City Council

GENEVA CITY COUNCIL MEETING OCTOBER 5, 2015 CALL TO ORDER The October 5, 2015 meeting of the Geneva City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall by Mayor Pro Tem Dean Kilburg, Mayor Kevin Burns being absent. Aldermen present: Mike Bruno, Tara Burghart, Don Cummings, Dean Kilburg, Craig Maladra, Jim Radecki, Mary Seno, Tom Simonian, Ron Singer. Aldermen absent: Richard Marks. Also attending: City Atty. Charles Radovich, City Administrator Mary McKittrick, Asst. City Administrator/Dir. of Administrative Services Stephanie Dawkins, Economic Development Director Cathleen Tymoszenko, Community Development Director David DeGroot. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE PUBLIC HEARINGS, SPECIAL ITEMS AND PRESENTATIONS Present “Tour des Fleurs” Winning Garden Entries – Geneva Beautification Committee Committee members Dorothy Flanagan, Sherri Weitl and Debbie Reitz presented the “Tour des Fleurs” garden awards. Winners were Miscella Real Estate (first place), Geneva Garden Club (second place), and Karen Maladra, Esther Steel and Vivian Wissing (third place). The Geneva Beautification fundraiser took in $2665. AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA None OMNIBUS AGENDA All items listed on the Omnibus Agenda are considered to be routine by the Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion on these items unless a Council member or citizen so requests in which event the item will be removed from the Omnibus (Consent) Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the Agenda. Ald. Simonian requested the removal of item 11c (Res. 2015-102). Moved by Ald. Simonian, seconded by Ald. Seno to approve the Omnibus Agenda as amended. Roll call: AYES: 9 (Ald. Bruno, Burghart, Cummings, Kilburg, Maladra, Radecki, Seno, Simonian, Singer) NAYS: 0 MOTION CARRIED APPROVE MINUTES OF THE LAST REGULAR MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 Moved by Ald. Simonian, seconded by Ald. Seno to approve motion as presented. Approved by unanimous roll call vote. (Omnibus Agenda). MOTION CARRIED APPROVE REPORTS Moved by Ald. Simonian, seconded by Ald. Seno to approve motion as presented. Approved by unanimous roll call vote. (Omnibus Agenda). MOTION CARRIED COUNCIL COMMITTEES Committee of the Whole October 12, 2015 at 7 p.m. 1381 Geneva City Council Meeting October 5, 2015 OTHER ITEMS AND CORRESPONDENCE None MUNICIPAL BILLS FOR PAYMENT The following bills were presented for payment: General Fund $140,364.54 Cultural Arts Fund 707.68 Tourism Fund 1,825.70 Tri‐Com Fund 24,336.99 SSA #1 3,628.12 SSA #11 2,875.00 SSA #16 7,589.16 Infrastructure Capital Projects 13,293.40 TIF #2 61,908.53 Electric 301,796.25 Water/Wastewater 65,312.19 Refuse 18,384.88 Cemetery 23.49 Commuter Parking 11,529.77 Group Dental 6,171.70 Utility Refunds 1,432.50 __________ Total Funds $661,179.90 Moved by Ald. Bruno, seconded by Ald. Seno that the bills be approved and vouchers prepared. Roll call: AYES: 9 (Ald. Bruno, Burghart, Cummings, Kilburg, Maladra, Radecki, Seno, Simonian, Singer) NAYS: 0 MOTION CARRIED COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ITEMS OF BUSINESS Approve Special Event Application for Geneva Chamber of Commerce Christmas Walk and House Tour December 4-5, 2015 Moved by Ald. Simonian, seconded by Ald. Seno to approve motion as presented. Approved by unanimous roll call vote. (Omnibus Agenda). MOTION CARRIED Approve Ordinance 2015-31 Granting a Sign Variation in the Eagle Brook Planned Unit Development (Ord. 95-33) to Increase the Allowable Number of Façade Signs from Two (2) to Three (3) – 987 S. Randall Road (Fidelity Investments) Moved by Ald. Simonian, seconded by Ald. Seno to approve motion as presented. Approved by unanimous roll call vote. (Omnibus Agenda). MOTION CARRIED Approve Resolution 2015-102 Amending the Geneva Housing Policy Plan and Sub- Regional Recommendations as Contained in the ‘Homes for a Changing Region’ Plan for the Central Fox Valley Sub-Region’ – Batavia, Geneva, North Aurora, St. Charles Moved by Ald. Simonian, seconded by Ald. Bruno to approve Res. 2015-102 amending the Geneva Housing Policy Plan and Sub-regional Recommendations as contained in the “Homes for a Changing Region” plan for the central Fox Valley sub-region – Batavia, Geneva, North Aurora, St. Charles. 1382 Geneva City Council Meeting October 5, 2015 Having requested removal of this item from the Omnibus Agenda, Ald. Simonian called attention to an email letter from Joann Able, 2692 Stone Cir., in which she requested that it be entered into the record (Exhibit A). Ald. Singer read the letter aloud, in which Ms. Able states that she is a resident of the Crossings of Geneva condominiums. As such, Ms. Able objected to having the three remaining building sites at the Crossings designated as potential areas for affordable housing. Ald. Radecki explained that he received more than 30 phone calls from Crossings residents regarding this matter as a result of a newspaper article appearing over the weekend and an anonymous letter circulated to Crossings residents earlier today. He