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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-10-2020 ApprovedMINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF MORTON GROVE RICHARD T. FLICKINGER MUNICIPAL CENTER AUGUST 10, 2020 CALL TO ORDER — Village President Dan DiMaria convened the Regular Meeting of the Village Board at 7:00 p.m. V, in 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, a. Mayor DiMaria said the Village received some sad news over the last few weeks involving the Niles Police Department. On July 18, several members of the Thin Blue Line Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club were involved in a horrific crash in Bandera, Texas when they were hit by an in- toxicated driver. Retired Niles Police Officer Joseph Paglia and Niles Community Service Officer Michael White were killed, along with a Texas police officer. Nine other club members were injured. Sergeant Joseph Lazo, also from the Niles PD, died about a week later from injuries he received in the crash. b. Mayor DiMaria said, "Our hearts go out to our friends at the Niles PD and the Village of Niles," and he requested a brief moment of silence to reflect on the tragic loss of these men and the ef- fect it has had and will have on their families and the Villages of Niles and Morton Grove. VII. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Trustee Minx moved to accept the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting of July 27, 2020 as presented, seconded by Trustee Travis. a. Trustee Witko noted that there were several typos in the Minutes, the most impactful being the omission of the word "not" on page 5, h, 1 st sentence. The statement reads "Trustee Witko opined that opening the Village's Code to allow livestock was a slippery slope and suited for a suburb like Morton Grove;" it should say "....not suited for a suburb like Morton Grove." Mayor DiMaria asked that this be corrected and then called for the vote on the Minutes. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. (Note: Corrected Minutes were subsequently provided.) VIII. SPECIAL REPORTS 1. Plan Commission Case PC 20-06: A Request for a Zoning Map Amendment to Rezone a Portion of the Property Commonly Known as 6037 Lincoln Avenue in Morton Grove. 2. Plan Commission Case PC 20-07: Requests a Planned Unit Development at the Property Commonly Known as 6037 Lincoln Avenue in Morton Grove. VIII. Minutes of Au ' ust 10 2020 Board Meetin SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) 3. Plan Commission Case PC 20-08, A Request for a Special Use Permit for the Improvement of a Recreational Facility (Aquatic Center) at the Property Commonly Known as 6250 Dempster Street in Morton Grove. Land Use Planner Zoe Heidorn presented these cases. a. She explained that Ordinance 20-17 on tonight's agenda is related to PC Case 20-06. The Applicant, Medina Gardens LLC, is requesting that a portion of the property at 6037 Lincoln, specifically Lot 6 and Outlot A, be rezoned. Currently they carry a split -zoning classification of R2 Single Family Residence District and R3 General Residence District. The Applicant is requesting that this be changed to a single zoning classification of R3 General Residence District. b. The Preliminary Plat of Medina Gardens Subdivision creates eight new lots to allow for the construction of four townhomes (on Lot 6) and future development of five detached single-family residences. The common space serving the townhome development and a portion of the stormwater facilities serving the entire development will be located on Outlot A. The Applicant is requesting this rezoning classification because townhomes are a Permitted Use or Special Use in the R3 District and prohibited in the R2 District. c. Ms. Heidorn said that Ordinance 20-18 on tonight's agenda is related to PC Case 20-07. The Applicant, Medina Gardens LLC, is requesting approval of a Preliminary Plat of Subdivision and a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Special Use Permit, with associated waivers, to sub- di- vide the property at 6037 Lincoln Avenue into eight lots and allow for the development of four at- tached single-family residences, five detached single-family residences, and accessory parking areas, landscape areas, storm water detention facilities, and access ways. d. The Applicant is proposing that Lots 1 through 5 will be improved with five detached single-family residences, which will be accessed from Elm Street. Elm Street will be extended to abut these lots and terminate in a cul-de-sac. The proposed cul-de-sac and abutting parkway and sidewalk will be dedicated to the Village following construction. Outlot B, which abuts the proposed Elm Street cul-de-sac, will be improved with five parking stalls to be used for guest parking for the detached single-family residences. The Applicant is proposing the construction of four town - homes on Lot 6, with site amenities and access ways to be provided on Outlot A. Four parking spaces located at the end of the private access drive serving the townhome development will be used for guest parking. e. Ms. Heidorn noted that the Plan Commission heard this case initially on June 15, 2020, and continued it to June 20, 2020 to give the Applicant an opportunity to address comments and con- cerns from the public and members of the Plan Commission. In response to these comments and concerns, the Applicant made revisions, including reducing the number of single-family lots from six lots to five; aligning the Elm Street cul-de-sac with the existing road: and providing a 5 -space guest parking area located east of the cul-de-sac. This parking area will be privately owned and maintained by the Homeowners Association, Moving the proposed cul-de-sac north to align with Elm Street brings the front building lines of the three proposed south single-family lots north to better align with existing Elm Street homes. Ms. Heidorn said the Plan Commission voted 5-0 (with two commissioners absent) to recommend approval of this application, with certain conditions. 