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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-13-2020 ApprovedMINUTES 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 JANUARY 13, 2020 CALL TO ORDER I — Village President Dan DiMaria convened the Regular Meeting of the Village Board at 7:00 p.m. in V. the Council Chambers of Village Hall. He then led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. VI. Village Clerk Eileen Harford called the roll. Present were: Trustees Bill Grear, Rita Minx, Ed Ramos, John Thill, Connie Travis, and Janine Witko. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Trustee Minx moved to accept the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting of November 25. 2019 as presented, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. VII. Trustee Thill then moved to accept the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting of December 9, 2019 as presented, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. VIII. SPECIAL REPORTS 1. Announcement of Fall Photo Contest Winners ("Faces of Morton Grove" a. Mayor DiMaria introduced Gia Schultz, a member of the Community Relations Commission, to announce the winners of the Commission's Fall Photo Contest. b. Commissioner Schultz thanked the Mayor and acknowledged fellow Commissioner Bob Burkhart, also in attendance tonight. She explained that the Commission is an all -volunteer entity whose mission is to foster, encourage, and promote positive relations among all Morton Grove residents of all races, creeds, national origins, and economic and educational levels. c. The Commission assists the Village as greeters and distributes information about the Village at Neighborhood Outreach events and the Community Artists Performances. The Commission promotes the Free Little Library program and hosts a little library in front of Village Hall in collaboration with the Morton Grove Library. The Commission also hosts the Village's annual Community Garage Sale and a summer and winter "Adopt A Planter" program. d. The Commission also promotes and judges the Village's quarterly photo contest. Residents are encouraged to send photos of people, places, and activities in Morton Grove. The Fall photo contest theme was "Faces of Morton Grove." Ms. Schultz thanked all who participated and noted the Commission received many interesting pictures. Minutes of Janua 13, 2020 Board Meeting VIII. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) e. Commissioner Schultz said that the winners are Mike Janssen, Scott DeBasilio, Sue Braubach, and an "anonymous" entry. Zainab Ahmed was the winner from the student category and also the overall winner of the contest. She and the assemblage thanked and applauded the winners present this evening. f. Ms. Schultz said that the Commission's Winter 2020 photo contest runs from January 1, 2020 through March 31st. There is no specific theme for this contest. All Morton Grove residents can submit up to 5 entries. Photos can be emailed to CRCs mortongroveil.ora or dropped off at or mailed to Village Hall. Winning photos will be announced at the April 13th Village Board meeting. All winning photos are enlarged and framed and displayed at Village Hall. Ms. Schultz said the Commission is always looking for additional community -minded residents to join them. The Commission meets monthly on the second Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the second floor Conference Room at, Village Hall, and the next Commission meeting is tomorrow night. Anyone interested in joining can attend the meeting or contact Trustee Connie Travis or the Commission chair, Arcelia Pimentel. h. Mayor DiMaria thanked Commissioner Schultz and the other members of the Commission for doing a fine job of bringing Morton Grove residents together. He acknowledged one of the photo contest winners. Mike Janssen, who works at WGN-TV, and thanked him for participating. 2. Plan Commission Case PC 19-06 Requesting Text Amendments to the Villaae's Unified Development Code Relative to Impermeable Surfaces in Residential Districts and Accessory Structures and Yards. g. Land Use Planner Zoe Heidorn presented this case to the Board. a. Ms. Heidorn said the proposed Text Amendments were considered by the Plan Commission at three public hearings held in September, October, and November. The Plan Commission unanimously recommended that the Village Board approve the text amendments. b. The Unified Development Code currently regulated accessory structures through Sections 12-2-5 and 12-2-6; however, the Village is requesting text amendments to those sections to provide better control over accessory structures, including temporary structures. .The amendments will also improve clarity for Code users and administrators, and provide property owners with greater