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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-01-11 MinutesI. Village President Dan Staackmann called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. After leading the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance, he directed the Village Clerk to call the roll. II. Village Clerk Tony Kalogerakos called the roll. Present were: Trustees Dan DiMaria, Larry Gomberg, Bill Grear, Shel Marcus, John Thill, and Maria Toth. -• r a. Regarding the Minutes of the Special Meeting of December 14, 2009, Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Grear, to accept the Minutes as presented. There was no discussion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. b. Regarding the Minutes of the December 14, 2009 Regular Meeting, Trustee Toth moved, seconded by Trustee Thill, to accept the Minutes as presented. There was no discussion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. IV. SPECIAL REPORTS Plan Commission Chairman Ron Farkas presented this case. He explained that the case had been originally presented in September 2009, but was continued by the Plan Commission, which was seeking more information from the Applicant. The Applicant in this case is the Village of Morton Grove. Bill Neuendorf, Director of Community and Economic Development, suggested that the Village's special use process required for drive -thru facilities at times puts Morton Grove at a competitive disadvantage with regards to the Village's ability to attract businesses, particularly restaurants. The proposed text amendment would allow drive -thru facilities as a permitted use only on out -lots in large shopping centers and subject to certain conditions. A "large shopping center" has been defined as one situated on a tract of land that is at least 400 feet parallel to the center line of a major street and at least 400 feet perpendicular to the center line of a major street. Chairman Farkas said that, realistically, that would only apply to four current shopping centers in the Village: Prairie View Center at Dempster and Waukegan; Washington Commons at Golf and Washington; Village Plaza at Dempster and Harlem, and Menards at Lehigh and Oakton. IV. V. ... _ .. _ Minukes M.January 91, 30'YO Bn�Ni AIIeeiJh ®; SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) Mr. Neuendorf commented that there are many hurdles a potential business must go through, and the expense and time it takes to go through the special use process in the Village are, in his opinion, driving businesses away. He stated that a special use permit would still be required for drive -thru facilities not located in a large shopping center. After several questions by the Commissioners, addressed by staff, the Commission voted 6 -1 to recommend this text amendment, with conditions. Chairman Farkas was the dissenting vote. Trustee Thill asked Chairman Farkas why he voted against this. He responded that he was opposed on philosophical grounds, noting that proposed drive -thru facilities bring out much public comment, some of it critical, some constructive. This text amendment would make a drive -thru facility, in certain areas, a permitted use —and thus there would be no opportunity fGr puuiiC GGiin"1'ieiit. Trustee Thill moved to accept the Plan Commission's report, seconded by Trustee Toth. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE Vl. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) Peter Riccio, 308 Narragansett Court, said he was speaking about Ordinance 10 -03, which amends parking restrictions on Henning Court. He lives in The Crossings development, and realizes that there is a problem there with commuter parking. He said he and some neighbors had petitioned the Traffic Safety Commission several months ago about amending parking restrictions on Henning Court. They had request permit parking for the south side of Henning Court, The Commission approved their request. However, staff decided that permit parking was "unacceptable," and proposed implementing a restriction of "no parking between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. ". Mr. Riccio said this doesn't help; instead, it forces all the residents to have to move their cars at 8:30 a.m. so as not to get ticketed. The rest of the area around the development (Callie, Ferris, Fernald) is all permit parking only, so there's no good place to which to move the cars. He said that he typically ends up parking at Village Hall and walking back, only to then have to turn around and retrieve his car when the hour is up. He asked the Board to please follow the Traffic Safety Commission's recommendation of permit parking, rather than staffs alternative. Mr. Riccio said he thought that staffs concern was that it would create a problem for the commercial zone there. Mayor Staackmann said this has happened elsewhere in the community. He said that he believed that, in those instances, parking tags were issued, as they could be here, too. He said staffs recommendation was made because there could be an enforcement issue. Mayor Staackmann told Mr. Riccio that if he needed a tag for his car, which would exempt him, he should come to Village Hall and Village Administrator Joe Wade or himself. That should alleviate Mr. Riccio's personal parking problem. 2. Ned Shamlon. Mr. Shamlon has a business at 8725 Narragansett. He said the businesses are aware that there's a commuter parking problem there. He felt something should be done to alleviate the problem, something that would be acceptable to both the businesses and the residents there. . ,.. _,. _: � Mhrutc�st+f. January ?^f."�A1D.Hwar�l�fi9epff`r�g% VI. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) (continued) Mr. Shamlon said that he does have some room behind his business for clients and /or employees to park, but not enough. His business is hurt by the "no parking between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m." restriction because he has clients who come in at that time. He said he also has an elderly employee, and he would hate to have to see her park far away. He wondered if permit parking or parking "tags' would be available to the businesses as well. He didn't think businesses would take advantage of such an arrangement. Mayor Staackmann asked Mr. Shamlon to stop into Village Hall and see himself and /or Joe Wade. The mayor commented that he "hated permit parking" because once it starts, it just keeps growing. He said it is an enforcement issue for the police department. Nevertheless, he encouraged Mr. Shamlon to make an appointment at Village Hall and he'd meet him there. John Sopolis, 8729 Narragansett. Mr. Sopolis said, regarding the 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. restriction, that it didn't seem like that would stop people who park there earlier. Mayor Staackmann said that, if a commuter parks there at 7:30 a.m., and their