Village of Buffalo Grove Village Board met July 22.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
CALL TO ORDER
President Sussman called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M. This meeting is being conducted via audio and video conferencing.
ROLL CALL
Roll call indicated the following present via audio/video: President Sussman; Trustees Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith and Pike. Trustee Stein is physically present at Village Hall, 50 Raupp Boulevard.
Also present via audio/video were: Jenny Maltas, Acting Village Manager; Patrick Brankin, Village Attorney; Chris Stilling, Deputy Village Manager; Chris Black, Finance Director; Brett Robinson, Director of Purchasing; Evan Michel, Management Analyst; Mike Reynolds, Director of Public Works; Darrin Monico, Village Engineer; Kyle Johnson, Civil Engineer; and Julie Kamka, Deputy Clerk.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Moved by Weidenfeld, seconded by Ottenheimer, to approve the minutes of the June 1, 2020 Regular Meeting.
Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
Moved by Stein, seconded by Johnson, to approve the minutes of the June 15, 2020 Regular Meeting. Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
WARRANT #1316
Mr. Black read Warrant #1316. Moved by Weidenfeld, seconded by Johnson, to approve Warrant #1316 in the amount of $2,241,488.14 authorizing payment of bills listed. Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
BOARD/COMMITTEE/COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS
Moved by Ottenheimer, seconded by Smith to concur with the Board, Commission, and Committee appointments as presented in Board packets. Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
PUBLIC HEARING – REBUILD ILLINOIS GRANT
Moved by Stein, seconded by Weidenfeld, to open the Public Hearing regarding the Village’s application for a Rebuild Illinois Grant. Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
President Sussman opened the Public Hearing at 7:35 P.M., noting that Notice of Public Hearing was published in the Daily Herald on June 12, 2020. This Public Hearing is being held via Zoom Web Conference, which permits the public to fully participate.
President Sussman swore in Darrin Monico to give testimony.
Mr. Monico reviewed the proposed Rebuild Illinois Public Infrastructure Grant Application, details of which are contained in his memo to Mr. Bragg of June 18, 2020.
Mr. Monico noted that the time frame for this project will likely be in 2021.
Bianca Smith, 130 N. Buffalo Grove Road, was sworn in, after which she questioned the stages in which construction would be completed. Mr. Monico responded to Ms. Smith.
Moved by Ottenheimer, seconded by Stein, to close the Public Hearing regarding the Village’s application for a Rebuild Illinois Grant. Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
The Public Hearing was closed at 7:42 P.M.
PUBLIC HEARING – PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT
Moved by Weidenfeld, seconded by Ottenheimer, to open the Public Hearing regarding the Proposed 2020 Buffalo Grove Lake Cook Road TIF District. Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
President Sussman opened the Public Hearing at 7:43 P.M., noting that Notice of Public Hearing was published in the Daily Herald on May 30, 2020 and June 9, 2020. This Public Hearing is being held via Zoom Web Conference, which permits the public to fully participate.
The Public Hearing is in regard to the Village’s proposal to establish a Tax Increment Financing District to be known as the 2020 Buffalo Grove Lake Cook Road TIF District. Pursuant to the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act, the Village must wait at least 14 days from the close of this Public Hearing before introducing or taking action on the Ordinances establishing the 2020 Buffalo Grove-Lake Cook Road TIF District. Said Ordinances are currently scheduled for consideration at the July 20, 2020 Village Board meeting.
President Sussman swore in Chris Stilling, Deputy Village Manager, and Geoff Dickinson from SB Friedman Development Advisors, to give testimony.
Mr. Stilling introduced the Proposed 2020 Buffalo Grove Lake Cook Road TIF District, details of which are contained in his memo to Mr. Bragg of June 18, 2020.
Mr. Dickinson began with a brief bit of context and the process for the proposal, after which he reviewed a slide presentationfurtherdetailingthescopeoftheproposalandthefeasibilitystudycompletedbytheirfirm. Mr. Dickinson emphasized that the TIF budget is not a levy, but sets a maximum threshold of spending for the TIF district over 23 years.
Mr. Stilling then summarized the proposal and the reasons that the TIF district will be beneficial to Buffalo Grove.
President Sussman then swore in all those members of the public wishing to give testimony.
Craig Horwitz, 883 Stonebridge Lane, stated that he has submitted numerous FOIA requests regarding this TIF; he does not believe that this proposal meets TIF standards; he referred to Slide A showing that many of the parcels in the district are actually healthy and minimally vacant; he believes the tax levies will be raised and it will cost residents more in taxes; he recommends a smaller TIF district which would exclude the Village campus and several other properties; he next referred to Slide B, which is a budget from the TIF proposal; he questioned whether TIF dollars would be used for the Village Hall, Police Station, and Municipal Center; he referred to the next slide which is the financial modeling for the Lake Cook corridor; he believes the Public Hearing should remain open until the market study is redone and the TIF budget is explained; he referred to the next slide, which is Exhibit D, and highlights the 108 PIN numbers included in the district and noted that they all show healthy numbers.
