March 11, 2008
State of the Village Address 2008
Homer Township Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Visual Presentation (PDF 3.5 MB)
I began thinking about this presentation back when there was 2 feet of snow on the ground and the market had just taken a nose dive. It was not exactly a positive point of reference for me to begin thinking about the ‘State of the Village”, but as most of you know, I retired from the Options business. I traded on the Options market for over 15 years and during that time I saw many ‘seasons’ & many economic cycles. Despite the current state of the housing market and the nervousness of the stock market, I believe Homer Glen is very well positioned for the future.
During my campaign for Mayor, we coined a slogan “Preserving, Protecting and Planning”. This continues to be the ethic behind many of the decisions made by the Village Board today. It reflects the original intent behind the incorporation just 7 short years ago and poises the Village for a very successful future. I am closing in on the end of my first year in office and I will tell you it has been a lot of hard work- it’s a good thing I am semi-retired!
However I am very fortunate to have such a committed Board, who put in the hours and personal commitment to make sure that we are doing the best job we can in Preserving, Protecting and Planning for the Village. We have a very strong volunteer base as well. Many of you here in this room have served on a committee or subcommittee or task force. We appreciate the long hours and committed public service that you have provided. Together, with our professional staff, we make a great team!
The issue of Preserving is more than just the preservation of our natural resources, it is also about preserving a way of life, - preserving our community character. Homer Glen encompasses over 22 sq miles-representing one of the largest communities in Will County–which is one of the fastest growing counties in the state of Illinois. We are a diverse community with a variety of land uses.
But “Preserving our Community Character” does not mean standing still. Unlike many of our neighboring communities, we are at the beginning of our development cycle. Orland Park, Lemont, Lockport and even New Lenox have already experienced their growth surges. We are the “hole in the donut”- with many opportunities for residential and commercial development yet still opportunities to create meaningful open space for active or passive recreational use.
We currently have over 3,000 acres planned for future residential uses, and we have over 1,300 acres planned for future commercial uses. We can preserve the quality of life that our residents have come to expect in Homer Glen by properly preparing for the growth that lies ahead. Some of the things that we have been working on with respect to preserving our community character include: Strong Legislation.
The Green Vision and the Comprehensive Plan provide the framework for the revision and strengthening of our codes and ordinances. This year the Board adopted amendments to the Conservation Design Ordinance which provides general guidance for flexible planning standards yet maximizes open space. This will serve as a guide for all future residential development in our community. The Board also recently adopted a landmark Outdoor Lighting Ordinance. This is the first known comprehensive, stand-alone ordinance in the Chicago area to recognize the night sky as a natural resource. But it is more than that. It is more than just about seeing stars. It is about saving energy and money. Saving money for our residents and our business owners. That is one of the reasons this ordinance is receiving such local, national and international recognition.
Homer Glen has made the headlines with the adoption of this ordinance. Trustees Margaret Sabo and Russell Knaack have also been invited to speak later this month at the Metropolitan Mayor's Caucus. We also just received word from Lt. Governor Pat Quinn that he will be making an announcement about our ordinance at a press conference scheduled for later this month at the Adler Planetarium. He will be encouraging other communities to follow our lead in adopting this landmark ordinance. It is our hope that what we have done here in Homer Glen will spread throughout the Chicago area and the issues related to outdoor lighting, particularly light pollution and energy conservation, will eventually receive the attention and widespread acceptance that recycling did in the 1980's and 1990's.
On a related topic, our Village recently issued a proclamation in support of Earth hour (Lights out America), which will occur between the hours of 8-9 pm on March 29, 2008. This is a global conservation awareness effort sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) that began in Sydney, Australia, and was recently launched by the City of Chicago as the flagship U.S. city in a ceremony attended by Mayor Richard M. Daley. We have more information on our website, but I encourage all of you to sign on to this global initiative by turning off all non-essential lights on March 29.
Our zoning ordinance is also under review which includes the review of our development standards and impact fees. We believe development should pay its own way so that current residents and businesses are not paying for new development. This means making sure that our infrastructure needs are addressed and paid for by new development. This includes road improvements, storm water improvements and the adequate cost effective provision of utilities. Trustee Ward has been working on formulating new impact fee ordinances that will provide additional revenue sources to accomplish many of the Village’s goals. We are also updating our Storm Water Ordinance which will prove to be another benchmark for municipal ordinances.
