City of Lockport Committee of the Whole met March 7.
Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:
Mayor Steven Streit called the Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Invocation – Police Chaplin Lou Wold
Roll Call:
Present: Alderwoman, Renee Saban
Alderman, Jim Petrakos
Alderwoman, Christina Bergbower
Alderman, JR Gillogly
Alderman, Jason VanderMeer
Alderman, Darren Deskin
Alderwoman, Joanne Bartelsen
Alderwoman, Catherine Perretta
Absent: City Clerk, Kathleen Gentile
Also Present: City Administrator, Ben Benson
Chief of Police, Terry Lemming
Finance Director, Lisa Heglund
Director of Public Works, Brent Cann
City Attorney, Sonni Choi Williams
Deputy Clerk, Donna Tadey
LTHS Intern, Andrew Smigelski
Press Present: Cathy Wilker, LCTV
Sarwat Ahman, Free Lance Reporter, Joliet Herald News John Depaolis, Free Lance Reporter, Lockport Legend
Mayor’s Report
Liaison’s Reports:
Mayor Streit provided an update on the State Street Reconstruction project. He announced the Lockport Live Committee will be passing out information folders that will include a full construction schedule and contact information if there are problems, during construction on State Street. Lockport Live is a Committee formed by the City Council and Business Owners with the express mission of supporting our downtown businesses during the historic State Street Reconstruction.
Mayor Streit mentioned the Summer Art Series Committee winning a $50,000.00 National Arts Grant based on the Summer Art Series projects that have gone on in the past, (i.e. Steampunk Lincoln and Collector Cards). Those were submitted into Washington and were awarded a grant. This year there will be 10 professional artists and there will be installations throughout the downtown. Also, the Summer Art Series is sponsoring two art contests for local artists 17 & younger, and 18 & older. There will be events happening at the Roxy Theatre - they will show fun movies twice a month along with other events.
Mayor Streit announced he was recently in Washington and he talked with Officials from the Administration about infrastructure funding and other different topics. Bruce Road/Caton Farm Road was discussed and mentioned possibly starting to apply for Federal Projects since the Phase I Engineering is done.
Alderwoman Perretta asked Mayor Streit for an update on Dunkin Donuts, Panera, and Burger King. Mayor announced Burger King should be opening soon. Dunkin Donuts should open by the Spring. Panera Bread will be opening in May.
Recognition:
Mayor Streit recognized the Lockport Township High School Co-Ed Cheer Team. The Cheer Team had six (6) first place finishes during the regular season, including SWSC Conference Championship back to back, won the IHSA Sectional for the third time in four years, with that Sectional Title the team qualified for the IHSA State for the thirteenth straight year and earned a third place trophy in a very competitive division. Mayor Streit presented the Cheer Team with a Certificate of Recognition.
Quiet Zone Updated (Verbal):
City Administrator provided an update.
In 2016 an Agreement was approved with a Pipeline Company to help fund some of the safety improvements that are required to garner a Quiet Zone. That proposal and project has not kicked off the ground yet. They provided some seed money at the signing and the City did some advanced study work. The City applied for some grants and Administrator Benson is happy to announce that the City has received some grant money towards the Quiet Zone improvements. He said, this will allow the City to have even more funding available when the Ducere pipeline does go through. They are going to offer the City 85% of the money from ICC and IDOT where the City will only have to put in 10% and the CN would put in 5%. They are going to pay 85% of the cost for a new quad gate system at Metra and the pedestrian gates at the 13th Street Station. They are offering 50/50 for some pedestrian gates that will be required. There will be another letter coming in April clarifying exact dollar amounts and Administrator Benson will be bringing it back for Council review. This is funding that will be available in 2019 to 2023.
Mayor Streit mentioned Ducere Pipeline may never even come. They gave us some seed money but if they don’t break ground so be it, but if they come, they have to pay for the Quiet Zone. If they don’t we will keep finding grant money to inch our way towards the ability to have a Quiet Zone eventually.
Administrator Benson said when and if they do watch that project and provide the City two million dollars that was promised, anything that is left over, if we’ve been able to be successful to achieve even more of these that money just rolls over to Capital for the City if we exhaust it. If we receive two million and we only spend one million to complete it because we were awarded another million from a grant, then that money that doesn’t, once we complete the Quiet Zone would go to the Capital Fund.
City Of Lockport Fema Flood Plain Map Amendment Application:
In 2012 Chevron and the City of Lockport completed a Flood Map Study together as part of one of the TIF projects and it identified several storm water issues in regards to the Canal and the area. Several improvements were made, Chevron has made many of those improvements. Chevron should be thanked for their continued partnership to also help the City complete these improvements. Now that they are complete, the City can file a LOMA - which is a Letter of Map Amendment, which is an application to FEMA to basically reduce the scope of the existing floodplain. They calculate all these formulas and project where the floods have been and where they would be with these new improvements that would allow better flood drainage. The City will be able to submit those in. Once the Illinois State Water Survey and the Federal Emergency Management Agencies approve the LOMA those Residents that live on the west side should finally be able to make inquiries with their mortgage companies, or their flood insurance companies and to not have that requirement. This doesn’t guarantee that, but that is an individual thing between the homeowner’s and the mortgage and insurance companies. Once the City gets this LOMA done in the next two to three months that is kind of a temporary approval process. The final approval takes about 18 months through the FEMA project, but most insurance and mortgage companies accept the LOMA re-designation as yes, the City has looked into this, and agrees with your assessments and your flood study. The maps will be amended and then they will come back with a LOMR for a final approval.
