Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-09-08 MinutesMINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF MORTON GROVE COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, HELD AT THE RICHARD T. FLICKINGER MUNICIPAL CENTER SEPTEMBER 8,2014 CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Village President Daniel P. DiMaria called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. in the Scanlon Conference Room. After leading the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance, he directed the Clerk to call the roll. ROLL CALL Village Clerk Ramos called the roll. Present were: Trustees Bill Grear, Sheldon Marcus, John Pietron, John Thill., Maria Toth, and Janine Witko. All present were the following staff mem- bers: Village Administrator Ryan J. Horne, Corporation Counsel Teresa Hoffman Liston, Fire Chief Tom Friel, Police Chief Michael Simo. III. EXECUTIVE SESSION Trustee Toth moved to adjourn to Executive Session at 6:01 pm to discuss personnel matters, labor negotiations, real estate acquisitions, and collective bargaining. Trustee Marcus seconded the motion. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Pietron aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Tr. Witko aye Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent At the conclusion of the Executive Session, Trustee Toth moved to close the Executive Ses- sion at 6:43 pm and recess until 7:00 pm when to the regular meeting would begin. Trustee Marcus seconded the motion which passed unanimously via voice vote. RECONVENE MEETING Village President Dan DiMaria reconvened the meeting at 7:00 pm and led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. Clerk Ramos once again called the roll. Present were: Trustees Bill Grear, Sheldon Marcus, John Pietron, John Thill, Maria Toth, and Janine Witko. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Regarding the Minutes of the August 11, 2014, Regular Board Meeting, Trustee Toth moved, seconded by Trustee Grear, to accept the minutes as presented. There being no discussion, a motion to approve the minutes passed unanimously via voice vote. SPECIAL REPORTS a. Fire and Police Commission Chairperson Mike Simkins conducted the swearing in cer- emony for a new Fire Lieutenant Dennis Kennedy. Mr. Simkins outlined the new Lieu- tenant's many accomplishments during his memorable career. The new Lieutenant Minutes of Se • tenter8, 2014, Board Meetin •` Kennedy along with his family were present to witness his swearing-in. Fire Chief Tom Friel along with Trustee Grear and Mayor DiMaria gathered to witness the swearing-in. His father, also a firefighter, was present to pin the new badge on his son. Lieutenant Kennedy was also presented with a new fire helmet (which was red) to signify his new position. Chief Friel welcomed Lieutenant Kennedy to his new position and stated the fire service has 200 years of tradition that goes into each advancement. b. Mr. Ron Farkas, Chairperson of the Plan Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals pre- sented Plan Commission Case PC14-13. He stated on August 18, 2014, a public hearing was conducted regarding this case which requests approval of a text amend- ment to the Unified Development Code to allow for some limited by -right fencing within front and street side yards with certain restrictions. Currently, the Village Code does not permit fences in any part of the front yard which includes any side or rear yard that ab- uts a street since these are classified as "front yards". It was noted bushes/shrubbery are also considered fencing in terms of line of sight and height restrictions in the Code. Mr. Farkas noted that recently there was a trend for property owners to seek variations to allow for a fence within the "required front yard". Therefore, a text amendment to al- low for some limited by -right fencing within the street side/front yards is being requested so long as pedestrian and vehicular safety is not impeded. Trustee Grear expressed concern about vegetation being included and those restric- tions and that they must be less than 42" in height. Trustee Thill inquired as to why chain link fencing was outlawed. Mr. Farkas stated it was purely for aesthetic reasons. Community and Economic Development Director Nancy Radzevich stated the current definition includes all existing situations and the chain link fence is not within the scope of proposed streetscape design standards. Mr. Farkas then stated at the conclusion of the public hearing held by the Plan Com- mission/Zoning Board of Appeals, the motion to allow this text amendment was passed with one abstention and one absent. c. Police Chief Michael Simo Presented the Village's Community Outreach Taskforce. The two members are Officers Gina Cameron and Adam Tabor. Both have extensive training and background in meeting with residents, reducing crime, setting up neighbor- hood watch programs, visiting with school aged children and elder adults to create safer and more informed residents. Chief Simo stated this program will be under the direction of Commander Paul Yaras and it is anticipated to be up and operational soon. Mayor DiMaria congratulated the team and stated they all have great credentials as do so many of our police officers. Trustee Thill