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Home My WebLink About2006-03-13 Board 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 CIVIC CENTER MARCH 13, 2006 CALL TO ORDER 1. Village President Rick Krier called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. and led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. II. Village Clerk Carol Fritzshall called the roll. Present were: Trustees Georgianne Brunner, Dan DiMaria, Roy Kogstad, Rita Minx, Dale Senensky, and Dan Staackmann. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Regarding the Minutes of the February 13, 2006 Regular Meeting, Trustee Minx moved to approve the Minutes as submitted, dispensing with the reading thereof. The motion was seconded by Trustee Senensky. Trustee Kogstad noted a correction on page 4, paragraph 6, first sentence. He asked that the words "but she never heard back from him" be deleted, because, he said, "That's an incorrect statement. I did respond." He also had some email correspondence regarding this matter that he said would clarify things. Trustee Brunner replied that he didn't respond until after the meeting date. A brief discussion then ensued. Corporation Counsel Liston said the Minutes should reflect what took place at that meeting; they should reflect what was said, even if what was said was an incorrect statement. She said that Trustee Kogstad could, in this evening's Minutes, be on record as "clarifying" the conversation from the February 13th Minutes. Trustee Brunner said she wasn't sure if she had said "never", but said the Minutes were fine as far as she was concerned. Trustee Kogstad moved to amend the Minutes by deleting the above -noted phrase from the record. Trustee Staackmann seconded the motion. He then asked Trustee Kogstad if he had been present at the February 13th meeting. Trustee Kogstad replied affirmatively. Mayor Krier called for the vote on the motion to amend the Minutes. The motion failed: 1 aye, 5 nays. Tr. Brunner nay Tr. DiMaria Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx nay Tr. Senensky nay Tr. Staackmann nay PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL FEB. 13 BOARD MEETING MINUTES CLARIFIED AND APPROVED Minutes of March 13, 2006 Board Meeting IV. V. VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (continued) Trustee Kogstad also called to the Board's attention the first vote on page 5 (paragraph 7). It reads that the motion failed by a 4 aye to 4 nay vote. He said that was incorrect. Clerk Fritzshall explained that the Minutes had been corrected after the Board packets had been completed. Therefore, the official copy of the Minutes correctly shows that the motion failed by a 2 aye to 4 nay vote, with Trustees Kogstad and Staackmann voting "aye". Mayor Krier noted that Trustee Kogstad had brought up a valid point but since the Minutes have already been corrected, no further action needed to be taken. Mayor Krier then called for the vote on the motion submitted. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 1 nay. Tr. Brunner ave Tr. DiMaria aae, Tr. Minx Tr. Senensky awe PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE SPECIAL REPORTS NONE to approve the Minutes as Tr. Kogstad Tr. Staackmann RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) Raymond Solal said that some of his comments on pages 3 and 11 of the February 13, 2006 Minutes appeared to have been omitted. He asked Mayor Krier if Morton Grove has ethics sanctions as in Cook County, or an Ethics Board to oversee violations. Mayor Krier responded, "No, we don't." Mr. Solal also felt that names of the recipients of the Solid Waste Financial Assistance program shouldn't appear in the Warrant Register because "it's demeaning." He asked the mayor to consider showing just the amounts. Mayor Krier said he would consider that. Mr. Solas disagreed with comments made by resident Bill Grear at the February 13th meeting. Mr. Grear had indicated that the Board was extending a privilege to the residents by allowing them to speak at Board Meetings. Mr. Solal felt that taxpayers are entitled to speak. Mr. Solal asked, regarding Resolution 06-17 (which authorizes a contract for video inspection of the sewer system), why the Village isn't using its own staff and its own equipment for this work. Regarding Ordinance 06-05 (which phases out a certain rental fee exemption), Mr. Solal said that the Civic Center facilities are "a jewel and an asset to Morton Grove's reputation." He felt the facilities are not adequately used, especially in the evenings. 2 Minutes of March 13, 2006 Board Meeting VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT 1. Mayor Krier proclaimed the week of March 19—March 25 as "Affordable Housing Week" in the Village. He said that access to affordable housing can be achieved through the cooperative and civic -minded efforts of local, state, and federal government agencies, private sector housing developers, and financial institutions. He encouraged all residents to participate in appropriate activities sponsored by private and public entities aimed at providing or advocating for accessible, affordable housing in the Village. 