Grundy Reporter

Village of Channahon Board of Trustees met  Dec. 4.

Here is the minutes provided by the Board:

Village President Missey Moorman Schumacher called the meeting to order at 6:20 p.m. and led the Board in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll call was taken with Trustees Greco, Perinar, McMillin, Scaggs and Slocum present. Trustee Host was not present.

Also present were Village Administrator Thomas Durkin, Director of Community Development & Information Systems Mike Petrick, Finance Director Heather Wagonblott, Director Public Works Ed Dolezal, Acting Chief of Police Shane Casey, Village Attorney David Silverman and Village Clerk Kristin Hall.

VP Moorman Schumacher informed everyone present that the meeting was being recorded and anyone speaking at the meeting deems his/her consent to the recording of their likeness and speech.

CITIZEN/SPECIAL REQUESTS/PUBLIC HEARING

2017 Tax Levy

Prior to opening the hearing, VP Moorman Schumacher stated that she has heard things out in the public that are a bit discouraging. She stated that some residents refer to the “Village” as a bodiless entity that makes decisions that don’t have any bearing on us. She took the time to introduce herself and the Board to the residents in the audience. She further stated that everyone on the Board is a homeowner who pays the same property taxes as the residents and everyone on the Board has another job in addition to serving. She firmly stated that this Board does not want to raise taxes any higher than is absolutely necessary. She stated by law, the Village does not need to hold a Public Hearing if the increase to the levy is less than 5%, but the Village has always held a hearing to inform their residents and that it why the maximum levy amount is published. She also stated that two years ago, the Board lowered the Village’s tax rate and kept that same lower tax rate for the previous year. She stated that no one on the Board has any intention of raising the Village’s Tax Levy by 18%. She stated that she was pleased to see so many residents here tonight.

Trustee Perinar made a motion to open the Public Hearing for the 2017 Tax Levy. Seconded by Trustee Greco.

ROLL CALL AYES: Greco, Perinar, McMillin, Scaggs and Slocum.

NAYS: NONE

MOTION CARRIED

Trustee Host was Absent.

Finance Director Heather Wagonblott presented the 2017 Levy Discussion Presentation. She reviewed the six levy categories that the Village can levy for: Corporate, Police Protection, IMRF, Social Security, Municipal Auditing, Tort & Liability Insurance and Police Pension. She then presented the EAV’s for 2016 and the estimated EAV for 2017 stating that there are no guarantees that the values will increase, but preliminary figures show the EAV increase is +6.19%. She spoke about the potential for Property Tax Freeze Legislation in the future and the effects it would have on the Village. She stated if legislation is passed that freezes the dollar amount on the Village’s levy, which may force the Village to levy for Bonds & Interest, which the Village has never done, that would substantially increase the property taxes for all Village residents. She presented charts for the General Fund Revenue Sources, Rebate Fund – Net Revenues by Fiscal Year, Insurance Fund and the General Fund Reserves – Rebate Fund. She then reviewed various proposed levy scenarios listed as A-G that varied in an increase of the tax rate from 0% to 5.62% for the Village’s portion of the property tax bill.

Attorney Silverman clarified that is was not 5% of a resident’s tax bill it’s a 5% increase over the total amount of property taxes that the Village brings in.

Durkin stated that the property value in Channahon is increasing as well.

Trustee Slocum asked if the Board knew what the various school, park and fire districts were doing.

VP Moorman Schumacher stated that we couldn’t base our decision on what other districts are doing. She stated we don’t have their revenue sources and expenses.

Arnold Forrest, resident of Channahon, asked if the warehouses were getting a tax break.

VP Moorman Schumacher stated the warehouses are not getting a tax break. She stated the Village issued bonds for the I-55 and Bluff Road improvements and the 11 taxing bodies all agreed to rebate the amount of taxes they are receiving from that warehouse, to the Village for repayment of the bond on those public infrastructure improvements.

Mr. Forrest asked if the frontage road was included.

VP Moorman Schumacher stated the Village is taking Jurisdictional Transfer from the State. She stated that portions of it are included if it is tied to building of those warehouses. She asked Mr. Forrest specifically what part of the frontage road he was talking about.