Mr. Stilling responded to several of the points raised by Mr. Horwitz, noting that the Lake Cook TIF is meant to implement the Lake Cook Road plan which presents one unified cohesive vision of the entire corridor.
Richard Lewis, 413 Claret Drive, stated that he agreed with Mr. Horwitz in that he believes this should be done in phases; he questions why this TIF will be any different than it was for the original Town Center; he would be in favor of a smaller TIF district; he does not believe there should be redevelopment in the golf course area.
Brian Costin, 1339 Madison Court South, is opposed to TIF districts; he believes there will be a property tax increase; he believes TIF districts invite corruption; government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers in the economy; multiple scientific studies show that TIF districts do not work on a macro or community level. Mr. Costin’s alternative solutions revolve around eliminating unnecessary governmental barriers that hurt economic development, such as working on reducing the property tax burden, reducing business license and permit fees, reducing zoning regulations, and finally he referred to a slide showing projected revenue which he believes is a reckless projection. Mr. Costin reiterated that TIF districts increase property taxes for everyone in Buffalo Grove; the revenue projections are dubious; he does not believe the Village has properly vetted this project; and he urges the Board to compare this proposal to other TIF districts throughout the State of Illinois, and to reject this proposal.
Pamela Jaeger, 100 Manchester Drive, stated that she agrees with what the previous speakers have stated; she is opposed to this TIF because it is way too large; she does not believe the municipal buildings and the golf course should be a part of it; she does not believe the EAV on vacant land that the Village owns can be declining when it does not get a tax bill to begin with; she believes it is too big of a project and too much money; she believes that the residents outside of the TIF district would bear the burden of the amount of money that is required for the other taxing bodies to provide services; she wonders if her development has inadequate utilities as well if the surrounding properties have inadequate utilities; she is opposed to this proposal.
Patricia Koppe, 265 Rosewood, is opposed to this proposal because she believes it is too large; the area where she lives floods with every major rainstorm; she believes some of the money should go to fix the problems in the older, original section of Buffalo Grove; she believes some residents in the TIF area will lose their homes; she wonders if the sewers in her area will get fixed or will the flooding in her area get worse; she is not looking forward to another half-empty commercial or residential building just blocks from her home; there are other areas that could be fixed and brought up to code; open land is important in a community; the kids need parks; Lake Cook Road will be within 12’ of playgrounds and residences on the south side of the road, the original section of Buffalo Grove, which she believes is always forgotten because they don’t have the tax base the Village needs, but the area deserves the same improvements that take place in the northern half of the town; she is against the proposal because it does not serve everyone in the Village.
Jeffrey Braiman, 26 Canterbury Lane, responded to several of Mr. Costin’s comments with regard to streamlining processes, noting that the Village has taken many steps to that end, and he believes that the Village processes are as efficient as any municipality in the area. With regard to graft and corruption, Mr. Braiman takes exception to that because he believes all members of the Board are above reproach, and he believes that comment was out of line. Mr. Braiman believes that a TIF is a valuable tool in obtaining commercial and business development, however, he believes it is only appropriate in the correct context, and he is not sure if it is the correct context at this juncture; he does not want the Village to move away from TIF altogether, but he believes the time and the method right now are not correct; he agrees with Mr. Costin that the recent economic downturn is not really good for development and also not good for the real estate tax provision; he is concerned that it will affect real estate taxes; he believes this should wait until the economy turns around; he believes it is important to know who the developer might be and what the chances of success would be; he believes a TIF can be appropriate, but he is not sure that this is the right time for a TIF.
Sandy Moran, 461 Burnt Ember Lane, stated that this TIF is causing a major concern for many residents, and this time in the economy is not a good time to move forward with something like this; we do not know exactly how the TIF money will be spent; she believes this TIF will end up raising real estate taxes which have increased significantly in the years that she has lived here.
Moved by Smith, seconded by Pike, to close the Public Hearing. Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
President Sussman closed the Public Hearing at 9:04 P.M.
CONSENT AGENDA
President Sussman explained the Consent Agenda, stating that any member of the audience or the Board could request that an item be removed for full discussion. The Village Clerk read a brief synopsis of each of the items on the Consent Agenda; there were no such requests.
Proclamation – Pride Month
Motion to approve a Proclamation recognizing Pride Month.
Seek Bids and Proposals
Motion to authorize staff to seek bids and proposals for various projects.
