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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-06-27 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 27, 2011 CALL TO ORDER I. Village President Dan Staackmann called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. After leading the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance, he directed the Village Clerk to call the roll. II. Village Clerk Tony Kalogerakos called the roll. Present were: Trustees Dan DiMaria, Bill Grear, Shel Marcus, and John Thill. Trustees Larry Gomberg and Maria Toth were absent with notice. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Regarding the Minutes of the Special Meeting of June 13, 2011, Trustee DiMaria moved, seconded by Trustee Grear, to accept the Minutes as presented. There was no discussion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. b. Regarding the Minutes of the June 13, 2011 Regular Meeting, Trustee DiMaria moved, seconded by Trustee Grear, to accept the Minutes as presented. There was no discussion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. IV. SPECIAL REPORTS 1. Presentation of Plan Commission Case PC 11-07. Requesting a Text Amendment to the Unified Development Code in the M2 General Manufacturing District, Along With a Special Use Permit to Allow for an Entertainment Use Within the M2 District at 8220 Austin Avenue. a. Plan Commissioner Steve Blonz presented this report. The applicant is Big City Entertain- ment, requesting a text amendment to the Unified Development Code and a Special Use Permit to allow an entertainment use—a haunted house—at 8220 Austin Avenue. "Fear City" would ''put Morton Grove on the map" in the Chicago area. b. Commissioner Blonz noted that the facility would approximately 39,000 square feet and will feature a customer waiting area with vending services (warmed food, soft drinks, Fear City apparel), possibly supplied by local purveyors, in addition to the primary haunted house entertainment area. The facility would be open a maximum of 30 days during the month of October from 7pm to 11 pm Mondays through Thursdays, and 7pm to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. It will also be open until 12am on October 30 and 31, regardless of what day of the week they fall on. They will charge an entrance fee of between $20–$30 per person. Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin. IV. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) c. Commissioner Blonz said that the proposed text amendment was researched and developed using material from the American Planning Association, noting that the definition was purposely kept general to be flexible enough to address future uses that may wish to locate in the M2 District. The text amendment for "entertainment use" provides that these types of special use will only be allowed in the M2 district. It specifically excludes any type of adult use, gambling, or intertrack wagering facility. d. Commissioner Blonz said the applicant was projecting possible attendance of 20,000 over the Halloween holiday period, an average of up to 1,000 attendees per day. The proposed customer base will be regional, with many visitors from other communities. No one under age 12 will be permitted. Traffic and parking will be monitored by on-site parking attendants and off-duty police officers. There are over 250 parking spaces available on the site itself, and parking agreements have been reached with adjacent property owners to the north and south, allowing a parking capacity of 400 cars. Parking will be free. e. Several concerned individuals spoke at the Plan Commission hearing. One person felt that this was a good reuse of industrial space. Others had concerns about teenagers, property damage, parking problems, volume of visitors, underage drinking/substance abuse, trespass- ing, noise, and traffic. f. It was felt by the Commission and the applicant that the relatively high admission price will reduce negative elements by making this site a "destination." Thus there will not be as much pass -by traffic, and external issues such as criminal activity will be less likely to occur. Fear City will emphasize good neighbor relations: its parking attendants will monitor traffic and parking locations and will redirect people from parking in adjacent residential areas to parking on-site or in available lots. Vehicle occupancy will be higher for visitors to this site, as this type of business is typically seen as a destination for group outings. The traffic volume is spread out over several weeks and several hours each evening the business is open. Fear City will clean up the site on a nightly basis to maintain a clean appearance and optimal site conditions. g. Commissioner Blonz reported that the Commission voted 6-0 (with one absent) in favor of recommending approval of the proposed Text Amendment. The Commission also voted 6-0 (with one absent) in favor of recommending approval of the Special Use Permit. Mayor Staackmann asked if there were any questions from the Board. h. Trustee Marcus noted this business is there specifically for the Halloween season, but wondered if employees would be on-site, perhaps building sets or developing other business, the rest of the year. Mr. Blonz said the site will not be open except for the month of October. However, company personnel may be on-site from time to time in preparation for the opening. Most of the time, the space will function as storage or warehousing space. They did not present any plans for any other business. i. Trustee Marcus asked about plans for ingress and egress. Mr. Blonz said plans indicated that the attendees would be entering from the north; a holding area will be available. Trustee Grear said he was at a Traffic Safety Commission meeting and, regarding the eleven months of vacancy, said that at that hearing, the company indicated they would use the space as storage, and had no plans to do anything for any other holiday. j. 2 Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin. IV. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) k. Trustee Thill complimented Fear City for anticipating questions that would be asked and hav- ing the answers ready. He said they did a very professional job. Trustee Marcus moved to accept the Plan Commission's report. Trustee Thill seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. V. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE VI. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) Eric Poders. Mr. Poders was speaking about PC 11-07. He felt it was a very positive thing for the Village and said he had done a lot of research on Fear City and found it to be a "top-notch" team. He felt the Economic Development Commission should have a subcommittee meet with Fear City before it opens, to possibly work on the traffic flow to direct traffic down Austin to Dempster. He also said it would be a mistake for people to speak negatively about this, and applauded the Board for accelerating this case. One question he had was what amusement tax would be charged. With the projected number of attendees, an amusement tax would definitely have a fiscal impact. Mr. Poders also com- mented that Fear City is already demonstrating that it's a good neighbor, by its support of the Chamber of Commerce at their golf outing. VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT 1. Mayor Staackmann asked for concurrence to appoint the following: a. • Traffic Safety Commission: Theresa Sorensen Trustee Thill moved to concur, seconded by Trustee Marcus. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. b. • Natural Resources Commission: Dan Ashta Trustee Marcus moved to concur, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. c. • Economic Development Commission: Thomas Fa'anunu Trustee Thill moved to concur, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. Mayor Staackmann asked for a motion to reappoint David Conrad to the Natural Resources Commission, noting that Mr. Conrad is a true professional and a great asset to that Commission. Trustee Marcus so moved. seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill Aye Tr. Toth absent 3 Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin. VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT (continued) 3. Mayor Staackmann then requested a motion to appoint Village Administrator Joe Wade as Building Commissioner until December 31, 2011, or until a new Building Commissioner is qualified and approved. Trustee Thill made the motion, seconded by Trustee Marcus. Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus ave Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth absent 4. Mayor Staackmann presented Ordinance 11-25, Amending Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 9 Entitled "Liquor Control" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove. He noted that this is the second reading of this ordinance and asked for a motion to adopt it. Trustee Marcus so moved. seconded by Trustee Thill. Trustee Grear asked if holding a caterers' license allows the holder to serve at an unlimited number of parties. Corporation Counsel Liston said the caterers' license allows the holder to sell alcoholic beverages to patrons not on their site. It's good for the whole year. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear are Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth absent 5. Mayor Staackmann thanked Public Works, Police, Fire, and EMA personnel for the outstanding way they handled the storm of last Tuesday. He was very proud that, even though the storm hit at 9:00 p.m., the Village's streets were open and cleared of debris by 10:30 p.m. He said that many complaints were received. but they mostly had to do with the number of power outages in town. ComEd was doing its best, but they had their hands full with over 400.000 people without power. The mayor said he hoped all the bad weather was behind us. He also thanked the Village Hall staff for manning the phones and being so responsive. Unfortunately, this was not declared a disaster, so there will be no FEMA reimbursement for any of the costs the Village incurred in this storm. 6. Mayor Staackmann wished everyone a good, safe, 4'h of July and encouraged everyone to come out and enjoy the Morton Grove Days festivities—the best celebration on the North Shore. VIII. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Kalogerakos had several announcements: There will be a ribbon -cutting ceremony at 2:00 p.m. on July 4 honoring the completion of the Dempster Street improvements. Local, state, and federal officials have been invited to be present, and all residents are welcome The Chamber of Commerce is looking for sponsors for their "Concert in the Park" on July 12 at Harrer Park. Please contact the Chamber if interested in being a sponsor. 4 Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin VIII. CLERK'S REPORT (continued) 3. The second Dempster Street Redevelopment Ideas Workshop will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13, at the Civic Center. 