was hopeful this team will be proactive in helping to prevent burglaries in the area. VI. PUBLIC HEARINGS There was no public hearing held this evening. VII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) a. Resident Ellie Davis stated the Village needs a full-time social worker. She thanked Mary Senn from the North Shore Senior Center for helping her and her partner. She al- so thanked Mind Matters for their help. She felt the Village needed at least two full-time social workers to deal with the workload and was hopeful if the investment was made 2 :Minutes of Se. tember 8, 2014, Board Meetin • VIII. that more more adult residents would use this service. b. Resident Larry Strybel suggested fences be tapered down to less than 42" so there are site lines out of alleys and at the end of streets so cars can actually see over. Ms. Rad- zevich noted this suggestion. PRESIDENT'S REPORT a. Mayor DiMaria introduced and read a Constitution Week Proclamation which will run from September 17-23, 2014- It was noted, this year marks the 227th anniversary of the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. b. Mayor DiMaria then introduced and read a proclamation proclaiming Chamber of Com- merce Week which will be held from September 8 through September 14, 2014. This year marks the 95`h anniversary of the founding of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. The document was presented to Ms. Janine Como from the Morton Grove Chamber of Commerce. c. Mayoral Review/Update. Mayor DiMaria stated the Village lost a 41 year resident this past week. Mr, Lee Tamraz devoted many hours to the Traffic Safety Commission as well as other worthwhile work during his years as a resident. There was a moment of silence for Mr. Tamraz. IX. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Ramos had no formal report. STAFF REPORTS a. Village Administrator 1) Miscellaneous Reports and Updates. • Mr. Horne noted a Commonwealth Edison transformer will be moving through town on the morning of September 20, 2014. This large structure will take a slow and steady route and may cause some traffic congestion. • Mr. Horne also noted Commonwealth Edison has been working on storm mediation and will continue as this season draws to a close. • Mr. Horne then introduced Ms. Connie Travis who is the head of the newly created Social Services Committee. Ms. Travis, along with her committee presented a detailed report to the Village Board. They highlighted their vari- ous accomplishments which begin this past March 2014. She noted prior to theft first meeting the Committee received a hinder from the North Shore Senor Center (NSSC) which detailed theft services to the residents of the Vil- lage. While the Committee was unable to obtain feedback from the NSSC, they continued on their task. It was noted the previous Morton Grove Social Worker provided crisis intervention and many referrals were made. Ms. Tra- vis noted the Committee has reached out to the community as a whole by sending out a survey which appeared in hard copy as well as on various so- cial media venues. This survey focused on identifying if the responder had ever used Village social services, what type of services they had used, their satisfaction with those services, the types of services they felt were most im- 3 `- allinUtes of Se 'bulbar 8, 2014, Board Meetin •` portant for the Village to provide, the types of educational programs or topic specific programs the responder/resident might be interested in attend- ing/receiving and the best way to inform residents about services. The sur- vey identified the five most important services to the responders/residents as domestic violence counseling and support, short term counseling for teens and seniors, counseling and support for fire and police with crisis intervention services, and substance abuse counseling. Work also continued with the NSSC in the hopes they would not seek to terminate their senior program contract with the Village; however due to staffing issues they ended their contract on September 1, 2014. Following the Committee's own discussions and feedback it was felt that regardless of how services were to be provided to Village residents, the scope of social services should be narrowed to the following areas: Crisis intervention, police and fire departmental intervention and follow-up, community outreach, financial assistance, referral services, and short term intervention. There was also a discussion on partnering with another agency or Village but that has proven to be unsuccessful. The committee therefore recommended the following to the Village Board. The Village hire a social worker whose job will be to provide crisis intervention services, police and fire service follow-up, community outreach, financial as- sistance services, serve as a referral source, and provide short-term coun- seling. Mr. Horne noted the Village has employed a social worker through Gov - Temps so there would be no interruption in social services. This position is now covered through the end of the year since NSSC has pulled out. Mayor DiMaria then thanked the Committee for their great volunteer work. Trustee Grear thanked not only the Committee but Trustee Witko for their due diligence. Trustee Marcus also thanked the Committee. He