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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/25/1998 COW agenda COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AGENDA Meeting Location: Meeting Date and Time: Mount Prospect Senior Center Tuesday, August 25, 1998 50 South Emerson Street 7:30 p.m. I. CALL TO ORDER - ROLL CALL Mayor Gerald L. Farley Trustee George Clowes Trustee Richard Lohrstorfer Trustee Timothy Corcoran Trustee Daniel Nocchi Trustee Paul Hoefert Trustee Irvana Wilks II. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES OF AUGUST 11, 1998 III. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD IV. BUILDING PERMIT AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS The Building Permit and Development Review process is one of the most important functions that municipal government carries out. The power and authority granted to municipalities is grounded in the legal concept that protecting the health, safety and welfare of the community is a legitimate exercise of municipal power. That permitting and review process, while designed to protect individual citizens, businesses and the community as a whole, can also be a very frustrating and daunting process for citizens and businesses to traverse as they seek to build, expand or renovate within the Village. At its genesis, the relatively simple concept of a homeowner adding a bathroom or a business expanding or renovating a building is really a multi-step, highly technical process which is both time consuming and requires a relatively sophisticated level of expertise with regard to design and construction matters. From that relatively simple desire on the part of a homeowner to improve his/her residence or a business' desire to grow and expand comes the requirement for detailed drawings, extensive municipal review and perhaps Public Hearings, development of construction drawings, their review, the hiring and permitting of contractors and the construction inspection process. Expectations regarding the timeliness of the review process, the detail of plans and the thoroughness of the review process often become the source of frustration. The ability to "turn around" plan reviews and permitting is often a function of the complexity of the project, the expertise of the resident or business owner, the time of the season and the workload and size of Village staff. Mount Prospect follows national Codes with regard to construction methodology. Our Zoning and Development Codes do not differ widely from those regulations in place in surrounding communities. Regulations in total are designed to protect both the individual who is seeking to develop within the community as well as adjacent properties which may be impacted by the development. The community as a whole is protected by setting standards which protect and enhance overall property values and maintain Mount Prospect as a vibrant place to live, work and raise a family. NOTE: ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THIS MEETING BUT BECAUSE OF A DISABILITY NEEDS SOME ACCOMMODATION TO PARTICIPATE, SHOULD CONTACT THE VILLAGE MANAGER'S OFFICE A T lO0 SOUTH EMERSON, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056, 847/392-6000, EXTENSION 5327, TDD #847/392-6064. Over the past 12 months, staff has embarked on an intensive process of self-review as well as reaching out to the business and development community to understand better how we can improve our permit and review process. While understanding that there are many dynamics that come into play, it is our goal to make the process as streamlined and user-friendly as possible without compromising the public policies and goals established in this community. Tuesday evening's discussion will be an introduction to the process, the work that has been done to date, consideration of recommendations for improvements and the establishment of an ongoing dialogue regarding this issue. The staff report is lengthy and detailed, however, it is a subject that cannot be adequately covered in a few paragraphs. Members of the Economic Development Commission, the Chamber of Commerce and our Review Boards have been invited to participate in this discussion. Staff will also be present to answer questions and facilitate discussion. V. ANY OTHER BUSINESS VI. MANAGER=S REPORT VII. ADJOURNMENT H:\GEN\Cow~Agenda\82598 COW AGENDA.doc