4. Kappy's and the Economic Development Commission will be holding an antique car show at 6:00 p.m. on July 14 at Kappy's. There will also be a car show on August 11. 5. Lastly, Morton Grove Days begins this Friday, everyone is encouraged to attend. IX. STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator 1. Mr. Wade reiterated the Clerk's announcement about the Dempster Street Redevelopment Ideas Workshop. Next, Mr. Wade presented Public Works Director Andy DeMonte to give a status report on Dempster Street. a. Mr. DeMonte said that Dempster was slowly coming to completion. The original schedule had called for it to be finished by November 2010, but weather and strike related delays caused postponements. It will not be 100% complete by July 4, not only because of weather, but because the Illinois Department of Transportation ordered the Village to "cease destructive work in the roadway" around the middle of June, due to budgetary concerns. The Village was at the point in the project where the next step would have been to raise the manholes. Mr. DeMonte said that, under the surface right now is about 180 manholes and catch basins that have to be raised, which would have left a 3" or 4" rise, which would have jeopardized the Fourth of July Parade. He added that he wasn't sure yet whether the State has approved IDOT's budget so work would probably not begin again until after the 4th. b. Mr. DeMonte said the streetscape work continues but is about 85% complete. Several things remain to be done, including installing the hanging flower baskets on the light poles, the installation of light pole bases on the north side of Dempster, newsbox coral installation, stamping of crosswalks, and permanent striping. The anticipated completion date for Dempster Street is now July 19. c. Trustee Thill commented that he is "not excited" about the quality of the trees planted, the species' chosen, and how they were planted. Mr. DeMonte said that a walk-through will be done to ensure that everything has been done to specifications, and if it has not, it will be. d. Trustee Marcus congratulated Mr. DeMonte. saying that he thought, when driving down Dempster earlier today, that it looked great! He felt there would be no problems for the parade. Next. Mr. Wade asked Mr. DeMonte and Fire Chief Tom Friel to give a status report about last Tuesday's storm. a. Mr. DeMonte said the storm hit around 8:30 p.m. and he had crews out on the streets by 9:15 p.m. There were many downed trees and branches, as well a number of power outages. Crews concentrated on barricading downed power lines and opening streets and alleys so 5 Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin IX. STAFF REPORTS (continued) A. Village Administrator: (continued) that emergency vehicles could get through. The crews were sent home at 1:00 a.m. and directed to return by 7:00 a.m. Mr. DeMonte reported that the Village's two pumping stations and the Public Works garage also lost power, but luckily emergency generators kept every- thing going. b. The greatest volume of calls Public Works and Village Hall received had to do with power outages and people wanting to know when their power would be back on. Mr. DeMonte said that, unfortunately, Public Works has no control over that and no way of knowing when that will be. They are not privy to any information other than what a resident who's lost power would get when they call ComEd. He said it was a good rule of thumb to always contact the appropriate utility company when that particular utility isn't working. c. By Wednesday morning, Public Works had secured the outlot of Menards as a place to put all the trees and branches. Mr. DeMonte expressed gratitude for Menards for allowing this use of their outlot. By Saturday morning, crews had gone through the entire town once. Residents can still move branches to the parkway to get them picked up, by only until July 1. The tree crew has to date removed 30 damaged trees, with another 5-8 remaining. The Village contracted with Homer Industries to remove the brush and debris from the Menards outlot. That removal will cost between $15,000—$20,000. Mr. DeMonte estimated that the storm's total cost to the Village will be over $100,000. One workers comp claim arose from the storm. d. Fire Chief Toni Friel said he viewed the storm from an emergency response standpoint as a success. He said that, at 8:30 p.m. EMA Director John Hill and his crew, a number of whom are certified weather spotters, were assisting with the Concert in the Park. John made the decision to recommend cutting the concert short and moving the people out of the park area. Eight minutes later, a tornado warning was issued, noting that a severe thunderstorm capable of producing tornados, was moving through the area. At 8:50 p.m., at Fire Station 4, a maximum sustained wind of 66mph was recorded. That was the leading edge of the weather event. e. Chief Friel said that the storm resulted, as Mr. DeMonte indicated, in a number of downed power lines, transformers blown off poles, and numerous fallen trees and large limbs. The Police, Fire, and EMA began to scramble. From 8:50 p.m. til the next morning, the Fire Department ran 43 calls, mostly power lines and power failures. EMA was on the street through the entire next day assisting with everything from barricading power lines to handling traffic at Oakton and Lehigh, where the train