Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-02-25 MinutesCALL TO ORDER Village President Rick Krier called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. and led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. II. Village Clerk Carol Fritzshall called the roll. Present were: Trustees Georgianne Brunner, Roy Kogstad, Shel Marcus, Rita Minx, Dan Staackmann, and John Thill. APPROVAL OF MINUTES IV. Regarding the Minutes of the February 11, 2008 Regular Meeting, Mayor Krier asked if anyone had any changes or corrections to the Minutes. Seeing none, Trustee Minx moved, seconded by Trustee Brunner, to approve the February 11, 2008 Regular Meeting Minutes as presented. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE V. SPECIAL REPORTS a. Swearing-in Ceremony for New Firefighter/Paramedic Joel C. Lucero Chairman Mike Simkins of the Fire and Police Commission performed the swearing-in of Joel Lucero as the Village's newest firefighter/paramedic. Mr. Simkins provided some background on Firefighter Lucero: He is a Chicago native who graduated from Von Steuben High School and went on to obtain an Associate's Degree in Fire Science from Oakton Community College. He began his employment with the Village on February 11 and began attending the Fire Academy on February 18. Firefighter Lucero's wife pinned his badge on as the Board congratulated and welcomed him. b. Presentation Regarding Recylcing Services and Programs Mary Allen, the Recycling Education Director for the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) explained that SWANCC is comprised of 23 Northern Cook County municipalities, which is a total population of 800,000 with 230,000 households. An average household generates 1.2 tons of solid waste annually. Minutes of FetiruanJ 25, 2Qt186oard Meeting'.. V. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) Ms. Allen said people should remember to "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". She said that, in 2006, 267,000 tons of garbage was processed at SWANCC's transfer station in Glenview, and 92,677 tons of material was recycled through curbside programs. Landscape waste is collected separately and composted. She explained that "sustainability° is the principal of using a resource without depleting or permanently damaging it, to ensure its availability for future generations. Ms. Allen said that, in 2000, according to the United Nations, the world's population was 6.1 billion people. By 2050, the population is projected to be 8.9 billion. She said we all need to "think, before we throw away'-think of ways to reduce our garbage. She encouraged people to "pre-cycle", which is buying goods in containers or packaging that you know you can recycle. Ms. Allen talked about a number of the Community Programs that SWANCC offers, including the Athletic Shoe Recycling Project; Compact Fluorescent Light Recycling, Computer & Electronics Recycling events; Document Destruction events; Medication/Sharps Disposal Program; and Mercury Thermometer Recycling. Morton Grove participates in these programs; for example, any unused prescription medication can be brought to the Civic Center on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. for disposal. Residents can also pick up a free container for disposal of needles used for home medication. Ms. Allen noted that SWANCC has a number of resources residents can take advantage of. They can join SWANCC's email list, they can go on SWANCC's website fora "Green Pages' director or visit their eco-friendly marketplace. She offered the assemblage a number of different handouts regarding SWANCC's various programs. Mayor Krier said the handouts Ms. Allen brought would be available for residents to pick up at the Village's front counter. He thanked her for the presentation and thanked Trustees Brunner and Thill, who are the Village's liaisons to SWANCC, for arranging tonight's presentation. Trustee Brunner thanked Ms. Allen for the informative presentation, and thanked SWANCC for the programs it provides. She commented that, when the Village started using the new rolling solid waste and recycling bins, recycling went up 30%. She encouraged people to recycle, especially because there is now a new contract with Groot which has a provision that, when Groot sells the recycling, they will turn the money over to SWANCC, and SWANCC has decided to make an 80/20 split with the municipalities-so 80% of those funds will go to the municipalities, with SWANCC retaining 20%. When SWANCC reaches the 6100,000 mark, it will then give 100% back to the municipalities. Trustee Brunner said That, in this way, the more we recycle, the more it puts money back into the village. VI. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) Eric Poders. Mr. Poders had some comments regarding Agenda Item 8 (b) "Appointments". Mayor Krier said there are no appointments tonight. RAinutes of Feti~uary 35, 20068oartl AAeeting{ VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT a. Request from Morton Grove Foundation Jim Simkins addressed the Board, thanking them for recognizing Bill Archibald recently. He said that the Morton Grove Foundation's "Taste of History" would be held on March 13`h at the White Eagle. This is the 20'h anniversary of the Taste. This year's fundraising goal is $500,000; there has been approximately $420,000 raised to date. Mr. Simkins requested the Board's permission to put a train in front of the Civic Center which would show how close they're getting to their goal. Mayor Krier encouraged everyone to attend the Taste. He said it was a great event that raised money for many good causes. Trustee Brunner moved to grant the Foundation's request, seconded by Trustee Minx. The motion passed unanimously via voice vote. b. Burglary Update Mayor Krier asked Police Chief Paul Tasch to provide an update on his burglary report from the last meeting. Chief Tasch said that there is new information. The Evanston Police Department-and Morton Grove's Police Department-are part of a Burglary Task Force. The Evanston PD was working on a crew of burglars and executed a search at a house in Evanston and recovered quite a bit of property. They asked members of the task force to take a look at all this property, and the Morton Grove PD has found items from five separate burglaries. Chief Tasch was happy to report that five burglaries have now been solved. Charges will soon be lodged against the offenders. c. New Development-Capulina ROW Appeal Mayor Krier reported that he had some new information to share about the Capulina ROW appeal. After Special Counsel (Johnson & Bell) was informed that the Board had voted not to proceed with the appeal, they sent correspondence to the Village, which was received late Friday, stating that they were "so convinced of the merits" of the Village's case that they were willing to "prosecute the appeal with no cost, and if we lose, the Village would owe nothing except costs, which would be no more than $1,000." The firm said "We would only ask for reimbursement of the fees incurred if we win on appeal, and we will limit the fees on appeal to less than $10,000, but only if we are successful." Mayor Krier pointed out that one of the factors in the discussion about whether to pursue the appeal was that the Village had already paid out $95,000 on this matter. He said the Board had received copies of the correspon- dence from Johnson & Bell, and he had spoken with several of the Trustees as well. Mayor Krier noted that no action on this could be taken this evening, as it was not on the Agenda and would therefore violate the Open Meetings Act. He suggested that a Special Meeting be called, and suggested Wednesday, February 27, at 6:00 p. m. This would be the only Agenda item. This has to be done quickly as it is very time-sensitive. Trustee Staackmann asked if the meeting could be at 7:00 p.m., as he could not make it at 6:00 p.m. Trustee Kogstad said he couldn't make 6:00 p.m. either. Trustee Marcus said he could make 6:00 p.m. but not 7:00 p.m., although he said he would be able to join the meeting by phone at 7:00 p.m. Minutes offelstuaN 25, 2008 Board Meetingi VII. (continued) Mayor Krier said that the meeting would begin at 7:00 p.m. and that staff would make sure the newspapers received notification that the time of the meeting had changed. Trustee Staackmann commented that he's glad that Special Counsel feels that strongly about the Village's case. He reiterated that that space has value to the entire Village as open space. He felt that, if the Village won, it would be a win for everyone. VIII. Clerk Fritzshall had no report. IX. A. Village Administrator Mr. Wade had no report. B. Corporation Counsel: Ms. Liston had no report. X. A. Trustee Brunner: CLERK'S REPORT STAFF REPORTS TRUSTEES'REPORTS Trustee Brunner had no formal report, but noted that March is National Social Workers Month. She thanked Morton Grove's social workers for all that they do. B. Trustee Kogstad: Trustee Kogstad had no report. C. Trustee Marcus: Trustee Marcus had no report. a Minutes of FebtuaN 25, ~e086oard Meeting's X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) D. Trustee Minx: Trustee Minx presented Ordinance 08-07, An Ordinance Granting A Special Use Permit to Allow a Pet Store at the Property Located at 7913 Golf Road. This is the second reading of this ordinance. Trustee Minx explained that this was pursuant to Plan Commission Case PC07-11, which had been reported to the Board at the February 11th meeting. Village staff had no concerns with this case; no interested or concern parties testified at the hearing; and the Plan Commission- ers had unanimously recommended its approval. As there was no further discussion, Trustee Minx moved, seconded by Trustee Marcus, to adopt Ordinance 08-07. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner afire Tr. Kogstad awe Tr. Marcus awe Tr. Minx aye Tr. Staackmann afire Tr. Thill Trustee Minx then presented Resolution 08-10, Authorization to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with McDonough Associates for Engineering & Design Services for the Lehigh/Ferris Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Redevelopment Protect Area. She explained that the Village has determined that it is in its best interest to undertake certain improvements within the Lehigh/Ferris TIF, including, but not limited to: land acquisition, traffic signalization, streetscape, landscaping, lighting, street improvements, building demolition, and public infrastructure projects. Resolution 08-10 authorizes a professional Services Agreement with McDonough Associates to develop plans, specifications, and estimates for three public infrastructure projects. They are: (1) the rehabiliation df Lincoln Avenue from the eastern boundary of the TIF to Ferris Avenue, and Ferris Avenue from Dempster to Lincoln. Rehabilitation will consist of street- scaping and roadway/utility improvements. (2) Realignment of the Lincoln Avenue railroad crossing. The roadway will be realigned to cross the tracks in a perpendicular crossing. New traffic signals will be installed at the intersection of Ferris and Lincoln. The old crossing will be removed and the leftover public space will be landscaped. The intersection of Lehigh and Lin- coln will be stop controlled. (3) Construction of a pedestrian railwalk within the Metra ROW from Lincoln Avenue on the north to the train station on the south. The railwalk will be in- stalled on the east side of the Metra ROW and will be separated from the existing tracks by a fence. Lighting will also be designed in accordance with Metra requirements. Trustee Minx said that this professional services agreement is acost-plus-fixed fee contract with a value not to exceed $347,845.55. The source of funds for this project is the municipal bond issued in 2007 for work to be done within the Lehigh/Ferris TIF. Trustee Minx moved to approve Resolution 08-10, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner aye Tr. Kogstad awe Tr. Marcus awe Tr. Minx awe Tr. Staackmann a~ Tr. Thill afire Minutes of fefitua 25, 20086oard P/leetin"' X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) D. Trustee Minx: (continued) Trustee Minx gave an update on the Economic Development Commission. She said the Commission had met last Wednesday and had finalized a Strategic Plan. It will be sent to Corporation Counsel for review; then the Commissioners will review it one last time before the Board receives it. The Plan's intent is to serve as a blueprint for business growth to strengthen the Village's financial base. It covers both ongoing and long-term strategies. The Commission members represent residents and businesses. They felt that, by developing this Plan themselves, they not only saved the Village the cost of having to use an outside consult- ant, but also came up with a more realistic plan, due to their familiarity with the Village. The Commission continues to have contact with developers and businesses in their efforts to bring businesses to Morton Grove. They plan to continue offering free educational forums for Morton Grove businesses to improve and maintain their competitiveness. E. Trustee Staackmann Trustee Staackmann presented several "housekeeping" ordinances for a first reading, starting with Ordinance 08-09, Amending Title 10, Chapter 4 Entitled "Elevator Regulations" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove. He explained that this ordinance adopts by reference the elevator regulations mandated by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. It also clarifies existing construction requirements specified by the Fire Department. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 08-09. 2. Next, Trustee Staackmann presented for a first reading Ordinance 08-10, Amending Title 10, Chapter 9 Entitled "Fences" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove. He explained that this ordinance will update the fence regulations (which have not been updated since 1993) and coordinate those regulations with the Unified Development Code and the "Fee' chapter of the Municipal Code. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 08-10. 