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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-07-24 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 JULY 24, 2006 CALL TO ORDER I. Village President Rick Krier called the meeting to order at 7:36 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, and Dan Staackmann. Mayor Krier said that Trustee Senensky was on vacation. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Regarding the Minutes of the June 26, 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: 4 ayes, 0 nays. 1 abstain, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner gig Tr. DiMaria abstain Tr. Kogstad ayg Tr. Minx Ly2 Tr. Senensky absent Tr. Staackmann IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE V. SPECIAL REPORTS Plan Commission Case PC 06-06 Requests a Special Use Permit to Construct an Automobile Parking Lot at 6055-61 Dempster Street. Plan Commission Chairman Ron Farkas presented this case. He noted that, in the printed Plan Commission report, there was a typo in the first sentence. It should read, "On July 17, 2006..." instead of June 17, 2006. Chairman Farkas explained that the applicant in this case is the Village, represented by Planner Bonnie Jacobson. Ms. Jacobsen said that this parking lot is the initial step in the implementation of the Dempster Street Corridor Improvement Plan. It is the first of six proposed parking lots that will ultimately eliminate the on -street parking on Dempster. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL JUNE 26 BOARD MEETING MINUTES APPROVED SWEARING-IN CEREMONY FOR NEW POLICE OFFICER V. VI. Minutes of July 24, 2006 Board Meeting SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) Ms. Jacobson said that the landscaping and lighting for the parking lot will be consistent with the Corridor Master Plan, and that the parking lot was designed for easy and accessible use by patrons. Chairman Farkas said that several of the Commissioners had questions which were answered satisfactorily. The Commission voted unanimously, with 2 absent, to approve the Special Use Request with several conditions, including a landscaping variance.E SERRVICE AWARDS Trustee Minx then moved to accept the report of the Plan Commission, as corrected by Chairman Farkas. The motion was seconded by Trustee Brunner and passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner aye Tr. DiMaria an Tr. Kogstad are Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky absent Tr. Staackmann ave Mayor Krier thanked Chairman Farkas for expediting this report. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) Raymond Solal complained that the Warrant Register is still not available at the Public Library so there is no way residents can participate constructively and comment on the management of the Village. Mr. Solal also complained that having to speak on "agenda items only" at this time was autocratic and felt Mayor Krier was obstructing his freedom of speech. Mr. Solal felt that it was deliberately confusing for the Board to approve the June 26th Board Meeting Minutes before it approved the July 10th Board Meet- ing Minutes. Regarding Ordinance 06-27 (Granting a Special Use Permit to Build a Parking Lot), Mr. Solal wanted to know what the Village's funding sources for this project are. He asked for full specifications and the estimated total cost. Mr. Solal stated that this comments have been edited and distorted per the audio tape of the Village. He asked the Mayor to investigate this instead of looking the other way. VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT Mayor Krier had no report. VIII. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Fritzshall had no report. RESIDENTS EXPRESS CONCERNS RE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT 2 Minutes of July 24, 2006 Board Meeting IX. A. Village Administrator: STAFF REPORTS 1. Mr. Wade reminded the assemblage that a Lehigh -Ferris Workshop was scheduled for Wednesday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Civic Center. 2. Mr. Wade also reminded the assemblage that the next Town Hall Meeting would take place on Monday, July 31, at 7:00 p.m. at the Civic Center. 3. Mr. Wade said he had received a notice from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Mosquito Abatement District that mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus had been found in the Village. He said that mosquito spraying would take place between 8:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 26, weather permitting. 4. Mr. Wade suggested, as a matter of correct sequencing, that the Board consider and vote on Ordinance 06-27 (the ordinance granting a Special Use Permit to build a parking lot on Dempster) before looking at Resolution 06-32 (which awards a contract for demolition of existing buildings on Dempster earmarked for the parking lot). Mayor Krier agreed and thanked Mr. Wade for his suggestion. B. Corporation Counsel: Ms. Liston had no report. X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS A. Trustee Brunner: Trustee Brunner had no report. In order to sequence properly the passage of Ordinance 06-27 and Resolution 06-32, Mayor Krier asked Trustee Kogstad to present his report next. C. Trustee Kogstad: Trustee Kogstad presented for a first reading Ordinance 06-27, Granting a Special Use Permit for the Construction of an Automobile Parking Lot at 6055-61 Dempster Street, Morton Grove, Illinois. Trustee Kogstad then moved, seconded by Trustee Minx, to waive the second reading of this ordinance and asked Village Administrator Wade to explain the reason for this request. MEETING REMINDERS 3 Minutes of July 24, 2006 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) C. Trustee Kogstad: (continued) Mr. Wade said that Village staff was urging the Board to pass this Ordinance tonight in the interest of time. He said the Village wants to get all the demoli- tion completed by fall and passing this Ordinance tonight would move the pro- ject along. Mayor Krier agreed, saying that the Board is anxious for this project to begin. He called for the vote on the motion to waive the second reading. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner gig Tr. DiMaria Tr. Kogstad aye - Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky absent Tr. Staackmann Aya Trustee Kogstad that moved to adopt Ordinance 06-27, seconded by Trustee Staackmann. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner pit Tr. DiMaria Ry2 Tr. Kogstad Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky absent Tr. Staackmann afire Trustee Staackmann told Mr. Solal that he should be pleased that this long- term project to improve the Village, which was started several years ago, can now officially begin. Mayor Krier commented that the Village had received assistance in obtaining the funding for this project from legislators and also from grants. He said it was a whole team effort of the Board and the staff, and thanked everyone. B. Trustee DiMaria: 1. Trustee DiMaria presented Resolution 06-32, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with G & L Contractors, Inc. for the Dempster Street Corridor Improvement Project, 6055-6061 Dempster Building Demolition. Trustee DiMaria said that eight bids had been received for this demolition project, with the lowest bid coming from G & L Contractors, Inc. of Skokie, IL. The estimated contract value is $24,500. The project will be financed by a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Trustee DiMaria moved to approve Resolution 06-32, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Motion passed: 4ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstain, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner Tr. DiMaria abstain Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky absent Tr. Staackmann afire 2. Next, Trustee DiMaria presented Resolution 06-33, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with J.A. Johnson Paving Company for the 2006 Street Improvement Program—Central Avenue. Trustee DiMaria explained that this project, which includes the resurfacing of Central Avenue between Lake Street and Church Street, is necessary to main- tain the quality, drainage, and drivability of the streets, sidewalks, and park- ways in the Village. The estimated contract value is $329,549.75, but since this is a unit price contract, the final amount will be based on the actual quantity of work performed. 4 Minutes of Jul 24, 2006 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) B. Trustee DiMaria: (continued) Trustee DiMaria moved to approve Resolution 06-33, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner gyp. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Kogstad gyp Tr. Minx gye Tr. Senensky absent Tr. Staackmann aye 3. Trustee DiMaria then introduced for a first reading Ordinance 06-26, Authorization to Install Stop Signs on Beckwith Road at its Intersection with Ozark Avenue Within the Village of Morton Grove. Trustee DiMaria moved to waive the second reading in the interest of safety. The motion was seconded by Trustee Brunner and passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Trustee DiMaria said that this request for stop signs, which would make the intersection of Ozark and Beckwith a four-way stop and would improve pedes- trian safety, had been heard at the June and July Traffic Safety Commission meetings. Stop signs had previously been installed there, but they were re- moved as part of the Beckwith Road resurfacing project during 1999 and 2000. Trustee DiMaria moved to adopt Ordinance 06-26, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Trustee Minx said that it is her understanding that there used to be stop signs every couple of blocks along Beckwith. Further, she understood that, when the State helped with the Beckwith Road project, it said the Village had too many and recommended reducing the number of stop signs. She said she could understand the reasoning behind installing these stop signs at Ozark and Beckwith because of the intersection's proximity to Melzer School, but won- dered whether the Village was anticipating going back to the way it had been. Public Works Director Andy DeMonte stated that, in 1999, IDOT had resur- faced Beckwith Road and had removed six stop signs. Thereafter, jurisdiction of Beckwith was transferred to the Village. He said it's the Village's road now so the Village can install stop signs if it chooses to. Trustee Minx said the signs that had been removed had originally been installed at the request of the residents there. Mr. DeMonte agreed and said the Village could probably anticipate similar requests in the future. Trustee Minx said it would be impor- tant to weigh the pros and cons of granting every future stop sign request. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner aye Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky absent Tr. Staackmann ave 5 X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) C. Trustee DiMaria: (continued) 4. Trustee DiMaria next brought forward Resolution 06-34, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with J.A. Johnson Paving Company for the 2006 Street Patching Program. Trustee DiMaria explained that the street patching program provides site- specific repairs on streets in the Village. The estimated contract value is $76,500, but the final contract amount will be based on the actual quantity of work performed. The contract will be funded using MFT funds. Trustee DiMaria moved to approve Resolution 06-34, seconded by Trustee Staackmann. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner aye Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Kogstad ave Tr. Minx aye Tr. Senensky absent Tr. Staackmann Ayg Minutes of July 24, 2006 Board Meeting D. Trustee Minx: Trustee Minx had no formal report, but said she had received word from John Pietron, Chairman of the Economic Development Commission, that Represen- tative Lou Lang is scheduled to attend the August 16th meeting of the Commis- sion. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. on the second floor of Village Hall. The Commission expects to hear more from Rep. Lang about funding for the Dempster Street Corridor Improvement Project. E. Trustee Senensky: Trustee Senensky was absent—no report. F. Trustee Staackmann Trustee Staackmann had no report. XI. OTHER BUSINESS NONE 6 Minutes of July 24, 2006 Board Meeting XII. WARRANTS Trustee Kogstad presented the Warrant Register, which totaled $359,124.05. He moved to approve the Warrants, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Brunner Ays, Tr. DiMaria Ryi Tr. Kogstad ayre Tr. Minx ma Tr. Senensky absent Tr. Staackmann XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS 1. Eric Poders said he had spoken with Economic Development Director Bill Nuendorf and shared some marketing ideas with him. He said he gave Mr. Neuendorf a list of 130-150 businesses. He said he would be visiting other towns' Chambers of Commerce to see what they're doing to stimulate economic development. Mr. Poders reported that four businesses in the Washington Commons Shopping Center are closed, and he just recently learned that Blockbuster will be closing on August 13th. He said the Village's challenge is to bring in businesses, not to see businesses close. He said that Mr. Neuendorf is very communicative and very responsive, and he enjoys working and sharing concepts with him. Mr. Poders said that Senator Ira Silverstein would be holding a Town Hall Meeting at Prairie View Center this Thursday, July 27, and is looking forward to hearing from Morton Grove residents. He encouraged everyone to come and speak their minds. Mr. Poders challenged residents to volunteer to be election judges for the fall election, since the need is so great. Mr. Poders said that he had been unable to attend the July 10th Board Meeting but had watched the video and wondered why the meeting was edited. Mayor Krier said it had not been edited, it was a technical problem. He explained that, when the meeting ran to two tapes, there was sometimes a problem in the spot where the tapes were spliced together. Mr. Poders said it was odd that it was only a problem in certain spots in the meeting, and wondered if the person taping the meeting was "flicking a switch" when certain people spoke or if the meeting was being edited for political reasons. Mayor Krier said that was untrue and took offense to that. Trustee Minx said that this is a big issue that the Board is trying to resolve. Trustee DiMaria pointed out that Craig Karas, who records the meetings, has "tons" of integrity and suggested Mr. Poders get his facts straight. He felt that Mr. Poders—and other residents—should not come to the podium with untrue insinuations. Mr. Poders is in the media business, Trustee DiMaria asked him if he could assist the Village in solving some of these technical problems. Trustee Staackmann told Mr. Poders that he appreciated his attempts to get businesses into Morton Grove and said his concern is why businesses are leaving. Mr. Poders said he would work on gathering that data. He was concerned about the lack of discussion at the Board Meetings and challenged Village residents to come to the meetings, talk to the trustees, voice their opinion, and in general, provide the Board with more input. WARRANTS APPROVED 7 Minutes of July 24, 2006 Board Meetin. XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) 2. Sherwin Dubren said, regarding the taping problems, that it didn't make sense. If the problems are occurring when two 1 -hour tapes are being spliced together, why would there be a problem during the first 15 minutes of the meeting? Mayor Krier said the Village is trying to find out. He reminded Mr. Dubren that there is only one Village computer/technical employee, and it is his responsibility not only to work on the Board Meeting videos, but also to make sure that all the police, fire, and administrative computers are functioning properly. He said that it's possibly a staffing issue, but the Village is working on it. Mr. Dubren said that, two months ago, he had asked Mayor Krier why there was no Board Meeting DVD at the Public Library. He said Mayor Krier was very upset and had assured him he'd find out. Mayor Krier said that was a meeting where there were problems with the DVD and he had requested that the DVD not be put in the library until he