Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-8-2021 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF MORTON GROVE RICHARD T. FLICKINGER MUNICIPAL CENTER COUNCIL CHAMBERS NOVEMBER 8, 2021 CALL TO ORDER I. II. Village Clerk Eileen Harford convened the Regular Meeting of the Village Board at 7:00 p.m. and stated that Mayor Dan DiMaria was absent with notice. She asked for a motion to appoint a trustee to serve as President pro-tem for tonight’s meeting. Trustee Minx moved to appoint Trustee Bill Grear as President pro-tem for this meeting, seconded by Trustee Khan. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Khan aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye President pro-tem Grear then led the Board and assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. III. Village Clerk Eileen Harford called the roll. Present were Trustees Bill Grear, Saba Khan, Rita Minx, John Thill, Connie Travis, and Janine Witko. IV. 1. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Trustee Minx moved to accept the Minutes of the October 25, 2021 Village Board meeting as presented, seconded by Trustee Travis. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. Trustee Thill moved to approve the Minutes of the Special Meeting of October 31, 2021, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed with one abstention (Trustee Grear) via voice vote. V. 1. a. b. SPECIAL REPORTS Outstanding Neighbor Recognition President pro-tem Grear introduced Community Relations Commissioners Janice Cha and Ginny Ching-Yin Lo to present the Commission’s Outstanding Neighbor Award tonight to Laura Frisch. Commissioner Cha noted that Commissioner Bob Burkhardt and Chairperson Arcelia Pimentel were also in attendance this evening. Minutes of November 8, 2021 Board Meeting 2 V. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) Commissioner Cha explained that the mission of the Community Relations Commission (CRC) is to foster, encourage, and improve our sense of community through positive interactions among all Morton Grove residents regardless of age, gender, religion, national origin, or economic status. Commissioner Lo said she and Ms. Cha were pleased to represent the Commission this evening in acknowledging another extraordinary neighbor through the Outstanding Neighbor Recognition Program. This program gives all Morton Grove residents the opportunity to acknowledge an outstanding neighbor for doing special things that make your neighborhood a better place. Commissioner Cha said tonight’s Outstanding Neighbor is Laura Frisch, a great individual, neighbor, and friend. She said Laura’s nominator, Selma Ramen, had wonderful things to say about her. Ms. Cha invited Laura to the podium as Commissioner Lo shared Selma’s reasons for nominating Laura. Ms. Lo stated that Selma wrote, “Laura is known as the friendly and kind face on Crain Street. She treats everyone with respect and checks up on all her neighbors, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, etc. She not only shares her special holidays with others, but celebrates holidays of different faiths, too. She’s very inclusive, and participates in many charity events and helps raise awareness for different minority groups. A neighbor like her is very hard to find, and we are blessed to have her in Morton Grove.” Commissioner Cha presented Laura with flowers from the CRC, and invited President pro-tem Grear and Trustee liaison Travis to come to the podium to present Laura with some tokens of the Village’s appreciation. President pro-tem Grear told Laura, “You are exactly what we had in mind when we created this program, and you put the “amazing” in our tag line Incredibly Close. Amazingly Open.” He presented her with a pen and a $25 gift card to any of the Village’s eating establishments. Trustee Travis presented Laura with a Certificate of Recognition as well. Recipients of the Outstanding Neighbor recognition generally get a special pin, which the Village will get to Laura later. President pro-tem Grear thanked Laura and the Community Relations Commission for the fine work they do. Laura thanked the Board, Commissioners Cha and Lo and the other members of the Commission present tonight, and her nominator, Selma. She said she really appreciated this but doesn’t believe that she’s “unique,” noting that “this is the kind of place you can walk down the street and say hello to people and meet people from all over the world, people who live here, people who have lived here for generations.” She added, “C OVID has taught us the importance of having a network and the importance of having people you can count on, especially your neighbors.” Ms. Lo stated that the Commission is always looking for new members. She invited anyone who is interested in serving the Village to join the Commission. The CRC meets the second Tuesday every month at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held at Village Hall in the second floor con ference room. The next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow night. All are welcome! Minutes of November 8, 2021 Board Meeting 3 V. 2. a. b. c. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) Saved By the Belt Award Presentation President pro-tem Grear asked Police Chief Mike Simo to come to the podium for this presentation. Chief Simo then explained that the “Saved by the Belt Award” is an award given jointly by the Morton Grove Police Department and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The purpose of the award is to recognize people who survive bad car accidents becau se they were wearing their seat belt. Chief Simo said that, on September 15, 2021 the MGPD was called to a horrific accident at Golf Road near Chick Evans Golf Course. Five vehicles were involved, including one that had rolled over. Several weren’t drivable after the accident. Debbie Atkins and Jane Hunt were in one of the vehicles, and both survived with minor injuries because they were wearing their seat belts. Chief Simo said the MGPD’s Traffic Unit nominated Jane and Debbie, and several others, to t he State for consideration to receive the “Saved by the Belt” award. He noted that the four other people who also were involved weren’t able to be here this evening, but the MGPD would be sure to get each of them their awards. Chief Simo presented Ms. Atkins and Ms. Hunt with their award and thanked them for being here tonight to help drive home the importance of wearing seat belts. He told them, “you’re living proof that seat belts work.” VI. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE VII. PLAN COMMISSION REPORTS NONE VIII. RESIDENTS’ COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) NONE IX. 1. 2. PRESIDENT’S REPORT President pro-tem Grear congratulated MG Park District Commissioner Paul and Trustee Rita Min x on the occasion of their 51st wedding anniversary today, and complimented them both on their dedication. President pro-tem Grear asked for a moment of silence to honor the passing of John Slater, noting that Mr. Slater deserves a lot more than a “moment.” He said Mr. Slater was a true giver. Minutes of November 8, 2021 Board Meeting 4 IX. a. 3. a. b. c. d. 4. PRESIDENT’S REPORT (continued) President pro-tem said Mr. Slater was always very generous and never wanted any thank-you’s, prestige or accolades for his generosity. He was truly a very humble man, and he will be missed. President pro-tem asked for a motion to concur with his appointment of Ralph Ensign as the new Morton Grove Fire Chief. Trustee Minx so moved, seconded by Trustee Travis. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Khan aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye Trustee Thill asked Mr. Czerwinski to share s ome details about the new fire chief. Mr. Czerwinski said the Village conducted a wide recruitment process to find the appropriate management person to lead the Morton Grove Fire Department. He noted that the Chief has been gone for some time now, and the Deputy Chiefs have been picking up the extra work. The Village received 22 applications and two internal candidates also applied. An arduous review of all applications then ensued. Mr. Czerwinski said Mayor DiMaria has met with Ralph and felt he was the right choice. Mr. Czerwinski said Ralph is no stranger to the fire service. He began as a firefighter in Highland Park and worked his way through the ranks. He has served as deputy chief in three other departments, most recently served in Glenview, and has also served as the Chief in Glenview. He has accelerated his understanding of the fire service through his many years of interactions with the accreditation process the fire service uses on a national basis. He travels and reviews fire departments, bringing concepts back to his department and to the Illinois Fire Chiefs. Mr. Czerwinski said the Village is proud that Ralph applied for and was successful in being selected as the new Morton Grove Fire Chief. He said Ralph is an individual who has great co mmunication skills, good interpersonal skills—traits that will be very positive for Morton Grove. He will continue the excellent record of the MGFD, and MGFD personnel will continue their outstanding work. Mr. Czerwinski said he and Chief Ensign were both in MABAS Division 3 and NIPSTA together. The chief will begin his employment on November 15 and there will be a formal swearing -in for him at the November 22, 2021 Board Meeting. President pro-tem Grear said he attended the “Pumpkin Smash” at Harrer Park this past Saturday. Nearly 500 pumpkins were smashed! He said it was a great event, run by the Park District and the Village’s Environment & Natural Resources Commission, assisted by Joe Dahm, the Village’s Public Works Director. The purpose of the “smash” was to keep pumpkins out of landfills and have them composted instead. President pro-tem Grear said it was a lot of fun and he hoped this would become an annual tradition. Minutes of November 8, 2021 Board Meeting 5 X. CLERK’S REPORT Clerk Harford had no report this evening. XI. A. 1. a. STAFF REPORTS Village Administrator: Mr. Czerwinski announced that the