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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-06-22 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 CENTER JUNE 22, 2009 CALL TO ORDER I. Village Clerk Tony Kalogerakos called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., noting that Mayor Staackmann was "under the weather" and therefore not present. He led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. Pursuant to the Village's Code 16-5, Clerk Kalogerakos asked the Trustees to nominate a President pro -tem to preside over this evening's meeting. Trustee DiMaria moved, seconded by Trustee Thill, to nominate Trustee Marcus to serve as President pro -tem. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye, Tr. ThiII aye Tr. Toth aye Clerk Kalogerakos pointed out that, according to Code, Trustee Marcus would retain his vot- ing rights as a sitting trustee. Trustee Marcus took the President's chair and wished Mayor Staackmann well. II. A formal roll -call was not taken as a formal vote, showing all Trustees present, had already been taken. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Regarding the Minutes of the Special Meeting of May 27, 2009, Trustee Thill moved to accept the Minutes as presented, seconded by Trustee Grear. There was no discussion. Upon the vote, the motion passed unanimously via voice vote. Regarding the Minutes of the June 8, 2009 Regular Meeting, Trustee DiMaria moved, seconded by Trustee Toth, to accept the Minutes as presented. There was no discussion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE Minutes of June 22, 2009 Board Meeting V. SPECIAL REPORTS Presentation of Certificate of Appreciation to Sheldon Fogel, Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Fire Chief Tom Friel and EMA Director John Hill, accompanied by Trustee liaison Bill Grear, presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Sheldon Fogel. Chief Friel noted that the EMA vo- lunteers do a stellar job in helping the Village run smoothly and effectively. They always can be counted on to go over and above the call of duty. EMA Director Hill stated that Mr. Fogel started his volunteer service 29 years ago — back in the day when the volunteers were known as "Civil Defense". Mr. Fogel has volunteered in a number of capacities, i.e., for the Salvation Army, the Village's Mobile Eye, and the North Maine Fire Protection District. The Certificate of Appreciation, presented by Trustee Grear, noted Mr. Fogel's dedication in achieving the rank of Sergeant and his 29 years of service. Mr. Hill presented Mr. Fogel with a plaque on behalf of his EMA colleagues, thanking him for a "job well done". Mr. Fogel thanked the Village for giving him the opportunity to serve. VI. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) Georgianne Brunner. Mrs. Brunner said that she was the volunteer coordinator for the up- coming Morton Grove Days festivities. She wanted to promote the festival, which takes place July 2-4 at Harrer Park and the American Legion Memorial Civic Center. On July 2 and 3, the fest opens at 6pm. Entertainment on July 2 is the Cryan Shames, and on the 3rd, Heartache Tonight (an Eagles tribute band) performs. On Saturday, July 4, the festivities begin with a Chamber of Commerce -sponsored Pancake Breakfast from 8-10am. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children. The carnival opens at noon, and the parade kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Two bands will be performing that evening, and the fireworks display begins at 9:45pm. There will be a raffle drawing at 10:30 for a 42" LCD television donated by Abt. Raffle tickets are $5 each. Every night, there will also be a 50/50 raffle. Mrs. Brunner encouraged everyone to attend Morton Grove Days this year. VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT President pro -tem Marcus proclaimed Saturday, June 27, 2009, as "Chuck Schaden Day" in the Village to honor Chuck Schaden, whose last radio broadcast will be that day. Chuck Schaden is the founding editor and publisher of the Nostalgia Digest and has authored two books. He broadcast his "Those Were The Days" program from a radio station in Morton Grove from 1980 to 1987. Mr. Schaden is also a founding member of the Board of Directors of Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications and is the Midwest's leading radio histo- rian. Mr. Schaden received the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award in 2002 from the Illinois Humanities Council, for keeping the humanities alive through his radio broadcasting. Mr. Schaden's last radio broadcast will be broadcast live from the Morton Grove Civic Center on June 27, 2009 from 1 pm to 5pm. President pro -tem Marcus presented Mr. Schaden with the proclamation, and also noted that his street will be renamed (honorary) as "Chuck Schaden Lane". Mr. Schaden said he was very honored, and it was very nice to be recognized by your home town. He said he was proud that he was doing his last show from Morton Grove. He said he was touched, and thanked everyone "in radioland" on behalf of his wife and family. 2 Minutes of June 22, 2009 Board Meeting VIII. IX. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Kalogerakos had no formal report, but noted that having a street named after him en- sures that Mr. Schaden will never move out of Morton Grove! STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator Mr. Wade announced July 4th parking restrictions would once again be in effect this year. He asked Acting Police Chief Mark Erickson to report on this. Chief Erickson said this is the third year the Village has imposed parking restrictions for the Fourth of July. It's been proven to be a very successful safety plan that provides initial responders access to the streets, in spite of the thousands of people in town attending either the Skokie or the Morton Grove fireworks. The parking restrictions impact the east and south sides of the Park View School neighbor- hood as well as the neighborhood by Niles West. Residents who live in these impacted areas will receive a postcard detailed the parking restrictions, and temporary signage will be in- stalled as well. If anyone has questions, they can call the Police Department non -emergency number, 847-470-5200. B. Corporation Counsel: Ms. Liston had no report. X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS A. Trustee DiMaria: 1. Trustee DiMaria presented Resolution 09-33, Ratifying and Authorizing the Execution of a Change Order to the Professional Services Agreement with McDonough Associates for Engineering & Design Services for the Lehigh/Ferris Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Redevelopment Project Area. Trustee DiMaria said this resolution would ratify a contract with McDonough Associates for the continuation of engineering services in the Lehigh/Ferris TIF District, and would also authorize a change order for landscaping architecture. He said that he believed a workshop and further discussion was necessary before taking a vote, and moved to postpone taking action on this Resolution until the July 27, 2007 Board Meeting. Trustee Thill seconded the motion. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg ly± Tr. Grear Tr. Marcus ave Tr. Thitl ave Tr. Toth aye 2. Trustee DiMaria complimented Public Works Director Andy DeMonte and his staff for their superb clean-up after Friday's storms. 3 Minutes of June 22, 2009 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) B. Trustee Gomberg: 1. Trustee Gomberg presented Ordinance 09-09, Amending Title 2 of the Village of Morton Grove Municipal Code to Add a New Chapter 18, Entitled "Finance Advisory Commis- sion". 2. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. Trustee Gomberg said this Ordinance provides for the appointment of a Finance Advisory Commission, whose duties will be to advise the Corporate Authorities regarding the general long-term and strategic financial direction of the Village; review the Village's capital program and funding sources; review the annual proposed budget; assist the Board in informing resi- dents regarding present and future financial status; and to work with the Finance Director and assist in identifying means to achieve and maintain fiscal stability. This commission shall consist of no Tess than five and no more than seven commissioners who shall be residents of Morton Grove and who, to the extent possible, shall possess training, understanding, interest, experience, or a professional background in financial matters. Trustee Gomberg moved, seconded by Trustee Toth, to approve Ordinance 09-09. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria afire Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear ayes Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill Tr. Toth ky Trustee Thill commented that this is "one of the most important commissions we could put together." Next, Trustee Gomberg presented Ordinance 09-10, An Ordinance Granting an Amend- ment to the Special Use Permit for the Property Located at 8710 Ferris and 8701 Lin- coln Avenue for a Planned Unit Development in the Village of Morton Grove. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. Trustee Gomberg explained that this Ordinance would permit the developer to increase the amount of town homes for this project back to 65 from 64, a change that was allowed with Ordinance 07-07. The approval of this Ordinance will once again formally grant the original amendment to the special use permit granted pursuant to Ordinance 08-58. Trustee Gomberg moved to approve Ordinance 09-10. Trustee Thill seconded the motion. Trustee Toth asked about the mix of units. Corporation Counsel Liston said that 65 town homes is the "original" mix. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aave Tr. Toth 3. Trustee Gomberg announced that the Condominium Association is being revitalized, and will be up and running hopefully by September. He welcomed Mike Isaac, president of the Con- dominium Association. 4 Minutes of June 22, 2009 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) B. Trustee Gomberg: (continued) Mr. Isaac said that he's currently updating the contact list and "spreading the word" so that all condo and town home associations are represented when the Association begins to meet again. Trustee Thill asked him to read the list of condo and townhome associations he currently has. Mr. Isaac responded: Arbors of Morton Grove, Brittany Court, Coventry, Delaine Farm, Edens Point, Ferris Point, Ferris Place, Grove House, Grove Manor, Landmark, Lincoln Terrace, Lotus, Morton Grove Estates (8620, 8630, and 8640—three associations), Morton House Condos, Trafalgar Square, Twin Manors East, Twin Manors West, The Woodlands, and The Crossings. 