HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/25/2007 COW agenda
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
AGENDA
Meeting Location:
Mount Prospect Village Hall
50 South Emerson Street
Meeting Date and Time:
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
7:00 p.m.
I. CALL TO ORDER - ROLL CALL
Mayor Irvana K. Wilks
Trustee Timothy Corcoran Trustee John Korn
Trustee Paul Hoefert Trustee Richard Lohrstorfer
Trustee Arlene Juracek Trustee Michael Zadel
II. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF AUGUST
14,2007
III. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD
PROCLAMATION: NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH, SEPTEMBER, 2007
IV. PROPOSED CHANGES TO FACADE IMPROVEMENT AND INTERIOR BUILDOUT
PROGRAMS
The Fac;ade Improvement and Interior Buildout Programs have been effective tools for
downtown redevelopment for the past few decades. These programs assist businesses in
retrofitting buildings to accommodate for a more updated and functional property. In return,
the Village benefits from sales taxes and a more attractive downtown. Communities across
the region are increasingly turning to these business incentives to help recruit retailers to
their downtown. Arlington Heights, Blue Island, Des Plaines, Elmhurst, and Lombard are a
few communities that currently implement similar programs. Staff will present recommended
changes to these programs that are intended to enable better use of the funds as a
recruitment tool for new businesses.
V. EMPLOYER ASSISTED HOUSING PROGRAM
This spring, the Village worked with the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) and four other
communities to promote Employer Assisted Housing initiatives and partnerships between
municipalities and large employers. In May, the Mayors of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove,
Rolling Meadows, Palatine, and Mount Prospect hosted an information meeting for large
employers in the area to explain available incentives to employers offering housing
assistance, including State Tax Credits, and discuss other strategies for providing
"workforce" housing. Some of the benefits of the program are: helping employees purchase
homes close to work reduces traffic congestion, increases employee tenure and productivity,
lessens time-off due for doctor's appointments and family needs, decreases training costs
for the employer (due to less turn-over), and creates more affordable housing in the
northwest suburbs. Other businesses have been successful with the program and have
benefited from the program.
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 AT 50 SOUTH EMERSON, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056,
847/392-600 EXTENSION 5327, TOO #847/392-6064
The Village of Mount Prospect is eligible to create an "Employer Assisted Housing Program"
for its own employees. Terms of the program are set by each participating employer and
include tenure of employment, geographical area within which the home must be purchased,
any terms of repayment. All participants must participate in pre- and post-purchase financial
counseling. The Village will work in conjunction with any local lending institution, which will
be responsible for processing the loans. As a non-profit government entity the Village does
not pay State Taxes, but the tax credits earned for the program are bundled and sold on the
open market. Therefore, the Village would recover a portion (approximately 40%) of the
funds spent on the program (see Attachment C: Cost-Benefit Model). The Village must,
however, spend at least $10,000 per year to recapture the state and federal incentives. As a
small business, the Village is eligible to offer these benefits under a "Small Business
Consortium", whereas the typical costs of outsourced counseling associated with a program
will be underwritten by Charter One Bank (another partner in this initiative) for the first year
of operation.
VI. DOWNTOWN PARKING RECOMMENDATIONS
As the redevelopment of the downtown district progresses, the need to review the district's
parking inventory has become evident to ensure that there is adequate parking for
downtown business employees and customers. This summer representatives from the
Police, Public Works, and Community Development Departments and the Village Manager's
Office formed a downtown parking committee to discuss problematic parking locations
throughout downtown.
In an effort to better understand the existing parking conditions parking in the downtown,
Staff completed a survey documenting the existing utilization of downtown parking spaces.
A summary of this survey is attached. Downtown parking spaces in the core and peripheral
areas of downtown were surveyed at three different time periods, Tuesday through
Thursday, during the month of July. Key parking areas throughout the downtown were
further analyzed, in order to identify locations that are currently underused or near capacity.
Staff has compiled several suggested modifications to the Village's current parking policies
and will present these for initial public discussion.
VII. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
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