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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-12-13 Minutes•+ • • -N 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. 11. Village Clerk Tony Kalogerakos called the roll. Present were: Trustees Dan DiMaria, Larry Gomberg, Bill Grear, Shel Marcus, John Thill, and Maria Toth. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Regarding the Minutes of the November 22, 2010 Regular Meeting, Trustee DiMaria moved, seconded by Trustee Grear, to accept the Minutes as presented. There was no discussion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. IV. SPECIAL REPORTS 1, Transportation Grant Recognition to State Representatives Lou Lang and John D'Amico Mayor Staackmann said the Board was fortunate this evening to have State Representatives Lou Lang and John D'Amico present. He said they represent Morton Grove in Springfield and were instrumental in the Village's receipt of a transportation grant. He asked Village Administrator Joe Wade to elaborate. Mr. Wade said that the Village had submitted a transportation enhancement grant application earlier in the year, and thanks to the efforts of Rep. Lang and D'Amico, was successful in receiving the grant. The grant, valued at $430,000, will be used for the realignment of the railroad crossing at Lincoln Avenue. Mr. Wade also thanked both representatives for their help with the Dempster Street project, noting that they helped turn a plan into reality. Mayor Staackmann agreed, stating, "Whenever we call them, they answer and come through for Morton Grove." Rep. Lang said that he has represented Morton Grove for 23 years in the Illinois General Assembly. He also represents Skokie and Lincolnwood, and said it was a pleasure to represent all these communities-, and to do whatever he's able to do for them. Rep. D'Amico said he was honored to represent Morton Grove in Springfield, and said he appreciates that "Morton Grove lets me know what we need and what's important." The assemblage thanked the State Representatives with a round of applause. IV. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) Minutes of December 13, 2010 Board Meeting; 2. Plan Commission Case PC 10 -03 Requests a Special Use for the Property Commonly Known nown as 6000 Oakton Street for Alterations to an Automobile Service Station Mini -Mart Plan Commission Chairman Ron Farkas presented this case. He stated that the applicant, Nasri Ayasra of Austin - Oakton Service Inc. was requesting a special use permit and approval of several variations for proposed alterations to an automobile service station mini -mart. He plans to convert one of the existing service bays to a sales area for beverages and other cold goods. Mr. Farkas said the Commissioners had several ques- tions for Mr. Ayasra, all of which he answered satisfactorily. The Commission did note that the traffic study was quite disappointing, and the traffic consultant did not appear at the public hearing. However, Mr. Ayasra stated that he did not feel any appreciable traffic increase would result if the Special Use was approved. The Commission voted unanimously (with two absent) to approve the Special Use and associated variances. 3. Presentation of Proposed 2011 Budget a. Village Administrator Wade said that this Budget is the culmination of work that began last summer, and included several budget workshops, all open to the public. He thanked all the department heads and their staff for all their hard work in preparing this budget, and thanked Sue Lattanzi and Marlene Kramaric, the Executive Secretaries, for their help in assembling the budget package. He also thanked the Village's Finance Advisory Committee, the members of which have been extremely helpful. Mr. Wade said the Board had been desirous of having a balanced budget this year, and thus a small increase in the tax levy was included. The last time there was a balanced budget was three years ago; the Village has been using a combination of position eliminations and fund balance to maintain its budget. He said the Village has realized about $1.2 million in savings in personnel costs, but, he pointed out, it cannot continue to rely on using fund balance. Fund balance should be maintained so as to cover, if necessary, approximately three months' of operating expenses. It's not excessive, and the Village needs it for disasters and /or economic difficulties. It's also important to have the ability to borrow money at affordable rates and agreeable terms. The capital projects bonds, issued earlier in the year, are already funding projects such as the replacement of the 1912 water main on Dempster Street (a $1.7 million project) and water tower painting. Mr. Wade said that bond rating agencies look at how solvent a municipality is as well as its fiscal management. They like to see a management structure that isn't continually drawing down on fund balance. b. For 2011, Morton Grove's General Fund budget (which funds all the "basics ") is slightly below the 2010 budget in expenses. The 3.5% tax increase is primarily related to pension funding and debt service payments. Several service cuts are included in the 2011 budget, such as reduced tree trimming and tree planting, and the elimination of cardio - pulmonary resuscitation training. Some costs are being deferred, such as police vehicles. All of the Village's services were analyzed, with the result being that the senior bus service, which costs $30,000 annually to operate (not including the additional liability costs) and serves only about 30 -35 people, will be eliminated. Mr. Wade said he could not, in good conscience, recommend continuing that service while at the same time, asking the police department to hold off on the purchase of replacement vehicles. He said the Village is looking at alternatives for transportation, including a volunteer ride - sharing program, but reminded everyone that there is still a taxi discount program in the Village for seniors. The Village is also looking to see if there is another agency around that provides transportation services. Mr. Wade apologized to seniors who may not have been aware of this change. 