In addition to enacting new ordinances and regulations, the Village Board has taken great efforts to preserve the natural resources we are so fortunate to have here in Homer Glen. Consistent with the Green Vision–we have worked with the Forest Preserve District of Will County toward preserving over 270 acres of land along Fiddyment Creek. This preserves that area for generations to come. Just yesterday, I got back from a trip to Yellowstone National Park. It was an amazing trip and to think that they had the foresight in 1872 to preserve and protect that area for everyone to enjoy. It is that kind of preservation vision that Homer Glen stands for. We also completed the Long Run Creek Watershed Study. This study was spearheaded by Trustees Margaret Sabo and Marcia DeVivo who, with the assistance of a C2000 grant, supervised the completion of this study which will aid in future decisions for development in the watershed. We are also revising our tree preservation ordinance and creating a new landscape ordinance that establishes a priority for tree preservation and the use of native plantings. This will not only enhance the aesthetics of our community but improve water quality as it relates to storm water drainage.
We have also maintained a strong position when enforcing these regulations when it comes to the maintenance of utility easements in our community. BP Amoco will be presenting a restoration plan to our Board early this spring which addresses the cutting that occurred last summer within their easement. The cutting was halted, however not in time to prevent some significant damage to the existing trees in the area. Staff has been working closely with representatives of BP and the affected residents. We will see some new plantings this spring along with a commitment from BP Amoco that they no longer will be monitoring the easement from the air. The monitoring will now be done on foot patrol. This will eliminate the need for clear cutting in the future.
In addition to Preserving existing conditions in Homer Glen, our Board has taken steps to Protect the Village with respect to such issues as infrastructure improvements, flood control, utility planning and public safety.
For example, right outside our door you can see the improvements to 151st street. Turn lanes were installed to improve the safety of our residents as they frequent the uses along this roadway. The Golf Course and Library will share an access with the newly constructed turn lane. There remains some final work that will be completed this spring that will involve some additional landscaping and signage improvements. Other road improvements include those completed on 143rd street. Hopefully you have experienced safer and more efficient driving as a result of the new intersection improvements. This was the result of working closely with the county and the Homer Township Road District to bring these projects in on time and under budget .We are near completion for final engineering for the improvements at Lemont Road and 143rd and we expect to see construction of a temporary signal there in the very near future. We are also working hard to confirm the timing of improvements for both 159th street and the intersection of Bell and 143rd.
Flooding continues to be a chronic issue for us and the spring rains last year brought the issue to the forefront. Flood control projects in the Woodbine and Farmview subdivisions will be completed this spring. Additional projects are being studied to address flooding issues in Oak Valley, Meadow view and Old Oak Subdivisions. These will be programmed as funding becomes available.
When we incorporated 7 years ago there was no intention to get into the water and sewer business. However, with the discovery of such things as high water rates, poor customer service, questionable back billing methods and the poor working condition of fire hydrants that presented serious life/safety issues, the Village took on the challenge to ensure our residents are provided safe and affordable drinking water.
To date the Village and the Attorney General’s office have filed suit against IAW to resolve complaints of non-compliance with ICC rules and regulations. We worked closely with Representative Renee Kosel who successfully entered legislation that provides protection for consumers of private water utilities. And, last fall we adopted a resolution that will assist our consultants in their study of the feasibility of acquiring our own water and sewer system. This is an involved process that will require professional assistance in reviewing the volumes of documents we have begun to accumulate. We are also working with the Villages of Bolingbrook, Woodridge, and Plainfield to assess the feasibility of acquiring the transmission system for Lake Michigan water. In addition, we continue to fight IAW‘s rate increase before the ICC. Trustee Niemiec has been involved with this issue from the beginning and recently she and I provided testimony as part of the rate case. The hearing will be held later this month in Springfield. We expect a decision by late summer.
This past fall we passed an ordinance regulating the use of our Rights-of Way. This was especially important with the recent introduction of AT&T’s new product ‘Light Speed’. According to AT&T representatives, we expect to see the roll-out of this new service late this summer. The adoption of this ordinance provides tighter control over the location of the facilities and provides for landscape screening where needed.
