[0:16] Good evening everyone. Welcome to the Monday, March 2nd city council meeting.

[0:19] Clerk, please call the role. >> Alderwoman Baney here. Alman Glab

[0:23] » here. >> Alman Dhy

[0:24] » here. >> Alwoman Bassie here. Alman Davis

[0:27] » here. >> Alderman Cook

[0:28] » here. Alderwoman Miller here. >> Please stand for the pledge.

[0:35] » Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

[0:40] republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, liberty and

[0:45] justice for all.

[0:51] » All right. At this time, I open up for public comment for items that are not on

[0:54] the agenda this evening. I have Joel Williams from Habitat for Humanity.

[1:03] Joel, if you can hit that center button. Thank you, sir.

[1:06] » All right. Yours. >> Good evening, everyone. Thank you so

[1:08] much for allowing me to speak to you today. My name is Joel Williams. I am

[1:11] the president and CEO of Lake McHenry Habitat for Humanity. Uh this is my

[1:15] first time having the honor to uh speak in front of you. Uh I'm relatively new

[1:19] to this uh to the Mckenry side of Habitat for Humanity. I had previously

[1:24] served as the executive director of the Lake County affiliate uh for about four

[1:28] years and then last year we merged Lake and Mckenry together. One of the reasons

[1:32] we did that was we knew that we could achieve a lot more together, have some

[1:35] economies of scale and some efficiencies uh that have allowed us to impact more

[1:39] lives and uh serve more people. So as we start to do a little bit more, I am

[1:45] really excited to be able to doing more in Mckenry uh the city specifically. We

[1:49] think we've got some really cool things that'll be happening here. Uh, I'm

[1:52] joined here tonight by our board chair, Kyle Steiner, McHenry High School

[1:55] graduate. Um, there's some familiarity. I thought some people might know him,

[1:59] but uh, Kyle is our board chair and, uh, has been really helpful to, uh, guide me

[2:04] and help me understand a little bit more about the goings on in Mckenry County.

[2:08] Um, as I, uh, have expressed to others before, I have definitely been a taker

[2:12] of the city of Mckenry. I have been able to enjoy all of the delicious food, uh,

[2:17] that, uh, I have been able to experience throughout my life. uh and

[2:21] entertainment. I've been uh in this region for a little while, but I'm

[2:24] learning more about the needs and the different things that Mckenry or that

[2:27] Habitat for Humanity can do for the city of Mckenry. So, hoping that most people

[2:31] know what Mckenry or excuse me, what Habitat for Humanity is and does. Uh but

[2:36] we build houses uh and we help people get into those houses. Uh we are

[2:40] currently building houses throughout both Lake and Mckenry County and we're

[2:43] looking for new opportunities to be able to build new houses. So, we are always

[2:47] on the lookout for land. if there's a a piece of land available, we can do just

[2:51] one house. We can do multiple houses. We're always looking for an opportunity

[2:54] to be able to do that and certainly would engage with you as uh the people

[2:57] who know Mckenry best uh to be able to find some of those opportunities as

[3:01] well. Um when we do build that, we build it with volunteers and if anybody wants

[3:05] to come out and swing a hammer, you're certainly welcome to join us with that.

[3:09] Uh but we uh build with volunteers and then we help uh the individuals who are

[3:13] ultimately going to get into the house. uh we help them um obtain a mortgage so

[3:19] that they can purchase the house and be a homeowner. It's a home ownership

[3:22] program at its core. We also have what we call our critical home repair

[3:25] program. That is a program that I think is just as important as the new home

[3:28] build program, but we have that to be able to fix homes that are otherwise

[3:33] decent, safe, and affordable, but they just need one thing that the person

[3:36] can't afford. That could be a roof, that could be a broken furnace, it could be

[3:39] all sorts of different things. And so we work with them to be able to uh fix that

[3:44] so that they can stay in the house that has been home but is otherwise

[3:48] affordable to them. Um that program is uh really growing a lot. We're getting a

[3:52] lot of good support from the state of Illinois to be able to support that. Uh

[3:55] so we're looking to be able to do even more uh in various communities to be

[3:58] able to impact that including within the city of Mckenry. Uh finally, some of you

[4:02] have probably been customers at our Restore right on Front Street there. The

[4:06] Restore is basically we call it a discount home improvement store. Uh, but

[4:10] think of it as anything that you might need for your house, you're going to be

[4:13] able to find at the Restore. Sometimes things you didn't even know you needed

[4:17] for your house, you will find at the Restore. But all of the items that are