car is parked there between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m., that car will be ticketed. Mr. Sopolis asked if the same result could happen from changing the restriction to 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. The mayor responded that the Village was trying to make the parking restrictions in that area uniform; noting that 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. is currently in place on Fernald and on certain areas of Callie. Plus, there are many commuters who take the train after 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. He encouraged Mr. Sopolis to call for an appointment also, adding that he'd be happy to work with him. 4. Eric Poders. Mr. Poders agreed that permit parking is a disaster. He said he was present to- night to comment on Ordinance 10 -01, which provides for the issuance of General Obligation Bonds. Mr. Poders was glad that Board was being fiscally responsible, and stated that he was in favor of a Capital Improvement Plan and applauded most of its components, but sought clarification as to how the $5 million for the "street improvement plan" would be spent over the years 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Mr. Poders read into the record a FOIA request (attached to these Minutes) asking to review and copy the street improvement program to "fully understand how this rather large amount of debt to be incurred by us fellow residents will be spent over the four -year plan." Mr. Poders said that he was aware that former Village Engineer Ryan Gillingham had done an extensive study on the Village's roadway repair needs, and he wondered how this money would be allocated —would more be spent on the east side versus the west side or what. Mayor Staackmann said that Mr. Poders was aware of the study in which the Village's streets were graded "A ", "B ", °C ", "D ", and "F" (ranging from "in good condition" to "passing" to "failing "). He told Mr. Poders that it was likely that that would be the basis of determining the priority of street repairs. Mr. Poders asked if that study could be posted on the Village's website. Mayor Staackmann said it would be possible, once the bonds have been issued and the Village has the money. Pat Lonanecker, 8712 Ferris, said she was looking for clarification. She also lives in The Crossings. She wanted to be sure that if she came to Village Hall to receive a sticker (tag), she would be able to park between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. and not be ticketed. Mayor Staack- mann said that is correct, as long as you're a resident. 6. Jerry Micah, 8801 Oketo, asked if this was the proper time to bring up concerns regarding a proposed Culver's. Mayor Staackmann said that it is not an Agenda item, and asked Mr. Micah to bring it up under "Residents' Comments" at the end of the meeting. mutes �tJanumy ' 1, 0.'7D,BiYawtl Arfeeinrrg ", VII PRESIDENT'S REPORT Mayor Staackmann said he hoped that everyone had had safe and happy holidays. 2. Mayor Staackmann reported that Village staff has been meeting daily, if not more often, with individuals and companies regarding the senior programs and the senior center, and is putting together a plan of options for the Board's review and consideration. 3. Mayor Staackmann noted that Police Chief Mark Erickson's son had been stricken with a very bad disease and is currently at Mayo Clinic. He extended the Board's best wishes, and asked the assemblage to please remember Mark and his family in their prayers. VIII. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Kalogerakos had no report, but announced that early voting for the February primary had begun. Early voting is being held at all Cook County courthouses and at the Harrer Park Pool Building at 6250 Dempster. Early voting ends on January 28, 2010, Clerk Kalogerakos added that he has absentee ballot applications for anyone who needs them; they must be returned postmarked no later than January 28, 2010. IX. STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator Mr. Wade wished everyone a happy new year, and said that Family & Senior Services Director Jackie Walker- O'Keefe had a brief announcement concerning volunteers at the senior center. Ms. Walker- O'Keefe said that the senior center is in need of volunteers. She said that one of the needs is someone to work the reception desk, which involves taking bus service reservations, answering questions, etc. Another need is for a volunteer to do data entry tasks, and a volunteer to assist in some of the programs, for example, to do last- minute registrations. She said that training would be provided. Volunteers can work a few hours a day one day a week or more. She asked that anyone interested contact her at 847- 663 -3071 Mr. Wade then presented the "Forward Morton Grove" program, a capital program to address the Village's infrastructure needs. Through various budget workshops and capital needs meetings, a plan has been developed to address the Village's capital needs over a multi -year (about 5 years) period. This is different from the projects already scheduled for 2010. The latter include the Dempster Street Improvement Program, the Dempster Street water main replacement project, the resurfacing of Lehigh Avenue from Oakton to Lincoln, and the Lincoln Avenue streetscaping project (from the railroad tracks east to the Library). Mr. Wade went into some detail about each of the 2010 projects. Currently, the Village is negotiating for some properties for intersection improvements for the Dempster Street Improvement Program, and pending IDOT clearance, this project will begin in spring or summer of 2010 and take about six or eight months to complete. This is a $12 million dollar project that has taken about 12 years to come to fruition. There are roughly a dozen or so funding /grant sources. Over 80% of this project will be paid for by State and Federal funds. IX. STAFF REPORTS (continued) fiAgu3esn "FaAarivary�i,2Oi0�oardRAeeting b. Approximately $1.5 million will be spent on replacing the 1912 water main under Dempster Street. This will be paid for primarily by the Village's water fund and the Lehigh- Ferris TIF Fund. c. Mr. Wade noted that, in spring or summer, the resurfacing of Lehigh Avenue from Oakton to Lincoln will occur. This is being funded by the federal Economic Stimulus Package. The local share will be paid for from the Lehigh- Ferris TIF Fund. Lincoln Avenue streetscaping and pedestrian safety improvements will take place between the railroad tracks and the Library. A number of improvements will be made. This project will be paid for from the Lehigh- Ferris TIF Fund. e. The Village will also use some Economic Stimulus funding for the resurfacing of Central Avenue south of Golf Road. The local share will be paid for out of the bond issue up for discussion this evening. Mr. Wade said that Public Works Director Andy DeMonte