City officials this week will consider whether to begin collecting fees from groups who use the meeting rooms in the basement of the Naperville Municipal Center.
The plan, part of a package of measures staff is recommending to bring the city’s finances closer to balance, calls for charging $30 to use one of the three available rooms on the lower level, and $60 when the folding wall between two of them is removed. City Council members discussed the proposal earlier this month and will go over the staff’s policy recommendation at their meeting Tuesday night.
The idea has met resistance from some of those who now use the spaces for free.
Wayne Piccin, president of the Amici Naperville Area Italian American Club, said the group’s 10 annual meetings in the building are mostly held in the lunchroom, where one of the approximately 65 club members demonstrates and shares a favorite dish. The club, which provides an annual scholarship to a local high school student of Italian descent, collects $20 in annual dues from regular members and $50 from each of its ten corporate members. Piccin told the council the funds are used for other purposes and would not be sufficient to cover the proposed $30 fee for use of the lunchroom.
Two other groups also had representatives at the Oct. 6 meeting, calling for the council to decline implementation of the new fee structure.
Not all city officials support the proposal. Councilman John Krummen said taxpayers funded construction of the Municipal Center and shouldn’t be forced to pay for using it, saying the measure would “nickel and dime” the residents.
Others see it as a necessary step, however. Councilman Paul Hinterlong acknowledged there are clubhouses in the city with rooms to rent, but some of them charge considerably higher fees. The city’s other taxing bodies already require payment for use of rooms in schools, libraries and park district facilities and other spaces.
“It’s unfortunate, but we’re trying to find savings within our budget,” Hinterlong said.
A memo from the city manager’s office reports that during the second quarter of this year, the meeting rooms were used on 219 separate occasions, 29 times by other government agencies and 190 times by nonprofit groups.
The council meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers of the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St.
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Up for a vote
Issue: Approving construction by Pulte Homes of the Atwater development on the site of the Country Lakes Golf Course in far northwest Naperville.
Background: Tabled earlier this month after the property seller withheld necessary document signatures, the request seeks final plat and planned unit development approvals.
What it means: If the owner’s concerns have been addressed, the council’s endorsement will clear the way for 303 single-family homes, 111 acres of shared open space and two public parks on 204 acres. Nearly half of the land will be earmarked as conservation easement.
Issue: Making changes in the city’s liquor code.
Background: Mayor Steve Chirico has proposed allowing licensed establishments to sell and serve liquor beginning at 7 a.m. on Sundays, as they can every other day of the week, and waiving the requirement that a meal be served with the drink. A separate code change brought forth by the mayor would allow retailers to display alcohol products in areas of their stores beyond the defined liquor departments to which they are now restricted.
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What it means: Council members held off on voting on the measures two weeks ago, saying they want to hear what the community thinks about the changes. Some officials expressed concerns about a potentially negative impact on Naperville’s reputation as a family-friendly place.
Issue: Codifying the mayor’s salary.
Background: The council last year voted down a proposal to increase the annual salary for the position to $30,000, but the resulting ordinance update inadvertently left the spaces for the salary amounts blank.
What it means: If reaffirmed, the compensation rate for the office will remain unchanged, at $20,000 annually. The mayor receives an additional $5,000 per year for performing the duties of liquor commissioner.