Citizens' Community Enhancement Commission

Regular Meeting

DeKalb, IL · October 15, 2018

Minutes

MINUTES MEETING OF THE CITIZENS’ COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT COMMISSION CITY OF DEKALB October 15, 2018 The Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission (CCEC) of the City of DeKalb, Illinois held a regular meeting on Monday, October 15, 2018 in the Haish Conference Room of the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 South Fourth Street, DeKalb, Illinois. The meeting was called to order at 4:03 p.m. ROLL CALL Roll was recorded by Economic Development Planner, Jason Michnick, and the following members of the Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission present were: Chair Brad Hoey, Jeanine Holcomb, Melissa Beck, Deborah Booth, and Ellingsworth Webb. Sue Johnson and Brad Pietens were absent. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION Chair Hoey asked for a motion to approve the agenda, which was made by Ms. Holcomb. The motion was seconded by Ms. Beck and was carried on a voice vote. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION Chair Hoey requested a motion for approval of the September 17, 2018 minutes. Ms. Beck moved to approve the minutes. Ms. Holcomb seconded the motion. Motion carried on a voice vote. OLD BUSINESS 1. Review and Approval of Paint-a-Plug Applications The commission reviewed two Paint-a-Plug applications that were submitted prior to the meeting. The first application was submitted by the President’s Office at Northern Illinois University and did not have a specific location request. The commission discussed various possible locations, including outside Altgeld Hall and Martin Luther King Commons. Planner Michnick will reach out to the President’s Office and ask them to confirm which of the two locations were preferable. The second application was Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission August 20, 2018 Page 2 of 3 submitted by Outdoor Adventures, also without a preferred location. The commission recommended three possible locations: • Southeast corner of Annie Glidden and Lucinda • Near the busstop outside Revis, Cole, and Dusable • Westside of the NIU Rec Center Planner Michnick will reach out to the applicant to confirm the desired location from the list above and include that in a final approval letter. Ms. Booth made a motion to approve the application pending confirmation of final locations. The motion was seconded by Ms. Holcomb and carried on a voice vote. The commission also requested the Planner Michnick coordinate with the applicants to get footage and photographs of those groups painting the hydrants this fall. The content would then be used to promote “Paint-a-Plug” Day in May of 2019. 2. Discussion of Public Mural Program The commission continued its conversation about the creation of a public mural program in the City of DeKalb. The commission reviewed the City of Portland’s mural program and discussed the various components that could be included in DeKalb’s policy. Other questions and concerns were raised that would require further research and consideration, including: • Would an “art easement” need to be secured for art placed on private buildings to secure the art in the event of a sale of property? • Should a requirement be included for the type of paint that is used, and would that be determined based on permanent exhibits versus temporary exhibits? • What would the notification requirements be for a property owner that wants to paint a mural (e.g. similar to zoning change notice)? • Would there be a permit fee or inspection required? • Would there be any funding available for supporting artist commissions? The commission recognizes that funding for the program might not be available in the near-term. The value in creating the program is to provide a process for property owners or community groups that would like to fund or create murals to do so. Planner Michnick will continue to work on drafting a policy and process and return it to the commission at a future meeting. 3. Continued Discussion on the Mission and Duties of the Commission. The commission continued discussing the role and mission of the CCEC, emphasizing a desire to support the Annie Glidden North Revitalization Plan. Due to time, the commission agreed to continue this discussion and would like to go through the AGN Plan in detail and participate in a mapping exercise. Planner Michnick will include a discussion of the CCEC and AGN Plan on the following agenda. Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission August 20, 2018 Page 3 of 3 ADJOURNMENT MOTION Mr. Webb made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Ms. Beck. The motion carried on a voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 5:33 p.m. ________________________________ Respectfully Submitted by Jason Michnick, Economic Development Planner