flexibility by permitting "common" attached accessory structures currently not included in the Code. c. The proposed amendments to accessory structure regulations will reduce impermeable lot cov- erage by clarifying coverage restrictions and providing greater site control over at -grade struc- tures, such as driveways and sidewalks. Impermeable surfaces directly affect the volume and quality of water runoff from a site, with greater impermeable coverage resulting in higher volume and lower quality runoff. Greater control over impermeable surface coverage will improve the Village's ability to preserve stormwater infrastructure, improve the quality of storm water runoff, reduce flooding, and protect adjacent properties. At the request of the Plan Commission, an overall impermeable lot coverage restriction for residentially zoned property was added to the proposed text amendment. d. Proposed revisions to the Fencing section of the Code are intended to provide greater flexibility in fence height and style for properties with street side yards, while maintaining the look and feel of open yards along the streetscape. The revisions are in response to a relatively high number of 2 Minutes of Janua 13, 2020 Board Meetin VIII. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) Variation Applications submitted for waivers to street side yard fence requirements. A proposed requirement for sight line triangles at all vehicular intersections, and not just within street side yards, will improve pedestrian and vehicular safety across the Village. 3. Plan Commission Case PC 19-10 Requesting a Special Use Permit for "Automotive Repair (Oil Changes, Tires, Brakes, Auto Glass. and Other Mechanical Items Only)" in the C-1 General Commercial District, in Accordance with Section 12-4-3:D of the Village of Morton Grove Unified Development Code. Land Use Planner Zoe Heidorn presented this case to the Board. a. She said that the Applicant, Matthew Schubert of MTS Investments, LLC, and the Owner, Kushner Management Co., Inc., had filed a complete application for approval of a Special Use Permit for automotive repair (as noted above) for the property located at 6100 Dempster Street, the northwest corner of Dempster Street and Meade Avenue. The subject property is the former location of a Merlin's automotive repair facility, which vacated the property in 2018. The auto repair facility, ProAuto, will be operated by H & S Enterprises, LLC and managed by partial owner Leroy Hardegree, a master mechanic. This is a new business with no existing locations. However, Mr. Hardegree has over 20 years of experience in automotive repair in Evanston and Northbrook. The proposed business will operate with two staff members initially, but plans to increase employment to five staff members over time. b. The existing building contains five automotive repair bays, a work storage area, and an office and waiting area with restrooms. With the exception of minor interior and exterior cosmetic improvements and new signage, no physical changes are proposed. The Applicant proposed that approximately four to five passenger vehicles will be serviced at any given time within the automotive bay areas, and the overnight storage of vehicles under repair will occur within the interior service bays. Under the Special Use Permit, ProAuto will be limited to mechanical repairs only, as automotive body repair is a prohibited use in the C1 District. Hours of operation will be from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturday by appointment only. c. There were no public comments at the Plan Commission hearing, and the Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend the Village Board approve this Special Use Permit request. IX. X. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) NONE 3 Minutes of January 13, 2020 Board Meeting XI. 1. PRESIDENT'S REPORT Mayor DiMaria welcomed Park District Executive Director Jeff Wait and Park District Commissioners Paul Minx and Keith White to tonight's meeting. 2. Mayor DiMaria stated the Village cares about the environment and presented to the Board Resolution 20-04 Endorsing the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus' Greenest Region Compact. This Resolution serves as the Village's formal endorsement of the Greenest Region Compact and authorizes the Village Administrator to provide a preliminary framework for a sustainability plan for the Village. a. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus provides a forum for Mayors and their communities to take leadership roles to foster environmental stewardship, from energy efficiency and water conservation to urban forestry and clean air. The Caucus created the Greenest Region Compact ("GRC') to build on important environmental initiatives already underway in the region and to address environmental sustainability issues at the local level. The goals of the GRC include enhancing the quality of life for residents; protection and stewardship of the environment; and sustainable economic vitality. The GRC provides a framework and additional resources for communities to create sustainability plans and assess their efforts to implement their plans. Trustee Witko moved to approve Resolution 20-04, seconded by Trustee Grear. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear Tr. ThiII kyl Rya Tr. Minx Tr. Travis Eya Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Witko aye b. Trustee Thill commented that he had read through the report, and realized that the Village has been doing just about everything in the report already. He said he appreciates the people who came out on behalf of this initiative. 3. Next, Mayor DiMaria offered a big thank you to the Morton Grove Fire Department and to the Morton Grove Police: Department for their holiday charitable outreach. The Firefighters' Association held a food drive that ended up supporting 60 local families with a holiday meal and a basket of food items. And 149 children received a gift -wrapped item. The Police Department held its annual "Toys for Tots" drive, resulting in 15 boxes of toys being donated to this US Marine Corps Reserve program. a. Mayor DiMaria also reminded residents that Groot will continue to pick up Christmas trees on the curb until January 15th. 4. Mayor DiMaria emphasized the importance of participating in the 2020 Census. It has a direct impact on the amount of federal funding a community can receive. He said that, beginning in March, residents will have the opportunity to participate in the Census online, by phone, or by mail. April 1St is considered "Census Day" and by this date, every home will have received (by mail) an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. During May, the Census Bureau will begin visiting homes that have not responded to the 2020 Census to make sure that everyone is counted. 4 Minutes of January 13, 2020 Board Meeting XII. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Harford announced to the assemblage that everyone can apply online for a mail ballot application for the upcoming Suburban Cook County Presidential Primary Election on March 17, 2020, or people can pick up paper copies of the mail ballot application at Village Hall. Both the paper applications and online applications must be completed and returned by Thursday, March 12, 2020. Paper applications should be returned to: Cook County Clerk's Office, Mail Voting Unit, 69 W. Washington Street, Room 500, Chicago, IL 60602. XIII. STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator: Mr. Czerwinski had no report this evening. B. Corporation Counsel: Corporation Counsel Liston had no report this evening. XIV. A. Trustee Grear: 1. TRUSTEES' REPORTS Trustee Grear presented Ordinance 19-27, Approving a Special Use Permit for a Mixed -Use Development (Commercial and Residential Uses) at 5711 Dempster Street, Morton Grove, Illinois. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. a. Trustee Grear explained that the Applicant, Andrew Choi, and the owners, Yong Man Choi and Yun OK Choi, had previously received a Special Use Permit for mixed use development in March of 2018, but because no building permit was issued for improvements of the property in accordance to that Special Use Permit, and no certificate of occupancy was obtained within one year of the Special Use Permit being granted, it expired on March 26, 2019. b. Because they are now seeking renewal of that Special Use Permit, the Village required them to return to the Plan Commission and Board of Trustees to reauthorize the Special Use Permit, with some minor modifications recommended by staff (described below). c. One of the conditions of the Special Use Permit issued in 2018 was a condition that a fire alarm system be installed. Subsequently, the Fire Department determined that automatic fire sprinklers are required with the multi -family units proposed for the second floor. In response to Fire and Building Department comments, additional building and life safety code regulations were recommended to the Plan Commission and have been made part of this Ordinance. d. The expired Special Use Permit had included a condition requiring the removal of all plumbing fixtures from the storage area located on the first floor. The applicant has requested that this condition be removed to save expense and to provide employees with a private bathroom with shower that is inaccessible to clients. The continued use of the private bathroom as part of the active office use was found to be acceptable. 