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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-07-11 MinutesIV. Village President Dan Staackmann called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. After leading the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance, he directed the Village Clerk to call the roll. Village Clerk Tony Kaiogerakos called the roll. Present were: Trustees Dan DiMaria, Larry Gomberg, Bill Grear, Shel Marcus, John Thill, and Maria Toth. -r. s Regarding the Minutes of the June 27, 2011 Regular Meeting, Trustee DiMaria moved, seconded by Trustee Toth, to accept the Minutes as presented. There was no discussion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. SPECIAL REPORTS Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement Presentation Trustee Toth presented Finance Director Ryan Horne with a plaque from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), awarding a "Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting" to the Village's Finance Department. She commented that the GFOA awarded this for the Village's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year ended December 31, 2009, The Board joined Trustee Toth in congratulating Mr. Horne for this achievement. Mr. Horne noted that this was truly a team effort and he was glad to accept it on behalf of the dedicated staff of the Finance Department. 2. Presentation of Plan Commission Case PC 11 -04 Requesting a Special Use Permit for Outside Sales at 7220 Dempster a. Plan Commissioner Chairman Ron Farkas presented this report. The applicant is Produce World. Economic Development Director John Said noted that Produce World is relocating to the Village Plaza Shopping Center and will be occupying the space at the east part of the center formerly held by Old Navy. Produce World would like to install outdoor display areas along a portion of the front of their building, under the existing canopy. Sales would take place inside, the outside would be for display only. It would extend about three feet out from the building; which is about the same depth as a row of shopping carts. IV, SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) Minutes, of July 11, 2011 Board MotOOd b. Chairman Farkas reported that Mr. Said emphasized that the Produce World store as a whole does not require a Special Use; the Special Use request is limited to the proposed outdoor display. c. Chairman Farkas said that one individual spoke at the Plan Commission hearing, with complaints about the chain -link fence, specifically, that the privacy slats were in disrepair and didn't provide adequate screening. The applicant responded that the fencing, which extends the entire length of the center, is the shopping center owner's responsibility. No other interested parties spoke. After deliberation by the Plan Commission, Chairman Farkas noted that the Special Use request was recommended for approval by a 5 -1 vote. He voted against the proposal because he was considered that one of the seven conditions for granting a Special Use permit —the condition regarding "adequate buffering" —was not met. Mayor Staackmann asked if any of the Board members had any questions for Chairman Farkas. e. Trustee Thill asked if the produce would be brought out each morning and brought back in at the end of the day. Chairman Farkas said that question hadn't come up during the hearing. f. Trustee Marcus asked if any of the other merchants in the shopping center had any inquiries or provided any feedback or input. Chairman Farkas said that, to his knowledge, none had— at least, not at the hearing. Trustee Marcus also asked if other stores in the center could have "sidewalk sales" and display merchandise outside. Corporation Counsel Liston responded that there was nothing about that in the Village's code currently, but that staff has begun discuss- ing and looking at it in the context of the Village's code on "temporary signage ". g. There being no further discussion, Trustee Thill moved to accept the Plan Commission's re- port. Trustee Marcus seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. 3. Presentation of Plan Commission Case PC 11 -05 Requesting a Special Use Permit for an Adult Day Care Center at 6027 Dempster. a. Chairman Farkas presented this case to the Board. The applicant, Hyun Sock Kim, is request- ing a Special Use to allow a senior citizen center (adult day care) at 6027 Dempster. The site is in a strip mall with 8 tenant spaces, located between School Street and Austin Avenue. b. Mr. Kim proposes to renovate the existing tenant space for a senior lounge for a variety of social activities and classes. It will be open weekdays from 10am to 4pm, with 10 -15 visitors the first year, and an ultimate membership goal of 25. The tenant space is about 1,000 square feet, and features an open area in front (for classes and social activities), a small kitchen, and restrooms. A shuttle van will be used to transport members between the center and their residences. c Chairman Farkas said that Mr. Kim testified that members of the facility will go through a rigorous screening. There would be two employees at the center at all times. Because of the small size, there will be a cap of 15 members plus 2 employees at all times. When membership grows, the times for the activities will be staggered. I- 01h utes- efJolytt,2011 gga7d1VI$?Ying IV. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) d. Family members will not be allowed to pick up or drop off; all transportation will be done using the shuttle van. This is a Medicaid program, so the applicant has applied to the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Department of Aging, Development e. Chairman Farkas said that no interested parties spoke at the Public Hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Plan Commission voted 6 -0 in favor of approving the Special Use request, with conditions, including one stating that no drop -off or pick -up will be done by any family members, as that would unreasonably monopolize the parking lot for the other tenants, and a provision stating that a maximum of 15 people would be on site. f. Trustee Marcus asked what other businesses the Kims were in. Chairman Farkas felt they had other such locations in the City of Chicago. Trustee Marcus asked if they had any other senior facility affiliations. Chairman Farkas said not to his knowledge. Development g. There being no further discussion, Trustee Thill moved to accept the Plan Commission's report. Trustee Marcus seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. 4. Presentation of Plan the Plan Commission Case PC 11 -06 Requesting a Text Amendment to the Unified passed Development vote. Code Regarding Public Notice Signs a. Chairman Farkas noted that the applicant in this case is the Village of Morton Grove, Economic Development Director John Said explained that the proposed text amendments would allow public notice signs to include general information announcing that a certain location is the subject of an upcoming public hearing, and providing contact information. The public notice signs would no longer require specifics, such as the date and time of the hearing. b. Mr. Said pointed out that signs with a general announcement are much more readable to the public, especially at a distance, and to traffic, which often passes sites at relatively high speeds. Further, general signs can be produced by Public Works and used over and over again. The timeframe to make the signs would drop from 15 days to 10 days, which provides the necessary latitude for the Village to have such signs installed in a timely manner. These changes would also allow staff to streamline procedures related to public notice signs. Currently, individual signs are required, using several steps involving four departments (Building, Community Development, Police, and Public Works). The proposed use of general information means that a limited number of signs would be needed, and they could be used over again at sites where planning and zoning approvals are requested. c. Chairman Farkas noted that none of the Plan Commission members had any questions, nor did any members of the public. The Commission voted 6 -0 to recommend approval of this request. V. There were no questions from the Village Board. Trustee Toth moved to accept the report of the Plan Commission regarding Case PC- 11 -06, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. NONE _ .. _. _ �� AflihatesotJutyi�;?�11 BnardlN!�etmf� VI. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT Mayor Staackmann congratulated the members of the Morton Grove Days committee on a very successful event. He also thanked Village Administrator Wade, Trustee Gpar, Finance Director Horne, and Finance Department staff member Remy for their help and support of the Morton Grove Days endeavor. Mayor Staackmann thanked Public Works and Andy DeMonte for today's storm. There are power outages but the Village is talking to ComEd. Mayor Staackmann said that in the coming weeks, he will arrange for a meeting between the Village and ComEd representatives to discuss the many and frequent power outages happening this summer. VIII. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Kalogerakos had three announcements: a. The second Dempster Street Redevelopment Ideas Workshop will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13, at the Civic Center. This event is open to the public, and all are welcome to attend. b. There will be a Rabies Vaccination and Microchip Clinic for pets held on Wednesday, July 27, at the Civic Center, from 10am to 2:45pm. at 847 - 663 -3071. c. There will be a Steak Fry Fundraiser on August 26 at the Moose Family Center from 5:30pm to 8pm. This event is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and will benefit the Niles Township Food Pantry. IX STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator Mr. Wade reiterated the Clerk's announcement about the Dempster Street Redevelopment Ideas Workshop. Mr. Wade announced a new "nutritious coupon program, being offered by the Department of Family and Senior Services. For eligibility requirements and more information, interested residents should contact Director Jackie Walker- O'Keefe at 847 - 663 -3071. 3. Mr. Wade wanted to let residents know that Metra has scheduled maintenance work for the railroad tracks at Dempster and Lehigh. The repair work is scheduled for the weekend of July 16, starting at 6am. IX. STAFF REPORTS (continued) A. Village Administrator. (continued) a. Trustee Marcus asked if the Village's Police Department would be coordinating traffic in that area. Mr. Wade said that Matra had not advised the Village that traffic coordination would be required. He noted that Metra is quite experienced at setting up detours for railroad crossing repairs. b. Trustee Thill asked if Dempster would be closed at Waukegan or if traffic would be allowed to go through to the crossing. Mr. Wade said that detour signs would be posted on Oakton around Gross Point Road and at Caldwell. He did not believe that traffic would be diverted at Waukegan and did not think there would be a need for that. 4. Mr. Wade noted that the storm had resulted in more power outages today. Initially, 2,180 residents were without power, and as of 4pm, 885 were still without power. ComEd assured him that they were bringing in crews from out of state as well as private contractors in an effort to get everyone's power restored. 