Government Center

719 S. Batavia Ave., Bldg. A

Geneva, IL 60134

Kane County

KC County Development

Committee

Meeting Minutes

WILLIAMS, Berman, Arroyo, Daugherty, Garcia, Iqbal, Linder & ex-officios Tepe

(Transportation Chair), Lenert (Forest Preserve President), Roth (County Vice Chair) and

Pierog (County Chair)

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

10:30 AM

County Board Room

Call To Order

Chairman Williams called the meeting to order at 10:30 AM.

Roll Call

Board Member Rick Williams

Board Member Alex Arroyo

Board Member Dale Berman

Board Member Mo Iqbal

PRESENT

Board Member Michael Linder

Ex-Officio (Forest Preserve President) Bill Lenert

Ex-Officio County Board Vice Chair Bill Roth

Board Member Gary Daugherty

REMOTE

ABSENT

Board Member Sonia Garcia

Ex-Officio (Transportation Chairman) Vern Tepe

Ex-Officio County Board Chair Corinne M. Pierog

Also present: Co. Bd. Members Allan*, Gripe, Juby*, Kious, Molina*, Penesis*; Dev.

Dir. VanKerkhoff & staff Mall; Environ. & Water Res. Dir. Wollnik & staff Orlik; OCR

Asst. Dir. Beck*; KDOT Deputy Dir. Rickert; ITD staff Kash; and members of the press

and public.

Remote Attendance Requests

Chairman Williams announced the remote attendance requests for today's meeting. He

asked the Committee if there were any objections to Committee Member Daugherty

attending today's meeting remotely. There were no objections.

Approval of Minutes: April 15, 2025

RESULT:

MOVER:

APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

Bill Roth

Public Comment

None.

Monthly Financials

Monthly Finance Reports

Chairman Williams stated the monthly financial reports were on file. No

additional report was made.

Building & Zoning Division

A. Building & Zoning Report

Dev. Dir. VanKerkhoff stated the monthly Building and Zoning Report was on file. For

the Building Report, he explained that the division is fully staffed and has remained

busy with spring permits. For the Zoning Report, he stated that there are no zoning

petitions. He thanked the State's Attorney's Office (SAO) for conducting a training with

the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). He appreciates the SAO for their support and ZBA

members for their interest in the training.

Zoning Petitions

None.

Property Code Enforcement Division

Monthly Report

Property Code Enforcement Officer Mall stated the monthly report was on file.

He reported that April was a busy month for staff. There were 57 new cases,

which brought the caseload to 72. Mall stated that an email was sent to the

County Board containing the Monthly Case Report that provides more detail

pertaining to the cases.

Planning & Special Projects

Monthly Report

Dev. Dir. VanKerkhoff stated the monthly Planning and Special Projects Report

was on file. He expressed staff's excitement about the progress of starting

construction on the five new canoe/kayak launch sites along the Fox River. He

noted that the County is close to obtaining all the permits for construction to

start.

10.

Subdivision

PUD Adjustment Mill Creek J-9

Environ. Mgmt. Tech. Orlik presented the Mill Creek - Minor Adjustment for

Neighborhood J, Lot 9 located at 0S147 North Mathewson Lane, Blackberry

Township. The Minor Adjustment Request is for a reduction to the rear yard

setback for a pool and pool deck. Orlik provided aerial photographs depicting the

location and layout of the property. She noted that this property has a high

percentage of impervious area. She reviewed the Minor Adjustment site plan.

(Committee Member Arroyo arrived in-person at 10:34 a.m) The plan would

include a eight foot set back for the pool and deck. Portions of the front walks

will be removed and replaced with pervious paver bricks to ensure the site is

below 40% impervious. Orlik reviewed staff's findings and recommendations.

Overall, staff recommends approval of this Minor Adjustment Request. Orlik

addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Discussion ensued.

RESULT:

APPROVED BY ROLL CALL VOTE

Michael Linder

Dale Berman

MOVER:

SECONDER:

Rick Williams, Alex Arroyo, Dale Berman, Gary Daugherty, Mo

Iqbal, Michael Linder, and Bill Lenert

AYE:

Sonia Garcia, Vern Tepe, and Corinne M. Pierog

ABSENT:

11.

