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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/11/2002 COW agendaMeeting Location: Mount Prospect Senior Center 50 South Emerson Street COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AGENDA Meeting Date and Time: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 7:00 p.m. I. CALL TO ORDER - ROLL CALL Mayor Gerald L. Farley Trustee Timothy Corcoran Trustee Michaele Skowron Trustee Paul Hoefert Trustee Irvana Wilks Trustee Richard Lohrstorfer Trustee Michael Zadel II. ACCEPTANCE OF REVISED MINUTES OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF MARCH 26, 2002 ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF MAY 14, 2002 III. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD IV. COMPREHENSIVE CITIZEN SURVEY WORKPLAN REVIEW The idea of a comprehensive citizen survey process was originally discussed at the February 13, 2001 Committee of the Whole meeting. Staff developed an RFP for services to compose a multi year survey plan, and in February 2002, the Village Board approved a contract with Metro Chicago Information Center (MCIC) to develop such a plan. Staff felt that it was important to develop a solid plan for the surveying effort, especially for budgeting purposes. This will give us an opportunity to begin surveying on a consistent basis in order to develop benchmarks and establish trends. It will also allow us to identify problems, and through surveying we should be able to tell over time if our solutions are working. MClC has been conducting research since February. Their research has consisted of three main elements: analysis of secondary data, key informant interviews and focus groups. The secondary data included Census data, home lending practices (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act), and previous studies or surveys of Mount Prospect and neighboring communities. In addition, MClC conducted six key informant interviews with community leaders. Finally, two focus groups were convened. The first group consisted of new residents, who had lived in the village for less than five years. The second group was comprised of long-term residents, who had lived in Mount Prospect for more than five years. Overall, the response from both the key informant interviews and the focus groups was quite positive. People were very satisfied with their lives in the Village, however, they also had very high expectations in terms of service and leadership from Village staff and the Village Board. 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 '100 SOUTH EMERSON, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056, 847/392-6000, EXTENSION 5327, TDD #847/392- 6064. In the attached executive summary, MClC presents their preliminary findings based on their research and study from these three research methods. Also included in the report are recommendations for future survey development. MClC will elaborate on their findings in an oral presentation. Staff is seeking direction from the Village Board on how to proceed with the survey plan. If the Village Board does decide to enact a survey plan, funding for conducting the surveys will have to be included in future budgets, beginning with fiscal year 2003. Public Information Officer Maura Jandris and MClC staff will be present to answer questions and facilitate discussion on this topic. NATURAL GAS USE TAX COLLECTION AGREEMENT Article XVI of the Mount Prospect Village Code provides for a utility tax on natural gas. The current rate is 3.204% with 60% going to the General Fund and 40% going to the Street Improvement Fund. The utility tax is assessed against the gas company, which passes the tax on to its customers. The Village collects approximately $400,000 per year from this tax. In July of 1998 the Village established a natural gas use tax to be assessed against any consumer of natural gas that is not paying the utility tax. The tax rate is currently $0.0147 per therm. The use tax was imposed because of deregulation and the fact the utility tax could not be assessed against natural gas providers domiciled outside the State of Illinois. To date, the Village has not received any proceeds from the use tax. When the Village established the use tax in 1998 the only customers able to purchase natural gas from companies other than NICOR were commercial and industrial customers. However, NICOR has recently begun to actively market their "Customer Select" program which allows all customers, residential and commercial, to choose between several natural gas providers. Residential customers can choose between five different providers and commercial and industrial customers can choose between eight providers. Approximately one-half of the providers are outside of Illinois and therefore not subject to the utility tax. The reason the Village has not received any use tax proceeds to date is because NICOR was not willing to enter into use tax collection agreements with municipalities and it was impractical for local governments to try and collect the tax directly from the customer. Now that residential customers are being offered the choice of natural gas provider, and there is bound to be a large number of customers choosing other providers, NICOR is willing to enter into agreements to collect the tax from customers that they will be billing for the transportation-only charges. Obviously, this creates more of a level playing field between the gas companies, taking away the ability of one or more companies to market their gas on a "tax exempt" basis. Attached is a draft agreement forwarded to us by NICOR that would allow them to collect our use tax from their transportation-only customers who are not subject to the utility tax. This collection agreement would only apply to situations where NICOR is involved in the billing for transportation charges. In cases where another provider bills the customer for both the natural gas and NIC©R's transportation charge, NICOR would obviously not be able to collect the use tax. In cases where NICOR does not do any billing, the Village can ask the other provider to collect the use tax, but there is nothing requiring the company to do so. The draft agreement has been reviewed by the Village Attorney. His comments are attached to this memorandum. Considering the significant revenue stream generated by this tax, it would be in the Village's best interest to take those steps necessary to minimize the negative effects of deregulation. Staff recommends entering into the Collection Agreement with Nicor. Appropriate staff will be on hand to answer questions and facilitate discussion. VI. NEW LIQUOR LICENSE CLASSIFICATION Vii. Viii. IX. The Mayor, as Liquor Control Commissioner, recently received a request from the Country Inns and Suites Hotel, located on South Elmhurst Road, to consider the creation of a Liquor License Classification that would permit hotels/motels to maintain a hospitality room where beer and wine could be served on a complimentary basis within a very restricted timeframe. Our research determined that at least two neighboring communities have such License classifications. According to Country Inn and Suites' management, their hotels located in these municipalities are experiencing a greater level of occupancy. The Mayor, based on consultation with the Village Attorney and the Village Manager, has determined that such a classification would not be contrary to the Village's over all philosophy and policies regarding Liquor Licenses. The new Class (MH) License would be very restrictive in its reach. The attached memorandum from Village Attorney Everette Hill outlines those restrictions and also includes proposed wording that would be included in the Village Code. This item is brought forth for Village Board consideration and discussion. If considered favorably, an appropriate Ordinance would be brought forward at an upcoming Village Board meeting. VILLAGE MANAGER'S REPORT ANY OTHER BUSINESS ADJOURNMENT CLOSED SESSION LAND ACQUISITION 5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (5). "The purchase or lease of real property for the use of the public body."