[4:21] there are donated. Some of them are donated from people who no longer have a

[4:24] use for them, like the air hockey table that is now in my basement, which my

[4:28] wife is a big fan of. Um, or some other pieces of furniture or some other things

[4:32] that might have come from somebody else. But in addition to that, we also have

[4:36] new items that are donated directly from the manufacturer. So, we've got some

[4:40] good relationships with some manufacturers and some other folks that

[4:43] uh will donate new items. So, just about anything that you might need for your

[4:46] house, you're going to be able to find at the Restore. We're proud to have that

[4:49] in the city of Mckenry. We've been there for a number of years. It is right next

[4:52] door to our office and we're looking forward to being able to have an even

[4:55] greater impact because we know that people are looking for items that are

[4:58] affordable um that they're going to be able to have at high quality. All the

[5:02] profits that come from that store go right back into building more housing.

[5:05] So when you are shopping there, you are also making a difference for furthering

[5:08] affordable housing in Lake C in Mckenry County. Uh again, this was just really

[5:12] my opportunity to be able to introduce myself. It's been uh a year of trying to

[5:16] bring the teams together and so now I'm kind of on a tour of uh trying to just

[5:20] introduce myself to some folks that I might not know. As I said, it's just a

[5:23] privilege to be able to speak to all of you today. if there are any

[5:26] opportunities to be able to work with you to be able to develop affordable

[5:29] housing or to be able to repair some of the existing housing that uh might need

[5:34] some um some work done on it, we definitely want to be a part of that.

[5:37] So, we know that there's a lot of talk going on around affordable housing uh

[5:41] right now and we're just very excited to be here to hopefully support that and

[5:44] all the work that is happening within the city of Mckenry. So, again, thank

[5:48] you so much. Uh hopefully we'll be uh doing some more work with you and if uh

[5:51] there are questions certainly feel free to reach out to me. Um, you can find my

[5:55] information on our website. It's habitatlmc.org

[5:59] or you just come on down the street and I'm there uh pretty often and you can

[6:02] just pop in and say hello. So again, thank you so much for your time.

[6:06] » Thank you very much. >> Have a good evening.

[6:10] All right. Any other public comment? >> Vic, sit down. All right. Uh, consent

[6:16] agendas. Uh, consent agenda items 5A through 5e. Is there any items that

[6:20] council would like to pull for separate consideration?

[6:23] Looking for a motion to approve 5A through 5E. Aldwin Miller.

[6:27] » I'll make the motion to approve consent agenda 5A through 5e as presented.

[6:32] Please. >> Thank you. Alden Bainy.

[6:34] » I will second Alderwoman Miller's motion.

[6:37] » Thank you. Council um Trisha, please call. Sorry.

[6:42] » Alderwoman Miller. >> Yes.

[6:44] » Alderwoman Bainy. >> Yes.

[6:46] » Alman Glab. >> Yes.

[6:47] » Alman Dhy. >> Yes.

[6:48] » Alumoman Bassie. >> Yes.

[6:50] » Alman Davis. >> Yes.

[6:51] » Alman Cook. Yes. >> Thank you, council. Next item on the

[6:55] agenda is 6A is Windhill Pancake Parlor Video Gaming. I'm looking for a motion

[6:59] to approve a video gaming license to 4X Hospitality LLC located at 3307 West Elm

[7:04] Street, Mckenry, subject to the completion of a video gaming development

[7:08] agreement. And if approved, pass an ordinance increasing the number of

[7:11] location licenses for video gaming. I am looking for a motion to approve.

[7:16] Alderman Banny, >> I'll make the motion to approve the

[7:19] video uh Windhill Pancake Parlor video gaming license.

[7:22] » Thank you. Second, Alderman Dhy. >> I'll second the motion.

[7:25] » Thank you. Uh Phil Sudak, the owner of Windhill is here in the audience if you

[7:30] have any questions. Um but I will open it up for city council comments. Alo

[7:35] Bessie, >> thank you. As of January, Fox Lake,

[7:39] Woodstock, and Crystal Lake have issued in this order 29, 25, and 22 gaming

[7:46] licenses. These are the cities or villages with the second, third, and

[7:51] fourth highest number of gaming licenses in Mckenry County. Mckenry has issued

[7:57] the most gaming license in the county by a significant margin with 44. A concern

[8:05] I have repeatedly heard from residents is that we have too much gaming and it

[8:11] has a negative impact on the city's reputation. The default of businesses

[8:16] and of businesses requesting a gaming license with their liquor license

[8:21] particularly in the downtown districts needs to change. I can appreciate that

[8:27] Win Hill previously had a gaming license but we do need to draw the line

[8:32] somewhere. So, I am voting no. >> Thank you.