5 Minutes of January 13, 2020 Board Meeting XIV. A. Trustee Grear: (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) e. The applicant also requested a waiver of two parking spaces from the peak parking demand of seven spaces. This was acceptable as well. Trustee Grear moved to adopt Ordinance 19-27, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear Tr. ThiII kya Tr. Minx Tr. Travis gya Tr. Ramos Tr. Witko 2. Next, Trustee Grear introduced Ordinance 20-01, An Ordinance Approving Text Amendments to Modify Selected Regulations Relating to Accessory Structures and Yards, Impermeable Lot Coverage in Residential Districts, and Fences. a. He explained that this was pursuant to Plan Commission Case 19-06, reported out earlier this evening. As this is a first reading, no action will be taken tonight. 3. Next, Trustee Grear brought forward Ordinance 20-02, Approving a Special Use Permit for Automotive Repair (Oil Change, Tires, Brakes, Auto Glass, Other Mechanical Items Only) at 6100 Dempster Street, Morton Grove, Illinois. a. He explained that this Ordinance was pursuant to Plan Commission Case19-10, which was also reported out earlier this evening. Again, as this is a first reading of this Ordinance, no action will be taken this evening. B. Trustee Minx: Trustee Minx had no report this evening. C. Trustee Ramos: 1. Trustee Ramos presented Resolution 20-01, Authorizing a Contractual Agreement With CDW-G to Provide for the Renewal of a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement for Microsoft Software Licensing for Operating and Productivity Software for All Village Desktop Computers. He explained that the Village is required to maintain licensing for the software it uses in daily operations. The operating system, individual applications, and connectivity to servers all maintain their own licensing scheme. The pricing and licensing structure was competitively reviewed to ensure the financial responsibility of this agreement. The Enterprise Agreement renewal includes an annual maintenance support cost for updates and upgrades (Microsoft Software Assurance), as well as the license costs. The licenses and software structure was originally established in 2008. This type of agreement licenses the enterprise as an entire fleet, as opposed to a. 6 Minutes of Janua 13, 2020 Board Meetin. XIV. C. Trustee Ramos: (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) individual purchases. The Enterprise Agreement has advantages over individual purchases in- cluding lower platform costs, distributed payments, anniversary period renewals, and software upgrade assurances. The license pricing has held stable for three (3) annual renewal periods. The 2020 renewal is the second renewal period of the three stable pricing periods. This payment, in the amount of $43,708.80, covers the license and maintenance period of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Trustee Ramos moved to approve Resolution 20-01, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear Tr. Thill D. Trustee Thill: E. Tr. Minx Tr. Travis Trustee Thill had no report this evening. Trustee Travis: Trustee Travis had no report this evening. F. Trustee Witko: Tr. Ramos An Tr. Witko aye 1. Trustee Witko presented Resolution 20-03, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract With Landscape Concepts Management, Inc. For the 2020 Tree Trimming Program. a. b. She explained that the Village has an annual program to trim trees within the Village's rights-of- way and property. Public Works considers it to be cost-effective to hire a contractor to trim trees. This contract was bid through a public process conforming to purchasing procedures. The con- tract includes a one-year term and allows for renewal in 2021 and 2022. The estimated contract value is $47,628.30, but since this is a unit price contract, the final con- tract amount will be based on the actual quantity of work performed. Trustee Witko moved, seconded by Trustee Minx, to approve Resolution 20-03. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear Tr. Thill Tr. Minx Tr. Travis Ryi Tr. Ramos Tr. Witko Ry.e 7 Minutes of Janua 13, 202D Board Wleetin XIV. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) F. Trustee Witko: 2. Next, Trustee Witko presented for a first reading Ordinance 20-03, Amending Title 8, Chapter 3 of the Municipal Code Formerly Entitled "Plants and Weeds." She explained that this Ordinance will update the Village's Municipal Code to provide relevant regulations regarding weeds and grasses. Trustee Witko said that, in recent years, the milkweed plant has gained attention from the public due to its exclusive relationship with and ability to attract the imperiled monarch butterfly. In 2017, the milkweed plant was designated as the official state wildflower of the State of Illinois. The Village's definition of weeds, which was written over 50 years ago, still includes the milkweed