12.

13.

Environmental Resources

None.

Water Resources

None.

Office of Community Reinvestment

Authorizing Amendment to Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of St.

Charles for Actions Related to Management of the St. Charles Housing Trust

Fund

OCR Asst. Dir. Beck introduced this resolution. He provided additional

information. Dev. Dir. VanKerkhoff and Beck addressed questions and

comments from the Committee.

KC Finance and Budget Committee

RESULT:

TO:

MOVED FORWARD BY ROLL CALL VOTE

KC Finance and Budget Committee

Michael Linder

MOVER:

Alex Arroyo

SECONDER:

Rick Williams, Alex Arroyo, Dale Berman, Gary Daugherty, Mo

Iqbal, Michael Linder, and Bill Lenert

AYE:

Sonia Garcia, Vern Tepe, and Corinne M. Pierog

ABSENT:

Update & Discussion: Office of Community Reinvestment - Community

Development Division

Dev. Dir. VanKerkhoff introduced the Update and Discussion of the Office of

Community Reinvestment - Community Development Division. He announced that

OCR Asst. Dir. Beck has resigned from the County with his last day being June 4,

2025. Beck has served the County for 15 years. VanKerkhoff explained that Beck has

been working with staff to help with the transition of duties and responsibilities. He

thanked Beck for his service. He provided a brief professional history of Beck.

Discussion ensued.

VanKerkhoff explained that he has been working with Madam Chairman Pierog,

Committee Chairman Williams, and the Human Resource Management Department

(HRM) on an alternative plan for the Community Development Division of the Office of

Community Reinvestment (OCR). The plan would address how the division would be

reorganized and absorbed into other County departments. VanKerkhoff stated that

while all the programs within the Community Development Division are funded by

federal funding and grants, a number of them were started by the County's

Development Department. He explained that plans have been discussed to bring some

of these programs back under the purview of the Development Department, as well as,

some programs being overseen by the Kane County Health Department (KCHD). He

noted that a resolution will be drafted to address these changes. With the Committee's

consensus, VanKerkoff would move forward with HRM and others to have a proposed

resolution included on the June 4, 2025 Executive Committee meeting agenda.

Discussion ensued.

The Committee provided consensus for a resolution to be developed addressing the

reorganization changes of Community Development programs and presented to the

Executive Committee on June 4, 2025.

14.

New Business

Development and Community Services Department 2025 Overview and

Mandates

Dev. Dir. VanKerkhoff explained that himself and Environ. and Water Res. Dir.

Wollnik will be providing an overview of their departments and a summary of

mandates. He presented the Overview and Mandates for the Development and

Community Services Department. He stated that the Development and

Community Services Department provide primary support for the County's

Development Committee, Agriculture Committee, and the Jobs Committee.

There is also programs and staff that contribute to the Energy and

Environmental Committee. VanKerkhoff provided a list of the department's

mandated programs, such as building permits and Economic Development. He

shared the department's current organizational chart. He provided a General

Fund Summary. The Development Department has been consistently in the

positive with the annual budget. The General Fund Budget for FY2025 is

projected to be $926,368.00 in the positive. VanKerkhoff shared the

department's other fund summaries, such as the Farmland Protection and

Growing for Kane. He provided a list of funding that the department has received

over the last five years. He noted that there are over $8M in current grants and

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funded projects over the next two years.

VanKerkhoff addressed questions and comments from the Committee.

Discussion ensued.

