Do you want to know more about what issues
the Village Board of Alsip is facing, discussing and voting on?
Committee meetings are held the second and fourth Mondays of the
month. Items to be placed on the agenda for the board meeting are discussed.
Board meetings are held the first and third Mondays
of the month. Voting is done at board meetings.
All meetings
include the opportunity
for audience participation which takes place near the end of the
meeting. Both committee and board meetings are held at 7:30pm at
the Alsip Village
Hall, 4500 W. 123rd Street, Alsip, Illinois.
All residents are invited to attend Village meetings and see "first-hand"
how their elected officials are dealing with the day to day operations
of our village as well as the many issues and challenges they face.
Look to this section of the
UPAA site for highlights from Village meetings. (Current listings
will resume after Summer 2007.)
Automated Traffic Control Enforcement System Tabled for Further
Discussion
April 16, 2007
The Board Meeting was called to order at
7:32 PM with all members present.
Mayor Kitching began the meeting by asking
for a moment of silence to honor those who had been killed in
the Virginia Tech shootings.
The board and audience members remained silent until the
Mayor spoke again. He then re-announced his invitation from
the previous
Committee Meeting to attend a memorial service on Sunday,
May 27, 2007 at 11:00 AM at the VFW Hall on Veterans Way. He
said to please
come as it will be a “nice” event and have several “surprises”.
Next, Clerk Venhuizen began her report
by indicating that she had many bids to open. There were 4
bids for the
Springfield/Hamlin Avenue pavement patching and they
ranged in cost from $120,912.50
to $161,750.00. These pavement bids were referred
to committee for review.
Next, the Clerk read 7 bids for
landscape maintenance
of the Village Hall, Heritages I and II, the 2
Fire Stations and
the Pumping Station. These bids ranged from $69,875.00
to $110,000.00 per year and were referred to committee
for review, as well.
Lastly,
the Clerk reported that the Motor Fuel Tax Allotment
for March was $47,146.04 and that the Motor Fuel
Tax Maintenance
Resolution
for the 2007 resurfacing program was $475,000.00.
Then
the Trustees re-presented the items discussed at the previous
Committee Meeting which were
all listed on the
Board Meeting Consent
Agenda (see UP Highlights for 4/9/07 for a
detailed list). Some additional discussion and figures
were presented as
follows:
Under Finance, Trustee Graczyk reported
that the list of Village bills totaled $1,264,513.51.
Under
Police, Trustee Shapiro reported a request to approve
entering into an agreement
with Redflex Traffic Systems
to install an automated
traffic control enforcement system
and “related
services as well as approval of an
ordinance regarding automated traffic
control enforcement within the Village
of Alsip and administrative adjudication
for automated traffic control violations”.
Trustee Quinn asked if this item could
be tabled for further review of
its parameters and use, as the contract
was just given to Trustees this week.
He asked for further discussion at
the next Committee
Meeting and asked that the item be
removed from the consent agenda. Trustee
Shapiro
noted to the board that a different
automated traffic
control system by Redspeed of Illinois
was looked at but would require “too
much Village resources”.
Under
Planning & Zoning, Trustee Quinn
presented a request for a re-subdivision
for property located at 11854 South
Lawler
Avenue and indicated that a copy
of the plated survey, including easements
in the back, was provided. He then
indicated that a request
for an I2 Special Use Permit for
property
located at 12735 South Pulaski had
not provided further information
and requested that
this item be removed from the consent
agenda.
Under Village Property ( a
Special Committee), Trustee Castaldo
indicated
that he would
like to hold the
authorization to transfer
Chuck Morgan from the Boat Launch
to the Village Hall cleaning staff
because
the employee
indicated
he was having “family
problems”. Trustee Godfrey
asked if Mr. Morgan was going to
be working at the Boat Launch and
Trustee Castaldo responded
that he did no know. The items discussed above that
were requested to be removed from
the
consent agenda were
taken off
and the amended
consent agenda
was passed by a unanimous roll
call vote, after the Clerk read
the necessary
figures
and resolution
numbers
into
the agenda. After
a very brief discussion of each
item removed (the automated traffic
system
and ordinance,
the I2
permit request, and
the employee transfer),
the Trustees voted unanimously
for each one to be tabled.
Under
Unfinished Business Clerk Venhuizen reminded the board
that the next
meeting would be held
4/30/07 as there
are 5 Mondays in
April.
There was no New Business
and no audience participation. The
meeting
was adjourned
at 8:04 PM.
Board Considering Automated Enforcement System
for High Accident Intersections
April 9, 2007
The Committee Meeting was called to
order at 7:32 PM with the usual roll call and Pledge of Allegiance.
All
Trustees
and the
Mayor were present.
Mayor Kitching reported that there will
be a ceremony at the VFW on Old Cicero Ave. to be held Sunday,
May 27, 2007 at 11:00
AM
to dedicate a memorial for Veterans who have served in the current
war. Veteran Tammy Duckworth is to attend and there will be other “surprises”.
Next,
Clerk Venhuizen stated that she would be reporting the Motor
Fuel Tax Allotment and the Motor Fuel Tax Resolution for the
road
program. She also reported that there would be bid openings 4/16/07
for Springfield/Hamlin Ave. pavement patching and for landscape
maintenance for Village properties. She noted that the last day
for early voting is 4/12/07 and had given Trustees copies of the
Village Board meetings for 2007/2008.
Trustee Quinn noted that the meeting scheduled for 1/7/08 combined
the Committee and Board meetings and questioned how the board could
vote when an agenda isn’t passed first. He added that the
Village attorney has instructed the board that items cannot be
voted on if they are not posted on the agenda for the legal time
required before voting takes place. Clerk Venhuizen responded that
items for the agenda would be due the Wednesday before the meeting
and noted that current items are often “discussed twice” before
being voted upon. Trustee Quinn indicated that “new things
can’t be added” but he supposed it could certainly
be tried for one meeting. Clerk Venhuizen restated that “data” would
have to be provided the week before and noted that “many
other villages combine these meetings”.
Then, Trustees presented
items from their Standing and Special Committees which they wanted
placed on the agenda for the next
Board Meeting.
Under Finance, Trustee Graczyk indicated he would
have the list of bills dated 4/9/07 and a Transfer Tax
Refund of $437.50 for
a resident who sold her Alsip condo and moved to an Alsip
home on Emerald Way.
Under Fire, Trustee Collins reported
two requests: one for incentive pay totaling $23,754.14
(for 5/1/06 to 4/30/07) and holiday pay
totaling $19,702.56 (for 5/1/06 to 4/30/07). He also had a letter
of thanks.
Under Police, Trustee Shapiro requested authorization
for an automated enforcement system, including an ordinance
for such a system and
had a representative from Redflex speak to the board about its
services.
The representative indicated
that its enforcement technology is used in 18 states
nationwide and operates 800 cameras.
Chicago
has seen a 50% decrease in intersection accidents where Redflex
systems are used. He described the program as having “no
cost to the village”. Cameras are installed at approved
Village intersections. The camera is turned on when the light
turns red,
takes 3 still images and a 12 second video. The police review
the images and decide if a ticket should be issued which is then
done
by Redflex. The only cost to the Village would be the time used
in a “contested ticket”. Trustee Shapiro asked if
they were planning to use this at 127th Street and Cicero. The
representative
responded that they would do a check in town for the most dangerous
intersections. Trustee Godfrey reported that he has seen the
digital images from this system and found them very clear and
asked if
Redflex “does the paperwork”. The representative
stated that it is all web based. Trustee Quinn asked if the Village
keeps
the records or if they go to the state as well. Police Chief
Troy responded that the Village keeps the records and it is not
considered
a moving violation nor does it appear on the driver’s “record”.
Mayor Kitching added that this kind of program is not without
flaws and noted that it can increase “rear-end collisions”.
The representative responded that some research shows collisions
are not increased. Trustee Castaldo questioned as to whether
the program truly is “no cost” to the Village. The
representative responded that it is a neutral cost to the Village
with Redflex
receiving $5,000 a month, which is about two tickets per day.
Trustee Castaldo asked if they had such a system for stop signs
and was
told that California is starting such a program. The Mayor asked
if a contract was sent to the Village attorney. Chief Troy noted
that paperwork has been sent Trustee Quinn asked that the board
receive a copy of the contract. Mayor Kitching asked that the
Chief provide a copy to all board members. Then Trustee Godfrey
asked “how
much lead time” the company would require and the representative
said it usually takes 60-90 days. Mayor Kitching asked if for
non-IDOT intersections, would they be seeking permits from the
Village to
which the representative said yes. Mayor Kitching noted, “I
like permits”. Finally, Trustee Castaldo asked if the camera
could be used for other purposes in the police department and
Trustee Collins asked how the system works with intersections
that allow
right turn on red. The representative responded that the camera
does allow for real time, live stream access and that intersections
with right turn allowances are programmed per the Village’s
request.
Further, under Police, Trustee Shapiro reported a request
for a block party permit with a live band on 7/21/07 on Lockwood
Avenue;
a request for the Alsip Little League opening day parade on 4/29/07;
a request for $755 to send Bill Tellano to the Illinois Fire
and Police Commissioner Spring seminar ($105 of which
is a lodging
allowance); and had a letter of thanks.
Under Public Works, Trustee
Castaldo reported he would have the March report and requested
the purchase of a new compressor not
to exceed $13,660 (the lower of two bids that met the specs)
to replace the old 1979 compressor which will be sold at
a municipal
auction.
Under Licenses, Trustee Godfrey reported he would have
the list of licenses dated 4/7/07.
Under Planning & Zoning,
Trustee Quinn presented two requests: one by Richard Brouwer
for a re-subdivision at 11854 South Lawler
and the other from George Wedster Jr. for an I2 special use permit
at 12735 South Pulaski for used auto sales. Mayor Kitching noted
that this was a car repair business and suggested that it be stipulated
to limit used sales to 2-4 cars rather than another large used
car lot. Trustee Quinn reported that Planning and Zoning Commission
did not have such a stipulation listed.
Under Village Property,
Trustee Castaldo requested approval to advertise for bids
for windows and doors at the Heritage I complex
and requested the transfer of Chuck Morgan from the Boat Launch
to the Village Hall to fill a cleaning staff position.
Under Insurance,
Trustee Collins introduced Tom English from Boyle, Flagg & Seaman, Inc., who reviewed the Village’s insurance
needs. He suggested renewing Property & Causality with Scottsdale
Insurance Company and re-writing the Fire Department Emergency
Service Insurance Program with Arch Insurance Company. He also
suggested renewing the Life & Health self insurance program
and replacing TPA (Assure Care) with Allied.
There was no old or
new business presented, but two audience members spoke to the
board.
The first reported that at 119th
and Keeler cars keep speeding through the stop signs. Mayor
Kitching asked
Police Chief Troy to put this intersection on the list to be
watched and the Chief responded, “Certainly.”
Then
a different audience member asked if Redflex (the automated
enforcement company)
would get $5,000 per camera. Chief Troy responded that it
is $5,000 per location but at no point would the Village
owe
money. Trustee
Quinn noted that Redflex is betting with current traffic
patterns that there will be more than 2 tickets per day issued.
