HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-04-13 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
APRIL 13, 2015
CALL TO ORDER
I & Village President Dan DiMaria called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council
II. Chambers and led the Board in the Pledge of Allegiance.
III. Village Clerk Ed Ramos called the roll. Present were: Trustees Bill Grear, Shel Marcus,
John Pietron, Maria Toth, and Janine Witko.
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Regarding the Minutes of the March 23, 2015 Regular Board Meeting, Trustee Toth moved,
seconded by Trustee Witko, to accept the Minutes as presented. Motion passed
unanimously via voice vote, with Trustees Pietron and Toth abstaining due to their absence
at this meeting.
V. SPECIAL REPORTS
a.
b.
c.
Plan Commission Case PC 14-23, Requesting a Special Use Permit for the Property
Commonly Known as 9320 Waukegan Road for a Montessori Day Care.
Community and Economic Development Director Nancy Razdevich presented this case to the
Board.
Ms. Razdevich said that the Applicant, Tanya Gillani, Director of Montessori Academy of
Morton Grove, is requesting a Special Use Permit to operate a daycare at 9320 Waukegan
Road in the C1 General Commercial zoning district. The C1 zoning district requires a special
use permit for all daycare facilities.
The proposed daycare facility would provide services for up to thirty-nine children, with no
more than 12 being infants or toddlers, and the remaining 27 being children aged 2 through 5.
The facility would operate with one director and a staff of fourteen, with ten staff members
on-site at any given time. The hours would be from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday.
d. The proposed daycare facility would be located in a currently vacant 3,941 square foot single -
story commercial building, which includes 23 parking spaces. There is a shared ingress with
the properties to the north (Maier's Bakery and Heavenly Massage). The existing businesses
plus the proposed daycare would have a combined shared parking requirement of 43 spaces,
and would have a total of 52 parking spaces.
Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meeting
V.
SPECIAL REPORTS (continued)
e. Because the proposed daycare facility must be approved by the Illinois Department of Children
and Family Services (DCFS), which requires having an outdoor play area, the Applicant is
proposing to use National Park to fulfill that requirement. The park is about three and a half
blocks from the facility. Staff members will transport the children to the park. At the Traffic
Safety Commission, there was some concern about this expressed by the commissioners, but
DCFS has approved this as an acceptable "outdoor play area" option.
f. The traffic study done by the Applicant showed a peak demand during pick-up and drop-off
times of 21 spaces, which can be easily accommodated onsite. There are nine spaces on the
north side of the building which the Plan Commission recommended be reserved for drop-off
and pick-up only.
g.
Ms. Razdevich said there was some discussion at the Plan Commission Public Hearing about
whether this proposed facility is a school or a daycare center. According to DCFS, it is a
daycare center. The Applicant is calling it "Montessori Academy" to convey that it is a facility
of a high caliber that focuses on the Montessori method of child development.
h. There was no public comment at the Hearing and the Plan Commission unanimously voted to
recommend approval of this Special Use Permit request, with conditions. Once local approval
is given, the facility will receive final approval from DCFS.
Mayor DiMaria asked if any members of the Board had any questions.
Trustee Thill said he was said to see another retail space go to a non -retail use, and asked
how the children will be transported to the park. Ms. Razdevich said the infants and younger
children will be walked by staff members using multi -child buggies, and the older children
would be walked with staff members. That meets DCFS guidelines.
J. Trustee Thill asked if one of the children playing at the park gets hurt, would the facility have
insurance, since it's a private enterprise? Ms. Razdevich said that was a good question, and
she would have a response by or before the next Board meeting.
k.
m.
n.
Trustee Marcus said he was also concerned about the children walking to the park, but as long
as DCFS approves it, he was okay with that. He, too, expressed concern about liability. He
also asked if people would be able to register their children for this daycare facility or if that
had to go through DCFS. Ms. Razdevich said that the DCFS just sets the regulations to which
the daycare facility must adhere; registration would take place at the actual facility or online.
