Accomplishments « Brendon Gallagher

Accomplishments

We are so close!

Monday, March 29th, 2010

The BYOB draft ordinance is done from Liquor Commission and it will be in front of the City Council on Monday, April 12, 2010.

With just 4 votes from City Council, our fair city will find another way to increase revenue (via indirect restaurant tax) and let restaurants focus on food and not liquor sales! We will join the following Illinois cities in allowing BYOB:

Chicago
Sycamore
Belleville
Wyanet
Madison
Moline
Arlington Heights
Bridgeview
Burbank
Chicago Heights
Des Plaines
Elk Grove Village
Galena
Glenview
Lake Forest
Marion
North Chicago
Schaumburg
Barrington
Buffalo Grove
Chicago Ridge
Effingham
Evanston
Glencoe
Hickory Hills
Lynwood
Melrose Park
Sauk Village
South Chicago Heights
Western Springs
Wilmette
West Chicago

It is a pretty impressive list and we need to move forward on this issue as a way to stay progressive as a city when it comes to food establishments. Just like we were progressive with body art establishments…this is yet another way to promote business in DeKalb.

Please if possible, attend the Monday April 12 City Council meeting at 7:00 pm that night and ask to speak up to support this license. Remember BYOB is not prohibited by the State of Illinois. We as a city need to finally approve this and not be silent on this issue any more!

Thanks in advance for your support of this issue.

Six Month Update

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

We are six months into DeKalb’s fiscal year. This is a half way marker for the City to review budget usage thus far and predict how much it will be over or under at the end of the fiscal year in July. Gazing into our crystal ball, the outlook for the end of the year is not ideal with an estimated shortage of $2.2 million.

Goldman Sachs has published “Ten for 20TEN,” which provides predictions about the U.S. economy into 2011.
• Unemployment rate should continue to drift higher, peaking at about 10 ¾% in 2011.
• Oil prices will go to $90/barrel in 2010 and to $110/barrel in 2011.
• The U.S dollar will continue to weaken until 2011.

While the current economic climate seems insurmountable, we will get through it! Decisions by the City Council will have to be made that will not be welcomed by all. Several options will be considered and implemented for the better of the City. Thomas Paine said that “these are the times that try men’s souls.” We will continue to thrive now and into the future. But the decisions we make will be to preserve us for future generations.

Do not fear, concerned DeKalb citizens. I’m certainly not. I am looking at the glass as half full. To quote Winston Churchill, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” This is a time for optimism and positive attitude to persevere during these difficult financial times.

Quoted by the Associated Press

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Now here is a pretty cool item to add to my list of accomplishments!

You recall a couple of months ago our city was faced with upholding its end of a contract that would rescind the tax abatement for Target Corp? Well it came in front of Council and we did just that…enforced the contract that was signed by the City of DeKalb and Target Corp. Remember this abatement allowed Target to have a reduced property tax bill for five years as long as they maintained 500 employees at their Distribution Center on Fairview Drive.

This story was posted via the DeKalb Daily Chronicle after the vote by City Council.

At the beginning of December, a reporter for the Associated Press (AP) contacted me about my vote. He had googled “tax abatement, rescind” and the story about the City of DeKalb rescinding the Target tax abatement came up via the Chronicle website.

He asked me for some info and why I voted the way I did. He contacted me a few more times to double check some facts.

This weekend his story was published. When it goes out on the AP wire other media outlets can pick it up and run it in their newspapers, or websites, or radio, etc…they pay to use the AP reporters.

Here is the link to the story:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9466935

To date it has over 450 occurrences via Google News. Pretty neat stuff! Enjoy, Brendon

Good Things Do Happen…

Monday, November 30th, 2009

A unique problem surfaced a few months ago. Business owners between 5^th Street and 6^th Street on Lincoln Highway had a special request for their alderman. When the Stagecoach Theatre had matinee productions on Sundays’, the parking situation became tight for customers of North Central Cyclery, KJ’s Bar, and Gordon’s Hardware.

Special Projects Coordinator Jennifer Diedrich had a meeting with Wendler Engineering and Stagecoach Theatre to discuss solutions to the problem. On days Stagecoach has a show; Wendler Engineering had no problem extending use of their parking lot (the old Sawyer Imports) to the patrons of Stagecoach. This will help to alleviate current parking issues with neighboring businesses as well as give Stagecoach clientele complimentary parking.

How’s that for a win-win situation for all parties? Even better, no attorneys were involved!

Yield at Kent and Karen

Monday, November 30th, 2009

A motion was passed to erect a yield signs at the intersection of Kent and Karen.

Here’s to another step towards safer SouthSide streets.

Target Tax Abatement Rescinded!

Monday, November 30th, 2009

The motion passed to rescind Target’s tax abatement at the November 23rd City Council meeting. We are holding Target Corp. to their contract.

Talk about better business practice.

Gurler Road Resurfaced

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Due to DeKalb Pavement’s failure to finish scheduled alley work in a timely manner, a majority of Gurler Road was resurfaced free of charge! Instead of collecting fines from DeKalb Pavement, the City chose to accept a credit to resurface another street. This is beneficial to those citizens in South Pointe Greens, part of the 4th Ward!

Guess where this idea came from? If you said your 4th Ward Alderman you are correct. Just doing my job to save us money!

Ready, Set, Tattoo!

Friday, November 13th, 2009

The applications are ready to be filled in at City Hall for your Body Art Establishment. Contact the City Clerk’s office on the second floor of City Hall to get your app in for public hearing, background check, health department inspection…and then you are ready for business in DeKalb. Oh, and don’t forget a copy of your lease agreement.

Good Luck to all of those businesses who make it through this gauntlet!

Rescind Tax Abatement for Target Corp.

Friday, November 13th, 2009

That is the technical term used to ask for our $60,000 owed to the City of DeKalb because Target Corp. did not maintain their >500 employee level at their Distribution Center off of Fairview.

I voted YES on this along with Alderman Baker, Alderman Keller and Alderman Simpson. A vote of YES means that we are holding Target Corp. to the contract that they signed years ago when we gave them the tax abatement.

As I stated at the meeting, they know fully well what could happen if they didn’t maintain levels of employment.

Do I want them to rehire 66 people? Absolutely.

Is this an unfortunate event for their distribution center? Yes.

Should the City of DeKalb make an exception to our contract that was signed by both parties? No. You would be setting a precedent in my opinion and that is not a good business practice.

This comes back up for second reading on Monday, November 23 at the regular Council Meeting. Look for me to again vote YES on this issue.