Amazon Fresh grocery store in Sawmill Station will be opening on Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 7:00 a.m. He said it has been a long and arduous task to get a grocery store in that location, but now we can enjoy it, along with the Kohl’s, Coopers Hawk, Ross, Dollar Tree, Raising Cain’s, and Starbucks. All this, plus a 250 -unit residential building, because the Village Board had the guts to move forward with a TIF District so that the area could be developed properly. Mr. Czerwinski said he hopes everyone will enjoy Amazon Fresh. They provide all the groceries you’d expect, and they feature regular check-out as well as electronic check-out. Amazon Fresh recently sent postcards with incentives/coupons to all the residents. They will be open seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. President pro-tem Grear complimented Mr. Czerwinski and all of the Village staff who worked hard to make this grocery store happen. B. Corporation Counsel: Corporation Counsel Liston had no report this evening. XII. A. TRUSTEES’ REPORTS Trustee Grear: Trustee Grear had no report this evening. B. Trustee Khan: Trustee Khan had no report this evening. C. 1. Trustee Minx: Trustee Minx presented for a first reading Ordinance 21-13, An Ordinance Adopting the Budgets for All Corporate Purposes of the Village of Morton Grove and the Morton Grove Library, Cook County, Illinois, for the Calendar Year Effective January 1, 2022 and Ending December 31, 2022 . Minutes of November 8, 2021 Board Meeting 6 XII. C. a. 2. a. b. c. 3. TRUSTEES’ REPORTS (continued) Trustee Minx: (continued) Trustee Minx explained that the 2022 Budget represents the Corporate Authorities’ projections of revenue that are expected to become available during fiscal year 2022, as well as recommended expenditures for the Village. The Budget was presented at Village Workshops held on October 12 and October 13, 2021, and a public hearing on the budget will be held on November 22, 2021. Public notice of the hearing will be published in the Chicago Tribune local newspaper on November 11, 2021. The Budget has been available for inspection at the office of the Village Administrator, the Public Library, and will be posted on the Village’s website on November 12, 2021. Trustee Minx said, as this is a first reading of this Ordinance, no action will be taken this evening. Next, Trustee Minx introduced Ordinance 21-14, An Ordinance Levying and Assessing Taxes for the Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois for 2021 to be Collected in the Fiscal Year beginning January 1, 2022 and ending December 31, 2022. She explained that this Ordinance sets the 2021 property tax levy amount that will be collected and will fund the 2022 budget. This ordinance must be adopted and filed with the Cook County Clerk in order to levy property taxes within the Village of Morton Grove. Trustee Minx said, pursuant to Ordinance 21-13, the amount necessary to be levied for the 2021 property taxes is: $10,208,328 for Village operational expenses, $858,879 for Village debt service and $3,438,617 for the Library. This will result in a levy of $11,067,207 for the Village and $3,438,617 for the Library for a total levy of $14,505,824. By law, the Village is required to levy an additional $1,799,884 for Village debt service payments authorized by general obligation notes and bonds for a total levy before abatements in the amount of $16,305,708. However, the Village Board intends to adopt Resolutio ns that will immediately abate $1,799,884 from the levy , resulting in the net levy as intended by the Corporate Authorities in the amount of $14,505,824. The effective result is a 3% increase in the Village’s portion of the tax levy and a 0% increase in the Library’s portion of the tax levy, resulting in an overall increase of 2.28% from the final extended tax levy from the previous yea r. As this is a first reading of this Ordinance, no action will be taken this evening. Trustee Minx commented that she also had attended the Pumpkin Smash. The weather was phenomenal, and it was very well attended. She said the event ran very smoothly, adding that she and everyone present seemed to be having a wonderful time! Trustee Minx said she, too, hoped the Village would continue doing this in the future. Minutes of November 8, 2021 Board Meeting 7 XII. D. a. b. c. TRUSTEES’ REPORTS (continued) Trustee Thill: Trustee Thill had no formal report this evening, but he did want to make some comments regarding John Slater. He said that Mr. Sla ter had served in the Navy during World War II as an engineer on a battleship. The ship was heading to Japan, and he was on the bow with some other men. The officers called him to come below deck because they knew John could play bridge. In the middle of t he game, a kamikaze pilot hit the bow of the ship. Just about everyone who had been on the bow was killed. When it happened, John unconsciously put the card hand he had been holding in his pocket. Once the ship was safely docked, he found it in his pocket. Trustee Thill said