New Computer Server for Village Hall and Police
Passed 5-1, Police Technical Services Supervisor Hired and Residents
Near O’Flaherty Development Request Emergency Street Lighting
April 2, 2007
The Board Meeting was called to order at 7:32 PM. The roll call
was taken (all Trustees, Mayor and Village attorney were present)
and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Mayor Kitching reported, as requested by Trustee
Quinn at the last Committee Meeting, that all Trustees received
a list of the members of the Economic Development Committee.
He recited the following names as members: Tom Collins (Trustee),
Henry Flock (business owner), Rocky Golumb (commissioner Planning & Zoning),
Joe Schmitt (Deputy Fire Chief), Phyllis Miceli (business owner)
and Mike Spongeberg (Village Building Inspector). The Mayor noted
that the Village has received $200,000 in permit fees from development
such as White Castle, Quarry Plaza, Doralco, Quality Food, 3
townhouse developments and “others”. (The “others” were
not specified.) He thanked the members of this committee for
their hard work.
Next, Clerk Venhuizen stated that she was
working on the meeting schedule for 2007-2008 and would like
input regarding 12/31/07. She also noted that some villages are
going to 2 meetings a month by combining the Committee and Board
together.
The Village attorney said that he had no report,
but Trustee Quinn asked if he would present the outcome of the
billboard lawsuit. (This lawsuit was initiated by the previous
administration.) The attorney indicated that the Village won
and was to receive back $35,000, as well as having the previous
contract enforced in which the first ten years is $1,000 per
month and then the next ten years is $1,250 per month.
The Village engineer gave an update on the
road program that included the following: field work had begun
on Joalyce, bidding for Laramie at a later date, and Hamlin and
Springfield would go out for bid at the next meeting.
Next, the Trustees reiterated the items
discussed at the previous Committee Meeting which were listed
on the Consent Agenda (see UP Highlights 3/26/07 for a detailed
list). Some specifics and discussions that ensued, at this
Board Meeting, regarding these items are detailed below.
Under Finance, Trustee Graczyk stated
that the list of Village bills totaled $972,960.69. He
also reported the request to authorize the purchase of
a new server for the Village Hall and Police Department
at a cost not to exceed $22,000 with funds available in
the Police and Finance Department budgets. Trustee Quinn
asked for discussion on this item. Mayor Kitching said
that this item was discussed at the last meeting. Trustee
Quinn responded that a presentation was given but that
he questioned giving this company (Intelligent Solutions)
a second no-bid contract as it was awarded an emergency
$70,000 contract in the beginning of the year. Trustee
Quinn added that the Village ordinance requires bids for
purchases of $20,000 or more and noted that with hiring
a Technical Services Supervisor, it might be helpful to
have her input. He suggested that the board seek additional
proposals. Mayor Kitching asked the Police Chief to speak
about this issue. Chief Troy stated that the purchasing
was through a state contract. Trustee Quinn asked if he
had a breakdown of the costs for hardware, software, and
IT as the details of this purchase should be available
to board members. Chief Troy added that he and Firefighter
Ricker had worked very hard on this item. The Mayor reiterated
that “this is a state contract purchase” and
Trustee Quinn noted there is no mention on the request
of “who we are buying from”. Chief Troy noted
that $22,000 was the maximum allowed for this “phase” of
updating, for manpower and the system. Trustee Shapiro
stated that the Finance Committee (Trustee Collins and
Trustee Graczyk) received a breakdown from Intelligent
Solutions and then read a statement explaining the need
for this server as the current hardware is 7-10 years old
and the software lasts about 5 years. Trustee Quinn responded
that he is not disputing the need for the computer updates
but questioning the manner of “how we are paying
for it”. Deputy Police Chief Radz noted that the
hardware was being purchased through Dell and Intelligent
Solutions would implement it. He added that he felt the
discussion was an issue of “semantics” and
would retype the memo if needed. Trustee Quinn ended the
discussion by saying that he did not feel it is a matter
of semantics and suggested that the board get other proposals
to “see if we are getting the best deal”.
Under Police, Trustee Shapiro re-presented
the proposed annual salary ($63,300) ordinance for the
Technical Services Supervisor and asked those in attendance
to give a “warm Alsip welcome” to Maria Burke
who was hired for this new police department position.
Clapping followed this introduction. Trustee Shapiro also
read a letter of thanks to the Police Department for closing
a missing person’s file.
Under Planning & Zoning, Trustee
Quinn reported on the meeting he had with the developer
and residents regarding a re-subdivision at 12000 South
Hamlin Avenue. He asked the attorney if the item was tabled
for 30 days, if that would be a problem, noting that the
developer was agreeable to the delay. The attorney noted
that it could be done with board approval. Trustee Quinn
expressed concern with the street being too narrow for
a cul-de-sac and the need for safety vehicles to back out,
but added that the Fire Department is “okay” with
backing out.
Under the Boat Launch, Trustee Godfrey
noted that the “grand opening” for the season
was held, but that the weather did not allow for much business.
Next, Trustee Quinn requested 4 items
to be removed from the consent agenda and the amended consent
agenda was passed by a unanimous roll call vote.
The first item removed was the “Authorization
to purchase a new server for the Village Hall and Police
Department at a cost not to exceed $22,000”. Trustee
Castaldo asked if the words purchased through a state contract
could be added to the request. Trustee Castaldo made the
motion to add these words and Trustee Shapiro seconded
it. Trustee Quinn noted that it should be clarified that
the state purchase is for hardware. Chief Troy stated that
the hardware would not be 100% from the state since there
were “rack mounts” and “cables” that
would not be state contract purchases. Mayor Kitching then
asked Chief Troy, in the future, to provide a breakdown
of costs because “this is why we are having problems”.
A roll call vote was taken on the amended item and the
new server passed 5-1 with Trustee Quinn being the dissenting
vote.
The next item removed was authorization
for the Police & Fire Commission to promote the next
qualified candidate to Fire Lieutenant. Trustee Quinn asked
if they could have a brief executive session at the end
of this meeting for more information on this (personnel)
issue. The Mayor said that would be fine.
Then Trustee Quinn asked that the two
final items removed be tabled for 30 days. These items
were the re-subdivision on Hamlin (discussed above) and
the rezoning of this same property from farming to residential
(R1). Trustee Collins asked why these items should be tabled.
Trustee Quinn stated that there were still questions regarding
the cul-de-sac, that the Planning & Zoning stipulated
no parking on the north side of the street, that the residents
did not want the street to go through to Hamlin and that
there will likely be problems in the future with one side
of the street cut-off from parking. He concluded saying
that “we need to work this out”. Trustee Godfrey
asked why Trustee Quinn was including the zoning change
to be tabled. Trustee Quinn responded that it is “fairer
to the developer” to not pass this now as it will
affect his tax rate should the subdivision not be developed.
Trustee Godfrey asked if the developer wanted the house
on Hamlin. Trustee Quinn responded that he was not aware
of the developer asking for that house. Mayor Kitching
asked, “Are we going against are own Planning and
Zoning board?” Trustee Quinn noted that Planning & Zoning
is an advisory board. A roll call vote was taken to table
these two items for 30 days. Trustees Quinn and Castaldo
voted yes with the remaining trustees voting no. These
two items were then voted on separately. The re-subdivision
was voted unanimously to be tabled for 30 days but the
re-zoning was passed with only Trustees Castaldo and Quinn
voting no.
Next, the Village Board went into a closed
session at 8:11PM to discuss the Fire Lieutenant promotion. They
reconvened at 8:25 PM and through a unanimous roll call vote
approved the Fire & Police Commission to promote a qualified
Fire Lieutenant candidate.
There was no Unfinished Business but under
New Business, Trustee Shapiro read a letter from retired Police
Chief Rick Dalzell, who is the Alsip Little League President,
requesting authorization and support for the Little League’s
Opening Day Parade on 4/29/07. The parade will start at Prairie
Junior High at 10:30 AM and proceed to the ball fields on Karlov
for opening ceremonies at 11:00 AM. Trustee Shapiro asked for
and received verbal consensus for this annual parade.
The meeting concluded with 5 different
residents voicing their concerns to the board.
The first residents were a couple who
reside east of Pulaski near the unfinished O’Flaherty
development. The wife reported that there was an attempted
break-in at her home by 3 youths and she was unable to
provide Alsip police with visual a description of them
because the developer has not put up street lights. Mayor
Kitching responded that he would talk with Public Works
about putting up temporary lights. The resident noted that
she has security lights surrounding her home but they do
not seem to be a deterrent. The Mayor asked if there were
utility poles and she responded yes. Trustee Castaldo stated
that “we could put up the lights and charge the developer”.
Trustee Quinn added that we could yank the contractor’s
bond to pay for the lights since it is their responsibility
and Trustee Castaldo added that Com Ed could be called.
Mayor Kitching said that “whichever is faster, we
will do”. The resident thanked the board and said
that the Alsip police were very helpful and have already
stepped up patrols.
Then, a resident who lives on 115th
Street near the railroad tracks wanted to know if any overpass
was planned by these tracks. Mayor Kitching responded that
there is a streetlight project “over there” but
he is not aware of an overpass and believed that the federal
money for that project was no longer available.
Next, a woman expressed her concerns
regarding littering by the apartments and ball fields on
Karlov. She said it “brings down the neighborhood”.
She added that the Marist students who park near the ball
fields “need to leave their garbage in their cars” and
that the parents and kids involved in the “smackdown” reported
in the paper should be punished and have to clean up litter.
Chief Troy noted that the Juvenile system will appropriately
deal with these 2 youths and that the parents were very
cooperative. Trustee Collins suggested that the Chief call
the Marist principal who has been helpful in the past with
these Marist student parking issues.
Next, a final resident approached the
board and added that “the Marist kids don’t
stop at stop signs” and speed through the streets.
The Mayor asked Chief Troy to keep an eye on this area
and put out a speed trailer.
New Police and Fire Servers Discussed and Residents
Express Opinions on How 120th Street Should Be Configured in a
New Development
March 26, 2007
The Committee Meeting was called to order
at 7:34 PM with the Mayor making a motion to appoint Sharon McDowell
as the Clerk Pros-Temps
due to the Clerk’s absence. Verbal approval was given by
the Trustees and roll call and the Pledge of Allegiance were completed.
All Trustees were present.
Mayor Kitching then
indicated that he had no report. Trustee Quinn asked the Mayor
if he could
have a list of the persons
on the Economic
Development Committee. The Mayor responded that the list was
available on the Village website. Trustee Quinn asked again if
he could be
provided with a list of the Economic Development Committee Members.
Mayor Kitching asked, “Right now?” Trustee Quinn answered
that he didn’t expect the list right now but would like
to have a written copy of the list and the Mayor agreed.
Next, the Clerk Pros-Temps reported that the Clerk was going
to have available the schedule for Board Meetings for 2007/2008
but that she herself did not have the schedule to present.
Then, Trustees for Standing Committees gave their reports.
Under Finance, Trustee Graczyck
reported that he would have the list of bills to present,
the first draft of the budget for
the
fiscal year 2007/2008 and a request for approval of new servers
for the Police and Fire departments which was not to exceed
$22,000.00.
