HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-01-28 Board Minutes MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE PRESIDENT
AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF MORTON GROVE
COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, HELD AT THE
RICHARD T. FLICKINGER MUNICIPAL CENTER
JANUARY 28, 2013
CALL TO ORDER
& Village President Dan Staackmann called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and led the
II. assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. He then directed the Clerk to call the roll.
III. Village Clerk Tony Kalogerakos called the roll. Present were: Trustees Dan DiMaria, Larry
Gomberg, Bill Grear, Shel Marcus, John Thill, and Maria Toth.
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Regarding the Minutes of the January 14, 2013 Regular Board Meeting, Trustee DiMaria
moved, seconded by Trustee Toth, to accept the Minutes as presented. Motion passed
unanimously via voice vote; Trustee Marcus abstained.
V. SPECIAL REPORTS
Presentation of a Commemorative Bell to School District 70
a. Mayor Staackmann said that schools were first organized in the Morton Grove area in 1860.
The first school house in Morton Grove was at Waukegan and Beckwith. The first school
building in School District 70 was built in 1897 at Capulina Avenue and School Street. That
was Grove School, and the building has served as the Village Hall and Police Station since
1980.
b. The school principal, Edith Ordway, rang the bell for classes to begin in the morning, at
recess, and when school was over for the day. She gave the bell to Mrs. Frieda Sonne after
the last of Mrs. Sonne's eight children graduated from Grove School. The Sonne family has
lived in Morton Grove since the 1870's and has made many contributions to the community.
The last of Mrs. Sonne's children graduated in 1915. The bell was inherited by Ernst Sonne,
one of Frieda's sons. He had told Mayor Staackmann that his mother had always intended
the bell to be given to the Historical Society. and the mayor had said to him that perhaps
District 70 would like to have it, especially since they still use the bell on their letterhead.
Ernst agreed it would be a good idea for the school to have it, but before he could donate the
bell back to District 70, he passed away. The bell was packed up and shipped to his daughter
in California. Emst's son Bill got in touch with his sister and got the bell shipped to Morton
Grove. It is now being donated back to School District 70 on behalf of the Sonne family.
c. School Board President Tony Hofeld thanked Mayor Staackmann and Bill Sonne. He said he
appreciated the mayor's work anc persistence in getting the bell back to District 70.
Minutes of Janua 28,2013 Board Meetin•
V. SPECIAL REPORTS (continued)
d. Mr. Hofeld introduced the current principal, Sue Wing, and the district superintendent, Phil
Collins, and other members of the school board in attendance.
e. Mr. Sonne thanked Mayor Staackmann for his time and efforts in getting the bell back to
where his dad wanted it.
VI. PUBLIC HEARINGS
NONE
VII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only)
NONE
VIII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT
1. Mayor Staackmann sought concurrence of the Board with his reappointment of Glen Hacker to
the Police Pension Fund Board. Trustee Thill so moved, seconded by Trustee Marcus.
Motion passed unanimously via voice vote.
2. Mayor Staackmann thanked Public Works Director Andy DeMonte and his crews for dealing
so efficiently with the ice storm we had recently.
IX. CLERK'S REPORT
Clerk Kalogerakos had no formal report, but announced that the Farmers' Market "Winter
Market"would be held on Saturday. February 3, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Civic
Center. He urged everyone to come out, see the vendors. and have a great time!
X. STAFF REPORTS
A. Village Administrator:
1. Village Administrator Ryan Home said, regarding Ordinance 12-37, which had been
scheduled for a second reading at the last Board meeting and had been tabled until the
next Board meeting, that staff was recommending the ordinance be tabled until the Board's
April 8, 2013 meeting. Further discussions between businesses and staff and the Appearance
Commission and staff, warrant this recommendation.
Trustee Toth moved to table the second reading of Ordinance 12-37 to April 8, 2013. Trustee
Thill seconded the motion. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye
Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth ave
Minutes of January 28,2013 Board Meetin.
