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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-04-26 Minutes1. Village President Dan Staackmann called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. After leading the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance, he directed the Village Clerk to call the roil. Village Clerk Tony Kalogerakos called the roll. Present were: Trustees Dan DiMaria, Larry Gomberg, Dill Grear, She[ Marcus, John Thill, and Maria Toth, APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Regarding the Minutes of the Special Meeting of April 12, 2010, Trustee DiMaria moved, seconded by Trustee Toth, to accept the Minutes as presented. There was no discussion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. b. Regarding the Minutes of the April 12, 2010 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. IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE V_ SPECIAL REPORTS Presentation Regarding the Importance of Design Review Practices and Community Appearance Regulations a. Deanna Gotta, Chairman of the Appearance Commission, introduce John Hedrick and Laurie Marston from the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. b. Mr. Hedrick is a senior advisor at DePaul's Chaddick Institute and founder of the Municipal Design Review Network. He is the Chairman of Glenview's Appearance Commission. c. Mr. Hedrick said his background allows him to provide a balanced perspective on design review issues. He noted that communities have to balance the interests of natural and built environments, and many parties, such as owners, architects, and residents. Minutes of April 26, 2010 Board Meetingl V. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) When it comes to signage, there are design choices ranging from novel to extreme. Some are dictated by national franchise "brands ". The Village has already made many choices over the years through the Appearance Commission. e. Mr. Hedrick said he works in the metropolitan Chicago area, and commented that there are new trends in Appearance Codes, including increased specificity of criteria (more direct and timely communication to businesses), a movement to visualization approaches, tailoring to a community's character, and exercising creativity rather than control. f. Procedures are important in established communities, ranging from the composition of commissions and backgrounds of commission members. Morton Grove is average in the number of Appearance Commission members it has. Qualifications can be very important from a legal standpoint. Processes are also important, such as key staff roles, meetings, etc. g. Mr. Hedrick provided an example of a card and party store that opened on Waukegan Road in Glenview. The Appearance commission there worked creatively with the owner on his awnings. Based on that, the Village of Glenview designed guidelines for awning design. Ms. Marston then addressed the Board. She is a consultant with 35 years of experience in the areas of planning, zoning, design, economic development, and community development.. She provides services to municipalities, developers, and small businesses, and is a former member of Evanston's Plan Commission. She also served for nine years as the Director of Community Development in Wilmette. Ms. Marston spoke about the "perceived conflict" between economic development and appearance review. When a business is considering locating in a particular municipality, there are a number of factors that go in to their decision. Some are not within the municipality's control, such as traffic volume on its main arteries, household incomes, and education 1 age of residents. She gave an example of demographic differences between Niles and Morton Grove using figures from the 2000 Census. According to the census, the median household income in Morton Grove is $63,000, and in Niles, it's $48,000. In Morton Grove, 94% of housing units are owner - occupied; in Niles, 77 %. These are demographics of interest to retailers. Other factors that businesses consider before moving to a community are the location and size of currently available properties and the property owners' sale prices or lease rates. Within the Village's control are things like permit / licensing costs, the amount of time it takes to review projects, qualifications of commission members reviewing projects, and training of key staff. Today, businesses have expectations -- they're looking for streamlined processes, realistic code requirements, clear guidelines, and predictably applied regulations. She noted that there are three shopping centers at Dempster and Harlem. They all have trees, bushes, flowers. It's a signal that the regulations are applied consistently. The municipality also has expectations —it expects nice- looking architecture and attractive signs, as well as good landscaping. k. The benefits of quality design are economic. social and environmental. One researcher has said that a municipality making an investment in design staff will recapture that investment through increased property valuation. Ms. Marston said that the social benefits of quality design include creating an ambiance that encourages shoppers to linger in the area (possibly increasing sales). It also creates a "sense of place" that fosters a sense of pride and encou- rages people to maintain their property, thus enhancing the "character" of the community. Minutes of April 26, 2010 Board Meeting V. