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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES-1990-01-20-1990/6 OF E V9�`Tl CITY COUNCIL January 20, 1990 OOP O CO. I�'�� L A SPECIAL MEETING of the City Council was held on Saturday morning, January 20, 1990, at 9:20 am in accordance with the Mayor's Call of January 8, 1990, for the purpose of reviewing the proposed 1990-91 City Budget. ROLL CALL - PRESENT: A quorum being present. Alderman Paden Alderman Davis Alderman Brady Alderman Esch Alderman Korshak Alderman Wold Alderman Collens Alderman Rainey Alderman Lanyon Alderman Feldman Alderman Warshaw Alderman Rudy '411Prlta"I J'U �/4 V ABSENT: Aldermen Washington, Nelson, Drummer and Wollin TARDY: Alderman Morton PRESIDING: Mayor Joan W. Barr Docket 1-1A-90: Proposed 1990-91 Budget - Consideration of the Proposed Budget for the City of Evanston for the fiscal year 1990-91. A copy of the City Manager's recommended Budget was distributed on December 29, 1989. Budget review sessions have been scheduled for January 13, 20, 27, 1990 at 9:00 am and a Public Hearing on the Budget is scheduled for February 5, 1990 at 7:30 pm,. Alderman Feldman moved that Council resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole for the purpose of further discussion of the proposed 1990-91 Budget. Seconded by Alderman Warshaw. Motion carried. No nays. The Council so met at 9:25 am. City Manager Joel M. Asprooth called Council's attention to the Budget Memoranda that had been distributed to them: Memorandum #1 concerning one-time expenditures in the proposed budget; Memorandum #3, billing and collection procedures for emergency medical services; and Memorandum #5, actual expenditures in the Police Department versus budgeted expenditures. He explained that Memoranda #2 and #4 would be distributed at a later date. He explained to new members of Council that Memoranda are numbered in advance and sometimes take a little longer to prepare, that's why they were distibuted out of numerical order. He continued his review of departmental budgets, begun at the last budget session, and identified any major differences in the budgets of the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, the Public Works Department (including Engineering, Traffic Engineering, Streets and Sanitation), the Human Relations Department and the Library. In response to several questions related to ice rinks from Aldermen Brady, Davis and Juliar, City Manager Asprooth promised to respond with a memo. In response to a question from Alderman Feldman, he said he would review his recommendations to the CDBG budget later in the meeting. In response to a question from.Alderman Esch, he said that janitorial services at Robert Crown had been increased as recommended by the Recreation Board. This year the cost of that increased service has been 'covered by budget transfers. In response to a question from Alderman Morton, he clarified that the secretary for the Human Relations Commission worked part time for the Youth Advocacy Program and part of her salary and benefits were charged to the Youth Advocacy budget. 009 -2- January 20, 1990 City Manager Asprooth turned to a review of the non -General Fund activity, reviewing the impact of major revenue and expenditure changes in the Parking Fund and the Water Fund. Next he turned to a review of Police and Fire Pension Funds, the Motor Fuel Tax Fund, the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), the Fleet Services Fund, the Debt Services Fund, the Economic Development Fund, Capital Improvement Fund. Alderman Brady discussed the CDBG float (the balance left in the City's line of credit that it has not drawn down) and questioned whether it could be utilized for the Housing Rehab Program. She suggested that some of the money allocated. to parks projects in the CDBG Budget could'be used for the rehab program and the float could be used to replace those funds. City Manager Asprooth responded that the suggestion raised a number of questions that would require written answers from HUD. Alderman Brady said that she hoped that the Council felt strongly enough about it to consider the suggestion and to consider repaying that loan over four years. City Manager Asprooth clarified that this would be a loan against future year allocations. Alderman Rainey stated that housing rehab is a high priority in the community, but as long as certain"sacred cows" received more than their fair share of allocations, then important matters like Housing Rehab were getting short-changed. She said that the Committee chose to underfund Housing Rehab because they knew of the Council's commitment to it and knew that the Council would find the money to fund it. She questioned the need for the amount of money allocated to ECDC Facade Renovation. She also suggested that there was $1.375 million in the Parking Fund that could be used to fund housing rehab. She further suggested that the CD staff more closely monitor certain funded agencies. She stated that there are programs she would not vote to fund next year, which would amount to a reduction in allocations of about a half million dollars. She suggested that some groups funded by the CD Program should begin looking for other sources of funding next year. She advocated keeping the additional CD position recommended by the Committee, but deleted by the City Manager. Alderman Feldman proposed that $50,000 allocated to ECDC Facade Renovation in the CDBG Budget be moved to housing rehab. He reported to the Council