Plan Commission Chairman Ron Farkas noted that the parks are open to anyone to use. If the
Park District does something negligent at one of its parks which results in a person getting
hurt, the Park District is responsible. But the Park District is not an insurer.
Trustee Pietron asked how long the building the facility is moving into was vacant. Trustee Thill
said he thought it was vacant about six to eight months; Ms. Razdevich concurred.
Mayor DiMaria, responding to Trustee Thill's comment about retail vs. non -retail use, said
that with 14 or 15 staff members, and 39 children with families coming in to town, he felt the
daycare facility would be an asset to the Village.
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Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meeting
VI.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
NONE
VII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only)
NONE
VIII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT
1. Mayor DiMaria proclaimed April 22, 2015 "Earth Day" in the Village. He noted that Earth Day
was first celebrated in 1970, with the goal of inspiring environmental awareness and
encouraging the conservation, protection, and appreciation of the country's natural resources.
The mayor urged all citizens to be mindful of local, state, and national laws which protect the
environment, and to join in efforts to preserve the beauty and wonder of the lands, skies, and
water of the Earth in all its diversity.
2. Mayor DiMaria also proclaimed April 24, 2015 "Arbor Day in Morton Grove. He noted that
Arbor Day was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska and is
observed throughout the country and around the world. Morton Grove has been recognized as
a "Tree City USA," and the mayor encouraged everyone to support efforts to protect their trees
and woodlands and to support the Village's urban forestry program. Mayor DiMaria thanked
Trustee Thill for all his efforts as regards to the Village's Forest Preserves and conservation in
general.
Trustee Thill then invited the Board to assist at a "workday" in Linne Woods on Saturday,
April 25, from 9:00 a.m. til noon (but Trustee Thill will be there til 3:00 p.m.). He hoped the
Board would come out and help.
3. Mayoral Update
a. On a sad note, Mayor DiMaria noted that Judge Jordan Kaplan's son Joseph had passed
away. Not only was Judge Kaplan a former Morton Grove Corporation Counsel, he also has
sworn -in several of the seated Board members over the years. The mayor said Judge Kaplan
has his personal and the Board's condolences.
b.
Mayor DiMaria took a moment to welcome a number of new businesses to the Village and
encouraged residents to patronize these new businesses. He also complimented Village staff
for creating a new "restaurant guide," listing over 50 places to dine in Morton Grove. There are
a variety of food types and styles. Mayor DiMaria said there were several hard copies of the
restaurant guide in the back of the Council Chambers this evening, or the guide is available
online on the Village's website.
c. Mayor DiMaria noted that the Economic Development Department recently sent out a
Business Operation Survey to get feedback on what the challenges and strengths are of
doing business in Morton Grove today. He said the online Business Directory is quite a hit, and
new businesses are added regularly.
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Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meeting
VIII.
3. Mayoral Report (continued)
PRESIDENT'S REPORT (continued)
d. Mayor DiMaria asked Nancy Razdevich for a brief Economic Development report. She said
one of the biggest accomplishments was the approval of the Village's Strategic Plan. Also,
Morton Grove gained 37 new businesses in 2014, and the vacancy rate declined from 8.6% to
7.7%. So far, 2015 has seen a 36% rise in building permits issued.
e. Mayor DiMaria noted that Corporation Counsel Terry Liston and Public Works Director Andy
DeMonte were not in attendance at tonight's Board meeting because they were making a
presentation to the City of Park Ridge about the Village's efforts in regards to obtaining an
alternative water supplier. He added that no decision has been made yet, but working together
with other local communities would be a win-win for all involved. Once a decision as to how
the Village will proceed has been made, there will be a Town Hal Meeting to spread the word
and get input from the community.
f. Mayor DiMaria congratulated all the local officials who won elections last week, including the
new Park District commissioners and the new school board members.
IX. CLERK'S REPORT
Clerk Ramos reminded the assemblage that April 15 is the last day to file income taxes.