and were going to talk about some of the street improvements. He that the price of asphalt is related to the price of a barrel of oil. that the Village is going to try to assemble a network of streets line, he said, is that the Village wants to do as many streets as economically as possible. /illage Engineer Chris Tomich asked the Board to remember Another factor to consider is to do in a season. The bottom possible, and do them as g. Mr. Wade said that, after Mr. DeMonte and Mr. Tomich speak, Finance Director Ryan Horne will talk about the financing of these projects, including the Build America Bonds. The debt the Village proposes to incur by this bond issue is both for General Fund and the Water Fund. Over time, it will likely become necessary to increase revenue for both of these funds, probably via property taxes for the General Fund. Mr. Wade said that Mr. Horne has done some projections on this and has looked at how the Village's present debt is scheduled to see if there's some opportunities there. h. Mr. Wade said that this is a good time to borrow money: interest rates of municipal bonds are low, there's a new financing tool called "Build America Bonds" which has also lowered the cost of borrowing; and it's very competitive right now bidding on street projects. Going back to 2008, the Village had a national consulting group (Municipal Financial Services Group) do a study on its water infrastructure needs. They did so and found that it was aging and needed a lot of work. In their report, they identified possible funding sources, including a recommendation for a water rate increase above the pass - through from the City of Chicago, a sewer rate increase, implementation of a water meter replacement fee, and possible elimination or reduction of the senior citizen discount program. j. The Village recognizes that these infrastructure improvements are critical and necessary, especially if there's a water main break under the river. This debt is approximately $10 million. Mr. Wade said that Mr. Horne's report finds that the Village is historically very conservative and responsible, and successful in managing its debt. He then turned the presentation over to Public Works Director Andy DeMonte. k. Mr. DeMonte said that there's approximately $29 million dollars of capital needs in the Village. Those needs had to be prioritized into $10 million dollars —$5 million for roadways and $5 million for other public works projects. The first item on Mr. DeMonte's list was an expenditure of $230,000 for replacement of the north pumping station's 20" feeder main. IX. STAFF REPORTS (continued) This main was installed in 1950 before the homes were built there. The Village has an ease- ment to repair the water main, but garages and homes encroach on the easement now to the point where it would be difficult to repair it without doing damage to the those properties. Public Works proposes to move it down Belleforte under the sidewalk. Beileforte was recently resurfaced and they'd rather not cut into the street. This is a top priority due to the proximity to the homes. The design work would be done in 2010 and the main would likely be installed in 2011. m. Mr. DeMonte then spoke about replacing the 12 -inch and 20 -inch water mains on Caldwell Avenue. These are the mains that go under the north branch of the Chicago River. This is a $700,000 project. The 12 -inch main was installed in 1932 and originally handled the entire east Side Gf LUYVn. in i 95 U, Where the SGU th puiilping OLaui n was built, ti'ie .; n`inGh main :VaS installed. It took over handling the east side of town, and the 12 -inch main became a reserve. There is approximately 1,2000 feet of very deteriorated water mains that will need to be replaced. The pipe is in bad shape and there have been numerous breaks. The design work would occur in 2010, with installation taking place in late 2011 and early 2012. Mr. Delvionte said the installation is a little more complex in that the Village needs to get approval and permits from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Cook County, and the Army Corps of Engineers. n. The next project is the painting of the north water tower at National and Dempster, a $367,000 project. This was last painted in 1994 when the tank was installed. It takes about 40 days to entirely paint the tower and there is only a 90 -day window in which to do it. This project will take place in the spring of 2010. o. Painting of the south tower is planned for 2011. This tower was last painted in 1995. Mr. DeMonte said this project will cost $372,907. p. Another important multi -year project is the water meter replacement program. This will hope- fully bring in some revenue. Morton Grove's water meters are 26 years old. The standard is to replace meters after 15 years. Public Works is proposing a three -year timeframe to get all the meters replaced. This project will cost $2,587,197. Mr. DeMonte said that it currently takes two months to read the meters. The new meters will be able to be read electronically and should only take two weeks to accomplish. Meters are tested annually. The Village's are currently losing 14 %, which equates to a 14% revenue loss. He estimated this program will pay for itself in about five years. Public Works plans to begin this program in June of 2010. q. The Public Works Salt Dome was installed in 1981. In the last engineering study that was done of it, the recommendation was to tear it down and start over. That project would cost $294,000. By law, the Village has to keep its salt supply covered. The timeline of this project would be that this would be replaced in 2012. r. Trustee Grear asked if the new salt dome would be in the same location as it is currently. Mr. DeMonte said yes, adding he was hoping they could keep the foundation so as to save some money. s. The next expenditure, Mr. DeMonte said, is for vehicle replacement, specifically, the 1997 ambulance used by the Fire Department with approximately 140,000 miles on it. The Fire Department has been trying unsuccessfully to replace it in the last several budgets. The estimated cost of the new ambulance is $250,000. . ... • -' .. .. :� Pdnutesrof.