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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-09-08 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. Village Clerk Carol Fritzshall called the roll. Present were: Trustees Georgianne Brunner, Roy Kogstad, Shel Marcus, Rita Minx, Dan Staackmann, and John Thill. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Regarding the Minutes of the Special Meeting of June 25, 2008, Mayor Krier asked if anyone had any changes or corrections to the Minutes. Trustee Brunner had a question about the format of the Minutes and why there was a need for an "Exhibit A". Clerk Fritzshall explained that Exhibit A was in response to a request from Trustee Kogstad. Trustee Brunner asked Trustee Kogstad what pertinence Exhibit A had to the Minutes. He said it was material that wasn't included originally with these Minutes. Trustee Minx moved to approve the Minutes of the Special Meeting of June 25, 2008, as submitted. Trustee Thill seconded the motion. Trustee Kogstad asked if the vote could be done via roll call. The motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill b. Regarding the Minutes of the Special Meeting of July 10, 2008, Mayor Krier asked if anyone had any changes or corrections to the Minutes. Seeing none, Trustee Minx moved to approve the Minutes of the Special Meeting of July 10, 2008, seconded by Trustee Marcus. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. c~ Regarding the Minutes of the August 25, 2008 Regular Meeting, Mayor Krier asked if anyone had any changes or corrections to the Minutes. Trustee Brunner commented that, un- der "Other Business", the discussion about the handicapped parking spot, she thought that staff was going to be making a recommendation to the Board. That was not reflected in the Minutes. Trustee Minx said she thought that the people were going to petition the Traffic Safety Commission. Trustee Thill said he was recalling that Corporation Counsel was going to write something up for the Traffic Safety Commission to review. None of this discussion was included in the Minutes. Trustee Kogstad said, regarding the discussion on Resolution 08-48, that Chief Tasch had said he would get information on the other bidders to the Board members. Chief Tasch did send out an email with this information, and Trustee Kogstad said he would like that email to be attached to the Minutes. Corporation Counsel said that they III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (continued) could be attached to tonight's Minutes. Trustee Kogstad said that would be fine. There was no additional discussion. Trustee Minx moved, seconded by Trustee Marcus, to approve the August 25, 2008 Regular Meeting Minutes as submitted. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE V. SPECIAL REPORTS Plan Commission Case PC08-04 Requests a Special Use Permit for a Commercial Wireless Antenna Installation on an Existing Commonwealth Edison Transmission Tower at 9398 Mansfield Avenue. Plan Commission Chairman Ron Farkas presented this case, which first came before the Commission in July and was continued until August because no representative of the Appli- cantwas present at the July hearing. As stated, the applicant, Denali Spectrum dba Cricket Communications is requesting a Special Use Permit for a commercial wireless installation on the ComEd tower at 9398 Mansfield Avenue. Bonnie Jacobson, Village Planner, indicated that there were no staff concerns regarding this case except for adding aturn-around for the service truck. Staff also suggested the driveway be accessed from Mansfield Avenue rather than Marmora Avenue, since it's closer. At the July hearing, although the applicant was not present, several concerned residents spoke. They were not pleased with staff's suggestion about using Mansfield Avenue to access the driveway, instead preferring the Marmora accessway. Therefore, at the August hearing, the site plan was changed back to show the access drive off of Marmora Avenue, as initially proposed by the Applicant. The Applicant was present at the August hearing and brought along an RF engineer. Chair- man Farkas noted that it was the first time he could recall, in all of the many requests for commercial wireless antenna installations, that an applicant brought along an RF engineer. The Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of this request, with one absent. VI. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) a. Louis Glen. Mr. Glen was addressing Ordinance 08-53 (Allocation of 2008 Private Activity Bond Volume Cap). Mayor Krier informed him that it's a misprint on the Agenda; it's really Resolution 08-53. Mr. Glen said that he is president of Regent Technologies. His company has been in Morton Grove since 1972. They just purchased adjacent property in order to build a laboratory, using the Village's private activity bond volume cap. The Village has granted them this twice before. b. Produce World owner. The gentleman said he's proud that Produce World has been in Morton Grove for the past 17 years and hopes the Village will support the store's move to the east side of Waukegan Road. He said the Board should feel free to ask him any questions. VII Mayor Krier proclaimed September, 2008 as "National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month" in the Village. He said it was critical to educate the community that substance use disorders are treatable, yet serious, health problems, and encouraged all citizens to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies supporting this year's theme: "Join the Voices for Recovery: Build a Stronger, Healthier Community." 