said he explained to those contacting him that the City was not designating any property for affordable housing; rather, the City has a plan in place and a goal to increase the amount of affordable housing in Geneva from 5.2 percent to 10 percent. He noted the plan does not include any government-subsidized housing, but is intended to make living in Geneva more affordable for a greater number of people. He pointed out that the Crossings location is one of eight sites that may qualify in order to reach the 10 percent affordable housing goal. Ald. Singer explained that one of the goals of Geneva’s Strategic Plan is to prepare a plan for creating affordable housing and address requirements of the State of Illinois Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act. He asked Dir. DeGroot to further clarify this issue. Ald. Bruno referred to the affordable housing properties as simply a list with no action being taken and no action anticipated anytime soon. Ald. Maladra said affordable housing is misunderstood and that the City should develop the tools needed to manage this issue in the future. Admin. McKittrick interjected that the City’s development of a housing plan was in response to a state requirement that a plan be in place. She said state law also requires that the City designate appropriate areas that could be affordable housing locations. She added that for several years this information has been given to developers who inquire as to potential multi-family locations. Dir. DeGroot said that he could not add to the comments already made, but did say that he spoke with Wayde Bultema of Covenant Construction, developers of the Crossings, and informed him of the conversations taking place over the weekend and today. He said that Mr. Bultema wished to assure the Council and those in attendance that he would not entertain an affordable housing project on the property without first meeting with the current residents and getting their support. Crossings resident Barbara Andersen, 2671 Stone Cir., said that she understands the situation and is not opposed to affordable housing, but felt that the article over the weekend made it sound as if affordable housing at the Crossings site was a “done deal.” From the article, she quoted Ald. Radecki as saying that building the remaining three buildings on the site as affordable units would “go a long way toward satisfying the amount of such housing Geneva could have.” She requested that the Crossings property be removed from the list. Ald. Radecki wished to clarify his comment, saying that he made it at last week’s COW meeting when he asked Dir. DeGroot how many housing units would be needed to achieve the 10 percent affordable housing level. When Dir. DeGroot responded by saying 363 units, Ald. Radecki said he made a somewhat off-the-cuff comment that the 250 potential units at the Crossings would go a long way in achieving that figure, adding that he did not mean to imply that the Crossings site was any more or less desirable than any other site for affordable housing. There being no further discussion, roll call: AYES: 9 (Ald. Bruno, Burghart, Cummings, Kilburg, Maladra, Radecki, Seno, Simonian, Singer) 1383 Geneva City Council Meeting October 5, 2015 NAYS: 0 MOTION CARRIED PRESENTATION OF ORDINANCES, PETITIONS, RESOLUTIONS, AND BID AWARDS Proclaim October 4-10, 2015 Fire Prevention Week in Geneva Mayor Pro Tem Kilburg read the proclamation. Moved by Ald. Simonian, seconded by Ald. Singer to proclaim Oct. 4-10, 2015 as Fire Prevention Week in Geneva. Carried unanimously by voice vote. MOTION CARRIED CLOSED SESSION ON THE SEMI-ANNUAL REVIEW OF CLOSED SESSION MINUTES Moved by Ald. Bruno, seconded by Ald. Seno that the Council adjourn to Closed Session. Roll call: AYES: 9 (Ald. Bruno, Burghart, Cummings, Kilburg, Maladra, Radecki, Seno, Simonian, Singer) NAYS: 0 MOTION CARRIED The Council adjourned to Closed Session at 7:49 p.m. Moved by Ald. Bruno, seconded by Ald. Cummings that the Council return to Open Session. Roll call: AYES: 9 (Ald. Bruno, Burghart, Cummings, Kilburg, Maladra, Radecki, Seno, Simonian, Singer) NAYS: 0 MOTION CARRIED The Council returned to Open Session at 8:06 p.m. OPEN SESSION ON THE RELEASE OF CERTAIN CLOSED SESSION MINUTES Moved by Ald. Maladra, seconded by Ald. Singer to approve release of the partial Closed Session minutes from Dec. 3, 2012, partial Closed Session minutes from July 14, 2014 and full Closed Session minutes from March 16, 2015. Roll call: AYES: 9 (Ald. Bruno, Burghart, Cummings, Kilburg, Maladra, Radecki, Seno, Simonian, Singer) NAYS: 0 MOTION CARRIED NEW BUSINESS On behalf of himself and Ald. Bruno, Ald. Simonian thanked Sherri Weitl for organizing last weekend’s volunteer event at the Northern Illinois Food Bank. 1384 Geneva City Council Meeting October 5, 2015 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, moved by Ald. Simonian, seconded by Ald. Seno to adjourn the Geneva City Council meeting. Carried by voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 8:08 p.m. ________________________ Lynn P. Landberg, City Clerk 1385