that he had taken the list of storefronts scheduled to be rehabbed and paid site visits to each one. He was shocked, dismayed and astonished at what he found. He -said that some of the buildings appeared to be in wonderful shape, others were in areas that appeared to be thriving economically and were of gleaming chrome, and still others appeared to have not been rented for many years. tie questioned the need to fund this program at this level and suggested that, based on the needs of this community, that this was not the highest and best use for those funds. He said that the need for all these funds has not been demonstrated. He said that one of the addresses did not exist and one belonged to the wife of an Alderman. He questioned how this program could have gotten through the Committee. He suggested that the money should go back to the community in a different program. He clarified for the City Manager that his request was to transfer $30,000 from the Facade Renovation program and to transfer $20,000 from the proposed allocation for the Small Business Center. Alderman Rudy and City Manager Asprooth discussed various ways to fund housing rehab and the City Manager mentioned one source that had not been suggested before - Income Tax Surcharge funds. However, he cautioned that use of those funds for housing rehab would affect the amount of funds that could be allocated for library construction. Alderman Rudy requested that those alternatives be laid out in a memorandum. Alderman Collens said that she appreciated Alderman Rainey's candid remarks about the CD Program. She suggested that the weaning process for certain agencies could already begin this budget year and that it might not be necessary to fund an additional CD staff position. She said that it was quite clear to her where 'limited funds could best be utilized: She requested a report clarifying the stage at which various facade rehab proposals were. She also requested a report on the Neighbors at Work Minor Repairs and Painting Program, saying that the quarterly reported indicated that they did not perform up to projections. She suggested that there may be money in both of those programs that could be moved to housing rehab, but that use of the Income Tax Surcharge and TIF funds could certainly be discussed. She felt that the Council should first look at the programs where they questioned how the money was being spent. 66Z -3- January 20, 1990 Alderman Morton requested that Alderman Feldman clarify his recommendation to move money within the CD Budget.. In response to her question about the City Facade Program, City Manager Asprooth responded that there is no allocation for that program in the proposed budget. Alderman Morton took great exception to Alderman Feldman's comments about the ECDC Facade Program, questioning his recommendation to move money out of any ECDC Program. She vigorously defended the Facade Program and its value to the community. Alderman Feldman questioned Alderman Morton's characterization of his recommendations and said that a number of the facades did not seem to be appropriate candidates for the program. He suggested that it was always proper to scrutinize any agency or City department to see if they were performing up to expectations. He also suggested that agencies needed to adapt to changing needs in the community. Alderman Morton clarified several aspects of the ECDC Facade Program. She also said that funding allocated for facades on Simpson Street had been decreased. Mayor Barr ruled that sufficient debate had taken place on the Facade Program and suggested that Council discussion move on to other topics. Alderman Brady commented that she felt that an additional CD staff position was not necessary. She said that it was her impression that staff knew all there was to know about the workings of the ECDC and that it was more appropriate for that agency to work with Boards and Commissions such as the Housing Commission and the Economic Development Committee. Alderman Davis discussed funding the Housing Rehab Program and said that she felt it was more appropriate to find the funds within the CD Program than to go to outside sources to fund it. Alderman Rainey discussed the need to have a one-time infusion of outside funding into the Housing Rehab Program. She suggested that the income generated by loaning out those funds would sustain the program. She insisted that the money available in the Parking Fund should not be ignored. She requested a memorandum on how the City -Manager had intended to fund the capital improvement program in the Research Park if the funds generated by the sale of 1800 Sherman, and put into the Parking Fund, had not been available. Alderman Paden discussed her strong commitment to affordable housing and to jobs. She requested that the City Manager provide a memorandum explaining the City Rehab and Facade Renovation Programs, what criteria they used to make selections of eligible properties and what activity there had been in both programs in the past year and what the activity was projected for the coming budget year. In response to a -question from City Manager Asprooth, she clarified that she wanted information in order to compare the City's programs to those of ECDC. Alderman Collens clarified her earlier comments by saying that her question was whether all the money allocated to various programs in the CD Budget was all being spent wisely, or whether it might be put to better use elsewhere in the program. She said that there would