2. Mayor Krier announced that Family Fest Block Party will take place again this year at the Village Hall. It will be an all-day, family-oriented event held on September 20, 2008. There will be a pancake breakfast in the morning, a scarecrow contest, a New Resident Reception, recognition of people who've lived in Morton Grove for 65 years or more, many other family activities, and a beer tent in the evening. He said they were still looking for volunteers to help supervise the children's activities, if anyone was interested in donating a couple of hours of their time. If so, they should contact Sue or Marlene at Village Hall. Mayor Krier said he hoped everyone will be able to attend. 3. The United Food Drive for local food pantries will take place September 15 through September 25. Drop-off locations are: the Civic Center, Village Hall, and the Fire Station. VIII. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Fritzshall had no formal report, but noted that Morton Grove will be an early voting site for the November election. Early voting will take place between October 13 and October 30; after that, people can go to the Clerk's office downtown and register and vote all at once. 2. Also Clerk Fritzshall stated that she is partnering with the Morton Grove Public Library to encourage voter registration. People interested in registering to vote can come to the Library and do so on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. during the month of Septem- ber. Village Hall is also open on Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and people can come to register there as well. Anyone who will be age 18 by November 4`h (Election Day) can register to vote. IX. A. Village Administrator Mr. Wade had no report. B. Corporation Counsel: STAFF REPORTS Ms. Liston had no report. X. A. Trustee Brunner: TRUSTEES' REPORTS Trustee Brunner had no formal report, but announced that there would be a Document Shredding event at the Civic Center on Saturday, September 20, 2008 between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. This is free of charge and is for all sensitive documents, such as bank statements and prior years' tax returns. She also said that she would be attending the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC)'s Board meeting this coming Wednesday. SWANCC has a new contract with Groot. She said she'd have a report on the recycling incentive program to present at the next Board meeting. B. Trustee Koostad: Trustee Kogstad had no report. C. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Marcus: Trustee Marcus had no formal report, but as liaison to the Chamber of Commerce, announced that, on September 10, the Chamber would be celebrating "Chamber of Commerce Week" with a "Business After Hours" event at the Historical Society from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Also, the Chamber's annual golf outing will be held on September 17 at the Chevy Chase Golf Club in Wheeling. For more information or tickets, or to become a sponsor, call the Chamber at (847) 965-0330. Trustee Marcus said the Chamber is a very important part of the Morton Grove community, and he encouraged residents to support the Chamber and its members. D. Trustee Minx: Trustee Minx presented for a first reading Ordinance 08-39, Granting a Special Use Permit in the Village of Morton Grove for Property Located at 9398 Mansfield for a Commercial Wireless Antenna Installation. This is pursuant to Plan Commission Case PC 08-04 heard earlier this evening. This ordinance would grant the Special Use Permit as recommended by the Plan Commission. There were no questions or comments from the Board. 2~ Trustee Minx next presented Resolution 08-52, Authorizing the Negotiation of a Redevelopment Agreement Between the Village of Morton Grove, Castle Honda, and Produce World for the Vacation and Relocation of Public Rights-of-Way to Promote Economic Growth. Trustee Minx said that, before she read the Resolution, Joe Wade had some comments and a presentation. X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) D. Trustee Minx: (continued) Mr. Wade said that tonight the Board will have a chance to discuss an important economic redevelopment possibility, one which would assist, strengthen and retain two local businesses, Produce World and Castle Honda. Through apublic/private partnership, the Village is propos- ing relocating Produce World from their existing location to the location occupied by Rivals. The Village would then "move" Churchill 110 feet to the south (roughly about two house lots). There would be no change to New England Avenue. Produce World has less than 9,000 feet now. For their new facility, they are proposing building a store with 20,000 feet including 5,000 feet of commercial space for new tenants. Castle Honda wants to increase its showroom and sales offices. Castle is among the top 40 Honda dealers in the