was sure that the meeting in its entirety was on it. The Mayor said again that Roger's (the Village's computer/tech person) priority was ensuring that the computers are functional, before the burning of the DVD. The Village Administrator is also aware of this, and is considering possibly adding personnel or changing technologies. Mr. Dubren said if this was a one-time thing, he'd let it go at that, but it's happened more than once, hence his concerns. Mr. Dubren said that, contrary to a statement made by Trustee Minx at the June 26th Board Meeting, the Village does issue ID cards to its Commissioners. He showed the ID card he had received when he first joined the Natural Resources Commission. Mr. Dubren said he felt that the proposed format of the Lehigh -Ferris TIF Workshop would dilute the opinions of the people and would not provide an opportunity for questions and answers. Mayor Krier said nothing is set in stone and said he'd make sure everyone had a chance to provide input. He reminded Mr. Dubren that the Village was not required to have this meeting. It's being held because the Mayor and the Board do want residents' input. Mayor Krier encouraged all to attend. Mr. Dubren thanked him and said he appreciates that the Village is having this workshop. He had some questions on specific properties within the TIF but Mayor Krier declined to respond, saying he did not want to have a lot of speculation in the public arena. Mr. Dubren said that some people have a misconception about TIF Districts that the money is "free". He said it's taxpayer money, not a grant. Mayor Krier agreed that every dollar that is generated is taxpayer money but it's a deeper issue. Mr. Dubren said he felt that, if there's a discussion about building a new library in the TIF, he didn't feel that was the proper location for it. He thought that, if there is going to be a new library, it should be more centrally located in town. Mayor Krier said he could offer that comment at the Workshop. 3. John ThiII approached the Board with two items: (1) He said he had received a call from an Andrew Hoffman. Mr. Thill had never met Mr. Hoffman and wasn't sure how Mr. Hoffman had his phone number, but the reason Mr. Hoff- man was calling was concerning a property on Austin Avenue that has a 150 - year old oak tree on it. That property is currently up for auction, and 8 Minutes of July 24, 2006 Board Meetin • XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) Mr. Hoffman was asking Mr. Thill if the tree could be cut down by someone buying that property. Mr. Thill told him yes, it could, because the Village doesn't want to have jurisdiction over trees on private property. Mr. Hoffman asked Mr. Thill to relay his concerns to the Board because he would be working this evening until 8:30 p.m. (2) Mr. Thill asked if one of the buildings on Dempster Street up for demolition was the former barbershop. Mayor Krier said it was. Mr. Thill said that that building is from the 1933 World's Fair and thought some of the boards in the building might be of interest to the Historical Society. Mayor Krier said he would ask Village Administrator Wade to contact the Historical Society about this prior to the demolition. Trustee Staackmann responded to Mr. Thill, saying, regarding the oak tree on the property on Austin, that the Plan Commission could request that the tree stay there. 4. Raymond Solal said he was glad to see young people involved in the Village and thanked Eric Poders for his interest. Mr. Solal said he was concerned about information and accountability. He said he had talked to the Mayor about the glitches in the Board Meeting video. Mr. Solal said it was very impor- tant that residents attend the Ferris -Lehigh Workshop. He said residents need to know the Village's financial position and its plans for the $10 million bond issue. He asked if the bonds were going to be revenue bonds or government obligation bonds. He said the Village had to secure funding before it could do what it dreams. Mr. Solal said that, after years of his efforts, the Forest Preserve District has finally posted signs by the restoration area—"35 acres of refuge". Mr. Solal asked the Board if there was anything they could do about security there, perhaps install call boxes. He also asked if something could be there for recreational purposes. Regarding the Village's MIS problems, Mr. Solal suggested that the Village fire its current person. He asked for disclosure regarding what kind of AN equip- ment the Village has and how much money would be needed to fix the prob- lems. He also felt his comments were not taken seriously and suggested that Mayor Krier change his legal and political advisors. XIV. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Board, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn the Board Meeting, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner gyp_ Tr. DiMaria Aye Tr. Kogstad aye Tr. Minx gy2 Tr. Senensky absent Tr. Staackmann The Board Meeting adjourned at 9:14 p.m. MEETING ADJOURNED 9 Minutes of July 24, 2006 Board Meetin. PASSED this 28th day of August, 2006. Trustee Brunner Trustee DiMaria Trustee Kogstad Trustee Minx Trustee Senensky Trustee Staackmann • ,!/i 0 .14 r D by me this 28th day of August, 2006. 11"X - Richard Krier, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 29th day of August, 2006. gfite Carol A. Fritzshall, Village Cle Village of Morton Grove Cook County, Illinois Minutes by: Teresa Cousar 10