City Council Planning Sessions

Monday, September 12, 2022 1. Call to Order The Wheaton City Council Planning Session was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Suess. The following were: Physically Present: Mayor Suess Councilman Barbier Councilwoman Bray-Parker Councilman Brown Councilwoman Fitch Councilwoman Robbins Councilman Weller Absent: None City Staff Present: Michael Dzugan, City Manager John Duguay, Assistant City Manager James Kozik, Director of Planning & Economic Development Vincent Laoang, Director of Public Works Robert Lehnhardt, Director of Finance Joseph Tebrugge, Director of Engineering Peter Vassios, Interim Fire Chief Susan Bishel, Public Information Officer Brandon Kowalke, Senior Management Analyst Sarang Lagvankar, Senior Project Engineer Al McMillen, Water Superintendent Jolanta Moryl, Assistant Director of Finance Nathan Plunkett, Streets Superintendent Sean Walsh, Sewer Superintendent 2. Public Comments There were no public comments. 3. Approval of August 22 City Council Planning Session Minutes The Council approved the August 22, 2022 City Council Planning Session Minutes. 4. Final Redistricting Proposals Senior Management Analyst Kowalke reviewed two election redistricting proposals based on the Council’s feedback at the Aug. 22 Planning Session. The City published these proposals on the City’s website on an interactive map and shared them through the City’s social media channels, website and emails. Proposal 1 would require the least number of residents to change districts and extends to Warrenville Road as a boundary, however it is less balanced in number of residents per district compared with the other proposal. Proposal 2 is a slightly more balanced update to the current Council districts in terms of adhering SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING SESSION MINUTES to the guiding principles, with a low number of people moving between districts. Staff recommended Proposal 2 as the most balanced redistricting option. Council members expressed concerns with specific areas in the proposal, including changes to the balance of multi-family housing in the East District and the removal of single-family neighborhoods from the East District. Other concerns included how new apartment developments that have been approved would affect the proposals, and that Roosevelt Road would be a boundary for part of the South District. City Manager Dzugan suggested District Council representatives work with Senior Management Analyst Kowalke either individually or in pairs to fine-tune the final proposal so that changes can be addressed in a way that adequately addresses their concerns. The City Council supported this suggestion and advised City staff to present the final proposal along with an ordinance for their consideration at an October City Council meeting. 5. Roosevelt Road Corridor Plan Implementation Strategies Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated the Roosevelt Road Corridor Plan suggested two possible implementation strategies: 1) creating a Roosevelt Road Corridor Zoning District, or 2) adopting a series of targeted amendments to the current zoning district along the corridor. The company that assisted in the development of the plan, Camiros Ltd., advised that they could assist the City in implementing Option 1 with a timeline of approximately 6 months and a cost of $45,000. Option 2 would take approximately 6 months to implement at a cost of $52,000. Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated City staff recommends the Council proceed with Option 1 and create a Request for Proposals to obtain cost estimates from other firms. Council members expressed a preference for Option 1 as an implementation strategy. Some Council members expressed concerns with the proposed process for proceeding. One suggestion was to have an attorney complete this process without the need for a consulting firm to oversee the implementation, as some of their efforts could be redundant to the initial process. The Council expressed the desire to implement this plan promptly and discussed how this could be done. The Council advised City staff to gather information on whether there are attorneys with zoning experience that would be an appropriate fit for this project and report staff’s findings to the Council. 6. Capital Improvement Plan 2023-2027 Assistant City Manager Duguay presented an overview of the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for 2023-2027, which represents approximately $75 million in projects to fulfill the City’s Strategic Priorities of Enhanced Infrastructure and Financial Sustainability. For 2022, the City expects to complete approximately 63 projects, with approximately 67 projects for 2023. Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed CIP projects in which the City is receiving leveraged funding, which include a Lorraine Road project for 2023 and Gary Avenue improvements in 2024, for a total of $4.93 million in leveraged funds. Director of Finance Lehnhardt outlined several grant-funded projects over the next 3 years, which include $8.4 million anticipated to covered by grant funding, compared to the City’s portion of $1.8 million. SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING SESSION MINUTES Director of Finance Lehnhardt reviewed the City’s annual investments in capital projects over time, which averaged just over $5 million in 2011-2012, compared with approximately $21.9 million for 2023. Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed the Downtown Streetscape Project, which invested approximately $35.5 million in downtown infrastructure. The project’s original estimate was $34.77 million, compared to the final estimate of $35.5 million. The original estimate did not include the following work that was added to the project scope: streetscape improvements to Main Street from Wesley to Seminary; moving 7 ComEd utility poles underground on Main Street and North Hale Street; installing new traffic signals at two intersections on Liberty Drive; and transitional work on Karlskoga, West Wesley and West Willow. To answer Council questions, Assistant City Manager Duguay stated the City estimates the majority of the pavilion structure will be finished at the end of September. Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed the five major project areas for capital work over the next 5 years and the spending in each area, including: road reconstruction, new sidewalks, flood prone areas, road resurfacing and water main replacement. Water Superintendent McMillen reviewed the projects related to water infrastructure. These include water main replacement in 2022; replacing the Reber Street standby generator and variable frequency drives in 2023 and lead service line replacement. In response to Council questions, Water Superintendent McMillen stated the City works to reduce water loss by replacing water mains and water meter replacement. Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed the Sanitary Sewer Fund balance, which is forecast to be in a strong financial position over the next 5 years. Sewer Superintendent Walsh stated the Sewer Division’s projects for sanitary sewers prioritize maintenance, structural stability and reducing inflow and infiltration. Projects for 2022 included sanitary sewer main rehabilitation on Geneva Road between Driving Park and Glencoe. Projects for 2023 include engineering and sanitary sewer projects associated with the Basin 3 & 4 discharge replacement, sewer main and manhole replacement, service line chemical grouting and the 2023 Road, Sewer and Water Program. For the Storm Sewer Fund, Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed that this fund is currently just below its target reserve and is soon estimated to be operating with expenses exceeding revenues. Sewer Superintendent Walsh reviewed storm sewer projects completed by City staff that replaced more than 2,200 feet of storm sewer in 2022. For 2023, Public Works crews have identified 1,000 feet of 18” storm sewer to replace on Crescent. Other projects include the Yard Flooding Improvement Grant Program and Site-Specific Overland Flooding Program. In response to questions, Sewer Superintendent Walsh stated the cost of 18” storm sewer is higher than 10” storm sewer, so the City is able to replace a shorter length of storm sewer but will see a larger impact with the 18” pipes. Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed the Parking Fund, which the City has seen significant reductions in revenue as the number of people leasing and using the City’s paid lots decreased starting with COVID-19. City Manager Dzugan stated the use does not appear to be rebounding, so the City will need to determine how to address this issue. In response to Council questions, Assistant City Manager Duguay stated the City SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING SESSION MINUTES is working to reduce costs by confining snow plowing services in the lots to smaller areas and delaying some maintenance projects. Projects completed in 2022 include painting the parking garages and structural maintenance in the City’s parking structures. The projects for 2023 include garage stairwell coating and garage sealant replacement. Senior Project Engineer Lagvankar reviewed the City’s strategy for prioritizing road work and determining the funding level of work for each year. He reviewed the projects completed in 2022, which included Danada subdivision resurfacing using a new method called “hot in place recycling” to recycle existing pavement materials into a new surface. Also being completed is the Reber Street reconstruction project. Projects for 2023 include Lorraine Road resurfacing, the new sidewalk program, reconstruction on Harwarden Street, concrete panel replacement and bridge structure inspections. In response to Council questions, Engineering staff stated the earlier labor strike that prevented contractors from getting construction materials did delay the City’s contractor, but the City expects the work to be completed this season. Street Superintendent Plunkett reviewed the capital projects completed in 2022, including a pilot sidewalk saw cutting program to address defective sidewalks, replacing 70 streetlights with LED fixtures, prolonging the life of Wheaton streets through the GSB surface treatment program, and the Public Works Road Maintenance Program. In 2023, the City will continue with the surface treatment program, will replace 70 more streetlights with LED fixtures, will continue its sidewalk replacement projects and annual street maintenance. Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed the New Sidewalk Program, which will complete 4 miles of new sidewalks in 2022. In 2023 and 2024, the City will continue to accelerate its spring and fall programs to complete 2 miles per season, finishing in fall 2024. In 2023 and 2024, the City will begin communicating this project before surveying begins and will highlight the program’s guiding principles so residents understand the process up front. Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed the building renewal projects for City Hall in 2023, which include the completion of the Council Chambers interior renovation and technology upgrades and renovations in the administration area of City Hall to create workspaces for all staff. Building renewal projects that Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed included the chiller replacement and the West Side Plaza Replacement. A grant would cover a significant portion of the plaza project. In response to Council questions, City Manager Dzugan stated the numbers for the plaza project had not yet been updated to reflect a lower grant amount the City anticipates receiving because the final project has not been presented yet with changes in place. One Council suggestion was for the City to consider separating the finances associated with parking garages from the parking lots as it further discusses the parking fund. Other Council comments included presenting the City’s overall financial health, including information on the City’s financial obligations in relation to its expenditures for capital projects and the availability of funding once existing obligations are met. 7. City Council/City Staff Comments SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING SESSION MINUTES Councilwoman Fitch encouraged the community to watch the video from the City’s September 11 Remembrance Ceremony to hear from Bob Goldsborough about how the community responded to 9/11 and how it touched our community locally. Councilman Barbier complimented the Wheaton Police Department on their Neighborhood Roll Call program and other outreach opportunities. He also noted the opening of the new Culver’s restaurant on Roosevelt Road. Mayor Suess thanked the participants in the September 11 Remembrance Ceremony, including Wheaton Park District, Wheaton College, Wheaton Municipal Band, Wheaton Police and Fire Departments, Doodlebug Workshop, and Wheaton Franciscans. 8. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan Bishel