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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-06-26 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 JUNE 26, 2006 CALL TO ORDER I. 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, Roy Kogstad, Rita Minx, Dale Senensky, and Dan Staackmann. Mayor Krier said that Trustee DiMaria had phoned earlier to let him know that something had come up that would prevent him from attending tonight's meeting. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Regarding the Minutes of the May 22, 2006 Regular Meeting, Trustee Minx moved to approve the Minutes as submitted, dispensing with the reading thereof. The motion was seconded by Trustee Brunner. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner aye, Tr. DiMaria absent Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky aye Tr. Staackmann aye IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE V. SPECIAL REPORTS NONE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL MAY 22 BOARD MEETING MINUTES APPROVED Minutes of June 26, 2006 Board Meetin. VI. VII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) Raymond Solal denounced the Board's "inertia" and said that procedural control processes hadn't changed since 1994. He said the Board excels in obstructing basic money information and accountability. Mr. Solal asked the Board why they approved the May 22nd Minutes with no comment. He wondered where the June 12th Minutes were and felt that the fact that they were not available was done deliberately to cultivate confusion. Regarding the reappointments under the Mayor's Report, Mr. Solal said he had two questions. First, he wanted to know why, in view of Sherwin Dubren's statement in a local newspaper, Mayor Krier would want to antagonize a Caucus Party supporter, why he was creating "an area of misunderstanding". His second question was whether or not the Mayor had the legal authority to appoint and evaluate members of the legislature or committees. Mr. Solal said that the Village Code states that the Board appoints members of legislative committees. Regarding Ordinance 06-22 (which sets prevailing wage rates), Mr. Solal said that no wages apply to Morton Grove. He said he would like to know the sala- ries and benefits of the Public Works personnel prior to the Board approving this Ordinance. He said the citizens should know why their tax dollars are be- ing used by men working for the Village. Regarding the article on Morton Grove's water that appeared in the summer edition of the Village newsletter, Mr. Solal was concerned about the safety of the water and wanted some guarantee regarding the quality of the water in the Village. PRESIDENT'S REPORT 1. Mayor Krier proclaimed June 26, 2006 as "Joseph Rakosky Day". He enumer- ated Mr. Rakosky's volunteer accomplishments for the Village, which date back to 1954. Mr. Rakosky has proven that, by working together and giving of one's time and talents, lives can be changed and improved. Mayor Krier said he hoped that Mr. Rakosky's spirit would inspire others to become more en- gaged in the Village and work toward building a community for a better tomor- row. Trustee Brunner, liaison to the Board of Environmental Health, presented Mr. Rakosky with a clock bearing the Village Seal as a commemoration. Mr. Rakosky, who was present along with his wife Mary, daughter Mary Jo LeBeau, and son-in-law Terry LeBeau, told the Board, "I'm overwhelmed." 2. Next, Mayor Krier sought the Board's concurrence with his reappointment of Sherwin Dubren and Sal Oliveri to the Natural Resources Commission. Trustee Minx moved to concur with these reappointments, seconded by Trustee Staackmann. Trustee Minx noted that Mr. Dubren has publicly announced that he would not accept reappointment. She wondered if the Board should act on this or not. Mayor Krier said he had spoken with Mr. Dubren and had informed him that JOSEPH RAKOSKY HONORED WITH PROCLAMATION REAPPOINTMTS DISCUSSED 2 Minutes of June 26, 2006 Board Meetin. VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT (continued) he would be reappointing him to the Natural Resources Commission. Mr. Dubren wanted a letter to that effect and an ID card. The Village doesn't issue ID cards to the volunteer members of Commissions. Mayor Krier said he had seen the article in the newspaper but had not spoken to Mr. Dubren about it. The Mayor said the language in the ordinance reads that a member is on the Commission until his/her successor is named. He said his interpretation of that was that, even if Mr. Dubren's term ended, he would still be a member of the Natural Resources Commission until a successor was appointed. Trustee Minx moved to amend the motion to postpone voting on Mr. Dubren's appointment until more discussion with him was held. Trustee Senensky seconded the motion. Trustee Staackmann asked if the Village was following protocol in this matter. He felt the Board should reappoint Mr. Dubren and then see if Mr. Dubren resigned. Mayor Krier said his preference would be for Mr. Dubren to talk to him and let him know. Trustee Staackmann pointed out that Mr. Dubren does participate in and is a productive member of the Natural Resources Commission. Trustee Minx said that her impression was that Mr. Dubren was saying if he wasn't reappointed before his term expired, he would consider himself "off' of the Commission. Mayor Krier said he wanted Mr. Dubren to let him know if he still wanted to be on the Commission. The Mayor called for the vote on Trustee Minx's amendment. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner aye Tr. DiMaria absent Tr. Kogstad Lyg Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky aerie Tr. Staackmann Lyse Mayor Krier then called for the vote on Mr. a passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner Lys Tr. DiMaria b Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky a� Oliveri's reappointment. Motion sent Tr. Kogstad e Tr. Staackmann Lys gys 3, Mayor Krier announced that he was going to expand the offerings on Chan- nel 6. He said there would be an informative program regarding storm water run-off following the broadcast of Village Board meetings. He noted that Chan- nel 6 is not a public access channel; rather it's a government access channel. The storm water run-off program is a pilot project. Mayor Krier said he was interested in feedback from the residents. 