2 Minutes of December 13 2010 Board Meeting IV. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) c. The Water Fund is a large concern. The Village is close to operating its Water Fund at a deficit. The cost of purchasing water and providing service and maintenance to keep the water running, and infrastructure costs (as the current system ages), the expenses are exceeding the revenues. To address this, the 2011 Budget proposed a 3% increase in the water and sewer rate for the next five years. Additionally, the 50% senior water rate discount will be phased out over the next several years. The 50% discount currently costs the Village about $250,000 annually. Mr. Wade noted that the Village's Finance Advisory Commission has looked at all of these recommendations and has agreed that these measures must be taken. Mr. Wade said that Morton Grove's 50% water discount —with no qualifying factors —is an anomaly. Only two other suburbs (Crystal Lake and Palatine) offer any type of senior dis- count, and in both cases, it's substantially less than Marton Grove's. The elimination of the discount will be in phases. Thus, in 2011, the discount will be 40 %; in 2012, 30 %; in 2013, 20 %; in 2014, 10 %, and no discount in 2015. d. Mr. Wade said the 2011 Budget funds the pensions at the actuarially- required contribution rate. He then turned the presentation over to Ryan Horne, the Village's Finance Director. e. Mr. Horne commented that a Public Hearing on the Tax Levy had been held last Thursday. The Village's total levy includes the Morton Grove Library's levy. The combined levy is 6.2 %. A question had come up during that public hearing that Mr. Horne wanted to address. A resident had noted that, in the Morton Grove Champion, it looked like the Village budget called for spending about $2 million each on the police and fire pensions, yet in Mr. Horne's presentation, he had stated that it was more like $1 million each. The resident wanted to know why the figures were different. Mr. Horne said the difference was because the tax levy reflects only one source of the funding for the pensions. So about half of the pension funding will be coming from the tax levy increase. The balance of the $2 million comes from other sources, such as employee contributions and investment earnings. He pointed out that this is the first tax levy increase the Village has requested in two years. The Village is asking for a 3.5% increase, while the Library's increase is 15.6 %. The total combined net levy is $12,782,383. f. While Mr. Horne paused to address a technical difficulty, Trustee Thill asked Mr. Wade to touch on the Village's assistance fund. Mr. Wade responded that the Village does have a financial assistance fund, which is administered by Director of Family and Senior Services Jackie Walker- O'Keefe. The limit is $300 per household, and can be used for items such as utilities. g. Mr. Horne pointed out that there is a 3% or 5% addition for loss on collection included in the extended levy. The estimated impact to the homeowner can be calculated fairly easily, Mr. Horne said. If a resident was paying $1,000 a year to the Village in taxes, increase that by 3.5 %. So the impact would be an additional $35 annually. h. The Water & Sewer Fund is an enterprise fund, meaning the services are provided on a cost - recovery basis to parties outside the government (customers). The tax levy does not support the Water & Sewer Fund. He noted that the Village is hoping to capture 10% more revenue in 2012 due to replaced water meters. The current average age of the Village's water meters is 26 years old. Replacement is recommended every 15 years, so the Village is overdue. Mr. Horne noted that the purpose of the water meter replacement program is to replace old meters experiencing a 14% loss on readings. That means that the Village is paying the City of Chicago for water but not realizing the appropriate revenue from customers for it. Mr. Horne said that, although a consultant's report had recommended implementing a water meter replacement fee, no such fee is proposed in the 2011 Budget. K, Minutes of December 13, 2010 Board Meetin IV. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued) The impact to homeowners of the 3% increase in the water /sewer rate is about $20 a year for those under age 65, $30 a year for those ages 65 and over. The total impact to homeowners of both the water rate increase and the 3.5% tax levy increase is about $60 annually. V. PUBLIC HEARINGS Mayor Staackmann declared the Public Hearing on the 2011 Budget open. He asked if there were any comments from the assemblage. a. Bill Lukshaw, 5640 Capri Lane. Mr. Lukshaw noted that home values have dropped significantly and expressed surprise at the size of the library's tax levy. He said the Village's levy of 3.5% was palatable, but the additional library tax was quite a surprise. He asked why the Village didn't let residents know about it sooner. Mr. Lukshaw also wondered if any representatives from the Library would be present this evening to discuss this matter. He stated that this is the "worst economic climate since the Great Depression" and felt that increased