U.S. The proposal would be for the Village to vacate the alley to allow Castle to have a greater presence on Waukegan Road. Tonight's discussion is the beginning of this effort; the Board would have to consider the two actions (vacating the alley and moving Churchill) and everything would have to go through the Procedural Control process (Appearance Commission, Traffic Safety Commission, and Plan Commission). The Village will then be able to come up with a development plan for the northwest corner of Waukegan Road, the current location of Produce World. Mr. Wade then asked Economic & Community Development Director Bill Neuendorf to provide more detail. Mr. Neuendorf showed a PowerPoint presentation showing visually the current locations of Produce World, Castle Honda, Rivals, Churchill, and the alley; and showing the proposed changes and how those properties would look if the changes were approved. He indicated that Churchill was graded "poor" as a street two years ago. Relocating Churchill will not only benefit both businesses, it will benefit the Village because the Village will get a new street to replace a failing one. It would eliminate the Village's cost to repair the street and the cost of the new street would be split between the Village, Produce World, and Castle Honda. Relocating Churchill will also present a more attractive route to the Park District recreation fields. This proposed redevelopment will provide increased sales and property taxes, increased TIF revenue (as a portion of this area is in the Waukegan Road TIF), and will open up a prime corner spot for redevelopment. Should the Village find this concept acceptable, the next steps would be to do some preliminary engineering and get some cost estimates, to negotiate a formal redevelopment agreement, and to begin the Procedural Control process so that construction could hopefully begin in the spring of 2009. Trustee Minx then read the Resolution for the record. She moved, seconded by Trustee Brunner, to approve Resolution 08-52. Trustee Staackmann asked Mr. Neuendorf to identify which properties were in the TIF and which were not. Mr. Neuendorf said that, in this portion of the Waukegan Road TIF, the boundaries zig-zag, so the Rivals property and its parking lot and the single-family home behind Rivals is in the TIF, but the Castle Honda parking lot is not. The Produce World parking lot is in the TIF, but the actual store is not. Trustee Thill asked if TIF dollars could be used to rebuild Churchill. Mr. Neuendorf said they could, and that was a benefit, because General Funds wouldn't be used, rather, TIF funds would. Trustee Staackmann wondered if that was true even if Churchill was not in the TIF. X. D. Trustee Minx: (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Mr. Neuendorf said that State TIF law would allow the building of a public facility (a street) because it's immediately adjacent to a TIF and would serve the TIF. Trustee Kogstad asked if the trustees could get a map with the TIF boundaries shown on it. He asked if the new proposed street would lead to the Park District. Mr. Neuendorf said yes, drivers could take Churchill from Waukegan and would then go left and into the Park District's parking lot or they could go right and go around and in. Trustee Kogstad asked what was considered Park District property. Mr. Neuendorf said everything east of New England. He said that no Park District property is affected by this proposal, only private property and public streets. Mayor Krier commented that Administrator Wade had gone to a recent Park Board meeting to explain the proposal to them, as a courtesy. Trustee Staackmann said it was good that the proposal would go before the Traffic Safety Commission, because he could envision it becoming athrough-way, with people with leaving the grocery store and using the Park District's driveway to cut through to catch the light at Dempster, since there is no light at New England. Trustee Kogstad clarified that the action the Board is taking tonight is just agreeing to enter into discussions. Corporation Counsel Liston agreed and said this resolution is not authorizing any expenditure or binding the Village to an agreement. It's basically to show these two businesses that the Corporate Authorities support this proposed redevelopment agreement. Mr. Neuendorf said that the business owners were looking fora "positive sign" from the Village that this concept is worth exploring; they don't want to go too far if they don't get a general "thumbs up" at this point. Trustee Kogstad said that, in the resolution, there's language regarding distribution of construction costs (as Mr. Neuendorf referenced, splitting the cost of rebuilding the road between the Village, Castle Honda, and Produce World). The language states that the Village will "front fund" the costs and get reimbursed over a multiple year period. Trustee Kogstad asked if the Village wasn't negotiating away some of its bargaining power by having this language included in this resolution. Mr. Neuendorf said that, in a way, it shows the direction in which the Village is heading. It's a matter of how much the businesses can actually finance; they feel they can only finance so much. Their initial plan was slightly less ambitious than this