3. Trustee Staackmann then introduced for a first reading Ordinance 08-11, Amending Title 10, Chapter 1, Article A Entitled "Permit and Plan Review Fees" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove. This ordinance will update the various fees associated with building permits. Building permit fees were last updated in 1999. The proposed fees are in line with surrounding communities. The largest increase is proposed for demolition of buildings. Public Works water tap fees are also included in this section of the Municipal Code. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 08-11. .Minutes of fetiruary 25, 2008 Board Meiaing~ X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) P. Trustee Thill Trustee Thill had no formal report, but had a report from Public Works Director Andy Demonte regarding potholes. Potholes are caused by water entering cracks in the roadway, softening the soil under the pavement. This water then freezes-water expands when it freezes. It causes the road surface to bulge during the thaws, it can then return to its original position. Traffic does its part as well, by knocking pavement chunks loose. At that point, a pothole is born. The largest potholes normally occur on the most heavily traveled roads. So far this winter, 4here have been approximately 52 freeze/thaw cycles. Mr. Demonte's report also had information on how to minimize damage caused by potholes. Some things motorists can do are: drive the speed limit; keep tires inflated; watch traffic flow (a driver ahead of you might be swerving to avoid a pothole); and beware of puddles-they could disguise a pothole. If drivers cannot avoid a pothole, they should at least reduce their speed as they approach it. Hitting a pothole at a high speed can damage your tires andlor your suspension. Public Works is asking drivers to report potholes when they see them by calling (847) 470-5235. XI. OTHER BUSINESS Trustee Kogstad noted that the Board had received a memorandum from Corporation Counsel regarding the removal of Plan Commissioner Ramesh Goyal. He said he just learned that this matter will be discussed in Executive Session. Trustee Marcus said it was his understanding that the Board could go into Executive Session and have a discussion, then come out of it and take a formal action, should Board members wish to do so. Mayor Krier felt that any action taken would need to be taken at the next Board meeting, as the matter is not on tonight's Agenda. He felt it would be more prudent to have a discussion in Executive Session and then take action at the next Board Meeting. Trustee Ko~stad said that he believed the original action taken by the Board at the January 28' Board Meeting violated the Village's Municipal Code as well as the Open Meet- ings Act and Robert's Rules of Order. He said that the Village's Municipal Code addresses creating the Plan Commission, the number of members it must have, etc. It also gives the appointing authority the power to remove any member of the Plan Commission "for cause after a public hearing" is held. Trustee Kogstad pointed out that a Public Hearing is not just a discussion at a Board Meeting. A Public Hearing is significant because notice must be given to the accused; that person must have an opportunity to obtain defense counsel; and witnesses must be provided. Trustee Kogstad continued by discussing what Robert's Rules of Order says. It states that, under no circumstances is it ever in order for an individual to offer resolution by directly charging another individual with an offense. This can only be done by a committee, and only have a preliminary investigation by the committee determines that sufficient cause exists. Robert's Rules requires that any disciplinary measures taken against an individual should be brought up in Executive Session. As a point of information, Trustee Marcus suggested to Trustee Kogstad that his information was valid and viable, but he felt it would be better for the individual under discussion if Trustee Kogstad were to bring it up in Executive Session. It would help the Board get a good and clear direction on where they as a Board were going. Trustee Marcus said that Board Members had just received a memorandum this evening from Corporation Counsel, and he felt it would be prudent to discuss it in Executive Session. "" Minutes of Fatieua 25, 21108 t3oard Meetin': XI. XII. OTHER BUSINESS (continued) Trustee Kogstad agreed, stating that he merely wanted to point out that there was no Executive Session or Public Hearing done prior to the original action being taken. Trustee Kogstad asked Corporation Counsel whether or not Commissioner Goyal was still a member of the Plan Commission. Ms. Liston stated that the last official action taken by the Board had been to reconsider and rescind the action of removal. In her opinion, he was