4. Mayor Krier also thanked the ESDA volunteers for videotaping the Board meetings. He said the ESDA members "always step up to the plate". EXPANSION OF CHANNEL 6 ANNOUNCED THANKS ESDA VOLUNTEERS 3 Minutes of June 26, 2006 Board Meetin VIII. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Fritzshall reiterated that there is a desperate need for elections judges for the upcoming November election. At least 150 judges are needed. She said that anyone interested should contact her office. Judges receive $150 for the day, plus they receive specialized training. IX. STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator: 1. Mr. Wade reported that a comprehensive Annual Financial Report had been distributed to each Board member and was also available at the Library. He thanked Steve Drazner, Acting Finance Director, for his assistance in putting this document together. 2. Mr. Wade noted that the Morton Grove Days festival would begin on July 1 and end on July 4. He noted the many different bands that would provide enter- tainment and encouraged everyone to attend. 3. Mr. Wade announced two upcoming meetings: 1) The next Town Hall Meeting will take place on Monday, July 31, at 7:00 p.m. at the American Legion Memorial Civic Center. 2) A workshop regarding the Lehigh -Ferris subarea will be held on Wednesday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m., also at the Civic Center. B. Corporation Counsel: Ms. Liston had no report. X. A. Trustee Brunner: TRUSTEES' REPORTS Trustee Brunner had no formal report, but wished the Board and the assem- blage a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday. ELECTION JUDGES NEEDED COMPREHENSV ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT DISTRIBUTED ANNOUNCEMT REGARDING MORTON GROVE DAYS TOWN HALL MEETING AND LEHIGH-FERRIS SUBAREA ANNOUNCED 4 Minutes of June 26, 2006 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) B. Trustee DiMaria: 1. In the absence of Trustee DiMaria, Trustee Senensky presented Ordinance 06-22, An Ordinance Establishing the Prevailing Rate of Wages for Laborers, Mechanics, and Other Workers in the Village of Morton Grove Employed in Performing Construction of Public Works for the Village. This is the second reading of this ordinance. Trustee Senensky briefly explained that the Village must comply with the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, which requires that contractors and subcontrac- tors pay laborers, workers, and mechanics employed on public works projects no less than the general prevailing rate of wages established by the Village. Trustee Senensky moved to adopt Ordinance 06-22, seconded by Trustee Staackmann. There was no discussion regarding this Ordinance. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner acre Tr. DiMaria absent Tr. Kogstad gyre Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky Tr. Staackmann ave C. Trustee Kogstad: Trustee Kogstad had no report. D. Trustee Minx: Trustee Minx had no formal report, but said she frequently receives questions from residents asking why the fire department sends both an ambulance and an engine on calls. She asked Fire Chief Tom Friel to relate a recent incident, which demonstrated why it's a good idea to have both on a call. Chief Friel said that, on June 17, a 65 -year old non-resident came to the Vil- lage to celebrate his son's graduation from Northwestern University. He was staying with his daughters, who are registered nurses. They were traveling down Golf Road toward Evanston to attend the graduation ceremony, and were near Golf and Nashville when the man began having problems breathing. He soon became unresponsive. The daughters pulled over, began CPR, and called 911. Coincidentally, Station 5 received a routine EMS call around 3:00 p.m. and dispatched Engine 5 and Ambulance 5. The ambulance headed to the hospital, and as the engine was returning to quarters, the call came in about the CPR incident at Golf and Nashville. Engine 5 was able to arrive in two minutes. The paramedics found the man slumped over, with no pulse or blood pressure. ORD. 06-22 ESTABLISHES PREVAILING RATE OF WAGES FOR LABORERS, MECHANICS, AND OTHER WORKERS IN THE VILLAGE EMPLOYED IN PERFORMING CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC WORKS ORD. 06-22 APPROVED 5 Minutes of June 26, 2006 Board Meetin. X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) D. Trustee Minx: (continued) The paramedics arrived and brought out the automatic external defibrillator. They used it and the gentleman regained a pulse. By the time Ambulance 4 arrived, a few minutes later, the man was trying to breathe on his own and had regained consciousness. Chief Friel emphasized the importance of the immediate administration of CPR and the early intervention of the defibrillator. He reminded the Board how seemingly innocuous actions need to be appreciated—like being able to show up at a son or daughter's graduation, and noted that the decisions that the Board makes, and that firefighters make, affect peoples' lives. Chief Friel thanked the Board and the assemblage for their support. Trustee Minx said that the Village's strategy enables the fire department to decrease response time and allow early intervention of defibrillation equipment. She said that, when discussing the expenses of the Village, it's important to remember that this system came about through trial -and -error. It's not to be excessive; it's to protect and save lives. She thanked Chief Friel for his presentation. E. Trustee Senensky: Trustee Senensky had no formal report, but gave an update on the status of the remodeling at the Police Department. He said that he and Chief Tasch had toured the renovations, which include several new offices and interview rooms, and a new detective bureau. He thanked Building Commissioner Ed Hildebrandt, Village Administrator Joe Wade, and Chief Tasch for their efforts on this project. Trustee Senensky added that the project will also come in un- der budget. Trustee Senensky wished everyone a safe and healthy 4th of July holiday, and cautioned anyone blowing off fireworks to "be careful". F. Trustee Staackmann Trustee Staackmann had no report, but wished everyone a good 4th of July and wished success to the Morton Grove Days Committee. XI. OTHER BUSINESS NONE 6 Minutes of June 26, 2006 Board Meetin • XII. WARRANTS Trustee Kogstad presented the Warrant Register, which totaled $531,177.65. He moved to approve the Warrants, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner au Tr. DiMaria absent Tr. Kogstad au Tr. Minx au Tr. Senensky au Tr. Staackmann au XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS 1. 