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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-27-2020 ApprovedMINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF MORTON GROVE COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, HELD VIRTUALLY APRIL 27, 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 and 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 (late), Connie Travis, and Janine Witko. VII. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Trustee Grear moved to accept the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting of March 9, 2020 as presented, seconded by Trustee Witko. Motion passed via voice vote (Trustee Thill not yet present; Trustee Minx abstained due to her absence at this meeting). Trustee Minx then moved to accept the Minutes of the Special Board Meeting of March 18, 2020 as presented, seconded by Trustee Travis. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. VIII. SPECIAL REPORTS NONE IX. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE X. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) Village Administrator Ralph Czerwinski read a comment that had been submitted by Eric Poders, 7940 Foster, regarding Agenda Item 9(a)2: Resolution 20-23,dealing with the paved "bike path" and the land use license agreement between the Village and the Forest Pre- serve District of Cook County. Mr. Poders said that this has been a long time coming. He felt this small little patch of paved road is going to be a huge economic benefit attaching the North Branch bike trail to the soon-to- be Sawmill Station. Mr. Poders noted that the Village's TIF consultants, particularly Bob, have mentioned that the new Sawmill TIF and the Lehigh -Ferris TIF ARE considered to be contiguous even though the Forest Preserve District of Cook County acts as a buffer between the two TIF's. Minutes of April 27, 2020 Board Meeting RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) (continued) Mr. Poders asked the Village to please also look at making the necessary street improvements along the Southern border of Dempster Street at Lehigh Avenue, from the train tracks all the way to the southeastern entrance of Sawmill Station (where the old AT&T building sits). He felt the Village could allocate Sawmill Station TIF dollars to further enhance that area, particularly the streets not only within the Sawmill Station TIF, but on those roads in the near vicinity that are "contiguous" with the Lehigh -Ferris TIF. Mr. Poders thanked the Board for their time and consideration and said he is looking forward to the opening of Sawmill Station sometime in the near future as everything appears to be on an accelerated work schedule! Xl. PRESIDENT'S REPORT 1. Mayor DiMaria provided a Covid-19 update: a. "These are extraordinary times. To date, across our country COVID-19 has already claimed thousands of lives and millions of livelihoods. This disease is frightening because so far there is no available vaccine for it and it can be transmitted by someone who appears to have no symptoms. b. The Village Board's, staffs, and my top priority has always been and will continue to be the health, safety, and welfare of all in our community. We as a Village have supported the CDC's recommendations and the Governor's order to shut down everything but essential services. Whenever we can, the Village Board, Staff, and I stay home—for that reason, our Board is participating in this meeting remotely tonight. c. As we fight COVID-19 together, we are feeling its difficult consequences. Our children are unable to attend school; eighth graders and seniors must forgo their graduation ceremonies. We have intentionally gone from a thriving economy to record unemployment. Many small businesses have closed their doors, some for good. Last week I asked residents, and as of May 1, the Governor's new executive order will require everyone over the age of 2 who must leave their homes to wear a cloth face covering, except when we are alone, with family, or it is not safe to do so. I want to thank all our residents and businesses for complying with this order. d. The Village will continue to provide essential Village services (Police, Fire, EMS and Public Works). In order to protect our staff and our residents, we have closed all public access to Village buildings. Residents are encouraged to pay village bills on our website or drop box in the south parking lot of Village Hall. Please call us at 847 965-4100 if we can be of any assistance to you. e. I am inspired by how our community has come together to beat this virus. 1 thank everyone who has supported our local restaurants by ordering from delivery and take-out menus. We are donating, volunteering where we can, and we are looking in on our neighbors. f. As difficult as the "Stay Home" Order has been, it is working. To date Morton Grove has about 125 reported cases and 4 deaths- far less than earlier predicted." 