2. Next, Mayor Krier proclaimed the month of April 2006 as "Fair Housing Month" in the Village. He said that Morton Grove is an open and inclusive community committed to fair housing, and asked everyone to support activities by private and public entities that provided for or advocated for equal housing opportuni- ties for all residents and prospective residents in the Village. 3. Mayor Krier then clarified something that had recently appeared in the local newspapers. He said that, as a result of 9/11, a law had been passed under Homeland Security establishing a National Incident Management System (NIMS), which ensures continuation of communications in Tight of any emergency or natural disaster. As part of this, and in order for the Village to qualify for certain grant funding, the law states that the elected officials have to go through NIMS training. This training will give the Board a better under- standing of how we can communicate in a disaster situation. That's what the meeting tomorrow night is about. The Board will go into Executive Session (closed to the public) to discuss the Village's vulnerabilities, its current commu- nication strategies, etc. Mayor Krier said the Police Chief, Fire Chief, and Village Administrator have already taken this training and have done every- thing that needs to be done to ready the Village. The Board will be going over various scenarios (tornadoes, etc.). Mayor Krier said he wanted to provide a little more explanation to allay any fears any residents may have. VIII. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Fritzshall stated that the period for early voting ends March 16, 2006. After that, residents will need a reason to vote absentee. Absentee voting will take place from March 16th through March 20th. Clerk Fritzshall said that, so far, 96 residents have taken advantage of the early voting. IX. STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator: Mr. Wade said that the New Resident Reception is scheduled for April 24, 2006, at the Civic Center from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This will give new residents a chance to meet their elected officials, as well as representatives from the Morton Grove Park District, Public Library, and Chamber of Commerce. Residents are invited to attend the Village Board Meeting, which follows at 7:30 p.m., back at Village Hall in the Council Chambers. PROCLAMATION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WEEK PROCLAMATION FOR FAIR HOUSING MONTH EXPLANATION OF SPECIAL MEETING VOTING UPDATE NEW RESIDENT RECEPTION SET FOR APRIL 24 AT CIVIC CENTER 3 Minutes ofMarch 13, 2006'B_oard Meet�ngl IX. B. Corporation Counsel: Ms. Liston had no report. X. STAFF REPORTS (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS A. Trustee Brunner: Trustee Brunner had no formal report, but announced that Family and Senior Services Director Jackie Walker -O'Keefe was in the process of applying for a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation for funding for a Seniortran bus. A Public Hearing will be held regarding this at the March 27th Village Board meeting. B. Trustee DiMaria: 1. Trustee DiMaria presented Ordinance 06-04, Authorization to Install Parking Restrictions on Washington Street, Avalon Drive, Mayfair Street, and Concord Drive Within the Village of Morton Grove. This ordinance was introduced at the February 27, 2006 Board Meeting. He explained that parking restrictions were necessary within the Trafalgar Square Development to conform to the approved site place. These must be included in the Village Code because residents are beginning to move into the finished homes. 2. Trustee DiMaria moved to approve Ordinance 06-04, seconded by Trustee Staackmann. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner afire Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky aye Tr. Staackmann aye Next, Trustee DiMaria introduced Resolution 06-18, Authorization to Execute a Contract with National Power Rodding Corporation for the 2006 Sewer Video Inspection Program. He explained that this is a yearly program which assesses the condition of sewers and allows staff to determine future sewer repair projects. Trustee DiMaria clarified with Public Works Director Andy DeMonte that the reason the Village hires this work out (rather than doing it "in house") is because of the specialized equipment needed. Mr. DeMonte agreed that the Village does not have the video equipment necessary to conduct this type of sewer inspection. Mayor Krier asked if the Village does its own rodding of sewers. Mr. DeMonte said, "Yes." Trustee Staackmann clarified that this work has been budgeted. Trustee DiMaria moved to adopt Resolution 06-18, seconded by Trustee Staackmann. PUBLIC HEARING FOR SENIORTRAN GRANT TO BE HELD ORD. 06-04 AUTHORIZES INSTALLATION OF PARKING RESTRICTIONS (AT TRAFALGAR SQUARE) ORD. 06-04 APPROVED RES. 06-18 AUTHORIZES CONTRACT FOR 2006 SEWER VIDEO INSPECTION PROGRAM 4 Minutes ofMaroh 13; 2096 Beard Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) B. Trustee DiMaria: (continued) 3. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner aye Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky awe Tr. Staackmann aye Trustee DiMaria then presented Resolution 06-19, Authorizing the Annual Memorial Day Parade and Closure of Dempster Street. He explained that this resolution authorizes the 2006 Memorial Day Parade on Dempster Street, at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 28. This resolution is required by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Trustee DiMaria moved to approve Resolution 06-19. The motion was seconded by Trustee Staackmann and passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner aye Tr. DiMaria 2y2 Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky ave Tr. Staackmann awe 4. Trustee DiMaria extended his condolences to the family and friends of Mike Permer, a Public Works employee who had recently passed away, and asked for a moment of silence in his honor. C. Trustee Kogstad: Trustee Kogstad presented for a first reading Ordinance 06-05, Amending Title 1, Chapter 14, Section 9 of the Municipal Code Entitled "Civic Center Fees." He explained that this ordinance will phase out an exemption granted to certain senior groups from paying room rental fees at the American Legion Memorial Civic Center. This matter was reviewed by the Village's Advisory Commission on Aging, who unanimously recommended the phase-out, which will be effective January 1, 2007. There was no further discussion on this. Trustee Kogstad stated again, for the record, that the statement on page 4, paragraph 6, first sentence, of the February 13th Minutes, should have the phrase "but she never heard back from him" deleted. He had copies of email correspondence between he and Trustee Brunner further clarifying this that he wanted to provide for the record. Mayor Krier asked him to provide Clerk Fritzshall with that material. RES. 06-18 APPROVED RES. 06-19 AUTHORIZES MEMORIAL DAY PARADE AND CLOSURE OF DEMPSTER RES. 06-19 APPROVED ORD. 06-05 AMENDS MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING CMC CENTER FEES (FIRST READING) 5 Minutes of March 13, 2006 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) D. Trustee Minx: Trustee Minx had no formal report, but announced that Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and her suburban grants director would be attending the upcoming Economic Develop Commission meeting on March 22nd. The Board and the public are invited to attend this meeting, which will be held on the second floor of Village Hall in the Trustees' Conference Room. Mayor Krier added that he hoped the press would pick this up. He said that funding has been approved for Dempster Street redevelopment, but hasn't been budgeted yet. He felt that having residents show up at this meeting would underscore how important it is to the Village and its residents to get this funding. E. Trustee Senensky: 1. Trustee Senensky presented for a first reading Ordinance 06-06, Amending Title 5, Chapter 1, Section 3, of the Municipal Code Entitled "Motor Vehicles and Traffic; Traffic Administration and Enforcements; Violations, Procedures and Penalties. 2. He explained, as background, that the Mayor and the Board had directed the Police Chief and Corporation Counsel to review the Village Code sections regarding minimum parking fees and seizure provisions for vehicles used in certain crimes. Similar regulations have been adopted in other communities. The communities that have implemented similar seizure policies have seen increased revenues from between $50,000 to $100,000. Trustee Senensky said that this ordinance incorporates recent amendments to the State of Illinois' traffic laws and increases the cost to pay a citation prior to a scheduled court date. It also establishes a procedure for seizure and impoundment of vehicles used in connection with certain criminal acts such as DUI, reckless driving, drag racing, prostitution, and others. Trustee Brunner asked if the minimum fee of $15 was common amongst municipalities. Corporation Counsel Liston responded that this is an increase from $5 to $15. It's different from a fine; it's what a person would pay for a ticket so that they wouldn't have to come to court. Chief Tasch agreed. There was no further discussion. Trustee Senensky also commended Chief Tasch for the fine job done by the Police Department in apprehending another bank robber last Thursday in town. He commended Officer Chuck Roberts—this was the third bank robber he's caught in the last six years! SCHAKOWSKY TO ATTEND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MEETING ORD. 06-06 AMENDS MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC ADMINISTRATN AND ENFORCEMTS, VIOLATIONS, PROCEDURES, AND PENALTIES (FIRST READING) KUDOS TO POLICE DEPT ON BANK ROBBERY APPREHENSION 6 Minutes of March 13, 2006 Board Meeting x. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) F. Trustee Staackmann 1. Trustee Staackmann had no formal report, but wanted to correct a statement that had appeared in the local newspaper. The paper said that John Thill is the chairman of the Natural Resources Commission. Trustee Staackmann clarified that it is Doug Steinmann who is the chairman of that Commission. He added that Mr. Steinmann recently sent a letter to the Board outlining some proposals for enhanced tree protection as regards to the issuance of building permits. Trustee Staackmann had a copy of that letter for the press, if they so desired it. 2. Trustee Staackmann said that, as liaison to the Appearance Commission, he has sat through many meetings and has noticed that many cases end up having continuances. He said that two years ago, he had a meeting with the Appearance Commission Chair, Dee Gotta, and Building Commissioner Ed Hildebrandt, to find out why there were so many continuances, and what, if anything, could be done about them. They decided that perhaps the form that was being used was the problem. Work then began on developing a new form, which is now ready for final approval by the Commission. The new form is simpler and should help streamline the process, and, if approved, should help move cases through the Appearance Commission process more quickly. XI. XII. OTHER BUSINESS Trustee DiMaria noted for the record that he would be out of town for the upcoming Board Meeting on March 27tH WARRANTS Trustee Kogstad presented the Warrant Register, totaled $690,153.53. He moved to approve the Warrants, seconded by Trustee Senensky. Trustee Staackmann had a question regarding the first line item—$356 for Police Department "emergency board -up." He said he assumed this was for a break-in or an accident on a commercial property and asked if the Village would get reimbursed for it. Chief Tasch said he'd look into it. Trustee Staackmann also questioned an item on page 10—$9,300 for a drug seizure case. Finance Director Scot Neukirch explained that, in cases like these, the monies are sent to the State, which then returns to the Village its fair share. Trustee Staackmann asked what that would be...50%, 75%? Mr. Neukirch said it depends on what other agencies were involved in the case. If it was Morton Grove alone, then the Village would get "the vast majority" of the funds back. Trustee Staackmann asked if those funds then get put into the Police Department budget or what. Mr. Neukirch said they have to be kept separate because a yearly accounting of these funds needs to be kept. Further, those funds can only be used for the purchase of certain specified items. CLARIFICATION RE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION APPEARANCE COMMISSION APPLICATION FORM SIMPLIFIED AND UPDATED WARRANT REGISTER QUESTIONS 7 Minutes of March 13, 2006 Board Meeting XII. WARRANTS (continued) There being no further discussion on the Warrants, Mayor Krier called for the vote. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nay. Tr. Brunner afire Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Kogstad ave Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky at Tr. Staackmann aye XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS a. David Conrad said that he is a member of the Natural Resources Commis- sion. He said the Commission is working hard on tree protection, adding that he was dismayed because the MCC's construction had begun without tree protection being up, even though it's a condition of the MCC's Special Use permit. Mr. Conrad had several other items regarding the Special Use Permit that concerned him, including: use of the property after 10:00 p.m.; the minaret; the berm; lack of trees in the MCC's plan; lack of protection of the trees on the site; the sound -deadening wall; and overall enforcement of the Special Use provisions. Mr. Conrad said he had sent an email to the Village Administrator but had not gotten a response. He felt that the Village and the MCC should take part in the Northwest Municipal Conference's dispute resolution process. Mayor Krier responded, noting that tree protection is a top priority of the Board and that enforcement has definitely picked up. As for Mr. Conrad's other concerns, Mayor Krier encouraged him to talk with the Village Administrator as well as Police Chief Tasch and Fire Chief Friel. He said that, if Mr. Conrad wanted to reopen the whole issue of the Special Use Permit, he would need to petition the Plan Commission for an amendment to the Special Use. The Building Department can also do such a petition. Trustee Senensky pointed out that, under the Village's noise ordinance, if members of the MCC are making noise past 10:00 p.m., the police should be patrolling regularly to keep noise levels down. He also had a suggestion regarding the berm. Trustee DiMaria said he understood where Mr. Conrad is coming form, and felt that the Village could do a better job of monitoring the MCC site or enforcing certain provisions of the Special Use Permit. Mr. Conrad felt that the provisions of the Special Use Permit are