Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/28/1995 COW minutes REVISED 12/12/95 MINUTES COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE NOVEMBER 28,1995 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Gerald Farley celled the meeting to order at 6 20 p m Present at the meebng Were Mayor Gerald L Farley, Trustees George Clowes, T~mothy Corcoran, R~chard Hendncks, Paul Hoefert, M~chaele Skowron and Irvana VVilks Also present were V~llage Manager M~chael Janon~s, Assistant V~llage Manager David Strahl, Pubhc Works Director Glen Andler, Deputy Public Works D~rector Sean Dorsey, V~llage Engineer Jeff Wulbecker, Public Works Supenntendents, F~nance D~rector Dawd Jepson and Assistant F~nance D~rector Carol Widmer .MINUTES ~ Acceptance of the M~nutes of November 14, 1995 Mobon made by Trustee Clowes and Seconded by Trustee VVilks to approve the M~nutes M~nutes were accepted CITIZENS TO BE HEARD Jerry Sodero of 1777 Crystal Lane spoke He stated that he was confused about the actual Budget increase percentage because there have been numerous percentages used to show what the ~ncrease ~s from newspaper reports Finance Director David Jepson responded to h~s quesbon by outhn~ng where the ~actual increase ~n Budget percentages are for the General Fund Net Budget percentage increases and the d~fferent percentages relate to Fund transfers Mr. Sodero felt that the V~llage Board should only pass a Budget which ~s representative of the current Consumer Price Index (CPi) and should not go beyond that level He also stated that the V~llage should not g~ve money to the H~stoncel Society and has concerns about the cost asso~ated w~th ~ncreasmg the frequency of the V~llage Newsletter to s~x t~mes per year He also felt that the funding for the Weller Creek Improvement and Study cost should be pa~d for ~n part through a Special Service Area of the residents which would d~rectly benefit from such an improvement IV 1996 BUDGET DISCUSSION Openin.q Remarks' Mayor Gerald Farley introduced the topic by stating that th~s ~s the third and final Budget meeting prior to sending the Budget to the V~llage Board for final consideration at the next two V~llage Board meetings Manager Janonis answered a prewous questmn which was railed m by one of the wewers He stated that the V~llage aggressively uses contractual serv~ras and the total contracts amount to over $3 m~lhon ~n Pubhc Works alone He also stated that the net increase m staff over a ten year period has been 34 employees, 21 of those employees have been in the Police Department Mr Janoms also stated that the extended Leaf P~ck Up schedule has been revised due to the recent snow fall He stated that the north s~de of Mount Prospect w~ll be done as soon as possible but leaves ~n all other areas must be bagged Public Works Department Bud,qet Overview Public Works Director Glen Andler prowded an overview of the Pubhc Works Budget He stated the Public Works Budget has increased approximately 7 5% from the prewous fiscal year He stated Public Works has assisted or contracted for 13 3 miles of streets which were reconstructed or resurfaced in the prewous fiscal year He prowded a general overview of the prior year accomphshments and next year's goals and achievements as outhned by the Department A summary of the ~tems that are requested th~s fiscal year include an increase in funds for the Tree Hazard Survey and the proposed funding of the GIS System ~n order to update the maps which are approximately 15-20 years old at th~s point He also pointed out that the V~llage's share of the Melas Park ~mprovements amounts to $314,000 General comments by the V~llage Board included the following items A discussion concerning the use of a portable generator to power water pumps at the various well s~tes ensued The Board also d~scussed the process of crack seahng and details on how streets age There was also a d~scuss~on concerning refuse d~sposal and the payments to the Wheeling Township Transfer Station The Budget reflects a proposed increase in the st~cker cost due to the esralatmg costs at the Transfer Station and the cost to dispose of refuse This increase would be the first increase s~nce 1990 Overview of Non. OepaVmiental Expenditures ~ Finance Direct(~i; Dave Jepson prowded a general overview of non-Departmental expenditures including Inter-Fund Transfers, Debt Service Funds, Pension Funds, Risk Management Funds and Capital Improvement Funds He also prowded a brief overvtew of the Levy the L~brary has requested Finance Commission Recommendations: Chairman Dick Bachhuber read the r~commendabons of the Finance Comm~ssmn for the fiscal year 1996 Budget Among the items'recommended is the request that all opbons be considered by the V~llage Board pnor to funding a rehab~htaflon of the V~llage Hall The Commission also raised concerns over the escalating medical insurance costs and recommended a comprehensive overview of the Medical Insurance Program The Commtss~on further requested the Board review and evaluate the cntena used to determine vehicle replacement Budqe~ Wrap-Up John Kom, 301 North William, spoke He voiced his support to continue funding the V~llage Blood Drive and felt that L~feSohrce ~s ~ncapable of running a program s~m~lar to the current level of customer service which has been estabhshed by the Blood Donor Coordinator Frank Vlasny of Jody Court, spoke He stated that he felt the Budget was very complicated and d~fficult to understand He felt the Village Board cannot afford to continue to spend money as fast as it ~s received He stated that the overall cost to each ~nd~vldual resident in town conbnues to grow and conbnues to be a burden Janet Hansen, Executive Director of the Mount Prospect Chamber, spoke She requested $5,000 from the V~llage Board for seed money for a "Shop Mount