5. Mr. Wade then introduced Finance Director Ryan Horne to do a presentation on the Lehigh Avenue Commuter Parking Lot. a. Mr. Horne explained that the Lehigh Avenue Municipal Parking Lot opened on January Y, 2011, with 112 spaces available for lease at a cost of $800 annually. The fee could be paid quarterly or annually, and the permit sticker was a "cling" type, making it transferable. After six months, only 20 permits have been issued. The lot is in direct competition with both Metra's parking and parking at the Moose. The original pricing model was based on a full -cost recovery from Metra commuters. Village staff is now recommending that the permit price be made more competitive. Thus it is being reduced to $500 annually. This can be paid annually, quarterly, or monthly, although if someone is paying quarterly or monthly, the rate will be slightly higher ($135 quarterly or $50 monthly) to compensate for additional staff time needed to manage the billings and collections. Those who paid the full $800 will be given the option of a refund or a credit towards the 2012 permit. Monthly and quarterly customers will have their remaining payments adjusted. b, Trustee Thill noted that $500 is half of what it costs to pay at the Skokie Swift. He said he's glad the Village is reducing the rate; he did think it was on the high side. c. Trustee Greer asked how the Village could better advertise or promote the lot and the reduced fee. He pointed out that Metra's monthly ticket rate is higher in Glenview, and hoped that commuters would take advantage of the lower commuter railfare by parking in the municipal commuter lot and getting on the train in Morton Grove. Trustee DiMaria said that this parking lot isn't just for commuters; it will also be a parking lot for patrons of future businesses there, i.e., Pequods. He said the lower permit fee comes to about $2.33 per day, versus Metra's charge of $1.75. That 50 -cent difference could mean that some commuters who park all the way down Lehigh near Oakton might opt for buying a permit in the municipal lot. Trustee DiMaria also noted that the Village keeps restricting parking in areas east of the train station. He suggested that the Village just make the entire area from Ferris to Austin and from Lincoln to Dempster zoned parking, so that commuters will have to use either Metra's, the Moose's, or the Village's parking lot. X. STAFF REPORTS (continued) A. Village Administrator: (continued) e. Mr. Horne said he would like to see 108 -110 spaces sold. He thanked Trustee DiMana for his comments. Trustee Marcus thanked Mr. Wade and Mr. Horne for their work on this. He commented that the original thought was that the lot should pay for itself; so the permit cost was set up to cap - c. ture what the construction of the lot cost. It seemed prohibitive, but it made sense for the Vil- lage to set the permit price that way so the Village could recoup its costs to build the lot. Trus- tee Marcus said he hadn't realized the lot would be competing with the Moose, and noted that it was never meant to be a "subsidized" parking lot. He said that he's glad that we're more competitive now, noting that the Moose charges $4 a day. He urged residents to call Village Hall about obtaining a permit. d. Mayor Staackmann wondered if staff had or would develop a policy regarding special events held in the Forest Preserve, and whether people could park in the municipal lot for those. He said that it could either be a potential problem or a revenue - generating opportunity. B. Corporation Counsel: Corporation Counsel Liston had no report. X. TRUSTEES'REPORTS A. Trustee DiMaria: Trustee DiMaria had no formal report, but offered kudos to Trustee Grear and the Morton Grove Days committee for a very successful event. He also urged residents to volunteer to become members of the Village's Emergency Management Agency (EMA). They're always looking for volunteers. Trustee Gomberq Trustee Gomberg had no report. C. Trustee Grear: Trustee Grear presented Ordinance 11 -28, An Ordinance to Amend the Village of Morton Grove 2011 Budget to Account for Revenues /Expenditures From the 2011 Morton Grove Days Festival. This is the second reading of this ordinance. X. C. Trustee Grear: (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Minutes of du7 ,11, loll $ aitl Itnzttn He explained that, subsequent to the adoption of the 2011 Budget, the Village assumed responsibility for the planning and management of the 2011 Morton Grove Days festival. This budget amendment will account for and incorporate the proposed expenses /revenues into the Village's General Fund. The net effect of this amendment is anticipated to have no impact on the Village's fund balance, since revenues are projected to meet all expenses for the event. Trustee Grear moved, seconded by Trustee DiMaria, to adopt Ordinance 11 -28. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aae Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus are Tr. Thill a ee Tr. Toth aye 2 Trustee Grear thanked all the Morton Grove Days volunteers, adding that the Village had been blessed by having great weather during the four days of festivities. He thanked everyone who had been involved with the successful event, including Mr. Wade, Mr. Horne and his staff, and members of the Public Works Department, Police and Fire, and EMA, who had helped to make it all run smoothly. Trustee Grear said that he's looking forward to next year's event! D. Trustee Marcus: Trustee Marcus presented Resolution 11 -33, Authorizing a Contract with Mayes Mechanical for the Maintenance of Heating and Air Conditioning Equipment. He explained that, in 2009, the Village bid and awarded a three -year contract to International Piping Systems of Schaumburg for the maintenance of all Village -owned heating and air conditioning equipment. Since then, it is believed that the company has gone out of business. (The Building Commissioner was told that: but the Village never received any written confirmation.) The contract states that the Village has the right to terminate the contract for non - performance, and it has done so. Staff is recommending that the contract be transferred to Hayes Mechanical. Hayes is willing to honor all the terms and conditions of the original contract until August 31, 2012. Hayes has also hired the technician from International Piping who is already familiar with and has worked on the Village's equipment. Trustee Marcus moved to adopt Resolution 11 -33, seconded by Trustee Gomberg. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. streets in the Village. The current program includes the installation Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth ave Next, Trustee Marcus presented Resolution 11 -34, Authorizing the Execution of a Con- tract with Mark -it Corporation for the 2011 Pavement Marking Program. He explained that the Pavement Marking Program is necessary to maintain the visibility of the streets in the Village. The current program includes the installation or renewal of pavement markings at more than 40 roadway segments or intersections. FA D. Trustee Marcus: (continued) TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) MOUtesbf Jay 11 201918`OardM This contract was bid out in conformance to the Village's purchasing policy and the low bidder was determined to be Mark -It Corporation of Romeoville, Illinois, in the amount of $25,323. This is $4,744 less than the original estimate from Village engineers. Since this is a unit price contract, the final contract amount will be based on the actual quantity of work performed. Trustee Marcus moved to approve Resolution 11 -34, seconded by Trustee Toth. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg acre Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Trustee Marcus complimented Trustee Grear on doing a wonderful job as the liaison to the Morton Grove Days committee, both prior to and during the actual event. He also thanked the Police, Fire, Public Works, and EMA personnel who helped out. E. Trustee Thill: Trustee Thill presented Ordinance 11 -26, Amending the Village of Morton Grove Unified Development Code, Sections 124-4E and 12 -17 -1 to Allow Entertainment Uses as Spe- cial Uses in the M2 General Manufacturing District. This is the second reading of this ordinance. This ordinance will modify the Village's unified development code to allow entertainment as a special use in the M2 zoning district. This will hopefully provide opportunities for reuse of in- dustrial areas. Special use review is warranted because of the unique operations of enter- tainment uses, which usually have different hours and parking needs than most typical M2 uses. This text amendment includes a provision prohibiting alcohol at such facilities. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee DiMana, to adopt Ordinance 11 -26. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DlMaria acre Tr. Gomberg acre Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill acre Tr. Toth acre 2. Next, Trustee Trill presented Ordinance 11 -27, Granting a Special Use Permit to Allow an Entertainment Use at the Property Located at 8220 N. Austin. This is the second reading of this ordinance. This ordinance will allow applicant Big City Entertainment, LLC to open and operate an entertainment use known as Fear City, subject to certain conditions, including improvements to the parking lot, and days and hours of operation. Trustee Thill moved to adopt Ordinance 11 -27, seconded by Trustee Toth. :�.'. ,. •� ;: ... :� .. � � ,l Yrmu te's;tio.w.11,��AtBoarttlNiu4 X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) E. Trustee Thill: (continued) b. Trustee Grear noted that he had attended all of the procedural control meetings regarding this Special use request, and felt that Fear City was quite a professional addition to the Village. He said that he understood the concerns that some residents had shared with him, but noted that one of the good things about granting a Special Use permit is that if the applicant doesn't abide by all of the provisions of the permit, it can be rescinded. He said that, as a trustee, he has a responsibility to the Village overall to try to bring in more businesses, restaurants, and revenue. Fear City will bring in people frorn outside the Village who will end up spending money here, even though they will only be open one month of the year. c. Trustee Grear said that, while he personally would like to make everyone in town happy, it's not always possible. The Village staff, the Board, and Fear City have tried to address all possible concerns. Again, if the conditions of the Special Use permit are not met, the permit can be pulled. Trustee Grear was optimistic that Fear City will be successful in and for Morton Grove. d. Trustee Marcus concurred with Trustee Grears remarks, and said he, too, was concerned about the neighborhood. He wanted to ensure that the rules and regulations are being followed, and said that his impression of the Big City Entertainment organization is that they want what's in the best interests of the community so that they can and will be successful. Mayor Staackmann called for the vote on Ordinance 11 -27. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aae Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill ave Tr. Toth aye 3. Trustee Thill then presented for a first reading Ordinance 11 -29, Amending the Village of Morton Grove's Unified Development Code, Section 12 -16 -5, Regarding Public Notice Signs for Public Hearings. This is pursuant to Plan Commission Case PC11 -06, heard earlier this evening. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 11 -29. Trustee Thill also presented for a first reading Ordinance 11 -30, Granting an Amendment to the Special Use Permit for the Property Located at 5520 Lincoln Avenue, Morton Grove, for a Revised Landscape Plan. This ordinance, pursuant to the Unified Development Code, allows minor changes or amend- ments to a project (such as a revised landscape plan) to be made without the need of going through the full, formal procedural control process, as long as the Village Administrator, Corporation Counsel, Building Commissioner, and Plan Commission Chairman have approved said amendment. These officials have approved the proposed amendment. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 11 -30. X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Thill: (continued) ,'8A iltm tit Jnl,11; $ bard 4106e i Trustee ThiII then introduced for a first reading Ordinance 11 -31, An Ordinance Granting a Special Use Permit to Allow an Adult Day Care Facility at the Property Located at 6027 Dempster, Morton Grove, Illinois. This is pursuant to Plan Commission Case PC11 -05, heard earlier this evening. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 11 -31. 6. Trustee Thill presented for a first reading Ordinance 11 -32, Granting a Special Use Permit to Allow an Open Sales (Outdoor Display) at the Property Located at 7220 Dempster, Morton Grove, Illinois (Produce World). This is pursuant to Plan Commission Case PC11 -04, heard earlier this evening. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 11 -31. Trustee Thill noted that during today's "storm of the week," the Village lost more trees. He also announced that the "Indian Marker Tree' at Nashville and Beckwith, which is at least 250 years old, is now a potential danger and has to be taken down. Trustee Thill wanted to make residents aware of a new "Memorial Tree Planting Program," where residents can purchase a tree from an approved list which can be planted on a Village parkway. Public Works will handle the planting and care of the tree. A tree can be purchased to memorialize a loved one or to commemorate a special occasion such as a wedding or a milestone birthday or anniversary. For more information or to sign up for this program, resi- dents can contact the Public Works Department at 847- 663 -3900. Trustee Thill noted that there is an Eagle Scout in attendance tonight to talk about his project. Trustee Thill said that Blake Helton is an outstanding young man, and he personally felt more comfortable knowing that the future of America is represented by young people like Blake. Trustee Toth; Trustee Toth had no report. XI. OTHER BUSINESS NONE 10 11,2d+1i }8oarcttute;#irt XI I. WARRANTS Trustee Toth presented the Warrant Register for July 11, 2011 in the amount of $368,505. She moved to accept the Warrants, seconded by Trustee Marcus. There was no discussion on the Warrants. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstain. Tr. DiMaria abstain Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS Blake Helton, 8945 Menard. Mr. Helton is an Eagle Scout working on a project to collect 1,000 pairs of shoes for charity. He is organizing a 5K walk /run event and is also looking for monetary support of it. It will be held on July 23 at 9am at Niles West High School, 5701 Oakton. Mr. Helton is working with "Share Your Soles ", a not- for - profit organization that provides new and gently used shoes to those in need around the world. Mr. Helton said that, so far, he has about 500 pairs of shoes. He said that he's giving everyone who donates a pair of shoes a raffle ticket so they can win things like gift cards, restaurant certificates, etc. The first three finalists of the 5K event will also win prizes. He asked that anyone wishing to donate shoes bring them to his house at 8945 Menard. The Board applauded Mr. Helton's initiative. XIV. ADJOURNMENT /EXECUTIVE SESSION Trustee Marcus moved to adjourn the Meeting. Trustee Thill seconded the motion. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill ave The meeting adjourned at 7:57 p.m. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Toth aye 11 ... ..'AAinates -ui It2 411 00ard PASSED this 8th day of August, 2011, Trustee DiMariaL, r Trustee Gomberg Trustee Grear Trustee Marcus Trustee Thill Trustee Toth APPROVED y met s 8th day of August, 2011 Q Daniel J. Staa. mann, Village President Board of Trustees. Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my ffice this 9th day of Augus„ 2011 t Su n Lattanzi, Debut illage Cl " Village of Morton Gro , Cook County, Illinois Mmmes by. Teresa Ouusa, J<