Durkin stated the Village will be taking over the jurisdiction of southeast frontage road and will be receiving a one-time payment from the State of $826,000, which will be used for the interim maintenance of that project. He stated that the VentureOne project would reconstruct that frontage road in a few different phases. He stated the way that is being paid for is the developer is fronting the cost and all the taxing bodies will rebate the property taxes paid from those buildings until it is paid for. He firmly stated that no money from the resident’s property taxes is going to fund those improvements and that there are no tax breaks given to the developer; the warehouses are paying 100% of property taxes. The Village and the other taxing bodies are utilizing those property tax dollar to pay for those public infrastructure improvements.

VP Moorman Schumacher stated the developments approved east of I-55 are going to assist in constructing a stoplight at US Route 6 and the east frontage road and extend the water main over to east side of I-55 and US Route 6.

Dolezal stated there are about $4 million in improvements at Bluff Road and US Route 6 that is associated with the bonds that were talked about. He stated that is all that is directly flowing through the Village.

Durkin stated for the VentureOne project it is about $10.5 million worth of public infrastructure improvements.

VP Moorman Schumacher stated in addition to that development agreement we have been discussing the developer was required to pay $1,032,000 for that traffic signal.

Mr. Forrest asked how that effects the budget we are talking about tonight.

Wagonblott clarified that we are not talking about the budget; we are talking about the levy, which is only related to the property taxes. She further stated the Village only uses property taxes to pay for expenses in the six levy categories she mentioned earlier.

Mr. Forrest asked the Board what kind of levy increase they are considering.

Attorney Silverman clarified that is was not 18% of a resident’s tax bill it’s an 18% increase over the total amount levy dollars Village brings in, if that’s what the Board approves.

Wagonblott stated if the Board approves to keep the tax rate the same as last year, the Village would see an increase of total levy dollars of approximately $102,000. She stated for an average $250,000 home, the increase for the Village portion on a resident’s tax bill would only be a few cents over the whole year.

VP Moorman Schumacher stated that the Village gets roughly 8 cents of every tax dollar and presented a diagram of a tax dollar and where it all goes.

Trustee Scaggs asked how much property tax revenue the farmland on the east side of I-55.

Durkin stated currently a couple of thousand dollars a year. He stated when it is completely built, within 5-10 years; it will generate approximately $6 million in property tax revenue, which the Village will get a portion of.

Trustee Host entered the meeting at 6:29 p.m.

Mr. Forrest asked the Board not to increase the tax rate too much.

Craig Coffey, resident of Channahon, stated the Board has said it’s only a few cents from every household but that is only one piece of the pie. He is concerned about the total amount of the increase that will be reflected on 2017 property tax bills.

VP Moorman Schumacher stated the Village has no other way to control the other taxing bodies. She stated that all taxing bodies who increase their levies above the 5% are required to hold a public hearing and suggested if residents are concerned that they start attending meetings for the various taxing bodies as well as their public hearings.

Trustee Slocum also suggested that residents attend meetings and public hearings for the school districts and other districts that affect their property taxes.

Liz Bagley, resident of Channahon, thanked the Village for posting information and responding to inquiries so quickly. She asked how long is the property tax money from the warehouses going to repay the infrastructure improvements. She stated that all she sees is traffic and frustration trying to get out of town.

VP Moorman Schumacher stated that those improvements are public infrastructure improvements that benefit everyone. She stated that the Board is very aware of the truck traffic and stated that the Village of Channahon does not currently have an owner occupied warehouse within its limits yet we still see effects of truck traffic and developments around us.

Mrs. Bagley stated that she does not feel comfortable with all these outsiders coming in. She stated that she supports the police department but feels that all the trucks have brought increased crime to Channahon.

VP Moorman Schumacher stated that this is not true. Crime and drugs are issues all communities deal with. She stated that the police department has worked diligently to keep Channahon as one of Illinois’s safest communities.

Trustee Slocum stated those improvements are not just roads, there are water mains going in as well. He stated once there is water there the residents will see other things go in there, like restaurants and hotels which will bring in additional sales and property tax dollars.

Petrick clarified some of the timeline for the various projects going on in the Village and elaborated on the tax abatements and how they fund the public infrastructure improvements related to the new warehouse construction.

Trustee Slocum made a motion to close the Public Hearing for the 2017 Tax Levy. Seconded by Trustee Scaggs.

ROLL CALL AYES: Greco, Host, Perinar, McMillin, Scaggs and Slocum.

NAYS: NONE

MOTION CARRIED

PUBLIC COMMENT Mrs. Bagley encouraged residents to stop posting negative comments of local restaurants on social media. She stated that is a good way to scare off new restaurants.