X. STAFF REPORTS (continued)
2. Morton Grove Social Services:
a. Next, Mr. Home gave a brief presentation on the clinical social services at the Senior Center,
which are currently offered under a short-term. monthly service contract with the North Shore
Senior Center(NSSC). Mr. Home said he wanted it to be clear to the residents that there are
still social services being offered at the Civic Center. North Shore Senior Center is able to
offer these services in addition to the lifelong learning programs happening at the Civic
Center.
b. The social services NSSC provides include a support group for family members taking care
of loved ones; on-site assistance by trained staff with Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program applications, and help for Medicare beneficiaries by Senior Health Insurance
Program counselors. There is a professional staff, led by Social Services Manager Mary Senn.
a licensed clinical social worker. Social services and support are provided to families and
others who have social services needs; most services are provided free of charge. Residents
are welcome to call the central Social Services Office at 847-663-3072 to obtain additional
information or to make an appointment to meet with staff.
c. Mr. Home said the Board is tasked with reviewing NSSC's proposal and choosing one of
three tiers of service. Tier 1 addresses social service needs, referrals, case coordination,
counseling, crisis management, managing the emergency financial assistance program (for
the Village and the Salvation Army): also benefits check-ups, applications for Medicaid,
nutritional programs, coordination of health screenings, the Morton Grove "Chore" Program,
wellness clubs and wellness programs in other languages.
d. Tier 2 provides all of the Tier 1 services, and adds more community education and outreach.
Presentations would be made to various Village Departments (by invitation) on topics such as
hoarding, dealing with residents with mental health issues, and housing options. Presentations
could also be made to various local organizations, such as the Lions Club or local houses of
worship.
e. Tier 3 offers the services included in Tiers 1 and 2 and adds an element of collaboration,
meaning, having a representative serve on the Village's Advisory Commission on Aging;
coordinating services with Turning Point, Niles Township, and the Salvation Army; and
participating in networking and service groups, such as the Niles Township Interagency
Network and the Senior Providers Exchange.
f By offering expanded social services, the Village is increasing services and reducing the cost
of providing those services. This is more effective and more efficient.
g. Mr. Home then introduced Mary Senn and Liz Gordon from NSSC to answer any questions
from the Board.
h. Trustee Thill said that he and Trustee Toth had visited the NSSC offices in Evanston and
came away very impressed. He asked Ms. Gordon a number of questions about NSSC. which
she answered. The Board learned that NSSC's services have resulted in 98% of the seniors
they serve being able to stay in their homes, and that NSSC is one of the largest of this type of
organization in the State.
Minutes of Janua 28,2013 Board Meeting
X. STAFF REPORTS (continued)
i. Trustee Marcus admitted that he was concerned when the Village began considering this
move, because he wanted to ensure that services were maintained and hopefully expanded.
After reading everything, and meeting the NSSC representations, he said he feels confident
that residents will be services well. He added that some of the services, especially in various
languages, will be very helpful to the Police and Fire Departments.
j. Trustee Thill said he had some brochures about the NSSC's social services if any members of
the assemblage were interested.
k. Trustee DiMaria asked if the social worker was available for all ages. Ms. Senn said yes. He
said he was just curious why the Board hadn't been presented with this information earlier,
versus after the fact. He said the change happened over the holiday break. and no one knew
about it. He said it would have been better if this had been presented earlier. Trustee DiMaria
said he believed that NSSC was the best company to provide these services. but didn't really
know, as he had not seen any comparable bids or tier structures. He said he felt uninformed
and wished there was some comparisons that could be made.
Trustee Marcus said, in response to Trustee DiMaria's comment about lack of comparables,
that NSSC is a unique entity. There are simply not a lot of places out there providing the range
of services the Village was looking for. He thanked Mr. Home for doing the research. Trustee
Marcus said he has heard only positive things about the North Shore Senior Center. He said
he was very pleased and felt that the residents would be. too.
m. Trustee Grear said he was elected to represent the residents and he, too, didn't know
anything about this. He said he was disappointed and insulted.
it Mayor Staackmann asked Mr. Home to prepare a timeline and a history of the discussions
on this matter. He said he realized that, since this is basically a personnel issue, much of the
information would likely be covered under Executive Session.
B. Corporation Counsel:
Corporation Counsel Liston had no report.
Xl. TRUSTEES' REPORTS
A. Trustee DiMaria:
Trustee DiMaria had no report.