[8:38] Any other comments by city council? Phil, would you like to say anything?

[8:44] » I'm trying to get off. >> Yeah, if you can come up to the podium

[8:47] if you don't mind,

[8:50] if you hit that center button for me, sir.

[8:56] » Uh I am trying to improve the whole riverfront area as well. So, I'm

[8:59] starting with the uh front condo that we own uh in front of Windhill. It's been

[9:03] vacant since we took it over about two and a half years ago. So, we are putting

[9:06] Italian deli in as a forefront of that business. Up the stairway towards the

[9:10] Windhill side, I'm putting six machines potentially as well. So, we'll be

[9:14] covered up, not covered, but it will be forefront will be a Italian deli and

[9:18] grocery store, but I'm putting in the small area in front. Then the games will

[9:22] be kind of tucked away as well. So, we'll really be the forefront of what

[9:24] the business is. Then eventually plan on going to the riverfront as well. I'm

[9:27] going to DNR tomorrow to get the peers approved that way as well, similar to

[9:31] what Bimbo's u did in front there as well to increase the traffic flow to the

[9:36] riverfront, redevelop the restaurants on the riverfront as well. Then there's a

[9:39] fourbedroom house behind there. I'm going to eventually turn into a uh

[9:43] vintage burger shop as well. So, similar like a cop's burger in Milwaukee. So,

[9:47] that's my immediate plans over the next probably year, year and a half as well.

[9:50] So, I'm putting an extraordinary amount of capital into the riverfront as well

[9:54] and the the city front as well to make that corner much more known. I've

[9:58] cleaned up the property quite a bit. Did a full interior remodel of Windhill. Uh

[10:02] painted the exterior of the house next door which is high for many years. So,

[10:06] you know, I just asked you guys for a little leniency so I can make a little

[10:09] more profit out of the out the business at hand.

[10:12] » Yep. All right. And I appreciate on, you know, on behalf of all of us, we

[10:16] appreciate all the money you've invested in Mckenry. We really we really

[10:19] appreciate it. So, >> absolutely. Thank you.

[10:21] » Any questions for the applicant? >> All right, Madam Se. Thank you, sir.

[10:25] » Thank you. >> All right. Any other questions, comments

[10:29] by councel? Please call the role. >> Alumoman Baney,

[10:32] » yes. >> Alman Dhy,

[10:33] » yes. >> Alman Glab,

[10:35] » yes. >> Alwoman Bassie,

[10:36] » no. >> Alman Davis,

[10:38] » yes. >> Alman Cook,

[10:39] » yes. >> Alwoman Miller,

[10:41] » yes. >> Thank you, council. Once again, Phil,

[10:42] thank you very much. >> Look forward to working with you on the

[10:45] other projects. >> All right. All right. Next item on the

[10:48] agenda is 6B, TIFF fund uh budget amendment. Motion to pass an ordinance

[10:52] authorizing a budget amendment for 2526 tax uh increment financing fund. Looking

[10:57] for a motion to approve. Alone Miller. >> I'll make the motion to pass an

[11:01] ordinance authorizing a budget amendment to the 2020 2526 tax increment financing

[11:07] fund. >> Thank you. Second Alderman Glenn.

[11:10] » I'll second. >> Thank you. Discussion by city council.

[11:13] Alman Glenn. >> Yeah. I just want to say that uh I voted

[11:17] against uh purchasing the property. Uh however, uh

[11:25] it's you know got passed by the council. Uh I feel that uh doing a tax increment

[11:31] is the only proper way to do it that um don't want to see it coming right out of

[11:36] the general fund. However, uh I know this is going to take a big bite out of

[11:42] the uh the tip funds. So, we're we're always going negative before the

[11:48] property taxes come in. And uh I just want to be sure that we just don't get

[11:53] too far in the hole over the next couple years uh that we get try to get closer

[11:58] and closer to the uh plus sign side. You know, I know we need to reinvest it all

[12:03] the time to for it to grow, but uh just so that we are at a stage of being

[12:10] cautious. That's all. >> Thank you. Appreciate the support.

[12:12] » I'll do Bassie. >> Andy, did you copy what I've got here in

[12:17] my notes? Um, mine is I voted no to purchase the property because I do not

[12:23] want to see this 1939 building which is significant to Mckenry's history and

[12:29] culture demolished with the land marketed to a corporate developer.

