Kane County Reporter

Kane County County Development Committee met Aug. 28

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

WILLIAMS, Berman, Arroyo, Daugherty, Garcia, Iqbal, Linder & ex-officios Tepe (Transportation Chair), Lenert (Forest Preserve President), Roth (County Vice Chair) and Pierog (County Chair)

1. Call To Order

Chairman Williams called the meeting to order at 11:00 AM.

2. Roll Call

An in-person quorum was not established as of 11:01 a.m. This meeting was for informational purposes only.

PRESENT Board Member Rick Williams

Board Member Sonia Garcia

Board Member Michael Linder

Ex-Officio County Board Vice Chair Bill Roth

Ex-Officio County Board Chair Corinne M. Pierog

REMOTE Board Member Gary Daugherty

Board Member Mo Iqbal

ABSENT Board Member Alex Arroyo

Board Member Dale Berman

Ex-Officio (Transportation Chairman) Vern Tepe

Ex-Officio (Forest Preserve President) Bill Lenert

Also present: Co. Bd. Members Bates, Juby*, Strathmann; Dev. Dir. VanKerkhoff; Environ. Mgmt. Dir. Wollnik; ITD staff Peters; and members of the press and public.

3. 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 Members Berman, Daugherty, and Iqbal attending today's meeting remotely. There were no objections.

Committee Member Berman did not attend today's meeting.

4. Approval of Minutes: None

5. Public Comment

None.

6. Development Department

A. Development Department’s FY2026 Budget Presentation

Dev. Dir. VanKerkhoff stated that today's presentation will show the department's transition of absorbing the former Office of Community Reinvestment's responsibilities and staff and the FY2026 Budget. He presented the Development Department's FY2026 Budget. He listed the programs and funds that the Development and Community Services Department is responsible for, such as the Building and Zoning Division, Economic Development, Community Development Block Grant, and Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund. (Madam Chairman Pierog arrived in-person at 11:03 a.m.) He stated that the Department provides support to the Kane County Board and community. The Department primarily reports to the County Development Committee, Agriculture Committee, and the Jobs Committee, and contributes to the Energy and Environmental Committee. VanKerkhoff shared the appointed Boards and Commissions that the Department supports, such as the Zoning Board of Appeals, Farmland Protection Commission, Community Development Commission, and the Kane-Elgin HOME Commission. He reviewed the Department's organizational chart for FY2025. In 2025, there was a total of 22 positions with 20 full-time and two part-time. (Committee Member Iqbal arrived remotely at 11:06 a.m.) VanKerkhoff explained that five positions were transferred into the Development Department from the Office of Community Reinvestment (OCR). For the FY2026 Budget, there will be three positions cut and the Development Department will be proposing 24 total positions. VanKerkhoff shared the updated organizational chart that includes the two newly added positions. He stated that new manager positions for the Planning Division and the Zoning Division will be promoted within the Department. He shared the comparison between the old and inefficient layout and the newly proposed and efficient layout of the Development Department's office space to accommodate new staff and replace partitions. VanKerkhoff spoke on the Department's impact to the County's General Fund. He stated that the proposed General Fund Budget for FY2026 is revenue positive by $1.159M. He explained that the proposed FY2026 General Fund expenses are $126,518 less than FY2024 Actual expenses and $201,097 less than FY2025 Amended Budget expenses. He shared the General Fund formula that was utilized for FY2026. (Committee Ex-Officio Roth arrived in-person at 11:08 a.m.) The Development Department hopes to increase the building permit fees for FY2026. These changes will increase General Fund revenues by 3.5%, decrease expenses by 10% from the FY2024 Actual Budget, decrease expenses by 15% from the FY2025 Amended Budget, and will provide an additional $1.159M in revenue. VanKerkhoff shared the General Fund Summary. He stated that the Development Department's General Fund Budget has consistently been revenue positive by approximately $1M throughout FY2024 and FY2025. He explained that the proposed General Fund Budget for FY2026 is $1,159,193 revenue positive. Additionally, the Department's General Fund expenses are projected to be 10% and 15% less than the FY2024 Actual and FY2025 Amended budgets. VanKerkhoff addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Much discussion ensued.

