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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-13-2022 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 JUNE 13, 2022 CALL TO ORDER I. & II. Village President Dan DiMaria said he would convene the meeting at 7:05 p.m. to allow Clerk Harford and some of the people he’s appointing tonight to arrive in the storm. Mayor DiMaria then called the Regular Meeting of the Village Board to order at 7:05 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Village Hall. III. Village Clerk Eileen Harford called the roll. Present were Trustees Bill Grear, Saba Khan, Rita Minx, John Thill, and Connie Travis. Trustee Janine Witko was absent with notice. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Trustee Minx moved to accept the Minutes of the May 23, 2022 Village Board meeting as presented, seconded by Trustee Khan. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote (with one absent). V. SPECIAL REPORTS NONE VI. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE VII. 1. a. PLAN COMMISSION REPORTS Mayor DiMaria noted that Zoe Heidorn, Community Development Administrator, had two Plan Commission cases to present this evening. Plan Commission Case PC 22-06: Request for Approval of a Text Amendment to Chapter 12-5 of the Morton Grove Unified Development Code to establish regulations relating to affordable hous- ing in Morton Grove, IL. Ms. Heidorn said PC 22-06 is being presented as Ordinance 22-10 this evening. It is a request by the Village for an amendment to the Unified Development Code to incorporate affordable housing requirements to certain residential development types and establish an affordable housing fund to help maintain an appropriate affordable housing stock and keep existing low- income residents in their homes. Minutes of June 13, 2022 Board Meeting 2 VII. b. 2. a. b. c. PLAN COMMISSION REPORTS (continued) Ms. Heidorn stated that, on May 20, the Plan Commission considered the proposed amendment and unanimously voted to forward a recommendation of approval to the Board. Plan Commission Case PC 22-07: Request for Approval of a Special Use Permit for a Pet Shop in a C-1 General Commercial District (12-4-3:D) for the property commonly known as 6014 Dempster Street in Morton Grove, IL. Ms. Heidorn said this case is being presented tonight at Ordinance 22-11. The applicant is the Local Fish Store, and they are present to answer any questions the Board may have. The Local Fish Store is requesting a Special Use Permit to operate a pet shop selling fish and coral at 6014 Dempster Street, a 4,300 square foot unit in the Austin-Dempster Plaza at Dempster and Austin Avenue. Appearance Commission review was not required because the Applicant is not proposing any exterior modifications to the property. The Traffic Safety Commission Chairperson reviewed the submitted traffic and parking impact study and determined that this project will have an insignificant negative impact on the community from a traffic safety perspective, and waived the review of the application by the full Traffic Safety Commission. On May 20, the Plan Commission considered the request and unanimously voted for a recommendation of approval to the Board, with conditions relating to odor control (which is not expected to be an issue) and the types of species expected to be sold on the premises. VIII. RESIDENTS’ COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) NONE IX. 1. 2. PRESIDENT’S REPORT Mayor DiMaria stated that he would make the appointments to the Strategic Plan Advisory Commission under “Other Business.” Next, Mayor DiMaria introduced Resolution 22-31, Appointing a Director and Alternate Director to the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC).He asked for a motion to approve this Resolution. Trustee Thill so moved, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Khan aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko absent Minutes of June 13, 2022 Board Meeting 3 IX. 3. 4. 5. 6. PRESIDENT’S REPORT (continued) Mayor DiMaria said the news from the Ukraine continues to be distressing. Our hearts are with the Ukranian people. He asked that everyone keep the Ukrainians in their thoughts and prayers. Mayor DiMaria noted the French Market, which opened on Saturday, May 14, is open every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Civic Center, 6140 Dempster, through October 15. Mayor DiMaria said the 2022 Morton Grove Tree Walk, which was held on Saturday, June 4, was a great success, with over 30 people participating. Mayor DiMaria said that Trustee Grear would talk more about the upcoming Morton Grove Days event and Trustee Travis would talk about the Community Relations Commission’s Community Garage Sale. X. 1. a. b. CLERK’S REPORT Clerk Harford said the Village is excited to announce that it has been selected as an early voting location for the 2022 Gubernatorial