B. Trustee Gomberq:
1. Trustee Gomberg presented Resolution 13-05, Authorizing a Contractual Agreement With
CDW-G to Provide for the Renewal of a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement for Microsoft
Software Licensing for Operating and Productivity Software for All Village Desktop
Computers.
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Minutes of January 28,2013 Board Meeting
XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
B. Trustee Gomberq: (continued)
a. Trustee Gomberg explained that the Village is required to maintain licensing for the software it
uses in its daily operations. The operating system, individual applications. and connectivity to
servers all maintain their own licensing scheme. The Enterprise Agreement renewal includes
an annual maintenance support cost for updates and upgrades as well as license cost.
This type of agreement licenses the enterprise as an entire fleet versus individual purchases,
resulting in lower platform costs, distributed payments. anniversary period renewals, and soft-
ware upgrade assurances. The 2013 licensing and software maintenance cost is $16,202.49.
Trustee Gomberg moved to approve Resolution 13-05, seconded by Trustee DiMaria.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear eye
Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye
2. Trustee Gomberg then offered his condolences to Mark Albers. the Library Board President,
on the passing of his mother, and also noted that Jack Malloy, a long-time member of the
Advisory Commission on Aging, had recently passed away. He expressed his sympathies to
the family of Jack Malloy.
C. Trustee Grear:
Trustee Grear had no formal report. He apologized to the Board for his earlier remarks.
D. Trustee Marcus:
1. Trustee Marus presented Resolution 13-02, Supplemental Appropriation of Motor Fuel
Tax Funds for the Maintenance of Streets and Highways.
He explained that the Village needed to make a supplemental appropriation of its motor fuel
tax (MFT) funds in order to close programs for 2008, 2009, and 2011, as required by the State
of Illinois. He added that these supplemental appropriations are a technical requirement of the
State and part of their accounting procedure. The Village's accounting procedures have
already accounted for these MFT expenditures as part of the MFT fund, so there is no
additional fiscal impact imposed on the Village by these appropriations.
Trustee Marcus moved to approve Resolution 13-02, seconded by Trustee Thill.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear afire
Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill eye Tr. Toth afire
2. Next, Trustee Marcus announced that. on Thursday. January 31, at 6:30 p.m. in the Civic
Center, there will be a program oy the Cook County Board of Review on now residents can
appeal their property tax assessment. Residents have until February 5. 2013 to appeal.
Minutes of January 28,2013 Board Meeting
XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
D. Trustee Marcus: (continued)
Trustee Marcus noted that this program is being co-sponsored by State Rep. Lou Lang and
Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin.
3. Trustee Marcus extended his personal condolences to Trustee Grear and his family on the
loss of his brother.
E. Trustee Thill:
1. Trustee Thill presented Ordinance 13-01, Amending the Village of Morton Grove Unified
Development Code Sections 124-3D and 12-17-1 to Modify Allowable Commercial Uses
in the C-1, C-2, and C/R Districts and Update Selected Commercial Definitions.
This is the second reading of this ordinance.
Trustee Thill moved, seconded by Trustee Toth, to adopt Ordinance 13-01.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg afire Tr. Grear aye
Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aye
2. Trustee Thill thanked Public Works Director DeMonte for the salt trucks.
F. Trustee Toth:
1. Trustee Toth presented Resolution 13-04, Authorizing a Consulting Services Agreement
Between the Village of Morton Grove and Administrative ConsultingSpecialists, LLC.
a. She explained that this would extend the current contract with Administrative Consulting
Specialists to include additional grant writing and representing the Village in Springfield.
b. In order to provide proposals for developments and submissions on potential funding
opportunities, the Village has been using the services of Administrative Consulting Specialists.
Their services have helped the Village establish itself as a viable candidate for future grant
opportunities. This contract will allow ACS to attend required monthly meetings; prepare
monthly, quarterly, and annual reports on behalf of the Village. as well as be available to all
Village departments either by phone or email. This contract will run from January 1, 2013 to
December 31, 2013, at a cost of$25.000 per year.
c. Trustee Toth noted that the Village received approximately $65,000 in 2011 and 2012. plus an
additional $125,000 for the "Safe Routes to Schools" program. Funding for that is anticipated
to arrive from the State in 2013.