Related to this last request, a
presentation was then given by two representatives from
Intelligent Solutions. The representatives
indicated that they had completed a “tech review” of
the networks used by the Fire and Police departments and discovered
many “security holes” between the Village and these
departments. They also noted that the firewall was inadequate
with security concerns internally and externally.
Police Chief Troy added that there is a lack of back-up
data, that the system is old (5-6 years old) and advised
that he
was concerned
about the weaknesses. Firefighter Ricker also stated that he
felt an updated system was needed.
Mayor Kitching asked if the system
was vulnerable for a “long
time or was it recent”. The representative responded
that it was a “recent problem”.
Trustee Quinn asked, “How long will your server be good for?” The
representative answered that there system was good for 4-5 years and added
that Dell provides redundancy and can repair hard drive problems within
4 hours. The Mayor noted that
SPAM is a big problem and this (system) could stop it.
Trustee Godfrey asked, “Do we have back-up?” The
representative answered that currently copy and paste was used
for back-up and added that
he was concerned that no back-up data was stored off-site for protection.
Trustee Shapiro asked if this system was “one of many steps to get up-to-date” and
the representative answered yes.
Trustee Godfrey also asked the representative to describe how the current
system was vulnerable “in and out” and asked if the firewall was tested.
The representative answered that it was vulnerable because passwords are not
frequently changed and he could “get all the data and copy or delete
it”. He added that the firewall was not tested because it is a 3 day
process and would “bring down the browser”. No other questions
were asked.
Under Fire, Trustee Collins requested approval to power
wash and paint the apparatus bay at Fire Station 1(not to
exceed $12,000.00); requested
approval
to have the Police and Fire Commission promote and swear in 4/30/07 the
next Lieutenant candidate, due to an officer with permanent disability:
and had
a report on the 6 car train derailment including letters of thanks.
Under Police, Trustee Shapiro had a request to amend the
salary ordinance for the new position of Technical Supervisor
to $63,000.00 per year with
the position
having been filled and a possible starting date of 4/5/07.
Under Public Works, Trustee Castaldo
requested approval to hire 6 full-time summer helpers for
a maximum of 12 weeks.
He had no report for Health & Pollution.
Under Building, Trustee Shapiro reported a request from
Shepard High School to display signs for its craft show from4/8-4/15/07
and a
request for a
variance from Rafco Brickform for a flammable material storage
unit which was checked
by the Fire Department.
Under Sewer & Water, Trustee
Quinn reported a request to hire 6 summer helpers for 12-14
weeks starting 6/4/07 with all Village requirements being
met
Trustee Godfrey had no report under License.
Under Planning and Zoning, Trustee Quinn reported the
following 4 requests for approval:
A setback variance from
25 feet to 20 feet
for Reliable Fire Equipment at 4733 W. 128th Pl. to
allow maximum indoor truck parking to minimize
theft, andalism and unsightly outdoor parking
To change
zoning from I2 to I1 for WMI Alsip,
LLC for property at 3750 W. 131st St. to operate a food
manufacturing facility
From JP Gallagher Building for
a re-subdivision
of property at the northwest corner of 116th and
LaPorte Ave pending receipt of paperwork from
developer and Fire Department
For a re-subdivision of
property 12000 S. Hamlin
Ave. to be rezoned from farming to R1 with the 9
lot re-subdivision to allow construction of 8 new
single family homes with the Planning & Zoning
Commission stipulating that plans be reviewed by
the Fire and Police Deputy Chiefs and requiring
extension of the water main and installation of a
fire hydrant every 300 feet.
Regarding the last request from 12000 Hamlin LLC,
Trustee Quinn indicated to the developer, who was in
the audience,
that he
would need to
meet with him
and another Planning and Zoning Trustee in order to review
this plan. A meeting was scheduled for 6:30 PM, Friday,
March 30,
2007 to be
held in
a Village
conference room. This meeting would be open to the public and
posted for 48 hours prior
to its scheduled date at Village Hall as required by law.
Next,
Trustees gave their Special Committee reports. There were
no reports for Insurance, Ordinance & Legislation,
or Local Improvements. Under Village Property, Trustee Castaldo
requested authorization to hire 4 part-time
summer
helpers and under Boat Launch, Trustee Godfrey noted that
the launch would open 4/1/07.
There was no New or Old Business
but two residents approached the board and gave differing
opinions
on how they felt 120th
St. should
be configured
in
the proposed development at 12000 Hamlin. The first resident
expressed that she was not against the development but was
concerned of potential
problems
if 120th St. went through to Hamlin. Mayor Kitching asked
her if she had attended the Planning & Zoning meeting on this
issue, to which she said yes and had stated her worries. The
Mayor noted that she was welcome to attend the
meeting scheduled Friday at 6:30 PM. A different resident then
expressed his desire to see 120th St. go all the way through
to Crawford so it would be easier
for police and fire. Trustee Quinn noted that a plat of the
survey had not been provided to the committee yet and thus,
the development was only tentatively
on the schedule. The Mayor added that he could see that “we
cannot please everyone”.
Plan
for a “Downtown” Presented,
Vehicle Sticker Winner Acknowledged, and Single Family Home
Rehab Program Passed
March 19, 2007
The Board Meeting was called to order at 7:33 PM. All Trustees
were present as was a Village attorney.
Mayor Kitching started the meeting
by introducing two gentlemen from The Hitchcock Design Group
which had completed a grant funded
study to design a “Downtown” for
Alsip along Pulaski Ave. Rich Hitchcock and another Hitchcock representative
went through a booklet given to the board which presented ideas for transforming
Pulaski, from 115th Street to 123rd Street, into a “pedestrian friendly”, “architecturally
pleasing” and “streetscaped” corridor. They described possibly
transforming the north end to emphasize specialty stores and the south end
being a “big box zone”. They suggested highlighting the Worth
Township building and the library, as well as creating a central gathering
place between
the bank and library. They also discussed making the corner at 123rd Street
a “gateway
park” and suggested using historically appropriate architecture. No
market analysis was done, but Pulaski was chosen using a 1 mile radius out
to residential
areas for a comfortable walking distance.
Trustee Shapiro jokingly asked, “Can
we have it tomorrow?” Trustee
Quinn noted that the plan looked good but asked, “How do we pay for
it?” Mr.
Hitchcock noted that the Village would need to encourage the private sector
to take the initiative with developers showing business owners the “possibilities”.
He added that they do not recommend communities use eminent domain though
some choose to do so. Trustee Godfrey asked how Oak Lawn funded its 95th
Street project.
Trustee Quinn responded that he believed Oak Lawn used a TIF. One of the
representatives added that there is an opportunity between the “market” and
the “owner
site”. Mayor Kitching noted that this study was conceptual, “to
see what is possible”. He invited audience members to ask questions.
One resident approached the microphone and gave opinions as to where he
would recommend the project start and how important it is to attract business
people.
Mayor Kitching asked this resident if there was a question somewhere in
his comments. The resident reiterated that “we need to attract business”.
A different resident asked what kind of input the “citizen” would
have. Mr. Hitchcock responded that business and resident needs are taken
into consideration before
any plans are implemented. Mayor Kitching thanked by name the group of
persons who walked “this corridor on a cold winter day” with
the design team. He added that this presentation was to bring the board
up to date
on the outcome
of the design study and that he was not asking for votes.
The only other
item presented by the Mayor was the Resolution to Enhance the Single
Family Rehabilitation Program discussed at the last meeting.
Next,
the Clerk re-presented her items from the last Committee Meeting
adding that the Motor Fuel Tax Allotment was $50,114.21. She then presented
the vehicle
sticker awards and noted that the theme was recreation. There were 15
student entries and she presented a first and second place award. The
first place
winner was a third grader from Stony Creek School and she received a
savings bond
provided by First Midwest Bank.
There was no report from the Village engineer or attorney.
Then, the Trustees
presented their items from Standing and Special Committees which were
discussed at the previous Committee meeting and listed on
the Consent Agenda (see UP Highlights 3/12/07 for full details of items
discussed).
The
list of Village bills totaled $1,321,870.71.
Three items were removed
from the Consent Agenda and the amended Consent Agenda was passed
by a unanimous roll call vote.
The first item removed was by Trustee
Quinn who requested that the single family home resolution be
removed and asked the Village
attorney
if he
was familiar
with or had worked with this program resolution before. The attorney
responded that he had not read it. Trustee Quinn asked if it was “revocable” and
the attorney answered, “Yes”. Trustee Castaldo indicated
that he didn’t feel it was clear who exactly could qualify for
this program, noting that he felt everyone should be allowed to apply
and added that he did not like
that residents have to use the program’s contractors. Mayor Kitching
and Trustee Collins responded that the program was for low income residents
and from
federal funds. Trustee Godfrey added that the contractors had to be
bonded. A motion was made and the resolution was passed by a roll call
vote. Trustee
Castaldo
voted no and all the other Trustees voted yes. Next, Trustee Shapiro
asked that the block party request be tabled until he receives sufficient
paperwork.
All
Trustees verbally agreed. Lastly, Trustee Quinn requested that the
ordinance to approve a re- subdivision on Lawler Ave. be tabled until
further information
is provided. A roll call vote was taken and all the Trustees voted
yes.
There was no New or Old Business, but one audience member did approach
the board. He asked if the Village had ever considered saving money
by “jacking up” sidewalks,
indicating that in past years he had worked a machine which performed
this process to repair sunken sidewalks. Trustee Shapiro noted that
he had this kind of work
done on part of his driveway and it lasted for only 9 months and “now
is worse than ever”. The Mayor asked the Superintendent of Public
Works if this type of repair has been done before. Mr. Cullen responded
that it
has been
looked into in the past but not chosen. The Mayor asked Mr. Cullen
to please provide him with information on this issue.
Cook County Representatives Explain Community
Development Program to Rehabilitate Single Family Homes
March 12, 2007
The Committee Meeting was called to order
with the usual roll call and Pledge of Allegiance. All Trustees
and the Mayor were present.
Mayor Kitching started the meeting by introducing two representatives
from the Cook County Community Development Block Grant Single-Family
Rehabilitation Program who spoke and answered Trustee questions
until 8:00 PM.
The regional agent for this program
indicated that the program provides funds for homeowners who
qualify to rehabilitate their
homes with a loan from the County. They have assisted home
owners in surrounding communities such as Robbins, Lynnwood,
and Blue
Island. The agent reported that they would like to help residents
in Alsip and that this program doesn’t interfere with
any other funds that Village receives.
Trustee Quinn noted that
the resolution “says little” and
asked, “What other strings are attached?” The agent
responded that she cannot provide service to an Alsip resident
without permission from the board and that there is an expected
relationship with the Village with regards to Village codes.
Trustee Quinn asked, “Who are the contractors?” She
noted that Cook County provides qualified contractors who are
then licensed
within the municipality. Trustee Quinn asked if the owner has
to accept the County contractors. The agent responded that
the County
takes 3 bids from qualified contractors and accepts the lowest
bid. The homeowner receives a loan, not a grant, against the
home’s
equity. She added that most users of the program are Seniors,
but anyone who qualifies financially can be accepted.
Trustee Shapiro asked what was the
maximum loan available. The regional agent answered that the
average loan is $30,000.00.
Trustee Shapiro then asked if the County follows “our codes and fees” and
the answer from the agent was yes.
