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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-25-2021 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF MORTON GROVE RICHARD T. FLICKINGER MUNICIPAL CENTER AND VIA ZOOM JANUARY 25, 2021 CALL TO ORDER I. Village President Dan DiMaria convened the Regular Meeting of the Village Board at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Village Hall and led the Board and assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. II. Village Clerk Eileen Harford called the roll and verified that all Board members were present and were able to hear one another. Present in-person or via Zoom and audio-verified were: Trustees Bill Grear, Rita Minx, Ed Ramos, John Thill, Connie Travis, and Janine Witko. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mayor DiMaria asked for an approval of the Minutes of the Special Board Meeting of January 13, 2021. Trustee Minx moved to accept the Minutes of that meeting as presented, seconded by Trustee Ramos. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye IV. SPECIAL REPORTS 1. Promotion of Police Detective Dennis Johnson to the Rank of Sergeant a. Mayor DiMaria invited Police and Fire Commission Chair Mike Simkins to the podium to swear in the Morton Grove Police Department's newest Sergeant. b. Mr. Simkins provided some background on Sergeant Johnson, who is an 11-year veteran of the MGPD. Dennis obtained a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Lewis University in 2009, and recently returned to school and obtained a Master's of Business Administration degree with a concentration in human resource management from Lewis University in 2019. Dennis spent his first three years at the MGPD in patrol, and has served in multiple capacities including Field Training Officer, Evidence Technician, and a defensive tactics instructor. In 2013, he became a special operations officer in the field services division and served as an evidence technician with the Major Crash Assistance Team. In 2014, Dennis became a detective and has served on the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force, where he is currently a team leader. Minutes of January 25,2021 Board Meeting IV. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) c. Mr. Simkins performed the swearing in. Sergeant Johnson's parents joined the Board in congratulating him via Zoom, as a colleague pinned on his new badge. V. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE VI. PLAN COMMISSION REPORTS NONE VII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) NONE VIII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT 1. Mayor DiMaria announced that today, Cook County began transitioning to the Phase lb of the Community Vaccination Plan. Although vaccine remains in short supply, persons 65 years old and older who live or work in Cook County will receive priority in Phase 1b. Law enforcement, teachers, and other essential workers, such as manufacturing employees and grocery store workers are also included in this phase. Anyone interested in receiving the vaccine should visit the Village's website at www.mortoneroveil.org and follow the "vaccination" links to sign up and receive additional details regarding scheduling an appointment. a. Mayor DiMaria said that individuals who do not have access to a computer, email, or the internet can call the Cook County COVID-19 Vaccine Enrollment Help Line at 833-308-1988 on Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to sign up for the vaccine. This number may experience a large volume of calls, so it is important to keep trying. b. Mayor DiMaria said that all of the information will be included in a special Village eNews message that will be sent out later tonight. Tomorrow a recorded telephone message will be broadcast to everyone who signed up for "reverse 911" calls. He added that the best site for local information regarding the pandemic is the Village's website. Another very informative site specifically for COVID-19 Vaccination information is the Cook County Public Health website. 2. Mayor DiMaria encouraged everyone to continue to follow some simple safety measures to fight COVID-19 by remembering the three W's: a. Watch your distance; remain at least 6 feet away from those outside your immediate household; 2 Minutes of January 2S,2021 Board Meeting. VIII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT(continued) b. Wear face coverings any time social distancing is not possible—especially indoors, and c. 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. d. Mayor DiMaria stated the latest guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the CDC says that simple, everyday actions can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses. 3. Mayor DiMaria urged everyone to please continue to patronize local businesses, restaurants, and bars, as you feel comfortable, during the continuing pandemic. He said we all have to work together to help these local establishments get through the winter months so they can remain open in the spring. 