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Minutes of January 28,2013 Board Meetin•
XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued)
F. Trustee Toth: (continued)
Trustee Toth moved to approve Resolution 13-04, seconded by Trustee Thill.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
Tr. DiMaria ave Tr. Gomberg afire Tr. Grear ave
Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill afire Tr. Toth ave
2. Trustee Toth noted that the Advisory Commission on Aging would again be co-sponsoring
presentations of community interest. The next one is "Understanding Memory Changes." It will
be held on February 12, 2013 from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Civic Center.
3. Trustee Toth said that there are currently openings on the Advisory Commission on Aging.
Any resident interested should send his/her resume to Village Hall to the mayor's attention.
XII. OTHER BUSINESS
NONE
XIII. WARRANTS
Trustee Toth presented the Warrants for January 28, 2013 in the amount of$532,907.58. She
moved to approve the Warrants, seconded by Trustee Thill.
There was no discussion on the Warrants. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstain.
Tr. DiMaria abstain Tr. Gomberg ave Tr. Grear aye
Tr. Marcus afire Tr. Thill ave Tr. Toth aye
XIV. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS
a. James Rosen, from the 5900 block of Cleveland, said he was present tonight because of
the Lake Shore Waste merger. He wanted to let the Board know that the group "Citizens to
Stop the Waste Transfer Station" would oppose Lake Shore's use of its land for anything but
what it is currently being used for. If a recycling center is proposed, the group will oppose it for
a number of reasons, including noise, vermin, mosquitoes, etc. and diminishment of property
values in the area. He said that a quick buck might seem good in the short-term. but in the
long-term scheme of things, it would certainly be detrimental.
b. Larry Strybel, former member of the Police and Fire Commission, recalled that, some years
ago, the police had some concerns about not being able to see into retail storefronts because
of signage in the windows. Mr. Strybel said that he now sees stores with signage covering al-
most the entire window. He said it appeared to him that the new sign code has no restrictions
in terms of coverage, and asked the Board to please consider the amount of signage in win-
dows as they revise the sign code.
Minutes of Janua 28,2013 Board Meetin•
XIV. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued)
�-- Mr. Strybel noted that he has been in business in Morton Grove for over 24 years in a plaza
which has, in recent years, been very unsettled. He said he has had four landlords in 12
years. Many times he was the only tenant in the plaza. Things are improving there now.
Mr. Strybel said that he had gone to the Economic Development Commission to request a list
of vacancies and landlord phone numbers and rents. He said he was given a list, reluctantly,
and the information included was about two years old. He found that quite disappointing, es-
pecially since he had asked the same question in Niles and in Skokie and received the infor-
mation right away. He said he was impressed with that, but not with Morton Grove's economic
development people. Mr. Strybel said he thought the Board would be interested in hearing
this so they could address the problem. He also added that, in 24 years, he has seen a lot of
mayors and trustees, but not one has ever stopped by and asked him how he was doing or if
he needed anything to help make business better.
Mr. Strybel said he's not convinced that "enough" is being done to get the Village going in the
right direction.
Trustee Thill complimented Mr. Strybel for"keeping that plaza alive."
XV. ADJOURNMENT/EXECUTIVE SESSION
Trustee DiMaria moved to adjourn the Meeting. Trustee Thill seconded the motion.
Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays.
... Tr. DiMaria aye Tr. Gomberg aye Tr. Grear aye
Tr. Marcus aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Toth aerie
The meeting adjourned at 7:54 p.m.
e
Minutes of Janua 28,2013 Board Meeting
PASSED this 11th day of February, 2013.
Trustee DiMaria
Trustee Gomberg f
Trustee Grear
Trustee Marcus
Trustee Thill C"
Trustee Toth pl/
APPROVED by me thi- 11th day of February, 2013.
Ci ,
Daniel J. Staackm; n,Village President
Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois
APPROVED and FILED in my office this 12th day of February, 2013.
Tony S.-Kalogerakos, Village Clerk
Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois
Minutes by Teresa Couser
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