Another way we are protecting our residents is by addressing public safety. A few weeks ago the Board heard a presentation on the findings of the Police Task Force which was created earlier this year. Trustee Locacious worked with members of the task force to analyze the cost of creating our own municipal police force. The analysis provided an upstart cost and operating budget that the Board will continue to review for future discussion. The Village has contracted with the Will County Sheriff’s department since incorporation and we recently held our annual meeting that provided some good dialogue concerning our community needs. We have been assured that Homer Glen is a high priority for the Sheriff who has pledged his efforts to provide quality public safety for our residents. Over the next few months I will be introducing the sergeants on duty to our residents so that we begin to have a familiar face to our public safety officers.
The Village has also recently updated its fire and building codes. Our building department continues to work closely with the Fire Districts in addressing public safety issues in our community. For example, this year we will be conducting joint commercial inspections with both fire districts. Over 600 inspections are conducted annually. By working together we can conduct these inspections more efficiently and with less disruption to our commercial businesses. Our goal will be to link this with our business registration procedures in the future.
We also are in the process of negotiating for village –wide residential garbage services. This will result in significant savings for our residents as well as provide increased opportunities for recycling.
The Village Board has also taken significant steps toward adopting local codes for enforcement of local nuisance and building code violations. Beginning in April we will be holding our own adjudication court on tickets issued for local infractions of our village code. Underage drinking, possession or sale of tobacco to a minor and parking violations, including violations of handicapped parking on private lots, are a few of the issues we hope to provide better control of with the adoption of these ordinances. For those of you with parking lots associated with your businesses, remember to send in the contracts that were mailed out with your business license renewal forms. We receive many complaints about parking violations that negatively impact your ability to conduct business. This is one way we can help you by enforcing these violations. There is no cost or obligation to you, the contract merely allows the sheriff’s officers to write tickets for the violations that can be adjudicated right here in Homer Glen.
The third aspect of the Village’s agenda for good government requires planning. This involves an organized approach to plan for our future so that we continue to meet the goals and objectives established by our Comprehensive Plan and Green Vision. It requires diligent adherence to our codes and regulations and constant review of these documents to ensure that they remain current with the status of the Village. The Board recently adopted two very important planning documents - the Transportation Plan and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Both of these Plans represent a great deal of hard work on behalf of our Trustees, volunteer committees, staff and professional consultants. They both will guide future decisions related to safe access within our community and the provision of parks and recreational land uses. This year we will be completing the improvements in our second park- Stonebridge Park. This is quite an accomplishment for a young village. It is our hope that we will be able to acquire a major park site before the opportunities succumb to development pressures.
As we plan for our future, we understand that we must not be narrow in our focus- it takes a regional perspective. We are fortunately positioned to take advantage of the development that will be attracted as a consequence of the I-355 extension. We are making every effort to maximize our potential to attract quality, revenue producing development that will provide good paying jobs for our residents. New Lenox has set the bar in capitalizing on their proximity to the corridor with the expected development of a retail center of over 1.2 million s.f. in the fall of 2010 and the construction of the Silver Cross replacement hospital in 2011. We have an amazing opportunity to develop to the highest and best use in this corridor. We have to make sure that we are not seduced by the allure of quick development with only short term gains and long-term costs. We will continue to work with our neighboring communities to protect the future value of land uses in this area.
To that end I created the Veteran’s Memorial Planning Consortium comprised of the Mayors and Managers of New Lenox, Lemont, Lockport and Homer Glen. We recently added representatives from Will county to the group. We had our first meeting in January and we will be meeting in New Lenox in April. This group will be addressing a variety of issues that involve the I-355 corridor including transportation, homeland security, economic development, and land use planning. It is our hope the group will provide the opportunity for the communities to work together for the common good and ultimate benefit of all 4 communities.
Another cooperative planning initiative I started this year was the Homer Glen Intergovernmental Planning consortium. In an effort to foster better communication amongst all taxing bodies serving Homer Glen residents, it is my goal that with this group we can collectively address many of the issues facing our residents in a more comprehensive manner. This should result in not only more efficient governing but more cost effective governing as well. As a group we can work together to serve our residents.
