Though not moneymaker for restaurants, BYOB draws some interested diners

DeKalb and Sycamore have a BYOB license, which allows restaurants to permit patrons to bring bottles of wine or beer to drink with their meals. Each city’s license sets rules, such as when beer or wine can be consumed at the restaurant or the requirement of a meal being purchased to drink alcohol at the establishment.

Mediterraneo Grill owner Omar Musfi said it saves his customers money, but it’s not cheap for the restaurant. He had to pay the license fee, change his insurance and train his staff. The restaurant charges a $5 corking fee per table to recoup some of those costs.
According to DeKalb’s municipal code, those seeking a Class BY license must pay $250 for the initial issuance fee and $220 annually for renewal.

“The point is to bring more people to try the food,” Musfi said, mentioning that most customers who take advantage of BYOB do so with dinner and on weekends. “... It’s not making money, but it’s helping with business.”

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2011/06/22/though-not-moneymaker-for-restaurants-byob-draws-some-interested-diners/apgmhew/

District 100 Education Tax Rate still lowest

The following tax rate comparison was presented at the June 22, 2011 District 100 school board meeting. Belvidere has the lowest rate in Winnebago-Boone Counties.  Is District 100 Board of Education thinking about asking for an increase in the education tax rate?

Click on the photocopy to enlarge: 

Belvidere’s 4.59702 rate is a substantially higher rate than the prior year’s 4.06682 and is projected to be up to 5.22190 for next tax  year See the document shown below from the May 16, 2011 District 100 board meeting. In percentage terms this year’s tax rate went up 13.04%; next year is projected to increase 13.59%.  An individual home’s tax increase should be somewhat less because assessed values (EAV) are projected to decrease 10% for 2011-2.

Assuming the projected 5.22190 rate to be correct—Belvidere will still have the lowest rate in 2011-2 but the gap maybe narrowing.  Also note the largest increase is in Bond Taxes (17.3% for 2010-11).  Much larger increases in Bond Taxes will occur in upcoming years not yet shown in 2011-2.

Here is proof that other districts are thinking of increases.

California Legislature to forfeit pay

State Controller John Chiang has decided to deny California lawmakers their pay for failing to produce a truly balanced spending plan, infuriating legislative leaders but pumping new life into budget negotiations just 10 days before the start of the new fiscal year.
Indignant Democratic lawmakers, having passed a budget on the June 15 deadline without input from Republicans or Gov. Jerry Brown, said the controller, who issues state paychecks, was engaged in an illegal power grab. Chiang said in his announcement Tuesday that aspects of the Democrats' budget — which Brown had swiftly vetoed — were incomplete and the plan therefore violated a new law that punishes the Legislature for late spending plans.

The impact on legislators' wallets could be severe. Until they approve a budget that Chiang deems balanced, rank-and-file lawmakers, who are paid at the end of each month, will be docked about $400 a day. That sum is the daily portion of their $95,291 salary plus a $142 per diem allowance.

Click on the following for the complete LA Times story:  http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lawmakers-pay-20110622,0,5154346.story

Rep Paul Ryan and his in-laws

The following is taken from:  http://www.wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/take-a-look-at-paul-ryans-personal-payday.html/

according to the congressman’s mandatory financial disclosure report to Congress, Ryan and his wife own stakes in four family companies that lease land in Texas and Oklahoma to energy companies that benefit from the tax subsidies Ryan advocated.

Ryan’s father-in-law runs the companies that are currently leasing land for mining and drilling to Chesapeake Energy (NYSE:CHK), Devon (NYSE:DVN), XTO Energy, and a subsidiary of ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM). Ryan’s stake in these companies immediately poses a conflict of interest, especially when Ryan is lining his pockets with big oil money while expecting senior citizens, children, and the disabled to endure cuts to already underfunded programs.

Of course, Ryan’s office says he hadn’t even considered his own interests when drawing up the budget plan, overlooking the $117,000 the properties earned him and his wife just last year, as well as the $60,000 from the year before that. According to Ryan’s financial disclosure, he has assets worth somewhere between $590,000 and $2.5 million, and he owns minority stakes in four of his wife’s family companies, including Ava O Limited Company, which holds mining and mineral rights, and Little Land Company, which is an oil and gas corporation. While Ryan only has a 0.8% stake in Little Land Company, it is still one of his most valuable assets, generating nearly $50,000 last year.