plant, although the Village has no record of any citations issued to residents for growing milkweed plants. This Ordinance will update the relevant section of the Village's Code, and will also update Code sections requiring owners and occupants of property to remove weeds and cut grass on their property as well as abutting public rights of way. Trustee Witko noted that, as this is the first reading of this Ordinance, no action will be taken tonight. a. b. c. XV. OTHER BUSINESS 1 Mayor DiMaria thanked the Village staff, Village Board, and the residents for the Village's accomplishments in 2019, which are as follows: Substantial Completion of Legacy Water Project • Clean, abundant, reliable water supply agreement with stable prices and significant savings over Chicago prices for next 40 years • Completion of nearly 20 blocks of newly -constructed roadways, 9.5 miles of new water mains, and 7 million gallon water tower • Project was the recipient of three regional awards for project excellence, and more awards are anticipated • Successful cooperative partnership with Village of Niles 2. Construction has begun for Sawmill Station • $150 million investment in Morton Grove • New restaurants (Cooper's Hawk, Starbucks, Raising Cane's) • Nine -screen movie theater and premier health club • New retail (Kohl's, Ross, Dollar Tree, and soon -to -be -announced Grocery Store) • 250 -unit luxury apartments (Sawmill Place) • Will revitalize area, bring desired dining, shopping, and entertainment to the Village, and long-term financial stability through new property and sales taxes 3. Financial Stability • Balanced budget with no property tax increase for 2020 • Sales tax revenue increased from $7.8m in 2018 to $8m (a 2.5% increase) • $1.76m federal grant awarded to construct the shared Oakton Street Multi -Use Path 8 Minutes of Janua , 13, 2020 Board Meetin. XV. OTHER BUSINESS (continued) 4. Village Operations • 1,500 building permits issued • 23 new or expanded businesses • 7,030 vehicle miles of streets swept; 24,306 fleet miles of streets snowplowed; 1,393 tons of leaves removed • 24,705 calls for police service • 6,934 fire, EMS, and rescue responses with an average response time of 3 minutes, 54 seconds 5. Commitment to Sustainability • 206 trees planted on parkways; 19th year of receiving Tree City USA designation • 90% of Village Hall lightbulbs changed to energy efficient bulbs • Continued efforts to modify Village street lights to energy-efficient LEDs • 28,168 pounds of electronics and 16,000 pounds of paper recycled at Village recycling events 6. Communication and Community Engagement • Two resolutions passed tonight sere due to sitting down with residents and listening to their needs • Three Neighborhood Outreach events were held; weekly e -newsletters were sent; new website and SMART 911 implemented • 2,043 surveyed seniors reported being "Delighted" with programs at Civic Center • 476 kids participated in the Police Department's "LEAD the way" program • Community events and programs, such as Adopt -a -Planter, Community Garage Sale, quarterly photo contests, community artists performances, free little library, Police Explorer program, National Night Out, Holly Days (with Park District), Annual Food Drive, Annual Toys for Tots drive, Santa Comes to Town, and, of course, Morton Grove Days and the Taste of Morton Grove (which is March 12 this year) bring our community together. 7. Mayor DiMaria said that "people make the community" and nobody does it better than Morton Grove! XVI. WARRANTS Trustee Minx presented the Warrant Register for January 13, 2020 in the amount of $216,249.92. She moved that the Warrants be approved as presented, seconded by Trustee Travis. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear Tr. Thill aye. Tr. Minx Tr. Travis Ryi Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Witko ave 9 Minutes of Jartua . t3, 2020 Board Meetin! XVII. XVIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS Nancy Lanning said she started off the new year by totaling her truck. But she was very, very grateful to the police and fire departments, who arrived on the scene within seconds, and to the many people who came out of their homes offering assistance. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Trustee Ramos. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear Tr. ThiII Tr. Minx Tr. Travis The meeting adjourned at 7:29 p.m. PASSED this 27th day of January, 2020. Trustee Grear Trustee Minx Trustee Ramos Trustee Thill Trustee Travis Trustee Witko APPROVED b me 's 7th r fJ- uary, 2020. Daniel P. DiMaria, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 28th day of January, 2020. Eileen Scanlon Harford, Village Clerk Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois Ryg Tr. Ramos Tr. Witko Rya Minutes by Teresa Cousar 10