Community Development Committee

Community Development Committee Regular Meeting Thursday, August 08, 2024 at 4:30 PM Minutes - Approved I. Called to Order: At 4:30 P.M. II. Community Development Committee Meeting Roll Call : PRESENT : Mayor Gunter P Clerk Szymski P TRUSTEES: Brady (Chair) P Simonovich P Barker P Guzzo P Liddle P Nero P Staff Present : Director of Community Development Joseph Hennerfeind, Deputy Director of Community Development Jason Vitell, Senior Planner Scott Williams, Village Manager Steve May, Assistant Village Manager Spencer Parker, Community Development Specialist Jaime Hofmann, Human Resources Director Renee Brainerd, Public Works Director Amy Ries, Police Chief Jim Gunther, Finance Director Allan Altic, Finance Supervisor Natasha Buh III. Pledge of Allegiance IV. Approval of Minutes: Trustee Guzzo made a motion to approve the minutes from the May 30, 2024 Special Meeting and Trustee Barker seconded the motion. Motion passed on a voice vote. V. Public Comment - None VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None VII. NEW BUSINESS A. Zoning Ordinance Update 1. Short Term Rentals - Senior Planner Williams summarized what other surrounding communities are doing in terms of short term rentals in residential areas. Williams stated many of the communities that have permitted short term rentals are typically home rule. Williams was looking for direction from the Board and whether they wanted 1  to allow them or not, and outlined some ways in which the Village could go about regulating. If the Board was unable to come to a decision, Williams stated he would then bring it to the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) for feedback. Trustee Simonovich and Trustee Nero both agreed they did not believe it was necessary to regulate and did not have any major concerns. Williams added that it was advised by the Village Attorney that the use be permitted in at least one district to avoid exclusionary zoning and so staff can provide clear guidelines to those that inquire. Williams confirmed that there were a decent amount of inquiries already from a staff level perspective. Mayor Gunter and Trustee Barker were favorable to a special use permit in order to have some authority, limitations, and enforcement abilities. Special use permits can be revoked as well if they are not meeting the conditions of the special use. Deputy Director Vitell spoke of the several complaints related to known short term rentals and certain code and public safety concerns. The Board considered coming back to the topic, and making an amendment down the road to potentially require a special use if warranted. The Board wished to get the feedback from the PZC before having any solid stance. Trustee Nero was concerned that permitting them in a specific district may create a problem. The topic would be tabled for six months and revisited upon request. VIII. REPORTS - A. Committee Chair - None B. Department Director - Community Development Director Joe Hennerfeind provided the Board with various updates regarding development projects, the new downtown incentive program, and newly hired staff Adam Walsh and Charles Bailey. C. Division(s) Reports 1. Planning and Zoning - Williams provided the Board with other zoning ordinance updates and next steps, and mentioned the upcoming topics on the agenda for the next PZC meeting. Staff anticipated the final adoption of the zoning ordinance to be early 2025. 2. Permitting a. Deputy Director and Building Commissioner Jason Vitell provided the Board with the status of online permitting. The soft launch of two express permits was mid July. Staff’s goal was to have all express permits available for online submission by the end of the year. Vitell stated that March 28, 2025 would be the target date to have the remaining flat fee permits online. Vitell stated that staff will 2  need to test plan review operations and software to see what works best for online reviews for internal and external departments. Staff’s short term goal is to make the submission process more streamlined. Vitell explained that staff will need to assess long term goals including how to proceed with getting the remaining permits online, including additions and new construction. These types of reviews may require additional equipment and workstations. Other decisions would include how to accommodate residents and contractors who still want to submit hard copies in person. Vitell estimated that all permits could be online by the first quarter of 2026. Assistant Manager Spencer Parker recapped the proposed timeline indicating that 70% of residential permit types shall be online by spring of 2025, and the remaining permit types potentially early 2026. Trustee Barker asked how many other communities have commercial permits available online. Vitell clarified that it depends on what it means on the outside versus staff on the inside. Vitell stated most municipalities have some form of online submissions but each community has different limitations. Trustee Nero stated that most communities have external online submission which is a good service to the applicant. Trustee Nero expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed length of time and requested a quicker turnaround and more aggressive timeline. Trustee Nero was in favor of having a hybrid paper option as well and wanted to make things as easy for the applicant as possible. 3. Code Enforcement - Mayor Gunter asked Commissioner Vitell why it takes so long to enforce overgrown grass. Vitell replied that it mainly depends on the respondent, and further explained the process and steps that code enforcement must follow. There are certain legal notifications, and Adjudication is held once a month. Vitell added that they do not go out and mow lawns specifically, but if the Village Board wanted staff to engage companies to do that, he advised that it could be rather expensive to do so. 3 IX. MISCELLANEOUS - None X. ADJOURN - Trustee Liddle made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:37 PM, and Trustee Nero seconded the motion. The motion to adjourn was approved by unanimous consent. 4