was how- ever frustrated they were not able to get the information on crisis interven- tion. He felt there had been a communication problem between NSSC and the Village and he was disappointed NSSC's contract could not be extended for an additional year. He stated it was important to have resident participa- tion and thanked everyone who gave of their time and talents. Trustee Pie- tron was initially skeptical as to whether this Committee could meet his ex- pectations. He is impressed with their work and objectivity, and thanked them for their service to the Village. Trustee Thill was disappointed there were only 85 survey returns out of 9500 households in the Village. He wants to make sure the Village is not duplicating services that are already being provided in the area. He felt more discussion is needed before a final de- termination is made regarding social services. Mayor DiMaria agreed ser- vices are needed that will best serve residents. Trustee Toth thanked the Committee and reiterated Trustee Marcus's sentiments that she was disap- pointed in the communication between the Village and the NSSC. She felt it important to keep the Committee in place and continue to research alterna- tives to this situation. Trustee Witko was proud of the Committee's work. Trustee Grear felt on-site crisis and intervention was critical within the com- munity. In the past, over 600 residents had received referrals. He agrees this Committee needs to continue their work. Mr. Horne stated the short term need has been met with no lapse of service. He is hopeful additional data will be made available for the Village Board's perusal in the very near future. 4 `Minutes of Se tember 8, 2014, Board Meetin •l. XI. Corporation Counsel Corporation Counsel had no formal report. REPORTS BY TRUSTEES a. Trustee Grear Trustee Grear had no formal report. b. Trustee Marcus Trustee Marcus noted this week was the anniversary of 9-11 and asked for a moment of silence to remember all those who lost theft lives that day. A moment of silence was then taken. c. Trustee Pietron Trustee Pietron thanked the Police, Fire. and Public Works crews for all their hard work during this storm season. He particularly thanked them for their efficient work this past weekend. d. Trustee Thill Trustee Thill noted a number of individuals had come to him about the rising cost of wa- ter. He noted the following resolutions would deal with replacing water lines that are more than sixty years old. Eighty-eight water leaks have been repaired this year so far. He noted the Village needs to continue to invest in its infrastructure. 1) Trustee Thill presented Resolution 14-42, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with Bolder Contractors, Inc. for the Caldwell Avenue 12 inch and 20 inch Water Main River Crossing Project. Trustee Thill stated this work will replace an existing water main which distributes water to the east side of the Vil- lage. This work will conform to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act with an esti- mated contract value of $1,182,377; however, the final contract amount with Bolder Contractors, Inc. will be based on the actual quantity of work performed_ Thiscontract will also allow for unforeseen changes or changes deemed appro- priate by staff to be in the best interest of the Village up to seven percent of the awarded contract amount. There being no questions or concerns, Trustee Th moved to adopt Resolution 14-42, seconded by Trustee Piertron. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Pietron aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Tr. Witko aye Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent 2) Trustee Thill presented Resolution 14-43, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with Ciorba Group, Inc. for Construction Engineering Services for the Caldwell Avenue 12 inch and 20 inch Water Main River Crossing Project. He stated Ciorba Group, Inc. will perform engineering services and will document construction activities for this project. It is anticipated this work will cost approximately $74,790.00. 5 tember 8, 2014, Board Meetin There being no questions or concerns, Trustee Thill moved to adopt Resolution 14-43, seconded by Trustee Toth. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Pietron aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Tr. Witko aye Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent 3) Trustee Thill presented Resolution 14-44, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with Ciorba Group, Inc. for a Preliminary Engineering Services for the Sayre -Foster Drainage Study. Trustee Thill stated Ciorba Group, Inc. will provide preliminary engineering services to study the current street flooding situ- ation at the intersection of Sayre Avenue and Foster Street to develop potential countermeasures to reduce or eliminate the effects of this flooding. He noted this low-lying intersection experiences street flooding during storm events which have occurred over the past few years. This area relies solely on a storm sewer to convey the stormwater from the intersection. Numerous properties as a result have experienced substantial damage due to the flooding. This has happened at least five times during the past five years. The end work product from this study is intended to he a technical memorandum which could be used by the Vil- lage to evaluate the needs and priorities relative to other capital projects, and to ultimately advance this project to an engineering design phase. The contract amount is estimated to be $21,698.10. There being no questions or concerns, Trustee Thill moved to adopt Resolution 14-44, seconded by Trustee Pietron. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Pietron aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Tr. Witko aye Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent Trustee Thill then presented Ordinance 14-19, Amending Title 5, Chapter 13, Article A-2 and Title 5, Chapter 13, Article A-4, Entitled Traffic Schedules of the Municipal Code of the Village. Trustee Thill explained this is the first read- ing for this ordinance. The Traffic Safety Commission received and reviewed a request fora four-way stop sign intersection (rather than the two-way stop inter- section currently in place) on Greenwood Avenue at its intersection with Ottawa at its August 7, 2014, meeting. At the conclusion of the presentation the Corn - mission voted in favor of the petitioners request. The second reading for Ordinance 14-19 will be held on September 22, 2014, when a roll call vote will be taken by the Village Board. e. Trustee Toth Trustee Toth had no formal report. f. Trustee Witko 1) Trustee Witko presented Ordinance 14-18, Amending the Village's Unifed Development Code, Sec. 12-3-5, to Modify Regulations Regarding Fences within Front Yard Setbacks. As noted under the Plan Commission/Zoning 6 Mir utes of Se a tember 8, 2014, Board Meetin •' XIII Board of Appeals report, this text amendment will allow for fences in front yard/side yard setbacks with certain restrictions. The Plan Commission voted in favor of this change with the noted restrictions. The second reading for Ordinance 14-18 will be held on September 22, 2014, when a roll call vote will be taken by the Village Board. 2) Trustee Witko presented Resolution 14-45, Authorizing the Execution of an Agreement between GovTemp USA, LLC and the Village to Provide a Li- censed Clinical Social Worker through December 31, 2014. This appointment will fill an immediate need for a social worker for the Village since North Shore Senior Center opted to terminate their contract with the Village effective Sep- tember 1, 2014. The Village has previously used GovTemp USA, LLC and been happy with the qualification of the individuals they have provided. The tempo- rary social worker will be her until the end of the year. In the meantime, the Vil- lage will continue to assess the need for social services and how best to fill this need for the Village. GovTemps will be paid a sum of $26,460 for the use of the social worker through the duration of the 2014 calendar year. There being no questions or concerns, Trustee Witko moved to adopt Resolu- tion 14-45, seconded by Trustee Grear. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Pietron aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Tr. Witko aye Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent OTHER BUSINESS NONE WARRANTS Trustee Toth presented the Warrants for August 25, 2014, in the amount of $899,330.37. She moved to approve the Warrants which was seconded by Trustee Witko. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Pietron aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Tr. Witko aye Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent Trustee Toth presented the Warrants for September 8, 2014, in the amount of $145,693.37. She moved to approve the Varrants which was seconded by Trustee Pietron. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Pietron aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Tr, Witko aye Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent XIV. RESIDENTS' COIVIMENTS (non -agenda items) The following resident comments were made on non -agenda items. 1) Resident Lovie Varughese spoke regarding the recent death of her son at college. He was missing and found dead. She noted her distress and lack of answers regarding 7 Minutes of Se. m• r: '14 iar`i XV& XVI. this event. She asked the Village for their help since this situation has been both physi- cally and mentally draining. She presented petitions and letters to the Mayor asking for help. The Mayor stated the Village will do what it can. 2) Resident Donna Hedrick spoke on behalf of the Morton Grove Historical Society. She stated there will be an old fashioned dinner held on October 5, 2014. The cost is $25 and there will be a raffle. ADJOURNMENT/EXECUTIVE SESSION There being no further business to come before the Board, Trustee Marcus moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:29 pm. Trustee Thill seconded the motion which was unanimously approved via voice vote. PASSED this 22nd day of September 2014. Trustee Grear Trustee Marcus Trustee Pietron Trustee Thill Trustee Toth Trustee Witko APPROVED by me this 22n° day of September 2014. Daniel P. DiMaria, Village President Village of Morton Grove Cook County. Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 23rd day of September 2014. Ed Ramos; Village Clerk Village of Morton Grove Cook County, Illinois Minutes by. Susan Lattanzi 8