X. STAFF REPORTS
A. Village Administrator:
a. Village Administrator Ryan Horne introduced Joe Dahm to present the Public Works
2015 Capital Improvement Program, which covers streets and street maintenance, water and
sewer line maintenance, and building maintenance.
b. Mr. Dahm first went over the capital funding sources for this plan, which include the Village's
Enterprise, General, Capital Projects, and Lehigh -Ferris TIF Funds, plus the 2015 General
Obligation Bond issuance, various grants, and an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
loan program.
c. Mr. Dahm then went through the various items that will be covered from the Enterprise Fund,
which include finalizing the SCADA updates, effluent meter replacement at the south pumping
station, a pump replacement (north pumping station), a valve and water main replacement,
phase 2 of a storm water relief study, sewer lining, and replacement of a 1973 semi -tractor
(that had been purchased used).
d. Items that will be covered from the Village's General Fund include concrete maintenance,
crack sealing, and a Civic Center HVAC study. The Capital Projeds fund will fund the cost
of Phase 1 engineering for the Oakton and Austin intersection and for an alley improvement
program for the alleys behind Waukegan Road. Mr. Dahm said that the Lake Street sidewalk
replacement will be paid from a "Safe Routes for Schools" federal grant, and will be completed
in July. Another grant is expected to pay for retrofitting street lights to LED at the Village's
municipal parking lots along Dempster Street as well as the Municipal Lot at Chestnut and
Lehigh.
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Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meeting
X.
STAFF REPORTS (continued)
e. Mr. Dahm said that revenue from the General Obligation bonds will be used to perform roof
repairs on various village buildings, for street patching and street resurfacing for the years
2015, 2016, and 2017 ($1 million each year), and vehicle replacement, including a new
ambulance for the Fire Department, and a 1987 Public Works truck that they can't get parts
for anymore. GO bonds will be used in addition to a State of Illinois grant for the removal and
replacement of the Village's salt dome.
f. Trustee Grear thanked Mr. Dahm for the report, and commented that he thought it was
amazing that the Village can do all this when its portion of the tax bill is only 12%-14%.
He asked about the salt dome construction. Mr. Dahm responded that bids are due in early
May. The Public Works Department is hoping for Board approval in June so the contractor
can begin in July. It's estimated that it will take about 90 days to build the salt dome, and
Public Works wants to be able to load the dome in October.
g.
Trustee Grear asked about the percentage of streets that are taken care of (repaired or
patched) annually. Mr. Dahm said about 2%. He noted that Public Works surveys street
conditions every year and has a list of streets that are "failing" or close to failing, and streets
that are good. The failing streets get taken care of first. He said that earmarking a million
dollars for each of the next three years will ensure that many Village streets get resurfaced.
Trustee Grear commented that the Village does its best, based on finances. Mr. Dahm
said that Public Works really appreciates the patience of the residents. He said they try to
patch some of the close -to -failing streets so they will last another two or three years, but it's
imperative to do the worst streets first.
h. Trustee Marcus said there's no doubt that Public Works does an outstanding job. He was con-
cerned about the Illinois grant for the salt dome because of the State's financial situation. He
wondered if the Village had actually received the grant, and what would happen if the grant
was not received.
Mr. Horne responded that the Village is prepared to move forward whether it receives the State
grant or not.
j. Trustee Thill asked Mr. Dahm to define "SCADA," which he did; it stands for System Control
and Data Acquisition.
k. Mayor DiMaria said it's never optimal to have to borrow money for roads, but investing in them
will help bring businesses to town, so that, in the future, the Village will be able to do street
patching and resurfacing without having to borrow funds. Regarding the salt dome, the mayor
said that Finance Director Remy Navarrete and Mr. Horne have been cbing projections so the
Village know what its options are if the State cuts the local share of sales tax revenue.
B. Corporation Counsel:
Corporation Counsel Liston was not in attendance.
5
Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meetin.
Xl.