there- fore still on the Commission. Trustee Kogstad asked about the status of Commissioner Shimanski, who had been serving on the Appearance Commission, but was appointed to fill out the vacancy left by Commissioner Goyal upon his original removal. Mayor Krier re- sponded that he did not believe Commissioner Goyal was still on the Plan Commission; he felt Commissioner Shimanski's appointment to that seat should stand. Ms. Liston said that the Board needed to discuss whether or not the vote to reconsider and rescind the previous action was valid. Trustee Kogstad said he was concerned about the timing of all this, with upcoming Commis- sion meetings. He said it was a good idea to discuss this in Executive Session, and wondered if the Board would be able to take action at Wednesday's special meeting, should it wish to do so after the Executive Session discussion. Corporation Counsel Liston said that the Agenda for Wednesday's meeting had already been prepared, posted, and sent out for public notice. She pointed out that 48 hours prior public notice is needed for compliance with the Open Meetings Act, so she did not think the Board would be able to take any action on this particular issue at Wednesday's meeting. She said that the Mayor or a sufficient number of Trustees could request a Special Meeting. Ms. Liston said, at this point, the last official action taken was the withdrawal of the Board's concurrence with Mr. Goyal's removal. She asked Trustee Kogstad what further action from the Board he was looking for. He responded that, if the origi- nal action was wrong, the Board needs to correct the subsequent actions. Trustee Kogstad felt that the timing was important because of the upcoming Appearance Commission meeting, scheduled for March 3rd. Trustee Marcus suggested that the Board's options could be discussed in Executive Session, after discussing Ms. Liston's memo. Ms. Liston reiterated that a Special Meeting on this matter could certainly be called; it just required 48 hours prior public notice. WARRANTS Trustee Minx presented the Warrant Register for February 25, 2008, which totaled $783,185.52. She moved to approve the Warrants as presented, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner afire Tr. 6(ogstad awe Tr. Marcus ayoe Tr. Minx afire Tr. Staackmann awe Tr. Thill XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS a. Bill Zimmer. Mr. Zimmer said that he and about 30 other residents had gone to the District 67 School Board meeting last Thursday and requested information on several items, including the levy amount and the consulting fee being paid to the former superintendent. Their requests were stonewalled repeatedly. He said it was a pleasure to be at the Village Board meeting, where questions from taxpayers are answered candidly and without time constraints. He said that transparency has become the norm at Village Board meetings, in stark contrast to the District 67 School Board meetings. He urged all taxpayers to attend the next School Board meeting on March 20`h at 6:30 p.m., just to see the contrast. XIII. RESIDEPITS' COMMEPITS (continued) b. Carol Murphy. Mrs. Murphy had a suggestion. As a fairly new resident who has attended Board meetings for about the last six months, she's heard the Board discuss many different projects and agencies, and frequently Board Members use acronyms that a new resident isn't familiar with. Her suggestion was to spell it out the first time it's used so that someone new either attending the meeting or watching it on television can know what's being discussed. Mayor Krier said that was a good point. Mrs. Murphy also said that she had visited the Village's website and had pulled up a lot of agendas. She wondered why, so often, there were no reports from the various Commis- sions-for example, the Condo Association, the Advisory Commission on Aging, and a few others. She asked the Board if each member would be willing to provide her (and other new residents) with some brief information about themselves, how long they've been on the Board, their party affiliation, when their term is up, etc. Each member took a few seconds to provide Mrs. Murphy with their information. Mrs. Murphy commented that Mayor Krier and Administrator Wade had come to The Wood- lands several months ago and spoke to a packed room. Everyone was thrilled with the visit and the information they brought. c. Joe Brunner. Mr. Brunner said he was also at the District 67 School Board meeting. He said he was glad that this Board allows questions to be asked and is glad that they answer ques- tions or direct staff to answer. Allowing people to speak breeds trust. At the District 67 meet- ing, officials said that their policy is not to answer questions in public. Residents had