Committee of the Whole

Village of Brookfield Agenda Committee of the Whole Meeting Monday, November 10, 2025 @ 7:00 PM or Immediately Following Village Board Meeting Edward Barcal Hall 8820 Brookfield Avenue Brookfield, IL 60513 I. ROLL CALL II. REGULAR BUSINESS 1. Discussion Concerning a Potential Rental Registration Ordinance Discussion of Potential Rental Registration Ordinance III. PUBLIC COMMENT IV. EXECUTIVE SESSION 1. Pursuant to Section 2(c)(1) of the Open Meetings Act to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific village employee. V. ADJOURNMENT Page 1 of 8  Committee Item Memo Meeting Date: November 10, 2025 Staff Contact: Libby Popovic, Community Development Director Department: Community Development Subject: Discussion Concerning a Potential Rental Registration Ordinance Background Information: Staff presented a proposal for a Rental Registration Ordinance on October 27, 2025. Part of the discussion at the Committee of the Whole meeting included public comment, discussion of other municipalities utilizing rental registration programs in Cook County and considered options for structuring and allocating costs to best support Brookfield's implementation. Based on research of neighboring communities, specifically Riverside, North Riverside and Oak Park, staff proposed the following components:  All rental properties within the Village would be required to register annually.  Registration Fee: $125 administrative fee per building (properties with 1-4 units); $225 administrative fee per building (properties with 5+ units).  Annual inspections of exterior and common areas  In-unit inspections occurring on a three-year rotational basis. A representative selection of dwelling units would be selected each cycle to ensure broad compliance and life- safety standards.  New Developments would be exempt for 3 years after certificate of occupancy is received.  Timeline: January 1, 2026 with registration renewals due by March 1 each year. Property owners who fail to register by the deadline could be subject to a $100 fine. Continued non-compliance within 30 days could result in further administrative proceedings with fines consistent with the current Administrative Code. Following discussion and public comment, the Board directed staff to research and prepare three potential framework options for further discussion and feedback. 1. Rental Registration Only This option would establish a basic registration system for all rental properties within the Village. Property owners would be required to register their rental units annually and update ownership or contact information as needed. The annual administrative fee would be $50 per property, intended to offset direct administrative costs for maintaining records, processing Page 2 of 8 renewals, and performing follow-up communication. This framework focuses solely on tracking rental activity, without incorporating any life-safety inspection components. 2. Rental Registration with Exterior and Common Area Inspections every 3 Years. Under this framework, rental properties would be registered annually and undergo exterior and common area maintenance inspections once every three years. The registration fee would be $100 for properties with 1-4 dwelling units and $150 for properties with 5+ dwelling units. Exterior and common area inspections would be conducted on a 3 year cycle. Single family units would only include exterior inspections. These fees are designed to cover the actual costs associated with inspection staff time, re-inspections as necessary, documentation and management of inspection data. This model provides an approach to maintaining public safety and property standards while remaining cost-recoverable for the Village. It does not address annual inspections of life-safety matters that may occur on an annual basis. 3. Rental Registration with Exterior and Common Area Inspections plus unit sampling every 3 Years. This option represents the most comprehensive framework. It includes annual inspections of exterior and common areas, with a sampling of interior units inspected every three years. A portion of interior units would be inspected on a scheduled three-year rotation to verify ongoing compliance. The proposed registration fees are $125 for properties with 1-4 dwelling units and $225 for properties with five or more dwelling units. These fees would support the cost of annual inspectors' time, any necessary re-inspections, administrative oversight, and maintenance of a secure inspection database. The above cost estimates are approximate and based on current staff hourly rates, the number of personnel involved in file management, potential use of outside consultants for inspections, and ongoing administrative maintenance. Administrative maintenance includes activities such as updating and storing digital records, tracking compliance in the permitting software, corresponding with property owners, tracking files in code enforcement software when necessary, coordinating re-inspections for failed inspections and maintaining accurate data for enforcement and reporting purposes. Staff recommends that the Village Board adopt a Rental Property Registration Ordinance requiring all rental properties within the Village to register annually. Staff further recommends establishing an annual registration fee per building of $125 for properties with 1-4 units and $225 for properties with 5 or more units to support administration and enforcement of the program. Annual inspections of exterior and common areas with interior units being inspected on a rotating basis every three years. Financial Impact: Page 3 of 8 Financial implications will vary depending on which program framework the Village chooses to implement. Attachments: 11.10.24 Rental Registration COTW Page 4 of 8  Committee of the Whole November 10, 2025 Brookfield Rental Property Registration Page 5 of 8  Benefits Public health & safety: Enforcement of Standards Accountability & Communication • Reliable Database • Current info on ownership Page 6 of 8  Cook County Riverside – Rental North Riverside - Evanston – Annual Oak Park – Registration & annual Rental Registration rental registration Residential Rental inspection for 3+ (single & multi required by License required. buildings family) ordinance. Niles – License Skokie – Village Des Plaines – Rental Palatine – Rental required for all requires rental unit license required by Dwelling License residential rental registration. code program. properties. Oak Lawn – Tinley Park – Hannover Park – Ordinance requires Calumet Park – Residential Rental Rental Registration. registration of all Rental Registration License. rental property. Streamwood – Rental Chicago Heights – South Holland – Country Club Hills – Residential Rental Residential Property Residential Rental Residential Rental Property licensing & Operating License License License/Registration. inspections. required. Page 7 of 8 Calumet City – Rental Harvey – Rental Lansing – Rental Park Forest – Annual process/licensing Property Business license and Crime- Crime-Free Housing administered by License required Free Housing license required for  Three Options • 1. Rental Registration Only • Annual registration • Update ownership or contact information as needed. • $50 per property • 2. Rental Registration with Exterior and Common Area Inspections every 3 Years. • Register annually • Exterior and common area maintenance inspections once every three years. • $100 for properties with 1-4 dwelling units and $150 for properties with 5+ dwelling units. • Single family units would only include exterior inspections.  • 3. Rental Registration with Exterior and Common Area Inspections plus unit sampling every 3 Years. • Annual inspections of exterior and common areas, with a sampling of interior units inspected every three years. • Interior units on a scheduled three-year rotation to verify ongoing compliance. Page 8 of 8 • $125 for properties with 1-4 dwelling units and $225 for properties with five or more dwelling units.