2 XI. g. Minutes of April 27, 2020 Board Meetin PRESIDENTS REPORT (continued) Mayor DiMaria added: "Please continue to do what you can to keep our loved ones, co-workers and neighbors safe. This includes: Continue to stay home and practice Social Distancing, Wash your hands frequently, • Cover your coughs and sneezes, • Eliminate gatherings of more than 10 people, • Work from home if possible • and of course, self -quarantine if you are sick, and h. Please be a good neighbor and check on those who are elderly or may have compromised health and are therefore in the higher -risk group for contracting the virus. i, Please continue to support all our local businesses, and especially our restaurants by ordering from one of the many restaurants offering pick-up or delivery services during the mandated closure period. We have posted a listing of restaurants who are open for pick up or delivery on our website. j. Morton Grove truly is incredibly close and amazingly open. Let's show the world our strong community spirit. We are all in this together and we will get through this together." k. The mayor concluded by thanking all the front-line workers—doctors, nurses, mail carriers, grocery store workers—saying, "No one does it better than Morton Grove." He urged everyone to "Stay home. Stay safe." XII. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Harford had no report this evening. XIII. STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator: 1. a. Mr. Czerwinski gave a report about Board actions that have been take pursuant to Ordinance 20-08, which in essence was a declaration of a local emergency, enabling the Mayor, and the Village Administrator to use, if necessary, broad emergency powers in order to respond to this emergency and maintain appropriate levels of Village services. Since Ordinance 20-08 has been in effect: • Two Warrant Registers have been approved: one for March 23, 2020 in the amount of $1,314,020.86, and one on April 13, 2020 in the amount of $484,967.04; • A Local Executive Order was passed on March 23, suspending local solicitation; • The Village purchased two chest compression units for the Fire Department on March 31; • A Landscape Maintenance Contract (which had been publicly bid) was approved; and • As mentioned by Mayor DiMaria, on April 15 an Executive Director was issued mandating the use of face coverings when anyone is out in public. Mr. Czerwinski complimented Village staff, stating that everyone's performing at a high level; Village government is running smoothly because everyone's doing a great job. 3 Minutes of April 27, 2020 Board Meeting XIII. STAFF REPORTS (continued) A. Village Administrator: (continued) b. Next, Mr. Czerwinski presented Resolution 20-23, Authorizing a Land Use License Agreement With the Forest Preserve District of Cook County to Construct, Maintain, Repair, and Use a Paved Public Trail Connection from the Residential Portion of the C. Sawmill Station Development to the North Branch Trail of the Forest Preserve District Property. d. He said this Resolution will authorize to enter into a license agreement with the Cook County Forest Preserve District to construct, maintain, repair, and use a paved public trail connection for pedestrian and non -motorized bicycle access from the residential portion of the Sawmill Station Development to the North Branch Trail of the Forest Preserve District Property. Mr. Czerwinski explained that Sawmill Residential, LLC (the "Developer") has purchased and plans to construct a 250 -unit apartment building on its property. The Developer would like to obtain a license from the Cook County Forest Preserve District to construct, maintain, repair, and use a paved public trail connect for pedestrian and non -motorized bicycle access from the residential portion of the Sawmill Station Development to the North Branch Trail of the Forest Preserve District Property. However, the Forest Preserve District is only willing to grant the li- cense if the Village will act as the Licensee. The Developer has agreed to construct and maintain the Trail Connection at its sole costs, has agreed to reimburse the Village for all expenses with respect to the License, and has agreed to indemnify and hold the Village harmless from any claims related to the License. The Trail Connection will have a long-term benefit for the owners, tenants, residents, patrons, customers, invitees, and guests of the commercial and residential portions of the Sawmill Station Development, and will also benefit the public at -large. Mr. Czerwinski noted that this is a practical approach and asked if anyone had any questions. Trustee Thill asked, if the Sawmill Station Development or residential portion is sold at any time in the future, would that buyer still be responsible for the Trail Connection? Corporation Counsel Liston that that the agreement specifically provides that any future buyer(s) would be responsible for the Trail Connection. Mayor DiMaria called for a vote on Resolution 20-23. Motion passes: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear Tr. ThiII Ey1 Tr. Minx Tr. Travis B. Corporation Counsel: Corporation Counsel Liston had no report this evening. Tr. Ramos Tr. Witko 4 XIV. A. Trustee Grear: Trustee Grear presented for a first reading Ordinance 20-09, Approving a Final Plat of Subdivision For a Minor Subdivision at 8631 Ferris Avenue, Morton Grove, Illinois. He explained that Jerzy Koziol of 8631 Ferris LLC is requesting approval of a Final Plat of Subdivision to subdivide the subject property at 8631 Ferris into eight (8) non -buildable lots. The subject parcel currently contains 3 lots and is located in the R3 General Residence Zoning District. In August of 2015, the Village issued the owner a building permit authorizing the construction of three attached single-family dwellings on the property. As the owner nears the completion of development construction, he is requesting a subdivision of the property to allow for the sale of the