TRUSTEES' REPORTS
A. Trustee Grear:
1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Trustee Grear presented Resolution 15-30, Authorizing an Agreement With Wiliams
Architects for Police/Municipal Building Predesign Services.
He explained that this resolution will authorize the Village to enter into an agreement with
Williams Architects for professional architectural services for the predesign phase of the Police
Facilities project, including a feasibility study of the existing Village Hall, an update of the 2012
Police Department study, analysis and market study of existing building/site and associated
long-term maintenance and/or rehabilitation costs, alternative development scenarios for new
Police and/or Municipal facilities and recommended site(s) for such, and recommendations on
the highest and best use of existing Village Hall/Police Department building and site. The cost
for these services is $41,700.
Trustee Grear moved to approve Resolution 15-30, seconded by Trustee Pietron.
Trustee Toth asked, with this in place, if there will be conceptual plans coming before the
Board. Ms. Razdevich said yes, noting that this is the due diligence phase, and all options,
including the "doing nothing" option, will be explored. Williams will look at available sites in the
Village and will hold a public workshop.
Trustee Toth asked if the Village would continue to work with Williams to do final architectural
plans. Ms. Razdevich said that would depend on whether or not the Village would have to do
another RFQ for Phase 2 work. That will depend on a review of the appropriate ordinance.
Trustee Toth noted the Village had spent $20,000 with MTI and now is looking to spend
$41,700 with Williams. She wondered what the fees would be for Phase 2 of this project.
Ms. Razdevich said that architectural fees are typically a percentage of the total project cost,
which is unknown at this time. Further, funding aspects are also unknown at this time. But
Williams and MTI will devebp a budget.
Trustee Toth said her concern is that the longer this takes, the more labor and construction
costs will increase, and that will be borne by the residents. Ms. Razdevich said she under-
stood Trustee Toth's concerns, but said that this is the most expeditious way to go. She said
she continually hears these firms being asked, "How quickly can this happen?" But this is a
necessary step in the process.
Trustee Toth, referring to proposed target dates listed in the resolution, confirmed that
Williams will be ready to come before the Board in September with a recommendation on the
final, preferred option, scope, site(s) and estimated budget. Ms. Razdevich said yes, it's a fairly
aggressive yet realistic timeline.
g. Trustee Grear said that he realized, from going through this process, that the Village can be
fairly aggressive, but it must do the due diligence on this project, including site evaluations,
exploring alternatives with the current facility, etc. And the Village cannot bypass the public
input on this. He said that Williams and MTI have a history of building police facilities and
municipal buildings; they are architects and construction managers.
6
Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meetin
Xl.
A. Trustee Grear: (continued)
TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
h. Trustee Toth asked if one public workshop would be sufficient. Ms. Razdevich said that, once
the report is done, including analysis of the alternatives, the Village will put it online, along with
pictures, for residents to review. She felt that having one workshop would beenough. Trustee
Toth pointed out that people don't go online regularly to review things—the Board learned
that during its strategic plan meetings. Ms. Razdevich said the Village will take a multi -media
approach, including postcards, emails, etc. She noted that the timeline does have some room
in it to allow for a second public workshop, if necessary based on the number of questions the
Village receives at the first workshop. Ms. Razdevich said the Village thus far has done a lot of
homework and is working with good, experienced professionals, who will come up with a list of
"pros and cons" of each alternative presented.
i. Trustee Grear said that Village Hall's HVAC systems are ancient and would need to be
replaced if Village Hall doesn't move. He said those costs need to be figured into the equation.
Ms. Razdevich commented that, as staff is working on this scoping, a question arose as to
whether there is asbestos present in the current Village Hall. She felt there probably was and
said she has received a few proposals for asbestos removal. If the decision is made to retain
the current Village Hall, asbestos removal costs also need to be looked at.
j.