Next, Trustee Castaldo asked the agent
if she uses County inspectors to which she replied yes, but
that the Village’s inspectors
had the “final say”. Trustee Castaldo also asked
what would happen if the homeowner when bankrupt and the agent
responded
that such a situation has not occurred. Trustee Castaldo asked
if the Village would be responsible if the owner defaulted.
The second representative approached the board and explained
that
the County is like a bank providing the loan and the Village
is not
responsible.
Trustee Quinn asked this second representative how a single
family home was defined and were town homes and condos included.
He responded
that the a building of up to 4 units with the owner occupying
one unit would qualify and added that due to condo associations
it
would likely be hard to assist a condo owner.
Trustee Castaldo
asked if it was a no interest loan and the second representative
indicated that the goal of the program
was to improve neighborhoods and increase
property values. He added that the owner repays the loan at the time of the
sale of the home and that there is zero interest on the loan.
Trustee Castaldo asked
who provides the money for the loans and the representative explained that
the money comes from tax payers through the federal HUD program
whereas communities
of 50,000 residents or more can do the same program through federal block
grants on their own.
Trustee Collins asked how a person is qualified
and the agent indicated that qualification is based on the number
of individuals
living in the home and
their income.
Mayor Kitching asked how many residents
from Alsip were currently interested in this program. The agent
responded that there are
5 or 6 residents waiting
for this assistance and that they have “been sitting on the list for
years”.
Trustee Godfrey asked if this was a “stand alone program”.
The second representative responded that Cook County doesn’t
like to give away money and the homeowner has to apply to get
the loan. Trustee Godfrey then asked if
there “was nothing else we have to do?” The agent responded
that they ask the municipality to give some PR for the program such as
putting
information in its water bills, but other than helping with PR all she
needed from the
Village was the resolution to allow them to work in Alsip.
Trustee Collins
then asked if there would even be money for such a program with all the “cuts
being made by Stroger”. The second representative
noted that though the County administers the program the funds were from
federal sources.
He added that there are 190 homes on the County waiting list which does
one home a year,but if the agency is used then homes can get off this
list. Trustee
Graczyk
asked if this meant that only one home a year would be done in Alsip
and the representative responded that using the regional agent can get
owners
accelerated
off the County list.
Mayor Kitching stated that he would have the resolution
for this rehabilitation program placed on the agenda for the following
board meeting.
Next, Clerk Venhuizen gave her report
of items to be placed on the next agenda which included the
following: the Motor
Fuel Tax Allotment,
the
need for
a new Pitney Bowes machine for $343.00 (and possibly a new table) to
meet new
post
office requirements, a request to update the Village Hall plaques at
a cost of $56.70 per plaque and reported that the new vehicle sticker
was
chosen
with the
winner attending the next meeting. She added that a suggestion was
made to have only one vehicle sticker instead of the separate one for
oversized
trucks.
Trustee
Castaldo stated that he felt it would be harder for police officers
to decipher the sticker because they would have to run a tag to see
if the
vehicle had
the proper kind of sticker. The Clerk asked Chief Troy if his “old
city” had
different stickers for vehicles and trucks and he said yes. Trustee
Castaldo added that there are often complaints about oversized trucks.
Chief Troy noted
that it “wouldn’t be a big deal” to have only one
kind of sticker. The Mayor asked the board for consensus on this issue
and they agreed to keep
the word “truck” for the oversized, truck vehicle sticker.
Then, the Trustees presented their agenda items from the Standing
Committees.
Under Finance, Trustee Graczyk indicated he would
have the list of bills, a transfer tax refund request and an
application for
a 6B license.
Under Fire, Trustee Collins reported that the
Fire Department received a Federal grant of $186,500.00 for
protective equipment
with a 5% cost
to the
Village and
had a letter of thanks to present. Mayor Kitching thanked the firefighter
who wrote the grant and commended the firefighters on their good
work.
Under Police, Trustee Shapiro reported a request by
the Police Department for 3 new video patrol car systems,
a block party
with a band request,
and the monthly
activity report. Trustee Castaldo asked Chief Troy if he could sell
or give away the old video systems. Chief Troy responded that he
would like
to be
able to
donate or sell them but the problem is that they really do not work
well.
Under Building, Trustee Shapiro reported a request for
a variance in plumbing codes by LA Fitness, a request to
extend the use of a
trailer
by 60 days
at 12260 Shirley Lane, a request by Blue Island to put up signs
for their July event,
and a building permit refund request by Labriola Baking.
Under Water & Sewer,
Trustee Quinn reported that purchasing of bonds for the 123rd
Street project would be going to finance.
Under Licenses,
Trustee Godfrey reported he would be submitting the list
of licenses dated March12th and a request for a license
for
a jewelry
show to
be held at
the Doubletree Hotel. He then indicated he had a letter of commendation
for a village employee who “worked diligently” to
obtain $8,000.00 owed to the Village by various Alsip businesses.
Under
Planning & Zoning, Trustee Quinn reported that the Planning
and Zoning Commission approved a subdivision at 12030 S. Lawler
in a 6-2 vote
but they
he had questions regarding the power line pole and access to
the property by utilities.
The resident requesting the subdivision approached the board
and described the property and the location of the main utility
pole.
Trustee Quinn explained
to
the resident that he would need an easement to assure he was
not cutting off service to his neighbors and providing access
for utility
repairs. He
requested
that the gentleman bring a plat with the easement before the
board votes the next week.
Next, Trustees gave reports for Special Committees.
Under Village
Properties, Trustee Castaldo reported that a cleaning employee
was resigning as of 5/16/07 and that the position would
need to be replaced.
Under Ordinance & Legislation, Trustee
Collins reported that the ordinance for new water and sewer rates
would be on the next agenda and an ordinance for
the AT&T Antenna Systems Franchise.
Lastly, under Local Improvements,
Trustee Castaldo noted that sidewalk inspection would start in
May.
There was no Old Business or New Business
discussed, but two audience members made quick comments to
the board regarding
the
County Single
Family Home
Rehabilitation Program. One member noted that he didn’t
feel the County was good at handling money and the other member
seemed concerned that a resident could “pocket
a good deal of money” if the owner’s home sells for
a lot more than the purchase price after the rehab and paying
back
the loan. Trustee
Quinn noted
that this resident could apply for the program if he wanted,
but reminded him that he would have to rely on County selected
contractors.
AT&T Presents
Possible Cable Services for Village and Police Department Structure
Changed
March 5, 2007
The Board Meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM with all Trustees
and the Mayor present.
Mayor Kitching started his report by
indicating that the Southwest Conference of Mayors would be
held at 6:30 PM on 3/24/07 at the
Village Hall and that the Trustees were welcome to attend. He
then noted that cake and coffee would be served after the meeting
in
celebration of Alsip being incorporated 80 years ago. Next, the
Mayor reported that he was presenting a Resolution to Enhance
the Single Family Home Rehabilitation Program provided through
the
County. Trustee Quinn responded that he wanted to be sure of
all the factors involved with this program because sometimes
these
type of programs can involve more than just rehabilitation of
homes. Mayor Kitching stated that the “young lady” from
the County explained to him that it provides the money for the
home
repair. Trustee Quinn added that the program may be broader and
the resolution does not specifically limit the program to just
loans. The Mayor responded this item could be taken off the agenda
and that he would have the County come and present the program
to the board. He added that there was no hurry to pass this item.
Next, the Mayor introduced a representative
from AT&T who gave a presentation
on AT&T’s “Project Light Speed”. The representative spoke
and answered questions until 8:00PM. Essentially, AT&T needs permits from
local municipalities in order to transform infrastructure from copper to fiber
and construct infrastructure to increase computer and video products. AT&T
is aware that Alsip currently has no cable competition. AT&T is investing
$4.6 billion in 22 states to develop these products and infrastructure and
is currently building in 50 communities in Illinois. The state of Illinois
does not currently grant permits for this kind of technology “right of
ways”, therefore; AT&T has to go to individual municipalities
and ask for permits.
Trustee Quinn asked about costs of
the proposed services. The representative indicated that “we need to be competitive” and most communities
are finding that rates drop 15-20% compared to similar services from other
cable companies. Mayor Kitching asked how long it would take for the whole
Village to have these services. The representative answered that it would take
18 months for all services except DSL which could be done by the end of the
year. He noted that AT&T would do landscaping if needed and added
that this program would create good paying jobs and use full-time union
workers.
The Mayor then asked if anyone in the audience would like to ask questions
of the AT&T representative. Two audience members asked questions. One question
was asked was whether or not there was a ”pecking order” for when
a town started receiving this work. The representative responded that once
AT&T receives the go ahead work would begin as they are building in many
communities simultaneously. The other questioner asked about the quality of
services with particular interest if AT&T’s node would be copper
or fiber because rain affects his current service. The representative responded
that the infrastructure for video will be refurbished and may require the need
to replace cross boxes and added that High Definition should be available on
3 TV’s with using only one box in the home.
Then, Mayor Kitching asked the representative
to address the board as to “where
they would need to go from here”. The representative indicated that he
can send “legal language” to the attorney for permission to submit
permits and then meet with public works. The Mayor asked if there was consensus
from the board to give AT&T permission to submit for permits and the Trustees
gave verbal agreement. Allowing AT&T to ask for permits does not
give approval for building.
The Clerk then reported that the IDOT Motor Fuel Tax allotment
for January 2007 was $46,851.73.
Then, the Village attorney reported
that there needed to be a closed session regarding an “offer on the billboard” issue and that he was working
with the water department on the wording of the water rate increase ordinance.
Lastly, he noted that he did receive an electronic copy from AT&T
regarding permit requests.
Next, the Trustees presented agenda items from Standing and
Special Committees which were discussed at the last Committee
Meeting (see
UP Highlights
dated 2/26/07 for full, detailed items). Some items with discussion
included the following:
Under Finance, the list of bills for March 5, 2007 totaled
$563,694.81.
Under Police, Trustee Shapiro restated
the request to eliminate one Deputy Chief position, increasing
Lieutenants’ positions
to three and creating a position of Technical Services Supervisor.
Trustee Shapiro asked Chief
Troy to explain the need for this new technical position. Chief
Troy read a statement
indicating that after consulting with the Police Union this position
is being requested to increase the professional level of services
in the department
while moving to higher service for residents. The position would
include supervising 911 and dispatch services. This item was listed
on the Consent
Agenda and asked
for authorization to hire a Technical Services Supervisor, an exempt
employee, with a salary range of $55,000 to $65,000, dependant
upon qualifications,
to be hired by the end of April.
Under Water & Sewer Trustee Quinn reported that as
noted by the attorney the water/sewer ordinance is not ready
for a vote. He clarifyed that a rate
increase does not eliminate borrowing but rather minimizes it.
He noted that sewer rates can be adjusted, but if they are
dropped 30 cents than the water
rates need to be increased by the same amount. Trustee Godfrey
noted that he spoke with Mike Behrens (Water Commissioner)
who explained that the increase
would keep “us from borrowing more in the future” than
if a lower sewer increase was used. Mayor Kitching added that
the lower rate increase
will not allow for a “catastrophic” event. Trustee
Godfrey added that he understands the need to “pay now
or pay more later”.
Trustee Quinn noted that a $1.00 increase per 1,000 gallons of
water will minimize
borrowing.