Resolution No. 2020-29 – Fair Housing
Motion to pass Resolution No. 2020-29, adopting a Fair Housing and Non-Discrimination Policy.
Ordinance No. 2020-45 – Eva’s Mexican Restaurant
Motion to pass Ordinance No. 2020-45, amending Chapter 5.20 – Liquor Controls. A Class B liquor license is reserved for Eva’s Mexican Restaurant Inc. at 205 Dundee Road. This reservation is subject to the applicant completing Village requirements for said license on or before October 12, 2020. The Class B liquor license issued to Nacho’s Tacos Place Inc. at 205 Dundee Road is hereby rescinded effective immediately.
Ordinance No. 2020-46 – Water Design
Motion to pass Ordinance No. 2020-46, Civiltech Lake Cook Road Water Design Change.
Moved by Ottenheimer, seconded by Weidenfeld to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Upon roll call,
Trustees voted as follows on the Consent Agenda:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
RESOLUTION NO. 2020-30 – REBUILD ILLINOIS GRANT
Moved by Stein, seconded by Weidenfeld, to pass Resolution No. 2020-30 to submit a Rebuild Illinois Grant in accordance with materials contained in Board packets.
Mr. Monico reviewed the proposed resolution, details of which are contained in his memo of June 18, 2020 to
Mr. Bragg.
Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
RESOLUTION NO. 2020-31 – INTGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT
Moved by Pike, seconded by Johnson, to pass Resolution No. 2020-31 approving an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village of Buffalo Grove and the Village of Long Grove to support Rebuild Illinois Grant Application
Ms. Maltas reviewed the proposed resolution, details of which are contained in the Village Board Meeting
Agenda Item Overview prepared by Mr. Bragg.
Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
RESOLUTION NO. 2020-32 – LIQUOR LICENSE FEES
Moved by Johnson, seconded by Stein, to pass Resolution No. 2020-32 waiving 50% of certain Liquor License renewal fees for 2020-2021.
Ms. Maltas reviewed the proposed resolution, details of which are contained in Mr. Bragg’s memo to the Board of June 18, 2020.
Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
ORDINANCE NO. 2020-47 – 2020 SEWER LINING PROJECT
Moved by Stein, seconded by Ottenheimer, to pass Ordinance No. 2020-47, 2020 Sewer Lining Project Award to Hoerr Construction Inc. in an amount not to exceed $259,811.75, in accordance with materials contained in Board packets and pending Village Attorney review.
Mr. Johnson reviewed the proposed ordinance, details of which are contained in his memo of June 18, 2020 to
Mr. Bragg.
Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
ORDINANCE NO. 2020-48 – LIFT STATION
Moved by Stein, seconded by Johnson, to pass Ordinance No. 2020-48, Ciorba Dual Lift Station Design Engineering for the design engineering project for Cambridge Court and Cambridge on the Lake lift station in an amount not to exceed $169,854.30 in accordance with materials received in Board packets and subject to approval by the Village Attorney
Mr. Johnson reviewed the proposed ordinance, as well as the ensuing proposed ordinance, details of which are contained in his memo of June 18, 2020 to Mr. Bragg.
Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
ORDINANCE NO. 2020-49 – GHA CAMBRIDGE DESIGN
Moved by Stein, seconded by Smith, to pass Ordinance No. 2020-49, approval of the Gewalt Hamilton Associates design engineering contract for Cambridge Drive in an amount not to exceed $196,890.00 in accordance with materials contained in Board packets and subject to approval by the Village Attorney
Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
ORDINANCE NO. 2020-50 – LEAK DETECTION SURVEY
Moved by Pike, seconded by Stein, to pass Ordinance No. 2020-50, approval of Consulting Engineers Inc. proposal in an amount not to exceed $24,705.00, pending legal review, and further recommended that 10% ($2,470.00) be created for any unforeseen issue that may arise.
Mr. Reynolds reviewed the proposed ordinance, details of which are contained in Mr. Haisma’s memo to him of June 18, 2020.
Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
CAFT FACILITY
Mr. Robinson reviewed the proposed change order, details of which are contained in the memo from him and Chief Baker to Mr. Bragg of June 16, 2020.
Moved by Ottenheimer, seconded by Stein, to authorize the CAFT facility Change Order in order to fulfill ADA requirement, which will be equally shared by all departments.
Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE
President Sussman reviewed the parameters to be followed by speakers and asked if there were any questions from the audience on items not on tonight’s agenda; there were no such questions.
ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Weidenfeld, seconded by Johnson, to adjourn the meeting. Upon roll call, Trustees voted as follows:
AYES: 6 – Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith, Pike
NAYS: 0 – None
Motion declared carried.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 P.M.
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