taxes and fees might mean people having to move out of Morton Grove. He didn't feel this budget was "keeping people in Morton Grove ". b. Tony Kovacs, 8302 Avalon. Mr. Kovacs said his comments had to do with the Library's tax levy. He said that Corporation Counsel Liston had previously stated that the Village Board was required to approve the Library's levy, but he wondered if there was a cap or limit on what it could approve. Ms. Liston responded that this is a complicated statutory question, but what is clear is that once the Library asks for a certain amount, the Corporate Authorities are required to approve it. c• Trustee Marcus reminded everyone that there are many other units of government reflected on your tax bill; the Village's portion is only about 12 % -14 %. He was curious about how many meetings (i.e., school board, township, etc.) of other taxing bodies residents had attended. Trustee Marcus said he felt the Village has done a good job of keeping costs down while maintaining the quality of service that residents expect. d. Trustee Marcus said that he is "not enthusiastic" about having to increase taxes, but it is necessary in order for the Village to maintain its public safety services. He urged everyone to examine their tax bills when they get them, to get a better idea about where their money is going. Trustee Marcus added that he personally wasn't thrilled with the Library's tax levy request, or the explanation provided by Director Shapiro at the Tax Levy public hearing as to why this amount was needed. But, as Ms. Liston has pointed out, the Board is required to approve it. e. Trustee Thill, responding to Mr. Lukshaw, noted that the Village Board had received the Library's budget two days prior to the Board Meeting where the Budget Ordinance was formally introduced. The other thing to remember, he said, is that the Board is not allowed to question the Library's Budget —only residents can do this, at Library Board meetings. Some questions were asked of the Library at the Tax Levy Public Hearing, and he didn't feel that all of them were satisfactorily answered. f. Mayor Staackmann pointed out that the Library did bring their Budget to the Village within the required legal timeframe. He added that the Village has no authority over home assessments for valuation. That's done strictly by Cook County. 12 Minutes of December 93, 2090 Board Meeting V. PUBLIC HEARINGS (continued) g. Georgianne Brunner. Mrs. Brunner said she had looked at her tax bill and noticed that the Village's portion had gone up, even though there hasn't been a tax levy increase in the last two years. She said that, when she was on the Board, she cautioned her colleagues not to tell residents that the Village portion of their taxes wouldn't go up, even with a 0% tax levy increase. But she also wondered why it would go up without a tax levy increase. h. Trustee Marcus said that the assessment and multipliers play an integral part in formulating the tax bill. It's confusing and it's frustrating, especially when the Village makes a commitment and the State "overrides" it by increasing the multiplier. Obviously, the Village has no control over what the State does. Mayor Staackmann said that the total amount the Village requests in the levy is what it receives, When the tax is levied, it goes out as an aggregate amount against all the assessed valued properties in the Village. Vacant properties have a reduced assessment value, which means that other properties will have to make it up. Assessments on various properties fluctuate, and exemptions on properties are also a factor. He said the Board would have liked to keep the tax levy increase at 0 %, but pension obligations prohibited them from doing so. There being no further comments, Mayor Staackmann asked for a motion to close the Public Hearing. Trustee Marcus so moved, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth awe Vi. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) Bill Lukshaw. Mr. Lukshaw asked, how can the Village make things as viable as possible? He noted that the Village has two Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts, one on Waukegan Road and one in the Lehigh- Ferris area. The Waukegan Road TIF has seen roadway im- provements and several new businesses, but Mr. Lukshaw wondered why that particular TIF district couldn't be closed out so those properties could return to the general tax rolls. VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT 1. Mayor Staackmann established the meeting dates for the Village Board for calendar year 2011, as read for the record by Clerk Kalogerakos: January 10 and 24 July 11 (July 25 is cancelled) February 14 and 28 August 8 (August 22 is cancelled) March 14 and 28 September 12 and 26 April 11 and 25 October 10 and 24 May 9 and 23 November 14 and 28 June 13 and 27 December 12 (December 26 is cancelled) 5 VII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT (continued) Minutes of December 13, 2010 Board Meeting 2. Next, Mayor Staackmann asked for a motion to concur with the appointments of the following individuals to chair the designated commissions (below), as read for the record by Clerk Kalogerakos: Alice Rupkey to chair the Advisory Commission on Aging Deanna Gotta to chair the Appearance Commission Ron Fine to chair the Cable and Telecommunications Commission Samina Hussain to chair the Community Relations Commission David Lewis to chair the Economic Development Commission Georgianne Brunner to chair the Board of Environmental Health Doug Steinman to chair the Finance Advisory Commission Michael Simkins to chair the Fire and Police Commission Mary Busch to chair the Natural Resources Commission Ron Farkas to chair the Plan Commission /Zoning Board of Appeals Keith White to chair the Traffic Safety Commission Trustee Thill moved to concur with these appointments, seconded by Trustee Gomberg. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. 3. Mayor Staackmann noted that the regularly - scheduled meetings of the various boards, commissions, committees, and subcommittees for 2011 will be posted and available on the Village's website. 4. Mayor Staackmann sought concurrence for the following Administrative Appointments for calendar year 2011: Joseph F. Wade appointed as Village Administrator Elizabeth M. Rochford appointed as Adjudication Officer Ed Hildebrandt appointed as Building Commissioner John D. Said appointed as Community and Economic Development Director Teresa Hoffman Liston appointed as Corporation Counsel John Hill appointed as EMA Coordinator Jackie Walker- O'Keefe appointed as Family and Senior Services Director Ryan Horne appointed as Finance Director /Treasurer Tom Friel appointed as Fire Chief Mark Erickson appointed as Police Chief Andy DeMonte appointed as Public Works Director Frank Tennant appointed as Village Prosecutor Trustee Thill moved to concur with these appointments, seconded by Trustee Gomberg. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. 5. Mayor Staackmann wished everyone a happy and safe holiday season. He particularly com- mended the Public Works Department, especially with regard to repairing water main breaks, noting that they had been out to make repairs three times in a 24 -hour period —over a week- end! 11 VIII. CLERK'S REPORT Minutes of December 13, 2010 Board Meetin '' 1. Clerk Kalogerakos noted that any resident who wished to address the Board during residents' comments should fill out a form found in the back of the room and bring it up. 2. Clerk Kalogerakos wished the assemblage happy holidays. IX. A. Village Administrator STAFF REPORTS Mr. Wade reminded everyone that the December 27`" Board Meeting was cancelled, and wished the assemblage happy holidays. B. Corporation Counsel: Corporation Counsel Liston had no report. X. A. Trustee DiMaria: Trustee DiMaria had no formal report, but wished everyone happy holidays. B. Trustee Gomberg: 1. Trustee Gomberg presented Ordinance 10 -23, Adopting the Budgets for All Corporate Purposes of the Village of Morton Grove and the Morton Grove Library, Cook County, Illinois, For the Calendar Year Effective January 1, 2011 and Ending December 31, 2011. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. a. Trustee Gomberg noted that this budget is the culmination of many months of work, including three budget workshops that were televised and covered in the local newspapers. He said that the budget continues to provide the Village's excellent services, but this year, with a balanced budget. He commended Finance Director Ryan Horne and his staff for all their hard work, and thanked the Village Administrator and all the department heads for their efforts as well. Trustee Gomberg also praised the members of the Finance Advisory Commission for their guidance throughout the budget process. He then moved to adopt Ordinance 10 -23, seconded by Trustee Thill. b. Trustee Toth said she understood that the Village Board does not have any legal right to not approve the Library's levy request, but she wanted the record to reflect her disappointment with the Library Board for not looking harder to make budget cuts. N Minutes of December 13 2014 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) B. Trustee Gomberg: (continued) Trustee Toth said she also understood that money was required to patch the roof, but wondered if it was really necessary, in this economic climate, to add one full -time and four part -time librarians. She wondered if adding volunteers had been explored. Trustee Toth also wondered if salaries were held at 2010 levels or if they were increased for 2011. All in all, she felt the library was not being fiscally responsible. She said she wished the Library Budget and levy request was separate from the Village Board's, so that she could vote `no' to the Library's portion. Her statement was applauded by the assemblage. Mayor Staackmann called for the vote. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 pass. Tr. DiMaria a1L Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear ave Tr. Marcus pass Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye 2. Trustee Gomberg then presented Ordinance 10 -24, Levying and Assessing Taxes for the Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois, for the Fiscal Year Beginning January 1, 2011 and Ending December 31, 2011. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. He explained that the Village's budget requires a tax levy amount of $8,482;004. The Village is also required to levy an additional $9,829,406 for debt service payments, for a total levy before abatements of $18,311,410. The levy for the Public Library is $3,099,519, for a combined total levy of $21,410,929. However, the Board will adopt Resolutions abating $8,628,546 from the levy, resulting in a net levy in the amount of $12,782,383. These abatements will be made because the abated amounts will come from sources other than property taxes, but by law must be included as part of the property tax levy. Trustee Gomberg said that it's important to note that the Village is abating a portion of the tax levy for many years, in spite of the foreclosure and recession "plague" that has hit the nation. He said he's heard from residents who don't want a tax increase and residents who have indicated they're willing to pay a tax increase in order to keep vital services from being reduced. Trustee Gomberg said he felt that every municipality seems to have come to the realization that continual cost - cutting to avoid tax increases can only lead to unacceptable decreases in services. Trustee Gomberg said that this tax levy request is an acceptable compromise between a tax increase and unacceptable service cuts. In the last 3 budget cycles, the Village's portion of the tax levy has totaled only 3.5 %. Trustee Gomberg moved to adopt Ordinance 10 -24, seconded by Trustee Toth. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aae Tr. Grear afe Tr. Marcus afire Tr. Thill a rye Tr. Toth acre 0 Minutes of December 13 2010 Board Meetin X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) B. Trustee Gomberg: (continued) Trustee Gomberg then brought forward the first of eight tax abatement resolutions: 3. Resolution 10 -84, Tax Abatement Resolution for the 2010 Tax Levy Relating to Ordinance 9841. He explained that Ordinance 98 -41 was for the issuance of $3,165 in general obligation promissory notes. The ordinance provided that the levy of taxes for the year 2010 should include sufficient funds to pay $269,896 for the debt service payment on said bonds. The 2011 Budget has allocated revenue from the Waukegan Road TIF Fund in the amount of $269,896 to pay for this debt service. Trustee Gomberg moved to approve Resolution 10 -84, seconded by Trustee Toth. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria afire Tr. Gomberg awe Tr. Grear avee Tr. Marcus gye Tr. Thill awe Tr. Toth aye 4 Resolution 10 -85, Tax Abatement Resolution for the 2010 Tax Levy Relating to Ordinance 99 -01, Trustee Gomberg explained that Ordinance 99 -01 was for the issuance of $15,495,000 in general obligation bonds, Series 1999. The ordinance provided that the levy of taxes for the year 2010 should include sufficient funds to pay $1,595,833 for the debt service payment. In March of 2009, pursuant to Ordinance 09 -05, the Board issued refunding bonds in the amount of $7,650,000 to refinance the remainder of the Series 1999 bonds. However, despite the refunding, Cook County will continue to levy taxes as provided in Ordinance 99 -01. Therefore, this resolution, abating the debt service for the Series 1999 bonds, is required. After abatement, the net levy for the Series 1999 bonds is zero ($0). Trustee Gomberg moved to approve Resolution 10 -85, seconded by Trustee Toth. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye, Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill afe Tr. Toth aye 5. Resolution 10 -86, Tax Abatement Resolution for the 2010 Tax Levy Relating to Ordinance 02 -30. He explained that Ordinance 02 -30 was for the issuance of $5,300,000 in general obligation promissory notes, Series 2002. The ordinance provided that the levy of taxes for the year 2010 should include sufficient funds to pay $445,344 for the debt service payment. In September of 2009, pursuant to Ordinance 09 -15, the Board issued refunding bonds in the amount of $4,920,000, Series 2009A, to refinance the remainder of the Series 2002 notes. However, despite the refunding, Cook County will continue to levy taxes as provided in Ordinance 02 -30. Therefore, this resolution, abating the debt service for the Series 2002 notes, is required. After abatement, the net levy for the Series 2002 notes is zero ($0). Trustee Gomberg moved to approve Resolution passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria afire Tr. Gomberg Tr. Marcus afire Tr. Thill 10 -86, seconded by Trustee Thill. Motion afire Tr. Grear a re Aye Tr. Toth age E Minutes of December 13 2010 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) B. Trustee Gomberq: (continued) 6. Resolution 10 -87, Tax Abatement Resolution for the 2010 Tax Levy Relating to Ordinance 07 -26. Trustee Gomberg explained that Ordinance 07 -26 was for the issuance of $9,200,000 in general obligation bonds, Series 2007. The ordinance provided that the levy of taxes for the year 2010 should include sufficient funds to pay $779,800 for the payment of principal and interest on said bonds. The 2011 Budget has allocated revenue from the Lehigh - Ferris TI Fund in the amount of $779,800 to pay for this debt service. Trustee Gomberg moved to approve Resolution 10 -87, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria 2ye Tr. Gomberg awe Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aae Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye 7. Resolution 10 -88, Tax Abatement Resolution for the 2010 Tax Levy Relating to Ordinance 09 -05. He explained that Ordinance 09 -05 was for the issuance of $7,650,000 in general obligation bonds, Series 2009. The ordinance provided that the levy of taxes for the year 2010 should include sufficient funds to pay $1,488,218 for the debt service payment on said bonds. The 2011 Budget has allocated revenue from the Local Option Sales Tax in the amount of $440,000; revenue from accumulated interest earnings of $2,500; revenue from the Water/ Sewer Fund in the amount of $372,054, and available fund balance in the Debt Service Fund of $192,329 to pay for this debt service. After these abatements, the net levy for this bond series is $1,006,883. Trustee Gomberg moved to approve Resolution 10 -88, seconded by Trustee Marcus. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg awe Tr. Grear acre Tr. Marcus awe Tr. Thill afire, Tr. Toth aye 8. Resolution 10 -89, Tax Abatement Resolution for the 2010 Tax Levy Relating to Ordinance 09-15, Trustee Gomberg explained that Ordinance 09 -15 was for the issuance of $4,920,000 in general obligation bonds, Series 2009A. The ordinance provided that the levy of taxes for the year 2010 should include sufficient funds to pay $529,212 for the debt service payment on said bonds. The 2011 Budget has allocated revenue from the Waukegan Road TIF Fund to pay the $529,212 to pay for this debt service. Trustee Gomberg moved, seconded by Trustee DiMaria, to approve Resolution 10 -89. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria ayre Tr. Gomberg ayre Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus afe Tr. Thill afire Tr. Toth ayie Wo X. 9 IN Minutes of December 13, 2010 Board Meeting TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) Trustee Gomberg: (continued) Resolution 10 -90, Tax Abatement Resolution for the 2010 Tax Levy Relating to Ordinance 09 -28. He explained that Ordinance 09 -28 was for the issuance of $2,685,000 in general obligation promissory notes, Series 2009B. The ordinance provided that the levy of taxes for the year 2010 should include sufficient funds to pay $96,234.88 for the debt service payment on said notes. The 2011 Budget has allocated revenue from the Lehigh- Ferris TIF Fund in the amount of $2,777,633 to pay for this debt service. Trustee Gomberg moved, seconded by Trustee Grear, to approve Resolution 10 -90. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aae Tr. Grear aae Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill afire Tr. Toth aye Resolution 10 -91, Tax Abatement Resolution for the 2010 Tax Levy Relating to Ordinance 10 -01. Trustee Gomberg explained that Ordinance 10 -01 was for the issuance of $9,975,000 in general obligation bonds, Series 2010A and Series 20108. The ordinance provided that the levy of taxes for the year 2010 should include sufficient funds to pay $1,423,945 for the debt service payment on said bonds. The 2011 Budget has allocated revenue from the Water/ Sewer Fund in the amount of $500,339 and from available fund balance in the Debt Service Fund of $132,534 to pay for this debt service. After these abatements, the net levy for this bond series is $200,000. Trustee Gomberg moved, seconded by Trustee Grear, to approve Resolution 10 -91. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria afire Tr. Gomberg afire Tr. Grear afire Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aKe Tr. Toth aye 11. Next, Trustee Gomberg presented Ordinance 10 -22, Amending Title 7, Chapter 4 (Water Regulations) and Chapter 5 (Sewer Regulations) of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove and Establishing Water and Sewer Rates. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. Trustee Gomberg explained that, pursuant to the recommendations of the Municipal Financial Service Group, this ordinance provides for a 3% annual rate increase for a five -year period and the phasing -out of the senior water rate discount program. This will ensure sustainability for the Water /Sewer Fund. This amendment is expected to provide a net increase to Water Fund revenue of $203,360 in fiscal year 2011. These changes are necessary to address projected deficits in the Water /Sewer Enterprise Fund. Trustee Gomberg reminded residents that the Village does have a financial assistance program to help anyone experiencing a true hardship in paying utility bills. Trustee Gomberg moved to adopt Ordinance 10 -22, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. 11 Minutes of December 13 2010 Board Meetin X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) B. Trustee Gomberg: (continued) Trustee Grear commented that it was very important for the Village to do this, stating that "we can't ignore the water fund and let it become insolvent." Upon the vote, the motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria p3 Le Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear ayre_ Tr. Marcus aave Tr. Thill aae Tr. Toth acre 12. Trustee Gomberg wished everyone happy holidays and a happy new year. C. Trustee Grear: Trustee Grear said he had no formal report, but commended Trustee Gomberg on doing a great job going through all of the ordinances and resolutions under his report this evening. He wished happy holidays to the Village staff, who have been so helpful to him, and to the residents. Trustee Grear thanked the residents too for having faith in this Village Board, D. Trustee Marcus: 1 Trustee Marcus presented for a first reading Ordinance 10 -25, Amending Title 7, Chapter 6, Sections 12 and 13, Entitled "Pollution Control Facility" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove. He explained that the Village, like other communities in the area, has received inquiries regarding allowing pollution control facilities to be located within the corporate limits. A pollution control facility is any site that stores waste, transfer stations, waste treatment facilities with incinerators, or sanitary landfills. In order to be proactive, Village staff has prepared an amendment to the Village Code which will establish regulations consistent with the Environmental Protection Act of Illinois to codify a procedure for an applicant wishing to obtain permission from the Village of Morton Grove to locate and operate a pollution control facility. The ordinance also sets forth requirements for any applicant to escrow funds with the Village to cover the Village's entire cost for reviewing applications and conducting hearings to determine the Village's approval siting for such facilities. There was no further discussion on Ordinance 10 -25. 