Mayor DiMaria said that resident input is vital, and if it takes having two public workshops, so
be it. But he encouraged residents to not wait until there's a meeting to give input—his door is
always open. Residents can talk to the mayor or Mr. Horne at any time.
k. Trustee Marcus thanked Ms. Razdevich and asked if the $41,700 was in the Village's 2015
Budget. Mr. Horne responded that it is, under Professional Services. Trustee Marcus said he
was not opposed to doing a thorough due diligence, but he also felt strongly about building a
Police facility versus "and/or a Municipal Building." He noted that when the Village purchased
the property on Lehigh, the intent was for that to be the police department site. It was a good
location because it wasn't in the middle of a residential area. Trustee Marcus said that there
really isn't a lot of available space for the Village's needs. The Board purchased the property in
2012, thinking that was the best way to go. In retrospect, he felt, if the Board had taken further
action at that time and had moved on building a police facility, it could be up and running now!
Trustee Marcus said that no one on the Board disagrees that a new police facility is vitally
needed. He said this feels like an ongoing study that could push things out for yet another two
or three years. He said he was concerned about spending additional money and wanted to fo-
cus solely on the Police Department, not necessarily a Municipal Building. Ms. Razdevich said,
respectfully, that this is a necessary process in order to move forward with a police facility. Part
of moving forward is knowing what happens to the "old" police department site. There are
costs involved with vacating two-thirds of a site. Can the Village recoup some of those costs?
Probably. But it needs to determine whether it's more cost-effective to move both the police
department and village hall and sell the current building, or just focus on the police facility.
I. Trustee Marcus said he did not disagree with Ms. Razdevich, but he felt the project should
focus more on the police department. He was concerned about what the Village was spending
to do this due diligence.
m. Mayor DiMaria agreed with Trustee Maras that a new police facility was a top priority. He felt
the Village was being aggressive yet prudent. The Village wants to move this project along, but
it needs to do its homework.
Minutes of March 23, 2015 Roargi Meetin
XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
A. Trustee Grear: (continued)
n. Trustee Thill pointed out that, when the Police Department moved into this (its current) facility,
it was supposed to be a temporary move. That was 33 years ago. He felt the Village had
gotten a great deal on the Lehigh property and hoped it could be utilized. Trustee Thill also
said whether the Village has one public meeting or two, it's bound to be the same people
attending. Lastly, he made a plea for the new police and/or municipal facility to be "green."
Mayor DiMaria called for the vote on Resolution 15-30.
Motion passed: 4 ayes, 1 nay, 1 abstain.
Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus nay Tr. Pietron aye
Tr. ThiII aye Tr. Toth abstain Tr. Witko aye
2. Trustee Grear then presented Resolution 15-25, Authorizing the Purchase of Police Squad
Cars Through the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative.
a. He explained that, every three years, high mileage squad vehicles are replaced to insure key
equipment utilized by police officers do not fail during their normal course of duty. The squad
vehicles are utilized 24 hours a day and need to be in excellent condition at all times. This
resolution authorizes the purchase of one squad utility vehicle and three squad cars, for a total
expenditure of $102,731.
Trustee Grear moved to approve Resolution 15-25, seconded by Trustee Toth.
b. Trustee Witko commented that she noticed, during the Budget process, that vehicles are
rotated every 50,000 miles, but with today's engines lasting to 200,000 miles or more, she
wondered if the Village could possibly "raise the bar" to 75,000 miles before replacing.
c. Chief Simo said he could look at that and get back to the Board. Trustee Grear noted that
these vehicles are used 24/7 so they accumulate "hard" miles, and then they go to Public
Works. He said that sometimes, when looking at areas where the Village can save some
money, it's easy to take out a vehicle here or there, but it's just like doing the streets—you
have to stay on top of it. He felt it was important to keep the rotation going as it currently does.
3.
a.
Mayor DiMaria called for the vote on Resolution 15-25.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus 23tE Tr. Pietron aye
Tr. ThiII aye Tr. Toth aye Tr. Witko aye
Next, Trustee Grear presented Resolution 15-26, Authorization for the Purchase of One (1)
Ford Expedition Through the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative Procurement Program.
