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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/13/2013 CWC MinutesMINUTES VILLAGE OF MOUNT PROSPECT COFFEE WITH COUNCIL SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013 9:00 AM Community Room, Village Hall The meeting convened at 9:04 AM. Those present: Mayor Irvana Wilks, Trustee Paul Hoefert, Trustee Michael Zadel (and Carolyn Zadel), Trustee Arlene Juracek, Trustee John Matuszak, Trustee Steve Polit, Village Manager Michael Janonis, and Director of Public Works Sean Dorsey. Residents in Attendance: John Elenberger Redwood Drive David Hansen Holly Avenue Barbara VanArsdale Can Dota Avenue Tom Musolf Creekside Condominiums Julie Melino Creekside Condominiums Aleza Moore Pawnee Lane Anita Taylor Burning Bush Lane Jan Kent Briarwood Drive Carol Tortorello South Elmhurst Avenue Ken and Jackie Koeppen Linneman Road Tom Mannion South Edward Street Susan Duboff Golfview Place Greg Contreras North Main Street Louis Bowers Boxwood Drive Dave Schein Na Wa Ta Avenue John Elenberger thanked the public works department for a quick response to a recent water main break near his home. He also congratulated the election winners; thanked all who ran; and chastised those who did not vote. David Hansen thanked the village for the timely repair of streetlight and Wilshire and Kensington. He also encouraged attendees to be attentive to the continuing threat of home -grown terrorism. Barbara VanArsdale had no issues to discuss. Tom Musolf identified himself as a resident at Creekside condominiums. He stated that he was attending to update the village about a continuing noise problem at the Old Orchard Golf Course banquet facility. Specifically, music from banquet hall is too loud; disturbing residents at the nearby Creekside Condominiums. He noted that the problem has persisted for almost two (2) years without resolution. He further explained that the golf course and banquet facility are owned by the Prospect Heights Park District. He advised the village that there is a meeting scheduled for next Tuesday (April 16, 2013) to discuss the issue with park district representatives. Mr. Janonis commented that a decibel meter has been installed in the facility and the banquet facility operator has been asked to self - monitor noise levels. Additionally, Mr. Janonis explained that a letter from the police department is routinely handed to disc jockeys and /or music acts advising them of the problem and identifying acceptable noise limits. Trustee Polit commented that a viable solution might be the installation of a house audio system designed to broadcast the sound towards the floor instead of allowing contracted disc jockeys and bands to utilize their own systems which tend to direct the sound towards the glass walls of the banquet facility. Julie Melino stated that she is a resident of Creekside Condominiums and was also attending to discuss the Old Orchard banquet facility noise issue. Aleza Moore explained that she is a co- producer of a new feature film about the enlightening, true -life story of a handicapped child who recovered from his disabilities and travelled around the world. She noted that one of his stops was in France. She inquired about the possibility of promoting the film project at an upcoming Sisters Cities pot luck dinner. Mr. Janonis suggested that she should discuss the possibility with the Sisters Cities Commission member organizing the pot luck dinner. Anita Taylor had no issues to discuss. Jan Kent stated that she and her neighbors had noticed a persistent natural gas smell near their homes. She opined that Nicor was aware of the complaint but apparently has not yet fixed the problem. Mr. Dorsey commented that Nicor routinely investigates gas leaks and prioritizes them according to severity. Sometimes, this system ranks "smelly" leaks, assumed by the general public to be dangerous, as low priorities because the volume of gas escaping is not significant. In these situations, the "gas smell" has more to do with the chemical additive used to create the "gas smell" than it has to do with size of the gas leak. Mr. Dorsey stated that he would attempt to contact Nicor and identify the status of the leak repair. Ms. Kent also inquired about the status of the Lynn Court townhomes annexation. Mr. Janonis stated that he is continuing to work on the issue. Carol Tortorello encouraged the village to place a star at the top of the holiday tree instead of the ribbon decorations used last year. Ken and Jackie Koeppen stated they had no issues to discuss. Tom Mannion congratulated all who participated in the recent election. He also wanted to know if the village could get involved in encouraging more people to participate in elections. He also suggested the village should do more to encourage people to "shop Mount Prospect ". Trustee Zadel responded that the village has consistently implored residents to attend village board meetings; particularly when important decisions are made about budgeting and finance. Trustee Zadel also opined that, except for a marketing campaign, he was not certain increased village efforts to lure shoppers would be cost effective. He also related that there are issues being discussed at the state level that voters need to pay attention to such as a current bill requiring apprentice training programs which could add significant labor costs to village contracts. He also suggested that the public should be attentive to the continuing threat from state legislators to withhold distributive funds. Trustee Zadel also advised that the Illinois Municipal League (IML) contains a periodic briefing about these types of issues. Mr. Janonis stated that the village will install a hot link to the IML page on the village website. Trustee Polit also encouraged people to participate in elections. He commented that increased participation will be necessary in order to fight attempts to correct the state's mismanagement by shifting financial burdens to local municipalities. He also opined that increased voter participation will be necessary to offset growing interest in local government from political parties and political associations. Trustee Matuszak suggested that a discussion of pending state legislation that impacts village financing should be a future topic for a Committee of the Whole meeting. Trustee Juracek encouraged people to attend town hall hosted by state senator Matt Murphy on Monday, April 15, 2013 at the Central Community Center. Susan Duboff stated she was in attendance to discuss the real estate tax appeal process. She commented that the process is illogical, time - consuming, and often contradicting. She related her own experiences appealing the taxes on her home. She suggested implementation of a flat tax (cost per square foot) per neighborhood. Trustee Polit concurred with Ms. Duboff's assessment of the problem and related his own personal experience. He explained that his house is classified as having a basement but does not. He 2 feels that the assessed property value on his house includes the value of a basement; he is taxed based on assessed property value not just the classification of his house. Dave Schein related a favorable experience receiving real estate tax appeal assistance from the Elk Grove Township Assessor's Office. Greg Contreras shared photographs of a mesh fence recently installed by his neighbor. He related aspects of a contentious relationship with this neighbor and inquired whether the village would permit the mesh fence to remain. Mr. Janonis responded that the fence does not technically violate village codes. Louis Bowers complimented the people who run the blood drive. He also related a problem he has with leaking gutters in his townhouse. Specifically, he sought guidance in obtaining a contractor who could repair his gutters while effectively connecting them to unrepaired gutters on adjoining townhomes. He related that a contributing factor to his dilemma is that there is no homeowners association in his development. As a consequence, townhome owners are left to perform these types of exterior repairs individually. Mr. Janonis advised Mr. Bowers to review the problem with several contractors and obtain at least three (3) competitive cost estimates. Dave Schein detailed recent advances in the continuing battle to control the skunk population in his neighborhood. Mr. Janonis reminded those in attendance that the Kensington Road reconstruction project is scheduled to begin this month. The project is slated to last until mid - November. He encouraged motorists to avoid unnecessary travel in the construction zone. He also noted that the Canadian National Railroad will begin grade crossing improvements at the Wolf Road crossing (in Prospect Heights) on April 26. The road will be closed for approximately one (1) week. He also reminded everyone that the last day to purchase village vehicle stickers is April 30. Mayor Wilks invited everyone to attend the Mayor's Farewell Reception on April 26 in the Village Board Room. The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 AM.