be a better time to talk about the TIF Capital Improvement Program and that she and Alderman Rainey had had a historical difference of opinion as to the importance of the Research Park to the community, so it was her recommendation that the discussion focus on the CD Budget. She also suggested that the Council could continue the discussion on the CD Budget on the next Saturday because it was still before the February 1 deadline for passage. Alderman Juliar commented that the issues that the Council was currently had all to be debated by the Committee. He said that now that there was discussing a workable rehab program in place, it had succeeded beyond anyone's expectations. He said that a lot of funds had been expended and a lot of applications had been received to participate'in the program. Alderman Warshaw stressed how important the Housing Rehab Program was to the community, and appealed to her fellow Council members to work together to find the funding to continue the program. Mayor Barr asked the Council if anyone had any requests for Budget Memos. -4- January 20, 1990 Alderman Collens requested a Memorandum on the Capital Improvements Program funding for the .Library. Her request was relative to the timing, the necessity for programming the funding what funding the City Manager was anticipating, on the basis of his recommendations, of contributions to the library funding this season from various sources. Alderman Korshak requested a Memo on the Police Pension fund indicating the extent to which the unfunded portion of the City obligation, in dollar amount, has declined over the past five.years and an estimate of the orderly method to achieve full funding of this pension, as required, during the next 30 years. Alderman Rainey questioned the timing for scheduling a structural evaluation of the Sherman Avenue Garage, since many conversations had taken place about capital improvements recently. She asked that the Memo detail what seems to be causing the suspected problems. She also requested a Memorandum on the new vehicle for the Engineering Department Inspections Program. She requested another Memo regarding how much revenue was anticipated to be generated by raising the single family through four -unit recycling charge by 10 cents. Alderman Rainey asked the City Manager how we were going to fund our indebtedness to S.W.A.N.C.C.( Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County). City Manager Asprooth replied that his reluctant recommendation would be to transfer money out of the Debt Service Fund to the General Fund to make the payment because we have no other source to fund that indebtedness. City Manager Asprooth said that he had failed to review the Sewer Fund and he would do that at the next meeting. Alderman Feldman moved that Council convene into a regular Council meeting. Seconded by Alderman Warshaw. Motion carried. No nays. CITIZEN COMMENT: George Cyrus, 2929 Central Street, Chairman of the Chamber Budget Review Committee, commented that he would like to see the Recycling Program extended to businesses and that they would pay for it. He raised several questions about the budget one concerning the Miscellaneous Operating Requirements (NOR) and the other concerning Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), litigation expenses related to Fair Housing enforcement and an increase in business license fees. In response to his question about the NOR, City Manager Asprooth replied that that would be approximately the same as the current year and could even be lower after negotiations with employees are completed. He promised a memorandum regarding the IMRF Program. In reply to Mr. Cyrus's question about litigation expenditure, City Manager Asprooth said it was the City's hope to recover a part of these expenses related to Fair Housing litigation if the litigation was successful. He also explained that business license fees were being raised to cover more of the cost of inspections and that fees vary according to the number of seats in a restaurant for restaurant inspections. Jim Matykiewic2, 602 Lake Street, Evanston Property Owner's Association, said that real estate taxes are too high in Evanston; suggested that the City work to reduce taxes; questioned the use of City funds for the Homeless Shelter; said that Evanston always takes the charitable load from Chicago on the North Shore; questioned money being spent on consultant fees and outside attorney fees; suggested that if the City does not prevail in certain Fair Housing cases, that the people sued may come after the City for attorney's fees. Linda Bud suggested that the City do more with less; suggested that there was a lack of accountability within the City; questioned why the City didn't appear to have adequate information about recycling; questioned why there was no accountability in the General Assistance Program; questioned why standards had not been developed for the Burglary Prevention Ordinance. Alderman Rainey said that we do have statistics from the recycling program; asked that the recycling memo be provided to Ms. Bud. Said she had received several calls about the implementation of the Burglary Prevention Ordinance and asked that an article be placed in Highlights clarifying the requirements. . Alderman Rudy moved that Council recess into a Closed Session to discuss pending br possible litigation. Seconded by Alderman Esch. The Council so rececessed at 11:37 am and adjourned from Closed Session at 12:19 pm. 1 1 KIRSTEN F. DAVIS PT TV M RPLY