that, years later, when the two of them were talking, Mr. Slater called it “the hand of life.” He said that he hoped John’s son would give him that hand, and if he does, Trustee Thill said he would donate it to the Historical Society. Trustee Thill said that, when the US was going to invade Japan, Mr. Slater had maps for the launch of the attack, showing the targets where the invasion would take place. He kept those maps perfectly preserved, and years later, he donated them to the Hist orical Society. Trustee Thill said he hopes that the Historical Society would someday donate those maps to a military museum, or make copies of them to keep and donate the originals. Trustee Thill said John Slater did a lot for the Village, but never want ed his name anywhere. When the Historical Society’s Educational Center Annex was built, he paid for half of it. When he found out there was a plan to name it the John Slater Education Center, he went to Public Works and asked to see the sign. He then walked off with it, because he didn’t want it on the building! Years later, his son finally talked him into it, so the sign is up there today. Trustee Thill said he is very proud of John Slater. E. 1. a. Trustee Travis: Trustee Travis said, regarding the November 22, 2021 Public Hearing on the Budget and the Village Board Meeting, that she is contractually obligated to be participating in parent -teacher conferences at the school district where she is employed, so she will miss the Board Meeting and Public Hearing. She said she would vote in favor of both Ordinance 21-13, which adopts the 2022 Budget, and Ordinance 21-14, which levies and assesses taxes for the Village. She said she appreciates all the hard work and forethought on the part of the Village’s administrative and finance department personnel, as well as the department heads. They have put together a well -managed but that assures a positive recovery from funds lost due to COVID. Trustee Travis said she was especially excited that the part-time Social Worker will now begin to serve the Village on a full-time basis. She added that she is continually impressed by the incredible quality of service that is afford to our Village through our Fire, Police, a nd Public Works departments and the value our residents get for the 12% to 13% share of residents’ tax bills that is assessed to the Village, depending on the school districts in which the residents reside. Minutes of November 8, 2021 Board Meeting 8 XII. E. 2. 3. 4. TRUSTEES’ REPORTS (continued) Trustee Travis: (continued) Trustee Travis thanked Ginny Ching -Yin Lo for another incredible Community Artists Performance held at the Civic Center on Saturday, October 30 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Those who attended in person and those who participated in the live-streaming were treated to an outstanding showcase of singing, dancing, orchestral talent, and a reading from a gifted local writer ’s book. It was a great way to spend some time on a Saturday, and it was wonderful that the artists had a full house to perform to. We are very fortunate to have Ginny as a member of our Community Relations Commission and very thankful that she continues to share her passion for the arts with us . Next, Trustee Travis invited all residents and businesses to participate in the Village’s 2021 Winter Adopt-a-Planter Program. The Public Works Department will plant 4 -foot evergreen trees in planters throughout the Village. Participants will be assigned a tree to decorate and care for this winter, with the option to plant it in their yard for free when the program ends. If interested, you must sign up before November 15, 2021. Program information is available at Village Hall or on the Village website. Trustee Travis reminded everyone that the Community Relations Commission is sponsoring a “Student Photo Contest” for students to be creative in sharing their experiences about going back to school or life around town. Photos must be submitted by November 29, 2021, and can be submitted to www.mortongroveil.org/photocontest . Winners will be announced at the Village Board meeting on December 13, 2021. F. Trustee Witko: Trustee Witko had no report this evening. XIII. OTHER BUSINESS Trustee Grear noted that the Annual Veterans Day Parade would be held this Sunday, November 14. It will begin at 1:30 at the Civic Center and proceed down its normal route to the Morton Grove Public Library. He hoped all would attend. XIV. WARRANTS Trustee Minx presented the Warrant Register for November 8, 2021 in the amount of $776,962.41. She moved to approve this evening’s Warrant Register as presented, seconded by Trustee Witko. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Khan aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye Minutes of November 8, 2021 Board Meeting 9 XV. RESIDENTS’ COMMENTS NONE XVI. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Trustee Witko. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Khan aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye The meeting adjourned at 7:36 p.m.