St. James Zoning passes the advisory city commission intact

This posting is also available at: http://www.boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/ More postings regarding St. James are available at that site.

The zoning staff wanted concessions on the building height—50 feet  versus requested 70—and parking 55 more on-site.  The advisory committee agreed only on the parking and stated a 70 foot building (5 stories) should be allowed.   Approximated 30 people (not including the applicant and advisor) attended the session.  Persons pro’s and con were approximately equally represented .   Questions and testimony from neighbors and parishioners opposed to the action were given.  As well as testimony of parishioners in favor of the action.  The con’s had many more questions than the pro’s.

Action now moves to city council.  There will be reading on the proposed zoning change and at the July 5 council meeting the actual decision should be made.  Visitors may be allowed to comment at the July 5 meeting prior to city council votes.

The entire St. James portion of the advisory committee meeting was recorded by a court report and may soon be available electronically on the county website.  I will advise you of this matter. As of 7-13-2011 St. James has not sent the transcripts to the Planning and Zoning Department.  The City Council has tabled their decision until August 1.

Earlier I posted my letter to the Zoning Board concerning parking.  SEE:  http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2011/06/will-new-st-james-church-cause.html

The following letter also regarding parking and general traffic was submitted to the board by  Barbara Paladino.

Click on the photocopy to enlarge: 

Chairman Walberg continues showdown with volunteers firefighters

“We either got to deal with the county board's decision or there's been discussion of all the volunteers resigning and turning their gear in. If the county wants to run our district, let them deal with it and see what they can do," he says.

Boone County Board Chairman Bob Walberg says these trustees have enormous power and it's the county board's job to select the best people.

"They pick the chief. They develop their budget. They set the policies for the board, the oversight of the district. They set the tax levy," says Walberg.

The fire chiefs from districts one, two and three have said they feel the county wants to replace the trustees because the board members are unhappy with a sprinkler ordinance trustees approved. The ordinance requires all commercial buildings to install a sprinkler system. Some county leaders argue that puts a burden on businesses. Firefighters argue it's about fire safety. "If it's left off to rage out of control, but the time we get there the ceilings and things will start collapsing on us," explains firefighter, Daniel Pearson.

either got to deal with the county board's decision or there's been discussion of all the volunteers resigning and turning their gear in. If the county wants to run our district, let them deal with it and see what they can do," he says.

Boone County Board Chairman Bob Walberg says these trustees have enormous power and it's the county board's job to select the best people.

"They pick the chief. They develop their budget. They set the policies for the board, the oversight of the district. They set the tax levy," says Walberg.

Click on the following for more details:  http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=14908882

 

 

It is very difficult what to made of this whole thing.  Here is what Ms. Mattison wrote to his follow Boone County board members and the general public regarding the matter.  His statement became a  part of the board packet.

 

---

 

June 15, 2011

To: The Boone County Board & Public

Re: Fire Protection Districts & Trustee Appointments

The appointment processes for various Boone County positions that Bob Walberg, Boone County Board Chairman, has used the past 2 years are confusing if not purposely manipulated. They seem to change depending on who and what the appointments are going to be. They have ranged from Board Chair recommended names being presented without application letters to having hearings for applicants and the Board Chair stating he is going to rely on recommendations from the County Board after they interview the interested parties. Some County Chairman appointments (to name a few, but not all) are made with no input from the County Board (Mary Steurer, Boone County Clerk), some with input from outside the County Board (Brad Fidder,County Board member District 1), and most recently Fire District Trustees and potential appointees interviewed by the Roads and Capital Improvements Committee after Chairman Walberg attempted to replace the trustees from Districts 1, 2, 3, with no detail or explanation to the public or the County Board for the reason to change at the May County Board meeting.

Several various forms of appointment have been used including the use of "straw polls" by Mr. Walberg.

The current appointment process being used to Appoint Boone County Fire District Trustees is flawed at best, and just plain wrong at its worst. It is convoluted.

Board Chairman Walberg in March, 2011, sent a memo to County Board members stating..."I feel we should not micro manage the Fire District(s) by debating their actions. It is the Trustee's job to oversee the Fire Districts." In that memo he references an opinion he requested from State's Attorney Michelle Courier. The opinion was given January 19, 2011 so it must have been asked for in December of 2010 or early January of this year. There was no background explanation why Walberg sent the memo to the board, but the State's Attorney's opinion cited a sprinkler system and ordinance.