[12:34] However, since the purchase has already been completed, I am voting yes to using

[12:40] TIFF money rather than general fund money to purchase. This will this will

[12:45] put the TIFF fund over a half a million dollars in debt to the general fund. And

[12:50] this money needs to be paid back before an additional TIFF before any additional

[12:56] TIFF spending is in the budget for the next fiscal year.

[13:02] » Thank you. Any other city council comments?

[13:05] Any public comment regarding this item? >> Clerk, please call the role.

[13:09] » Alderwoman Miller, >> yes.

[13:10] » Alderman Glad, >> yes. Alderman Bainy,

[13:13] » yes. >> Alman Dhy,

[13:14] » yes. >> Alwoman Bassie,

[13:16] » yes. >> Alman Davis,

[13:17] » yes. >> Alman Cook,

[13:19] » yes. >> Thank council. Next item on the agenda

[13:23] is 6C, uh, an IGA with the fire district for sale of property. Motion to pass an

[13:28] ordinance authorizing the mayor's execution of an IGA with the McHenry

[13:31] Township Fire Protection District for the sale of the vacant parcel of land

[13:34] west of DOT Street, pin number 09-28-151-026

[13:40] for a gross sale price of $52,000. I'm looking for a motion to approve. Alman

[13:46] Dornney. >> Yeah, I make a motion to approve item 6

[13:49] C as presented the intergovernmental agreement with the fire district for

[13:52] sale of the property listed. >> Thank you. Second, Alman Cook,

[13:57] » I second the motion. >> Thank you. Discussion by council.

[14:02] Although ambassy, >> I am voting yes on this, but I would

[14:07] like the proceeds to go towards the city's portion of the 31 expansion.

[14:16] » Any other council comments? >> Any public comment? Clerk, please call

[14:22] the RO. >> Alderman Dhy.

[14:23] » Yes. Alderman Cook, >> yes.

[14:26] » Alwoman Miller, >> yes.

[14:28] » Alman Davis, >> yes.

[14:30] » Alman Glad, >> yes.

[14:31] » Alwoman Batty, >> yes.

[14:34] » Thank Council. >> I'm sorry. Alderwoman Bassie, I

[14:37] apologize. >> I'm finally voting yes.

[14:41] » I'm sorry, Alderoman. >> Thank you. No, I'm just kidding. Been

[14:43] » a long day. I apologize. >> Thank you very much. I appreciate all

[14:48] you've done in the community. >> All right. Next item on the agenda is

[14:54] discussion. Uh staff reports. Any staff reports? Russ, go ahead.

[14:58] » I do have one real quick. Uh Alderwoman Bassie pointed out that we forgot to

[15:01] include the Arbor Day um information in the staff update for this month. So, I

[15:07] just want to remind everyone that the Arbor Day celebration is April 24th this

[15:11] year. Um the deadline, if anyone's interested in donating a tree to that

[15:15] program, is April 1st. And there's information about that on both the city

[15:20] website under the permits applications and forms and also in the city

[15:24] newsletter that will be coming out shortly.

[15:26] » Thank you, sir. >> Thank you.

[15:28] » Any other staff reports? >> Just that small thing before we meet

[15:33] again of Shamrocks the Fox, if you heard of it, it's happening uh the 13th

[15:37] through the 15th of March. So, it will be Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Um recap

[15:43] will just be the Friday night will be the 10th down at Miller Point. Saturday,

[15:47] we'll start the day with the Shamrock Shuffle by the Kuanas Club. Uh based out

[15:51] of the freshman campus, East campus for for most of us, but freshman campus. Um

[15:57] the dying on the river will be approximately 10:00 a.m. They'll

[15:59] probably start a little bit before that by the time the boats are in the water.

[16:02] Uh then we'll have uh the Miller Point will open up with I think we'll have six

[16:08] uh eight food trucks this year. Um and then the tent with live music. Uh and

[16:14] then the same and then Sunday we'll have the tent open again at noon uh with

[16:19] fireworks ending the day at approximately 7 p.m. So a weekend full

[16:24] uh both both at Miller Point but throughout town there's events. The

[16:27] parade uh uh the parade is Saturday. That was the one thing I forgot to

[16:29] mention. Sorry about that. Uh parade is Saturday at noon I believe. So

[16:36] everything everything's coming together pretty good and just pray for nice

[16:40] weather, right Trish?