gates had become inoperable. f. Mayor Staackmann asked the chief to expand on EMA. Chief Friel said that EMA evolved from ESDA, which evolved from the Civil Defense unit. It is a completely volunteer organiza- tion headed by John Hill. There are currently 20 active members who have all been trained and are available on a moment's notice. EMA provides valuable assistance to the Police and Fire Departments. g. Trustee Marcus noted that John Hill is always looking for volunteers. h. Mayor Staackmann said that, while people were inconvenienced to some degree, especially if they had lost power, all in all, the Village is very lucky to have the public service personnel it has. Other towns had streets still closed even as late as 3:00 p.m. the next day. 6 Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin IX. STAFF REPORTS (continued) A. Village Administrator: (continued) i. Trustee Marcus said he knows that losing electrical power can make a person feel helpless and frustrated. He encouraged people to do a better job of preparing for such incidents by having candles and flashlights (with functioning batteries) available. It's easier to get through an emergency if you're prepared. j. Trustee Marcus also thanked Village Administrator Wade for keeping the Board up to date throughout the event. He said the constant communication was very much appreciated. k. Mayor Staackmann pointed out that Mr. Hill puts on a disaster -preparedness seminar annually. It's advertised at the Village Board meetings, on MGTV, and on the Village's website. In 2011, it was held in March at the Civic Center. He agreed that people should plan to attend. 3. Mr. Wade wished everyone a happy Fourth of July. B. Corporation Counsel: Corporation Counsel Liston had no report. X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS A. Trustee DiMaria: Trustee DiMaria had no formal report, but offered kudos to the John Hill and the EMA volunteers and to Mr. DeMonte and the Public Works personnel for an outstanding job last Tuesday. He also gave a shout -out to his wife and children in attendance this evening. B. Trustee Gomberq: Trustee Gomberg was absent—no report. C. Trustee Grear: 1. Trustee Grear presented for a first reading Ordinance 11-28, An Ordinance to Amend the Village of Morton Grove 2011 Budget to Account for Revenues/Expenditures From the 2011 Morton Grove Days Festival. He explained that, subsequent to the adoption of the 2011 Budget, the Village assumed responsibility for the planning and management of the 2011 Morton Grove Days festival. This budget amendment will account for and incorporate the proposed expenses/revenues into the Village's General Fund. The net effect of this amendment is anticipated to have no impact on the Village's fund balance, since revenues are projected to meet all expenses for the event. 7 Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) C. Trustee Grear: (continued) 2. Trustee Grear said he hoped to see all the residents come out to Morton Grove Days, which starts Friday night and runs until after the fireworks on July 4th D. Trustee Marcus: 1. Trustee Marcus presented Ordinance 11-20, Amending Title 5, Chapter 7 of the Village of Morton Grove Municipal Code Entitled "Abandoned, Inoperable, Hazardous, and Unlawful Vehicles." This is the second reading of this Ordinance. Trustee Marcus explained that the Police Department has reviewed and wishes to clarify Village laws and procedures regarding the disposal of unclaimed towed vehicles so it is consistent with the Illinois Vehicle Code. Trustee Marcus moved to adopt Ordinance 11-20, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Trustee Thill asked if a car sitting with a flat tire for several weeks would be considered an inoperable car. He also wondered if vehicles were allowed to park blocking a sidewalk. He was assured that a parked vehicle blocking a sidewalk was a violation, and a car with a flat tire sitting for several weeks was also a violation. Mayor Staackmann called for the vote on Ordinance 11-20. Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth absent 2. Trustee Marcus next presented Ordinance 11-22, 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 Marcus explained that the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act requires contractor and subcontractor to pay laborers, workers, and mechanics employed on public works projects no Tess than the general prevailing rate of wages as established by the Village. "Public works" is defined to mean all fixed works constructed by any public body or paid for wholly or in part out of public funds. Each year, during the month of June, the Act requires the Village to investigate and ascertain the prevailing rate of wages. Trustee Marcus moved to adopt Ordinance 11-22, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth absent 8 Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) D. Trustee Marcus: (continued) 3. Next, Trustee Marcus presented Ordinance 11-24, Amending Title 5, Chapter 13, Article F, Section 4 of the Municipal Code Entitled "Restricted Parking Streets." This is the second reading of this Ordinance. Trustee Marcus explained that the Traffic Safety Commission reviewed a request to establish parking restrictions on Ferris Avenue between Lincoln and Capulina Avenue to allow on -street parking during off-peak travel times on Ferris to provide additional parking for a business and residents. The Commission made a two-part recommendation on this request. The on -street