He explained that the Public Works Department routinely reviews vehicles and equipment for
fuel economy, safety, dependabilty, age, and excessive repair cost, replacing or eliminating
equipment that no longer meets the department's needs. Public Works technicians determined
that repairing the existing 2001 vehicle was cost -prohibitive. This vehicle will serve a dual
purpose, in that it can be a "back-up" command vehicle if or when needed.
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Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meetin•
XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
A. Trustee Grear: (continued)
b. Trustee Grear noted that this vehicle is being purchased using funding from the Village's 2015
General Obligation Bond issuance and will cost $29,804.
Trustee Grear moved, seconded by Trustee Pietron, to approve Resolution 15-26.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. Grear ave Tr. Marcus ay2 Tr. Pietron aye
Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth Tr. Witko ayg
B. Trustee Marcus:
Trustee Marcus had no report.
C. Trustee Pietron:
a. Trustee Pietron had no formal report, but wanted to pass along two Public Service Announce-
ments He wanted to call attention the Police Department's Home Security Survey. He said he
recently had it done and it gives the homeowner very thorough recommendations on how to
improve their home security. He asked Chief Simo to elaborate on this. Chief Simo said this is
a survey conducted by the Community Liaison officers. They come to a person's house and
review the security of doors, windows, landscaping, and alarm system, and then provide a
written report with recommendations. There is no cost to a homeowner for them to come out
and do this survey. Trustee Pietron highly recommended that residents take advantage of this
service; he said the written report is very professionally done.
b. Trustee Pietron noted that, two weeks ago, he had received a "scam" IRS call and reported it
to the police. Chief Simo said that this is very common at this time of year, noting that the new
scam in the northern suburbs was for someone to call claiming that they are the IRS and that
the person they're calling has a tax problem and owes the government money, and immediate
payment via a money transfer is required for the caller to stay out of prison. Chief Simo said
it's important for people to remember that the IRS doesn't call you, they send a letter.
Respond to the letter, not to a phone call. And please, let the police department know,
because the Treasury Department is tracking these scams.
c. Trustee Marcus commented that he, too, had received a scam call. He felt it was important
to reiterate to the community that if you are unsure, call the Police Department before you
take any action. His call was that his "granddaughter" was in jail for speeding and didn't want
her parents to find out. He said he knew it was a scam because his granddaughter is only
15 years old and doesn't drive yet. But a lot of seniors get these types of calls and react
without thinking, because of the emotional nature of the call. He encouraged everyone to not
respond to calls such as these until they've checked it out.
9
'"t'ou t" VF ; ` •hfi''IMA Y4'';: ` ""Minutes'ofMa ch13 20a1S,Boartl'Meetin•
XI.
TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
D. Trustee Thill:
a.
2.
Trustee Thill presented Resolution 15-27, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract With
Insituform Technologies USA, LLC for the 2015 Sewer Lining Program.
He explained that this resolution executes a contract with Insituform Technologies to perform
sewer lining, which is essential to maintain the flow capacity of the Village's sewer pipe
infrastructure. This contract was bid through a public process.
The bid came in at $4,925 over the budgeted amount of $130,000. Therefore, Village staff
believes it is practical to reduce the amount of 8 -inch sanitary sewer lining by 220 feet in order
to reduce the contract amount to $128,963.30. Since this is a unit price contract, the final
contract amount will be based on the actual quantity of work performed.
Trustee Thill moved to approve Resolution 15-27, seconded by Trustee Marcus.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Pietron aye
Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Tr. Witko lyse
Next, Trustee Thill brought forward Resolution 15-28, Authorizing the Purchase of One (1)
2016 Ford Police Interceptor Utility AWD Through the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative
Procurement Program.
a. He explained that this purchase will replace one existing pool vehicle assigned to Public
Works. This vehicle is being purchased using funding from the Village's 2015 General
Obligation Bond issuance in the amount of $28,170.