2. Trustee Marcus wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 12 Minutes of December 13, 2010 Board Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) E. Trustee Thill 1. Trustee Thill presented Resolution 10 -82, Appropriation of 2011 Motor Fuel Tax Funds for the Maintenance of Streets and Highways —MFT Section 11- 0000 -000M. He explained that, each year, the Village receives a portion of the motor fuel tax collected by the State. These funds must be spent on eligible improvements of roadways. The State requires an estimated final statement of the maintenance expense for each year of the program, The total estimated expenses for the 2011 Motor Fuel Tax Program acre $635,500. Trustee Thill moved to approve Resolution 10 -82, seconded by Trustee Toth. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aave, Tr. Gomberg aae Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus ave Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye 2. Next, Trustee Thill presented Resolution 10 -83, Authorizing the Execution of a Service Contract with Municipal GIS Partners (MGP) for Geographical Information System Services. He explained that the GIS Consortium was founded in 1999 by several municipalities as a way of reducing the costs of implementing GIS technology by participating in collective bargaining, group training, joint purchasing, and development and innovation sharing. The Village of Morton Grove joined the consortium in 2002. MGP was determined to be the lowest responsible provider for the maintenance and development of GIS systems for the member communities. T his contract between the Village and MGP, in an amount not to exceed $53,110, is a continuation of these services for 2011. Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Marcus, to approve Resolution 10 -83. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear afire Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth gyre F. Trustee Toth: Trustee Toth introduced for a first reading Ordinance 10 -26, Granting a Special Use Permit for an Automobile Service Station Mini -Mart at 6005 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, Illinois. She explained that this is pursuant to the Plan Commission Case 10 -03 reported out earlier this evening. Because there is only one Board Meeting in December, the applicant has requested that a second reading of this Ordinance be waived. Accordingly, Trustee Toth moved to waive the second reading, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg awe Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye 13 Minutes of December 13 2010 Hoard Meeting X. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) F. Trustee Toth: (continued) Trustee Toth then moved to adopt Ordinance 10 -26, seconded by Trustee DiMaria. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria afire Tr. Gomberg aae Tr. Grear afire Tr. Marcus afire Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth afire X. OTHER BUSINESS NONE XI. WARRANTS Trustee Gomberg presented the Warrant Register for December 13 2010 in the amount of $1,727,301.53. He moved to accept the Warrants, seconded by Trustee Marcus. a. Trustee Thill had a question about a check for $11,000 listed on page 2 of the Warrants as a payment to Bond Drug Company of Illinois. Mr. Horne said that was a payment pursuant to the revenue - sharing agreement the Village has with Waigreens. b. Trustee Thill also had a question about a payment of $159,000 to School District 67 and a payment of $86,000 to School District 70, Mr. Horne said those payments are pursuant to revenue- sharing agreements the Village has with both School Districts because each is in a Tax Financing increment (TIF) District. School District 67 is in Waukegan Road TIF District and School District 70 is in the Lehigh- Ferris TIF District. The Village is giving a portion of the tax increment to each of the school districts. Trustee Marcus asked how much was allocated to each school district. Mr. Horne replied that it was about $500,000 to each. c. Responding to an earlier comment, Mr. Horne noted that the Waukegan Road TIF District's main purpose was to change the character of the area. Money that was spent on land pur- chases for site assembly requires debt service payments of approximately $800,000 annually, which is one reason not to "close" the Waukegan Road TIF early. Because this TIF District was not economically viable early on, the General Fund covered some of the debt service payments. Technically, the Waukegan Road TIF Fund `owes" the General Fund about $1.5 million. XI{. There being no further discussion on the Warrants, Mayor Staackmann called for the vote. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. DiMaria awe Tr. Gomberg aae Tr. Grear aye Tr. Marcus afire Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye RESIDENTS' COMMENTS a. Bill Lukshaw. Mr. Lukshaw noted that the form that must be submitted prior to a resident ad- dressing the Board includes "Please limit your comments to 4 minutes" and "Please indicate which agenda item you wish to speak on." He wondered if a resident wanted to speak on mul- tiple items, would they need to fill out multiple forms. 14 Minutes of December 13, 2010 Board Meetin 'i X1 1. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) Mayor Staackmann noted that he had already answered Mr. Lukshaw's questions prior to the start of tonight's meeting. Mr. Lukshaw said he felt this form was "over the top" for a Village of this size, and felt that it was a "slippery slope" regarding peoples' freedom of speech rights. Regarding the new senior housing project, Mr. Lukshaw noted that the Village was giving the developer at least $2 million. He said he could understand promoting this type of develop- ment, but why was the Village providing that much money? Trustee DiMaria asked Mr. Lukshaw if he was familiar with TIF laws. He responded yes. Trustee DiMaria said that Mr. Lukshaw must then be aware that that money is coming out of the Lehigh- Ferris TIF Fund and, as the law states, must be spent within the Lehigh- Ferris TIF area. Mr. Lukshaw said, it seemed that, if the Board is trying to have a balanced budget and keep costs low, how much money should it be spending on projects like this? Trustee DiMaria said, in this case, about $1.6 or $1.7 million. Trustee Thill asked Mr. Lukshaw if he had ever spoken in front of the Cook County Board. He said that, to do so, a person must give 3 days' advance notice and must provide 17 copies of what they're planning to say. b. Gil Peters. Mr. Peters said he wanted to add some "common sense" to some of the online discussions that had occurred after last week's "Truth in Taxation" public hearing. At that hearing, he learned that the Village is asking for a 3.5% tax levy increase in order to gain an extra $337,000 in revenue and the Library is asking for an extra $437,000 in revenue. The Library Director claimed that the library's requested increase would impact homeowners by about $4 per household. Mr. Peters said it's more like $60 per household. He felt that, what's getting 'lost here is the cost of replacement versus the cost of building new. Is it more economical to buy a new house, or to replace a furnace or a roof? Obviously, to replace. Mr. Peters said that a statement was made by a resident at the public hearing to the effect that people who pay rent (rather than a mortgage) get to use the library "for free ". He said that their rent includes a portion of the property taxes, so, no, they aren't getting to use the library for free. Staff is the highest cost of any budget — generally 75 % -80% of a budget. A new larger library would need a larger staff, which would cost residents even more. Mr. Peters concluded, if $60 bothers you now, just wait for the impact a new library building will have. c. Cathy Peters. Mrs. Peters wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. She wanted to address the people who are claiming that those who are against spending $30 million on a new library building are "anti- library ". She said that couldn't be further from the truth. There is no anti - library faction. She and fellow candidates for the Library Board (Paul Berg, Mark Albers, and David Calimag) are running for the library board because they are pro - library. They believe that the current high standards the Library provides can be continued in the current building with the current (2010) level of staffing. They also believe that the current holdings should be culled to reflect current demand of printed materials and the rapid shift to electronic media. They believe in repurposing the building to improve computer access and in making modifications that could have been made long ago for complete handicapped access. They believe that the library should not be its own little fiefdom, and that it should be sensitive to the current economic climate and to the people it serves. 15 Minutes of December 13, 2010 Board MedM ' XI I. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) Mrs. Peters added that the library is meant to be a service to the people of Morton Grove, not a burden. The library should share in the same belt- tightening and cost - cutting measures that the rest of the community is doing. The library is asking for an extra $437,000, while the Village, which provides vital public health and safety services, is only asking for $337,000. Mrs. Peters said, "This is unacceptable." In a time when the village has done everything it can to run "lean and mean ", the Library Board seems to turn around and grant the entire "wish list" of the Library Director. She also pointed out that there was an across - the -board increase for library staff salaries. Mrs. Peters encouraged residents who are dismayed by the runaway spending of the Library Board to speak with her or candidates Berg, Albers, or Calimag. d. Mark Albers. Mr. Albers said that, like many other residents, he was appalled at the library's increase and was surprised that no one from the library was present this evening to discuss it further. He said he's heard that a small contingent believe that the only library suitable for Morton Grove would be a vast new building. They also believe that the current building is not suitable for patrons with special needs. He said that, if the library building were not ADA- compliant, it was unlikely that it would be open today. If there are improvements that need to be made to make it more accessible, he wondered why residents are only hearing about them now, in context of the discussion of the need for a new building. Mr. Albers wondered why the Library Board, the stewards of our tax money, haven't done anything to address this. He said that he was considering circulating a petition to Morton Grove residents regarding a new library building, asking them to provide feedback on this issue. Xlll. ADJOURNMENT /EXECUTIVE SESSION Trustee Gomberg moved to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss personnel matters, labor negotiations, pending litigation, and real estate. Trustee Thill seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m. in PASSED this 10th day of January, 2011. Trustee DiMaria Trustee Gomberg Trustee Grear Trustee Marcus Trustee Thill Trustee Toth APPf QVED lVy /me/ftis�,10th day of January, 2011. Daniel J. Ptaackmann, Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois 11thpay of January, 2011. Tony S. Kaloger&Kos, Village Clerk Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois Minutes of December 13 2610 Board Meetingl Minutes by: Teresa Cousar 17