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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/26/1998 COW agenda COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AGENDA Meeting Location: Meeting Date and Time: Mount Prospect Senior Center Tuesday, May 26, 1998 50 South Emerson Street 7:30 P.M. I. CALL TO ORDER - ROLL CALL .. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES OF APRIL 28, 1998 III. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD IV. NORTHWEST CENTRAL DISPATCH SYSTEM 800 MHz RADIO SYSTEM PROJECT UPDATE In March of 1996, the Village Board initially discussed proposed modifications to the emergency dispatch radio system currently in operation at the Northwest Central Dispatch center in Arlington Heights. In 1972, the Village of Mount Prospect became a founding member, along with the Villages of Arlington Heights and Elk Grove in the creation of the Northwest Central Dispatch System. This intergovernmental initiative was an effort to achieve greater efficiencies and economies of scale through joint dispatching of emergency calls for Police service. Subsequently, emergency Fire dispatching was also added and over the years, membership increased with the additions of Buffalo Grove, Palatine, Prospect Heights and most recently, Hoffman Estates and Streamwood. In 1991, NWCDS went on-line with an Enhanced 9-1-1 emergency calling system. Today, Northwest Central Dispatch handles all Police and Fire calls for the member communities. The basic radio infrastructure utilized by NWCDS is the same one that was in place in 1972. While System membership and calls for service have gone up over the years, the System has been unable to likewise expand the number of frequencies available to the System. For the past several years, Northwest Central Dispatch has been studying modifications to the current System-wide radio infrastructure utilized by member municipalities. A number of factors have been driving this review; two of the most important being steadily deteriorating System capacity on the Police side of the System and certain regulatory changes mandated by the Federal Communications Commission affecting the number and size of band-width frequencies. Needless to say, an upgrading of the System infrastructure is a major undertaking both from a technological standpoint as well as monetarily. Since the March 1996 discussion, NWCDS, in October 1997, secured a Grant of seven 800 MHz frequencies from the Region 54 Committee of the FCC. With frequencies now in hand, final design and construction of the System is at hand. Additionally, funding of the estimated $9 million System upgrade will need to be established. NOTE: ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THIS MEETING BUT BECAUSE OF A DISABILITY NEEDS SOME ACCOMMODATION TO PARTICIPATE, SHOULD CONTACT THE VILLAGE MANAGER'S OFFICE AT lO0 SOUTH EMERSON, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056, 847/392-6000, EXTENSION 5327, TDD #847/392-6064. The current recommendation of the NWCDS Board of Directors (Managers and Administrators of member municipalities) is to negotiate a sole-source contract with Motorola for final System design and construction. Final System design is driven by certain performance standards which have been developed by the NWCDS Executive Committee made up of member Police and Fire Chiefs. These standards include the elimination of currently existing transmission dead spots and a 95% penetration rate for in-building, mobile radio communications. The trunked system will also allow for more efficient transmission of non-voice data over the System. The NWCDS Board of Directors is also recommending that funding for the project be provided by an increase in the current 9-1-1 surcharge ($.75 from $.30) in place for all wired phone connections (both business and residential lines) located within the member municipalities. After project costs are retired, it would be proposed that the surcharge would be reduced to a level that would sustain ongoing maintenance of the system (currently estimated at approximately $.37). The NWCDS Board of Directors further recommends that appropriate Ordinances be adopted so that the surcharge is in place by August 1 of this year. This will allow for accumulation of sufficient funding to begin the project before the end of the calendar year. While the cost of the project is substantial, it must be weighed against the critical function that NWCDS provides for member municipalities. If Mount Prospect were dispatching emergency calls on its own, the cost of operating a stand-alone system would be far in excess of our current annual costs (approximately $350,000) or our proportional costs for the System upgrade. You will note in the attached information package that the overall cost of the System has risen from an estimated $7 million in 1996 to $9 million currently. This is due to refinement in engineering design and most significantly, the recommendation to go with a digital system rather than an analog-based