Monday night, June 11, is going to be busy for Elmhurst City Council members. Aldermen have lots of heavy topics to discuss in their committees, including whether a member of the City Council can
But before breaking into their standing committees, the council will meet as a Committee of the Whole at 6 p.m. to discuss another meaty topic, the future of the Hahn Street development. All meetings will take place at , 209 N. York St.
Committee of the Whole
About five years ago, Elmhurst City Council contracted with Morningside Group to build a retail and condominium development at York and Hahn streets. On March 5, the City Council .
Monday's meeting begins the discussion of what type of development should be pursued. The city has engaged a consultant, Tracy Cross & Associates, to assist in this process.
The city already has invested about $11 million to acquire property for the development, according to an email aldermen Paula Pezza and Diane Gutenkauf sent to Elmhurst's 1st Ward residents June 9.
Following the Committee of the Whole, aldermen will break into their standing committees at 7 p.m. The agendas are as follows:
Finance, Council Affairs and Administrative Services Committee
- Continued review of whether to
- Community grant review
- Review of the 2011 property tax rebate program
- Continued review of sewer rates
- City vehicle allocation and take-home vehicle policy referral update
Development, Planning and Zoning Committee
- Request for an electronic sign at , 345 S. Kenilworth Ave.
- Request for building variations to allow for signs at , 678 N. York
- Discussion of the timeline and review of the redevelopment plan for the proposed
Public Works and Buildings Committee
- Discussion regarding professional design services for 135 Addison
- An update on the Route 83 and Third Street sanitary lift station replacement project
- An update on the sludge storage building roof project
- Purchase of web-based fleet management software
- 2011 sidewalk replacement program
- Review of bids for the asphalt rejuvenating treatment project, the concrete pavement patching project and the water main improvement project
Public Affairs and Safety Committee
- Request from "One Service" for the use of the Addison parking lot
- Review of traffic procedures
Public comment will be welcome at all meetings.
Wouldn't it be a good idea for Elmhurst to install two electronic signs by the underpass? They could be programmed with rotating messages, community announcements, and be a source of revenue for the city. Currently, two trucks with two union employees are sent to haphazardly wire banners in place. Not efficiently by any measure. When people speak at city council meetings is anything done to track and implement valid ideas or complaints or is just a formality that allows residents to express themselves for naught? Wouldn't it be nice to have a community wide suggestion box and a way to implement constructive ideas and improvements when possible ? Why is it that some city workers complain about the excessive ratio of supervisors to workers? Shouldn't we adopt the best practices of the best communities to constantly improve our community? Does anybody really care?
Out of town visitors would visit local restaurants and stores and leave behind considerable tax revenues. It would drive traffic downtown because of the easy access and ability to walk to downtown. Why do we limit ourselves to low rise buildings? What are we afraid of? Let one person complain and we take a defensive posture. We need to take an aggressive and visionary approach. We are way too cautious and conservative. We need bold plans, not limited thinking. Customer service emphasis verses petty ticketing as a source of revenue. Go to East End park, struggle to find a parking place, not see the minimal signage and after a nice day at the pool find your vehicle with a parking ticket. Sure to ruin your day. Shelters and gazebos at all the parks. Very inviting and could provide shelter from the sun, heat, and summer storms. A community shuttle bus to reduce the huge number of trips that parents must make. Again, does anybody really care?