one; the Village encouraged them to think bigger in order to get a bigger project for the community. The provisions in the resolution are the general direction that the business owners and Village can live with. Ms. Liston said that voting on this resolution is voting on the concept, not the details. She felt Trustee Kogstad's comments would be more pertinent when there's a negotiated agreement for the Board's approval. This resolution is not binding the Village to anything. Trustee Kogstad felt that that should be stated, because the wording in the resolution could be misleading to the businesses. Ms. Liston said that Trustee Kogstad's comments were being heard by the businesses so that should allay any confusion. Trustee Marcus concurred that it's important for the Board to make a statement of support, and personally thanked the two businesses for staying and expanding in the community; it shows a positive attitude. X. D. Trustee Minx: (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Marcus felt it's the Board's role to be as incentive-oriented to the community as possible; he wanted to be clear that this is just supporting a concept. All the elements necessary to bring the project to fruition still need to go through the Village's procedural control process before coming to the Board for final approval. Trustee Staackmann said he fully supports this project but the final outcome of cost will occur after the traffic and design costs. Ms. Liston said this resolution is akin to a letter of intent; nothing is binding until a formal agreement is negotiated. Trustee Brunner said she echoed Trustee Marcus in thanking the businesses for coming up with this plan-they've always been good citizens and good neighbors. She hoped they would negotiate in good faith with the Village. Mayor Krier explained that this came about because he happened to bump into representa- tives from Produce World who had come to Village Hall to talk to Building Commissioner Hildebrandt about possibly buying Rivals. Mayor Krier quickly called Joe Wade and Bill Neuendorf and they discussed it, recalling that Castle Honda had also earlier expressed an interest in expanding. Finally all parties sat down and put this proposal together. Mayor Krier said, in his opinion, the Village can't afford NOT to do this. It's awin-win for everyone; having a new road that you only have to pay one-third of is a good deal. He thanked the staff and the businesses for all their efforts to date. Trustee Minx added her support and noted that the Mayor had come to the Board about this and was being very proactive about keeping these great businesses here. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill 3. Trustee Minx then presented Resolution 08-54, Authorization to Execute an Agreement with Ciorba Group, Inc. For the Churchill Street Relocation Project and to Reallocate Expenditures in the 2008 Budget of the Waukegan Road Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Redevelopment District. She explained that this resolution will authorize the Village to enter into a contract with Ciorba Group, Inc., a professional engineering firm, to prepare plans, specifications, cost estimates, and other services related to the vacation of public alleys and the relocation of Churchill Street between Waukegan and New England. It also modifies the 2008 Waukegan Road TIF District budget to account for these previously unanticipated professional services. The owners of Produce World and Castle Honda intend to make substantial investments in the Village in 2009. These projects can be improved by the vacation of unused public alleys and the relocation of a public street. The design of these public improvements must be prepared properly so as to avoid hindering the construction of these private investments. The cost of this is not to exceed $25,159. Trustee Minx moved, seconded by Trustee Brunner, to approve Resolution 08-54. X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) D. Trustee Minx: (continued) Trustee Kogstad asked Mr. Neuendorf if this amount ($25,159) was being added to the original contract amount. He replied that the Village has several active contracts with Ciorba Group; this resolution is more like a specific task order. This is in addition to any other work Ciorba has going on in the Village. Ms. Liston added that, in 2005, the Village went through an extensive Request for Qualifications so that it could designate an engineering firm, so that when projects like this came up, it wouldn't have to go through a Request for Qualifications. Sothis is confirming that the Village has already vetted Ciorba Group. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill 4. Lastly, Trustee Minx brought up Resolution 08-53, Authorizing the Application to the Office of the Governor for an Allocation of 2008 Private Activity Bond Volume Cap for Bonds to be Issued by the Illinois Finance Authority for a Project for Regis Technologies, Inc., and a Reallocation of 2008 Private Activity Bond Volume Cap So Received to Illinois Finance Authority. She explained that this was mistakenly listed as an ordinance on tonight's Agenda. Each year, the State authorizes municipalities to allocate private activity bonds. The Village has no cost or obligation with respect to these bonds, but can request the bonds be used by local companies to create jobs or improve their facilities. If the Village chooses to reallocate this bond cap, it must typically do so by May 1, 2008. The Village wasn't aware of any private activities requiring the bond cap and therefore did not reserve its 2008 allocation. Subsequently, Regis Technologies informed the Village that it was undertaking a $12 million dollar expansion of its existing facility. This resolution authorizes the Village to apply for a reallocation of its bond cap to the Illinois Finance Authority to finance the cost of Regis Technologies' improvements. Trustee Minx moved to approve Resolution 08-53, seconded by Trustee Thill. There was no further discussion. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill E. Trustee Staackmann: Trustee Staackmann presented Ordinance 08-33, Amending Title 10, Chapter 3, Entitled "Plumbing Regulations" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove. This is the second reading of this ordinance. Trustee Staackmann explained that this ordinance will update the plumbing regulations and coordinate those regulations with the 2004 Illinois State Plumbing Code with a few minor exceptions. X. E. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Staackmann: (continued) Trustee Staackmann moved to adopt Ordinance 08-33, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner Tr. Minx Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill Trustee Thill thanked the Building Department for nine pages of updates; he said "they really did their homework!" 2. Trustee Staackmann then presented Resolution 08-50, Authorization to Execute a Con- tract with Top Notch Painting, Inc. for Exterior Painting at 6101 Capulina Avenue. He explained that it has been approximately 15 years since the exterior of the building was last painted. Painting the exterior has been deferred the last few years due to budget considerations; however, it is now at the point where any further delays could result in costly wood replacement. Eleven contractors bid on this job and the low bidder is Top Notch Painting, Inc. of Morton Grove in the amount of $9,600. Trustee Staackmann moved to approve Resolution 08-50, seconded by Trustee Thill. Trustee Brunner noted that the bids ranged widely in price from $9,600 to $47,875. She wondered why. Building Commissioner Hildebrandt said that he was surprised too, and felt that the companies bidding on this work were reading more into it that what was there. He said that he had worked closely with Trustee Thill (a painting contractor) on putting the bid specifications together. They found a product through Sherwin Williams stores that requires minimal priming. The product itself costs a little more, but it will cut the labor of priming in half. Mr Hildebrandt felt that some of the bidding companies may not have been familiar with this product, thus the wide range of prices. Trustee Brunner asked if this company is reputable and will do a decent job. Mr. Hildebrandt answered yes. Trustee Marcus asked if the difference in prices could be attributed to the amount of priming that some companies thought they'd have to do. Mr. Hildebrandt said yes, and some were bidding on replacing stucco instead of painting over it. Trustee Marcus asked Trustee Thill if that would account for the pricing differences. Trustee Thill said, in some part, yes, but also, some companies were stating that they were going to use hydraulic lifts, which are very expensive. This company is going to use ladders and planks. Trustee Marcus said he was glad that a local company won this contract. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill F Trustee Thill Trustee Thill presented Ordinance 08-34, Authorization to Install Parking Restrictions on Morton Avenue Between Lincoln Avenue and South Park Avenue Within the Village of Morton Grove. X. F. Trustee Thill: (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) This is the second reading of this ordinance. He explained that a request was presented to the Traffic Safety Commission for parking restrictions on Morton Avenue between Lincoln and South Park to alleviate commuter parking congestion on this street. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Minx, to adopt Ordinance 08-34. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill 2~ Next, Trustee Thill presented Ordinance 08-35, Authorization to Install Parking Restrictions on Callie Avenue Between Capulina Avenue and Dempster Street Within the Village of Morton Grove. This is the second reading of this ordinance. He explained that a request was presented to the Traffic Safety Commission for parking restrictions on Callie Avenue between Capulina and Dempster to alleviate commuter parking congestion on this street. The Commission recommended Zone 11 parking restrictions be implemented. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Marcus, to adopt Ordinance 08-35. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill 3. Trustee Thill then presented Ordinance 08-37, Authorization to Install Parking Restrictions on Grove Street Between Morton and Austin Avenues Within the Village of Morton Grove. This is the second reading of this ordinance. He explained that a request was presented to the Traffic Safety Commission for parking restrictions on Grove Street between Morton and Austin to alleviate commuter parking congestion on this street. The Commission recommended Zone 11 parking restrictions be implemented. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Marcus, to adopt Ordinance 08-37. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill Trustee Minx noted that she resides in this area, but has no vested interest in this matter. to X. F 4. Trustee Thill: (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Thill then brought forward Ordinance 08-38, Amending Village Code Section 5-13F-4 to Provide for the Regulated Distribution of Parking Permits by the Village Administrator. This is the second reading of this ordinance. He explained that the Village currently has restricted parking on various streets throughout the Village, where parking permits are distributed to residents who reside on the affected streets. However, it has been brought to the Village's attention that parking restrictions on these streets may cause an unintentional burden to other nearby residents that may park on those streets. This ordinance would give the Village Administrator regulated authority to provide parking permits to those area residents who demonstrate to the Administrator's satisfaction special circumstances which warrant the receipt of a zone parking permit. Trustee Thill moved to adopt Ordinance 08-38, seconded by Trustee Brunner. Trustee Marcus said that there were some concerns expressed at the last meeting as to guidelines on this matter. Mr. Wade said he had spoken with Ryan Gillingham, the Village Engineer about this. There are two stipulations in the ordinance: one is that the applicant must be within 500 feet of existing parking restrictions, the other is that it must be need-based circumstances and by petition of the resident. Trustee Minx noted that, with zoned parking, residents have to renew their zone parking stickers annually. She asked if these "special circumstance" zoned parking stickers would also need to be renewed annually. Mr. Wade responded that they would. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill Trustee Thill lastly presented Resolution 08-51, Authorizing the Annual Veterans Day Parade. He explained that this resolution is required by the Illinois Department of Transportation to request the closure of Dempster Street for the parade, which will be held this year on Sunday, November 9, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dempster will be closed from Fernald to Austin for the parade. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Brunner, to approve Resolution 08-51. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner Tr. Minx Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill 11 XI XII OTHER BUSINESS Trustee Thill urged everyone to recycle! The more residents recycle, the more dollars the Village will get back from SWANCC. Trustee Kostad reiterated his desire to have Chief Tasch's email attached to this evening's Minutes. Trustee Brunner wanted to clarify handicapped parking; if someone has a handicapped park- ing sign designated in front of their house, it's not just for them, it's for anyone who has a handicapped tag or license plates. Her understanding was that Corporation Counsel was go- ing to get some information that the Board could pass on to the Traffic Safety Commission. Ms. Liston said she thought the question was whether or not someone can have a particular handicapped sign in front of someone's house be reserved for a particular person. Right now, the Village's ordinance and State statute says you can petition to have a handicapped space put in front of a house, but that's not for a particular handicapped vehicle or person, it's for any handicapped person or vehicle. Ms. Liston said that she did research this, and found that, as a home rule community, the Village has the right to pass an ordinance to allow specific signs to be designated for specific vehicles. However, she was concerned that, should the Village do this, there might be some implementation and some enforcement problems. She said she could draft an amendment to the Village's code that would allow fora "higher level" of reserva- tion; i.e., a sign in front of someone's house saying, "This space is reserved for handicapped sticker #XXXXX." There would also then have to be some discussions on how to enforce it. Mayor Krier said he didn't see a need for that right now; it basically granted private parking spaces. That could make one person happy, but others angry. Trustee Brunner pointed out that, if a person is handicapped and can't walk, and that person petitions the Village and pays to have the signage put up in front of their house, they will have the expectation that they are allowed to park in that space. Mayor Krier said he knew that there are people who need it, but he did not feel the Village should become the "handicapped police". He said everyone's seen people who park in handicapped spaces at grocery stores, etc. and they're walking just fine. Trustee Brunner said that she's talking about someone who petitions the Village for a handicapped space and the Village makes the determination that it's needed. She said that's different than