�aPUatY'�'�,:�UA�3 $PaM'A7eeting; IX. STAFF REPORTS (continued) t. Trustee Toth asked about the timing of the water tower painting. Mr. DeMonte said it would be in two different years —in the spring of 2010 and the spring of 2011. u. Thill asked Mr. DeMonte if the Village would be working on Ferris Avenue this year. He said yes, but that's not one of the projects covered by the proposed bond issue. Regarding the two mains that go under the river, he wondered if they could both be replaced at the same time, so that it would be a one -time excavation. Mr. DeMonte said they would probably replace one at a time, so that one main would always be working. He added that he wasn't sure how Cook County and the Army Corps of Engineers wanted the Village to dispose of the old pipes. Trustee Thill commented that Mr. DeMonte had informed him that 17 contractors had submitted bids to work on the Dempster Street water main replacement —an outstanding „umber of bidders. Also, the bids came in well under what the Village had anticipated. Mr. DeMonte then turned the program over to Village Engineer Chris Tomich to talk about the Street Improvement Program. v. Mr. Tomich said that street improvements would account for roughly 50% of the bond issue. This is only for asphalt street improvement and would be done over a four -year period. The amount of work that can be done will vary, depending on construction costs. He said that, in April of 2009, Public Works had put together a pavement condition rating map. Mr. Tomich said they would drive the streets again in April or May of this year to update the map, because pavement conditions change over time. w. For the $5 million dollars, he displayed a map of streets that would be done in 2010, including the local share of the work to be done on Central south of Golf Road. The Village plans to develop programs that are economical and touch all quadrants of the Village each year. One street in the southeast quadrant (Parkside) is going to need to be reconstructed rather than resurfaced. This will be more expensive. Another two in the north /central part of town, Hoffman Terrace and Foster, will both be more expensive to do. Roughly 7 miles of roadway will be repaired or resurfaced out of the 30 miles of roadway that needs it. Mr. Tomich said Public Works is including 15% of the construction costs for design work in case the workload of Village personnel precludes them from being able to do it. if staff can do the design work, the money earmarked for design can go back into the construction costs. x. Trustee Thill asked, regarding Central Avenue, if the local share was 50/50, 20/80, or what. Mr. Tomich said this is a unique situation in that there were excess federal funds after the bids came in for the Lehigh Avenue project. The Village already had design work done for the Central Avenue project with the thought that, if there was funding left, Morton Grove would have a project immediately available to put it towards. Several other communities had the same idea. There was, in fact, a $412,000 surplus that will be divided between three communities. Morton Grove will get $137,000 of federal money to put toward the Central Avenue project; the Village will provide the balance. Mr. Tomich turned the program over to Finance Director Ryan Horne. y. Mr. Horne discussed the financing. This will be a General Obligation bond issue not to exceed $10.2 million dollars. These are bonds for which the full faith and credit of the Village are irrevocably pledged and are payable from the levy of property taxes. Tax abatements are when the Corporate Authorities give direction as to other revenue sources to use to "abate" the amount that would come from property taxes. �ftieNV.a'" 41„26illt6W 01160110 IX. STAFF REPORTS (continued) z. Mr. Horne discussed the Village's current debt structure. He displayed a chart indicating that, in 1999, there was $31 million dollars outstanding in general obligation bonds and notes. Percentage of total personal income in the Village was 7 %, and on a per- capita by population, $1,400. In December 2008, there was $29 million dollars outstanding in general obligation bonds and notes, percentage of personal income was 4.7% and per- capita, $1,329. aa. Mr. Horne said it's important to note that there was a consistent trend downward until 2007. Percentage of personal income in 1999 was 7 %, decreasing to almost 3.25% until 2007, when the Village issued $9.2 million in general obligation bonds to finance work in the Lehigh- Ferris TIF District. It is considered "general obligation debt ", but these debt service payments are coming out of the Lehigh- Ferris TIF Fund. So the percentage of personal income goes from I 4 °99 to rvugniy 5° in 2008. The projeCtivn 1 tat, vJ ii this capital improvements bond i �G ii io issue, percentage of personal income will rise to 6.4 %, per capital, $1,800. bb. The ratio of general bonded debt outstanding (does not include Enterprise Fund) also shows 5.8% in 1999, decreasing to about 2.8% in 2008. This is the percentage of estimated taxable value of property in Morton Grove. After this bond issue, given the current assessed values, it is projected to be 3.82 %. cc. Trustee Thili asked Mr. Horne to explain "per capita ". Mr. Horne said, In 2008, the Village had total general obligation bonded debt of $27 million; the total taxable value of property in 2008 in Morton Grove was $969,000,000. "Per capita" is the ratio of bonded debt outstanding in relation to the total EA.V taxable. He explained that this is just a management metric, a too!. dd. Mr. Horne discussed the Debt Service Fund. Its purpose is to account for all of the Village's general obligation debt. It includes the General Obligation bonds that were refinanced in March 2009. Final payment is expected to be made in December of 2013. It also includes two Illinois EPA loans; final payments on those are expected to be made in December of 2012. Lastly It includes three installments notes for various vehicles; final payments were or will be made in 2009 -2010. ee. Mr. Horne showed a chart displaying the various debt payments the Village will be making in 2010 through 2015. The final payment for the Quint and five Crown Victorlas will be made in 2010, as well as payments on the two IEPA loans and the March 2009 General Obligation bonds, for a total of $1.4 million. In 2011 and 2012, the chart showed payments for the two IEPA loans and the March 2009 General Obligation bonds, for totals of $1.5 and $1.6 million, respectively. The only thing remaining in 2013 and 2014, then, would be payments on the March 2009 General Obligation bonds. Adding the debt payments from the proposed capital improvements bond issue increases the payments for 2010 and 2011 by $330,000; and by $333,000 in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Mr. Horne said that the Debt Service Fund will be able to absorb the debt payment costs in 2010 and in 2011. But in 2012, 2013, and 2014, payments will go up and at that point, revenue will have to increase, either via property tax increases or another option. ff. Half of the cost of these bonds will be paid from the Enterprise Water Fund. The 2010 budget does include a cost ($300,000) for painting the water towers, which would have resulted in a deficit in this fund by the end of 2010. Although this work will now be financed by the bonds, there will still be a deficit. Mr. Horne referred to the study done by the Municipal Financial Services Group, and its conclusions that the Village needed to invest significantly in its water infrastructure —$1 million annually in water distribution