three townhome units and their respective parking spaces on individual lots. The proposed subdivision will not result in any changes to on -the -ground development. Since the Village has cancelled all non-essential commission and board meetings until further notice, the Plan Commission has not met to review this request and make recommendations to the Board. Pursuant to the powers established by Ordinance 20-08, the Mayor, upon the recommendation of the Village Administrator, may waive the requirement for a public Plan Commission hearing to review this case. d. Based on an interdepartmental review of the application, the Village Administrator and the Department of Community and Economic Development recommend that the Village Board approve this request for a Final Plat of Subdivision, subject to conditions contained in the ordinance. 1. a. b. c. TRUSTEES' REPORTS Minutes of April 27, 2020 Board Meeting Trustee Grear moved to waive the second reading of Ordinance 20-09, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passes: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear Tr. Minx ave Tr. Ramos Lys Tr. ThiII Ays Tr. Travis ave Tr. Witko ave Trustee Grear then moved, seconded by Trustee Minx, to adopt Ordinance 20-09 as presented. Motion passes: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear ave Tr. Minx Ey2 Tr. Ramos Lys Tr. ThiII Tr. Travis ave Tr. Witko Trustee Grear asked the community to please help out our local restaurants by ordering carryout from them. He said that our local restaurants need our help. B. Trustee Minx: Trustee Minx had no formal report, but thanked Mr. Czerwinski, the department heads, and Village staff for everything they're doing. She wished good health to all. 5 XIV. C. Trustee Ramos: Trustee Ramos had no report this evening, but wished everyone good luck and good health. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Minutes of April 27, 2020 Board Meeting D. Trustee Thill: 1. Trustee Thill had no report this evening, but commented that more people are using our forest preserves; he said that there is more trash on the trails, and that people are using "non -trails," which are for the animals only. 2. Trustee ThiII recalled that, after 9/11, our flags flew at half-mast in recognition of all those who died during the attacks. He said Covid-19 has killed 55,000 people, and suggested our flags should be flying at half-mast now to acknowledge all these deaths. E. Trustee Travis: 1. Trustee Travis said that, last Saturday, Ginny Ching -Yin Lo did the Community Artists Performance virtually and streamed it online for people. 2. Trustee Travis thanked all the first responders and front-line workers for all that they do. F. Trustee Witko: Trustee Witko had no report this evening. XV. OTHER BUSINESS NONE XV!. WARRANTS Trustee Minx presented the Warrant Register for April 27, 2020 in the amount of $644,437.96. She moved that the Warrants be approved as presented, seconded by Trustee Witko. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Grear Ey± Tr. Minx absent Tr. Ramos ave Tr. ThiII ave Tr. Travis Tr. Witko 6 XVII. Minutes of April 27, 2020 Board Meeting RESIDENTS' COMMENTS Mr. Czerwinski read the following comment received from Elizabeth de Klerk, 5409 Cleveland. "We have a petition from the De Klerk family of Morton Grove to review Ordinance 6-4-12, which prohibits residents from keeping backyard chickens. The De Klerks would like to see Morton Grove join the list of other places, such as Chicago, Glenview, Niles, Northbrook, Northfield, Deerfield, Winnetka, and Evanston, which permit residents to keep chickens. Knowing that some may have some reservations on this issue, they offer the following questions and answers: • Are chickens loud? No, only roosters are loud, therefore ownership can be limited to only hens. Hens make soft sounds that are quieter than common birds. • Are chickens dirty? No, they're clean animals and are no dirtier than other allowed animals such as dogs or reptiles. Licensing parameters can prevent unsanitary conditions. • Do chickens attract pests? No, they eat pests. They are omnivores and eat mice, bugs, weeds, and scraps from the table. • Are chicken coops unsightly, and will they decrease home value? No; the new ordinance can stipulate that coops have to be well built and well maintained with a limited number of chickens. • Why do families want to keep chickens? Chickens are a safe, sustainable, healthy, and cruelty -free way to get fresh eggs. Chickens make wonderful, affectionate pets for all ages. Keeping chickens allows families, like the De Klerks, to spend time together outdoors teaching their children where food comes from. In conclusion, the community of Morton Grove would benefit in many ways from allowing residents to keep backyard chickens, especially in times like these when food security and sustainability are important issues. Thank you." XVIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Trustee Grear moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m. 7 PASSED this 11th day of May, 2020. Trustee Greer Trustee Minx Trustee Ramos Trustee ThiII Trustee Travis Trustee Witko APPROVED by me this 11th day of May, 2020. Daniel P. DiMaria, Viliage President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 12th day of May, 2020. Eileen Scanlon Harford, Village Clerk Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois Minutes of April 27, 2020 Board Meeting Minutes by Teresa Cousar 8