At the May County Board meeting, Walberg presented a list of his Fire Trustee appointments, in essence replacing the current Trustees in Districts 1, 2, and 3. There was no explanation for the changes. Fire District members attended the Board meeting and after input from several volunteer firefighters, trustees and comment from the County Board focused on sprinkler systems and the appointments, Chairman Walberg postponed his appointments and set a special County Board meeting to hear from the fire districts. At that special meeting Fire District personnel came to discuss the appointments and the sprinkler system code, but Walberg confined the discussion to the sprinkler systems. (This action taken after his

March memo to the County Board stating..."we should not micro manage the fire districts by debating their actions."

It is apparent to many, that indeed the actions by Fire District leadership are being debated and evaluated relative to Trustee appointments by Chairman Walberg contrary to his memo to the County Board.

The history of this brouhaha dates back to sometime in 2010 when County Board Vice Chairman Marshall Newhouse and County Board Chairman Bob Walberg (without informing the whole County Board) initiated discussions with three Boone County Fire Districts telling them there was public outcry from the Boone County business community, certain County Board members, and administrators concerning some of the fire sprinkler requirements imposed under the fire district ordinances. There has been no documentation presented identifying "public outcry" to the County Board. All of those complaining about the fire code should make themselves known, what and where they want to build, the use, and their reasons for not following the code. Vice Chairman Newhouse has stated the new code could hurt economic development and prevent businesses from re-locating in the county. It should be understood that sprinkler systems can cause substantial investment and are a concern for economic development--they also are proposed for fire prevention, fire safety, health and welfare of the citizens and firefighters, and to channel commercial building development where it can be best protected in urban and industrial development areas--not rural areas where the probability of loss of property and life are considerably greater. And, Fire Codes are a critical land use planning tool helping to site commercial building where they can best be preserved and protected in case of fire.

County Board Chairman Bob Walberg and County Board Vice Chairman Marshall Newhouse did not present this as an issue to the County Board in 2010, but instead worked "behind-the-scenes" contacting the fire districts and others. The Boone County Board as a whole has not been involved in this process from the "git-go."

Certainly communication on the code and the County should occur. Certainly the Fire Code issue should be debated at the County Board level, and a level of understanding developed between the Fire Districts and the County. It should include the Planning Department (land use, zoning, health, welfare, & protection), as well as the Economic Development arm of the County--Growth Dimensions.

The appointment of Fire District Trustees should be based on their goal to provide "as nearly adequate protection from fire all person and property within Boone County as possible and must prescribe necessary regulations for the prevention and control of fire." The current Trustees have performed to this standard.

These are Trustees and mostly neighbor volunteers who with pride give their all to save home and families from fires and disasters. They should be judged for appointment on this criteria, not innocuous hearsay complaints from potential builders trying to save money on unsuitable sites. And the legitimate complainers to the code should identify themselves and come forward to become part of the debate to provide sensible fire protection for all.

I intend to support the current Trustees for re-appointment:

*Ron Tinberg in Fire District 1; *Dennis Peaslee in Fire District 2; and *Ray Morse in Fire District 3.

Patrick B. Mattison, Boone County Board District 3

 

Later Mattison stated:  FYI...Chairman Walberg nominated Ron Tinberg for Trustee in District 1, and then voted against his appointment...doesn't make sense.

 

AND HERE IS THE ACTUAL VOTE:

Click on the photocopy to enlarge.

Will the new St. James Church cause a parking problem in Belvidere?

This is my concern.  Take a look at the letter I submitted to Belvidere Planning and Zoning regarding the issue.  I am asking only that the Church comply with the zoning mandate and provide one on-premise parking space for each five seats.  That equates to 170 on-site parking spaces now that the church is to hold only 850.  I wish the zoning law required more because I foresee cars clogging the streets in all directions. The Church’s architectural firm wants 110 spaces.

