VILLAGE OF NORTH AURORA
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING
OCTOBER 19, 2009
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Berman called the meeting to order.
ROLL CALL
In attendance: Mayor Dale Berman, Trustee Mike Herlihy, Trustee Chris Faber, Trustee Mark Guethle, Trustee Bob Strusz, Trustee Mark Gaffino, Trustee Vince Mancini, Village Clerk Lori Murray.
Staff in attendance: Assistant to the Village Administrator Wes Kornowske, Finance Director Bill Hannah, Community Development Director Scott Buening, Water Superintendent Paul Young, Police Chief Tom Fetzer, Village Attorney Kevin Drendel.
DISCUSSION
1. Discussion on the Riverbank Stabilization and Art Space (Alternate A) Design Development Submittal
Wes Kornowske stated that the Village would be going out to bid in early winter and hoping to start construction in the spring. Staff recommended this for approval. Consent Agenda.
2. Discussion on Riverbank Stabilization and Art Space Construction (Alternate A) Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village of North Aurora and the Fox Valley Park District
Kornowske said that the FVPD approved this unanimously this evening. Consent Agenda.
3. Discussion on 311 S. Lincolnway (Eden Assisted Living) Additional TIF Grant Buening said this is an additional request for the TIF grant for this property. Staff asked Eden Assisted Living to do some additional work in the parking lot to reconfigure the lot. They were agreeable to doing this but felt that they could not do it financially without some additional assistance. Buening said that since Staff is recommending this be done, felt it would be appropriate to proceed with a full funding on this grant with the additional $5,000. Consent Agenda.
4. Discussion on Gladstone Fee Reduction
Scott Buening informed the Board that a spreadsheet was provided in the meeting packet that detailed the different alternatives for the fees. Staff recommended using a flat amount and Staff would decide where to pull from under the different impact fees. Buening said this would be an easier way to administer the program rather than trying to reduce each of the individual fees. Buening noted that the impact fees are the ones covered under the intergovernmental agreements. Land/cash is based on the value of the land.
Adam Dontz of Gladstone Builders addressed the Board and said that one of the suggestions by the committee was a rollback and to look at where fees were at any given point and time and try to create a plan that is, across the board, evenly distributed for all the builders. Dontz said there is no opposition from the building community to a system along those lines. Dontz said it is something that is different than what has been proposed so far but the building community is open to working with the Village. The main objective is to lower the cost of housing to where it is sustainable for the community and people are not house poor and can spend money within the Village. In reference to land/cash, Dontz strongly recommended cutting those by 50%.
Dontz said he supplied Staff with real estate transactions within and outside of SD129. They are considerably less today than what they were at the height of the market. Dontz said that land/cash is an area that should be revisited. With regard to how people’s assessed values have increased when property values have gone down, assessors say they have to take an average of sales over a three-year time period. When trying to figure out a value of land for land/cash, Dontz said he did not believe they would be bound from the same state statute requiring a three-year average.
Trustee Herlihy said he liked the idea of rolling back to a certain point in time, such as 2002.
Trustee Mancini said the rollback theory provides a unique opportunity for the Village to market itself. The biggest impact on the rollback fees will hit the water department in connection fees, water meter, stormwater connection, etc. The rest of the fees appear to be in line from what they currently are. Buening said that Staff put in the figures for 2002. If Staff goes back and does it on a line by line basis, the Village will be paying out-of-pocket costs for certain things such as water meters.
Trustee Gaffino said he was not in favor of subsidizing the builder with taxpayer money to pay for water meters.
Trustees Gaffino, Mancini and Guethle said they were more in favor of the third choice and some land/cash adjustment. Gaffino did not think the village should roll back its numbers.
Dontz asked what line items the Village would have to come out of pocket for if there was a rollback and how much would the Village have to come out of pocket.
Buening said that the resolution will include the fourth column information from the spreadsheet, with the addition of the land/cash for the school and park at 50%. Trustee Herlihy asked if the Village will be doing this for only so many permits and only so much time. Buening said this will start immediately and go until July 1st of next year for the first 50 permits. Fees would be reduced, up front, at permit.
Atty. Drendel said the document will have to be an ordinance.
Dontz said there was some language that contained a clause that this would start on a certain date and end on another date but the Village could retract the program if it provided 60 days notice.
Dontz said his request was to pick a number of permits the Village felt comfortable with and follow through with the obligation. Buening said the thought by Staff is that the Village does not know how well the program will work and wanted the ability to have an out clause. Mancini said he would like some sort of out, possibly a 90-day notice.
After further discussion, the Board decided to eliminate the termination clause and eliminating the number of permits. Trustee Herlihy said that the Village has a 6-month clause in the annexation agreement that governs the fee change timing. If the Village changes a fee, there is normally 6-month notice. Mancini said that the Village needs to make clear that on July 1st, the fees go back up. The Board decided that this would apply to new single family homes.
5. Randall Crossing Use Presentation – Item tabled.
TRUSTEE COMMENTS – None
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Motion made by Trustee Herlihy and seconded by Trustee Gaffino to adjourn to Executive Session. All in favor. Motion approved.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lori J. Murray
Village Clerk