4. Mayor DiMaria publicly thanked Ed Niziolek and Glen Moore of GMS Heating & Cooling, 6022 Dempster Street, for recently arranging a $10,000 donation to a Morton Grove family as part of the Morton Grove Police Department's "No Shave November" event. The local family has a six-year old daughter suffering from Dravet Syndrome, which severely impacts her quality of life, and her treatments are very expensive. When Officer Nick Hoffman brought this to their attention, Ed and Glen put this donation together with help from BASE Solutions, York HVAC, —. and Johnson Controls. As a result, over$13,000 was donated to the family, who can certainly use the assistance. Mayor DiMaria said, "We are grateful for Ed and Glen's support, and are very lucky to have them as members of our business community." 5. Mayor DiMaria reminded everyone that the Village is offering holiday light recycling through February 1, 2021. A holiday light recycling bin is located on the south side of Village Hall at 6101 Capulina. Discarded lights will be recycled through the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County and Elgin Recycling. All holiday lighting is accepted through this free program, but garland, live greens, wreaths, or other decorations with lights will not be accepted. 6. Mayor DiMaria congratulated President Biden and wished him the best, noting that "We are one United States." He also sent good wishes to the departing President Trump. IX. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Harford had no report this evening. 3 Minutes of January 25,2021 Board Meeting X. STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator: Mr. Czerwinski had no report this evening. B. Corporation Counsel: Corporation Counsel Liston had no report this evening. Xl. TRUSTEES' REPORTS A. Trustee Grear: 1. Trustee Grear presented Ordinance 20-28, Approving a Text Amendment to Section 12-4-4 of the Municipal Code to Allow Adult Day Care Uses as a Special Use Within the M-O/R District. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. a. Trustee Grear said that this is the Ordinance that was tabled at the January 13 Special Board meeting. This Ordinance would amend the Village Code include "Adult Daycare" as a Special Use in the M-O/R District. The M-O/R District was established in 2017 and designed to be lower in intensity than traditional manufacturing districts, but allow for some level of production and fabrication, often in conjunction with or accessory to general office, research and development, engineering, and technology start-ups. The M-O/R District provides for and encourages "low nuisance" industrial, R&D, offices, and complementary types of uses. Due to various concerns with expanding the use permissions of the recently adopted M-0/R District to allow the commercial use of"Daycare, Adult," staff forwarded a recommendation of denial to the Plan Commission via a staff report dated November 10, 2020. The Plan Commission voted 4-2 to recommend approval of the text amendment. b. Trustee Grear said he was not in favor of the text amendment and sought guidance from Corporation Counsel as to how to proceed, specifically, whether he should move to adopt the Ordinance even though he was not in favor of it. Ms. Liston said that Trustee Grear retained the right to make that motion, regardless of how he planned to vote on it. He could also defer to a colleague to make the motion. The Ordinance will not pass if no one makes a motion or if no one seconds the motion once it has been made. c. Trustee Grear thanked Ms. Liston and moved to adopt Ordinance 20-28. There was no second, so the motion failed. 4 Minutes of January 25,2021 Board Meeting XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) A. Trustee Grear: (continued) 1. Trustee Grear then introduced for a first reading Ordinance 21-02, Approving a Text Amendment to Establish Regulations Within the Village of Morton Grove Municipal Code Relating to the Use of"Daycare, Adult." a. He explained that this Ordinance would amend Title 12, Chapter 5, Section 5 by adding a new subsection D, which establishes regulations for Adult Daycare Facilities throughout the Village. The provisions relate to off-street parking and loading, safety measures, staffing, activity area, and bathrooms, and were created by staff to ensure that all future adult daycare facilities are operated in a safe and consistent manner. Trustee Grear said, as this is the first reading of this Ordinance, no action will be taken tonight. b. Corporation Counsel noted that staff has requested that the second reading of this Ordinance be waived.This is a "new" Ordinance, although the text amendment itself has been before the Board of Trustees twice; the material itself is not new. Trustee Grear moved to waive the second reading of Ordinance 21-02, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye Trustee Grear then moved, seconded by Trustee Minx, to adopt Ordinance 21-02. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye B. Trustee Minx: Trustee Minx had no report this evening. 5 Minutes of January 25,2021 Board Meeting, XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) C. Trustee Ramos: Trustee Ramos presented three Ordinances; each for a first reading, and as such, no action will be taken on any of them this evening: 1. Ordinance 21-01, Amending Title 5, Chapter 13, Article A, Section 4 Entitled "Four-Way Stop Intersections" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove to Include a Four-Way Stop Control at the Intersection of Davis Street and Mason Avenue. a. He explained that the Village received a Traffic Safety Commission Request for Review and the required petition requesting a four-way stop control at the intersection of Davis Street and Mason Avenue. The Traffic Safety Commission reviewed this request at its January 7, 2021 meeting and recommended that the Village approve the request. The fiscal impact is $250. 