2 VIII. Minutes of Au . ust 10 2020 Board Meetin SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) f. Ms. Heidorn noted that Ordinance 20-19 on tonight's agenda is associated with PC 20-08. She said the Morton Grove Park District has submitted a complete application requesting approval of a Special Use Permit to authorize the planned reconstruction and alteration of a not-for-profit recreation facility at 6250 Dempster Street. The applicant is proposing a full reconstruction of the existing Harrer Park Pool and associated facilities, to include a 6,370 square foot bathhouse, a 6 -lane, 50 -meter lap pool, a deep pool, a plunge pool, a spray ground, a tot pool, a concessions deck, a filtration building, and various landscape, utility, and storm - water detention improvements to the site. The applicant also submitted a traffic and parking study prepared by Eriksson Engineering Associates, Ltd. which establishes a peak parking demand of 79 spaces for Harrer Park Pool and discusses projected traffic impacts associated with the proposed use. g. Ms. Heidorn said that, on July 20, 2020, the Plan Commission recommended approval of the application with conditions. Due to outstanding staff concerns relating to peak parking demands and shared parking capacity, staff has recommended including additional conditions of approval relating to maximum occupancy, pedestrian accommodations, parking lot signage, and employee parking, all of which are included in Ordinance 20-19 as presented. Mayor DiMaria asked if the Board had any questions. h. Regarding PC 20-08/Ordinance 20-19, Trustee Thill asked if bird -friendly window glass in the building has been approved by The Audubon Society. Ms. Heidorn said, to her knowledge, not yet, but pointed out that one of the conditions of approval in the Ordinance is that the windows be in compliance with the Bird -Friendly Building Design manual published by the American Bird Conservancy. Regarding PC 20-07/Ordinance 20-18, Trustee Grear clarified that there would be five guest parking spaces abutting the cul-de-sac. Ms. Heidorn said that is correct. Trustee Thill asked if there is a construction start date or, once construction begins, an end date, noting that sometimes it seems to take certain projects quite a while. Ms. Heidorn said there are no dates at this time; the Applicant must obtain a building permit within 12 months of the approval of the Special Use Permit, and within six months, they must file an approved site plan with the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. If, within 12 months, nothing's happened, the Village can revoke the PUD permit. k. Trustee Grear said it's his understanding that there will possibly be five different developers for the five individual lots. He wondered if they would need to go before the Plan Commission again. Ms. Heidorn said not necessarily, but they will definitely need to go through the Appearance Commission for approval of design and landscaping plans. If the builder desires certain variances, then that particular home design will have to go back before the Plan Commission. Trustee Grear said there's no doubt that, at the end of the day, the Village will ensure that it's a beautified neighborhood. Mr, Czerwinski thanked Ms. Heidorn, noting that it's an arduous task to bring these projects forward, and to present a concise report and put together all of the information. He also expressed his appreciation to those who serve on the Village's Appearance, Traffic Safety, and Plan Commissions, commenting that full discussion of these projects can take long evenings, but it helps ensure that the Village is making the right moves with these projects. 3 VIII. Minutes of Au.ust 10 2020 Board Meetin SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) m. Mr. Czerwinski stated the Village had received a letter from the Park District requesting that the second reading of Ordinance 20-19 be waived in order to expedite the work that needs to be done. Speaking personally and for Village staff, Mr. Czerwinski said he believes this project has gone through a high level of scrutiny and everyone knows tight construction schedules can be difficult. Moreover, this is a project desired by the community, as evidenced by the results of the referendum. Mr. Czerwinski said there's been some discussion regarding parking. The Village has brought its concerns to the Park Board and the Park's Executive Director, and he believes, with the level of cooperation the Village enjoys with the Park Board, that these concerns will be taken into consideration. He said that neither the Village Board nor the Park Board wants to receive complaints from residents about parking issues, and both Boards feel that this will be a "premiere" project. Mr. Czerwinski said he recommended the Board waive the second reading. IX. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE X. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) Al Gordon, who was part of the "Save Harrer Pool" group, noted that the referendum spoke to the widespread community support for this project, in that it carried in 15 of 17 precincts. Xl. PRESIDENT'S REPORT 1. Mayor DiMaria asked for a motion to concur with the appointments of the following individuals to the Environment and Natural Resource Commission: For a three-year term: Georgianne Brunner, Chairperson Yvette Karp Paul Maloney For a two-year term: Terry LeBeau Gia Schultz Tariq Laliwala For a one-year term: Christine Corelli Andrew Hoffman Tina Schmidt and additionally, the appointment of Lisa Rathunde for a three-year term on the Special Events Commission. Trustee Minx moved, seconded by Trustee Witko, to approve all the above-named individuals to their respective Commissions. Motion passes unanimously via voice vote. a. Mayor DiMaria asked the newly -appointed commissioners to stand, if present, for a well-de- served round of applause. He thanked them for volunteering their time for the Village. Mayor DiMaria said he feels these appointments show the Village's diversity, and, with a common goal/mission of protecting and preserving Morton Grove's amazing natural resources, he's excited to see what this new revitalized and reinvigorated Commission will do. b. 4 XI. Minutes of August 10, 2020 Board Mestin PRESIDENT'S REPORT (continued) 2. Mayor DiMaria congratulated everyone who helped make the Niles Township School Supplies Drive a success. Today was the final distribution of school supplies. Between last Monday and today, 900 backpacks with school supplies were distributed! He said that, although the project did not reach all who needed supplies, everyone should be very proud that three times as many students were helped this year compared to last year. Mayor DiMaria said this is another example of how Morton Grove rises to the occasion. He also thanked Trustee Grear for helping to distribute the school supply backpacks. 3. Mayor DiMaria urged everyone to continue to follow some simple safety measures to fight COVID-19 by remembering the three W's: ,Watch your distance; remain at least 6 feet away from those outside your immediate household; Wear face coverings any time social distancing is not possible; and Wash your hands often and for a minimum of 20 seconds each time. Wash with soap and water or use an alcohol -based hand sanitizer. Mayor DiMaria also encouraged every- one to continue to patronize local businesses and restaurants, noting these entities need us now more than ever. Many restaurants are now offering outdoor dining, but this won't be possible during the winter months, so Mayor DiMaria asked everyone to help these businesses now, by dining out while the weather is still good. 4 Mayor DiMaria announced that the Morton Grove Police Department is offering a new Internet Purchase Exchange Meetup Spot in its parking lot for those who buy or exchange goods online and would prefer to meet in a location away from their homes. There are two designated spots marked by signage. The MGPD parking lot is well lit and is under video surveillance at ail times. The MGPD is not responsible for validity of transactions and will not be involved nor oversee the business conducted amongst participating parties. 5. Mayor DiMaria recognized Park Board President Keith White and Commission Paul Minx in the assemblage. He thanked them both for coming and wished Commissioner Minx a happy birthday. XII. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Harford had no report this evening. XIII. STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator: 1. Mr. Czerwinski provided an update on the Sawmill Station project, noting that it's moving along quite well. The latest information about what stores are opening and when, is as follows: • Dollar Tree and Starbucks are projecting to open in late September 2020 • Aspen Dental is projecting a mid-October 2020 opening • An as -yet -unnamed grocery store will open in late October/early November 2020 • Raising Canes projects a late October 2020 opening. • Kohl's anticipates opening in November 2020 • Ross will likely open during the 1st quarter of 2021 (or sooner) • Coopers Hawk had their construction delayed a bit; they anticipate a Q1 2021 opening • LA Fitness projects a Spring 2021 opening 5 Minutes of August 10, 2020 Board Meetin STAFF REPORTS (continued) XIII. Village Administrator: (continued) Mr. Czerwinski said, regarding the residential portion of Sawmill Station, that footings and A. foundations have been laid for the three-story parking garage, which should be open in the first or second quarter of 2022. He thanked the Board for their vision in bringing this project to fruition. He a. thanked Trustee Thill for encouraging him to provide this Sawmill Station update. Next, Mr. Czerwinski presented Resolution 20-35, Authorizing a Contract for a Power Supply Agreement for the Purchase of Electricity and Other Related Services. 