State Representative, Larry Walsh Jr., thanked retired Chief of Police Jeff Wold for his 22 years of service. He stated that it is not an easy job. He presented retired Chief of Police Jeff Wold with a Certificate of Appreciation. He congratulated Wold on behalf of the Village of Channahon, the 86th Representative District and the 100th General Assembly and the House of Representatives for service and wished him well.

Retirement Recognition – Police Chief Jeff Wold VP Moorman Schumacher stated she met Wold, 2 decades ago, and she is happy to not only call him a colleague but also a friend. She went on to say that Wold has been a dedicated and loyal member of this department and our community and that his leadership has brought us a long way from Illinois Law Enforcement accreditations, getting our first canine unit and several safest cities awards. She thanked him and his family for his service because police chief is truly a family job. She presented Wold with a watch bearing the Village of Channahon logo on behalf of the Village Board and staff. She wished him well in retirement.

Jeff Wold thanked Acting Chief of Police Casey, VP Moorman Schumacher, Administrator Durkin and Leti Anselme for putting together the open house. He stated that it was a very emotional day for him. He thanked the staff for the good conversation and friendship along the way. He thanked the Village President and the Village Board for keeping him as Chief of Police after there was a change in the Village President, he felt honored to stay on board. He thanked the residents for their support and cooperation, saying that was what he would miss the most was interacting with the community. He stated that Channahon really is a fantastic community. He thanked his wife and daughter for their support with all the comings and goings of a Police Chief. He thanked Acting Chief Casey and Deputy Chief Bogart for being such a great support system; he believes that Acting Chief Casey is the right choice for Police Chief and wished him well in that position.

CONSENT AGENDA

A. Consider Approval – Minutes – Committee – November 20, 2017 B. Consider Approval – Minutes – Board – November 20, 2017 C. Consider Approval – Minutes – Executive Session – November 20, 2017 D. Approve Payment of Bills List of December 4, 2017 for $205,436.64 E. Approve Payment of Net Payroll Expenses for the two week period ending November 19, 2017 for $113,360.05

Trustee Scaggs made a motion to approve the consent agenda as read. Seconded by Trustee Greco.

ROLL CALL AYES: Greco, Host, Perinar, McMillin, Scaggs and Slocum.

NAYS: NONE

MOTION CARRIED

REPORTS & COMMUNICATIONS FROM VILLAGE OFFICIALS

A. VILLAGE PRESIDENT

Consider Approval - Appointment of Police Chief Position Consider Approval – An Ordinance Authorizing the Execution of an Employment Agreement

Trustee Perinar made a motion to approve the Appointment of Shane Casey to the Police Chief Position and An Ordinance Authorizing the Execution of an Employment Agreement. Seconded by Trustee Greco.

ROLL CALL AYES: Greco, Host, Perinar, McMillin, Scaggs and Slocum.

NAYS: NONE

MOTION CARRIED

VP Moorman Schumacher welcomed Chief of Police Shane Casey. She stated that Chief Casey has been with the police department for 22 years and her preference from the beginning would be to promote from within, however, she wanted to go through the process and see what kind of qualifications where out there. There were 38 applicants who applied for the Police Chief position, 8 of which went through the interview process. She stated that Chief Casey has been an asset to this department and is more than qualified for this position. She couldn’t be happier, that unanimously the Board decided to promote Casey to the position of Police Chief. She then gave him the Oath of Office.

Chief Casey’s wife Kim and daughters, Kennedy and Madison, pinned him and changed his collars.

Chief Casey stated this is an important moment for both him and his family. He thanked the Village President and the Village Board for their trust and confidence in him. He thanked the community to work with and work for; he will continue to be out in the community, as his predecessor was, to address the concerns and needs of the residents. He thanked his staff for their support, his family for instilling a good work ethic and his friends. He thanked Jeff Wold, his predecessor and friend, and stated it is sad to see him go. He thanked his wife and two daughters for all their support.

VP Moorman Schumacher invited everyone to a small reception after the meeting for Chief of Police Casey.

B. VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR

Durkin stated he had no formal items but he reminded the Board about the finalizing the CMAP scope of services regarding the Village’s Comprehensive Plan Update. He stated they last indicated they would like to have proposals in from consultants before Christmas but he doesn’t think that is going to happen. He stated there might be a meeting next week regarding a non- mandatory informational meeting for potential consultants. He also stated that it has been and will continue to be the Board, Plan Commission and the staffs desire to make sure that the investments in this community benefit the community now and into the future.

C. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & INFORMATION

Petrick stated earlier today the Village received its 100th application for a new single home. He stated that Planning & Zoning would meet next Monday, December 11th.

D. FINANCE DEPARTMENT

• An Ordinance Abating a Portion of the Tax Levy for the Village of Channahon, Will and Grundy Counties, Illinois for the 2017 (Refunding General Obligations Bonds, Series 2011)

• An Ordinance Abating a Portion of the Tax Levy for the Village of Channahon, Will and Grundy Counties, Illinois for the 2017 (Refunding General Obligations Bonds, Series 2012)

• An Ordinance Abating a Portion of the Tax Levy for the Village of Channahon, Will and Grundy Counties, Illinois for the 2017 (General Obligations Bonds, Series 2013)

• An Ordinance Abating a Portion of the Tax Levy for the Village of Channahon, Will and Grundy Counties, Illinois for the 2017 (General Obligations Bonds, Series 2016)

• An Ordinance Abating a Portion of the Tax Levy for the Village of Channahon, Will and Grundy Counties, Illinois for the 2017 (Equistar Annexation, PIN 03-28-100-003, 03-28-100-005, 03-28-100-007 and 03-28- 100-011)

Wagonblott stated that the Board is going to approve 4 Ordinances to abate the tax levy related to various bond issues the Village has. She stated in addition to that, the Board would also approve an Ordinance abating a portion of a tax levy for particular parcels in Grundy County, which is based on an agreement that was made several years ago.

Trustee Greco made a motion to waive second read and approve the Ordinances Abating a Portion of the Tax Levy for the Village of Channahon, Will and Grundy Counties, Illinois for the 2017 Refunding General Obligation Bonds, Series 2011 and 2012 and for the General Obligation Bonds, Series 2013, 2016 and the Equistar Annexation, PIN 03-28-100-003, 03-28-100-005, 03- 28-100-007 and 03-28-100-011. Seconded by Trustee Host.

ROLL CALL AYES: Greco, Host, Perinar, McMillin, Scaggs and Slocum.

NAYS: NONE

MOTION CARRIED

Wagonblott stated that she needed direction from the Board to compile the 2017 Tax Levy that needs to be approved at the December 18th meeting.

Board direction was to keep the tax rate the same as the previous year and to use Wagonblott’s Custom Levy “G” as was presented to the Village Board.

E. POLICE DEPARTMENT

Casey stated he had nothing to report.

F. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

Dolezal stated he had no formal items but wanted inform the Board that they have completed their facilities planning for the wastewater treatment plant expansion. He stated he received the environmental categorical exclusion for that and last week they submitted the pre-application to the state revolving loan for funding the wastewater plant expansion. He stated that these items would soon be brought to the Board.

Chief Casey provided an update on the new traffic pattern at US Route 6 East of I-55. He stated the new traffic pattern prevents left turns out of all businesses on both sides of the road.

G. VILLAGE ATTORNEY

Attorney David Silverman stated he had nothing to report.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Trustee Sam Greco - Finance/Human Resources Trustee Greco thanked Finance Director Wagonblott, her staff and the Village staff on a successful audit.

Trustee Patricia Perinar – Community & Legislative Affairs – No Report.

Trustee Chantal Host – Public Safety/Emergency Support Trustee Host stated there was a fire at one of the apartment buildings on Blackberry Lane. The police department has chosen to adopt one of the family’s child, a 3-year old boy named Aiden and will be accepting donations so that he can have a very Merry Christmas.

Trustee Scott McMillin – Public Works and Facility – No Report.

Trustee Mark Scaggs – Community Development Trustee Scaggs asked if the no turn on red was a temporary at I-55 and US Route 6.

Dolezal stated it’s posted as it was designed, right now. He stated that the State is taking another look to see if a right turn can be allowed, possible at certain times only.

Trustee Scott Slocum – Technology/Community Image/Code Enforcement – No Report.

OLD BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

EXECUTIVE SESSION

ADJOURNMENT Trustee Slocum made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:41 p.m. Seconded by Trustee Greco.

VERBAL ROLL CALL: ALL AYES

MOTION CARRIED

http://www.channahon.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2017/12/2017.12.04-Board-Minutes.pdf