having designated spaces at the grocery store where people can randomly park because it's public parking. She said she's passionate about this because she's had handicapped people living in her home. Mayor Krier asked if the Village is going to set the criteria for that. Trustee Brunner said she thought the Village already did set the criteria, but asked Mr. Wade, "What is the process?" Corporation Counsel Liston said that she would work with Chief Tasch to get more information for the Board on the process and enforcement. WARRANTS Trustee Minx presented the Warrant Register for September 8, 2008, in the amount of $250,501.63. She moved to approve the Warrants, seconded by Trustee Thill. Trustee Minx noted that, on page 2, there's a line item for Biltmore Commercial Refrigeration, and two invoices for "cooler repair at Civic Center" are listed. She wondered why. 12 XII. WARRANTS (continued) Assistant Finance Director Ryan Horn said he would find out. Trustee Minx also noted two invoices on page 3 payable to Chicago Communication Systems for "security camera repair". Mr. Horn said he'd find out about those as well. Trustee Minx said, regarding an item on page 11 for "refunds of Metra cards", that she had understood that the problem had been corrected. She wondered why this was still showing up on the Warrants. Mr. Horn said that it's basically an ongoing education process of training commuters on how to use the machines properly, so some small mistakes keep happening, hence the refunds. Trustee Minx asked, regarding an item on page 13, payment to Sikich through April 30, 2008, why two different amounts were shown. Mr. Horn said that 80°~ of the payment was coming out of the General Fund and 20°~ from the Water Fund. Trustee Staackmann noted a payment to Inland Bank, formerly Cambridge Bank, of $100,705 for "Lehigh-Ferris TIF property". He wondered what that was. Mr. Horn said that this was a final payment for the purchase of property. Trustee Staackmann asked if it was for the properties fronting Ferris. Mr. Neuendorf said it was either that or the commercial building formerly at Narragansett and Henning. Trustee Staackmann asked about a $29,000 payment to S.B. Friedman and Associates for "framework planning". Mr. Neuendorf said the framework plan is ongoing, but the Board will have it soon. This bill is an installment payment for their work done December 2007 through June of 2008. Trustee Marcus asked if it was typical for a company to wait six months before billing the Village. Mr. Neuendorf said he thought the delay was due in some part to a personnel transition at S.B. Friedman, but acknowledged that they do bill rather sporadically, depending on the amount of work they're doing for the Village at the time. Mayor Krier called for the vote on the Warrants. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS a. Jim Olson. Mr. Olson is a contractor who's working with a resident on the property at 8501 School Street. He wanted to know how to amend existing zoning on his property. The zoning on that property dates back to 1959. Mayor Krier asked if he's spoken with Mr. Hildebrandt. He said he has, and the property does not allow provisions for variance. It's on a completely residential street with commercial on one street. It's anon-inhabitable living space that the resident would like to turn into a garage, a storage shed, or a screen room. Mayor Krier said that Corporation Counsel would talk to him after the meeting about the process for amending the code. Mr. Olson asked, "Since there are no provisions to allow for a variance on this specific property as it is currently zoned, how does that zoning get amended?" Mayor Krier asked Mr. Hildebrandt if he could shed some light on this. Mr. Hildebrandt said that the property in question at the corner of School and Lincoln is in a commercial zone. It's a residential non-conforming use. It's been reconfirmed in the Village's Comprehensive Plan that both sides of Lincoln Avenue from the railroad tracks to the 13 XII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) expressway are a commercial zone. On the north side of Lincoln, five or six years ago, the zoning was changed from a B-2 to a CR district. In the current zoning ordinance, there is no provision that allows non-conforming land use to go before the zoning board to ask for any zoning relief, the idea being that the property is to be redeveloped in the proper zone. In this case, the contractor applied for a building permit to build a 12x16 screened-in room at the back of the building. That was determined to be an expansion of the residential use. Mr. Hildebrandt then sent the contractor a letter explaining that he could not issue a building permit for that and explained why. Last week, one of the Village's inspectors noted that the contractor has begun working on this without a permit. The project was then stopped. The contractor did not pour a foundation; rather, he just poured concrete, more like a patio, which would be allowable. Mayor Krier told Mr. Olson to get together with Corporation Counsel after the meeting regarding this. b. Ray Frenzic. Mr. Frenzic, an 8-year resident, had come to the Board meeting about a month ago to discuss the flooding situation at Lake Street northwest of Dempster