Consent Agenda: Motion To Approve And Authorize The City Staff To Move Forward With The Loma Application Process.
2018 Ford F-250 Xl 4 X 2 SD Super Cab W/8’ Box/Resolution No. 18-012:
The Street Department is requesting approval to purchase a 2018 F-250 XL 4 x 2 SD Super Cab w/8’ box from Currie Motors for a total of $33,215.00. The price is based on the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative. This truck will replace truck #707 which is the 2008 Ford F-250 2WD Pick Up that has costed $19,753.28 in repairs. This item has been budgeted in Capital-Water in the 2018 Budget.
Alderwoman Perretta stated she is glad all the repair costs are broken out and provided. She is glad to see what years the costs came in. Alderwoman Perretta suggested replacing stuff like this at the seven year mark and not hitting some of the bigger ones. Some of the years you can see where the increases are. That way maybe the City can sell it, get some resell money back instead of probably waiting for it to be a zero out when it is replaced. She feels $19,753.28 in repairs is a lot. She would like to track this a little better.
Consent Agenda: Motion To Approve Resolution No. 18-012/A Resolution Authorizing The Administrator And Staff To Purchase A 2018 Ford F-250 Xl 4 X 2 SD Super Cab W/8’ Box From Currie Motors Through The Suburban Purchasing Cooperative In The Amount Of $33,215.00.
Economic Development Update (Verbal):
Community and Economic Development Director, Pam Hirth provided an update on Economic Development activities that have occurred. In 2017 the City issued 65 total Residential Building Permits for a total of 98 units. Overall in 2017 there was an increase of about 24% in the overall Building Permits that were issued primarily in the categories of Accessory Structures which are mostly applicable to Residential, Signs, and Miscellaneous Permits which include electrical, plumbing, siding, residential reroofing, etc. These permits tend to have less dollar amounts coming back in so there was a decrease of about 32% in the overall amount of Building Permit fees that were collected. The most significant change was in 2016 when there was a strong year of industrial development. Not only in construction of buildings but also in construction of tenant build-outs. That allowed us to collect a significant amount of permit fees. What she anticipates with the Prologis Project going through the final development plan process is that we will probably see something very similar in 2019. She anticipates those permit fees collected will see an increase. In terms of new business permits for 2017 we had 31. The break down is 19 for new businesses, 5 for existing businesses that relocated in Lockport, and 7 for existing businesses that only had a change in ownership. The majority of our businesses though they are independent we were very fortunate that we saw 5 opened that have recognized regional or national presence. Pam went through the project updates (i.e. Panera Bread, Domino’s, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Holiday Inn Express, Marcus Theatre, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Grief Truck Parking Lot, GG Temple Phase 1, Prologis, Highland Ridge, Christian Brothers Automotive, Maroots Cabinet Fabrication, Lago Vista Units 3 & 5, Lockport Township Park District Administrative Offices). Pam concluded her update by explaining the New Business Permit Occupancies and/or pending occupancies.
Comments From The Floor:
Sandy Burcenski, 711 Daviess Avenue addressed the Council. She knows many of the Residents on the west side have been waiting for this map revision so they can get done with the flood insurance or try to at least lessen some of the flood insurance they have to have. She mentioned that a couple of weeks ago when there was the two or three inches of rain on top of the 17 inches of snow that was melting, what was fabulous to see was the over flow was working.
There is an overflow off of the I&M Canal down by the CCC Shelter. She believes they were monitoring it and she wants to make sure they continue to monitor it especially with heavy rainfalls. She said she believes it looked like someone cleaned it out. The other thing she wanted to bring to Council’s attention is Milne Creek. The City did move in quite a few years ago and cleaned that out. She said the problem is when it comes down the Public Landing it curves which is a good thing, but what is happening is it is building up on the west bank, the west side, and if it keeps building up without getting rid of it , it is going to cause a dam. That will be an issue also. The other thing she wanted to bring up as far as it is listed in the west side flood study, of the Illinois Michigan Canal and the Deep Run, she would like to know as far as future improvements. She would like to see, the bank on the west side of the canal has been taken down, but she was wondering if there was any way to build that up a little bit? She then asked with the increase of the major renovation on State Street if there were going to be bigger water pipes going into the I&M Canal. She reiterated that she would like to see the west side bank built up.
Director of Public Works, Brent Cann answered Mrs. Burcenski and said that there is some minimal stormwater work but no additional pavement, nor additional storm sewer going into the Canal. Nothing is going to be going into nor adding to the Canal.
Alderwoman Perretta asked about the Milne Creek project. There is $50,000 in the budget. When and what will be happening. Director of Public Works, Brent Cann said the $50,000 budgeted for this year is for the design. Actual construction will begin next year.
Adjournment:
Motion By Saban, Second By Bartelsen To Adjourn The Committee Of The Whole Meeting At 7:45 p.m.
All Voted Aye – Motion Carried
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