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) Ms. Marston said that "sign control" doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing for businesses. Creative signs that are unique to a business can be more effective. "Too much" signage clutters business districts and can lead to "sign wars ". Attractive signs appeal to local customers, and a coordinated design attracts customers to the area. Some trends now are illuminated digital signs. She encouraged the Village to make sure they look at how bright these lights propose to be, and, if they change, how often they change. Illuminated signs can "drown out" traditional signs. Controlling the illumination is critical, especially if these lights are too bright at night. They can also be a potential traffic hazard. m. Ms. Marston showed a couple of examples of signage from Glenview's Carillon Square SIC. She said that Morton Grove is a great community that has already done good things with its Appearance Code. She remarked that some communities want to "play fast and loose" with their standards, especially in tough economic times, but cautioned that, "Once buildings are built and signs are put up, they're there for a long time." She said that the results of a town's appearance and design review communicate to residents and travelers the values of that community. Mr. Hedrick thanked the Board on behalf of the Chaddick Institute and said he hoped they'd be able to work with the Village. o. Trustee Thill pointed out that at the intersection of Dempster and Harlem, two of the shopping centers have great landscaping; the third does not. It is in Niles. He said he agreed about the illuminated digital signs being a hazard. Trustee Gomberg noted that the "character" of a community is a subjective term, and asked how a community determines its 'character' versus another community's. Mr. Hedrick said that it was a tough question. He felt it was helpful if there was a historic period prominent in a community. A comprehensive plan discussion would also be helpful, as would surveying the residents to determine how they see the community. That could be the basis for determining a community's "character ". He said that, in Glenview, when they redid their Appearance Code, they began with a Public Hearing and tried to get a sense of what tradition/features of the community people related to. Mayor Staackmann thanked Mr. Hedrick and Ms. Marston for their presentation. VI. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) NONE VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT Mayor Staackmann asked for concurrence to appoint Patrick Donahoe to the Advisory Commission on Aging for a 3 -year term. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Marcus, to concur with this appointment. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. 2. Mayor Staackmann asked for concurrence to appoint Donna Hedrick to the Appearance Commission for a 3 -year term. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Marcus, to concur with this appointment. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. Minutes of April 26, 2010 Board Meeting VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT (continued) 3. Mayor Staackmann thanked the Public Works Department for their speedy clean -up efforts after the recent storm. Vlll. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Kalogerakos asked for a motion to approve the Executive Session Minutes of Septem- ber 14, 2009; October 7, 12, and 21, 2009; November 4, 91 11, and 20, 2009; December 14, 2009; January 11 and 25, 2010; February 8, 15, and 22, 2010; March 2 and 22, 2010; and April 12, 2010, Trustee DiMaria so moved, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. 2. Next, Clerk Kalogerakos sought approval to release the Executive Session Minutes of November 10, 2008 through April 12, 2010_ Trustee Toth moved to not release these Minutes, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. 3. Clerk Kalogerakos then asked for a motion to destroy tapes of Executive Sessions (as authorized by the Illinois Open Meetings Act) from April 9, 2007 to September 8, 2008. Trustee Toth so moved, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. IX. STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator Mr. Wade said the Village had just learned that the Lehigh Avenue resurfacing project would begin May 10, 2010. He reminded the Board that this work is being funded by monies from the President's stimulus package. Resurfacing will take place from Oakton Street to the rail- road crossing at Lehigh and Lincoln. It is anticipated that it will take about one month to complete. Trustee Thill asked if the commuter parking would still be open. Mr. Wade said that's correct. Regarding the Dempster Street project, Mr. Wade noted that there would be new signage on Dempster Street directing the public to the Village's public parking areas. 2. Mayor Staackmann asked Mr. Wade to reiterate information on how important it is that residents complete the 2010 Census. Mr. Wade said that completing the Census has an enormous impact on Village funding, adding that "it's not too late" to mail the completed Census form. He said a colleague of his at another municipality said that community is looking at a $3-4 million dollar deficit because of loss of people from the last census. Population counts impact how much State income tax revenue and Motor Fuel Tax Funds each munici- pality receives annually. This Census will impact funding for the next 10 years. B. Corporation Counsel: Ms. Liston had no report. X. A. Trustee DiMaria: Trustee DiMaria had no report. B. Trustee Gomberg: TRUSTEES' REPORTS Minutes of April 26, 2010 Board Meetin Trustee Gomberg presented for afrst reading Ordinance 10 -12, An Ordinance to Amend the Village of Morton Grove 2010 Budget to Account for Expenditures From the Lehigh - Ferris TIF District Fund. He explained that the primary source for funding of Lehigh - Ferris TIF District project has been the proceeds from a $9.2 million bond issue in 2007 and TIF increment generated within the TIF District. The 2010 Budget anticipated capital projects and improvements within the TIF totaling $8,512,000. Since the budget was adopted, the Village has received truer bids and refined estimates of costs for these projects, and has determined the correct amount to be budgeted is $7,528,000. This difference is also due to the fact that the timing has changed for some of these projects, for example, the Metra tracks grade crossing improvement will probably not happen in 2010. Moving most of this allocation from the 2010 Budget and into a future -year Budget decreases the overall anticipated expenditure from the Capital Projects total in the TIF fund, even though estimated costs for most of the 2010 projects have increased. Ordinance 10 -12 will amend the 2010 Budget by reducing the allocation for capital projects from $8,512,000 to $7,528,000 and will postpone three projects (the railwalk, the Metra yard relocation, and the Metra grade crossing improvement) from the planned number of projects to be completed in 2010. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 10 -12. 2. Trustee Gomberg congratulated Donna Hedrick and Pat Donahoe on their appointments this evening, noting that Mrs. Hedrick's leadership and energy would be missed on the Economic Development Commission. 3. Trustee Gomberg reported that he and Trustee Thill had attended the Northwest Municipal Conference's "Legislative Days" in Springfield on April 14 and 15. They lobbied Morton Grove's congressional representatives about issues such as pension reform and restoring cuts in the State's distributive fund. Proposed cuts in this fund would reduce Morton Grove's share of the State income tax by 30 %. It would cost the Village $518,618, which (in property tax equivalent) would be a 5.75% increase. Trustee Gomberg said that the State is already four months behind on its income tax payments to Morton Grove. The Village is currently due $619,709.84. Further, there's no guarantee that any future State income tax increase would automatically have any allocation to municipalities. As far as pension reform, the Village is already a member of the Pension Fairness for Illinois Communities Coalition, along with 78 other communities. He urged residents to contact their state reps and senators and express the urgency of not cutting the distributive fund monies as well as approving the proposals of the Pension Fairness Coalition. N TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Grear Minutes of April 26, 2014 Board Meeting Trustee Grear introduced for a first reading Ordinance 10 -10, Establishing the Morton Grove Foreign Fire Tax Board. He explained that State Statute allows the Village to collect a tax equal to 2% of the gross receipts of non - Illinois corporations selling fire insurance within the State of Illinois. The expenditure of all taxes collected is to be determined by a Foreign Fire Tax Board consisting of the Fire Chief and six additional members elected from among the sworn members of the Fire Department. The Foreign Fire Tax Board is to receive, allocate, and spend these funds for the maintenance, use, and benefit of the Fire Department. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 10 -10. 2. Next, Trustee Grear presented Resolution 10 -33, Authorizing the Execution of an Agree- ment Between the Village of Morton Grove and All- Around Amusements, Inc. to Supply Carnival Rides and Amusements for the 2010 Through 2011 Fourth of July Festivities. He moved to approve Resolution 10 -33, seconded by Trustee Toth. Trustee Marcus asked if this contract was for 2010 and 2011. Mr. Wade responded that it was. Trustee Marcus felt the Resolution should say "for the 2010 and 2011 Fourth of July Festivities" rather than "2010 through 2011. Mayor Staackmann pointed out that the Village has a stringent amendment in the contract for the Police Department to do a background check on all carnival employees before they can come in to the Village. Trustee Grear pointed out that proceeds from the carnival are largely the source of funding for all of the Fourth of July activities. Mayor Staackmann called for the vote. The motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria He Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth a e 3. Trustee Grear then brought forward Resolution 10 -35, Authorizing the Annual July 4 Parade and Closure of Dempster Street. He explained that the Illinois Department of Transportation requires the Village to adopt a resolution approving the partial or full closure of Dempster Street between Central and Ferris. This is done annually for the Fourth of July Parade. The Village assumes full responsibility for the direction, protection, and regulation of traffic during the time the detour is in effect. Trustee Grear moved to approve Resolution 10 -35, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg We Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye When asked about this year's parade route, in light of the Dempster Street Roadway Im- provement project, Trustee Grear said the route would likely be Lincoln to Austin to Lake. Minutes of April 26, 2010 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) C. Trustee Grear: (cont'd.) 4. Trustee Grear announced that the Morton Grove Days Commission is relying on all the residents for successful Fourth of July festivities. He encouraged everyone to help with either buying or selling raffle tickets. Tickets are $5 each or 6 for $25. D. Trustee Marcus: Trustee Marcus had no formal report, but thanked Trustee Grear and the Morton Grove Days Commission and the Park District for working so hard to make the Fourth of July festive and successful. He reiterated that these festivities need community -wide involvement and he encouraged everyone to participate. 2. Trustee Marcus said he attended the Library's "Spring Bash" this past weekend. He acknowl- edged the many organizations that attended, and singled out Rosetta Metz and Ben Schapiro for their efforts in making this happen. He said he hoped everyone would visit the Library. E. Trustee Thill Trustee Thill presented Resolution 10 -30, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract and Acceptance of the Low Bid With A -Lamp Concrete Contractors, Inc. for Lincoln Avenue and Ferris Avenue Roadway Improvements. Trustee Thill said that the estimated value of this contract is $2.25 million. He moved to approve Resolution 10 -30, seconded by Trustee Marcus. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria afire Tr. Gomberg ffe Tr. Grear awe„ Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill ave Tr. Toth afire Trustee Thill then presented Resolution 10 -31, Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with Strand Associates, Inc. For Professional Engineering Services for the Lincoln Avenue and Ferris Avenue Roadway Improvements. He said this contract was worth $222,700. Trustee Thill moved to approve Resolution 10 -31, seconded by Trustee Toth. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria afire Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill ave Tr. Toth aye 3. Trustee Thill next brought forward Resolution 10 -34, Authorization for the Purchase of Six Plows (Four Fixed and Two Reversible) for Use by the Public Works Department. Trustee Thill moved to approve Resolution 10 -34, seconded by Trustee Marcus. Trustee Toth commented that the low bid came in well below the amount that had been budgeted for these plows. The Village will save $17,084 on this purchase. Minutes of April 26, 2010 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) E. Trustee Thill: (cont'd.) There being no further discussion, Mayor Staackmann called for the vote. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg a ye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus afire Tr. Thill He Tr. Toth aave„ 4. Trustee Thill said that Dempster Street Roadway Improvement Project bids were opened on April 23, 2010. The low bid came in at just under $4.8 million. The engineers had thought it would be closer to $5.5 million. IDOT has to award the bid by May 14, and construction should begin afterJuly 4. Trustee Thill reminded residents about the availability of consumer electronics recycling every Wednesday and Friday at the Public Works Department. 6. Trustee Thill said he participated in the Morton Grove Public Library's "Storybook Extravaganza' and thoroughly enjoyed it. He said he hoped the Library would do it again. F. Trustee Toth: Trustee Toth introduced for a first reading Ordinance 10 -11, Deleting Title 4, Chapter 4, Article A Entitled "Electrical Contractors" and Amending Title 4, Chapter 4, Article C Entitled "Building Contractors" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove. She explained that this ordinance will eliminate a redundant requirement for electrical contractor licensing, and will update the licensing requirements for contractors regulated by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. This change will now require that electrical contractors obtain a Village of Morton Grove contractor's business license and will change the time period of the annual license from twelve months beginning May 1 of each year to a one -year period from the date of issue. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 10 -11, 2. Trustee Toth thanked Mr. Hedrick and Ms. Marston for coming out this evening. She said the information they provided reinforced the importance of a town such as Morton Grove having a sound design review practice and appearance regulations in place. XI. OTHER BUSINESS NONE Minutes of April 26, 2010 Board Meeting WARRANTS Trustee Gomberg presented the Warrant Register for April 26, 2010 in the amount of $426,669.05. He moved to accept the Warrants, seconded by Trustee Marcus. Trustee Thill had several questions: On page 6, he asked about a check for about $260 for High Tech Auto Glass, Inc. for a rear window. Mr. DeMonte said it was a replacement. b. On page 9, there is a check to Metra for $2,300 for water main easement. Mr. DeMonte said the Village has numerous sewers and water mains that cross the tracks; since 1985, they've been charging for these rights -of -way. c. On page 10, there is a check for $2,300 to Norcom for Regional Telecommunications Network. The deputy police chief explained that Norcom is a multi - jurisdictional communica- tion group that negotiates contracts for radio, radio upgrades, and various FCC mandate for a consortium of communities. Participating in this saves the Village money. There was no further discussion on the Warrants. Upon the vote, the motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye_ Tr. Grear Tr. Marcus ave Tr. Thill afire` Tr. Toth ave XIII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS Joe Hedrick, On behalf of the American Legion, he thanked the Mayor and Board for attending meetings to bring all parties up to date on various issues, including the agreement between the Village and the Legion Post. He commented that, in the ten years since the Village and Legion entered into the agreement, the parties on the Village side have all changed, and on the Legion side, he is the only one with continuity throughout the whole process. Discussions have been fruitful, and he said it was good to have this ongoing communication. Mr. Hedrick said the Legion held a fundraiser for senior programs in the Village. The Village was asked to come up with three suggestions on how the money could be used. Mayor Staackmann presented the Village's three suggestions, and the Legion now needs to vote on it in the month of May. He felt that, by May 8, everyone would know where the money is going. An exact amount is not yet known. Mr. Hedrick reminded the Board that this year, in spite of all the money the Village has given to the Police Pension Fund, the Pension Board will still have to dig into its reserves, albeit slightly. The Village contribution is a constantly growing number, and he asked the Board to remember that the actuary figure is a "minimum" —for instance, this year, it doesn't meet the actual amount. The budget allocation will have to be considerably raised next year. Minutes of April 26, 2010 Board Meeting XIV. ADJOURNMENTIEXECUTIVE SESSION Trustee Marcus moved to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss personnel matters, labor negotiations, pending litigation, and real estate. Trustee Grear seconded the motion. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 1 nay. Tr. DiMaria nay Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear ffe Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye The Board adjourned to Executive Session at 8:02 p.m. PASSED this 10th day of May, 2010 Trustee DiMaria Trustee Gomberg Trustee Grear Trustee Marcus Trustee Thill Trustee Toth APPROVED by me this 10th day of May, 2010. Daniel J. Staackrnann, Village President Board of Trustees. Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 11th day of May, 2010. Tony S. Kalogerakos, Village Clerk Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois Minutes by Teresa Causar 10