2. Ordinance 21-03, Amending Title 5, Chapter 13, Article F, Section 3 Entitled "Time Limit Parking Zones" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove to Modify the Time Limit Parking Zone on Ferris Avenue. a. Trustee Ramos said that a local business on the 8700 block of Ferris Avenue had requested on-street parking accommodations on the block to meet their particular needs. The Police Chief enacted a temporary, experimental regulation to modify the time of day of the existing 90-minute parking time restriction to accommodate the request. Public feedback was solicited and none was received. Village staff supports making the regulation permanent, and at its January 7, 2021 meeting, the Traffic Safety Commission also supported making the temporary regulation permanent. The fiscal impact is $70. 3. Ordinance 21-04, Amending Title 5, Chapter 13, Article F, Section 3 Entitled "Time Limit Parking Zones" and Title 5, Chapter 13, Article F, Section 4 Entitled "Restricted Parking Streets" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove to Add Permit Parking on Lincoln Avenue. a. Trustee Ramos explained that local businesses on Lincoln Avenue between Ferris Avenue and Callie Avenue asked for on-street accommodations on their block that meet their particular needs. The Police Chief enacted a temporary, experimental regulation to add a Zone 14 special permit parking zone to the existing 90-minute parking time restriction. Public feedback was solicited and none was received. Village staff supports making the regulation permanent, and at its January 7, 2021 meeting, the Traffic Safety Commission also supported making the temporary regulation permanent. The fiscal impact is $70. 6 • Minutes of January 25,2021 Board Meeting XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) D. Trustee Thill: Trustee Thill had no report this evening, but asked if February was Restaurant Month, and if the Village was going to do a contest again, where residents submit receipts and are entered into a drawing for a gift certificate. Mayor DiMaria responded that the Village was doing that again, and the information would be available on the Village's website. E. Trustee Travis: 1. On behalf of the Community Relations Commission, Trustee Travis thanked Village Social Worker Liz Arnold for her professional and informative presentation on last week's "Coping With COVID in 2021" webinar. She also thanked Deputy Clerk Saba Koya for all her hard work behind the scenes, and all those who attended the webinar. She said she hoped people found the presentation and discussions helpful. 2. Trustee Travis noted that the Community Relations Commission's quarterly photo contest was taking a brief hiatus and would be back again in the spring. F. Trustee Witko: 1. Trustee Witko presented Resolution 21-05, Authorizing the Annual Purchase of Gasoline and Diesel Fuel From Al Warren Oil Company, Inc.Through the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative. a. She explained that, as a member of the Northwest Municipal Conference, the Village participates in the joint purchasing program offered by the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) in which gasoline and diesel fuel are competitively bid, reducing the cost for multiple communities. Al Warren Oil Company, Inc. of Hammond, IN was awarded the contract from July 6, 2020 through July 5, 2021 by the SPC. The SPC reserves the right to extend the contract for three 1-year periods under the same terms and conditions of the original contract. The fiscal impact of this Resolution is $318,975. Trustee Witko moved, seconded by Trustee Grear,to approve Resolution 21-05. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear ave Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr.Travis aye Tr. Witko aye 7 Minutes of January 25,2021 Board Meeting, XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) F. Trustee Witko: (continued) 2. Next, Trustee Witko presented Resolution 21-06, Authorizing Participation in the Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative (NIMEC)and Authorizing the Village Administrator to Approve a Contract for Electricity for Village-Owned Buildings, Facilities, and Infrastructure. a. She explained that, since Illinois deregulated the purchase of electricity in 2007, electricity suppliers have been able to compete against Commonwealth Edison for the purchase of electricity. Corn Ed no longer offers a fixed energy rate for large- or medium-sized commercial accounts. In 2017, in order to secure a fixed rate for electricity for municipal buildings, water pumping stations, and parking lot lighting infrastructure, The Village evaluated qualified electrical energy brokers and selected NIMEC as its electrical energy broker. b. Trustee Witko said NIMEC has represented over 170 member municipalities, park districts, water districts, and libraries in northern Illinois, and the Village has worked with NIMEC since 2008. Village staff has recommended the Village continue to use NIMEC as its electrical energy broker in 2021. If the Village chooses an electricity supplier recommended by NIMEC, NIMEC's compensation will be included in the contracted electricity prices, so there will be no direct payment made to NIMEC by the Village. c. This