Trustee Thill moved to approve Resolution 15-28, seconded by Trustee Toth.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. Grear ave Tr. Marcus gy2 Tr. Pietron aye
Tr. Thill ayre Tr. Toth aye Tr. Witko ave
Lastly, Trustee Thill presented Resolution 15-29, Authorizing the Village Administrator
to Enter Into an Agreement for the Village of Morton Grove For Competitively Priced
Electricity For the Village's Pumping Stations.
a. He explained that the Village's current agreement for the supply of electricity for the Village's
pumping stations expires in December of 2015. Therefore, in order to acquire the most
favorable electrical rate when it becomes available, this resolution authorizes the Village
Administrator to enter into an agreement with the lowest responsible bidder for the electrical
supply for the pumping stations. Any agreement entered into will require a kWh rate not to
exceed the rate the Village is currently paying ($0.054 kWh). The Village expects a continued
savings of approximately $22,000 by contracting for electricity for the Village's pumping
stations.
10
Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meetin.
XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
D. Trustee Thill: (continued)
Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Toth, to approve Resolution 15-29.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. Grear Ey1 Tr. Marcus
Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth
E. Trustee Toth:
yQ
Tr. Pietron
Tr. Witko aye
a. Trustee Toth had no formal report, but announced that the Board of Environmental Health,
combined with the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) will be hosting a
combined document destruction/small electronics recycling event at the Civic Center parking
lot (between the Civic Center and Harrer Pool) from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 23.
Only residential material will be accepted (no construction materials). Up to six file boxes of
documents will be accepted—no plastic bags.
The following is a list of the items that will be accepted for the small electronics recycling:
answering machines, cable receivers, calculators, camcorders, cameras, CD & DVD players,
computer cables, computer monitors, computers (including desktop, notebook and tablet),
converter boxes, copy machines, fax machines, humidifiers, microwaves, mobile telephones,
computer mice or keyboards, MP3 players, PDA's, postage machines, power tools or cords,
printers (including multi -function), satellite receivers, scanners, shredders, small home
appliances (like toasters, blenders, vacuum cleaners, mini refrigerators, etc.), stereo
equipment, telephones, televisions, typewriters, video game consoles, video recorders and
players, and zip drives.
c. Trustee Toth said that the traffic light at Fernald and the Harrer Park entrance will be an "exit
only" for the recycling event. Vehicles can enter at the Civic Center driveway. She added that
all of this information will be posted on the Village's website. If anyone needs more information
or has any questions, they should call 847-663-3048.
F. Trustee Witko:
1. Trustee Witko introduced for a first reading Ordinance 15-05, Approving a Special Use
Permit for a Daycare Use at 9320 Waukegan Road, Morton Grove, Illinois 60053.
She said that this is pursuant to Plan Commission Case PC 14-23, which was presented and
thoroughly discussed earlier this evening.
As this is a first reading, no action will be taken tonight.
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Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meeting
XII.
OTHER BUSINESS
a. Trustee Marus noted that the Village had passed a Code of Ethics ordinance in 2012, one that
is more stringent than the State Ethics Code. He said that, during the recent election cycle, he
had received phone calls from people concerned about political contributions from companies
or vendors with whom the Village does business.
b. Trustee Marcus moved to amend the Village's Ethics Ordinance to provide that no vendor or
company currently doing business or having a contract or a pending contract with the Village
would be prohibited from making donations to any individual or party running for local office, or
from being otherwise actively involved in any local political campaigns.
Trustee Toth seconded the motion.
c. Trustee Marcus noted that it's sad that the voter turnout at the primary was only about 10%
of registered voters, and about 16% for the general election. He felt that the voters were
expressing their lack of faith in the political process by staying home on election day.