2. John Thill expressed concern about the gas station at Central and Dempster, saying it looked abandoned. Mayor Krier said that the owners have been cited. Mr. Thill also suggested that the funds used to assist residents in paying for their garbage bills should be considered loans, rather than "grants". He said the Village could establish a running account by address, and when the home is sold, the Village should have the right to regain the funds loaned. Trustee Senensky asked Mr. Thill whose responsibility it was to pick up the bags of garbage collected after clean-up events in the woods or at the river are held. He noted that there are many Targe black bags along Lehigh between Dempster and Beckwith. Mr. Thill said this was likely from the recent river clean-up. He said that the County is responsible for picking this garbage, and apparently someone dropped the ball. He said he'd follow up on it. Mayor Krier commented that he had talked to Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, who assured the Mayor that he would push for an ordinance that would discourage commuter parking within the first 500 yards of St. Paul Woods until 10:00 a.m. The Mayor said he wanted Mr. Thill to know this because it's a matter of interest to him. Eric, a resident who lives on Foster Avenue, said that he is a 30 -year resident and he wanted to talk about Washington Commons shopping center. He complimented the Village on their choice of Aldi to take the vacant Office Max property, because Aldi will bring new tax revenue to the Village. He also commended the new owners and management company of Washington Commons. Eric said that he noticed several vacant stores there, however, and he challenged the Morton Grove Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Department to create a list of all the available/vacant businesses in the Village, saying, "Let's work together to fill these and bring in new revenue." Mayor Krier thanked Eric for his comments, and responded that the Village and the Chamber already have a list of available properties. The Mayor complimented Economic Development Director Bill Neuendorf, who was instrumental in getting Aidi's in the Village. Eric also commented that the Village's web site isn't always up to date. Mayor Krier said the Board knew that and the Village has now switched vendors. He said he felt that the web site also needed to be more user-friendly. He assured Eric that the Village is working on it. WARRANTS APPROVED 7 Minutes of June 26, 2006 Board Meetin. XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) 3. Raymond Solal complimented the Fire Department, saying they had saved his life, so he's grateful to the Village. Regarding the Agenda, he asked Mayor Krier to change his policy regarding the Agenda. He did not feel it was appro- priate for the Mayor to set the Agenda. Mr. Solal said he had brought this up at the previous meeting but had not received a response. Regarding the construction on the Capulina right-of-way, Mr. Solal noted that the MCC had two million dollars of comprehensive general liability insurance, he wondered if it covered the MCC taking the Capulina right-of-way. Mayor Krier said that it is out of the Village's hands and in the hands of the courts. Mr. Solal felt that the land swap with the MCC was a "premeditated and illegal" action. Mr. Solal also wondered about the status of the Village doing an ordinance to ban smoking. XIV. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Board, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss real estate, personnel, and litigation, and to review the Minutes of previous Executive Sessions. Trustee Senensky seconded the motion. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner Ly± Tr. DiMaria absent Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx Lys Tr. Senensky Lys Tr. Staackmann The meeting adjourned to Executive Session at 8:27 p.m. The Executive Session was called to order at 8:46 p.m. Present were Mayor Krier, Clerk Fritzshall, and Trustees Brunner, Kogstad, Minx, Senensky, and Staackmann. Also present were Administrator Wade and Corporation Counsel Liston. The Executive Session concluded at 10:26 p.m. with a motion to adjourn by Trustee Staackmann, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner a e Tr. DiMaria absent Tr. Kogstad Lys Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky Lys Tr. Staackmann aye Trustee Brunner then moved to adjourn the Board Meeting, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner Lit Tr. DiMaria absent Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx Lyre Tr. Senensky Ly1 Tr. Staackmann aye, The Board Meeting adjourned at 10:26 p.m. ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION MEETING ADJOURNED 8 PASSED this 24th day of July, 2006. Trustee Brunner Trustee DiMaria Trustee Kogstad Trustee Minx Trustee Senensky Trustee Staackmann APPROVED:8 me thi ,24th day of July, 2006. / '1 Richard Krier, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 25th day of July, 2006. 204 -Ya \71. - Carol A. Fritzshall, village Clerk Village of Morton Grove Cook County, Illinois Minutes of June 26, 2006 Board Meeting Minutes by: Teresa Cousar 9