2. He said this Resolution will authorize the Village to resume its electric aggregation program, participate in the Green Community Aggregation Program, and enter into a new contract with a supplier who will supply electricity supply services to eligible consumers who choose not to opt out of the Program (at the same price charged by ComEd), and will purchase and retire Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) sufficient to supply a portion of the Village's electricity from renewable ("green") power equal to the historical consumption for the eligible residential and small business accounts. a. b. c. Mr. Czerwinski said that, in 2012, the Village implemented an opt -out of its electricity supply aggregation program, which allowed the Village to negotiate agreements for electricity at rates lower than those charged by ComEd. Because of this program, residents collectively had saved approximately $1.8M. The program has been suspended since 2017 because the ComEd rate has been the same or lower than the bid rate submitted by suppliers. Pursuant to Resolution 20-08, the Village has designated the Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative (NIMEC) as the Village's broker for purposes of obtaining proposals for electricity. NIMEC has assessed the current market and has confirmed that a fixed rate lower than ComEd's is not available. However, the Village has the opportunity to participate in a new program called the Green Community Aggregation Program, where suppliers will supply electricity to residents who have not opted out of the program at the ComEd rate and will purchase and retire Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) sufficient to supply a portion of the Village's electricity from renewable ("green") power. Residents may opt out and leave the pro- gram at any time for any reason and will never be charged an early termination fee. Rate payers who have already contracted with another supplier on their own are not included in the program and will be subject to the terms of the private contract they executed. Residents will continue to be billed by ComEd. Mr. Czerwinski said the Village would be looking to enter into a one-year contract with the vendor selected, with possible additional one-year extensions. Trustee Grear moved to approve Resolution 20-35, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passes: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx ays Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye Corporation Counsel: Corporation Counsel Liston had no report this evening. 6 XIV. TRUSTEES' REPORTS Minutes of August 10, 2020 Board Meetin A. Trustee Grear: Trustee Grear said he had three Ordinances to present for a first reading this evening; all three are related to the Plan Commission case reports presented earlier this by Land Use Planner Zoe Heidorn. 1. Ordinance 20-17, Approving a Zoning Map Amendment to Rezone a Portion of the Property Commonly Known as 6037 Lincoln Avenue in, Morton Grove, Illinois, Specifically Lot 6 and Outlot A of the Preliminary Plat of Medina Gardens Subdivision, Within an R3 General Residence District. This is a first reading of this Ordinance which was explained earlier by Ms. Heidorn, and as such, no further action will be taken this evening. 2 Ordinance 20-18, Approving a Preliminary Plat of Subdivision and a Planned Unit Develop- ment with Associated Waivers for the Development of Four Attached Single -Family Residences and Five Detached Single -Family Residences at 6037 Lincoln Avenue. This is a first reading of this Ordinance which was explained earlier by Ms. Heidorn, and as such, no further action will be taken this evening. 3 Ordinance 20-19, Approving a Special Use Permit to Allow a Recreation Facility at 6250 Dempster, Morton Grove. a. b. This is a first reading of this Ordinance which was explained earlier by Ms. Heidorn. Trustee Grear moved to waive the second reading of this Ordinance, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passes: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx an Tr. Ramos Tr. ThiII are Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye Trustee Grear then moved, seconded by Trustee Minx, to adopt Ordinance 20-19. Trustee ThiII asked if there was a start date. Park District Executive Director Jeff Wait said that asbestos abatement is currently going on now, and Phase 1 bidding on demolition can begin once that's accomplished. Mayor DiMaria called for the vote on Ordinance 20-19. Motion passes: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx ave Tr. Ramos aye Tr. ThiII ave Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye Mayor DiMaria thanked the Commissions, Village staff, and Park District Board and staff for work- ing together to keep the Harrer Park Pool project moving forward, adding that he 'looks forward to continued cooperation, and ultimately, a pool we can all be proud of." 7 XIV. A. Trustee Grear: (continued) Minutes of August 10, 2020 Board Meetin TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) 2. Trustee Grear expressed his thanks to the Mayor for also assisting with the backpack distribution, in spite of the heat. B. Trustee Minx: 1. Trustee Minx presented Resolution 20-36, Authorizing and Approving a Professional Service Agreement Between Kane McKenna and Associates, Inc. and the Village of Morton Grove to Provide Financial