Trustee Marcus said that thousands of dollars are spent on local elections; and at the state
and federal level, millions and billions of dollars are spent. He wanted it to be clean and clear
at the local level.
d. Mr. Horne said, to clarify, that Trustee Marcus was moving to direct staff to create an
ordinance that every can review prior to voting on it. Or, more precisely, that staff should
review the Ethics ordinance to see if modifications or clarifications are needed.
e. Trustee Pietron said he understood where Trustee Marcus was coming from, but cautioned his
fellow Board members about possibly coming under fire for violating "freedom of speech". He
said that, in this day and age of Citizens United, the Village should "tread carefully."
f. Trustee Grear said that Trustee Marcus should work with Mr. Horne and Ms. Liston on this,
and said that he would not be comfortable voting on the proposed amendment to the Ethics
ordinance without seeing it in writing first. He added that he, too, was worried about first
amendment rights.
g.
Mayor DiMaria suggested that Trustee Marcus give Corporation Counsel Liston the exact
language he's looking to have induded in the Ethics ordinance, but in the meantime, his
motion should be to direct Corporation Counsel to review the Ethics ordinance and propose
any necessary changes and offer recommendations.
Trustee Marcus so moved, seconded by Trustee Toth.
Motion passed: 4 ayes, 1 nay, 1 abstain.
Tr. Grear abstain Tr. Marcus aye,
Tr. Thill Ay2 Tr. Toth
Tr. Pietron y
Tr. Witko
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Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meetin.
XIII.
WARRANTS
Trustee Toth presented the Warrant Register for this evening in the amount of $372,442.38.
She moved to approve the Warrants as presented, seconded by Trustee Pietron.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Pietron 2y1
Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth Tr. Witko
XIV. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS
1.
a.
Georgianne Brunner asked Trustee Marcus whether he would be proposing to amend the
Ethics Ordinance if he had been slated by the party that accepted said donations.
She then addressed the Board and assemblage about Morton Grove Days. There is another
"Eat and Earn" fundraiser for the fireworks coming up on Monday, April 20, at Village Inn. The
MG Days Commission will receive a percentage of the restaurants dine -in, delivery, and carry-
out orders, if Morton Grove Days is mentioned to the server. She encouraged all to attend.
b. Mrs. Brunner also said that, for every $25 donation a resident makes, he/she can get a free "1
Helped Save the Morton Grove Fireworks" tee-shirt. As far as entertainment at the three-day
event, she said the bands would all be "tribute" bands, with one of the highlights being a
Billy Joel/Elton John tribute band. Volunteers are still needed, and she encouraged anyone
interested in volunteeringto send a note to 3Ticvolunte :t , oornoawt.oor go to the
MG Days Commission website, mortongrovedays.org.
c. Mayor DiMaria asked howthe fundraising for the fireworks was going. Mrs. Brunner responded
that, thanks to the generosity of American Legion Post #134, the Morton Grove Foundation,
and the Morton Grove Moose Lodge, the Commission is about half -way there.
d. Trustee Grear complimented Mrs. Brunner, who is the President of the Morton Grove Days
Commission, and said she's doing a tremendous job.
2.
Nancy Lanning asked the Board if Trustee Marcus' proposed Ethics Ordinance amendment
meant that, if she had a business in Morton Grove, she wouldn't have the right to make a do-
nation to the people she wanted to support. She was concerned that the Village could be tak-
ing away peoples' rights.
XV. ADJOURNMENT
Trustee Marcus moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Trustee Thill.
Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. Grear Tr. Marcus Rys. Tr. Pietron absent
Tr. Thill ayg Tr. Toth absent Tr. Witko aye
The meeting adjourned at 8:47 p.m.
13
Minutes of March 23, 2015 Board Meetin.
PASSED this 27th day of April, 2015
Trustee Grear
Trustee Marcus
Trustee Pietron
Trustee Thill
Trustee Toth
Trustee Witko
APPROVED by me this 27th day of April, 2015
R
Daniel P. DiMaria, Village President
Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois
APPROVED and FILED in my office this 28th day of April, 2015.
Edilberto Ramos, Village Clerk
Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois
Minutes by: Teresa Causer
14