The only item removed from the Consent Agenda was the
County program for rehabilitating single family homes. Trustee
Quinn
made the
motion to table
this item until
further information was provided. Trustee Shapiro seconded
the motion and all Trustees verbally agreed. Then, the amended
Consent
Agenda
was voted
on by
a roll call vote and unanimously passed.
The meeting was recessed at 8:22 PM for cake and coffee
and to go into executive session to discuss the compensation
of
particular
employees
and to discuss
litigation.
There was no action taken when the board reconvened
and the meeting was adjourned.
Water
Rate Discussion Continues and A Resident Voices Snow Removal
Complaint
February 26, 2007
The Committee Meeting was called to order at 7:31PM with a roll
call and Pledge of Allegiance. The Village attorney and engineer
were absent.
Mayor Kitching reported that AT&T representatives would be
at the next Board Meeting to present "Project Light Speed".
He noted that Alsip is celebrating its 80th year and that cake
and coffee would be served after the next Village meeting.
The Mayor then reported that he would present a resolution
to improve
single-family home rehabilitation. He noted that a copy of
the resolution was given to board members last week and that
this
program uses Federal interest free loans to low income families.
He added
that he had 6 Senior citizens in town interested in this program.
Clerk
Venhuizen reported the Motor Fuel Tax Allotment was $46,851.73.
Next,
Trustee Chairpersons gave reports from their Standing Committees
with items to be placed on the agenda for the next Board Meeting.
Under
Finance, Trustee Graczyk reported a list of bills dated 2/26/07
and an ordinance reserving the volume cap in connection
with private activity bond issues and noted that in years past
a 1% fee was paid to the Village.
Under Fire, Trustee Collins
noted that a new fire truck would be delivered in March 2007.
Under
Police, Trustee Shapiro reported that the Police Department
purchased five, new, 2007 Dodge Chargers at a cost of $19,247
which
were financed through First Midwest Bank and would be delivered
in June. Next, he reported on a recommended change in the organizational
structure of the Alsip Police Department which would eliminate
one Deputy Chief position, add two Lieutenant positions and create
a Technical Service Supervisor position.
Under Water & Sewer, Trustee Quinn asked if there were questions
on the proposed rates. Trustee Godfrey asked if it would be possible
to stagger the sewer portion of the rates over the 4 years as the
total rate increase is 30%. Trustee Quinn responded that a stagger
would be possible if "doable with the projects on hand".
Trustee Godfrey noted that he had spoken with Mr. Palumbo (Finance
Director) and Mr. Behrens (Water Superintendent) both of whom indicated
that a stagger shouldn't slow down needed projects. Trustees Quinn
and Godfrey both agreed that staggering sewer rates was not a good
idea if it necessitated borrowing money. Mayor Kitching asked if
the rate increase should be put on the agenda for the next meeting.
Trustee Quinn responded that if Mr. Behrens could get numbers with
a staggered sewer rate to board members ASAP then it could be on
the agenda. Trustee Quinn added that he wanted to clarify that
the average $15 increase for a family of four was actually bi-monthly
and not monthly as he may have indicated at the last meeting.
Under
Licenses, Trustee Graczyk said he would submit the list of licenses
dated 2/26/07.
Under Planning & Zoning, Trustee
Quinn reported that Reliable Fire Equipment was requesting
a variance front
yard setback for
property at 4733 West 18th Place and noted that they plan to erect
a building to store equipment. The neighbors to the east of this
property do not object. He also reported a request for a division
of 1 lot into 2 at 11854 Lawler Ave. (He noted, after Trustees
completed their reports that the subdivision request at 11238 S.
Avon was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.)
Next,
the Trustee Chairpersons presented items for the Special Committees.
Under
Village Properties, Trustee Castaldo stated that per the consensus
of the board at the last meeting, PPS, Inc. would pick
up the unused generator.
Under Ordinance & Legislation, Trustee
Collins reported he was submitting an ordinance to permit uses
in the B-1 Business
District which was approved (with modification) by the Planning
and Zoning Commission. He presented another ordinance which would
amend Chapter 12, Article XIII (Massage Establishments and Therapists)
of the Municipal Code of Alsip which was reviewed and decided on
by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Trustee Collins added that
he was requesting an executive session at the next Board Meeting
to discuss last year's budget ordinance regarding salaries.
Under
the Boat Launch, Trustee Godfrey reported a request to purchase
a steel cabinet for $867 and added that the Boat Launch season
starts 4/1/07 and runs through 10/31 with the new decal stickers
to be orange in color like the State ones.
There was no Unfinished
or New Business, but a resident approached the board and expressed
his extreme displeasure with Public Works'
piling snow on his corner which blocked his sight and required
him to dig out his bushes. He added that he has asked many times
that the snow be put some where else. He further reported that
the Alsip snow plow driver spoke rudely to him in language that
was too impolite to repeat. Mayor Kitching responded that the snow
plows store the snow on Village parkways. The resident reported
that he has left many messages at Public Works and does not get
a response. The Mayor told the resident that he calls the Village
every week with complaints and that "the police don't want
to deal with you anymore". The resident went on to state many
reasons why he felt his "neighborhood was getting bad".
Both the Mayor and the resident seemed agitated. The Mayor noted
to the resident that it was disgusting what the resident has said
to "my employees". The resident ended the exchange by
stating that if things didn't change he was going to "come
up with his neighbors".
Mayor Kitching asked for the meeting
to be adjourned. The meeting ended at 8:50 PM.
Smoking Ordinance Passed 4-1 and Allows Smoking in Public Buildings
February 19, 2007
The Board Meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM with a roll call
and Pledge of Allegiance. Trustee Castaldo was absent.
Mayor Kitching gave his report. He requested
that Rodger Early (Manager of Village Properties) present to
the board information
regarding an unused generator in the Police Dept. basement that
needed to be removed to allow room for the installation of new
equipment. Mr. Early indicated that the generator had not been
used for 7 years and that he found one company which could remove
the generator to store in the Village garage at a cost of $2,592
and another company willing to remove the generator for free
if allowed to keep the generator. Trustee Collins asked if the
generator
runs? Mr. Early responded that it was last run in September of
2000. Trustee Godfrey asked if "we have a use for it".
Mr. Early responded that he did not know of a use for it. The
Village attorney recommended that the board not take action on
the generator
since it was not on the agenda but rather just work on getting
a consensus.
Next, the Mayor reiterated information
from the Committee Meeting regarding the "How to Really Start your Own Business" and "Community
Express Loan for Small Businesses" seminar to be held at the
Village Hall, March 13, 2007 from 8:30-11:30 AM. The Mayor noted
the sponsors of the seminar and that information was on the Village
website and TV channel.
Then, Clerk Venhuizen gave her report. She
reiterated from the last meeting that the Village was denied
as a Passport Agency due
to many Passport sites being within a ten mile radius of Alsip.
She reminded the board that Village Code supplements could be
picked up. Under new information from her office, the Clerk noted
that
Cook County Environmental Control had a certain number of free
radon detectors and that she would put this information on the
website.
Next, the Village Engineer reported that the IDOT Resolution
for use of MFT funds would provide the Village with $80,000
for various
Village project expenditures.
Under Standing and Special Committees
the Trustee Chairpersons restated the items they had placed
on the agenda from the previous
Committee Meeting (see UP Highlights dated 2/12/07 for details).
Some new details from this meeting included
the following: under Finance, Trustee Graczyk noted that the
Village bills totaled
$899,254.42:
under Fire, Trustee Collins stated that the list of items to be
purchased by the Foreign Fire Tax Insurance Committee totaled $25,560;
under Police, Trustee Shapiro read commendations for Officers Miller
and Reilly; under Public Works, Trustee Godfrey reported that the
recommended bids were Concare Inc. for floor resurfacing at $84,357.73
and Sutton Ford Fleet Sales for the 2008 Ford F-550 Dump/Plow truck
for $63,800; the Mayor noted that Public Works received a 100%
rating from the Illinois Department of Labor which per Mr. Cullen
(Superintendent of Public Works) included OSHA and noted that the
department was indicated as a "model public works department";
and, under Water/Sewer, Trustee Quinn reported that looking at
his own water use for a family four that the usage runs between
10,000-15,000 gallons a month thus giving a generally accurate
rate $15 a month rate increase expectation for average households
and added that he provided a letter with projected 4 year rates
to board members to review.
Four items were requested to be removed
from the Consent Agenda and the amended agenda was passed unanimously
by roll call vote.
Trustee Godfrey requested two items
for removal which included the two Public Works bids. Trustee
Godfrey wanted
to give the board
members an opportunity to ask Mr. Cullen questions as the details
of the bids read at the Committee Meeting seemed unclear with regards
to if they included both areas to be resurfaced. Trustee Quinn
asked if Concare was the lowest bidder and Mr. Cullen said yes
and noted that this company had done the floors in 1991. (The bid
for Concare was listed "not to exceed $84,357.73.) Trustee
Godfrey added that the bid had the areas on separate sheets but
that the total included both areas. Next, Trustee Godfrey reported
that the lower bids on the Ford truck did not have the exact specifications
requested and therefore did not meet the needs of Public Works
but that the bid on the agenda was the lowest that met the specifications.
(The bid cost for the Sutton Ford Fleet Sales truck was listed
as $63,800). Motions were made and seconded on the above items
and roll call votes passed the bids unanimously.
The other two items
removed from the original agenda were requested by Trustee Quinn.
The
first item was for waiving the business license fee for the
Veterans Outreach Program. Trustee Quinn asked if the
waiver was being asked for because it is a non-profit group.
Trustee Godfrey said yes. Trustee Quinn then asked the board
if it is going
to waive fees for all non-profit groups. Trustee Quinn reminded
the board that soon after it was seated last May, it turned
down Sertoma's request, which was a lot more money than this
waiver,
but asked that shouldn't the board be consistent. He indicated
that the Veterans Outreach has been in town for many years
and that he isn't picking on them but believes they have
paid the fees
in the past. Trustee Shapiro corrected Trustee Quinn that it
was Park Lawn not Sertoma for which the fee wasn't waived.
Trustee
Quinn acknowledged his error. Mayor Kitching added that Park
Lawn's was for a much higher fee for a building permit. Trustee
Godfrey
asked Trustee Quinn why he didn't bring this question up at
the last meeting during discussion. Trustee Quinn responded
that he
wanted to be sure about the issue and reiterated that there
are lots of non-profits in town and asked: "If we do
for one, should we do for all? Trustee Godfrey made a motion
to table this
requested waiver and Trustee Collins seconded it. There was
unanimous agreement from the Trustees to table this issue.
The other item that was removed
from the consent agenda by Trustee Quinn's request was
the "Approval of an Ordinance Establishing
Smoking Regulations and Restrictions in the Village of Alsip".
Trustee Quinn indicated that he felt the Village "should step
up" and eliminate smoking in all of the Villages' public buildings
with the exception of the Heritage complexes. He reported that
the proposed ordinance doesn't change any current smoking rules.
Trustee Quinn then noted that the State has banned smoking in all
public buildings. There was no input from any other board members.