VanKerkhoff shared additional fund summaries. He listed the normal year-to-year funds that Development oversees and the fund allocation requested for FY2026, such as Fund 400 - Economic Development, Fund 430 - Farmland Protection, Fund 435 - Growing for Kane. He shared the new fund summaries and their FY2026 allocation, such as Fund 120 - Grand Victoria Casino Elgin, and Fund 402 - HOME Program. VanKerkhoff addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Discussion ensued.

VanKerkhoff reviewed the Planning Division staff salaries that were shifted from the General Fund to Fund 400 and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Ownership Made Easy (HOME) Programs, which are federally funded. He explained that there is literature that speaks on how Economic Development has changed in the last five years. Economic Development is as much about the community planning, open space, and quality of life, as it is about the business incentives and other items, which have been things that the County has invested in for many years. VanKerkhoff shared the return on investments in having certain programs that are helpful in receiving outside grants.

Chairman Williams announced that with the arrival of Committee Ex-Officio Roth at 11:08 a.m. an in-person quorum was established.

7. Environmental Resources & Water Resources

A. Environmental Management’s FY2026 Budget Presentation

Environ. Mgmt. Dir. Wollnik provided the FY2026 Budget presentation for the Environmental and Water Resources Department. She explained that the Department's primary committee that it reports to is the Development Committee. She added that the Department secondarily reports to the Energy and Environmental Committee, Administration Committee, and the Agriculture Committee. She shared the organizational chart. She noted that the department is spilt into three divisions: Water Resources, Environmental, and Subdivision. Wollnik shared the Environmental and Water Resources General Fund expenses and revenue. She compared the Department's budgets from FY2024 Actual Budget, FY2025 Amended Budget, and the FY2026 Proposed Budget. Regarding salaries, the FY2024 was $624,119. The salaries for FY2026 are $632,809. The increase was due to the 2% percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) received. Wollnik stated that the commodities, which mainly include conferences, for FY2026 are $5,850. This is an $1,682 difference from FY2026. She spoke on the Electric Aggregation Program, which is for residents located in unincorporated Kane County. She explained that a civic contribution is received that supports a third of the department's salaries. In total the FY2026 expense budget is $667,684, which is an $11,235 difference from FY2024. In order to rectify the difference, Wollnik explained that staff has been looking to increase fees for Stormwater Management for FY2026. She noted that this potential increase could bring in an additional $13,685 in revenue. She stated that the net difference in revenue from FY2024 to FY2026 in the General Fund would have a $2,450 decrease, due to a 2% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) in salaries.

Wollnik shared the total FY2026 Budget for the Environmental and Water Resources Department. The General Fund revenue is $78,315 and the expenses are $667,684. Wollnik stated that there was a 0.3% decrease from FY2024 to FY2026 from moving $70K in salary and benefits to Riverboat Request Fund 650. She added that the Special Revenue Fund expenses are $1,987,814 for the FY2026 Budget. Wollnik shared the Department's fund expense summaries from FY2025 versus FY2026. She reviewed each fund's revenue source and expense amount for FY2026. Wollnik addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Much discussion ensued.

Dev. Dir. VanKerkhoff would like the Committee to be aware that a number of functions in the Environmental and Water Resources Department are integrally connected to the way the private sector looks at how they move forward with improving rezoning, property, site construction, et cetera. Additionally, he explained that Wollnik's staff supports the work of the Development's Building and Zoning Division. VanKerkhoff stated that due to the support of the Environmental and Water Resources Department, the Development Department is revenue positive. Further discussion ensued.

8. Executive Session (if needed)

None.

9. Adjournment

RESULT: APPROVED BY VOICE VOTE

MOVER: Sonia Garcia

SECONDER: Michael Linder

This meeting was adjourned at 11:49 AM.

https://www.kanecountyil.gov/MeetingMinutes/7746/25-08-28%20Spec..pdf