Primary election. Early voting started today, June 13, and will run 7 days a week through Monday, June 27. It is being held on the second floor of the American Legion Memorial Civic Center at 6140 Dempster Street. The hours for the first week of early voting (June 13–June 18) are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and Sunday, June 19, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For the second/final week of voting (June 20–June 27), the hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 26. On Monday, June 27, the final day of early voting, the hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. XI. A. 1. STAFF REPORTS Village Administrator: Mr. Czerwinski presented Ordinance 22-09, Amending Title 9 Entitled “Fire Prevention and Protection,” Title 10 Entitled “Building and Construction Regulations,” Chapter 1 Entitled “Build- ing Code,” Chapter 2 Entitled “Electrical Regulations,” Chapter 4 Entitled “Elevator Regulations,” Chapter 5 Entitled “Property Maintenance Regulations,” Chapter 6 Entitled “Fallout Shelters,” Chapter 7 Entitled “Building Address Regulations,” Title 1 Entitled “Administration,” Chapter 4 Entitled “Penalties,” and Chapter 11 Entitled “Fees” of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove. Minutes of June 13, 2022 Board Meeting 4 XI. A. a. c. d. STAFF REPORTS (continued) Village Administrator: (continued) This is the second reading of this Ordinance. Mr. Czerwinski explained that this Ordinance would approve amendments to Title 1, Title 9, and Title 10 of the Village Code to incorporate updated versions of model codes for the Fire Department and the Building and Inspectional Services Department. He asked for a motion to support this Ordinance. Trustee Grear moved to adopt Ordinance 22-09, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Khan aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko absent Trustee Grear thanked Rick Dobrowski from the Fire Department, Jim English from Building & Inspectional Services, and Mr. Czerwinski for their many hours of work on this Ordinance. B. Corporation Counsel: Corporation Counsel Liston had no formal report this evening. XII. A. TRUSTEES’ REPORTS Trustee Grear: Trustee Grear had no formal report this evening, but said he was happy to announce that Morton Grove Days will be back and be better than ever! He said the event will celebrate 100-plus-1 years of existence. The four-day festival will feature food, live music, a carnival, a parade, and a beer garden. He thanked the Morton Grove Park District Commissioners and staff and the Morton Grove department heads and administrative staff, who’ve all done a fantastic job so this can be our best fest ever! Trustee Grear added that the event still needs volunteers, so anyone who can volunteer an hour or two should please reach out to him. B. Trustee Khan: Trustee Khan introduced two ordinances this evening. Both are first reads, and do not require any action to be taken this evening. Minutes of June 13, 2022 Board Meeting 5 XII. B. 1. a. 2. a. TRUSTEES’ REPORTS (continued) Trustee Khan: (continued) Ordinance 22-10, Approving a Text Amendment to Establish Regulations Relating to Affordable Housing and an Affordable Housing Fund. Trustee Khan explained that this Ordinance is pursuant to Plan Commission Case PC 22-06, reported out earlier this evening by Community Development Administrator Zoe Heidorn. This Ordinance will approve a Text Amendment that establishes regulations relating to the creation and preservation of affordable housing and establishes the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to provide financial resources to address the affordable housing needs of low- to middle-income individuals and families who live or work in the Village. Ordinance 22-11, Approving a Special Use Permit for a Pet Shop for 6014 Dempster Street in Morton Grove, IL. Trustee Khan said this Ordinance approves a Special Use Permit for the operation of a pet shop to allow the sale of fish and coral by The Local Fish Store. This is pursuant to Plan Commission Case PC 22-07, reported out earlier this evening by Ms. Heidorn. C. Trustee Minx: Trustee Minx had no formal report this evening. D. Trustee Thill: Trustee Thill had no formal report this evening. E. 1. Trustee Travis: Trustee Travis thanked all who participated in the 2022 Summer Adopt-A-Planter program. Dempster Street, Waukegan Road, the Civic Center, and the Metra Station look beautiful and ready for summer. The pickup of plants went extremely smoothly. She thanked in particular Public Works (Johnny, Dave, and Alex), Village staff Saba Koya, Terry Liston, and Boyle Wong, and CRC Chairperson Arcie Pimentel. Trustee Travis noted that, if you adopted a planter, please remember to check on it regularly and water it when you can. Public Works will also be watering these plants a couple of times each week. Trustee Travis said if you have any pictures of yourself planting your planter or your finished product, please send them to crc@mortongroveil.org. Minutes of June 13, 2022 Board Meeting 6 XII. E. 2. 