Minutes - 12/01/2007 - Committee of the WholeMINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 1, 2007 SPECIAL
COMMITTEE -OF- THE -WHOLE MEETING OF THE
PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE
OF OAK BROOK APPROVED AS WRITTEN BY VILLAGE
BOARD ON MARCH 11, 2008.
1. CALL TO ORDER:
The Committee of the Whole Meeting of the Village Board of Trustees was called to
order by President Craig in the Samuel E. Dean Board Room of the Butler Government
Center at 8:32 a.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was given.
2. ROLL CALL:
Village Clerk Charlotte Pruss called the roll with the following persons
PRESENT: President John W. Craig, Trustees James Carson, Jeffrey J. Kennedy,
Kathryn F. Manofsky, Moin Saiyed, Robert G. Sanford and Gerald
Wolin.
ABSENT: None.
IN ATTENDANCE: David Niemeyer, Village Manager; James Bodony, Fire Chief,
Dale L. Durfey, Jr., Village Engineer; Robert L. Kallien, Jr., Director of Community
Development; Bruce F. Kapff, Director of Information Services & Purchasing; Margaret
Klinkow Hartmann, Library Director; Darrell J. Langlois, Finance Director; Stephen
Larson, Deputy Police Chief, Thomas McEllin, Deputy Fire Chief, Michael J. Meranda,
Public Works Director; Nelson Patras, Bath & Tennis Club Operations Manager;
Thomas Sheahan, Chief of Police and Trey VanDyke, Golf Club Manager.
3. 2008 BUDGET WORKSHOP
Village Manager Niemeyer indicated that he would provide a brief overview and
explain the budget process and then proceed through the budget section by section
asking for questions.
He indicated that the process was led by Finance Director Langlois and his department.
It began with meetings with each department to discuss their initial budget requests. He
reported that there were a number of requests that were not included in the budget due
to budget constraints and they have been reported to the Board. There is also included
in the documerit a Five -Year Financial Plan.
Included in the budget are not only numbers, but also goals of the departments and how
that ties into their requests for resources.
He asked that if the Board requested changes that they be defined today to provide
adequate time for revisions to the budget for a final presentation and adoption at the
December 11, 2007 meeting.
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3. He felt that it was a lean but efficient organization. Some highlights of the Budget
included:
Village policies require that the Village operate without a General Real Estate Tax; that
cash reserves are accumulated in advance for capital outlays; that the Village maintain
cash balance reserves of at least six months; operate enterprise projects on a self -
supporting basis and review annually the need and use of utility taxes. The proposed
budget is in compliance with these policies
Impact to the 2008 budget is the I -88 bridge project obligation of $7.6 million,
however, the Non -Home Rule Sales Tax increase of .025% which was approved and
implemented will help fund this project.
An additional impact is the desire to improve and beautify the commercial area of the
Village. An increase hotel /motel tax was approved and the budget includes $750,000
for those projects.
The 2008 operating and capital budget is $37,833,000 a 4.95% increase over 2007
Good news: Revenues from income tax for 2007, 8.9% above budget amount, receipts
in the 5% utility tax expected to be 2.8% above budget and the telecommunications tax
provided an 11.1 % increase in revenues.
Delayed business licensing project was 15 1% below budget for licensing revenues.
This project required staff position which has been dropped from the budget and will
nearly offset the loss.
Hotel /motel increase 18.8% budget and the MFT budget for roadwork stayed the same.
Expenditure highlights:
There is an increase of 1.7% in personnel.
Other increases include benefit costs; hardware and software replacements; increased
legal and liability insurance costs; beautification projects; hotel marketing increases;
subsidization of the 50th anniversary program; pension funds; higher utility costs;
deferred equipment replacement and Community Development consultant fees due to
the revitalization projects.
Questions and comments from the Board:
Trustee Kennedy recognized revenue sources are stagnant, but noted that some
important projects were able to be included in the budget. He indicated that some of the
major improvements and catch up could not be done without the increased revenue from
the approved increase in taxes.
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Reduction in the Sports Core subsidy has been making progress and is being reduced.
The goal was to work harder at becoming self - sufficient
Trustee Manofsky made two points. Other revenue sources need to be explored, the
Village can no longer rely on sales tax and needs to generate different sources. An
additional concern was that the Sports Core needs to become self - sufficient.
Manager Niemeyer added that there was a project included in the budget to review
Sports Core.
Trustee Sanford also felt that Sports Core should become budget neutral. But, he felt it
had been analyzed to death, the need was to improve marketing to those who would use
the facility during hours other than weekends. He felt that the marketing was improving.
Trustee Carson felt the Sports Core had tremendous opportunities being such a multi
faceted facility. . He felt that it was going in right direction and that this year should be
a kick -off year to take the Sports Core to new levels as a recreational facility. He
commented that marketing was the key and that marketing should be focused in the
recreational facility area.
Trustee Wolin commented that the contribution to the Sports Core was a small issue
compared to the whole budget. He also felt the major focus should be revenue sources.
He asked for financial information within the Sports Core. He asked for several
meetings to discuss the operations, etc.
Trustee Saiyed reminded the Board that over the last four years the subsidy had been
reduced considerably. He questioned the revenues from the Promenade.
Finance Director Langlois indicated that the TIF Promenade revenues were slower
coming in than expected. Revenue targets were $500,000 or $600,000
Trustees Wolin, Carson and Kennedy asked specific line item questions which were
addressed by Finance Director Langlois, Public Works Director Meranda, Police Chief
Sheahan and Fire Chief Bodony.
Trustee Kennedy was concerned that intersection signalization improvements was not
included, but encouraged staff to attempt to include upgrades next year and to begin to
work with the County and IDOT for use of MFT funds next year
Trustee Saiyed was concerned about interest rate fluctuations. Finance Director
Langlois responded that the rates projected within the budget take some of that into
account but he felt confident that the interest would meet projections.
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3. Trustee Wolin commented that although this discussion had been somewhat brief for a
three hundred page document, that all of the Trustees had spoken with the Finance
Director, Village Manager and Department Directors independently to gain insight into
all of the facets of the budget.
4 ADJOURNMENT TO CLOSED MEETING to consider the appointment, employment,
compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public
body or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint
lodged against an employee of the public body or against legal counsel for the public
body to determine its validity (2cl) at 9:40 a.m. ROLL CALL VOTE:
Ayes: 6 - Trustees Carson, Kennedy, Manofsky, Saiyed, Sanford and Wolin.
Nays: 0 - None.
Absent: 0 - None. Motion carried.
5 ADJOURNMENT:
Motion by Trustee Saiyed, seconded by Trustee Carson, to adjourn the Special
Committee -of -the -Whole Meeting at 11:07 a.m. VO ICE VOTE: Motion carried.
ATTEST:
/s/ Charlotte K. Pruss
Charlotte K. Pruss
Village Clerk
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