Trustee Collins made the motion to pass the Smoking Ordinance and
Trustee Graczyk seconded the motion. The ordinance passed with
Trustees Shapiro, Collins, Graczyk, and Godfrey voting yes and
Trustee Quinn voting no.
There was no Unfinished Business but under
New Business, Mayor Kitching noted that the Shell Station on
Pulaski which has been
boarded up for eight years would be leveled by the developer
on Monday.
The final portion of the meeting included comments
from residents.
The first resident asked when the
repairs would be done on the
tracks by Kostner. The Mayor asked Mr. Cullen when the railroad
would be doing this work. Mr. Cullen reported that the earliest
this kind of work is done is usually in May. The Mayor noted
that the Village has given out 2 tickets and so "bets" that "we
are first on the list".
Next, a different resident asked why
the generator could not be put in the paper to try to sell it
for some money. The Mayor responded that the generator needs
to be
removed quickly because it is holding up installation of new
equipment.
Then, a third resident approached
the board and noted that he saw
a Senior with a grocery cart having trouble walking from the
Jewel grocery store at 120th and Hamlin due to an unshoveled
sidewalk
in this "open area". Mr. Cullen indicated that Public
Works has no direction from the Village to maintain sidewalks.
He added that the Village might want to look into the liability
issues of sidewalk snow removal but noted that the Village has
53 miles of sidewalk. Mr. Cullen then added that some towns use
an "adopt a sidewalk" program to assist residents who
cannot shovel or help with other sidewalk areas. The Mayor noted
that residents can get rides from the Township to grocery stores.
A different resident approached the board and stated that he
would take care of this portion of sidewalk and the Mayor thanked
him.
Finally, a last resident approached
the board and questioned the
steepness of the driveway into the Jewel grocery store and commented
on how bad it was on cars. Mayor Kitching responded that "we" cannot
dictate to private property and added that he did not know if
it would do any good anyhow.
Board Considering Increased Water/Sewer Rates, Park District Board
Rejects Mayor's Concept to Partner with Funfest, And Road Program
Outlined
February 12, 2007
The Committee Meeting was called to order at 7:34PM. Trustee Castaldo
and the Village attorney were absent.
After the Pledge of Allegiance, Mayor
Kitching gave his report. He indicated that he had met with
AT&T representatives to discuss
what kind of services they could provide since the Village's contract
with Comcast expires in the summer. Trustee Quinn asked the Mayor
what type of contract figures AT&T was offering. The Mayor
responded that he only had preliminary information. Trustee Quinn
then asked the Mayor how much the Village received with Comcast.
Mayor Kitching said he didn't have the figure but asked the Financial
Director, Mr. Greg Polumbo, who was in the audience. Mr. Polumbo
indicated that the Village received around $234,000 to $235,000.
Next,
the Mayor reported that the Park Board did not want to partner
with the Village at its Funfest as they felt it would "change
the nature of the event". Trustee Quinn asked if maybe there
was some other way the Village could "add to the event or
help out". Mayor Kitching responded that the Park Board was
not interested in the Village being involved. He further noted
that he felt the Park District event (with the exception of the
fireworks) leaves out some segments of residents such as those
who are older or do not have children. He added that the perhaps
the Village could do an event of its own at a later time, but that
the Park District couldn't be "forced" to have the Village
involved.
Lastly, the Mayor reported that the Village was partnering with
Congressman Rush's Office and the Alsip Chamber of Commerce to
sponsor a "Start a Small Business Seminar". The seminar
is to be held on March 13, 2007 and would include information helpful
to those who already have a small business as well those starting
one.
Then, Clerk Venhuizen reported that she had provided the board
members with a draft of an ordinance on apartment temperatures.
Next, she noted that she had enquired as to if the Village could
be a Passport Agency but was denied because there are 40 Passport
Agencies within a 10 mile radius. Lastly, she noted that board
members could pick up their supplements for Health and Environment
.
Then Committee Chairpersons presented their items for next
weeks Board Meeting.
Under Finance, Trustee Graczyk reported the
following items: a Class 6b application by Wolf Electric,
Inc ./Wolf Investment Properties
for property at 5925 West 115th St., a Class 6b application
by WMI Alsip, LLC for property at 3750 West 131st St., and
two refund
requests (one for a vehicle stickers and the other for $675.50
for a Real Estate Transfer Tax). He added that he would have
the list of bills for February 12, 2007.
Under Fire, Trustee
Collins delineated a list of items to be purchased for the
fire stations through the Foreign Fire Tax Fund including
some of the following: cardiac monitors, treadmills, 20" monitors,
kitchen equipment, training costs, and miscellaneous equipment.
Under
Police, Trustee Shapiro reported a request for $230 for training;
noted that there were 2 letters of commendation and stated
he would submit the January Police Activity report.
Under Public
Works, Trustee Godfrey reported for Trustee Castaldo that
the 2007 Public Works Report would be submitted along with
the Safety Report. He further noted that the Road Work Program
was to be put on the agenda as well as the bids for the new truck
and floor resurfacing.
Under Building, Trustee Shapiro
reported a request by Chicago Truck to replace its current
sign
and a request by the Alsip Chamber
of Commerce to put out signs for its Craft/Expo Fair.
Under Water/Sewer,
Trustee Quinn noted that the proposed water/sewer rates were
given to board members and amounted to about a $15 increase
for a use of 15,000 gallons per month. He added that the increase
was needed to keep sewer and water infrastructure repaired and
updated. Trustee Collins asked if Palos had been heard from (on
this issue). Trustee Quinn responded that it seemed that Palos
was "on board". The Mayor noted that even with such an
increase, Alsip would still have "one of the cheapest rates
around". Trustee Quinn responded that residents want the rates
set as low as possible and essentially do not care what people
pay in Oak Lawn or other areas. He added that water main breaks
last month cost about $30,000 and last year the Village spent $750,000
to repair these kind of breaks which cannot be avoided. Trustee
Quinn then noted that $15 a month is a big change, but it needs
to be considered and asked that input from the board be given to
him or John (Shapiro). Trustee Shapiro responded that the Village
needs "a good, sound water program for years to come".
Trustee Quinn then noted that a vote could be taken at a Board
Meeting in March in order to give board members time to absorb
the Robinson (engineer) handout. Mayor Kitching added: "We
all agree this needs to be done".
Under License, Trustee Godfrey
reported that the Veterans Outreach Program of Illinois was requesting
a business license fee waiver
and that he would submit the list of licenses dated 2/12/07.
Under
Planning/Zoning, Trustee Quinn reported that there would
be a Public Hearing regarding property at 120th and Hamlin
to change
from farm to residential and that there was a request for a variance
for a subdivision at 12030 S. Lawler.
Next, the only report under
Special Committees was by Trustee Collins for Ordinance/Legislation.
He recommended amending Section
2 of Ordinance 1978-2-2 to increase apartment temperature regulations
which are currently listed at 65 degrees during the day and 55
degrees at night. He noted that he felt these temperatures were
too low for the elderly and that he would be angry if he were "a
mother at night changing a baby in such temperatures". He
then indicated that a copy of the proposed Smoking Ordinance was
given to the board. Trustee Quinn referred Trustee Collins to page
13 which listed exceptions for Village properties and noted that
he thought the board discussed banning smoking in non-residential
Village properties. Trustee Collins noted that "thinking on
this" was to allow employees such as in Public Works to smoke
outside and give other Village employees 6-7 months to adjust and
build a shelter of some kind.
Then, the Village Engineer, Tom Lang,
gave his report which was skipped over in the beginning of the
meeting. Mr. Lang reviewed
the proposed Road Program for 2007 with the board. He reminded
the board that the Village still owes its share of costs for
the 123rd project to IDOT but that with this estimated cost
and the
Motor Fuel Tax the Village has "a little over $1 million" in
funds to cover the Road Program. He noted three major areas for
repair: streets in the Joalyce area which have not been redone
since 1991, Laramie Avenue in the Hazelgreen area and 3 streets
in the industrial area near Springfield
There was no New Business and no audience
participation. The meeting was adjourned at 8:17PM.
William
Tellano Appointed to the Police & Fire Commission and Mayor
Suggests the Village Sponsor an Activity at the Park District Funfest
February 5, 2007
The meeting was called to order at 7:33PM with a Village attorney
present and Trustee Castaldo absent.
Mayor Kitching started his report
by pointing out that a list of new Committee Assignments
was printed on the agenda.
He next
called for a motion to appoint William Tellano as a new Police & Fire
Commissioner. Trustee Godfrey made the motion which was seconded
by Trustee Collins. Trustee Quinn voted present on the appointment
and the other Trustees voted yes. Mr. Tellano was sworn in by the
Mayor who stated that "Bill is an upstanding citizen who has
done a lot for this village." The Mayor ended his report
by presenting a resolution required by IDOT to expedite issuing
permits
to the Village for work that needs to be done on state maintained
rights of way. Trustee Quinn asked the Mayor if this resolution
was for any particular project. The Mayor answered that it is
for any Village project.
Next, Clerk Venhuizen opened and read
bids for resurfacing the Public Works concrete floors and for
a new Ford F-550 dump/plow
truck. There were 2 bids for the Public Works' project. One bid
was $83,683.56 and the other was $104,150. It was unclear if the
first bid included both areas to be done. The Mayor stated that
the bids had to be by the "specs" and Mr. Cullen (Public
Works Superintendent) said that the "specs" were for
the two separate areas to be redone. Trustee Quinn made the motion
to close the bids and refer them to the Public Works Committee.
Trustee Shapiro seconded the motion and the board agreed by voice.
The bids for the Ford F-550 dump/plow truck were priced as follows:
(1) $57,927., (2) $60,499., (3) $63,800., and (4) $64,394. Once
again, Trustee Quinn made the motion to refer these bids to committee
and the board agreed by voice. Then, the Clerk reiterated her items
presented at the last Committee Meeting which were as follows:
the Motor Fuel Tax Report of $47,973.13, the information regarding
the Vehicle Sticker Contest, and that the Student Government was
to be held bi-annually.
Then, the Village attorney reported that
there would be no need for a closed session that evening as he
did not have an updates
on the billboard litigation. The Engineer had no report.
Under
Standing and Special Committees, each Trustee Chairperson
(or Trustee reporting for an absent Trustee) reiterated the
lengthy
list of items that were discussed at the previous Committee Meeting
(see Highlights of 1/29/07 for more detail) and that were listed
on the current Consent Agenda available to all audience members.
Some items were given more specifics
or discussed at this meeting. Trustee Graczyk (new Chairperson
of Finance) reported
that the
bills for 1/29/07 totaled: $660,173.97 and that the request for
approval of an Ordinance amending Ordinance 2006-7-4, the Annual
Appropriation Ordinance was due to unanticipated "buy outs" for
the police department. Under Fire, Trustee Collins added to last
weeks items that the new firefighter candidate would be sworn in
on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 by the Fire & Police Commission
at Fire Station#1 at 7:00PM and re-read the outstanding call letter
regarding an 81 year old resident. Under Ordinance, Trustee Collins
added that he would direct the Village attorney to write the Smoking
Ordinance to leave businesses "status quo" to govern
themselves and make municipal buildings smoke free. Under Police,
Trustee Shapiro read 3 letters of commendation (for Officer John
McHale, Detective James Brongiel and Sergeant Daddona) which he
had referred to the previous week. Under Water, Trustee Quinn stated
that he would have the requested water increase rates by the end
of the week for discussion at the next Committee Meeting.