parking during off-peak travel times will be considered by the Board as part of a separate action. The other part of the issue is updating the parking restrictions to match the intended design of the recent construction improvements on Ferris. Current, parking is allowed on the west side of Ferris from a point 75 feet north of the centerline of Lincoln Avenue to the center- line of Capulina. The recent construction improvements on Ferris near the intersection of Lin- coln include a long right -turn bay where on -street parking was formerly allowed. To allow on - street parking on Ferris near the Lincoln Avenue intersection will hinder southbound traffic moving through the intersection, so the Traffic Safety Commission's recommendation is to amend the parking restrictions to allow the intersection to operate as intended in its improved design. Trustee Marcus moved to adopt Ordinance 11-24, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth absent 4. Trustee Marcus then brought forward Resolution 11-31, Authorization for the Purchase of a New Trailer Mounted Drum Type Brush Chipper (Morbark Model M18R). He explained that this will replace a 10 -year old Morbark Model 13 (125 hp) brush chipper that no longer meets the dependability needs of the Forestry Division. $62,000 has been budgeted for replacement of this equipment. The purchase price will be $47,590, well under budget. Trustee Marcus commented that he had met with Mr. DeMonte about this and learned that it is a sorely -needed item that will definitely be put to good use. Trustee Marcus moved to approve Resolution 11-31, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill Tr. Toth absent 5. Trustee Marcus said he wanted to publicly thank Mr. DeMonte and his staff, Chief Friel and the Fire Department personnel, Chief Erickson and the Police Department personnel, and Mr. Hill and the EMA volunteers. He said these people all have such a commitment to this community, residents need to be aware of that. Morton Grove is blessed to have them. 6. Trustee Marcus wished everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday. He hoped people would stop by and see him in the Information Booth on the carnival grounds. 9 TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) E. Trustee Thill: Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin Trustee Thill presented Ordinance 11-23, Granting a Special Use Permit to Allow a Physical Fitness Facility at the Property Located at 7300 Dempster. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. Trustee Thill said that this is pursuant to the Plan Commission case reported out at the June 13, 2011 meeting. Trustee Thill moved to adopt Ordinance 11-23, seconded by Trustee Marcus. Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth absent 2. Next, Trustee Thill presented Resolution 11-32, Authorizing the Execution of a Professional Services Agreement By and Between the Village of Morton Grove and T.P.I. Building Code Consultants, Inc. For Plan Review and Inspectional Services. Trustee Thill moved to approve Resolution 11-32, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Trustee Thill said he was involved with the interviews of various organizations seeking this contract and he was extremely impressed with TPI's presentation and personnel. Mayor Staackmann said this is a great opportunity for the Village to expand its opportunities via these types of public/private partnerships. They will help streamline costs, and provide an outside non -biased opinion on code enforcement and plan review. This contract runs through 2014. This type of arrangement has worked well in other communities. TPI personnel are all very capable and fully certified. a. c. Trustee Marcus noted that a representative of TPI was in the assemblage and asked them to come forward. d. Steve Tishny said that TPI Building Code Consultants started 14 years ago when his father retired from being a firefighter. He became a temporary plumbing inspector. Currently TPI works for about 30 municipalities, doing everything from just one or two inspections a year to doing all the inspections, as in the cases of Mount Prospect and Lincolnwood. TPI prides itself on its customer service; they do everything possible to minimize complaints from customers. They are strict and knowledgeable, and will enforce the Village's ordinances. Their services are customized to each municipality, and they are available any time. There being no further discussion, Mayor Staackmann called for the vote. Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria are Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye, Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth absent 3. Trustee Thill then presented fora first reading Ordinance 11-26, Amending the Village of Morton Grove Unified Development Code, Sections 12-4-4E and 12-17-1 to AIIow Entertainment Uses as Special Uses in the M2 General Manufacturing District. 10 Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meeting TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) E. Trustee Thill: (continued) He explained that, based on review of zoning requirements from other communities surveyed by the American Planning Association (APA), Village staff determined that allowing entertain- ment as a special use in the M2 zoning district would be reasonable, and would provide opportunities for reuse of industrial areas. Special use review is warranted because of the unique operations of entertainment uses, which usually have different hours and parking needs than most typical M2 uses. This text amendment includes a provision prohibiting alcohol at such facilities. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 11-26. 4. Lastly, Trustee Thill introduced fora first reading Ordinance 11-27, Granting a Special Use Permit to Allow an Entertainment Use at the Property Located at 8220 N. Austin. This is pursuant to Plan Commission Case 11-07, and would allow applicant Big City Entertainment, LLC to open and operate an entertainment use known as Fear City, subject to certain conditions, including improvements to the parking lot, and days and hours of operation. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 11-26. F. Trustee Toth: Trustee Toth was absent—no report. XI. OTHER BUSINESS NONE XII. WARRANTS In the absence of Trustees Toth and Gomberg, Trustee DiMaria presented the Warrant Register for June 27. 2011 in the amount of $452,805.95. He moved to accept the Warrants, seconded by Trustee Grear. Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria afire Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill Lys Tr. Toth absent XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS Lenore Pearson. Ms. Pearson lives on Newcastle and has two cats. She recently learned of the significant changes the Village made to its animal licensing program. She didn't under- stand why the Village needs an animal licensing program. She thought perhaps it had been established to address certain problems and wondered if those problems still existed. She said that she's very unhappy about it, because it makes owning animals in Morton Grove so expensive. Pet owners already pay yearly Cook County tags fees, and the Village has already increased vehicle sticker and trash fees. Property taxes and gas prices continue to rise. 11 Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin. XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) Ms. Pearson felt that continued raising of fees and taxes sent a message that elected officials were out of touch with their constituents. She said, "the good economic times are over, and taxpayers cannot continue to fund everything." She felt that if the animal control program was vital for the health and safety of the entire community, it was not fair to single out pet owners to pay for it. She encouraged the Board to consider discontinuing the program or at least go back to the less expensive fee schedule. Mayor Staackmann said that Ms. Pearson is correct in stating that the good economic times are over. He explained that the Board has had to make many hard decisions, but it is committed to the basic principles of protecting life, property, and health. This requires main- taining a police department, a fire department, and a public works department. Unfortunately, a lot of programs have been cut because of funding. Funding from the state, county, and federal government is gone. One hard decision the Board made was to cut the animal control officer from the budget. Many residents complained, in person and via email, and requested the animal control officer and program be reinstated. The only way the Village could afford to do that was to have pet owners pay for it. Mayor Staackmann said that it wouldn't be fair for those who don't have pets to have to pay the cost of picking up a lost pet or stray animal. There is also a cost involved in boarding cats and dogs (while seeking the owners), and in having them euthanized. Morton Grove has had animal licensing in place for many, many years. Mayor Staackmann said he has a dog license from 1906. The animal control program has, in the past, cost the Village a lot of money. To raise real estate taxes to maintain animal control for people who don't have animals isn't right. Having a pet is a choice. The Village now has a professional on board and is able to respond to the calls. The Village has also organized a volunteer network to help. Mayor Staackmann said that several years ago, the animal control ordinance was revised. At that time, there was a $1.5M surplus in the budget and $1.5M less in expenditures. Today, the Village is still down a police officer, and down several people in public works. The Village's equipment is aging—in fact, the snowplow fleet is about 10-12 years old. Eric Poders. Mr. Poders said, speaking of revenue, that he was recently charged 12.5% tax when using a coupon at a CVS store in Lincolnwood. He thought there should be a sub- committee to investigate coupons, possibly with the Northwest Municipal Conference. He thought there might be some revenue opportunities—possibly pre-tax or after tax—with regard to coupon redemption. He suggested the Village investigate what's being collected at retail establishments. XIV. ADJOURNMENT/EXECUTIVE SESSION Trustee DiMaria moved to adjourn the Meeting. Trustee Marcus seconded the motion. Motion passed: 4 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg absent Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. ThiII m Tr. Toth absent The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m. 12 Minutes of June 27, 2011 Board Meetin. PASSED this 11th day of July, 2011. Trustee DiMaria Trustee Gomberg Trustee Grear Trustee Marcus Trustee Thill Trustee Toth APPROVE 7 day of July, 2011. Daniel J. Sta.ckmann, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED ,,ltFILED in Ap ��" . Kalogera. o•. illage Clerk i lage ort rove, Cook County, Illinois y of July, 2011. Minutes by: Teresa Cousar 13