council were present: Alderman Pat Fagan, Alderman Kate Noreiko, Alderman Michael Verbic, Alderman Anthony Faivre, and Mayor Jerry Smith. Alderman Bill Finucane arrived at 5:01. Alderman David Jacobson arrived at 5:07 p.m. Absent: Alderman Michael Marquardt. Also present were: City Manager Anne Marie Gaura, Assistant City Manager Patty Hoppenstedt, City Attorney Dean Frieders, Police Chief Gene Lowery, Deputy Fire Chief Jeff McMaster, Community Development Director Jo Ellen Charlton, Information Technology Director Marc Thorson, Economic Development Planner Jason Michnick, and Principal Planner Dan Olson. B. STEAM LEARNING CENTER PHASE II DISCUSSION. Mayor Smith provided an overview on the purpose of a Committee of the Whole meeting in reference to this project. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt provided background information on the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Learning Center project. She stated that a feasibility study was developed by RATIO Architects in partnership with City staff, Northern Illinois University’s (NIU) Center for P-20 Engagement, the DeKalb Firefighter’s Historical Foundation, and Proudly DeKalb. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt further stated that the results from the study indicated strong evidence to support feasibility. The STEAM Learning Center project coincides with the DeKalb 2025 Strategic Plan Vision of a Sense of Place and the Vision of Community Vitality and a Vibrant Downtown, as well as several specific FY2017 goals. RATIO Architect Sarah Wood used a Power Point presentation to go over the results of the Phase I Feasibility Assessment and provided information on some of the key missions of the STEAM Learning Center. She mentioned that RATIO collaborated with City staff, members of the NIU Center for P-20 Engagement, and other work groups to gather the information being presented. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 2 of 14 Ultimately, out of 11 possible sites for the STEAM Learning Center, the different work groups were able to identify the Monat Building and the Mooney Property as the two most ideal buildings in the downtown area to host the facility. RATIO Architect Matt Rueff stated that through discussion, different work groups were able to establish that DeKalb has a very broad network of schools, which would potentially transform this project from a City of DeKalb project into a regional project. Using a Power Point Presentation, Mr. Rueff was able to share the success of similar facilities across the country. He mentioned that DeKalb has a much larger foundation for starting a STEAM Learning Center than other communities who have seen these projects flourish. Mr. Rueff briefly discussed different ownership options, possible financial obligations of the City for the project, and mentioned the opportunity for private investment in reference to the use of the Mooney Property for the location of the facility. Ms. Wood reiterated Phase I plans and referenced the 104 page document given to Council containing that information. The document is available on the City’s website. She continued her presentation with RATIO’s recommended schedule for Phase II, which includes seven different tasks: 1. Program Planning 2. Fundraising Planning 3. Site Selection and Real Estate Planning 4. STEAM Learning Center Design 5. Cost Estimating 6. Operations and Financing 7. Phase II Report Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt returned to the podium to facilitate a Question and Answer discussion between City staff, RATIO, and Council. 1. What is the appropriate site for the STEAM Learning Center? Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt provided an overview of the two candidate sites – the Monat Building and the Mooney property. Based on the results of the Phase I feasibility study, the Mooney property is believed to be the best candidate for site redevelopment. However, considering historical use of the building for automotive repair and similar activities, moving forward with Phase II could possibly increase the potential cost. City staff recommends further assessment of the Mooney property to develop assumed costs for the new construction before returning to Council with site at a later date. Mr. Rueff mentioned the possible eligibility of Historic Tax Credits (HTC) if Council decided to utilize the Mooney property for the STEAM Learning Center. He also stated that the property owner (Mike Mooney) has ties to the community and could be interested  Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 3 of 14 in a partnership. It is his belief that the HTC could bring investment into the project as a whole. Alderman Noreiko asked if City staff and work groups looked for a site based on range of square footage and specific configuration. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt responded that during Phase I, there were different activities, along with research, that the work groups participated in to determine the best configuration and square footage of the potential site. Alderman Noreiko asked how large the WonderLab Facility in Bloomington, Indiana is. Mr. Rueff answered that the WonderLab is just over 15,000 square feet. He also noted that the team overseeing the WonderLab was able to quickly determine that their space was not big enough. Many of their storage areas are overfilled and they experience many other logistical issues. Alderman Fagan asked what it would mean to have a partnership with Mr. Mooney. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt replied that that information would be covered in the Governance Structure section of the presentation. Alderman Finucane asked what kind of remediation the property would need considering its long history as an automotive dealership and repair facility. City Attorney Frieders answered that an assessment had not yet been completed as a part of Phase II. He also stated that a full environmental assessment would be performed if Council decided to choose the Mooney property as the site location. Through that process, there would be a well-developed cost of remediation, and if it was determined to no longer be feasible based on those findings, it may be more logical to look into other options. Ms. Wood shared with Council that during a tour with Mr. Mooney’s real estate professional, they were able to acquire the Phase I environmental assessment. She mentioned that the assessment was done between five and 10 years ago and this is simply a basis for moving onto a Phase II environmental assessment. City Attorney Frieders clarified that a Phase I environmental assessment would not cover the same amount of depth as a Phase II environmental assessment would. He stated that City staff does recommend a further analysis be done on the site. Alderman Jacobson asked if the Phase I environmental assessment included the presence of asbestos. City Attorney Frieders replied that he didn’t know the answer to the question. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt echoed City Attorney Frieders, stating she was also unaware if there was any testing done on the site for the presence of asbestos. Alderman Jacobson shared his personal experience in environmental testing as a commercial property owner. He stressed the importance of having that kind of testing done and having those results analyzed to be able to see exactly what remediation would look like. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 4 of 14 Alderman Verbic stated that the City has many different competing priorities with tax increment financing (TIF) funding. He asked if a new City Hall building had been considered to be combined with the STEAM Learning Center in order to make the project more feasible, and to address more items on Council’s priority list for TIF funding. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt replied in the affirmative. She stated that this type of meeting is ideal for getting specific Council recommendations or feedback that City staff should consider as they proceed to Phase II. There was discussion between Mayor Smith and Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt regarding the different creative ideas that the work groups have preliminarily discussed in order to better utilize TIF funding. Alderman Jacobson asked Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt about the development of a TIF phase-out plan. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt responded there is a section in the presentation designated for that type of question and it would be helpful to finish discussion relating to the first item, site location, before moving on. Alderman Jacobson mentioned that in the past there was discussion regarding the GE (General Electric) plant being a possibility for site location. He asked if the Egyptian Theatre was ever considered as a possible site location. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt replied it that The Egyptian Theatre was not considered as a recommendation for a site location. Alderman Jacobson asked what the size of The Egyptian Theatre is. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt responded that she did not know. Mayor Smith recalled from the Phase I report that a downtown location was a major factor in the consideration of specific sites. He also stated that the project was meant to be a catalyst for more activity in the downtown area. He suggested to keep the focus on downtown DeKalb. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt stated that key stakeholders in the project want to meet the Revitalize Downtown DeKalb goals, as well as the two related visions in the City’s strategic plan. She also stated that the location of the facility, as it relates to the downtown area, was a main factor in deciding which sites were feasible. 2. What is the optimal governance structure for the STEAM Learning Center? Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt stated there are a number of potential structures to consider based on the experience of other successful ventures that RATIO has participated in. She stated that RATIO recommends a public-private partnership as a newly created, 501(c)(3) tax exempt, not-for-profit as the operational entity for the facility. She mentioned that this option presents advantages and disadvantages that will be discussed later in the presentation.  Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 5 of 14 Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt provided information regarding specific functionality of the facility under this type of structure. She continued her presentation with an overview of the other possible governance structures for the STEAM Learning Center. Mayor Smith clarified that a long-term lease could go to a not-for-profit organization or the City, depending on the governance structure that Council decides to move forward with during Phase II. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt confirmed and continued with her overview of the other possible governance structures for the STEAM Learning Center. Alderman Noreiko stated she doesn’t want the City to get into the business of running and controlling a STEAM Learning Center. She doesn’t believe that the City’s involvement in the ownership of this type of facility is central to the primary mission. However; she stated she would want the City to have input and involvement in the STEAM Learning Center operations because the City has already made a significant investment. She recommended that consideration be given to a member of City Council as a liaison to the board of the STEAM Learning Center, whether it be as a voting or non-voting member. Alderman Verbic asked if the property would remain on the tax rolls if it were privately owned. City Attorney Frieders stated that some educational facilities are exempt from property taxes and it would ultimately depend on the use of the facility. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt mentioned that the first floor of the Mooney property has been identified as essential and sufficient to the type of programming the facility would maintain. She also stated that the second floor could potentially be used for private development, which would remain on the tax rolls and would bring in additional revenue. This flexible use of the Mooney property was one of the main factors in considering it to be the preferable site for the STEAM Learning Center. Alderman Jacobson mentioned that the City, as an owner, would still have the option to collect taxes from the tenant of the facility. He asked Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt to confirm his statement, which she did. Alderman Jacobson continued, theorizing that the City could effectively charge those taxes on the tenant and collect them back as an ROI (return on investment) investment. Alderman Jacobson provided historical reference and connection to a similar situation regarding The Egyptian Theatre. He stated that a not-for-profit board, with City ownership of the building, would be his preference for a governance structure. Alderman Faivre expressed that he was in favor of having a not-for-profit board as a part of the governance structure, but he was not in favor of the City having ownership of the building. He brought up the possibility of the STEAM Learning Center being unsuccessful, which would leave a huge financial burden on the City as the owner of the property. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 6 of 14 Alderman Finucane asked RATIO what type of governance structure the WonderLab in Bloomington, Indiana is using and how much university involvement they’re receiving. Mr. Rueff responded that the City of Bloomington, Indiana is not involved with the governance structure of the facility but they do participate in terms of community engagement. He went on to say that the facility operates under a not-for-profit organization and the University of Indiana has one or two existing members on the board of the WonderLab. He also mentioned that along with volunteer staff and students, the University of Indiana is involved in the day to day operations of the facility. Alderman Finucane pointed out that the University of Indiana has a larger campus and student population compared to NIU. He added that it could potentially impact the level of involvement they are able to provide. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt referred to Marilyn Bellert, Manager of the P-20 Engagement Network at NIU, and Patty Sievert, Director of STEM Outreach at NIU. Ms. Bellert stated that she can recall at least 700 students volunteering at the 2016 STEM Festival, which included teaching scientific ideas to children for the entire duration of the festival. She also stated there are several hundred NIU students working in the programs offered by STEM all year round. She continued to discuss the extensive involvement of NIU students and staff, almost entirely through volunteer work, and mentioned some of the specific activities they engage in and offer to the community. Ms. Sievert, in tandem with Ms. Bellert, discussed the extensive involvement of volunteers that participate in STEM related community events. She also stated that a STEAM Learning Center would provide an opportunity for enhanced experiential learning for students, especially those who are involved in specialized internships. Alderman Jacobson asked Ms. Bellert and Ms. Sievert to clarify where else NIU is committed to taking partial responsibility for the project. He expressed that through his own personal discussion with staff at NIU, he has received little or no positive feedback or support for this project. Ms. Bellert replied that NIU has continuously and openly stated, since 2012, that they could not participate financially in the STEAM Learning Center. NIU is interested in promoting a partnership with the City for the facility, but there is no funding available to them to provide financial responsibility or ownership. However, she mentioned that NIU Vice President Kaplan has decided that the STEAM Works staff from the P-20 Center would work at the STEAM Learning Center. She went on to declare that program ideas for the facility will come from the NIU campus and the staff at the P-20 Engagement Network could deliver more, and better, programming through the STEAM Learning Center. Ms. Bellert stated that the P-20 Engagement Network anticipates being key to the facility programming, and that there are six staff members able to be directly involved.  Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 7 of 14 Mayor Smith read a portion of a letter from NIU President Baker regarding the lack of monetary support for the project from NIU, but reiterated their dedication to program support. Ms. Bellert expressed agreement with President Baker, and mentioned NIU’s potential involvement in future fundraising. Mayor Smith repeated the earlier mentioned importance of corporate support and involvement in the project and asked Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt if RATIO representatives have the ability to put forth some substantive possibilities to reach out to for that support. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt referred to Mr. Rueff who stated that the corporate entity would more than likely have a seat on the board of the STEAM Learning Center. 3. How should the operational funding be obtained? Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt provided three options determined by the Phase I Assessment. Alderman Fagan and Mr. Rueff discussed elements of the WonderLab and how it would relate to the options for the STEAM Learning Center. Mr. Rueff stated that WonderLab operates as a stand-alone facility, with the revenue coming from paying customers and from fundraising. He told Council that the city of Bloomington, Indiana does not provide financial support to WonderLab outside of specialized events. Alderman Jacobson asked Mr. Rueff if the city of Bloomington, Indiana provides any building improvement or subsidies to WonderLab. He replied no, but they occasionally have certain government grants available to them as a municipality that they acquire in partnership with WonderLab. Alderman Jacobson asked Mr. Rueff if WonderLab’s budget document included in the Phase I Feasibility Assessment was their staffing budget or their total operating budget. Mr. Rueff replied that the document included their total budget. Alderman Jacobson asked Mr. Rueff how much fundraising WonderLab required in order to break even at the end of the year. Mr. Rueff replied that he would need to look back at the document to gather more information. Alderman Fagan asked for clarification on WonderLab’s financial status as a not-for-profit organization. Mr. Rueff declared it was in good financial standing. Ms. Wood added that her team analyzed the annual reports of all the available facilities used as a reference in developing the STEAM Learning Center project and stated that she would be willing to provide those documents to Council. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 8 of 14 Ms. Sieverts commented that the main focus should be on serving the community and not generating income through admission. She specifically mentioned the facility needing to be able to serve children, families, and low income families with corporate and foundational support. She reiterated that the mission is to reach the community. Alderman Noreiko asked if the DeKalb School District (D428) has shown any interest in the project. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt discussed her presentation of the information regarding the project to the key leadership team of D428 and affirmed that they are going to play a key role as stakeholders. She verbalized the importance of the D428’s involvement in order to better understand the learning needs of the students and to transform the STEAM Learning Center into a key learning destination for students of all ages in the community. Alderman Noreiko suggested that City staff and work groups offer an opportunity for the Kishwaukee YMCA to be involved in the project. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt stated that the Kishwaukee YMCA is certainly involved in the project, as well as North Western Medicine and Kishwaukee Community College. Alderman Faivre pointed out that on page 105 of the document provided to Council for the implementation plan, approximately 30% of the budget would be via fundraisers every year. Alderman Jacobson provided historical perspective on budget issues within the City for other projects such as the DeKalb Public Library and The Egyptian Theatre. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt stated that City staff will continue to move forward under the assumption that the facility will not receive any operational funding from the City, until given different direction from Council. 4. Should the City complete a Fundraising Capacity Analysis? Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt provided an overview on the subject, as well as a reminder that the feasibility of the center is not based just on structure, but also needs to be properly funded for structural and operational costs. She provided the definition of this specific analysis and gave three different options for Council to consider in moving forward with the study. Mayor Smith pointed out that the first option, not conducting the Fundraising Capacity Analysis, is not actually a viable option. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt stated that the analysis will take between three and eight months to complete, depending on the level of detail that is included, and it would enable the City to have a detailed understanding of the project options and cost associated with it.  Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 9 of 14 Mayor Smith asked Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt if the cost of the Fundraising Capacity Analysis would be included in the initial cost of $400,000 to RATIO. She replied in the affirmative. Ms. Wood provided a general description of a professional fundraising consultant and their scope of duties. Mr. Rueff reminded Council that the other critical aspect to consider is that this funding is not going to be specific to the City of DeKalb, this is going to be a regionally funded project. Ms. Bellert provided historical perspective on fundraising for other City projects. She also provided personal experiences with fundraising, donor interactions, and corporate donor possibilities. Alderman Noreiko recognized the time constraints for the project and the desire to run concurrent pieces of Phase II. She expressed concern that the City may get ahead of itself and commit to the project before the feasibility analysis is done. Alderman Noreiko would prefer that at least a portion of the preliminary data would indicate that the project would continue to move in a positive direction. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt acknowledged Alderman Noreiko’s concerns and stated that if Phase II was approved by Council, City staff would immediately conduct a meeting with professional fundraising consultants. If the results indicate a lack of fundraising support then that information would be relayed to Council. She assured Council that the City is only going to be paying for services that are realized. Discussion ensued regarding the importance of City staff keeping Council up to date on all matters regarding the feasibility of the project. RATIO Architect Craig Smith assured Council that he will bring obstacles regarding the project to their attention. He discussed similar projects that he has overseen and his interaction with other professionals that handle the development of projects of this nature. Alderman Noreiko let Mr. Smith know that if the results of the assessment are not favorable to the City, it would not be considered a failure. She emphasized the importance of honesty, directness, and a prompt response from RATIO representatives. Mr. Smith agreed and provided information regarding the qualifications of himself and his team. Alderman Verbic asked Alderman Jacobson if upfront monetary donations would ease his financial concerns regarding the project. Alderman Jacobson provided historical perspective on past projects the City has been involved in. He again mentioned the necessity of a TIF phase-out plan before the City can dedicate financial support to another project. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 10 of 14 Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt clarified that RATIO is not charging a separate fee for a professional fundraising consultant and that they will be utilizing already established connections as part of the proposal. Discussion ensued between Alderman Jacobson and Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt regarding the details of RATIO’s involvement in the hiring process of a fundraising capacity consultant. Mayor Smith asked Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt if the cost of hiring a fundraising capacity consultant would be included in the original $400,000 discussed in the proposal. She replied yes. Mayor Smith asked Mr. Smith to clarify that one of the first components of Phase II would be the determination of the financial analysis, and if it were determined that there were no support from the community to raise funds, RATIO would notify the Council. Mr. Smith affirmed the Mayor’s summary of communication between him and Council members. Mr. Smith stated that in his experience, the more specifics the analyst has about a project, the better information they can gather pertaining to financial commitment from donors. Alderman Faivre suggested the Council break Phase II into different parts, Phase II (a) and Phase II (b) in order to get a better idea of preliminary cost and expectation of fundraising. Alderman Jacobson discussed the use of TIF funding as it relates to this project and reiterated that Council needs a better picture of a TIF phase out before making any decisions regarding the designation of TIF funds to the STEAM Learning Center. He expressed agreement with Alderman Faivre about splitting Phase II into two different parts. Alderman Verbic stated that he would need to see a finalized analysis on the project before he will agree to vote on anymore TIF expenditures. 5. What will the City’s contribution towards the capital costs of the project be? Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt stated that based on discussion of the Council, it has been assumed that the City will provide some of the capital cost for the project. She continued on to say that the exact dollar amount would be determined once the City has completed Phase II and has an understanding of the project costs. Additionally, she added that City staff is currently working on a TIF phase-out plan with Economic Development Planner Michnick and plans on presenting this information to Council by the end of summer 2017. She continued on to discuss some of the components of Phase I and how it relates to TIF funding. Mr. Rueff provided information regarding the contribution from the city of Bloomington, Indiana to WonderLab for the purpose of getting the facility going.  Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 11 of 14 Mr. Smith commented that City contribution would be a great benefit to getting other fundraising from the community. Economic Development Planner Michnick indicated that City staff is working on a plan to identify expenses and look at revenue projections. He also stated that City staff is in the process of re-evaluating priorities and will present these findings to Council before the budget process. Alderman Jacobson expressed confusion regarding Economic Development Planner Michnick’s role in the TIF phase-out analysis. Alderman Jacobson asked Economic Development Planner Michnick if there had been any attempt to relieve management burdens on those accounts, and if so, how did that burden fall into the Community Development Department. City Manager Gaura discussed her knowledge of the TIF phase-out plan that is currently being worked on by City staff and referenced a document that contained an exact dollar amount for the decrease in reliance of TIF funding by the City. Alderman Noreiko stated she is willing to indicate strong interest in the City making a monetary contribution to the STEAM Learning Center. However, she is unwilling to specify a dollar amount until Council is aware of the full scope of potential obligations or possibilities. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt followed up by telling Council that question number five of the discussion agenda was meant to be in preparation for a future Council decision, but it would not require an immediate response. She assured Council that City staff is aware of their concerns regarding overall feasibility of the project, and their feedback is essential to its development. Alderman Faivre mentioned the Cornerstone development and the possibility of additional similar projects that would affect the City’s priorities, suggesting to the community that now is the time to present new community development ideas to Council. He also recognized that the Council needed to make decisions about the City’s priorities for investment. In response to Alderman Jacobson’s earlier confusion regarding the involvement of the Community Development Department in the TIF phase-out plan, Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt assured Council that the responsibility of TIF management has remained in the Community Development Department. She explained that Economic Development Planner Michnick assumed that responsibility as a function of the Community Development Department when he accepted the position. Alderman Jacobson verbalized his understanding that the Finance Department would typically handle issues related to finance. He followed up by asking for specification on what will be included in the total cost, considering the four or five million dollar figure being Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 12 of 14 estimated. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt replied that the information could be found in the Phase I report. She established that the amount reported would be the total, all-in cost. Discussion took place regarding specific items that would be included in the total cost and fundraising efforts. Alderman Jacobson stated that if Council decided to move forward in the project, all due diligence would need to be done. Alderman Fagan noted that this special meeting was necessary to be able to determine the priorities of the Council regarding project funding. He conceded that Council would need to see a TIF funding report before being able to decide which projects hold precedence. Discussion took place between Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt and Alderman Fagan regarding the timeline of financial obligation to the project. Mayor Smith echoed Alderman Fagan, clarifying that Council will not be prepared to make a final decision regarding Phase II at the June 12, 2017, Council meeting. Alderman Fagan and Alderman Verbic both agreed that they would be unable to make a decision without all of the information contained in a TIF phase-out report. Alderman Noreiko brought attention to the aforementioned possibility of splitting Phase II into two separate parts and verbalized her understanding of the process. Alderman Jacobson reiterated that there is no disservice in starting to engage in that process. He then asked if it was possible to place this subject as an action item on a future meeting agenda, with the condition that Council be in possession of a TIF phase- out plan. City Attorney Frieders confirmed that it could be placed on a future meeting agenda. Mayor Smith directed his attention toward the community and expressed that he very much enjoyed the discussion taking place during the meeting. He declared that the thorough discussion was the purpose of the Committee of the Whole meeting. He then asked Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt if she had any closing remarks for her presentation. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt quickly addressed Alderman Noreiko’s earlier concerns regarding the timeline for moving forward with Phase II of the STEAM Learning Center project, stating that the purpose of the discussion was for City staff to be able to acquire more information from Council regarding their perspective on feasibility. She acknowledged the consensus from Council on the need for more information before being able to make a decision and suggested that City staff can come back to Council with a proposal that will directly address their concerns.  Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 13 of 14 Mayor Smith shared some communications regarding the project. He read Alderman Marquardt’s remarks from an e-mail communication and a memo sent to Council from former mayor John Rey. He also read an email from a Ward 2 resident in opposition to the project and mentioned another e-mail from a resident that suggested using the unused DeKalb Public Library space to help get the project moving forward. C. PUBLIC COMMENT Fourth Ward resident Dwayne Brown began by saying that the STEAM Learning Center is a worthy project of City funding and provided an overview of the yearly operating costs and the initial cost of construction. He stated that it was his opinion that the City should not be responsible for providing any of the operational cost to the facility. He continued, asking Council to halt Phase II discussion until the City is able to fiscally support a project of this magnitude. He stated there is no way in the near future that this project is going to be financially feasible and mentioned that fixing the condition of the roads should be more of a priority. He advised Council that the spending on the feasibility of the project needed to stop, and claimed that the money already spent on the project, along with the $50,000 on the Feasibility Assessment for The Egyptian Theatre, was money wasted. He also stated that with the condition of the local, state, and national economy, the idea of obtaining corporate sponsorship for the project was unrealistic. Michael Haji-Sheik, Electrical Engineering Professor at NIU, started his comment by saying that the projects that are being proposed have little involvement from the STEM Department at NIU. He continued, announcing that he is not aware of anyone in his department that has any knowledge on the construction of a STEAM Learning Center in DeKalb. He also stated that NIU is going to be experiencing new leadership, both the university as a whole, and more specifically, the Engineering Department. In closing, he expressed to Council that they will not be able to rely on NIU for commitment and wished them luck in moving forward with the project. John Anderson, DeKalb resident, expressed his non-support for the project based on the lack of financial feasibility. Alderman Jacobson requested that members of the public who are in support of the project attend City Council meetings and show their support. Alderman Verbic thanked Mayor Smith and Council for their participation in the meeting. Mayor Smith reiterated the importance of thorough discussion regarding agenda items in order for the public to get a better idea of how Council feels about certain items, and vice versa, for Council to get a better idea of how the community feels about certain items. F. ADJOURNMENT MOTION Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes June 1, 2017 Page 14 of 14 Alderman Noreiko moved to adjourn the Special Committee of the Whole meeting; seconded by Alderman Jacobson. VOTE Motion carried by a 7-0-1 voice vote. Aye: Jacobson, Finucane, Fagan, Noreiko, Verbic, Faivre, and Smith. Nay: None. Absent: Marquardt. Mayor Smith declared the meeting adjourned at 8:01 p.m. _____________________________________ SUSANNA HERRMANN, City Clerk Approved by City Council: June 26, 2017.