City Council Planning Sessions

MEMORANDUM TO: Record FROM: Susan Bishel, Public Relations Coordinator SUBJECT: Feb. 9, 2015 City Council Planning Session Minutes DATE: Feb. 10, 2015 CC: Mayor and City Council, City Manager, City Clerk, Department Heads The Planning Session took place in the Council Chambers, Wheaton City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St., Wheaton, Illinois. Those attending the Planning Session included: Councilman Prendiville, Councilman Rutledge, Councilman Saline and Councilman Scalzo. Councilman Suess arrived at 7:16 p.m. Mayor Gresk was absent. Also in attendance were City Manager Rose, Assistant City Manager Dzugan, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik, Director of Engineering Redman, Stormwater Engineer Tebrugge and Public Relations Coordinator Bishel. The session began at 7:02 p.m. and concluded at 8:24 p.m. The following items were discussed: I. Call to Order The Wheaton City Council Planning Session was called to order at 7:02 p.m. by Councilman Scalzo. II. Approval of November 10, 2014 Planning Session Minutes The Council approved the November 10, 2014 Planning Session Minutes. III. Economic Development Plan Report The City enlisted the assistance of Gruen Gruen + Associates to perform a general analysis of the City to determine where the City could most effectively focus its economic development efforts. Aaron Gruen and Deborah Jeans, principals with Gruen Gruen + Associates, were present to summarize a report of their findings. Ms. Jeans summarized the report, which analyzed development patterns, demographic change, and trends in real estate within Wheaton. The report suggested Wheaton should focus on maintaining and building upon its existing advantages and strengths, which include proximity to a large affluent, highly-skilled residential base. Ms. Jeans stated Wheaton would benefit from targeting financial, business, healthcare and professional service firms, which draw from this type of residential base. The report concluded that non-traditional economic development applies to Wheaton, as Wheaton’s focus should be on maintaining high-quality housing, schools, parks, shopping and amenities that appeal to well-educated high-skilled labor. It recommended the City increase the downtown’s base of cultural, entertainment, retail and restaurant uses and residences to provide the walkable community that Generation X, Baby Boomers and other groups prefer. The report also recommended clusters of development designed to encourage spillover and connectivity among these areas. Ms. Jeans stated one opportunity is for collaboration between the City and Wheaton College, such as in providing cultural opportunities for students in the downtown area. The analysis stressed Wheaton’s strong social capital and full range of goods and services. The report suggested Wheaton can continue to meet residents’ needs by responding to contemporary preferences and shifts in shopping patterns. Among these is a shift away from retail businesses toward service providers and businesses that do not directly compete with the internet. Ms. Jeans recommended the City’s zoning policies accommodate these changes. The report encouraged Wheaton to capitalize on its intellectual capital by encouraging partnerships with local colleges. Mr. Gruen suggested the City could promote internships or similar opportunities to strengthen ties between businesses and students in the community. Mr. Gruen stated their analysis shows most Wheaton neighborhoods remained stable or improved in desirability over time. He stated that teardowns are economically healthy because they are evidence of a desirable area, and he stated Wheaton should encourage replacement of older or obsolete housing stock. To meet the needs of aging residents, Mr. Gruen suggested the City should anticipate more permit requests for home modifications, and it should make this process as easy as practical. The report suggested the City encourage the school and park districts to share resources where practical in order to prevent tax increases while maintaining service quality. One recommendation was for Wheaton to figure out ways to tie Roosevelt Road visually and functionally to the downtown. Also in regard to Roosevelt Road, the report suggests encouraging revitalization of Roosevelt Road and considering consolidating smaller obsolete retail centers to create larger and stronger developments. Based on their finding that Wheaton has strong institutional and community groups, Mr. Gruen suggested the City convene meetings among the groups to identify opportunities for collaboration. In response to Council questions about business incubator concepts, Mr. Gruen affirmed that this idea is typically thought of as a tech industry concept, but he believes there are many types of professionals who could benefit from shared work spaces. He stated shared work spaces typically need startup funding, which Mr. Gruen suggested could be provided by an entity like Wheaton College, and their faculty could serve as advisors to the businesses. Alternately, the City could encourage shared work spaces in cooperation with local property owners who have vacant properties. Mr. Gruen answered a Council