systems and $.45 million annually in the sewer collection system. The group therefore recommended the Village increase its water and sewer rates and eliminate the senior citizen discount. IX. STAFF REPORTS (continued) gg. Mr. Horne said that, after analysis, the recommendations thought to be most implementable were the water and sewer rate increase, implementation of a water meter replacement fee, and the elimination of the senior discount. Mr. Horne said that a 1% water rate increase above the City of Chicago pass- through would provide the Village an additional $45,000. He said Chicago is implementing rate increases of 15 %, 15 %, and 14% to address the City's water infrastructure needs. These increases are being passed along to Village residents, but to date there has been no allowance made for the Village's own water infrastructure needs. hh. A sewer rate increase of $.44 per 1,000 gallon would provide an additional $396,000. On an average water bill of $30, this would mean an increase of $2.14 per billing cycle or an additional $12 per year. The purpose of this would be to provide funds for the bond issue. ii. A fee that represents the cost of a replacement water meter would be an additional $3.24 per bill. Eliminating the senior discount would save the Village an estimated $175,000. Mr. Horne said that if the Village undertook all of these measures, it would return the Enterprise Fund to fiscal stability and would provide for anticipated repairs. These measures would generate $782,488 in 2010. The Enterprise Fund's projected payment towards the capital improve- ments bond issue in 2010 would be $330,000, increasing to $405,000 in 2019. jj. The Village will be using a negotiated bond sale and Build America bonds. A negotiated bond sale gives the Village the advantage of being able to time market entry, and provides the Village with a "bond advocate" who can engage in pre -sale marketing activities designed to increase investor demand in the bond issue, which can result in higher prices and lower financing costs. kk. Mayor Staackmann pointed out that the Village has a Financial Assistance Fund, which was increased in the 2010 Budget. If the Village implements the above -noted rate increases, fees, and discount elimination, and as a result, residents are struggling to pay their water bills, they can apply to the Village for assistance on an as- needed. What the Municipal Financial Group study found was that the senior discounts were given out based only on age, not on need. Mayor Staackmann urged residents and families who are having hardships to apply for this assistance; the process is discreet and confidential, and there's no shame in asking the Village for help. Over 300 families were helped in 2009. He noted that the Assistance Fund had been depleted in August of 2009, and again thanked the Village employees and members of the Board who made personal contributions to the fund to keep it going through the end of the year. II. Trustee Thill commented that it was unfortunate that Morton Grove's residents are paying for Chicago's water infrastructure as well as the Village's. mm. Trustee Marcus asked if the bond rates would be based on the Village's viability. The bond sale representative said that, when selling a 20 -year bond to the public, it's actually being sold every year, so you get a blended rate —a lower rate on the shorter -term, a higher rate on the long -term. As an underwriter, they talk to the end investor. They try to find the best market. Because the Village has a Moody's rating of AA3, that helps them negotiate the best rate possible for the Village. B. Corporation Counsel: Ms. Liston had no report. X. A. Trustee DiMaria: - ' MirtUtes ofJSnia a1, 1 ,0Sox7dAll 6061 .*. Trustee DiMaria presented Resolution 10 -01, Authorization to Approve the Execution of an Intergovernmental Agreement Establishing the Northern Illinois Municipal Natural Gas Franchise Consortium. a. He explained that the creation of a consortium will provide Morton Grove and other municipalities with a greater negotiating power and reduced cost in negotiating and preparing a franchise agreement for natural gas utilities. This resolution will authorize the Village to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement to establish the Northern Illinois Municipal Natural Gas Franchise Consortium. To date, over 70 communities have joined this consortium. Trustee Thill noted that, last year, the Village contributed $500 to determine whether it would be feasible to create a franchise consortium. He wondered if the Village would be paying $500 this year as well. Corporation Counsel Liston responded that the amount paid by the members will be based on the final negotiated costs and the number of members involved. Trustee Thill asked if this consortium was going to be set up similarly to the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County, i.e., where each member is allowed one seat on the Board of Directors. Village Administrator Wade replied that it will not be structured that way; it is more of an ad hoc effort. The members will be entering into individual franchise agreements. Trustee Thill asked if this would just benefit the municipalities or would it also benefit the residents. Mr. Wade said it would benefit residents too. Trustee DiMaria moved to approve Resolution 10 -01, seconded by Trustee Toth.. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus afire Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth acre 2. Trustee DiMaria then presented Resolution 10 -02, Authorization to Execute an Agreement with Commonwealth Edison Company to Prepare Engineering Documents to Bury Overhead Power Lines Along Lincoln Avenue. a. He said that a formal agreement is necessary to authorize and document an engineering deposit of $15,000 for Commonwealth Edison to proceed with the design of this work. The utilities must be modified before the remainder of roadway improvements can begin. The engineering study costs are not to exceed $15,000. Commonwealth Edison estimates the construction costs to be approximately $300,000. b. Trustee Thill noted that Commonwealth Edison has preliminarily estimated the construction work at $100,000. He wondered how they justified the increase. Community and Economic Development Director Bill Neuendorf said that when he had first spoken with the utility, their estimate was based on burying three poles. Realistically, it's more like 6 to 8 poles. The engineering study is necessary to determine the actual cost. c Trustee DiMaria pointed out that revenue from the Lehigh- Ferris TIF Fund will pay for this work. d. Mayor Staackmann said he thought that the franchise agreement required ComEd to bury a certain number of feet. Mr. Wade said that's no longer the case. f Mki'utes latitia 41,�2040,86atd j�➢iW[i 9 X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) A. Trustee DiMaria (continued) e. Trustee DiMaria moved, seconded by Trustee Marcus, to approve Resolution 10 -02. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill ave Tr. Toth a y? B. Trustee Gomberg: Trustee Gom erg Presented R E t' n 1n_[1F e$1i�1 l` r Contra Ct'... ®tyre ®eta �$ wit i? eso iP ion i0 0 , L Iny .. U. Chapman and Cutler, LLP for Services as Bond Counsel and Authorizing Staff to Pro- ceed with Necessary Work to Issue General Obligation Bonds 2010. Trustee Gomberg said that favorable bond market conditions offer an opportunity for the Village to obtain funding for necessary capital improvement projects at favorable rates. The issuance of Build America Bonds will result in a significant savings to the Village to finance these capital improvements. In order to issue these bonds, the Village needs the services of a Bond Counsel. Chapman and Cutler, LLP has been used by the Village before, and their services have been found to be excellent. Their fee is based on the size, structure, timing, and tax exempt status of the bonds, and will be paid from the proceeds upon the closing of the sale of the bonds. Trustee Gomberg moved to approve Resolution 10 -05, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMarla aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Thill aye Tr: Toth aye Trustee Gomberg next presented for a first reading Ordinance 10 -01, Providing for the issuance of One or More Series of General Obligation Bonds, Series 2010, of the Village of Morton Grove, Authorizing the Execution of One or More Bond Orders in Connection Therewith and Providing for the Levy and Collection of a Direct Annual Tax for the Payment of the Principal and Interest on Said Bonds. This will authorize the issuance of bonds for a multi -year street improvement program, a vil- lage -wide water meter replacement program, feeder main relocation near the north pumping station, repainting of both water towers, replacement of the water main at the river, a west side storm sewer study, replacement of the Village's salt dome, and a new ambulance. Total bonds to be sold are $9,850,000, not to exceed $10.2 million (to cover the costs of bond counsel and the sale). There was no further discussion regarding Ordinance 10 -01. 3. Trustee Gomberg announced that the Finance Committee would meet on January 27 in the Trustees' Conference Room at 7:00 p.m. The meeting is open to the public, and he encour- aged everyone to attend. 4. Trustee Gomberg thanked Mr. Wade and Mr. Horne for all the work they've done on the bond issue. 11 .•YJl i afes.af January 1, Ui :Board`�InieRYiria X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) C. Trustee Grear: Trustee Grear had no report. D. Trustee Marcus: Trustee Marcus presented Resolution 10 -03, Authorizing the Collective Bargaining Agreement Reached Between the Village of Morton Grove and the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #135, for January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010. Trustee Marcus said this agreement provides for a 3% salary adjustment for 2009 (consistent with the cost -of- living increase given to non - represented Village employees). However, no agreement was reached regarding cost -of- living adjustments after December 31, 2009, or for modifications to health insurance benefits or rates charged for this period. The parties have agreed to submit these issues to binding arbitration. Trustee Marcus moved to approve Resolution 2. passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstain. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg Tr. Marcus ave Tr. Thill 10 -03, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion aae Tr. Grear aye abstain Tr. Toth aye Trustee Marcus said he hoped that everyone would have a happy and healthy new year, and echoed Trustee Gomberg's thanks to the Village staff for their efforts on developing a capital improvements program and the bond issue. E. Trustee Thill Trustee Thill presented for a first reading Ordinance 09 -37, Amending Title 5, Chapter 13, Article A -1 Entitled "Traffic Schedules" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove. Believing this to be the ordinance regarding parking restrictions on Henning Court, Trustee Thill moved to remand this matter back to the Traffic Safety Commission for further review. Trustee Toth seconded the motion. Mayor Staackmann commented that, by doing this, the problem in that neighborhood would be prolonged for likely another six weeks. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 4 ayes, 2 nays. Tr. DiMaria nay Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth nav 2. Trustee Thill next presented Resolution 10 -04, Authorizing the Execution of a Service Contract with Municipal GIS Partners (MGP) For Geographical Information System Services. This Resolution would continue services provided by MGP for the maintenance and development of Geographical Information Services, for a contract amount not to exceed -- $52,583. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Toth, to approve Resolution 10 -04. 12 X. _ . _ " Mfiutesk+iJB�ta 1�1,�470 "Ir�i�ard:Nl�etitiy! TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Thill (continued) Trustee Thill inquired as to whether this company is the only company that provides this type of service, or could this service be put out for bid. Village Engineer Chris Tomich responded that it has been determined that MGP is the lowest responsible provider for the maintenance and development of GIS systems for the communities who are members of the GIS Consortium. Mayor Staackmann called for the vote on Resolution 10 -04. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye 3. Next, Trustee Thill introduced for a first reading Ordinance 10 -03, An Ordinance Amending Title 5, Chapter 13, Article F, Entitled "No Parking During Certain Hours" and Title 5, Chapter 13, Article F, Section 3B Entitled "Time Limit Parking Zones" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove. Trustee Thill realized that this is the ordinance Court. He apologized for his earlier confusion, Traffic Safety Commission for further review ar motion. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg Tr. Marcus a ee Tr. Thill regarding parking restrictions on Henning and moved to remand this case back to the rd consideration. Trustee Marcus seconded the ave Tr. Grear aye aye Tr. Toth aye 4. Trustee Thill then moved to reconsider Ordinance 09 -37, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Mo- tion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg avee Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus a ee Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye Trustee Thill then withdrew his motion to remand Ordinance 09 -37 and its attendant traffic case to the Traffic Safety Commission, Trustee Toth withdrew her second of this motion, and the motion therefore died. Trustee Thill then moved to adopt Ordinance 09 -37, as tonight is the second reading of this ordinance. Trustee Toth seconded the motion. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear awe Tr. Marcus a rye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth ave Trustee Gomberg said he would like to have a representative from the Traffic Safety Commis- sion present at meetings where the Board is considering an ordinance based on a traffic case that the Commission has heard. He thought it would be useful in case the Board had ques- tions on why the Commission made its recommendation. He said this isn't the first time resi- dents have had to come before the Board about a traffic issue that's already been heard by the Traffic Safety Commission. He felt that people shouldn't have to do that. Trustee Grear pointed out that the Board generally does receive Minutes from the Traffic Safety Commission's meetings. Trustee Thill added that this particular case is rather unusual in that Village staff had a different recommendation than the Traffic Safety Commission. Trus- tee Grear said he agrees that this case should be remanded back to the Commission, but didn't feel it was necessary as a general rule to have a representative present. 13 �$3a440cPYi11if i, X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Thill (continued) Trustee Gomberg pointed out that it's helpful to have a Plan Commission representative available, even though the Board receives copies of Plan Commission meeting Minutes. He was concerned because, in this case, the Board has not yet received Minutes from the Traffic Safety Commission. 6. Trustee Gomberg announced that the Commission on Aging would be meeting at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, January 12, at the Civic Center. Anyone who wants to volunteer or who has ideas for the senior center is encouraged to attend. 7. Trustee Gomberg also noted that the 2010 Census forms would be mailed to people's homes in the next month or so. He emphasized the importance of everyone responding to the census. Census counts will impact the Village's funding ability, not only this year, but for the next 10 years. F. Trustee Toth: 1. Trustee Toth presented Ordinance 09 -33, An Ordinance Rezoning a Portion of the Property Commonly Known as 6201 Dempster, Namely, the East Parking Lot South of the Alley, From the R -3 General Residential District to C -1 General Commercial District. This is the second reading of this ordinance. She explained that rezoning of this property is necessary to allow the construction of a drive - thru banking facility for the adjacent main bank at 6201 Dempster. Drive -thru facilities are not allowed in an R -3 zoning district, but they are allowed in a C -1. This rezoning is consistent with the Dempster Street Corridor Master Plan and the 1999 Comprehensive Plan and update. The Plan Commission recommended approval of this request with a condition that the prop- erty will revert to its original R -3 zoning upon the lapse of the drive -thru for one year. Trustee Toth moved to adopt Ordinance 09 -33, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus acre Tr. Thill -_ye Tr. Toth acre Trustee Toth next presented Ordinance 09 -34, An Ordinance Granting a Special Use Permit in the Village of Morton Grove for the Property Commonly Known as 6201 Dempster to Allow for the Construction of a Drive -Thru Banking Facility. This is the second reading of this ordinance. Trustee Toth explained that a special use permit is necessary to construct a drive -thru banking facility in the east parking lot south of the alley at 6201 Dempster. The bank is also requesting a parking variation of eight cars. The Plan Commission approved this case. 14 .. . 9'I'r sQ4'0$xt'ard:Metrting'� ..... Minutas bf Janwfa5y X TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Toth: (continued) Trustee Toth moved to adopt Ordinance 09 -34, seconded by Trustee Marcus. Trustee Thill noted that there are 11 conditions mentioned in the Plan Commission report, but there is a 12`h condition that has been spoken about that has not been included. Trustee Thill said he was referring to the 5 -foot fence on the inside of the hedges. Trustee Thill moved to amend Ordinance 09 -34 to include a 12th condition as follows: "A solid five feet tall fence be installed and maintained inside the hedges on the east side (along Georgiana Avenue) Trustee DiMaria seconded the motion. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. v Tr. Grear ave Tr. DlMaria ave Tr. Gomberg ave Tr. Marcus ave Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth ave Mayor Staackmann then called for the vote on the amended Ordinance 09 -34. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. DiMaria ave Tr. Gomberg eye Tr. Toth ave Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill ave 3. Next, Trustee Toth presented for a first reading Ordinance 10 -02, Authorizing a New Title 10, Chapter 5, Article A, Entitled "Vacant Building" of the Municipal Code of the Village lorton Grove. She explained that, with the economic down turn, the Village has experienced an increase in vacant buildings, some as a result of bank foreclosures and bankruptcies, others where the builder or mortgage holder has abandoned the property. An unacceptable burden is placed on the Village to track down responsible parties. This ordinance will require responsible parties to register the affected properties and establish a plan to maintain the premises in a manner consistent with Village Code. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 10 -02. 4. Trustee Toth then introduced for a first reading Ordinance 10 -04, Amending the Village of Morton Grove Unified Development Code, Section 12 -4 -3D, "Zoning Districts — Commercial District —Uses to Allow Drive -Thru Facilities" and Section 12 -5 -51 "Special Zoning Provisions — Criteria for Specific Commercial Uses —Drive -Thru Facilities" Within the Village of Morton Grove. She explained that the Plan Commission had considered this case and recommended that this text amendment be adopted provided certain additional conditions were imposed. T hese conditions are consistent with conditions which would normally be imposed upon granting a special use permit for drive -thru facilities. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 10 -04. XI. OTHERS 15 �.'v.= �Ai'n'u��s Af�Saaua' -: 5��a4R�aaYtl T�lleiYtt WARRANTS Trustee Gomberg presented the Warrant Register for December 28, 2009 in the amount of $1,117,481.76. He moved to accept the Warrants, seconded by Trustee Toth. Trustee Thill had a question on page 1, regarding a hydrant meter, and also on page 7, regarding the annual maintenance fee for the elevator at Village Hall. Both questions were responded to satisfactorily by Village staff. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria age Tr. Gomberg Tr. Marcus acre Tr. Thill ave Tr. Grear aye aye Tr. Toth acre Trustee Gomberg then presented the Warrant Register for January 11, 2010, in the amount of Tr. Marcus aye d t `h Warrants seconded by Trustee Toth. There was no $898,738.16. He move to accep L e , further discussion. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria acre Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS Jerry Micah, 8801 Oketo, said he was representing the 8800 block of Oketo. He said the proposed site for Culvers is not a good one; Culvers should be located in the middle of the shopping center, not in their backyard. It will abut all of their properties. He said the neighborhood is not antagonistic about the Culvers coming in, but they were curious as to why the Village was willing to "subsidize" a private business (by redoing the sewer system) while its residents' properties were being devalued. Mr. Micah said the neighborhood wasn't even informed that this was in the planning stages —they found out by reading the newspaper. a. Mr. Micah said that Culvers will be right on his back door; his deck will be useless. There will be added noise due to trucks making deliveries. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. in the summer; he was concerned that the neighborhood would be hearing cars, people giving their orders, etc. If their drive -thru operation is located where the bank's was, it will be detrimental to the area and will cause major accidents. Traffic going westbound on Dempster Street "flies'; no one will be able to make a left -hand turn out of there. Mr. Micah said the neighbor- hood has no objections to Culvers as long as they move more toward the center of the shopping center. b. Trustee DiMaria replied that Culvers is not going to locate its facility exactly where the bank was; it will be more to the east because they want more visibility. He said it would have to go through the Traffic Safety Commission, so the neighborhood would have an opportunity to see Culvers' plans and address them. He wasn't sure how far east Culvers would move, but said he knew that Culvers was sensitive to the neighborhood and its concerns. c. Mr. Micah said that the shopping center was more concerned about making money than its neighbors, commenting that the owner would let trucks stay overnight there with their engines running. There is signage posted now that the trucks are supposed to stay 300 feet away, but they don't abide by that. Mr. Micah wondered if the Village was going to give homeowners some kind of "incentive" to stay. He was concerned about people driving down Oketo and throwing trash out of their windows. He claimed the Village was not looking out for the residents' best interests. 16 Minutes Qf44843 II >4010- eazr3l U00 XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) A representative from Culvers, Tony Strazinski, was present. He said he was excited to be the franchisee for Morton Grove and was committed to working on resolving the issues of the neighboring residents. Hanna Dreck said she has lived on Oketo since 1958. The original owner of the shopping center was very considerate of the neighbors. She pointed out that Kappy's probably wouldn't like it if Culvers moved further east. She also mentioned that people use Oketo as a cut - through already, and they do litter. She said traffic is terrible by Oketo and Dempster because of the car wash across the street, etc. A resident from 8819 Oketo said she was concerned regarding the smells that would come from Culvers, the increased noise, and the additional lights staying on all night. Mayor Staackmann noted that the Culvers project will have to go through Planning and Traffic Safety, so the residents could air specific concerns and complaints during that process. He said he understands that the neighborhood has concerns, and said it was very similar to the concerns the Board had heard from residents who lived near McDonalds, when it first came to town. He noted that Culvers is willing to work with the neighborhood, and he hoped that the vast majority of the residents' concerns could be resolved satisfactorily. Trustee Thill told the group that "everything they had brought up will be scrutinized ", adding that they would have the opportunity to speak during the procedural control process. Notice of these hearings would be posted on the Village's website and at Village Hall. Trustee Marcus thanked the neighbors for coming forward with their concerns, and thanked the Culvers representative for coming also. He said he was glad to see that Culvers is con- cerned about the neighborhood's concerns, and felt this is a good beginning of a dialogue be- tween the neighbors and Culvers. XIV. ADJOURNMENT /EXECUTIVE SESSION There being no further business, Trustee DiMaria moved to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss real estate matters. Trustee Toth seconded the motion. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aave Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus ave Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth awe The Board adjourned to Executive Session at 9:26 p.m. 17 Iy a�, - _ Mini' �i' tes' aDiaantildYY `♦"�,�'20'tlfu'�Pdil9e�ti? PASSED this 25th day of January, 2010 Trustee DiMare Trustee Gomberg G Trustee Grear Trustee Marcus Trustee Thill Trustee T oth APPROVEF by e this 25th day of January, 2010. ��/r'i) / /// s- Da4l J. Staackmann, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 26 day of January, 2010. Tony S. Kaloge o Village C erk Village of Mo Grove, Cook County, Illinois Minutes by Teresa Cousar a, Village of Morton Grove Daniel J. Staackmann, Village President 6101 Capulina Avenue Morton Grove, Illinois 60053 January 11, 2010 Dear Village President Staackmann, This letter is being written in reference to the first read of the first ordinance of the new decade regarding the $9.85 Million General Obligation Bond issuance. As I stated in tonighVs meeting I am all for a Capital improvement within our village as it's long needed but wanted some clarification as to how the $5 Million for the "Street Improvement Program (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)" will be spent in the form of a formal plan. The idea is to creatively plan this program to spread the repairs that are long needed in our village evenly throughout the entire village. in essence, please consider this a formal FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request to review and quite possibly copy this "program" to fully understand how this rather large amount of debt to be incurred by us fellow residents will be spent over the 4 -year plan. My contact information is below as such and please enter this letter into the formal record for both these meeting minutes as well as for the second reading to take place on January 25, 2010. Respectfujly submitted, Eric M. Poders Village Resident 7940 Foster Street Morton Grove, Illinois 60053 -1036 847.663.9677 847.581.1797 Fax empoders@hotmai ( com