[16:46] We don't say that out. We don't say that out loud for events.

[16:49] » I get it. >> All right. Thank you, Bill. Appreciate

[16:51] it. >> All right. Uh, any other staff reports?

[16:55] All right. Uh, city council comments. Aldo Miller.

[17:00] » Thank you, Mayor Jet. I just wanted to put a public shout out to parks and

[17:03] downtown maintenance. They've got all the lights out for Shamrocks and it

[17:08] looks amazing. We drove around the other day and I don't know where all the

[17:12] lights came from because it appears to be double what we had last year. Um, but

[17:16] it looks just amazing through town. Very festive, very springy. And uh,

[17:21] congratulations to the guys that got it all done in time. Thank you for all your

[17:25] hard work. >> We're still working on it. But drive by

[17:29] uh, if you haven't driven by Vets Park, the there's two pots of gold there is a

[17:33] fun little thing that the guys worked on. It's every year they kind of come up

[17:36] with something and the decor decorations that they do in house are amazing. So,

[17:39] thank you very much. >> Well, and the new lights over by the

[17:43] digital sign in front of Spring Oaks Park. It just I saw that today coming

[17:48] back into town and I'm like, wait, those are new. Those have never been there

[17:52] before. So, it's kind of fun to run around town and, you know, discover what

[17:56] we didn't have before. So, thanks guys. >> Any other city council comments? Alman

[18:02] Dhy. Yeah, I just want to acknowledge that it I know the mayor and chief were

[18:06] at a funeral today for Bob Marace. Um definitely the community lost a huge

[18:12] member um and a very big supporter of the city of Mckenry. He was involved in

[18:18] Fiesta Day for years. I believe he's on the police commission. Um but anyway,

[18:22] the community had lost a big person today and I just want to publicly

[18:26] acknowledge it for the family. Our condolences.

[18:29] » Thank you. I was actually gonna say it after that, but he he got me to it, so

[18:33] that's why I skipped me. But, uh, yeah, once again, uh, Bob has been someone

[18:38] that has been involved in the community for a long time. And, uh, his, uh, kid,

[18:42] uh, Mike has also been involved in the chamber and rise up and everything else.

[18:47] So, we attended today and, uh, yeah, um, he'll be greatly missed in the community

[18:51] for sure. So, uh, any other city council comments?

[18:57] » Glam. Yeah, I just want to mention the fact that uh bringing up the the TIFF

[19:01] budget amendment and all that uh brings back uh uh my concerns about uh creating

[19:07] the new tiffs and that uh I would hope that uh as that

[19:14] moves forward that we also look at uh right away that uh we get some uh

[19:20] committee of the whole meetings to discuss these areas and so that we know

[19:25] and we're on board before before we start spending any of that money,

[19:28] exactly what it is we want to accomplish and what we'd like to see the ending

[19:32] goals be. >> No problem.

[19:35] » Thank you. >> Yep.

[19:37] Uh Benny, go ahead. >> I just wanted to say for those who

[19:40] weren't able to attend how great the state of Mckenry lunchon was last week.

[19:44] Um Mayor Jet did a wonderful job. I know you had supportive staff and it was a

[19:48] wonderful presentation and just want to say thank you to you and to the Chamber

[19:51] of Commerce for putting that together. I think it's really an incredible event.

[19:55] » Thank you. I appreciate all of you that joined. I know some of you have to work,

[19:59] so I appreciate all of you that attended. Um, and yes, Suzanne, for

[20:03] helping me out. Uh, we did a run through at the Vixon the night before or day

[20:07] before. Thank god we did that. It was horrible.

[20:10] » Two and a half hours. >> Yep. That was the best uh thing we could

[20:14] have done. So, uh, but yeah. So, other than that, uh, it was it was great and

[20:17] well attended. So, thank you. Any other city council comments? All right. Motion

[20:23] to adjurnn. Alman Cook,

[20:27] » make a motion to adjourn. >> Thank you. Second. Alderman Bainy.

[20:30] » I will second that motion. >> Thank you. Clerk, please call the role.

[20:34] » Alman Cook, >> yes.

[20:35] » Alwoman Bainy, >> yes.

[20:36] » Alman Glab, >> yes.

[20:38] » Alman Dhy, >> yes.

[20:39] » Alderwoman Bassie, >> yes.

[20:41] » Alman Davis, >> yes.

[20:43] » Alwoman Miller, >> yes.

[20:45] » Thank you everyone. Have a good evening.

3-2-26 Council Meeting

Transcript