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Oak Park, IL Gives Grants Since 1990, the Village of Oak Park, Illinois, has given out $800,000 in grants to 27 local retailers to rehab the interiors of their stores. Created to attract new retailers to the Chicago near-west suburb known for its many Frank Lloyd Wright houses and as the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway, the Retail Rehab Grant program is supported by funds generated in a tax increment finance (TIF) district that includes most of the village's central business district. Businesses that have gotten rehab grants include restaurants, galleries, gift shops and women's apparel shops, as well as a pet store, banquet hall, weight-loss center and bake shop. Eighteen grants have gone to new businesses; 11 to existing Oak Park businesses. Three businesses have received two grants each. There have been only two business failures among the grantees. $1.5 million in TIF funds was set aside to fund the program over a five-year period, grants originally were for half of allowed buildout costs, but now are one third to preserve capital. In 1993, the business added $81,000 in sales tax revenue to Oak Park's coffers, and two grantees, a restaurant and a banquet hall, paid almost $10,000 in liquor taxes. Of $575,000 spent in 1993 on renovations, 41 percent was paid to local contractors. 1993 grantees exceeded their sales projections by an average of 19 percent. The program is marketed and administered by Oak Park's Village Community & Economic Development department, whose staff works with prospective grantees in filing their requests. Following staff approval, each grant request is reviewed by a citizen committee that advises Oak Park's Board of Trustees on whether to award the grant. The committee looks at the prospective grantee's business concept and at the business's expected viability and impact on the retail area's merchandise mix. Final grant approval rests with Oak Park's seven-member Board of Trustees.
MUNICIPAL CLERKS OF ILLINOIS It's time for 1994's Municipal Clerks of Illinois Institute and Academy to be held October 9-14 at Jumers Castle Lodge in Urbana, Illinois. Co-sponsored by the Municipal Clerks of Illinois and the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University, this program helps municipal clerks earn their designation as a CMC and AAE. Among this year's highlights, the Institute will begin to incorporate the IIMC curriculum on records management. First year participants will have a session with Marianne Edwards, Clerk in the Town of Normal, on the basics of running the clerk's office, as well as, the ABC's of local government presented by Dr. James M. Banovetz from NIU. Second and third year clerks will spend time looking at workplace issues including substance abuse and sexual harassment. Those attending the Academy will spend a stimulating day discussing policy issues facing local government in Illinois, Several outstanding experts in health care reform and school finance have been lined up to engage participants in conversation and debate about these hot topics. On Tuesday evening all in attendance will engage in strategic planning for MCI and end the week with a legislative update. Registration materials for this year's Institute and Academy were mailed to municipal clerks in early August. If you have not received yours, call Chris Welch at 815/753-1906 and ask her to send you a copy. Questions about the program should be directed to Carol Zar, Institute Director, 815/753-0927.
THE ROLE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
September 24, 1994 This Conference brings together leading experts from North America to address the policy implications of infrastructure investment in the ecomony. The Conference provides a framework for understanding the infrastructure debate as the Clinton administration and August 1994 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 21 state and local officials confront the difficult task of shaping public investment decisions for the future. The Conference provides an historical perspective of infrastructure in U.S. economic development, and considers the provision of public and private infrastructure in a context of fiscal federalism. Several experts address infrastructure issues in the economic development of urban and rural areas. The special role of Manufacturing Technology Centers is highlighted. An entire session focuses on policy implications of transportation and telecommunications infrastructure decisions. The Conference concludes with a round table discussion among distinguished panelists on the public sector's role in the provision and facilitation of infrastructure. For further information concerning registration, luncheon arrangements, and conference activities please contact either John B. Crihfield, Institute of Government and Public Affairs and Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (217-244-4824), or Therese J. McGuire, Institute of Government and Public Affairs and School of Urban Planning and Policy, University of Illinois of Chicago (312-996-1643). Page 22 / Illinois Municipal Review / August 1994 |
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