Analysis and Development Consulting Services. a. She explained that the area on Lehigh Avenue from Chestnut Street to Oakton Avenue suffers from declining values and property taxes, obsolete buildings, and other factors of blight, and there is little likelihood the area will be revitalized without Village assistance or intervention. The Village has received a proposal to develop the Village -owned property at Lehigh Avenue and Chestnut Street as a mixed use/commercial and residential development. Village staff will benefit from a development consultant with specialized expertise to analyze various proposals and projects from Developers, assist the Village in investigating the desirability and feasibility of utilizing economic development incentives for funding certain redevelopment costs related to redevelopment of the Project, and provide additional services as needed. b. Trustee Minx said that Kane McKenna and Associates, inc. has provided proposals attached to this Resolution as Exhibits A and B to analyze and review development projects within the Village, generally located near Lehigh Avenue and Oakton Street (the "Project Area), evaluate the desirability and feasibility of utilizing Tax Increment Financing or other appropriate economic development incentives for funding certain redevelopment costs related to the redevelopment of properties in the Project Area, and if conditions are favorable, to prepare a redevelopment plan and project, notices, and ordinances as required by the Act for the Project Area, and amend the Village's existing Redevelopment Plan for the Lehigh/Ferris Project Area. This Resolution will authorize a contract based on these proposals. Trustee Minx moved, seconded by Trustee Witko, to approve Resolution 20-36. c. Trustee Grear asked where the money for this is coming from. Mr. Czerwinski said a portion of it would come from Economic Development funds to determine some of the feasibility, but the preponderance of these reviews, when the Village is seriously looking at a developer, would be reimbursed by the Village entering into a reimbursement agreement with that developer. d. Mr. Czerwinski said the Village doesn't want to be in a situation where it has spent a lot of money looking at a development and moving it forward, only to have the project fade away. He said, "We want to make sure the developer is on board and that the developer will cover those costs so that the residents aren't paying for these reviews, the developer is. That being said, he cautioned that there will be some initial costs the Village will bear, mostly to analyze the area and determine blight. Mayor DiMaria called for the vote on Resolution 20-36. Motion passes: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx Tr. Ramos aye Tr. ThiII aye Tr. Travis ave Tr. Witko aye 8 XIV. C. Trustee Ramos: Trustee Ramos had no formal report this evening. D. Trustee Thill: Trustee Thill had no formal report this evening. E. Trustee Travis: Minutes of Au • ust 10, 2020 Board Meetin TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Travis had no formal report this evening. F. Trustee Witko: XV. Trustee Witko had no formai report this evening. OTHER BUSINESS Trustee Minx commented that she has been with her husband Paul for 51 of his last 52 birthdays. The one she missed was when he was in Oakland being shipped overseas for military service. She said, "We've had a good run, and here's to 50 years more!" XVI. WARRANTS Trustee Minx presented the Warrant Register for August 10, 2020 in the amount of $691,569.35. She moved to approve the Warrant Register as presented, seconded by Trustee Ramos. Motion passes: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko ave XVII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS Rudolf Vilk appeared before the Board and said he has given the Board Members plenty of information and has responded to them, but has not received any satisfactory response himself. He has an issue with the water rates and the automatic increases that occurred in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, when the water rates increased by 25%, 15%, 15%, and 15% respectively. 9 XVII. XVIII. Minutes of Au. ust 10, 2020 Board Meetin RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) Mayor DiMaria noted that this was still when Morton Grove was receiving its water from the City of Chicago, and the increases imposed by the City were passed to Morton Grove water consumers. He said we are now receiving water from the City of Evanston, so we will not see these types of increases again. Our water rates have stabilized dramatically. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Trustee Witko. Motion passes: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Greer aye Tr. Minx ay2 Tr. Ramos Am Tr. Thili aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko ayl The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m. PASSED this 24th day of August 2020. Trustee Grear Trustee Minx Trustee Ramos Trustee Thill Trustee Travis Trustee Witko APPR VED by me this 24 day of August 2020. Daniel P. DiMaria, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROV D and FILED -in my office this 25th da of August 2020. 7'9114 - Eileen Scanlon Harford, Village Clerk Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois Minutes by Teresa Cousar 10