Prospect" program The program would provide a shopping d~rectory for use by residents and would focus on keeping tax dollars w~thin Mount Prospect General comments of the V~llage Board members included the following ~tems Mayor Farley stated he supports the comments from the Finance Commission concerning the V~llage Hall rehab He further shares the concerns that the F~nance Commission has about the Medical Insurance Program He recommends the Blood Donor Program money be put back ~nto the Budget and he also supports g~wng the $5,000 to the Chamber on a one-year trial basis as requested Trustee Wilks stated that she would support re~nstabng the Blood Donor Program and would suggest the F~nance Commission work w~th the V~llage Board on the Village Hall project She further supported the rewew of the Health Insurance Program and would support funding the Chamber as requested Trustee Corcoran stated he supports the conbnuabon of the Blood Program and would support the Chamber request He would recommend a substantial increase in the Refuse Stroker fee He supports a review of the Medical Insurance Program and would cens~der the Finance Commission involvement in the comprehensive rewew of the V~llage Hall He also stated that he would recommend the V~llage Board cens~der funding a Traffic Officer for the next fiscal year Trustee Hoefert stated he feels the V~llage Board has seen the benefits of the d~fficult dec~sions made ~n previous years He would support keeping the money in the budget for the possible rehab of the V~llage Hall, ,continue the Blood Program and also supports the Chamber funding request He further supports the review of the medical insurance costs He stated that he has concerns about replacing vehicles when scheduled and not necessarily based on need Trustee Hendncks stated he would y~eld the floor to Trustee Clowes and would like to thank staff for the work in preparing the Budget document Trustee Clowes stated he would support the Chamber request but suggested that money come out of the $25,000 earmarked for economic development He would ~'~ support the continuation of the Blood Donor program but suggested a d~fferent provider be ~nvesbgated besides L~feSource He would recommend the ehmmat~on of $1 mllhon from 1997 Budget for the V~llage Hall and would support a rewew of the Medical Insurance costs He would support a rewew of the vehicle replacement criteria as recommended by the F~nance Commission and support the five-year Capital Improvement Program but has concerns about funding ava~lab~hty for such a program He would recommend a deferral of the additional Pohce Officer unbl after 1997 He also would request the Property tax increase of 4% be reduced to a level whmh ~s more reflective of current CPI to an amount recommended at 2 8% Such a decrease would cut approximately $108,000 out of the budget and would recommend eliminating the H~stoncal Society funding, the downtown Chnstmas hghts and the funding for the Northwest Municipal Conference to cover the reduced revenues Trustee Skowron stated she supports the continuation of the Blood Program and the funding request of the Chamber She further recommended the Medical Insurance Program be rewewed along with the vehicle replacement cntena She suggested staff evaluate the V~llage Hall questions raised by the Finance Commissmn She also stated that ~t may be worthwhile to conslder a consohdation of mumc~pal services into a single location to improve the operating effic~encies of each enbty Consensus of the Village Board was to retain the Blood Donor Program, to fund the Mount Prospect Chamber in the amount of $5,000 to cover one-year's worth of assistance to develop a Shop Mount Prospect directory. The Board also supported the recommendations put forth by the Finance Commission concerning the Village Hall and the review of the vehicle replacement c~erla. Them was not support to reduce the Property Tax Levy as requested by Trustee Clowes. The Village Board membem recommended the Budget document be considered for official approval at the appropriate Village Board meetings. However, the Board members reserve the right to review and approve any budgeted item prior to actual pumhase. Manager Janonis prowded an overview of the current status of V~llage Hall He stated the money had been earmarked as funds from proceeds of the sale of the downtown property to Pontarelh He stated that if the money is removed from this account, it would be put ~n the General Capital Fund, therefore, ~f the Board d~d dec~de to fund a possible V~llage Hall rehab~htat~on, the money would have to be found and put back into an account for the V~llage Hall He stated that the money for the V~llage Hall is not ~n place for 1997, it ~s only a recemmendabon Dave Jepson stated the proposed reduction ~n the Property Tax Levy would amount to approximately $106,000 He would recommend the Board wa~t~ng to rewew the Sales Tax revenue from Home Depot before cons~denng a reducbon ~n the Levy as proposed General comments of the V~llage Board members followed ~n which the proposed reduction ~n the Property Tax Levy was d~scussed Comments included concerns about whether programs would be adversely affected by this Levy reduction and did not want to draw down Fund balances to make up the d~fference Consensus of the Village Board wes to review the proposal of reducing the Property Tax Levy to the rate of Inflation at the slx. month budget review. Village Board also stated that the money earma~ed for 1996 for Village Hall remain set aside until a decision has been made regarding the Village Hall status. . ANY OTHER BUSINESS ~ None VI. ADJOURNMENT There being no further bus~ness, the Committee of the Whole meeting was adjourned at 10 14 p rn Respectfully submitted, DAVID STRAHL DS/fcc Assistant V~llage Manager