question regarding what action steps the City could take to promote economic development citywide. He stated a few action steps include: maintaining the desirability of residential neighborhoods, making the home remodeling permitting process easier 2/9/15 Planning Session 2 for aging populations, and encouraging changes to the downtown and retail areas that meet the community’s changing needs. He also encouraged the City to monitor tax rates to ensure people are able to stay in Wheaton as they age. In response to a Council question about teardowns, Mr. Gruen stated Wheaton doesn’t have a lot of teardowns occurring, so perhaps Wheaton should look at the current zoning rules to see if there are changes that need making to allow teardowns to occur where practical. Mr. Gruen answered a question about the Downtown Plan by stating the City should try to involve property owners in the process so they are also encouraged to make physical improvements of their properties. In response to a Council question, Mr. Gruen stated the success of using TIF funding for redevelopment depends on the situation, but they are most effective when aggressive TIF backing is implemented. Mr. Gruen replied to a question about the addition of an entertainment venue in the downtown by stating it could appeal to multiple demographics, but the venue would need to reflect the scale the market would support here. City Manager Rose stated the City will be having Gruen Gruen + Associates provide further analysis and assistance, as this work was just a portion of what the City would like for the consultant to cover. IV. Stormwater Studies/Storm Sewer Revenues - Expenditures Director of Engineering Redman and Stormwater Engineer Tebrugge provided a memo on a proposed effort to get stormwater-related analysis moving forward. Stormwater Engineer Tebrugge has found that the City is lacking an organized focus for stormwater management because it doesn’t have data in all the areas it needs in order to make an analysis of the best options available. Director of Engineering Redman stated the City has done studies in three flood-prone areas out of a list of 20 flood-prone areas, plus floodplain areas. In order for the City to be able to apply for grant funding and to be able to prioritize the order in which investments should be made, the City first needs studies of all of these areas completed. The proposed plan includes having several consultants perform studies of all of the remaining areas over two years at a cost of approximately $300,000 each year. In response to Council questions about the type of data the City seeks, Stormwater Engineer Tebrugge explained the City will be receiving models showing how high water reaches in certain storm events, which homes flood and similar information. Director of Engineering Redman stated having these studies done is required for any type of FEMA funding or possible grants. 2/9/15 Planning Session 3 In response to a Council question, Stormwater Engineer Tebrugge stated these studies will address between 300 and 400 homes in flood-prone and floodplain areas. Regarding the Brentwood Lane study that is in progress, Stormwater Engineer Tebrugge stated the consultant’s written report is done, and the City will receive the final report soon. In response to Council questions, Director of Engineering Redman stated the timeline for this work is 2 years. The City will be putting out a request for qualifications so that several consultants could concurrently perform the studies. Stormwater Engineer Tebrugge added that once the studies are done, residents in the flood- prone or floodplain areas could use this data, just as the residents in the Williston area used the study data to apply for assistance through DuPage County. City Manager Rose highlighted the need for future discussion on revenues and expenditures associated with the storm sewer and storm management system. Currently, revenues generated for stormwater-related activities come from charges on the water bill. These revenues pay for the salaries of sewer personnel and sewer maintenance. Due to potential future stormwater-related projects that will require additional funding and the ability of the City’s new financial software, it may be appropriate to consider separate accounting for stormwater-related activities. He stated stormwater functions may be better categorized as a General Fund function again and consider additional revenue options, such as a stormwater utility tax. City Manager Rose stated RJN has been working on a sanitary sewer pilot program in efforts to develop an approach to address sanitary sewer backups and overflows. He stated once this effort is a little further along, a sanitary sewer rate analysis will be done incorporating the capital requirements of the sanitary sewer system. V. Public Comment Joseph Mahady, 927 N. Washington, encouraged the City to consider acquiring a grant specialist who would seek grant funding for capital work. VI. City Council/Staff Comments Councilman Scalzo welcomed Liz Corry, who will be formally considered to fill the vacant City Council position at the Feb. 17 City Council Meeting. IV. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:24 p.m. 2/9/15 Planning Session 4