4. Trustee Gomberg said he concurred with postponing Resolution 09-33 and said he has "se- rious reservations" about adding funds to a contract where over $143,000 has already been spent—with very little to show for it. He felt a workshop to update new Board members on the Lehigh/Ferris project was a good idea, and said that the Board needs to decide where the Vil- lage is going to go with this project, how much it will cost, where the funding will come from, and how it fits in with other projects as far as importance, cost, and public support. The same questions need to be asked for a variety of issues affecting the Village, and these issues need to be prioritized into a short-term and long-term agenda. Projects need to be monitored and modified as needed, but most importantly, they need to be completed. C. Trustee Grear: Trustee Grear had no formal report. He promoted the Chamber's Pancake Breakfast as well, and encouraged all to support it on July 4 between 8am and 10am. He, too, complimented the Public Works Department on their phenomenal response to the storms. Trustee Grear also offered kudos to the Police and Fire Departments and the members of EMA. He thanked them, and said he was honored to be the liaison to the Fire Department and EMA. He said he was very impressed with Chief Friel's leadership ability and said the Village has a fantastic Fire Department. D. Trustee Marcus: 1. Trustee Marcus presented Resolution 09-34, Authorizing a Memorandum of Understand- ing Between the Village of Morton Grove and the American Red Cross of Greater Chi- cago to Provide Disaster Relief Services. Trustee Marcus explained that passage of this resolution and the execution of the memoran- dum of understanding will result in a working relationship between the Village and the Ameri- can Red Cross of Greater Chicago to prepare for and respond to disaster situations and as- sist with emergency response efforts. Trustee Marcus then introduced John Mitchell, the Senior Manager of Governmental Rela- tions for the American Red Cross (ARC) of Greater Chicago. 5 M nutesJo.,f June 22 2009+ 65—iit i eeti i X. D. Trustee Marcus: (continued) 2. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Mr. Mitchell said that ARC is very excited about this partnership. The American Red Cross annually receives about 12,000 calls from the Chicago area and collar counties, mostly fire victims who've been left displaced. He said that typically, the Fire Department will call the Red Cross to get involved. Volunteers then come out to assist with the victims' needs for the next three days and two nights. They'll provide the head of the household with a debit card for a hotel, clothing, etc.—the essentials. The Red Cross volunteers will work with the victims if their displacement is going to be long- term to get them more assistance. Mr. Mitchell said the ARC has working relationships with over 100 communities in the Chicago area. They provide a number of services, including mental health professions to help with family counseling in the event of floods or fires. Red Cross volunteers provided mental health assistance in the aftermath of the shootings at Tinley Park Mall. The ARC can get a shelter up and equipped in one hour; for example, after last year's tornado in Richton Park. They opened a shelter for flood victims in Zion. All of these services are free of charge. The American Red Cross works with corporate and individual donors. Trustee Thill asked Mr. Mitchell if the American Red Cross only goes into communities where they have a memorandum of understanding. He replied, no, that's not the case; but the memo does outline how the ARC coordinates with Morton Grove's public safety staff. Trustee Marcus said he was very appreciative of all of the American Red Cross' services and the fact that there's no charge for these services. He thanked Mr. Mitchell for coming tonight. Trustee Marcus moved, seconded by Trustee Thill, to approve Resolution 09-34. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Trustee Marcus said that the Niles Township Food Pantry will sponsor a "mobile" food pantry featuring fresh produce and other staples, on June 30 from noon to 2pm. It's open to all and is located at 5255 Main Street in Skokie. If anyone needs more information, they should con- tact Jackie Walker -O'Keefe, Director of Family and Senior Services. 3. Trustee Marcus expressed birthday wishes on behalf of the entire board to Trustee Toth (today) and Trustee Gomberg (Friday). Trustee Thill E. Trustee Thill presented Ordinance 09-11, Establishing the Prevailing Rate of Wages for 1. Laborers, Mechanics, and Other Workers in the Village Employed in Performing Construction of Public Works for the Village. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. 6 Minutes of :Juoe 22-; 2009 Boardifif eetii ll X. 2. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Thill: (continued) As stated at the June 8 Board Meeting, approval of this Ordinance is necessary to comply with the requirements of the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Grear, to approve Ordinance 09-11. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Next, Trustee Thill presented Ordinance 09-12, To Amend the Municipal Code to Restrict Parking on Crain Street Between Marmora Avenue and Menard Avenue Within the Village. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. Trustee Thill noted that some confusion had arisen due to the fact that the Traffic Safety Commission had recommended having a Zone 11 parking restriction implemented in this area; but Village staff was recommending a Zone 1 parking restriction, which would prohibit parking between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on school days. Staff felt this restriction would be more effective. Trustee Thill said that the residents in the area have been contacted about this and have agreed to the Zone 1 parking restriction. Trustee Thill moved to approve Ordinance 09-12, seconded by Trustee Toth. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aave Tr. Toth aye Trustee Grear commented that he's getting a little concerned about the many parking restrictions and the many signs posted in the Village. 3. Trustee Thill then brought forward Resolution 09-35, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with Di Meo Brothers, Inc. For the South Pumping Station Feeder Main Valve Replacement. This contract would be for the replacement of four malfunctioning 12 -inch feeder main valves and vaults. The contract amount is $44,500. Trustee Thill moved to approve Resolution 09-35, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria ave Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye 7 X. E. Trustee Thill: (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) 2009 4. Trustee ThiII then presented Resolution 09-36, Authorization to Extend a Contract with Ciorba Group, Inc. And Execute Change Order No. 1 for Professional Engineering Services. This resolution would extend the contract termination date to June 30, 2010. The initial contract included an option for the Village to renew the contract for three additional one-year periods. The contract has been renewed twice so far, and is set to expire on June 30, 2009 unless extended by the Board. The Change Order is necessary to modify Ciorba's hourly rates and make them current. Trustee Gomberg asked if the contract had an additional year on it. Mr. DeMonte said that the Board would be voting on the last renewal period allowed by the contract. The Village will have to go out for bid on engineering services once this last extension expires. Mr. DeMonte explained that Ciorba checks private contractors' plans. Trustee Thill said that having Ciorba for Plan Review augments the Village's engineering department. He added that $12,000 is allocated in the budget for this contract, although the contract itself does not guarantee that the Village will authorize any work. Trustee ThilI moved to approve Resolution 09-36, seconded by Trustee Gomberg. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thillaae Tr. Toth aye 5. Trustee Thill next presented Resolution 09-37, Approving an Extension of a Water Supply Contract with the City of Chicago. He explained that this will extend the Village's water supply contract with the City of Chicago until December 31, 2018. Trustee Thill noted that there's no mention of the rates in this resolution, and he recalled that the Village was going to see an increase in the fee the City charges for water this year, next year, and the year after. Corporation Counsel Liston said that rates are set separately; this resolution just names the Village's water provider. Administrator Wade added that this is basically a continuation of a contract—Morton Grove has had its water supplied by the City of Chicago since 1963. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Gomberg, to approve Resolution 09-37. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. ThiII aye Tr. Toth aye 6. Trustee Thill reminded the assemblage of the Chamber of Commerce's bowling event on Saturday, July 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Classic Bowl. The cost is $20 for two hours of bowling, shoe rental, and pizza. Trustee Thill said he hoped everyone in the community would come out and support this outing for the Chamber. 8 Minutes of June 22, 2009 Board Meeting X. E. Trustee Thill: (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) 7. Trustee Thill noted that it's lawn mowing season, and asked homeowners to refrain from bagging their grass clippings when they mow, and instead, leave them for mulch. He also pointed out that, right now, Groot, the Village's waste hauler and recycling service, hauls leaves away at no charge to the Village. However, their contract is coming up for renegotiation and Trustee Thill said he doubted that the "no charge" would continue. He cautioned residents not to leave grass clippings in the streets; they clog the sewers and ultimately the filtration plants. 8. Trustee Thill said that, last year, the Village received around $45,000—$47,000 because of its recycling program. This year, the amount is down to $7,300, but that isn't a reflection on the amount of recycling residents are doing; it's more due to the economic downturn. F. Trustee Toth: Xl. Trustee Toth had no formal report. OTHER BUSINESS President pro -tem Marcus sought concurrence for the following appointments: Advisory Commission on Aging: Gerry Kansoer (3 -year term) Community Relations Commission: Anton Kovacs (3 -year term) Financial Review Commission: Doug Steinman, Chair (3 -year term) Stephen Worthley (3 -year term) Roy Kogstad (2 -year term) Pat Tennant (2 -year term) Wilma Wendt (1 -year term) Trustee Gomberg moved to concur with these appointments, seconded by Trustee ThiII. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. XII. WARRANTS Trustee Gomberg presented the Warrant Register for June 22, 2009 in the amount of $680,664.33. He moved to accept the Warrants, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Trustee ThiII had a number of questions, most of which Finance Director Ryan Horne noted and said that he would research and get back to the Board with the answers. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria ly± Tr. Gomberg Eys Tr. Grear an Tr. Marcus LyA Tr. Thill ave Tr. Toth 9 Minutes of June 22, 2009 Board Meeting XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS 1. Rudy Firenzic, 7628 Lake. Mr. Firenzic said that he's been coming to meetings for over a year regarding the flooding in his area of town. He reminded the Board that, on March 20, the Village received about 1.5" of rain in a short period of time, with more rain later in the day. He came to the March 23rd Board Meeting and asked the Village to go to the Water Reclamation District and find out why there's flooding. On May 11, he asked the Village to provide this in- formation and was told he'd receive the findings. On June 19, the area again received 1.5" of rain, with another nearly inch of rain later, but this time there was no backup of the sanitary sewer. He was surprised by this and still wants answers. He said he appreciated the time that Public Works staff members have taken with him about this, but he's still looking for an- swers. Mr. DeMonte said that the difference is when the rain is very localized, the water is still able to get out via MWRD. However, in other storms, the rain is over a Targe area and the MWRD is surcharged. The rain on June 19th was very localized; it was not the whole northern Cook County area. Trustee Thill commented that he and Mayor Staackmann had visited a street which was Sko- kie on the east side and Morton Grove on the west side, where the residents had petitioned for an additional manhole because it wasn't carrying the water. The Village of Skokie had put in restrictors and their sewers are a bit higher...so the water from Skokie is coming into Mor- ton Grove's sewers. Trustee Thill said the ironic thing was that the person who had petitioned for the additional manhole has three downspouts carrying water from his roof to his driveway to the street! Water should be discharged into your front or back yard. He asked residents to take note of this and if they see water from someone's downspout discharging into the street, they should notify the Village. Trustee Toth thanked all the Commissioners who were appointed this evening, especially those appointed to the Financial Review Commission. She said that, by volunteering their time and expertise, they were showing their dedication to helping the Village be fiscally re- sponsible. She encouraged all residents to share their talents by volunteering for openings on the various Commissions. 3. Mike Isaac said that, over the weekend, five trees had come down over by Edens Point, doing extensive damage to vehicles. He wondered if the Village was aware of that. Mr. Isaac also had a question. He said his condo association collects assessments, which includes assess- ments for the garbage pickup by Groot. He said that single family homeowners can get their garbage pickup service suspended, but individual condo owners cannot. So the condo own- ers are paying for pickup in spite of the number of vacant and/or foreclosed units. He won- dered if there was any way to submit lists of vacant units and have the owners residing there get reimbursed. Mayor pro -tem Marcus suggested that he contact Corporation Counsel Lis- ton so she could look at the contract and see if there's any possible recourse. Mr. Isaac said these are the types of questions that come up at Condo Association meetings, and noted that the Village is represented, along with Police and Fire Department personnel, so that questions can be asked and answered. 4. Mr. Firenzic said, in response to Mr. DeMonte's answer, that there should be a dual system, rain and sanitary sewers shouldn't be influencing each other. He felt Mr. DeMonte's response was unacceptable. 10 Minutes of June 22, 2009 Board Meeting XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) 5. Trustee DiMaria reiterated his suggestion from the June 8 Board Meeting to have all the de- partment heads sit at the table in front of the dais so they wouldn't have to be constantly com- ing up to the podium to respond to a question and then returning to the back of the room to their seat. 6. Mayor pro -tem Marcus reminded the assemblage that Board Meetings now begin at 7:00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT/EXECUTIVE SESSION There being no further business, Trustee Gomberg moved to adjourn. Trustee Thill seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. The Board Meeting adjourned at 8:26 p.m. PASSED this 13th day of July, 20 Trustee DiMaria Trustee Gomberg Trustee Grear Trustee Marcus Trustee Thill Trustee Toth day of July, 2009. Daniel J. Staackmann, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED it my office this 14 Tony S. Kaloger%s, illage Clerk Village of Morto Grove, Cook County, Illinois day of July, 2009. Minutes by Teresa Cousar 11