unenforce- able, and further, that Plan Commission Chairman Ron Farkas owes him an apology. Mr. Conrad felt that a lot of deceptive testimony was given in the Plan Commission hearings in order to gain the Special Use Permit. Regarding the hours of use of the property, he said it had gotten better for a while, but was now starting to deteriorate again. Village Administrator Wade said that he had sent a copy of Mr. Conrad's complaint and his response to the Board. He felt that the things Mr. Conrad was asking for would require an amendment to the Special Use. He told Mr. Conrad, "There's a difference between not getting a response and not getting the response you want." WARRANTS APPROVED 8 XIII. Minutes of March 13, 2006 Board Meeting RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) Mr. Conrad said the Village's code is outdated, especially if it allows a commercial -grade parking lot five feet away from residents. He said he'd like to see the code updated. He noted that, in Glenview, there's a mosque being built but there's 80 feet between it and the residential area. b. Bill Luksha said that residents can watch the Village Board meetings on television, and they are part of the public record. He said that there are problems with the DVD of the meeting, noting that there was no sound on the one he had. He wondered where the quality control was, and why would the Village put out a DVD of the meeting with no sound? c. d. e. Raymond Solal said his wife enjoys watching the Board Meetings. He acknowledged that some recordings are terrible and some are not. He encouraged the Board to celebrate "FOIA Day" on March 16. Mr. Solal said he was grateful to the Mayor, the Board, and the Administrator for scheduling an open meeting on March 23`d at 3:00 p.m. to review the Village's financial information. Mr. Solal also reiterated his request for an independent sewer system investigation. He felt that the Menard sewer was or would be overburdened and that the Capulina right-of-way would be needed in this regard. Mr. Solal felt the whole sales transaction of Borg School should be investigated because it shows intent to defraud the Village. He said an investigation was needed to determine if fraud was involved, because if it was, the Capulina right-of-way case should be thrown out of court. He asked the Mayor to direct the police chief to investigate it. Trustee Senensky responded that he didn't think it was Chief Tasch's job to do this. Wilma Wendt, former Village Clerk, said that when she had gone through "clerk training," she had been taught, regarding incorrect Minutes, that the Minutes of this meeting should reflect any clarifications but the original Minutes stay the same. She said it's the Clerk's job to go back to the original Minutes and note in the margin that clarifications were made and can be found in the Minutes of (the applicable date) and then initial that note. Mayor Krier and Clerk Fritzshall both agreed. Abdul Khan said he appreciated the Mayor trying to give balance to Mr. Conrad's statements and for putting proper information out. He felt that Mr. Conrad was making the MCC sound disrespectful of its neighbors and Mr. Khan rejected those statements. He said the MCC has gone over and above, even incurring extra costs, in trying to be a good neighbor. He said there is no deception involved, the MCC wants to work together with the Village. 9 nutes of March31t,20d613oard'MeeU XIV. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Board, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss real estate, litigation, and personnel issues. Trustee Brunner seconded the motion. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner at Tr. DiMaria awe Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky aye Tr. Staackmann aye The Board adjourned to Executive Session at 9:02 p.m. The Executive Session began at 8:31 p.m. In attendance were Mayor Krier, Clerk Fritzshall, Trustees Brunner, Kogstad, Minx, and Senensky. Staff Members present included Village Administrator Wade, Corporation Counsel Liston, and Economic Development Director Bili Neuendorf. At the Conclusion of the discussion, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn the Executive Session, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner aye Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky aye Tr. Staackmann afire The Executive Session adjourned at 9:58 p.m. Trustee Minx then moved to adjourn the Board Meeting, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner aye Tr. DiMaria aye, Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky aye Tr. Staackmann at The meeting adjourned at 9:58 p.m. PASSED this 10th day of April, 2006. Trustee Brunner Trustee DiMaria Trustee Kogstad Trustee Minx Trustee Senensky Trustee Staackmann APPROVED by me this 10th day of April, 2006. /r/i Richard Krier, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 11th day of April, 2006. Carol A. Fritzshall, Village Clerk Village of Morton Grove Cook County, Illinois MEETING ADJOURNED Minutes by. Teresa Cousar 10