By Ted Schnell • BocaJump

The Elgin City Council will meet as a Committee of the Whole on Wednesday evening to consider winnowing down the list of 15 applicants seeking $1,211,567 in Community Development Block Grant funds.

BocaJump will be covering the meeting live beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9 (story continues below).

The staff recommendation at this point is to deny six of those funding requests totaling $255.422.

Those requests, and the amount sought, were made by:

• One Hope United, playground upgrade (Phase 1), $73,262.

• Ecker Center, case manager salary, $60,410;

• Feeding Greater Elgin, new freezer/cooler, $40,000;

• Neighborhood Housing Services of the Fox Valley, foreclosure prevention counseling, $29,750;

• Renz Center, pavement project, $27,000;

• Habitat for Humanity-Northern Fox Valley, purchase/rehabilitate one home, $25,000;

Of the nine remaining funding requests, the city staff has recommended cuts to two. The first would reduce the city's funding for the Residential Rehabilitation Grant Program from $500,000 to $470,955. The second would reduce funding for the Community Crisis Center's interior remodeling project

from $49,950 to $42,850.

Requests that would receive full funding under the staff recommendation are:

• City of Elgin, CDBG program administration, $75,000;

• Northern Illinois Food Bank, new food distribution center, $75,000;

• Well Child Center, Phase Two site improvements, $64,700;

• Association for Individual Development, energy efficiency rehabilitation (State Street site only) $53,935;

• PADS of Elgin, emergency shelter assistance, $50,000;

• Wayside Cross Ministries, daytime homeless shelter assistance, $45,060;

• Senior Services Associates, HVAC upgrade, $42,500;

According to the staff report, some of the requests were adjusted earlier on. The city initially sought $600,000 for the housing rehab program but reduced the initial request to $500,000. AID and One Hope United divided their scope of work into smaller phases, lowering their requested funding amount. Habitat for Humanity raised its funding request to meet the minimum requirement and Wayside Cross Ministries and Ecker Center adjusted their funding and project to meet Department of Housing and Urban Development requirements. Finally, Northern Illinois Food Bank lowered its funding request to allow the city to fund more projects.

The complete council agenda is as follows:

► ELGIN CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING

6 p.m. Feb. 9 at the City Council Chambers

► Call to Order

► Roll Call

► Approval of Minutes – January 26, 2011

► Special Presentations and Reports: None.

► Initiatives and Other Items:

A. Work Session for the 2011-12 Community Development Block Grant ($920,000)

Purpose: Advance the city’s funding priorities and policies for the FY 2011-12 Community Development Block Grant Program efforts to bring residents together.

OBJECTIVE: Select projects for tentative funding (and determine the budget allocation for each) for the 2011-12 annual action plan for the Community Development Block Grant program

RECOMMENDATION: Select nine projects for tentative funding with a budget allocation totaling

$920,000 Following are the submitting organization/agency, the project name, the proposed budget and the (final) budget:

1. City of Elgin-Planning Neighborhood Services, Residential Rehabilitation Grant Program $500,000 ($470,955)

2. City of Elgin-PNS, CDBG program administration $75,000 ($75,000)

3. Renz Center, pavement project $27,000 ($0)

4. Senior Services Associates, HVAC upgrade, $42,500 ($42,500)

5. PADS of Elgin, emergency shelter assistance $50,000 ($50,000)

6. Habitat for Humanity-Northern Fox Valley, purchase/rehabilitate one home $25,000 ($0)

7. AID EE rehabilitation (State Street only) $53,935 ($53,935)

8. Well Child Center, Phase Two site improvements $64,700 ($64,700)

9. Wayside Cross Ministries daytime homeless shelter assistance $45,060 ($45,060)

10. Northern Illinois Food Bank new food distribution center $75,000 ($75,000)

11. Ecker Center, case manager salary $60,410 ($0)

12. Feeding Greater Elgin, new freezer/cooler $40,000 ($0)

13. NHS of the Fox Valley, foreclosure prevention counseling $29,750 ($0)

14. Community Crisis Center, interior remodeling project $49,950 ($42,850)

15. One Hope United, playground upgrade (Phase 1) $73,262 ($0)

Total CDBG Funds Requested $1,211,567 ($920,000)

Deficit: -$291,567 ($0)

Anticipated 2011 CDBG funding allocation $920,000

Capital $951,347 79% ($749,940 82%)

Service $185,220 15% ($95,060 10%)

Administration $75,000 6% ($75,000 8%)

B. Consideration of 2010 Property Tax Abatement (No Cost to the City)

Purpose: Provide information to adopt the annual ordinances abating taxes for the property tax levy

OBJECTIVE: Prepare debt abatement ordinances in accordance with the adopted 2011 budget and 2010 tax levy so as to arrive at a 2010 tax rate for the city of Elgin not to exceed $1.9299 per $100 of assessed valuation

PURPOSE: Provide information to adopt the annual ordinances abating taxes for the property tax levy

RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the chief financial officer to prepare and adjust the amount of the abatement and resulting tax levy to fulfill the city council’s policy direction of maintaining the 2010 property tax rate at $1.92 per $100 of assessed valuation