system. In addition to your information package, Doug Edmonds, Executive Director of NWCDS, Chiefs Figolah and Pavlock will be present to answer questions and facilitate discussion. V. SUBDIVISION ENTRANCE MARKERS ON VILLAGE-OWNED RIGHTS-OF-WAY STATUS REPORT At the October 14, 1997 Committee of the Whole meeting, the Village Board considered a number of issues associated with entrance markers installed in public rights-of-way. Discussions were focused on determining an appropriate policy for permitting these structures to exist on Village property. At the heart of the matter was the fact that a number of entrance markers in the Village had fallen into disrepair due to lack of regular maintenance. By the end of discussions that evening, the Village Board determined that existing entrance markers would be permitted to remain on public rights-of-way provided that they were maintained and operated solely by the residents in the subdivisions they identify. Markers not supported in this manner were to be removed by the Public Works Department. In order to implement this policy, a number of actions were necessary. To begin with, it was necessary to modify and clarify the Village Code as it applies to entrance markers. In addition, it was also necessary to inventory existing markers, assess the condition of each marker and contact nearby residents to determine if there is private-sector interest in maintaining the markers. As a final step, all unclaimed markers would be removed. The attached information package provides a progress report for each of the various tasks. Appropriate Public Works staff will be in attendance to answer questions and facilitate discussion. VI. STATE MANDATED ELECTRIC UTILITY DEREGULATION - MUNICIPAL UTILITY TAX CONVERSION PROJECT In 1997, the Illinois General Assembly passed Public Act 90-561 (Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997). This law effectively provides for the deregulation of the electric utility industry in Illinois. As a result of this legislation, municipalities throughout the State are having to make adjustments to locally adopted Utility Taxes and in the future will have to make decisions regarding modifications to existing Franchise Agreements. The first phase of deregulation begins on August 1, 1998. As of that date, residential customers of electricity will see their rates reduced by 15%. In October 1999, certain businesses will be able to ^shop~ for electricity. By December 31,2000, all business consumers will obtain access to the open market. Residential consumers will obtain this same access on May 1,2002. The Village currently has an Electric Utility Tax of 3.3%. This tax applies to the gross receipts of companies engaged in the business of distributing, supplying, furnishing or selling electricity. Given that electricity rates will decrease by 15% on August 1,1998, the Village=s electric Utility Tax revenues would also decrease by that percentage in the absence of mitigating steps. Recognizing the significant impact which the drop in electric rates would have upon municipal Utility Tax revenues, Public Act 90-561 also enables a municipality to convert its electric utility rate structure based on gross receipts to a structure linked to kilowatt hours consumed. Such a conversion can take place as early as August 1, 1998, but no later than August 1, 1999. Village staff, with the assistance of the Northwest Municipal Conference, have been working to develop an alternative rate structure based on kilowatt hours of electric consumed. Earlier this month, the Village Board passed a Resolution notifying the Illinois Commerce Commission that we would be filing a Petition for Approval of an Alternate Rate Structure. At this time, Village staff is prepared to bring forward a recommended rate structure for consideration by the Village Board. Two options are provided for, both of which create a revenue neutral environment within Mount Prospect. By revenue neutral, it is meant that both residential and business consumers of electricity should not see any material change in the local Tax burden imposed on their electric utility bills. The attached memorandum from Finance Director Brian Caputo explains the process in arriving at the alternate rate structures and recommends adoption of the ^Commonwealth Edison Modeb Option A. This rate structure would provide a potential economic development incentive for extremely large electrical users (we currently have no such businesses operating in town). Mr. Caputo will be present to answer questions and facilitate discussion. VII. MANAGER'S REPORT VIII. ANY OTHER BUSINESS IX. ADJOURNMENT CLOSED SESSION Property Acquisition $ ILCS 120/2 (c) ($) - ^The purchase or lease of real property for the use of the public body, including meetings held for the purpose of discussing whether a particular parcel should be acquired.~ Personnel $ ILCS 1202/2 (c) (1) - ^The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee to determine its validity.~ H:\G EN\Cow\Agenda\52698 COW.AGN.doc