7:30 p.m.—Crystal Lake City Council
Meeting in the Council Chambers, at the Crystal Lake City Hall, 100 W. Woodstock Street, Crystal Lake.
An annexation request for a proposal for what is known as Main Street Crossing Apartments is being referred to the November 2 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting for zoning consideration.
The petitioner is planning a 72 apartment unit complex on property east of Main Street at the end of Exchange Drive.
A proposed Ordinance is being presented to the Council for approval designating as surplus various pieces of equipment. The list identifies surplus vehicles and non-utilized pieces of equipment as compiled by the Administration, Public Works, IT, Police, and Fire Rescue Department.
The auction, to be administered by Obenauf Auction Service, Inc. is to be sold through a public on-line bidding process.
Festival of Lights Parade
Time to prepare for this annual event which is slated to take place Friday, November 25 beginning at 5:30p.m. until the end of the parade. The Council is being requested to approve the necessary traffic restrictions for the parade. The parade will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Parking restrictions will be required as follows:
Both sides of Caroline Street between Woodstock Street and Crystal Lake Avenue
Both sides of Paddock Street between Williams Street and Walkup Avenue
On the south side of Woodstock Street between Grant Street and Williams Street
On both sides of Williams Street between Woodstock Street and Crystal Lake Avenue
The first two parking spaces on the east side of Grant Street just north f Crystal Lake Avenue
These restrictions will begin at 5:30 p.m. and continue until the end of the parade.
The parade participants will line-up at City Hall and utilize the far east entrance/exit off of Woodstock Street into City Hall parking lot.
The parade route is as follows
Exit City Hall turning right on Woodstock Street
Turn left on Caroline Street
Turn left on Crystal Lake Avenue
Turn left on Grant Street
Turn right on Woodstock Street and
Turn right on Williams Street
The parade will end at the corner of Williams Street and Crystal Lake Avenue by the Downtown Christmas Tree.
Parade vehicles at the end of the parade will follow the return route by continuing straight on South Williams Street, turning right on Paddock Street and then right on Caroline Street back to City Hall.
The Downtown Crystal Lake organization is requesting no parking restrictions on both sides of Caroline Street between Woodstock Street and Crystal Lake Avenue.
Curran Martial Arts Academy
Planning to be located at 110 West Woodstock Street where training for general martial arts, Jui Jitsu, Muay Thai kickboxing, wrestling and a weight/work-out gym area can be located.
The building, formerly an industrial use building is now used by a number of different groups including Senior Services, office use, and manufacturing.
The site was to be the location of a 57-unit townhome development which has not been constructed and has received a continuance until 2013.
The Planning and Zoning Commission did recommend approval of the request for the martial arts use with a variation that applies only to this tenant. The parking lot is to be restriped within six months to ensure the striping is visible and customers have a clear understanding on where to park. Additionally, a fence is to be installed along the west property line to protect the apartments from lights and other late night activity.
New Retailer and Manufacturer Job Creation and Investment Programs
Just when the City Ordinance for the Retailer Façade and Commercial Tenant Improvement Program was working for the benefit of the City, the State of Illinois had to make changes.
The matching grant program has attracted new business to the City as well as offered incentives for existing businesses to upgrade.
Recent State legislation requires that any improvements funded by a public body are deemed “public work” and as such the recipient of any grant must pay prevailing (union) wage on the improvement project. That adds at least 15%, and as much as 40%, cost to the project. As a result the $10,000 grant is greatly reduced.
Applications for two businesses were withdrawn and one application by Chen’s King ok has been suspended due to the sizeable impact that paying prevailing wage would have on these projects. It seems that also means that many jobs are lost.
City staff has found a way to reimburse businesses for creating jobs instead of making improvements. Or the business can be reimbursed for furniture, fixtures and equipment. So the City has prepared new eligibility criteria to meet the City’s intent for implementing incentives for business expansion or relocation to Crystal Lake.
Proposed Text Amendment For Gasoline Signs
A text amendment to be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission that would allow gas stations to have Electronic Message Centers (EMC) with certain requirements. The Planning Commission has been engaged in a number of requests for variations for these signs, generally for gas stations. If the Council adopts the proposed amendment being presented, there would be no need for a gas station to pursue a Special Use Permit for such a sign.
Upgrade of Traffic Signals at Route 31 and Three Oaks
An intergovernmental agreement between IDOT and the City is to result in the upgrade of the intersection traffic signals at this location. The improvement is to be completed in early2012.
Snow Removal – Downtown Crystal Lake
There are some problems regarding snow removal from sidewalks in downtown Crystal Lake. As a result the City is proposing an Ordinance requiring removal of snow and ice in the area or be fined. There are also remedies if the fines are not paid.
Electricity Supply
The City is offering information regarding the question of whether the City should have the authority under public Act 096-0176 to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of the program.
This proposal is the result of legislation being signed by Governor Quinn in 2009. This new law allows city Councils to transfer their residents’ and small business owners’ electric accounts to alternative electric suppliers. Municipalities many times select to do this in hopes they may secure a lower electrical rate for their residents and small business owners.
Municipal aggregation is a strategic means of leveraging the buying power of many. It has been determined that 15 Northern Illinois Municipal Collaborative communities have already completed the entire aggregation process. They reportedly have locked in 20-25% lower electrical supply rates for their residents, with average savings of $175 per year per household.
A presentation on this was recently provided for the McHenry County Board. So far there has been no action taken by the governing body.
In order to find out more about this proposal, the Illinois Commerce Commission has added an Offer Comparison Matrix to its “Plug in Illinois” website at PluginIllinois.org This allows residential electric customers in the ComEd service territory to more easily compare their electric supply options.
A referendum would have to be held. In 2011 24 communities in the ComEd territory placed referendums on ballots with 21 of these approved including Oak Brook, Lincolnwood, Grayslake and Oak Park.
If Crystal Lake placed the matte on the ballot for the March 20 election, the question would substantially be: “Shall the City of Crystal Lake have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program?”
If the referendum fails the City would not operate an aggregation program and, instead resident would be able to individually opt-in.
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