3. TRUSTEES’ REPORTS (continued) Trustee Travis: (continued) Trustee Travis noted that, at the Adopt-A-Planter pick-up, people who had signed up for the Community Garage Sale had the opportunity to pick up their “garage sale” signs. The Community Garage Sale will be held Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26. She said if you registered for the Garage Sale but did not pick up your signs, you can pick them up at Village Hall. If you’re still interested in signing up for the Garage Sale, you can do so on the Village’s website. For those people who want to “find” homes participating in the Garage Sale, a copy of the map of the participating locations can be found on the Village’s website or pick one up at Village Hall as we get closer to the Garage Sale weekend. You will also be able to scan the QR code on any garage sale sign that weekend to get a copy of the map. Lastly, Trustee Travis noted that the Community Relations Commission’s Photo Contest is back. The contest will run now through Labor Day. Everyone is welcome to submit their pictures of “Enjoying Summer in Morton Grove” to www.mortongroveil.org/photocontest. F. 1. a. Trustee Witko: In Trustee Witko’s absence, Trustee Grear presented the items under her report: Resolution 22-28, Authorizing the Acceptance of a Material Proposal From Arrow Road Construction Company for the 2022 Material Purchasing Program. Trustee Grear explained that the Village has an annual program to purchase asphalt to maintain Village rights-of-way and properties. Asphalt removed during Public Works Department maintenance efforts is recycled by the asphalt producer. The purchase and recycling of construction materials is paid for using General and Motor Fuel Tax funds. The use of Motor Fuel Tax Funds is administratively controlled by the State, and requires bidding procedures and contract documents for these amounts conforming to its requirements. This contract was bid through a public process, advertised, and sealed bids were received. The lowest bid was from Builders Asphalt LLC, a company the Village used in 2017 and 2018. The Public Works Director considered the current service from Builders Asphalt LLC to be unreliable to meet the Village’s needs. The next lowest bid was from Arrow Road Construction Company in the amount of $125,950, including a mileage factor calculation of $54,000. This was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bid. The calculated mileage factor is for the Public Works Department to drive to and from the asphalt plant in Elk Grove Village. The remaining amount of the bid ($71,950) is for purchasing asphalt. The Bid amount exceeds the budgeted amount of $70,000 and the amount to be purchased will not exceed the budgeted amount; making the fiscal impact of this resolution $70,000. Trustee Grear moved, seconded by Trustee Travis, to approve Resolution 22-28. Minutes of June 13, 2022 Board Meeting 7 XII. F. 2. a. 3. a. TRUSTEES’ REPORTS (continued) Trustee Witko: (continued) Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Khan aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko absent Resolution 22-29, Authorizing a Contract with New Castle Electric, Inc. for Fire Station Generator Replacement. Trustee Grear explained that Fire Station #4 functions as the Village’s Emergency Operations Center. The generator that powers the administrative side of the facility during power failures was installed at Fire Station #4 in 1996. Public Works staff has determined this unit has reached the end of its dependable service life and needs to be replaced. This contract was bid through a public process and two sealed bids were received. New Castle Electric, Inc. submitted the low bid in the amount of $181,500. New Castle Electric installed the generator at the Public Works facility in 2018 and is qualified for this project. This contract must conform to the requirements of the Prevailing Wage Act. The fiscal impact of this resolution is $181,500. Trustee Grear noted that these funds will be coming out of the 2022 Lehigh-Ferris TIF Account. Trustee Grear moved to approve Resolution 22-29, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Khan aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko absent Resolution 22-30, Authorizing the Closure of Dempster Street for the Annual Fourth of July Parade. Trustee Grear said the July 4 Parade is a Morton Grove tradition. The 2022 parade is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, July 4, 2022, and will require Dempster Street to be partially or completely closed between Central and Lincoln Avenues from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) requires the Village to adopt a resolution to approve this closing and assume full responsibility for the direction, protection, and regulation of traffic, along with all liabilities for damages of any kind occasion by the closing of this state route. Trustee Grear moved, seconded by Trustee Minx, to approve Resolution 22-30. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Khan aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko absent Minutes of June 13, 2022 Board Meeting 8 XIII. 1. a. OTHER BUSINESS Mayor DiMaria stated that he had requested people to volunteer for a new Strategic Plan Advisory Commission. The Village has had a Strategic Plan which now needs to be refreshed, but meanwhile, many of the thoughts and ideas of the initial Strategic Plan have come to fruition. He said he has put together a very diverse group of people, and thanked everyone for volunteering, saying, “You’re really doing a service to the Village.” He said it’s important for the “next gen” that the Strategic Plan be updated. Mayor DiMaria then asked for the Board’s concurrence with the appointments of the following individuals to the Strategic Plan Advisory Commission: Chairman: Steve Blonz Commissioners: Jon Cole Paul McGivern Danielle DiMaria Eric Poders Marc Fernandez Polson Mathew Lindsey Karp Theresa Polyak Tariq Laliwala Habeeb Quadri Volha Liston Arthur Shiba Trustee Thill moved to concur with these appointments, seconded by Trustee Travis. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote (with one absent). The Board and assemblage applauded the new Commissioners. XIV. WARRANTS Trustee Grear presented the Warrant Register for June 13, 2022 in the amount of $801,155.37. He moved to approve this evening’s Warrant Register as presented, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Khan aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko absent XV. 1. RESIDENTS’ COMMENTS Vijaua Nadar of Chicago, IL appeared before the Board to say that, as a practicing Hindu, she was overwhelmed with the fact that several cities, towns, and villages, including Morton Grove, have “stepped up” their support for Hindus residing in the communities by wholeheartedly participating in their festivals. Unfortunately, though, this support for Hindus has been nixed by the HSS, which is the international wing of a highly toxic, fascist, and militant group in India called the RSS. The HSS has members all over the US and has been flourishing by projecting itself as an organization representing the peace-loving Hindus. Minutes of June 13, 2022 Board Meeting 9 XV. a. b. c. 2. RESIDENTS’ COMMENTS (continued) Ms. Nadar continued, stating that the founding members of the RSS and HSS have been highly inspired by the fascist rulers of Europe in the early 20th century, especially Adolf Hitler, which led to the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. The HSS and RSS campaigned in India to elect an “evil incarnate” prime minister, Narendra Modi. They dream of converting a secular, democratic India into a theological Hindu state, reducing Muslims and Christians into second-class citizens, even killing them at will. HSS loses no opportunity to project itself as custodians of the Hindu faith in the US. They ostensibly celebrate Hindu festival, but they use these opportunities to project the support of local Americans for HSS. Ms. Nadar said the HSS claims to represent the interests of Hindus alone, thereby causing a serious divide within the South Asian Americans, which include Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and other minority groups from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and others. She said it is a usually a matter of pride amongst immigrant groups to see one of their members rise to political glory, but it’s disturbing to see that talented, intelligent politicians like Congressman Raja feel compelled to accept donations from this saffron terror group, even visiting Prime Minister Modi in India, in order to get himself elected her. He cannot pretend that he doesn’t know the antecedents of HSS and RSS, or how dangerous Modi is, especially when the US government has been regularly documenting the gross human rights violations in India. Ms. Nadar said the Morton Grove Village Board is not expected to comment on human rights violations in India, but she hoped that, at the least, every council or Board in the US would not give this militant group a platform wherein they can spread their venom here in America. Peter Friedrich, 9110 Waukegan Road, also talked about HSS, saying it’s an organization that has left thousands dead in the streets, and Chicago is a major hub for this organization. He said it was a propaganda mouthpiece and said it was disappointing that Morton Grove supports them. Mr. Friedrich said he wasn’t suggesting the Board speak out, but he asked that they do their due diligence so they’d know “who” they’re promoting or supporting. XVI. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 7:29 p.m.