Environmental & Water Resources Overview and Mandates

Environ. & Water Res. Dir Wollnik provided an Overview and Mandates for the

Environmental and Water Resources Department. She explained that her

department reports to four different County Board Committees: Development

Committee, Energy and Environmental Committee, Administration Committee,

and Agriculture Committee. She noted that the Development Committee is the

Departments primary reporting committee. Wollnik listed the numerous

mandates the department is responsible for, such as Wetland Regulations,

Stormwater Management, and Recycling and Waste Recovery. She presented

the department's current organizational chart. She noted that her department is

divided into three sub-departments: Water Resources, Environmental, and

Subdivision. She shared a graph that depicted the department's salary increases

over the past ten years. The department's salaries did not increase between

2014 and 2023 due to the elimination of the Assistant Director position and

part-time administrator that offset the cost-of-living increases. Wollnik spoke on

the department's revenues and how staff salaries are supported. She reviewed

the cost savings that the work of the Sustainability Sub-Department has done for

the County's General Fund. She provided a graph depicting the department's

General Fund contracts and commodities. From 2014 to 2024, the departments

budget and expenses have decreased by 30%. A lot of the savings was due to

the elimination of employee mileage reimbursement. Wollnik spoke on the

history of the 650 Enterprise Surcharge Fund. She explained that this fund was

created with revenue from Tipping Fees from Settler's Hill Landfill. She stated

that Illinois Pollution Control Act 45 restricts the use of the funds to long-term

monitoring and maintenance of Settler's Hill, inspection, enforcement, and other

activities in accordance with the Solid Waste Disposal Act or for other

environment-related purposes. She explained that Waste Management is

conducting Closed Landfill Care and maintenance during the Closed Landfill

Care period of 20 years. Once the Post-Closure period is complete, Kane

County will be fully responsible for landfill in perpetuity. Wollnik explained that

the Kane County Board reduced the 650 Fund minimum balance to $3M to free

up funds for the construction of the Cross County Course. She noted that these

funds are critical to support environmental issues following the Closed Landfill

Care Period. She recommended a resolution be drafted increasing the minimum

fund balance to $4M to ensure sufficient funds are available post-closure. By

maintaining the fund balance in 650, the department will be able to use the

interest earned on the fund to pay for salaries, contractual services, and

commodities for mandated Recycling and Waste Recovery programs, which

reduces the department's budget in the County's General Fund. Wollnik

addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Much discussion

ensued. (Committee Member Berman left at 11:01 a.m.)

Discussion for Increasing Specific Permit Fees

Chairman Williams introduced the Increasing Specific Permit Fees Discussion.

He explained that in 2018 a fee study was conducted and in 2019 there was an

increase to fees. Since then, there has not been any additional increases.

Williams explained that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased

drastically in the last six years. He stated that discussions have been had on

increasing permit fees to capture the CPI amount from the last six years. He

explained that an email was sent to the State's Attorney's Office (SAO) for an

opinion on this matter. It was unclear if the County could raise the fees based on

the CPI or would need a new rate study. Williams stated that the Development

Department and Environmental and Water Resources Department are doing a

good job at holding their budget. The County will continue to have their financial

issues, but he does not see how cutting revenue positive department's budget

would make much sense.

Dev. Dir. VanKerkhoff stated that given the financial situation of the County's

General Fund, himself and Wollnik would welcome any direction on the increase

of fees. The previous increase netted positive revenue in 2019. VanKerkhoff

explained that the increase was studied to evaluate the fees versus the actual

cost of the departments providing services. In most cases, staff is working to

recover costs and to keep permits affordable. VanKerkhoff agreed that looking

into a CPI increase without conducting another fee study would be reasonable.

The SAO did render an opinion that building permit fees, which is the majority of

the revenue, could be increased and explained to the community at large.

VanKerkhoff sought consensus from the Committee to move forward on

potentially raising permit fees on the CPI increase or conduct a fee study.

Environ. & Water Res. Dir. Wollnik stated that there is a difference between how

the building fees are looked at versus the Stormwater fees and how it is

regulated under the Stormwater Ordinance. She explained that her department's

fees cannot be charged any additional amount between the actual staff cost and

the cost of the permit. She noted that there are gaps in the Stormwater permit

fees and that these should be looked at again. VanKerkhoff and Wollnik

addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Much discussion

ensued.

The Committee provided a consensus to develop a fee summary and the

potential of an increase.

15.

Reports Placed On File

RESULT:

MOVER:

APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

Bill Roth

16.

17.

Executive Session (if needed)

None.

Adjournment

RESULT:

MOVER:

APPROVED BY VOICE VOTE

Bill Roth