Next,
the Board considered the Consent Agenda and two items were removed
before a roll call vote passed the amended agenda. Trustee
Quinn suggested that the Mayor remove item (C) which was the
appointment of Mr. Tellano because it had been voted on at
the start of the
meeting and also requested that item (V) Approval of a list of
Licenses dated January 29, 2007 be removed and then asked for
a separate roll call vote on this item. All present Trustees
voted
yes on this item with the exception of Trustee Quinn who voted
present.
Under New Business, Mayor Kitching
stated that there is no summertime activity sponsored by
the Village and that
he would like to add
a "street fair kind of activity" to the Park District's
Funfest. Trustee Quinn asked the Mayor what kind of budget he was
proposing. The Mayor responded that the Village could charge vendors
like in Hickory Hills' event and then perhaps "the Village
could sponsor a stage or something". Trustee Collins asked
if Mayor Kitching was thinking of something like the "Taste
of Hickory Hills". The Mayor indicated yes and asked if there
were any objections. Trustee Shapiro requested that more information
be provided to the board as the Mayor has it. Mayor Kitching then
said he would work to put a "citizen task force" together.
There was no audience participation. The meeting was adjourned
at 8:09PM.
Mayor Announces Choice for Police and Fire Commissioner
and the Board Continues to Discuss a Smoking Ban Ordinance
January 29, 2007
The Committee Meeting was called to order by gavel at 7:30 PM
. Trustee Graczyk was absent and no Village attorney was present.
Mayor Kitching started his report by indicating that he planned
to make new committee assignments and that he had chosen Bill
Tellano to fill the recent vacancy on the Police and Fire Commission.
The
Mayor also requested a brief executive session at the end of
the meeting to discuss pending litigation.
Next, Clerk Venhuizen
gave her report. She stated that the Motor
Fuel Tax Allotment for December 2006 was $47,973.13 and that
information for the Vehicle Sticker Contest had been sent to
all Alsip elementary
and high school districts as well as area parochial high schools.
Entries are due 2/12/07. She then stated that the Village Student
Government Program (after discussion with teachers and it being
an election year) would be held bi-annually. Lastly, she stated
that Public Work's projects bids would be opened at the 2/5/07
meeting.
Then, Trustee Chairpersons for the Standing Committees
gave their reports of items to be placed on the agenda for
the next Board
Meeting.
Trustee Collins, reporting for Trustee
Graczyk under Finance, said that there would be a list of bills,
three Transfer
Tax refunds,
a request by Ozinga Illinois for a Class 6B application, an ordinance
amending the annual Appropriation Ordinance, and a request for
not more than $4,000 to hire Kane, McKenna Capital Inc. to assist
the Village in filing disclosure statements to the National Securities
and Exchange Systems for bond issuances. Trustee Collins then presented
items under the Fire Committee which included the following: an
outstanding call letter, a newly hired firefighter to be sworn
in at Fire Station 1 and a request to have an IPRF grant pay for
Emergency Vehicle Preemption on traffic lights at 127th & Kostner
and 127th & Pulaski.
Next, under Police, Trustee Shapiro
indicated requests for the following: training funds of $300
for Lt. McGreal
and Chief Troy
to attend Alarm Systems Training, $3,000 for tuition reimbursement
for Lewis University to Officer Frainey, $7,261.50 to install an
Opticom at 120th & Cicero (budgeted item) and approval to post
an eligibility list for a police officer position. He further indicated
that he had three letters of commendation for Alsip police officers.
Mayor Kitching noted that there is new signage at 120th & Cicero
and crosswalks from 120-123rd & Cicero all of which are from
IDOT.
Under Public Works, Trustee Castaldo indicated that he would
submit the monthly activity report and that there are two Public
Works
projects out to bid: resurfacing the concrete floors and purchasing
a plow/dump truck.
Then, Trustee Shapiro reported under Building
that the Alsip Little League requested placing signs in the
Village with registration
information, Zeiler Development requested a fence variance on
McDaniel and Lombard requested placing a temporary trailer at
6000 W. 118th
St.
Next, Trustee Quinn reported under Water/Sewer that there
is a proposed increase of $2.45 per 1000 gallons of water and
that possible
increases in sewer and water rates would be discussed at the
next Committee Meeting.
Trustee Godfrey reported for the License
Committee and indicated that a list of licenses dated 1/24/07
would be submitted. Trustee
Quinn requested a copy of the licenses' list and then gave the
Planning/Zoning report which included a request at 3750 W. 123rd
from an I2 to an I1 and a request for a subdivision on Avon of
a 100 ft. lot to two 50ft lots.
Under Special Committees, Trustee
Collins indicated that he would be meeting with the Village
insurance carrier about restructuring
and then gave an update on a smoking ban ordinance. He reported
that he had written input from two Trustees and requested that
Trustee Castaldo, Trustee Quinn, Trustee Godfrey and the Mayor
provide input on the ban.
Trustee Castaldo indicated that he
would "go along" with
Trustee Collins recommendations and suggested letting businesses
and private work places decide for themselves. Trustee Collins
stated that 99.9% of those who attended the public meeting were
against a smoking ban except one "civilian" and indicated
that he felt smoking should be left "status quo" where
restaurants and businesses decide for themselves and that he didn't
want them "to go belly-up". Trustee Castaldo added that
he felt that municipal and village properties should be no smoking.
Trustee Quinn stated that it should be considered that 80% of the
population is non-smoking but that each person has the right to
leave a "bad smoke" environment. He further indicated
that the village doesn't "win" with a smoking ban at
this time, but that he felt village property should be non-smoking
with the exception of the Heritage complexes. Trustee Quinn then
added that he thought it would be good to work toward making one
of the Heritage buildings a non-smoking building by gradually putting
those requesting non-smoking in one building as apartments become
vacant. Next, Trustee Godfrey stated that he felt smoking should
be prohibited in public areas, had concern for businesses which
he felt should be left status quo until the state mandates them
and finally that municipal buildings should be smoke free. Lastly,
Mayor Kitching gave his input. The Mayor reported that he is an
admitted smoker and would agree to making the Village Hall non-smoking
from a 15 ft. entranceway but felt that employees should have a
comfortable area to smoke on their break. He further indicated
that he felt badly that the County has forced this ban without
the state and that the board needed to get moving on this ordinance,
as well as making it "fair to everyone". Finally the
Mayor stated that he felt the County's motivation for the ban was
to collect revenue rather than the health issue. Trustee Collins
thanked the board for their input and recognized help from the
Chamber of Commerce and Industrial League. He indicated he would
send a draft to the village attorneys.
Next there were four audience
members who addressed the board.
The first was an owner of an
Alsip gas station who wanted to request a liquor license. The
Mayor told this gentleman that he had told
the prior owner that there was no liquor license and that there
wouldn't be a liquor license. When the gentleman asked why, the
Mayor reported that it was for safety reasons and reiterated
that there would be no license given saying, "It is not going to
happen".
Then, an Alsip resident questioned
why there was a red left turn arrow at 123rd & Cicero when there are often
times when there is no on-coming traffic, but you aren't allowed
to turn. Mayor
Kitching responded saying that IDOT regulates that light and that
if the resident would put his request in writing, the Mayor would
submit it to IDOT. The Mayor then added that he has some rapport
with IDOT but that it is often hard to know "why IDOT does
what IDOT does". Trustee Quinn added that this kind of left
turn arrow is the new standard that IDOT has gone with in its recent
work and that there is a similar arrow at 128th & Cicero.
Further,
a different resident asked about the cameras he saw by the tracks
and 123rd St. Mayor Kitching indicated that the state
recently gave the OK for these type of cameras to help with seeing
on-coming trains.
The final resident who approached the board
first gave his opinion that he agreed with a smoking ban
and indicated that the school
district has been non-smoking for some time. He then expressed
concern that he heard there might be a possibility of the barricades
on 123rd street being removed due to litigation. He stated that
with the help of Trustees Castaldo and Ceretto that his neighborhood
is cleaner and traffic is much better with the barricades. He
wanted to know what voice he and his neighbors could have
in the possible
litigation about these barricades. The Mayor responded that he
could not comment on pending litigation.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:09
for a closed session. No action was taken after the executive
session.
Daniel Godfrey Sworn in by Mayor as new Village Trustee and Board
Continues Considering Changing to International Building Code
January 15, 2007
The Board Meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM with a roll
call and Pledge of Allegiance. All board members were present.
Mayor Kitching started the meeting by reporting that the new
White Castle was inviting all Village employees to a free lunch
on January
26, 2007. He then noted that there was to be a ground breaking
ceremony for the Home Depot on January 30, 2007 at 2:00 PM.
Next,
the Mayor indicated that he wanted to appoint Daniel Godfrey
as Village Trustee. Trustee Collins made the motion to appoint
Mr. Godfrey and Trustee Shapiro seconded the motion. Trustee Quinn
asked if there was a resume for Mr. Godfrey. Mayor Kitching replied: "Not
that I am aware of". Trustee Quinn then asked how the board
was to know what Mr. Godfrey's qualifications were. Mayor Kitching
responded that Mr. Godfrey was a Fire/Police Commissioner. Trustee
Quinn responded that he would like to reiterate from the last meeting
that he felt this "rushed appointment was disrespectful".
The Mayor accused Trustee Quinn of "politicizing this appointment" and
said that "it will be made". No other Trustees asked
questions about the appointment, nor made comments (negative or
positive) regarding the appointment. A roll call vote was taken.
Trustees Shapiro, Collins and Graczyk voted yes with Trustees Quinn
and Castaldo voting no. The Mayor swore in Mr. Godfrey who took
a seat on the board. Trustees Quinn and Castaldo were not present
while Mr. Godfrey was sworn in. An audience member shouted out, "One
down Mayor, two to go".
The meeting continued with all board
members seated. Clerk Venhuizen reported that the vehicle sticker
contest information was being
sent to all Alsip schools this week. She further reported that
supplements to the Code Book could be picked up at the Clerk's
office and reminded the board that there would be no meeting
January 22, 2007 as there are 5 Mondays in January.
The Village
attorney indicated that the 2001 and 2002 Property Tax Rate
Objections were being reviewed and requested that the
board meet in a brief closed session to discuss a possible lawsuit
regarding barricades on 123rd Street.
Next, the Village engineer
reported that the Road Program was looking at "road needs for 2007".
Then,
the Standing and Special Committee Chairpersons represented
the items discussed at the last Committee Meeting and these items
were listed on the consent agenda.
Four items were removed from
the consent agenda before it was approved by the board:
The first
item was that the Mayor requested
removing the approval of the appointment of Daniel Godfrey as
Trustee since this item was passed earlier in the meeting.
Second, Trustee
Quinn motioned that the ordinance amending the salary ordinance
establishing the rate of pay for Village appointed employees
specifically state for the Police Chief. Trustee Castaldo
seconded the motion
and the motion passed with all Trustees voting yes.
Next, Trustee
Graczyk motioned to table, until the next meeting, the approval
of a request amending an ordinance of the 2006-2007 Annual Appropriation
Ordinance. Trustee Castaldo seconded the motion and it was approved.