Click on the photocopy to enlarge or read the printed letter shown below the photocopies: 

Here is the two page letter portion in an easier to read format:

June 13, 2011

Belvidere Planning and Zoning Commission

615 North Main Street

Belvidere, Illinois 61008

REFERENCE: Case Number 2011-15; St. James Catholic Church

I oppose granting the applicant any deviation from City Code Section 150.204C3b. (One parking space per 5 seats at maximum capacity [Ratio 5:1 on premise spaces to capacity])

I am a St. James parishioner who regularly attends 10 AM Sunday mass. This service most always overcrowds the 350 capacity church. All parking spaces on parish grounds are filled and on-street parking for several blocks is jammed packed. The applicant is asking for a deviation from Section 150.204C3b because of the availability of on-street parking. I question whether adequate on-street parking will be available for the new 850 capacity church.

I have counted the current number of parking spaces available on parish property and identified them on an aerial map which is attached. Currently there are 130 parking spaces on parish property. The applicant indicates that once the new church is built and the old church torn down, there would only be 115 parking spaces. Diagonal parking would be built at applicant’s expense however it is questionable if this would increase parking on Church Street because only one side of the street will be parked after this change.

Page 3 of the applicant’s Narrative states that: “Random surveys conducted during mass in early 2011 show that parishioners currently use 70-80 on-street parking spaces in the near vicinity of the church along Julien, Caswell and Church Streets” If the code deviation is granted, on-street parking would have to supply all additional needed parking. Just multiplying the current on-street parking (as supplied by the applicant) by the increase in capacity (850/350 times the 70 current on-street slots) on-street parking increases approximately 143% to 170. Using figures more nearly matching the actual cars to church capacity ratio of the current church (see chart below), on-street parking increases 430% to 371 spots. (For an analysis of needed parking for a range of such ratios see Attachment 2)

Either figure would cause massive on-street parking stress in the St. James neighborhood as well as adjacent areas. Cars from St. James could well fill all the spots throughout these neighborhoods. Moreover, all worship services will be near capacity because the chief reason for the new church is to decrease the number of scheduled masses. Such massive parking issues could never have been imagined by the neighbors of the church when they moved to the area.

Old church parking --350 Church CAPACITY	New church parking-- 850 Church CAPAPCITY at current ratio
130 spaces on parish property 70 on-street parking per applicant’s survey 200 TOTAL spaces utilized CURRENT RATIO: 200 spaces/350 capacity (1.75)	115 spaces on parish property 371 on-street parking (maintaining 1.75 ratio) 486 TOTAL spaces utilized Ratio: 486 spaces/850 capacity (1.75) Bold Items Obtained by using the current ratio from old church survey

Should the church’s neighbors be required to supply the vast majority of the church’s parking? Using the chart shown on the previous page, it appears that on-street parking currently provides 35% (70/200) of St. James parking. Will you allow on-street parking to provide 76% (371/486) of the new St. James parking at maximum capacity?

It appears that staff is recommending approval of applicant’s deviation request regarding Section 150.204C3b, subject to the applicant providing (prior to occupancy permit) proof of attempts to buy, rent or lease 55 off-street parking spaces in the area. I am opposed to such action.

St. James Church has been notified by the actual owner of the church property, the Diocese of Rockford, that no construction can occur unless the parish deposits $1,000,000 with the diocese for this project and the parishioners sign pledges for approximately half of the projected building costs. Figures are supplied weekly to parishioners. Statements from the Building Committee indicate that these financial hurdles will not be reached until early 2012. I suggest that the city postpone further action on the application until the applicant provides a workable plan of action to acquire additional off-street parking sufficient to meet the code requirements of one parking space per five seats at maximum capacity.

St. James Catholic Church should agree to such a delay because it will have no material effect on its building schedule and the postponement will afford the church an opportunity to better inform the parish and community of its plans. The applicant’s Narrative indicates that until approximately two months ago, St. James intended to build this large church outside the city. Obviously there has been little or no opportunity to acquire additional property for parking at the current parish campus. If the applicant agrees to a postponement, the full plans (including additional on-premises parking) for the proposed St. James institutional district will be available for the public’s consideration.

On a more practical level, I pose this question: “Once the church is built, would the Planning Department or the City Council really refuse an occupancy permit to a church for not reasonably pursuing additional parking for this project?”

Hopefully my analysis will help you in your decision. I trust that you will agree that St. James’ requests should not be approves until applicant can provide adequate off-street parking.

WILLIAM J. PYSSON

9592 Denver Drive

Belvidere, Il 61008

815 544 5115

bpysson@yahoo.com