City Council

MINUTES CITY OF DEKALB SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING FEBRUARY 20, 2018 The City Council of DeKalb, Illinois held a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on February 20, 2018, in the City Council Chambers of the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 South Fourth Street, DeKalb, Illinois. Mayor Smith called the meeting to order at 5:01 p.m. A. ROLL CALL City Clerk Herrmann called the roll and the following members of the City Council were present: Alderman David Jacobson, Alderman Bill Finucane, Alderman Pat Fagan, Alderman Kate Noreiko, Alderman Mike Verbic, Alderman Tony Faivre, and Mayor Jerry Smith. Alderman Mike Marquardt was absent. Also present were: City Manager Anne Marie Gaura and City Clerk Susanna Herrmann. Mayor Smith announced that although Alderman Marquardt would not be in attendance, he had communicated his contributions to the discussion earlier in the day. Mayor Smith then mentioned the January 24, 2018, Special Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting and highlighted key elements of that discussion. He explained the logistics of the workshop and the number of categories Council had identified as being a priority in the goal setting process. He suggested that as Council discusses the 10 categories, he would like to give Council the opportunity to indicate which issues listed in the document are their personal priorities. Alderman Noreiko requested clarification that Aldermen do not need to feel obligated to spread their preferences out amongst all of the categories. Mayor Smith confirmed. He then provided examples of his intent for the process. B. CONSIDERATIONS 1. Goal Setting Session Mayor Smith listed the top 10 categories identified at the January 24, 2018, Special COW meeting. Economic/Business Development Short Term/Simple • Increase Focus on Areas Outside the Downtown. • Create Business Friendly Municipal Code and Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). • Focus on Supporting Existing Businesses. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes February 20, 2018 Page 2 of 7 Alderman Noreiko expressed her opinion that some of these items are too vague. Alderman Fagan commented about the term “business friendly”, which he perceives to pertain to many different aspects of the local economy and it needs to be moved up to be a short-term goal. Alderman Verbic agreed with Alderman Fagan and noted that there could be a length of time assigned to the process of opening a new business in DeKalb. He then echoed Alderman Noreiko and stated that the logistics would need to be worked out to create a more “business friendly” approach. Alderman Faivre suggested that there could be one single document for potential business owners to obtain to have a clearer understanding of the steps that will need to be taken to open said new business. Mayor Smith clarified that Alderman Faivre was referring to improving the process of opening a new business. Alderman Fagan agreed. Alderman Jacobson echoed the comments of his fellow Aldermen. He noted that several developers have been deterred from beginning projects within DeKalb because of the difficulty they experience going through the process. He also stated there are many regulations in the UDO that deters developers from remodeling some of the older buildings and staff needs to be equally enthusiastic about projects. Alderman Verbic added that Council could develop an inventory of the areas outside of downtown that need to be addressed. Residential Growth Short Term/Simple • Issue at Least 10 New Home Builds at $200,000 or More. • Think Outside the Box in Terms of Growth and Rooftops. • Plan for Annie Glidden North (AGN). Alderman Jacobson verbalized his observation that some of these items are intentionally broad. He stated that Council needs to focus on the benefits to consumers to attract more people to DeKalb. He made several suggestions for development. Mayor Smith commented that there needs to be radical changes in this area of discussion. Alderman Noreiko referred to the “thinking outside of the box” ideology and stated that she is willing to listen to Alderman Jacobson’s suggestions in the spirit of openness and creativity.  Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes February 20, 2018 Page 3 of 7 Alderman Verbic commented that 10 new home builds is a starting point and a higher number can be considered once that goal has been met. Short Term/Complex • Transportation Summit to Address Public Transit Issues. • Address Handicapped Parking Issues. • Construct Way-Finding Signage. Alderman Finucane commented that a lot of improvements in this area are already under way. Alderman Jacobson stated that some of these issues are very simple, low-impact projects that can be addressed easily. Alderman Faivre asked if electric car charging stations are universal. There was a brief discussion between Alderman Jacobson, Alderman Finucane, Alderman Faivre, and Mayor Smith regarding this topic. Airport • Airport Strategy Meeting. • Financially Self-Sufficient. Alderman Noreiko stated that an airport strategy meeting would be critical in terms of the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport (DTMA) becoming financially self-sufficient. She then expressed her opinion that the two items could be combined. Mayor Smith added that the DTMA is already, in many respects, a regional facility and went on to say that there should be a regional airport meeting. Alderman Faivre commented that he was under the impression that the City was close to achieving the 139 Certification, which would contribute to the DTMA becoming self- sufficient. Mayor Smith defined the 139 Certification. Government Operations • COW on Meeting Logistics. • Emergency Operations Center Planning. • Evaluate City Structure/Organization. • Adequate “Within Our Means” Staffing Plan/Cost. Alderman Fagan noted that he would like to see the staffing plan/cost in the short-term category. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes February 20, 2018 Page 4 of 7 Alderman Noreiko emphasized the importance of developing emergency operations center planning due to the recent shooting incident in Parkland, Florida. Alderman Verbic agreed with Alderman Fagan and noticed that there was no item listed regarding Code Enforcement. He added that while the City needs to remain “business friendly”, that model needs to be considered with an aspect of Code Enforcement. Budget/Finance/Fiscal Planning • Lower or Freeze Taxes While Maintaining Services. • Reduce Operating Costs to Those Within Our Means. • Define Realistic Within Our Means Pay Scales. • Address Pension Obligations. • Long-Term Balanced Budget Planning. Alderman Noreiko stated that addressing the pension obligations is a critical topic of discussion from her perspective. Alderman Fagan added that some of these topics of discussion will benefit each other. Alderman Finucane shared his perspective on how the items related to each other. Alderman Jacobson then shared his perspective on the relationship between property taxes and pensions and stated that at some point there needs to be a line drawn for how much the City can afford to spend. Mayor Smith added that he was not convinced that the discussions from the budget meetings would not result in proposals from staff for cuts to the level of service that would be provided to residents. Alderman Verbic mentioned the tax increment financing (TIF) consideration regarding pension obligations and discussed the implications of continuing TIF transfers to the General Fund. Alderman Jacobson mentioned a comment made by a resident about the effect of TIF on the DeKalb School District (D428). He shared his personal perspective on this matter. Capital Planning • Address and Implement Comprehensive Fleet Program. • Address and Implement Long-Term Street Funding. • Financial Plan for New/Renovated City Hall. Alderman Noreiko stated she believes it is incumbent to the Council to ensure that City staff and residents who come to City Hall are in a safe and reasonable environment.  Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes February 20, 2018 Page 5 of 7 Mayor Smith mentioned that Alderman Verbic recently brought attention to the large potholes in the Sixth Ward. Alderman Jacobson echoed Mayor Smith and added that the entire city is suffering from crumbling streets. He then discussed the condition of the current City Hall and shared his personal perspective of the City’s obligations. Public Safety • Goal Setting on Reduction of Crime. • Explore Installing Cameras Downtown. • Reduce Crime/Be Viewed as Safe. • Improve Mental Health Services. Alderman Noreiko again observed that these issues are much intertwined. Alderman Jacobson added that much of the crime in DeKalb comes from isolated areas and they need to be addressed immediately. City Clerk Herrmann commented that improving mental health services will directly and positively impact all the issues. Community Special Events and Attractions • Review City Regulations and Adapt to Encourage More Special Events/Festivals. • Explore Farmers’ Market Options. • Food and Wine Trail. • Develop Outreach/Marketing Strategy to Accentuate Positives. Alderman Faivre commented he is glad to see these items on the list. Alderman Jacobson stated that a major traffic generator would be needed to support these events and attractions. Alderman Verbic commented there are often many out-of-town visitors at the high school and Council needs to consider creative ways to capture that traffic and direct it to the business area. Mayor Smith stated it all boils down to where Council can designate funds. Northern Illinois University (NIU) Mayor Smith noted the enrollment drop at NIU and discussed how it has negatively impacted the community. • Work with NIU To Resolve AGN and Greek Row Issues. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes February 20, 2018 Page 6 of 7 • Improve Communications with NIU. • Assist with NIU Enrollment. Alderman Noreiko stated she wasn’t sure how else the City can assist with NIU enrollment. Alderman Finucane discussed some of his own volunteer activities that he believes to have assisted with enrollment at NIU. Alderman Jacobson mentioned the sense of community that he experienced during high school football season in the state of Texas and made note of the collaboration between those cities and their universities to promote that atmosphere. City Clerk Herrmann added that Council could attend more NIU events as a group to show support from the City. Alderman Faivre noted that increased transportation for students downtown would increase the attendance for events in that area. Mayor Smith directed the Aldermen to indicate which items on the list are a priority to them. He then deferred to City Manager Gaura. City Manager Gaura notified Council that staff is going to take the information gathered from the workshop and create follow-up discussion based on the goals that are identified as priorities. She stated that the budget workshops are intended to assist staff in building a budget based on those priorities. Mayor Smith noted that the items listed were identified as a priority to the Council and briefly described them. City Manager Gaura stated that the February 26, 2018, COW meeting would contain a presentation from Public Works Director Holdeman regarding a public transportation merger. Mayor Smith asked the Council if there was a consensus on which issues needed to be addressed as a priority. Alderman Jacobson commented that this process is a step in the right direction. Alderman Finucane revealed that he was surprised that there was no one item that the entire Council agreed upon as a priority. Alderman Fagan echoed the sentiments of his fellow Aldermen. He also expressed his belief that these goals are realistic and obtainable.  Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes February 20, 2018 Page 7 of 7 Alderman Noreiko thanked her fellow Aldermen for thoughtful participation in the workshop. Alderman Verbic stated he felt encouraged by how quickly Council was able to gather consensus. Alderman Faivre also showed appreciation for his fellow Aldermen for their participation in the workshop. C. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There was none. D. ADJOURNMENT MOTION Alderman Jacobson moved to adjourn the Special Committee of the Whole Meeting; seconded by Alderman Noreiko. VOTE Motion carried on a 7-0-1 roll call vote. Aye: Jacobson, Finucane, Fagan, Noreiko, Verbic, Faivre, Smith. Nay: None. Absent: Marquardt. Mayor Smith declared the motion passed and the meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. _____________________________________ SUSANNA HERRMANN, City Clerk Approved by City Council: March 26, 2018.