Then, Trustee Quinn led a discussion regarding the approval of
a resolution which would authorize the Village applying for grant
money for use by the 911 Board. He made a motion that the Alsip
Board stipulates that it has a say in how the money is used.
The Village Attorney indicated that he did not think the
Alsip's board
had any legal control over how the money is used but that he
wasn't saying the board shouldn't add the stipulation. Trustee
Quinn expressed
concerned that the board would be authorizing funds and not know
how they were to be used or have a say in how they are used.
Trustee Collins asked what other towns do. Mayor Kitching
responded that "other
towns trust their 911 boards". Trustee Castaldo seconded
the motion but the motion failed with Trustees Shapiro, Graczyk,
Collins
and Godfrey voting no.
Lastly, Trustee Quinn requested that there
be a roll call vote on the approval of the list of licenses
dated January 8, 2007. Trustees Quinn and Castaldo voted
present and
the other Trustees all voted yes.
Under Unfinished Business,
Trustee Shapiro reported that he had spoken with the Alsip
Industrial League and the Alsip Chamber of
Commerce regarding changing to the International Building Code
and that he was awaiting the attorney's report regarding the differences
from the Village's current building codes. The Mayor stated that
the current building code was "obsolete". Trustee Shapiro
responded that there may be some concerns with how "grand
fathering" is used in the International Building Code. Trustee
Quinn then stated that the board needs this information in order
to make an intelligent vote. Further, Trustee Castaldo questioned
why if the International Code is "so good" "we are
pulling out the electrical and plumbing parts of the International
Code". Trustee Quinn added concern that there may be conflicts
with current Fire Code. Deputy Fire Chief Joe Schmidt indicated
that there are "no conflicts" and that he has a copy
with new revisions and further indicated that 160 municipalities
use the code. Trustee Castaldo asked the Deputy Chief how many
square feet a new home had to be or remodeled to require a resident
to install a sprinkler system. Deputy Chief Schmidt responded that
he didn't have the exact number in front of him but as Trustee
Castaldo indicated he understood a remodel had to be 50%. Trustee
Quinn added that he felt the board needed to stipulate what was
to be grandfathered and asked Deputy Chief Schmidt for the list
of the other municipalities that use the International Code. Deputy
Chief Schmidt indicated he would get a list to the board.
Under
New Business, the Mayor stated that there would be a modification
of committee assignments.
Lastly, the board adjourned for a closed
session at 8:05PM and returned about 8:30PM for the final adjournment.
New Police Chief and Officers Sworn In and Mayor Announces Choice
to Fill Trustee Ceretto's Seat
January 8, 2007
The Committee Meeting was called to order at 7:34PM with a roll
call and Pledge of Allegiance. The boardroom was filled with spectators.
Mayor Kitching started the meeting by swearing in the newly
appointed Police Chief, Robert J. Troy. Chief Troy expressed
condolences
to the Ceretto family; thanked the Mayor and all the Board for
their support; indicated he was looking forward to meeting the
residents and businesses of Alsip; and, thanked Deputy Chief
Radz, the families of the new officers to be sworn in and all
of the
Alsip officer's families as well as his own family.
Next, five
new officers were sworn in by Mr. Daniel Godfrey, an Alsip
Fire and Police Commissioner. The new officers were as follows:
Jonathan Kane, Hector Puente, Lemuel McKinney, Ross Potter and
Mike Pantoja.
The Mayor requested a "five minute recess" so
families could take pictures with the newly sworn police officers.
Many
spectators did not return after the recess.
At 7:55PM the meeting
was restarted and the Mayor Announced that there would be a groundbreaking
ceremony for the Home Depot on
1/30/07. Trustee Quinn indicated to Mayor Kitching that the contract
the Board signed with the developer was good for a 4- 6 months
start date after signing and that 1/30/07 would be past the date,
possibly making the contract invalid. The Mayor stated that he "better
call the attorney in the morning."
Next, the Mayor announced that
his appointment choice to fill the board's vacant seat was Daniel
Godfrey. Trustee Quinn indicated
that it was only one week since Trustee Ceretto died and that generally,
out of respect for the seat and the man, boards wait 30 days to
fill such a seat. Trustee Quinn asked the Mayor why there was a
rush to fill the seat when there is an election in a few months
and the residents could decide. The Mayor indicated that there
was work that needed to be done which was undertaken by other trustees
during Trustee Ceretto's absence and that it was his job to fill
the seat. Trustee Quinn responded that it is not the Mayor's choice
of Mr. Godfrey that is disrespectful but the "rush to fill
the seat is disrespectful" and that he would be voting no.
Mayor Kitching responded that Trustee Quinn was entitled to his
opinion and that the Board would move on to the next item.
Clerk
Venhuizen reported that the vehicle sticker contest information
would be going out to the schools.
Next, Chairpersons of the Standing
Committees presented their items to be placed on the agenda
for the following Board Meeting.
Under Finance, Trustee Graczk reported that he would have the
list of bills, the budget for 2007-2008, an ordinance for the
salary
of the new Police Chief and a resolution to authorize grant money
application for the 911 Board. Trustee Quinn commented that it
seemed ironic that the Village has to apply for money that it
has no control over how it is spent. Under the Fire Committee,
Trustee
Collins reported that the testing process for new firefighter
positions would be started and that he had two thank you letters.
Trustee
Shapiro, under Police, reported that he would have a list of
bills and under Building, that a property at 6000 West 118th
St. was
requesting a PVC piping variance. Trustee Quinn had no report
under the Water Committee, but the Mayor did note he had signed
the Crestwood
water contract.
Under Special Committees, Trustee Castaldo
asked the Mayor if he had any update on the "village house". Mayor Kitching
replied that the there was "no word from the adjuster yet".
Trustee Collins reported under Ordinance/Legislation that there
would be an open meeting January 10, 2007 at 7 PM at Village Hall
to get community and business input on a smoking ordinance. He
further requested that each Board member provide him with their
opinion on the smoking ordinance.
Under New Business, Trustee Quinn
asked if input from the Industrial League and Chamber of Commerce
could be sought regarding the International
Building Code. Trustee Shapiro, Building Chairperson, responded
that he would contact these groups.
Finally, two residents spoke
to the Board. The first resident questioned why Alsip could only
get Comcast Computer service since
its prices keep going up. He asked if there was a no-competition
agreement with Comcast. Trustee Castaldo responded that he had
tried to get WOW as a provider but they said no. Trustee Quinn
reported that AT&T indicated that switching service was too
far for Alsip. The Mayor then added that it was his understanding
it is an infrastructure problem. A second resident rose and indicated
that he had spoken with several other services all of which indicated
that there aren't lines to support its services in Alsip. He further
added that he thought it was odd since he could get more than one
service at a second home in a smaller town.
Mayor States Trustee Ceretto's Seat Must Be Filled and Board Considering
Changing to International Building Code
January 3, 2007
The first Board Meeting of the New Year took place on a Wednesday
evening. It was called to order at 7:44 PM with the usual roll
call and Pledge of Allegiance.
Mayor Kitching started the meeting by reading a statement regarding
the death of Trustee Carl Ceretto (January 1, 2007) who served
on the Village Board since 1993. The statement included condolences
to Trustee Ceretto's family and gratitude for his service on
the Board as well many other areas of service to the Village
of Alsip.
The Mayor asked for a moment of silence.
Next, the Mayor reported that "the hurdles with IDOT" on
the Home Depot project had cleared which would allow the project
to "move rapidly from here". He then reported that
the installation of the wireless network for alarm monitoring
would be further explored due to some questions brought to the
Board's attention by Trustee Quinn. Lastly, the Mayor asked Acting
Police Chief Radz how the installation of the police software "was
going". The Acting Chief responded that the CAPERS installation
was going "well" and that almost all "old data" was
installed while new citation installation was nearly completed.
The
Mayor then turned to the report of the Clerk. Trustee Quinn
motioned for Sharon McDowell to be the Clerk Pro Temp as Clerk
Venhuizen was absent. The motion carried and Mrs. McDowell presented
the Illinois Department of Transportation Obligation Retirement
Resolution retiring the debt from the Motor Fuel Tax Bond for
the 1995 Road Project 95-88 as well as indicating that the 2006
Tax
Levy Ordinance was filed with the County Clerk on 12/22/06. Finally,
she reported that the supplement for Alsip's Municipal code book
was received and that each Board member would receive a copy.
Brief
discussions occurred on two items presented by the Standing and
Special Committee Chairpersons and listed on the consent agenda.
Trustee Castaldo requested authorization to terminate a contract
with Tru Green Land Care and authorization to advertise for new
bids for a 3 year contract for lawn maintenance. The Mayor asked
if the attorney has seen the current contract. Trustee Castaldo
reported that the attorney was reviewing the contract which allows
for a 30 day notice to terminate. Next, Trustee Quinn asked Trustee
Collins if the "ordinance authorizing a Plat of Dedication
of a Certain Parcel of Property for a road titled 122nd to serve,
in part, the Mulberry Ridge Subdivision and declaring the road
open" was the currently used 122nd Street. Trustee Collins
indicated that it was and that this ordinance would "formalize" 122nd
street.
Next, Trustee Shapiro requested that "Authorization for the
Village of Alsip to change to the Building Code to the International
Building Code with the exception of electric and plumbing and to
authorize the necessary rewrite of Chapter 6 of the Municipal Code
and direct an ordinance be drafted" be removed from the consent
agenda. After the amended consent agenda was passed unanimously,
Trustee Shapiro suggested that after reviewing some information
provided by Trustee Quinn, he recommended further exploration of
this issue by the Board and review by the attorney. The Board voted
unanimously to table the Building Code item and review it again
in 60 days.
Under New Business, Trustee Castaldo requested a roster
of all Village employees including their addresses and Trustee
Quinn indicated
that he provided information to Board members regarding state
legislators lobbying for free internet access in minority communities
which
is funded through advertising.
Lastly, Mayor Kitching stated
that the Board vacancy "must
be filled" and he would provide his appointment selection
next week. He further added that persons could stop by his office "for
input".
The meeting was adjourned at 8:09PM.
Some other items passed by consent agenda included the following:
A list of Village bills totaling $552,747.73
Authorization
to start the testing process for a new list of police candidates
as well as the approval of the sale of four 2003
squad cars to Chicago Motor Sales for $10,864 and one 2001 squad
to Asia Motors for $2,965 (all these vehicles were out of service)
Approval
of an Ordinance Authorizing a Water Supply Contract between
the Village of Alsip and the Village of Crestwood from
January 1, 2007 until September 30, 2016
Approval of forwarding
to Planning and Zoning a request for rezoning from light industrial
to religious at 12400 S. Keeler
and a request for a subdivision of lots at 12260 Shirley Lane
because the property is only divided for tax parcels
Approval
to purchase carbon monoxide detectors for Heritage I and II
at a total cost of
$18,600 as well as approval to purchase ADA ramp railings for
Heritage II at a total cost of $10,826 less an insurance grant
reimbursement
of $6,600 with the Village's share at $4,226
Approval to contract
with CJ Erickson Plumbing at an hourly rate to replace broken
tiles at Heritage II
Approval of an Ordinance vacating a
roadway easement at 12340 S. Cicero