ques- tions on consultant's fees and administrative expenditures and received nothing but "prepared responses" for over an hour. This, from a Board that's looking for community support in a referendum in 2010! He thanked the Board for letting people vent and for giving them facts. Jim Quinn. Mr. Quinn said he was glad that the attorney sent the letter regarding the MCC lawsuit because he's been involved in that open space for quite a while. He urged Mr. Zimmer and Mr. Brunner and other unhappy District 67 residents to "throw the District 67 School Board out". He said he was called a lot of names back when he was involved with the "open space" issue but he felt it's important because it is the only open space in that part of Morton Grove. Regarding the removal discussion, he said it would be better for the Board to have those discussions in Executive Session, and not to take a step without knowing what the next step would be. e. Patrick Kansoer. Mr. Kansoer said that he, too, was pleased about that letter, and noted that lawyers seldom make an offer like that unless they're very confident of the outcome. He also thanked Jim Quinn for what he did back when he was involved. He said he understands that being an advocate can be a "thankless" position. Eric Poders. Mr. Poders said he felt the Village should get involved with what's going on at District 67, because the Village has an intergovernmental agreement with them. Regarding Boards, Commissions, and Committees, Mr. Poders referred to Section II-1-1 D of the codified rules of the Village, found on the Village's website. This section states that the Village Presi- dent may, at any time, remove any Board, Commission, or Committee member, if, in the President's judgment, the best interest of the Village would be served by such removal. _.. _. Minukes o#fetiruary 25, 2008 Boats Meeting!. XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) Mr. Poders said that the rules go on to say that, "In the event a member is removed, resigns, or is otherwise unable to finish his/her term, the President may appoint a replacement member to serve for the remaining portion of the term." He commended Mayor Krier for taking action, stating that he has personally attended a number of meetings where he's the only resident in attendance and where there's been no quorum. Bill Luksha. Mr. Luksha said that he had suggested, at the last Board Meeting, that the Village look into snow removal on sidewalks, noting that 40%-50% of Morton Grove's side- walks are still impassable. He had suggested that Morton Grove contact Skokie to use their sidewalk-clearing equipment, if possible. Mr. Luksha said that he's been asked to provide solutions when he points out problems, so he presented this to Skokie officials too, at their Board meeting. Mr. Luksha concurred with what other residents said about the District 67 School Board meeting. Harold Cohon. Mr. Cohon said, regarding sidewalk clearing, that the Village used to plow the sidewalks back when he first moved into Morton Grove. However, he said, people com- plained, and that's why the Village stopped doing it. He felt that if they started clearing side- walks again, the complaints would start again too. XIV. ADJOURNMENTIEXECUTIVE SESSION There being no further business, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss the personnel, labor negotiations, real estate, pending litigation, and appointments. The motion was seconded by Trustee Marcus. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner aLe Tr. kCogstad awe Tr. Marcus awe Tr. Minx awe Tr. Staackmann awe Tr. Thill afire The Board adjourned to Executive Session at 8:59 p.m. Mayor Krier called the Executive Session to order at 9:11 p.m. In attendance were: Mayor XIV. Krier, Clerk Fritzshall, Trustees Brunner, Kogstad, Marcus, Minx, Staackmann, and Thill. Also present were Administrator Wade, Corporation Counsel Liston, and Community & Economic Development Director Neuendorf. There being no further business, Trustee Staackmann moved to adjourn the Executive Session at 11:29 p.m. The motion was seconded by Trustee Minx and passed unanimously via voice vote. Trustee Staackmann then moved to adjourn the regular meeting. The motion was seconded by Trustee Minx and passed unanimously via voice vote. The regular meet- ing adjourned at 11:30 p.m. ]0 PASSED this 10th day of March, 2008 Trustee Brunner ~ !7~- Trustee Kogstad Trustee Marcus Trustee Minx Trustee Staackmann Trustee Thill APPROVED by r this 10ttr~ay of March, 2008. rY 5 ry !~ "~ -~ d G~=~ Richard'Krier, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 11th day of March, 2008. ~~ '~ s" J,---o Carol A. Fritzshall, Village CIe c Village of Morton Grove Cook County, Illinois Minutes by: Teresa Cousar 1t