Resolution designates NIMEC as the Village's broker for purposes of obtaining electricity. Due to time constraints and procedures required for the acceptance of a competitive bid for the supply of electricity, this Resolution will also authorize the Village Administrator to negotiate and execute a contract with the most optimal bidder for the acquisition of electrical energy for Village-owned buildings, facilities, and infrastructure, including its water pumping stations and parking lot lighting, for a term of up to 36 months. Trustee Witko moved to approve Resolution 21-06, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear i Tr. Minx ayg Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr.Travis aye Tr. Witko ayg 3. Lastly, Trustee Witko presented Resolution 21-07, Approving and Adopting the Village of Morton Grove Sustainability Plan. a. She said the Village is blessed with rich and plentiful natural resources. Twenty percent of Morton Grove land is part of the Cook County Forest Preserve system, which bisects the Village with a lush canopy of greenery, improves our air and water quality, and improves the health of our residents. Since its inception,the Village of Morton Grove has been and continues to be -- active in environmental protection activities, both through local initiatives and participation in regional efforts to promote cleaner air, energy conservation, land preservation, sustainability, waste reduction, and water conservation. 8 Minutes of January 25,2021 Board Meeting. XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) F. Trustee Witko: (continued) b. Trustee Witko said that, on January 13, 2020, pursuant to Resolution 20-04, the Village endorsed the goals of the Greenest Region Compact, a regional effort that presents consensus goals for environmental stewardship so local municipalities are coordinated and can make positive impacts on a much larger scale. c. On July 27, 2020, pursuant to Ordinance 20-16, the Village Board combined the functions of the Board of Environmental Health and the Natural Resource Commission to create a new Environment and Natural Resources Commission (ENRC) in order to improve, preserve, protect, and promote the public's health, safety, and welfare as it relates to the conservation, preservation, improvement, sustainability, and protection of the environment and natural resources of the Village. She added that Village staff has worked with the ENRC to develop the Morton Grove Sustainability Plan based on the principles of the Greenest Region Compact. d. The plan sets forth the Village's goals and priority strategies in the following areas: climate, economic development, energy, land, mobility, municipal operations, waste, and water. It is in- tended to guide the Village's efforts through 2030. The ENRC has unanimously recommended the Village Board approve and adopt the Morton Grove Sustainability Plan. e. Trustee Witko added that, as the Trustee liaison to the ENRC, she's been quite impressed with their work. She said the Village is very fortunate to have these passionate and informed residents volunteering their time to work for the Village. Trustee Witko moved, seconded by Trustee Travis, to approve Resolution 21-07. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye f. Trustee Thill commented that this is an outstanding plan. g. Mayor DiMaria congratulated the ENRC and said the Sustainability Plan is the result of a great coming together of people that care, obviously about the future of Morton Grove and the beauty it contains. He said, "When people come together, this (the Plan) is what you get, and I'm very proud of Resolution 21-07." XII. OTHER BUSINESS NONE 9 Minutes of January 25,2021 Board Meeting, XIII. WARRANTS Trustee Minx presented the Warrant Register for January 25, 2021 in the amount of — $906,619.70. 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 ave Tr.Travis aye Tr.Witko aye XIV. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS 1. Mr. Czerwinski noted that no residents' comments had come in via email by the designated deadline. No residents wanted to address the Board via Zoom, either. a. Rudy Vilk said he felt the main goal of the Village's administration should be to make the lives of the Village's residents better. He felt that only having 3 minutes to make a comment didn't make sense, and he felt it wasn't right that residents had to wait until the end of the meeting to have an opportunity to speak. He said he had asked and was told that the reason why he had to wait was because this is a meeting where the Village conducts its business. He again stated that the Village's business should be making the lives of its residents better. b. Mr. Vilk said he had made 3 calls to the Village since mid-December, and said he had, in fact, shown the Village Administrator his phone history for verification, but he has received no return calls. He was asking that his case be rechecked, because he felt that the code enforce- ment officer had made a bad decision. He had brought this up to Corporation Counsel Liston, who confirmed the documentation. XV. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Trustee Grear. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill ave Tr.Travis ave Tr.Witko aye The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m. 10 Minutes of January 25,2021 Board Meeting PASSED this 8th day of February, 2021. Trustee Grear !