and Harlem. He said he had visited the engineering department and wasn't happy. The sewer system in that area is failing. Residents are pumping storm water into the sanitary sewer, which makes the sanitary sewer back up and flood houses. He wanted to know why in the world the Village would allow a dual system. Mr. Frenzic claimed there was over 65 inches of sludge in the storm sewers because they hadn't been cleaned in 8 years, which he said was "totally unacceptable" and "absurd". He said that the 18" sewer was inadequate, noting that, if he flooded again, he would bring a bill for his damages to the Village. Mayor Krier asked Director of Public Works Andy DeMonte to respond. Mr. DeMonte said he remembered Mr. Frenzic from his last appearance before the Board. He said he'd like to come to Mr. Frenzies house with several members of the Water Department crew. He said it's true that it's a separated sewer system, but untrue that the sewers haven't been cleaned in 8 years. Mr. DeMonte said that it is illegal for residents to have sump pumps pushing water into the storm sewer system. He said portions of the town are inspected annually for illegal sump pump connection, and when any illegal connections are found, residents must disconnect them. He said it takes about four years to inspect the whole town, as it is divided into quadrants which are inspected annually on a rotational basis. Mayor Krier asked Mr. DeMonte to go to this gentleman's house and find out what the problem is. c~ Eric Poders. Mr. Poders said he had made some comments at a previous meeting about parking restrictions becoming adisease-once the Village starts implementing parking restrictions, they just keep growing. He hoped the Board could take the necessary steps to put in additional parking at the train station. He also wanted to comment on the proposed Produce World /Castle Honda redevelopment. He wondered if the engineering costs would be broken down. He was concerned about the dilapidated condition of U-Haul. He wondered what would be going into the Produce World site once the store moved; what are the plans from Greenwood to Dempster. He mentioned that the demographics and population of the Village are changing, and hoped there would be a larger shopping center on that side of the street to create a whole new dynamic in the Village. He hoped there would be more open meetings in the future, similar to the Dempster Street meeting this past summer, where residents could come to express their opinions and provide input. 14 XII XIV RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) Mayor Krier said the big thing is the property owners, and the Village has demonstrated to- night that it works with property owners. There is already interest in the Produce World spot, and the Village is always interested in bringing something in that would benefit the town. ADJOURNMENT/EXECUTIVE SESSION Tr. Brunner ~ Tr. Kogstad ~ Tr. Marcus Tr. Minx ~ Tr. Staackmann ~ Tr. Thill There being no further business, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss personnel, labor negotiations, and real estate. The motion was seconded by Trustee Marcus. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. The meeting adjourned to Executive Session at 9:13 p.m. Mayor Krier called the Executive Session to order at 9:27 p.m. In attendance were Mayor Krier, Clerk Fritzshall, Trustees Brunner, Kogstad, Marcus, Minx, Staackmann, and Thill, as well as Village Administrator Wade, Corporation Counsel Liston, and Community and Economic Development Director Neuendorf. There being no further business, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn the Executive Session, seconded by Trustee Marcus. The motion passed unanimously via voice vote. The Executive Session adjourned at 9:56 p.m. Trustee Minx then moved to adjourn the regular Board Meeting, seconded by Trustee Marcus. The motion passed unanimously via voice vote. The Board Meeting adjourned at 9:57 p.m. 15 PASSED this 22nd day of September, 2008. Trustee Brunner Trustee Kogstad Trustee Marcus Trustee Minx Trustee Staackmann Trustee Thill APPROVED by me this 22nd day of September, 2008. Richard Krier, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 23rd day of September, 2008. Carol A. Fritzshall, Village Clerk Village of Morton Grove Cook County, Illinois Minutes by: Teresa Cousar 16 ATTACHMENT Chief Tasch's email, as requested by Trustee Kogstad: From: Paul Tasch Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 9:07 AM To: Rick Krier ; Dan Staackmann ; Georgianne Brunner; John C. Thill; Rita Minx ; Roy Kogstad; Shel Marcus; Shel Marcus {smarcus@mortongroveil.org) Cc: Joe Wade; Terry Liston; Daniela Partipilo ;Carol Fritzshall Subject: Trustee Kogstad's request Trustee Kogstad requested this information at the Village Board Meeting on Monday, 25 August 2008. These are the quotes for the Digital Voice Logger. It was our opinion that Word Systems, the losest bidder, would be capable of supply- ing the equipment needed and performing the services required. If there are any questions please give me a call. Replay Systems $ 17,927.00 TIC $ 13,440.00 Word Systems $ 12.837.00 Thanks, Paul L. Tasch, J~. Chief of Police Village of Morton Grove, Illinois (847) 663-3801 ptasch@mortong roveil. org 17