As a non-home rule community that does not impose a municipal property tax, it is critical that we maximize our revenue opportunities through new retail development. A good economic development plan includes both recruitment and retention. One project that we are excited about is the M& D farm project located at the southwest corner of Bell and Will-Cook Road. First Grade Hardwoods, one of our top revenue producing businesses, is currently under construction. The second phase will include a 10,560 sq. ft. retail store. Kenwood Liquors is working with the developer for this location. They are a very successful business in Stoney Island. We also have a project scheduled for board review later this month located on 143rd St. called Homer Town plaza. There is a total of 51,325 sq. ft. of commercial leasing space for both phases. Construction is slated for this spring. Currently we have over ½ million s.f. of commercial property under review at the moment.
Most of you have been reading about the Jewel store. We continue to meet with the developer and representatives from Super value. They remain committed to the site yet have requested extensions for their approvals as they reassess the market. The decline in the economy nationally has had a ripple effect in the development community- we expect to have a final decision on the timing for this project by May.
We continue to aggressively seek new commercial development, especially retail development. We have hired staff with experience in this area and we have streamlined our review process that encourages commercial growth. Staff recently represented the Village at the ICSC Idea Exchange/Alliance meeting in Chicago. They reported the meeting a big success and brought home several solid leads for new commercial development. The important thing to remember however is that encouraging growth requires much more than just economic development programs - it requires a community that is ready to handle the growth with respect to its codes and regulations and its existing infrastructure. This is why we continue to push hard for road improvements that require County and State cooperation. The intersection at 143rd and Bell is one of the most dangerous intersections in Will County. With traffic counts that exceed the geometrics of the intersection design, it is critical that this intersection is improved now. Absent the full improvement we not only endanger the lives of our residents, but we discourage the commercial development that requires these kinds of improvements as part of their location criteria.
Representative Renee Kosel recently coordinated a meeting with IDOT Secretary Sees. While it was intended to be basically a ‘meet and greet’ meeting we seized the opportunity to educate the new secretary on the serious life safety issues our residents face along 159th street, one of our major transportation corridors. With over 155 school bus trips a day, and over 300 homes with their only point of access on 159th street, combined with a narrow roadway with minimal shoulders and steep side slopes, 159th street represents a very serious life/safety situation for the volume of traffic it carries. And we all know the traffic count is only going up. We proposed several ideas beyond the repaving commitment that IDOT has made for 2010. We will continue to lobby for solutions at the state and local level.
Planning for our future requires a balanced budget, investigation of new revenue sources and monitoring of villages expenditures. Despite decreases in residential permit revenues from last year, we have witnessed an increase in commercial permit revenue. Income tax revenue remains strong and sales tax revenue will close out the year close to our projections. We anticipate permit revenue to continue to decline that will be reflected in next year’s budget. We will continue to control expenses and will close out the year with a balanced budget. Considering the current economic conditions and the fact that we don’t collect a municipal property tax, this is a solid accomplishment for a Village committed to being fiscally responsible.
The Village will be taking a special census this summer. Currently we are receiving a per capita tax of $134.35 per resident based on the 2004 census which was 24,083. However, we estimate our population to be between 1100 and 1600 more than that. These are residents that are not counted and therefore we are not collecting the per capita tax due us for these residents. We have estimated this loss to be somewhere between $420,000 and $525,000. This is money owed to the Village. We need to make sure every resident is counted. The best time to ensure an accurate count is this summer, so that we can count the college kids. We will be launching a campaign shortly to educate the residents on the importance of being counted.
We anticipate the census resulting in home rule status for Homer Glen. This will provide additional revenue sources for the village such as the creation of additional impact fees. There are over 190 communities with home rule status in Illinois. Studies have shown that home rule communities have the ability to broaden the tax burden beyond the residents and businesses who typically pay property taxes. This is primarily due to the fact that home rule communities have more revenue sources to pick from. The most important aspect of home rule for Homer Glen is the ability to exact impact fees on new development that we can not do as a non-home rule community. A municipal property tax has not been the intention or desire of this Board and absent the revenue that most communities receive through property tax, we have to explore other options. We will continue to recruit more businesses to town – But equally important to recruiting more businesses is making sure they pay their way. We need home rule to make that happen.
My hope is that you will continue to trust those that you voted into office. We appreciate your support and we recognize the awesome responsibility in serving you. As we prepare ourselves for the next season, we need to understand that the economy works in cycles. Homer Glen businesses and residents should find comfort in knowing that we are poised for the future by preserving , protecting and planning for the good of the community.