City of Sycamore City Council met Aug. 17.
Here is the agenda provided by the council:
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. INVOCATION
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
5. AUDIENCE TO VISITORS
6. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approval of the Minutes for the Regular City Council Meeting of August 3, 2020.
B. Payment of the Bills for August 17, 2020.
C. Downtown Façade Grant Close-out for PJ’s Courthouse Tavern.
D. Gateway Improvement Grant Close-out for Kar-Fre Flowers.
7. PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND BILLS
A. A Proclamation Declaring September 2020 as Suicide Prevention Month in the City of Sycamore, Illinois.
8. REPORTS OF OFFICERS
9. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
10. PUBLIC HEARINGS—None
11. ORDINANCES—None
12. RESOLUTIONS
A. Resolution No. 842—A Resolution Approving a Grant of $33,000 to the Voluntary Action Center for Direct Services to the Citizens of the City of Sycamore and for Support of the Blue Line Flexible Bus Service (Route 21).
The City has regularly provided financial support to the Voluntary Action Center (VAC) for services rendered to Sycamore residents and to honor the commitment the City Council made in 2007 to provide long-term funding support for the Route 21 (formally known as the Blue Line) bus service. This support is funded by either hotel/motel taxes or through sales taxes generated by airline fuel. None of the funding comes from local businesses or residents.
The City typically provides $17,000 to help defray organizational expenses associated with VAC operations and $20,000 for the Route 21 Bus Service. Due to the impact COVID-19 has had on the City’s revenues, the proposed grant has been reduced to $33,000 for FY21; to be allocated internally by VAC as needed.
VAC services provided to Sycamore residents include TransVAC (dial-a-ride transit service), which provided 34,382 rides in Sycamore for 2019, of which 14,692 were to Sycamore residents (out of a total of 54,416 dial-a-ride trips in the county overall); MedVAC, which provided 1,092 trips to regional hospitals and other care facilities for Sycamore residents; and the Meals on Wheels program which provided 11,855 meals for 115 seniors and disabled residents in Sycamore last year. Since March of 2020, Meals on Wheels service has doubled resulting in greater need for funding.
Only about 5.8% of the TransVAC services for Sycamore and 9% of the Meals on Wheels services are offset by the proposed grant. Other VAC funding sources include state and federal grants, foundation grants, private donations, and user fees. The City’s funding brings a match of 65% in state dollars and an 80% match in federal dollars.
The total annual cost of the Route 21 is $340,000 of which 17% is a part of the $2.0 million state grant available for services to residents of Sycamore, DeKalb, and Cortland. The Voluntary Action Center records indicate that the average ridership is over 2,404 rides each month. Many riders are persons with disabilities and residents of the high-rise apartment building on Grant Street. Areas of high ridership include business districts such as downtown Sycamore, the DeKalb Ave. corridor, and Hy-Vee complex, as well as area medical facilities and residential complexes. Route 21’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and has also provided special runs during downtown event weekends.
Funding for the City’s contribution to VAC comes from the Hotel/Motel Tax Fund (09-000-8489), while the share of Route 21 comes from the Sales Tax Distributive Fund (22-000-8343).
City Council approval is recommended.
13. CONSIDERATIONS
A. Consideration of a Staff Recommendation to Purchase the Property at 258 Lucas Street in the City of Sycamore, Illinois (PIN 06-32-203-003) in the Amount of $815.00.
For several years, the City’s Police and Community Development Departments have been working to abate property maintenance issues at 258 Lucas Street. The unsightly property has been vacant for a number of years and is beyond the point of repair. In fact, addressing this property was a point of emphasis when the City started a more focused property maintenance program three years ago.
Through the property maintenance and legal processes, the City has the opportunity to acquire the property for $815.00, the minimum cost of acquisition and conveyance thru the county's Tax Liquidation Program. Plans would include demolishing the residential structure on the property, which is zoned M-1, Light Manufacturing.
The City could either demolish the structure and then sell the property to recoup some of the demolition costs or sell the property with a condition that the demolition be completed within a prescribed period of time. Either option will provide relief for the neighborhood and provide a timeframe for when the work will be completed.
City Council approval is recommended.
14. OTHER NEW BUSINESS
15. APPOINTMENTS
16. ADJOURNMENT
https://cityofsycamore.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/cc20200817a.pdf
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