Agenda

DeKalb Municipal Building PLEASE NOTE LOCATION Haish Conference Room, Second Floor 200 South Fourth Street DeKalb, Illinois 60115 AGENDA Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission October 15, 2018 4:00 p.m. A. Roll Call B. Approval of Agenda – Additions / Deletions C. Approval of Minutes – September 17, 2018 Regular Meeting D. Public Participation E. New Business F. Old Business 1. Discussion and Approval of Paint-a-Plug Applications 2. Discussion on Public Mural Program 3. Continued Discussion on Mission and Duties of the Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission G. Adjournment Our mission statement: We will listen to the community to identify, develop and test initiatives to improve the quality of life. We will develop public/private partnerships to implement sustainable initiatives. MINUTES MEETING OF THE CITIZENS’ COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT COMMISSION CITY OF DEKALB September 17, 2018 The Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission (CCEC) of the City of DeKalb, Illinois held a regular meeting on Monday, September 17, 2018 in the Haish Conference Room of the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 South Fourth Street, DeKalb, Illinois. The meeting was called to order at 4:03 p.m. ROLL CALL Roll was recorded by Economic Development Planner, Jason Michnick, and the following members of the Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission present were: Chair Brad Hoey, Brad Pietens, Jeanine Holcomb, Melissa Beck, and Ellingsworth Webb. Sue Johnson and Deborah Booth were absent. Also present were Mayor, Jerry Smith, and Management Analyst, Aaron Stevens. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION Chair Hoey asked for a motion to approve the agenda, which was made by Mr. Webb. The motion was seconded by Ms. Beck and was carried on a voice vote. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION Chair Hoey requested a motion for approval of the August 20, 2018 minutes. Mr. Pietens moved to approve the minutes. Ms. Holcomb seconded the motion. Motion carried on a voice vote. NEW BUSINESS 1. Introduction and Discussion of the Annie Glidden North Revitalization Plan Prior to the meeting, Planner Michnick distributed a draft of the Annie Glidden North Revitalization Plan (AGN Plan) to the commission for their review. The commission was asked to consider their potential involvement with implementing the plan while reading Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission August 20, 2018 Page 2 of 3 through the document. Mayor Smith commented that the AGN Task Force process is winding down and that he is pleased with the process thus far. Planner Michnick introduced Management Analyst, Aaron Stevens who has been the City’s point-person and coordinator of the process that has resulted in the draft document. Analyst Stevens provided an overview of the AGN Plan, with an emphasis on the ten projects that have been called out as being transformational to the neighborhood. Although there is a degree of prioritization to the projects in the plan, it does not preclude other projects from being pursued in the near-term. The commission discussed the various projects and commented that their recent discussion on the mission of the CCEC aligns well with communication efforts and helping to create a neighborhood identity or brand. The commission recommended engaging the Proudly DeKalb group to help with communications as their social media channels have a greater following than the City’s. The commission will continue to discuss the plan and develop strategies to assist in the implementation of the projects and initiatives in the AGN Plan. OLD BUSINESS 1. Discussion and Recommendation of funding the Paint-a-Plug Program Mr. Pietens informed the commission that he has had discussions with staff at the DeKalb Public Library about the Paint-a-Plug program and they wish to paint the hydrants around the library. They are interested in having the children in their reading clubs come up with themes and paint the hydrants. There is not enough time remaining prior to the 2018 deadline for submission to get the necessary coordination and feedback from children. Therefore, the library is requesting that the commission reserve the three hydrants nearest to the library to be painted in the Spring. The commission was supportive of the concept and believes engaging youth could lead to additional participation around the community. Mr. Pietens made a motion to reserve the three hydrants closest to the library. The motion was seconded by Mr. Hoey. The motion was approved unanimously. The commission also discussed whether their $5,000 budget should be used to help cover the cost of paint and have a grant for applicants. One of the commissioners stated that they are pursuing a sponsorship for the paint and would report back at a future meeting. The commission also discussed recruiting various groups such as Proudly DeKalb and the Egyptian Theatre to paint hydrants this season. Footage of the groups painting could be used as a promotional video over the winter to recruit artists in the Spring. The commission also discussed working with ARTigras and having a “Paint-a-Plug Day” where everyone paints hydrants the weekend of ARTigras. 2. Continued Discussin on the Mission and Duties of the Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission August 20, 2018 Page 3 of 3 Mr. Webb shared the themes suggested by the community conversations that took place during the creation of the City’s 2025 Strategic Plan, which are included as Exhibits A and B in that document. The commission could use these themes rather than expending funds on conducting another community survey. The themes help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the community, and that should be incorporated into any conversations or strategies about branding or promotion. The commission also discussed the importance of engaging the community’s youth as a source of energy. Mr. Webb also shared an article about the Fargo indoor skate park and recommended reaching out to that group about potential projects. The commission agreed and advised that an invitation should be sent to the owner to attend a future commission meeting. Planner Michnick also informed that commission that he meets monthly with NIU student leaders and they could be an additional group to tap into. ADJOURNMENT MOTION Mr. Pietens made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Ms. Beck. The motion carried on a voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 5:24 p.m. ________________________________ Respectfully Submitted by Jason Michnick, Economic Development Planner