C. Consideration of Public Improvements within the Edgewater Unit 1 Subdivision ($51,537 estimated five year maintenance costs)

Purpose: Ensure developers provide high-quality infrastructure improvements in new city developments

RECOMMENDATION: Accept the public improvements in the Edgewater Unit 1 Subdivision after confirming the construction comports with approved engineering plans

D. Consideration of Public Improvements within the Edgewater Unit 3

Subdivision ($29,654 estimated five year maintenance costs)

Purpose: Ensure developers provide high-quality infrastructure improvements in new city developments

RECOMMENDATION: Accept the public improvements to the Edgewater Unit 3 Subdivision after confirming the construction comports with approved engineering plans

E. Consideration of Change Order No. 1 and Final with G&M Cement Construction for the 2010 Neighborhood Street Rehabilitation – Highland Avenue Project (Change Order No. 1: $102,577.88; final payment: $133,527.24)

Purpose: Compensate contractor for additional work requested by city to ensure project completed during construction season following delays caused by third parties Significant project costs were incurred during the removal and disposal of old, wood railroad or trolley ties that were discovered once the pavement removal began. Delays caused by Highland Avenue sewer project also negatively affected construction progress on Highland rehabilitation. Other significant unforeseen project costs emerged from the intense construction activity in the downtown area.

RECOMMENDATION: Approve change order no. 1 in the amount of $102,577.88 and final payment to G&M Cement Construction in the amount of $133,527.24

F. Announcements from Council

G. Announcements from Staff

► Executive Session

H. Discussion of Minutes of Meetings Lawfully Closed Under This Act - Exempt Under Section 120/2(c)21) of the Open Meetings Act

I. Selection of a Person to Fill a Vacant Office, Including a Vacancy in a Public Office, When the Public Body is Given Power to Appoint Under Law or Ordinance, or the Discipline, Performance or Removal of the Occupant of a Public Office, When the Public Body is Given Power to Remove the Occupant Under Law or Ordinance - Exempt Under Section 120/2(c) (3) of the Open Meetings Act

J. Appointment, Employment, Compensation, Discipline, Performance or Dismissal of Specific Employees of the Public Body - Exempt Under Section 120/2(c)(1) of the Open Meetings Act

► Adjournment

The city of Elgin is subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who require certain accommodations in order to allow them to observe and/or participate in this meeting, or who have questions regarding the accessibility of the meeting or the facilities, are requested to contact the Human Resources Department at (847) 931-6076 or TT/TDD (847) 931-5616 promptly to allow the City of Elgin to make reasonable accommodations for those persons.

 

► ELGIN CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

Regular meeting 7 p.m. Feb. 9

► Call to Order

► Invocation/Moment of Silence

► Pledge of Allegiance

► Roll Call

► Minutes of Previous Meeting – Jan. 26

► Recognize Persons Present

► Bids

1. 11-004 Two Stryker 6500 Power Pro Ambulance Stretchers ($24,786.96)

► Other Business (O)

1. Ordinance Granting a Conditional Use for a Shared Kitchen Facility for the Use of Food Service Contractors in the GI General Industrial District (1544 Fleetwood Drive)

2. Authorization for Payments

► Consent Agenda

(Items considered routine and non-controversial and to be enacted by one motion and one roll call vote without separate discussion of these items.)

1. Resolution Approving Cultural Arts Commission Grant Recipients

2. Resolution Approving Proposed Recipients for the Energy Efficiency Residential Revolving Loan Fund Program

3. Resolution Approving Reimbursement to Pingree LLC for the Cost of Offsite Water Main Oversizing to Neighborhoods C, D, E, F, H and O in the Highland Woods Subdivision and To the Foy Property Subdivision

4. Resolution Approving Reimbursement to The Relm Group for the Cost of Offsite Water Main Oversizing to the Galleria Retail Development

5. Resolution For Maintenance of Streets and Highways by Municipality Under the Illinois Highway Code Regarding the 2011 Motor Fuel Tax Program

6. Resolution Appointing Members to Various Boards and Commissions

7. Resolution Authorizing Execution of an Agreement with Steven Nemerovski and Lawrence Suffredin Jr.

8. Ordinance Granting a Conditional Use for an Emergency Veterinary Service Facility for Household Pets in the PNB Planned Neighborhood Business District (780-796 South McLean Boulevard)

9. An Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. S9-09 Deleting Territory from the City's Enterprise Zone to Correct a Scrivener's Error in Exhibits (Materials To Follow)

► Miscellaneous Business (M)

1. Minutes of Various Boards and Commissions

a. Emergency Telephone System Board of Elgin – December 16, 2010

b. Human Relations Commission – Nov. 9, 2010

2. Various Tax Reports

a. Hotel/Motel Tax – December 2010

3. Committee of the Whole Minutes – Jan. 12, 2011 (available on http://www.cityofelgin.org)

4. City Council Minutes – Jan. 12, 2011 (available on http://www.cityofelgin.org)

► Announcements

Next Committee of the Whole Meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 6 p.m., in the City Council Chambers

Next Regular Meeting of the Elgin City Council, Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers

► Adjournment