City Council Planning Sessions

Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 1. Call to Order The Wheaton City Council Planning Session was called to order at 7:06 p.m. by Mayor Pro Tem Rutledge following the conclusion of a Public Hearing. The following were: Physically Present: Councilman Barbier Councilwoman Bray-Parker Councilwoman Fitch Councilwoman Robbins Mayor Pro Tem Rutledge Absent: Mayor Suess Councilman Zaruba City Staff Present: Michael Dzugan, City Manager John Duguay, Assistant City Manager Robert Lehnhardt, Director of Finance James Kozik, Director of Planning & Economic Development Paul Redman, Director of Engineering Arin Thrower, Public Information Officer Susan Bishel, Public Relations Coordinator 2. Public Comment There were no public comments. 3. Approval of September 23, 2019 City Council Planning Session Minutes The Council approved the September 23, 2019 City Council Planning Session Minutes. 4. 2019 Property Tax Levies – CY 2020 City Manager Dzugan stated the City is required by state statute to review a draft tax levy each year before setting the levy in December. He noted that the City’s Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) has finally reached the level in 2008. He stated the levies this year will be presented as adopted levy amounts and extended levy amounts, which incorporate the 1% increase placed by the County for potential loss collections. Director of Finance Lehnhardt reviewed the process for setting the levy, which can be abated in March, if the Council chooses. He stated for the 2018 property tax distribution, 12.9% of a typical taxpayer’s property tax bill went to the City. He reviewed the City’s EAV over the past 12 years, and he stated last year’s EAV saw an increase of about 5%. In response to a Council question, City Manager Dzugan stated it is hard to measure the percentage of non- taxable properties in Wheaton, as the information the City has is the number of acres of non-taxable land. OCTOBER 14, 2019 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING SESSION MINUTES The first option Director of Finance Lehnhardt presented was a proposed extended tax levy of $20.87 million, which would remain the same as the 2018 extended levy but would add $206,130 for the Library portion of the levy. Christine Fenne, president of the Library Board, stated the library has received input that residents would like the library to remain open Sundays year-round, instead of being closed Sundays in the summer. The Library determined the amount needed to hire four 25-hour employees, which would allow them to stay open later on Friday evenings and all Sundays. She stated residents have expressed input at board meetings, and she pointed to the library’s use as a cooling center in the summer. In response to a Council question, Ms. Fenne confirmed the City can open the library as an emergency heating/cooling center. In response to Council questions about the feedback the library received, Ms. Fenne stated the feedback survey was available in the library, on their website and on social media. To answer a Council question, City Manager confirmed that the City will need to find a source for the approximately $900,000 anticipated increase in pension fund obligations. Director of Finance Lehnhardt reviewed the average increase for this option for the average property owner, which would be approximately $3 to $5. The second tax levy option would capture new growth, which would be approximately $101,000, for a total increase of $308,000. Director of Finance Lehnhardt reviewed the impact on the average property owner, which would range from an increase of approximately $8 to $12. Director of Finance Lehnhardt reviewed the proposed levy for Special Service Area 2, which supports downtown parking enforcement. The proposed levy is slightly below the 2018 levy. He stated the budget for parking enforcement is about $114,000, which has gone up with the addition of new parking technologies. In reviewing SSA 3, Director of Finance Lehnhardt stated this is for the Streams Subdivision maintenance, and a slightly lower levy is proposed. Director of Finance Lehnhardt stated Special Service Area #8 was established in 2018 to provide enhanced marketing and education promoting benefits and activities in the area; managing special community events; parking operations and maintenance; maintenance of streetscapes; holiday and event decorations; together with aesthetic enhancements including landscape and signage/banners. The proposed 2019 extended tax levy totals $257,215.70, with an SSA #8 extended levy of $140,390.00 and $116,825.70 estimated to be generated in TIF #2 incremental tax revenue. The DWA requested $250,000 for their 2020 Budget, which is the same amount requested in 2019. The proposed total is slightly above the $250,000 to accommodate a range of EAV increases. Some Council members questioned what changes will be forthcoming with the Downtown Wheaton Association, as the executive director is resigning, and its budget may look different as this transition takes place. Some Council comments centered around whether the Council would like for a portion of the SSA 8 tax levy to be applied to funding City services in the downtown. City Manager Dzugan stated staff will revisit the tax levy during upcoming budget workshops, and the City will receive more information from the DWA. OCTOBER 14, 2019 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING SESSION MINUTES 5. Citizen Communication Policy Public Information Officer Thrower stated to ensure that City staff is responding to all citizens in a consistent way, the Communications Department is looking for the Council’s feedback on a proposed policy and recommendations to ensure good communications. She reviewed the many ways people are communicating with the City, including in-person (at City Hall, during City meetings, etc.), by phone, email, through the City’s website, using an online service request form, and social media. City staff worked to create a proposed policy that focuses on three categories of communication while establishing a system of transparency and collaboration: 1) comments/questions on existing services and information, 2) comments and questions regarding agenda items/policy matters, and 3) comments/ questions/requests for new services or new issues. For the first category, the policy recommends these types of communication should be answered by the City Manager or staff. If the City Council receives these types of inquiries, the policy recommends directing these to the City Manager. Council members can request to be copied on staff’s response. Public Information Officer Thrower reviewed the City’s use of the Service Request Form, which the Communications Department will be promoting more. City Manager Dzugan stated the City only receives about 175 of these submissions per year now, but City staff is working on making this more user-friendly and visible so that more residents submit requests. For the second category, relating to matters of policy or agenda items, the proposed policy recommends these items should be addressed by the City Manager and/or Council, but if a request goes directly to a Council member, it should be forwarded to the City Manager and all Council members should receive a copy of the response to ensure all Council members receive the same information. For the third category, the policy proposes such requests be forwarded to the City Manager or Department Head. Public Information Officer Thrower reviewed other elements of the proposed policy, including formalized statements on staff/City Council communication, correspondence, and expectations for City staff or Council to make an initial response within 1 business day for service requests. The Council discussed possible wording changes to ensure elected officials can freely communicate with constituents. In response to a Council question on whether copying all Council members would constitute an Open Meetings Act violation, City Manager Dzugan stated he would follow up with the City Attorney regarding this question. In response to Council comments about email responses ending up on social media, City Manager Dzugan stated all City Council emails can also be requested through the Freedom of Information Act. He stated part of the purpose of this policy is to clarify Council’s expectations for when City staff should be responding to some communication from a resident. He stated staff will use this feedback and return with a revised policy for further discussion. 6. City Council/City Staff Comments OCTOBER 14, 2019 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING SESSION MINUTES Councilwoman Fitch encouraged the community to get tickets for the DWA’s Chili Cook-Off on November 2. 7. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:21 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan Bishel